Chapter 164: Class Change, Solaris Cleric (5)

Albert appeared dressed in his usual neat, clean cleric robe without any decorations.

He approached Kai and said in a polite tone before heading to his seat, “That’s a relief then. I will place my full trust in you."

Though his actions were no different from usual, the bishops tilted their heads.

...The high priest is using honorifics? Who is this cleric?

Judging by how they returned together yesterday, it seems like he saved his life... Maybe that's why.

Today, the high priest seems more confident, even in his walk.

Could he be acting so proud because of that young cleric?

Most of the bishops had questioning glances, but Albert ignored them as he took his seat. Then, Kai naturally took the seat beside him.

Albert gave Kai a brief reassuring look and turned his attention to the bishops.

“Please, be seated.”

The already quiet meeting room became even more silent. The bishops unconsciously tried to make their breathing as quiet as possible.

It was all due to Kai's high Dignity stat, however, the bishops had no way of knowing this and were bewildered.

Why am I so nervous?

...The high priest. He’s different today.

It’s best to tread carefully for now.

These were the instincts of those who had long navigated the waters of politics. It was this animal-like intuition that told them to keep their mouths shut.

“I don't think there’s any need for a lengthy explanation, so let's get straight to the point. It seems you're all curious about what happened yesterday...”

Now speaking confidently, Albert continued without hesitation, “Cardinal Bernard and Cardinal Molion were heretics who conspired with the Church of Muldine. At the destination of the carriage, priests and paladins from the Church of Muldine were lying in ambush, their forces vastly outnumbering the Solarian Knights... In the end, the young lambs of the Solarian God were ambushed and couldn't even put up a proper resistance, meeting a tragic end. Let us pray that they have returned to Helik's embrace.”

Unlike his usual habit of speaking in a roundabout manner, Albert was shockingly straightforward. And with the mention of the Church of Muldine, even the usually quiet bishops raised their voices.

"That’s impossible! This is the Holy Kingdom of Lapis. Are you saying the Church of Muldine had troops nearby?"

“No, before we discuss that, shouldn’t the focus be on the betrayal of the two cardinals?”

“

Huh

... When did the Church become so corrupt...”

“Wait a minute. Shouldn’t we also suspect the bishops who worked closely with those cardinals? Archbishop Hicks, what do you think?”

Archbishop Hicks had always been known as someone close to the two cardinals.

He flinched momentarily when his name was mentioned, but instead of showing it, he raised his voice boldly, “How dare you say such a thing! I only just learned here that those two were puppets of the Church of Muldine!”

Hicks had no intention of maintaining courtesy for the two cardinals, whose influence was now gone. As he shamelessly stood his ground and came out strong, the other bishops hesitated.

Good.

Hicks’ eyes gleamed as he saw his chance.

Standing abruptly, he pounded his chest with his fist and continued, “The Solarian God has always watched over me! My innocence, my purity, my faith! Helik will surely prove my innocence! The Church of Muldine is the most wicked of evils that must disappear from this land! How dare you accuse me... who has dedicated his entire life to serving the Solarian Church?”

The pride and indignation on Hicks' face struck the bishops who had been pressing him.

“

Ahem

.”

“My apologies.”

“I didn’t mean to imply you were conspiring with them, Archbishop Hicks... It’s just that the situation seemed suspicious. I apologize for my harsh words.”

“...I am deeply offended. I hope you won’t make such a mistake again.”

Hicks frowned, making it obvious that he was hurt as he roughly sat down. While his face was twisted in displeasure, his inner thoughts were quite different.

Tsk tsk, foolish fools. As if Helik would ever bother to give a revelation for the likes of you. If divine punishment were coming, it would have already fallen on the cardinals.

The existence of Helik had already been proven through the manifestation of holy power. However, he had never interfered with human affairs—not in a thousand years since the foundation of the Solarian Church.

Anyway, with the two cardinals finished... It's time for me to wrap up my affairs here and retire as well. It’s a shame I can't take any more money, but keeping my life is more important.

Hicks licked his lips as he began planning his future.

At that moment, Albert the high priest spoke up. "Now, now, everyone, please quiet down."

As the room settled into silence, with hundreds of bishops now watching him, Albert looked to Kai. "Will you handle it from here?"

"Yes."

Kai, with his hands behind his back and a blank expression, stepped forward.

He met the countless stares directed at him and slowly began to say, “Those of you worried about the future of the Solarian Church, worry no more. I’ll provide a thorough consultation to ensure we become a clean and incorruptible church.”

"...What?"

"Who are you, exactly?"

“Objection!”

Thud!

One of the bishops loyal to Cardinals Bernard and Molion slammed their hand on the table and stood up.

They looked around at the other bishops as if trying to incite them, "Isn't this meeting supposed to be for bishops or higher-ranking clerics only?"

"That’s correct."

"Honestly, I thought it was odd from the start too..."

Once one voiced their dissatisfaction, others quickly joined in.

However, Albert calmly watched the situation unfold. It was the kind of composure only someone with complete trust in Kai could show. Of course, the source of that trust was none other than Kai himself.

"Bishop Giryan."

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Kai’s calm voice echoed throughout the meeting room. Though the voice was not particularly loud, it held the power to silence those who heard it.

Bishop Giryan, who was displeased by Kai’s presence in this meeting, immediately became furious.

"How dare you address a bishop by name so carelessly!"

Ignoring the bishop’s outburst, Kai continued in a calm tone, "Bribery, twenty-seven counts. Embezzlement of offerings, twelve counts. Sexual misconduct toward believers, fourteen counts. Illegally exporting the church's sacred water four times... I’m disgusted just reading this."

Giryan's eyes widened as he heard the list of accusations Kai listed out, his whole body trembling.

How does he know all that...?

Those were the very crimes he had committed within the Solarian Church.

His eyes darted around wildly, and he put on the most bewildered expression he could put on, shouting, “What nonsense is this? How dare you accuse me, the very symbol of purity and integrity, of such crimes...?”

“Purity and integrity?”

As Kai scoffed, Giryan gathered all of his holy power. Even though it was corrupt, the faint holy power enveloping his entire body made him look like a devout cleric.

"Do you even realize what nonsense you’re babbling about right now? No matter how immature the words of a young cleric may be, I cannot tolerate this."

It was natural to side with one's own. As the confrontation between the two continued, the surrounding clerics began to take Bishop Giryan's side.

“It’s hard to believe that someone as high-ranking as a bishop would commit such acts...”

"Still, didn’t he have a bit of a bad reputation?"

"Maybe so, but compared to some random cleric we’ve never even seen before... I'd trust the bishop more."

Giryan puffed out his chest, feeling the growing support from the surrounding clerics. “I am a bishop of the Solarian Church and a spreader of Helik, the Solarian God's will. This time, I will ask you. By what authority do you spread rumors and try to sow discord among us? Could it be... that you're a pawn of the Church of Muldine?"

“The Church of Muldine?”

"Wait, indeed, the one who would benefit the most if the Solarian Church were to collapse from within... is the Church of Muldine..."

As doubt filled the bishops' eyes, Kai slightly scoffed and slowly raised his right hand. "How lacking in faith must one be for their holy power to become not just dark but yellow... Look."

Then, the radiance that burst from his hand, the brilliant light of the sun once created by Helik, filled the entire conference room.

"

Ahh

..."

"My eyes..."

"

Argh

...

Uph!

"

Those who had engaged in corruption, those who lacked faith, and those who conspired with the Church of Muldine to disrupt the order of the Solarian Church cried out in agony as they gazed upon the light.

Before Kai's light, Bishop Giryan's holy power was completely extinguished like a firefly before the sun, quietly and without a trace.

"I made a promise to Helik to save those who suffer from evil, punish those who commit evil, and spread Helik’s teachings across this land to eradicate all evil."

Fwoosh!

The holy power radiating from Kai grew even stronger.

Looking down at the dozens of bishops groaning under his holy power, he said in a cold voice, "If you're asking by what authority I judge you..."

Kai slightly turned his head to glance at Albert, who stood up and declared, "Special Law of the Holy Kingdom of Lapis, Article 1, Section 1. The Apostle, the Solaric Cleric, as the envoy of the Solarian God, is to be treated as equal to the high priest within the Church."

"S-solaric Cleric?"

"Then that young man is..."

"Following in the footsteps of Shimizu, Cherantia, and Patrick after hundreds of years..."

"He’s the envoy of the Solarian God. The Apostle!"

Unlike the bishops who had colluded with the Church of Muldine, those who had always lived transparently stared at Kai with shocked eyes. For them, too, an Apostle was nothing more than a legend, known only through ancient texts and records.

***

"Thank you so much."

Despite Kai's repeated refusals, High Priest Albert used respectful honorifics toward him ever since he returned from meeting Helik.

"No, I merely did what was expected of me as an Apostle," Kai responded with a smile, while sipping tea in the high priest’s office.

Over thirty percent of the bishops within the main body of the Church had been involved in corruption or colluded with the Church of Muldine, but none could escape the gaze of Kai, who had fully awakened as an Apostle.

Albert took a sip of the Agarit tea known for clearing the mind, and began to say, "Now, you stand as an equal to me within the Solarian Church. Naturally, we should allocate a dedicated team to assist you in your duties, but... Well, with the recent weakening of the Solarian Knights' forces and the mass arrest of corrupt bishops, the restructuring of the main body is an urgent matter. It seems it will take some time..."

At those words, Kai's eyes gleamed as he asked, "

Oh.

For this team by any chance... May I pick the people I want?"

"...Well, I don’t see why not. Do you know anyone from the main church?"

"Yes. I know someone very well who can help me greatly. We’re quite close."

"I’ll see what I can do. Who might they be?"

"Oh, I only need one person. You can fill in the rest as you see fit."

"Just one person, you say... Tell me their name."

At Albert's question, Kai, seeming pleased, broadly smiled and said, "Her name is Minerva. Adventurer Minerva."

She was the master of the Pray guild, one of the top ten guilds in the world that included many Paladins and Clerics in its ranks, as well as a global player who had earned the Hero-rank Saintess class.

What Kai desired was not only her but the influence and power she held.

Well, this will probably feel like a bolt from the blue from her perspective...

But what could she do? High Priest Albert had just restored his authority by purging the corrupt bishops and followers in large numbers. Refusing such a figure’s command would put Minerva’s position within the church at serious risk.

"

Oh!

I know her as well. I’ll make sure she’s assigned to support you immediately."

"I appreciate Your Holiness’s consideration."

The deal progressed swiftly and seamlessly!

At the same time, Minerva shuddered involuntarily, feeling a strange chill.

"

Hmm?

Minerva, are you feeling sick? If that’s the case, you should log out early."

"No, I’m fine physically. It’s just..." Rubbing the goosebumps on her arms, Minerva muttered in response to her guild’s vice-master’s question, "What is this... ominous feeling, like I’m about to get tied up in something..."

She was one who always had a sharp intuition.