I no longer doubt the existence of God, but that doesn’t mean I have faith. On the contrary, I’ve been a victim.
The reason I have a connection with Cardinal Keller, the head of the church in the empire, is because of that fateful Azure Day.
A priest, whose faith had gone too far, tried to prove God’s existence. Various conditions and misfortunes converged, resulting in the summoning of an angel.
The summoned angel, with its overwhelming power, began to distort the world, turning it a deep azure blue.
That was while it was still asleep. The imperial army arrived to eliminate it, but once the angel awoke, it was a nightmare.
The forcibly summoned angel was naturally furious, and the imperial army suffered catastrophic losses.
Even the princess barely survived, thanks to her royal guards.
The angel’s invasion continued for three days, and the sky over the empire turned azure blue even at night, creating a scene that was more eerie than beautiful.
At that time, I had just acquired the Flame Sword and had become a high-level adventurer.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, I had an ace up my sleeve that I would never get again, so I decided to use it… which brings us to the present.
As a result, the angel was sealed, and the person responsible for the summoning was the first to die in the aftermath.
I became known as a key player of the Azure Day and thus began my association with Cardinal Keller.
Normally, it would be impossible to meet with a cardinal immediately, but as the bearer of the Heaven’s Sword, I was granted an exception.
In the reception room of a relatively small church built in the center of the imperial capital, I sat on a sofa waiting for the cardinal, feeling conflicted.
Nia is an adorable junior, so I tend to be lenient with her.
That’s why I didn’t want to see Keller, but here I am, waiting to meet her, albeit reluctantly.
Eventually, the door opened, and a young woman entered carrying a tea set. I greeted her with a glance.
“It’s been a while, Sir Knight of Heaven.”
“I thought I had declined the church knight title.”
“Fufu, will you give up that sword?”
“Cardinal Keller, I have an urgent matter.”
The woman who entered was indeed Cardinal Keller.
Her outfit was the same as always.
A red nun’s habit, but with deep slits and an exposed chest. The skirt was long at the back, reaching her ankles, but short in the front, revealing her beautiful legs covered in stockings.
The outfit had various decorations, striking a balance between flamboyance and the dignity befitting a cardinal.
However, she didn’t look like a clergyman at all.
Her beauty made her even more conspicuous.
Despite her youth, she had become a cardinal, which meant she was quite cunning.
I had nearly been conferred as a church knight by her once, and I wouldn’t meet her unless necessary.
Keller prepared the tea herself with practiced ease. The room filled with the aroma of tea.
“You’re here about the Grand Church, right? Since the Azure Day, it has been abandoned with minimal management… It seems it was exploited.”
“You’ve heard quickly. If it’s not in use, that makes it easier. Can we enter?”
She placed a saucer and a cup of tea with sugar, milk, and sliced lemon in front of me. I added only sugar to my tea.
“I didn’t say that. I can’t permit troops to storm a church.”
“It’s a heretical cult that seeks sacrifices. It’s worse to let them stay inside, isn’t it?”
Keller added milk to her tea, turning the amber liquid a milky white. She sipped it gracefully and placed the cup back on the saucer.
“Since the Azure Day, the activities of heretical cults have intensified. We’ve been suppressing and investigating them, but they’ve never been so blatant.”
“They targeted a marquis’s daughter. Of course, there’s urgency.”
“They must be desperate… If they managed to summon an angel, they might believe they can summon a demon. And they’ve deliberately fled to the Grand Church, where the angel was summoned.”
“They have a purpose? But we’ve surrounded the area. They can’t escape.”
“Hopefully… They don’t choose their methods. Those who fled to the Grand Church are just a fraction. You, the bearer of the sword that sealed the angel, are not unrelated to this. Stay vigilant.”
“If they appear as enemies, it’s easier. I’m just handling the church’s enemies for you, right?”
The marquis is already determined. This is just about formalizing it; the outcome won’t change. Keller understands this too.
“As a cardinal, I command the bearer of the Heaven’s Sword to act as a church knight. Defeat the enemies of God.”
“I humbly accept, Your Eminence.”
I obtain permission to enter the church.
This means I owe Nia and the marquis a favor and am indebted to Keller as well.
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