A memory from not so long ago comes back vividly.
That horn was clearly a trace left by the leader of Eclipse, who was conducting a large-scale summoning ritual underground during the Persen County Incident.
The vast underground space was filled with so much magic that it was suffocating, and the creature even possessed the very tricky ability of teleportation.
'If only its martial arts had been a little better, it would have been quite dangerous.'
According to the fact that its combat power itself was not that threatening, I remember defeating it without much difficulty.
According to the explanation of the master who came to see me after the mission, the seeds of the great disaster did not germinate because they had exploited the gap right before the ritual was performed at the right time...
Honestly, it seemed that investigating the incidents occurring around the County and infiltrating the enemy's leadership were more difficult than that.
It was also hard work to imitate a savage who was not even in my fortune.
Looking back now, I think I was lucky in many ways at the time.
A bishop-level priest of the Heavenly Church who was sensitive to magic accompanied me, and I was able to infiltrate the enemy camp by collapsing the ground without going through the complex underground labyrinth.
Of course, from the rebels' perspective, it was like sprinkling ashes on a fully baked white bread, but that's none of my business.
—Hurup
I thought so and sipped a cup of tea that the Cardinal himself had personally given me.
The flavor was very good, but this taste was secondary to the subtle divine power… Could it be?
"Your Highness, the tea tastes really good. I didn't know you were so knowledgeable about tea ceremony."
"Haha. Is that so? Thank you for appreciating this old man's hobby. I tried steeping some Southern Mountain hibiscus tea leaves in holy water."
"Really? This is an extravagant luxury."
"Of course, it's a secret from the priests outside. I'll probably get a lot of nagging. Hahaha..."
Oh my, when we visit the headquarters of the Cheonshin Church, we drink all the tea with holy water. Is such a minor deviation acceptable for a cardinal?
Cardinal Malleus was an old man with a tough-looking appearance and a personality that was not befitting his fearsome position as the leader of the heresy judges, but rather a friendly and joking person.
Of course, this is only the second time we've met, and since he's a senior priest with a lot of experience, it's likely that what he's showing us now isn't everything...
Sitting so close to him, I feel a strange sense of intimacy with the old man.
'You must have had a hard time when you were young.'
Just drinking red tea, somehow, creates a murderous atmosphere as if drinking the blood of heretics.
If his expression has softened to that extent due to aging, how tiring must his life have been because of his appearance when he was young?
"Your face looks much better than last time."
"You too. The sharp aura that used to resemble a wounded beast has softened a lot. It seems that you have found peace in your heart."
As someone who knows better than anyone that a fierce appearance can cause great inconvenience to daily life, I could feel the joys and sorrows of life that Cardinal Malleus must have experienced.
And since he is also a heretic, it goes without saying.
So, I had a casual conversation with Cardinal Malleus, who felt like my grandfather, whom I had never met, and at an appropriate time, I got to the main topic.
"Your Eminence, Cardinal. I clearly remember that horn as the item I entrusted to Bishop Roberto last time. May I ask why you are here and why you summoned me?"
"Aha. That is because there is something I need to discuss with you directly."
Then, the old man's hazy eyes, which had been laughing, suddenly became filled with anger.
Something I need to discuss. What on earth is that?
That horn was clearly something that I would find unpleasant to have, but was of no use.
That is why I remember passing it on to Bishop Roberto, the head of the Cheonshin Church support force, just before returning from my mission.
Since it was clearly an item related to the devil no matter how you looked at it, I thought the church would take care of it well.
But now that I have been called back for a problem related to that horn, it is a little strange.
"I can tell from your expression. You must be worried that there might be additional problems. However, since the heretics are still relatively quiet, you don't have to worry right now."
"That's fortunate. But then, what should I do?"
"Hmm. The purification of the magic has been completed, and the analysis of which type of demon the enemy's leader is has been completed, so shouldn't we make sure of ownership of it?"
"Huh? Ownership?"
No, it's not gold or jewels, so why are there issues with ownership?
If the Celestial Church had just sent an official document saying that they would take it since they had something to use it for, I would have thought so.
Did a high-ranking nobleman with a strange hobby of collecting body parts of demons appear without my knowledge, and the value of it rapidly increased? It was something I couldn't figure out.
I looked at Cardinal Malleus with a slightly bewildered look, and the old man took another sip of tea and continued his explanation in a calm tone.
"Some parts of the high-ranking demon's body contain enormous power. The horn of the demon you defeated contains the remnants of the power related to space travel from the Astaroth lineage."
"Is that so? My knowledge of demons is rather limited, so that's a bit strange. Power in a part of the body? That's no different from monsters, isn't it?"
This was another story I'd never heard before.
I'd been rolling around in the northern battlefield for a long time, but it was a battlefield where humans used every means at their disposal to kill each other, so there was no room for demons to intervene.
It hadn't even been a year since I heard the news that the North Koreans had joined hands with demons. That was around the time I learned about the Eclipse guys.
So, as someone who was completely ignorant of the existence of demons, I found Cardinal Malleus' story very interesting.
"Hehe. In a way, monsters and demons are all creatures that originated from the devil, so they might have something in common. Well, this is an academic area, so let's skip it... The important thing is that that horn has great value."
"Based on what I've understood from the conversation so far, it's probably a precious trophy, like the heart of a dragon or the essence of a high-ranking spirit."
"You got it right. If the magic was seriously contaminated or the source of the power was distorted, it would just be a target for incineration, but that horn is quite useful."
Oh my. After hearing the explanation, that suddenly looks like a precious treasure.
Also, at this point, I can roughly guess why Cardinal Malleus, who was looking at me with shining eyes, called me here.
I don't know exactly how valuable it is, but since I didn't know the value of it, it would have been fine if they just swallowed it among themselves.
'Is it because they're faithful priests? They're quite honest. No… maybe it's a slightly different reason.'
The reason why they invited me in person and explained the value in detail is probably because the Celestial Church prioritized their friendship with me over the value of the horn.
I don't know if it was a decision made by a higher-up or Cardinal Malleus' own opinion, but either way, it's not bad at all for me.
It's good to have connections in the religious world.
I have a teacher in the military, and I'm connected to His Majesty the Emperor through Alicia, so my position in the Empire is already pretty solid.
If I can build a friendship with the Celestial Church here, my range of activities will be even freer.
Somehow, I feel like I'm getting closer to the peaceful and happy life after the war that I've been dreaming of.
"First of all, the ownership of the horn is definitely yours. If you transfer ownership to the Celestial Church, I promise to compensate you accordingly. What should I do?"
"Hmm. If the Heavenly Church needs that, then of course I should hand it over. But what exactly is the compensation?"
"Hehe. Personally, I recommend that you just keep it."
"...Huh?"
However, the conversation is going in a different direction than I expected.
The church has been showing off how much they want to keep that horn. Now they're telling me to just take it.
Cardinal Malleus laughed nonchalantly and made a remark that was not light at all.
"The Temple Order is really greedy for that, but I hate seeing that unlucky old lady, Cardinal Goldenbaum, laughing so hard."
"Wait a minute, Your Majesty Cardinal Malleus. Is it okay for you to talk so candidly about the church's inner workings in front of an outsider?"
"Well, what do you think? Everyone already knows that I don't get along with that old man."
I feel like I've found out some information that I don't necessarily need to know. The power struggle between the Holy Order and the Inquisition.
Since priests are also people, is there some kind of political conflict within the Church of Heaven?
I listened to Cardinal Malleus's words with a trembling expression.
"By the way, unlike me, he's a very stingy person. I think it's likely that if you go to him with your horns, he'll openly give you a reward. Well, I'll leave the judgment up to you."
"..."
Cardinal Malleus. He really wasn't an ordinary person.
He didn't just create this situation to strengthen my friendship with me, but he also tried to keep his rival in check.
My judgment would naturally be to follow the advice of Cardinal Malleus, who I was somewhat familiar with, rather than squabbling over a treasure with Cardinal Goldenbaum, a complete stranger.
If we look at the results of this place, he has made a huge profit by showing off to me with horns that are not his.
His political acumen has reached a level where I can only admire him.
He is someone who would be very tiring to be hostile to. Furthermore, he seems to be kind to me, so it would be better to remain moderately friendly like we are now.
Also, who knows? A person of that level of experience might even become the next Pope.
"Go and see. The doors of the Inquisition are always wide open to you. Come by for tea next time."
"Yes, then..."
I left the cathedral with the devil's horn neatly packed in a blessed wooden box.
What should I do with this?
For now, let's take it to Eitri's forge. Since it's a precious material, a dwarf who has lived for hundreds of years should know how to use it.
"Master! Are you back?"
"Yes, I am back."
—Cheers!
"Ha, hauuu..."
When I returned to the unit, it was time to leave work, so I enjoyed a short kiss with Agnes, who welcomed me back from a short business trip.
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