Chapter 441: Confessional Hearing [4]
?
"As?"
Matthias''s brow raised at the unexpected name.
He suddenly recalled the time he spent with him in the medical ward and frowned. Was he really?
"...I''m not entirely sure. It''s just my guess from what I''ve managed to observe."
Hollowe answered tly.
"The fact that so many incidents urred when the two of them were in power makes me question their entire system. As is quite well known for his capabilities while Delh is more known for her strength. If there''s a fault in the system then it is highly likely linked with As."
"Oh?"
A look of interest shed across Matthias''s face.
"So that''s the reason why you believe that he''s likely connected with the Inverted Sky?"
"For now, yes."
Hollowe answered with a small nod. Picking up the teacup, he took a small sip before crossing his legs.
"I''ve been trying to investigate him for the past few months but he''s as clean as theye on the outside. He''s got the perfect image, and considering his background, it''s a little difficult for me to fully investigate him."
"Do you need my help?"
"That won''t be necessary. Considering thetest incident, it''s highly likely that he will remain low for now."
"Then are you just going to wait until he does something?"
"There''s no need for that."
Hollowe took another sip of his tea.
"...Just because I can''t target him doesn''t mean that I don''t have a direction to head." "Oh?"
"You see, there''s a certain student that I''m very curious about."
Hollowe ced the teacup down, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"He''s someone that I like quite a lot. Our personalities mesh quite well." "Mesh well, you?"
A strange look crossed Matthias''s face.
It only grew worse as Hollowe continued to speak.
"Especially his sense of humor. That is something that I can-"
"Was there such a monster in this ce?"
"Tsk."
Hollowe lowered the teacup and clicked his tongue.
"...We both know you''re the problem."
"No, I''m not."
Matthias shook his head. While the two of them had vastly different roles, they both came from the same Temr institute. The two knew each other quite well, and Matthias was well- versed with Hollowe''s sense of humor.
It was something he dreaded. Not just him but everyone within the institute.
For there to be someone who had the same sense of humor...
''Goosebumps.''
Matthias felt goosebumps.
Tak-
cing the teacup down, Hollowe sighed.
"Going back to the topic in hand, I believe that I''ll be able to find a breakthrough if I investigate him further."
"Why do you believe so?"
"Because he''s at the center of most of the events that have urred."
Hollowe answered firmly.
"Most incidents always seem to find a way with him, which should be enough of a clue. At first, I thought it was because he was the possible holder of one of the Holy Relics, but now I''m no longer certain of that fact."
"...You aren''t?"
"No."
Hollowe shook his head.
"I fear the real reason might be different than what I expect it to be, and that''s what worries
me."
"Could it be?"
Picking up the hints in Hollowe''s words, Matthias''s face turned serious.
"Yes."
Hollowe closed his eyes and leaned back.
"Seeing how much he''s been interacting with As, I fear that he might be directly rted to the Inverted Sky himself."
"A spy, I see. What is their name?"
"You should know him well by now."
With a bitterugh, Hollowe raised his head to look at Matthias.
"...It''s Julien of the Evenus Household."
***
[Foresight] --> [Eyes of the Seer]
I struggled to make sense of what I was seeing.
''Is my mind still foggy from the experience? Am I hallucinating?''
Rubbing my eyes, I looked at the notification that stood in front of me. My expression shifted when I realized that I wasn''t seeing things.
My innate skill...
It had really upgraded.
But how was this possible?
"This is the first time that I''ve heard of Innate skills changing.''
"No, wait."
Now that I thought about it, spells also couldn''t be upgraded. I was the only one that was capable of pulling such a move. The fact that my innate skill changed shouldn''t reallye as
a surprise to me.
''Right, why am I even surprised?''
Perhaps it was more likely due to the fact that I didn''t see any experience bar in the innate skills, making me think that it was impossible to upgrade them, but it looked like I was
wrong.
"No, that''s not it either..."
Lowering my head to stare at my skin, which waspletely red, I had a vague idea of what
truly had caused the upgrade.
"It''s the blood."
The blood was assimting with my body, injecting the powers that once belonged to me,
Oracleus.
"...Wait, so does that mean that the more blood I consume the more likely my foresight will
evolve?"
Realization dawned on me right then.
If there was one thing that had been bothering me for quite some time was the vagueness of
my ''foresight'' skill.
There was no real specific time for when it came, and while I had managed to catch a glimpse
of its potential back when I first came to this world when I had relieved my death in the Mirror Dimension, such power never revealed itself again.
"The current upgraded version of [Foresight] is [Eyes of the Seer]. If I take more blood will the skill upgrade further? Will I reach a point where I gain the powers of the one whom
everyone refers to as a god?"
The thought drummed wildly in my mind.
It was a dangerous thought, but the more I thought about it, the more likely this seemed to be
possible.
''Right now, I do have a little bit of Oracleus''s blood in my ring. Should I use it?''
I hesitated for a moment before shaking my head.
''No, maybe now''s not the right time.''
Finally, I shifted my attention towards the Pope''s body and my shoulders started to feel
heavy.
"What do I do?"
I had tried reviving him using Mortum''s blood, but that didn''t work. I didn''t understand why
but that was the least of my problems.
"How should I handle this?"
Should I just go out and tell them that he died?
Seeing all the blood scattered on the ground and the slits on the Pope''s wrist, I knew that this
wasn''t feasible. They''d immediately start questioning me and I saw no way out of the entire
situation.
''Running away?''
Iughed bitterly at the thought.
All of a sudden, I was reminded of the vision I had not too long ago and I understood that
running was pointless.
"This is fucked."
It was a despairing situation.
One that I couldn''t find a way out of.
"Let''s calm down for a second."
Slumping down on the chair, I cooled down my emotions and took deep and steady breaths.
Drumming my finger against my cheek, I thought about all the possible oues of my actions. From involving As to other more crazy ideas.
However, regardless of how much I thought about it, they all ended up with the same end in
my mind.
...My death.
A pulse of anxiety rose up within my chest.
Tapping my foot against the floor, I looked all over the empty room. I searched for something. Anything that could help me get out of the situation, but regardless of how hard I
thought, my mind was nked.
There was no way out.
There...
My head abruptly lifted as my ears pricked up.
Sensing movement from the other side of the door, my heart jolted awake.
''Oh, shit.''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
I scanned the room, feeling a lump form in my throat. As my body tensed up, my face changed
drastically when I noticed the door knob twist.
I immediately stood up from the spot, and then...
Click!
A gentle click resounded across the room.
"Is everything all right over here?"
***
''This room is taking longer than anticipated.''
Priest Marian stopped before a certain room.
Room [E07].
Checking the time, Marian found that the hearing was taking longer than it usually did. They
were now several minutes above the expected time.
Of course, Marian was well aware of who was staying in the room.
He was one of the only few who knew.
Still, he decided to check.
Bringing his hand forward, he pressed his hand against the knob of the door, gently turning it
to the right.
Click!
With a gentle click, he opened the door and peeked inside.
"Is everything all right over here?"
"....Pardon?"
Looking into the room, Marian was met with the sight of an empty but clean room. Within the
room stood a young cadet who looked his way with a confused look.
"Is something going on?"
"...."
Frowning, Marian looked around.
"Is it just you in the room? Where is your confidant?"
"My confidant?"
Julien blinked for a moment beforeing to a realization.
"Oh, he''s gone. He told me to wait here so that''s what I''ve been doing."
"He told you to wait here?"
The frown on Marian''s face deepened. However, when he thought about who the person in
question was, his brows started to loosen.
''Yes, his holiness may have received some urgent message. That is not unnatural.''
Furthermore, what could a cadet even do to the Pope? Smiling, Marian was just about to open his mouth when Julien spoke.
"He told me to wait here and that soon someone wille to rece him. Are you the one?"
"Eh?"
Marian''s face froze.
"He said that?"
"...Yes. He said that someone wouldeter to do the hearing. I would assume it''s you
considering that you''vee."
"No, but-"
"Aren''t you a priest? Great, let''s get ready."
Julien sat down and urged him forward.
"I''m ready to confess my sins."
"I, ah..." Pursing his lips, Marian sighed.
''Well, it shouldn''t take too long.''
Looking behind him, he entered the room and approached the cadet. There was something
strange about the room he couldn''t quite ce his finger on, but he decided to ignore it while
facing the cadet who stood up and gestured at the seat. "Please."
"...Thank you."
Marian sat down and made himselffortable.
"Do you know how this will proceed?"
"Yes, I''ve already done the first part with the previous priest." "....Alright."
Marian closed his eyes and leaned back.
"Please confess your sin."
"Haha, yes. I have several."
"Go on."
A strange silence ensued after his words. It was an unfitting silence that made Marian frown.
"Are you not going to-"
By the time he opened his mouth, a hand pressed against his face and his eyes shot open.
What the!?
But it was toote.
Staring at the deep hazel eyes staring at him from behind the hand, all he could make out was
a faint, yet hoarse voice.
"This is my first sin."
Julien murmured, his lips trembling slightly as the room around him shifted, revealing an
entirely different scene with blood sttered everywhere and a figure lying motionless on the
floor.
m!"
"...I''m sorry Priest."
Marian''s mind grew nk.
"I just want to live."