Visit (2)
The first time I’ve seen the Pantheon headquarters since I came to assassinate the scribe.
Located on the outskirts of San Francisco, it was built on what was once a vast forest.
It was inevitable, as priests who worshipped gods of various dimensions and dispositions gathered together.
Because each of them had very different needs.
Isn’t it impossible for an environment that worships the god of fire and an environment that worships the god of water, which are polar opposites, to coexist?
The area they were requesting could not be accommodated in the city center where land prices were high.
But just because it was built in what used to be a forest and because the Pantheon had been established less than twenty years ago did not mean that its infrastructure was lacking.
No, rather, the surrounding area was so prosperous that it was hard to believe it had only been built so recently.
‘In fact, it would be okay to think of it as a small city. Not only believers from each religious sect, but also those who wish to benefit from the divine power have flocked here, creating residential areas and commercial districts around it.’
When I encountered that unique scene again, I felt a new sense of emotion.
But the thing that really bothered me the most right now was something else…
“The security is… extremely tight?”
The level of security was so high that it made one wonder if this was really a place where priests gathered.
‘Wasn’t it like this last time you came?’
Heinrich, who was looking outside the car window, glanced around.
The number of security barriers that have been passed so far is already more than ten.
It is of such a high level that even transcendent beings cannot easily see it.
‘We haven’t even entered the headquarters yet.’
As the outskirts were open to outsiders, they had already been thoroughly defended.
Wasn’t that the reason why they attempted to assassinate the target when he was completely out of the area?
“Um, Brother Heinrich, who is from another world, may not know this, but… Actually, there was a big change at the headquarters recently. I was also staying in Korea, so this is my first time seeing it in person.”
Then Father Jason slowly opened his mouth, sighing deeply.
The story he soon brought up was the sad news that one of the Twelve Council members, who were in charge of running the Pantheon, had been attacked and disappeared by a ‘heinous criminal group’.
“···I heard that all alert levels have been greatly raised since then. It may be like closing the stable door after the horse has run away, but at least we can prevent further damage.”
“Oh, I think I’ve heard it before while working in Korea.”
“Because it was such a noisy incident. After that incident, not only our Pantheon but also other organizations have been on high alert.”
Fr. Jason sighed deeply, saying that even talking about it was painful, and that he had a certain kind of friendship with the missing priest.
Heinrich offered a prayer of condolences to the victims with a sorrowful expression.
‘Aha! It was because of me?’
Even in all that, I’m thankful that my true feelings weren’t revealed thanks to “Persona”.
“Father Jason? It’s been a while. If so, who is your companion….”
“Ah! I got a call in advance. Please go in quickly.”
The car Heinrich was riding in went through several security checks and headed straight to the central area where only clergy were allowed to enter.
Along the way, I was able to encounter many Awakened people with various abilities in addition to the priests, and one thing that was unique was that most of them had unique outfits.
“America is the land of freedom. Unlike Korea, hero activities are tolerated more freely. Of course, there is a certain amount of responsibility that comes with that.”
Heinrich turned his head slightly and looked beyond the receding checkpoint.
From a giant man wearing a green bodysuit and showing off his muscular and voluptuous body, to a female warrior wearing bikini armor that would seem to have high defensive capabilities if it were a game.
‘Land of the free···.’
Certainly, compared to Korea, the freedom of the awakened was higher.
The influence of the Awakened was also much stronger, and this had a great influence not only on the Pantheon but also on the establishment of the headquarters of the World Returners’ Association in the United States.
‘The problem is that it has naturally become an environment in which supernatural criminals can easily run rampant.’
The being that emerged there was the so-called ‘hero’.
As a country that allows the privatization of firearms, they have actively adopted a measure to maintain public order by issuing licenses for vigilante activities, beyond using their abilities to protect themselves.
‘Isn’t it true that excessive suppression, including murder, is a negative factor in license issuance and renewal?’
In terms of being paid based on performance, he was no different from a bounty hunter, but this gimmick was very popular with American citizens who were crazy about heroes.
It is not uncommon for them to release character merchandise or enter the entertainment industry after becoming famous.
In fact, it was almost like a combination with the entertainment industry.
“We have arrived. This is the steering committee that decides on the major and minor affairs of the Pantheon, the religious union of this world.”
As if to interrupt Heinrich’s thoughts, the vehicle that had been moving forward smoothly stopped.
Then, he got out of the car following Father Jason and looked at the building in front of him as if it was unexpected.
Unlike the temples with unique appearances I had seen so far, this building had an extremely ordinary appearance.
“This place is kind of a neutral zone, you know. I heard that it was built so blandly because many people are reluctant to have any religious overtones.”
Just hearing those words made me feel tired.
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy to unite so many religions.
I knew it very well, as I myself was a priest who followed God.
Just using divine powers will make you imbued with the divine nature and self-righteous, making it difficult to tolerate other methods.
“What? Isn’t that Jason? I hadn’t seen you for so long, I thought you were finally dead, but you’re still alive.”
As if to prove that fact right away.
As they were about to enter the operating committee building, an unfamiliar voice stopped them.
With a tongue-clicking sound full of irritation that would not be very pleasant to anyone who heard it.
“···Walter.”
Then Father Jason turned to him with a stern face.
In contrast to his neat impression, he had disheveled clothes, messy hair, and a faint smell of alcohol.
If it weren’t for the extremely well-trained body and fierce gaze visible through the gap in his clothes, he would have looked like a clear troublemaker, and he was striding towards them.
‘The author is also a former paladin. Come to think of it, Jason was a paladin too.’
Heinrich watched with interest as Jason and the man named Walter, who had just approached, engaged in a war of nerves.
The skills of the two people he had assessed were neck and neck.
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Moreover, the nature of the gods they served seemed to be completely opposite, so it was not surprising that they ended up growling at each other like that.
‘This kind of friction is not something I, an outsider, should get involved in.’
He himself was someone who came by invitation.
If you take one side just because you are friendly, you will only make the problem worse.
As has been the case so far, we should let them figure this out among themselves—.
“Phaha! So that means… this person is the so-called saint?”
—I was thinking about that.
An arrow suddenly flew this way.
“It’s certainly impressive. I’m not sure if it was worth going to such lengths to summon you. Well, it was a mission that suited you well. Running an errand to a small country you’ve never heard of.”
“···I am a guest representing the entire Pantheon, Walter. Be polite.”
“All? Who do you represent? At least I… I have never acknowledged our Quilladia sect.”
“Walter.”
A man who was blatantly trying to start a fight from the beginning.
I knew it from the beginning.
Not all priests have good personalities.
Not only were the gods themselves sometimes violent, but even if they worshipped the same god, not all of them had the same personality.
Even humans often show a dual nature, being cruel to others but gentle to their children, so how much more so must it be for gods who are on a much higher level.
“You’re doing a good job as a volunteer, right? It looks like you’ve trained quite a bit. Did you want to imitate a knight? Tsk, now that I think about it, you said your nickname was White Knight.”
“Walter, this is your final warning.”
Since it was my first official visit, I came wearing the ceremonial attire of the main sect, and it seems they mistakenly thought I was a pure priest.
Even so, I never thought he would pick a fight so openly.
That too, to someone who clearly possesses divine powers stronger than his own.
‘No matter how deep your faith is, you’re still a believer in another god, right?’
Because it was such a unique experience, I wasn’t even angry.
In other words, he could see himself as a superior from a completely different unit.
No, in some ways you could say it’s even worse than that.
This was a case where the countries of affiliation were different, and it was on a different ‘dimension’.
“It looks like he had a pretty good body when you look at the video. Tsk, was it all armor?”
···But his relaxed attitude only lasted that long.
It was because he was annoyed with himself for not responding to the criticism that he ended up crossing the line.
“I said this was your last warning. This is a duel, Walter. Today is the day to make sure you break that habit…”
“···Wait a minute, Father Jason. Please wait a moment.”
“Brother···?”
He stopped Jason from stepping forward with a stern face and slowly took a breath.
I just couldn’t ignore those words just now.
Because that was his own… Heinrich’s sore spot.
Heinrich glanced down at his arm.
Then I looked at the chest, abdomen, and legs.
And then, no matter where I looked, I could see that the volume had clearly shrunk compared to before, and I closed my eyes tightly.
‘I never thought angels would have such side effects.’
angel.
A messenger who conveys the will of God.
The change that had just occurred to him was a kind of racial trait.
Since becoming an angel, things have been progressing slowly but steadily.
Of course, only the volume was reduced, and physical abilities did not decline.
Since the force per unit area has increased due to extreme compression, and the shape of the muscles has also changed ideally, it could be considered an evolution.
But this was never what he wanted.
‘Muscle loss! Muscle loss! My wonderful muscles that I worked so hard to build and maintain!’
Heinrich’s attachment to muscles was, in a way, natural.
Unlike Harley, who could freely control his body and shape it as he wished, weren’t Heinrich’s muscles the result of his own creation from beginning to end?
‘How long have I been doing this!’
—It didn’t take that long thanks to the divine power doping.
‘The fruit of hard work!’
—Thanks to “Mind Hub,” it wasn’t painful or boring.
‘It’s unfair enough that I lost it like this… and now you’re making fun of it?’
—That is a clear fact!
How much trouble did you have to endure to bulk up again?
But this damned racial trait wouldn’t allow his body to return to its former state.
But now, what Walter said was a denial of all the efforts I had put in so far…
“You said it was a duel. Can I do it myself?”
“···Of course it is possible.”
“Is there any procedure required for that?”
“Even so, we are all servants of God. There is no need for any other procedure other than swearing to compete fairly in the name of God and accept the results.”
“That’s good.”
Indeed, I liked it because it was so refreshing.
Perhaps this is the secret to Pantheon’s longevity.
Of course, for that to happen, it was necessary to make the other person accept it obediently.
“Ha! A duel? Do you think I would accept something like that? It would be a loss whether I win or lose, so why would I?”
Even if the opponent’s divine power was higher than his own, it was a great insult in itself for a combat class, a saint, to duel with a non-combat class, a healing priest.
To the Saints of Quilladia, priests were not people to be fought over, but rather people to be protected.
And Heinrich, the paladin, knew how to provoke his opponents in times like these.
“Hmm, I guess you’re a little nervous. Well, I understand. I guess I should try to understand. But the Quilladia Church seems to have a very loose doctrine, right?”
“under?”
Any provocation in the name of the one who represents the power of the religious order must never be tolerated.
Walter frowned and let out a hollow laugh, not even thinking that he was the one who started the fight.
And then—.
——!
He reached out his hand like lightning towards Heinrich’s face.
Of course, I really had no intention of hitting it.
I just wanted to show this fearless, self-proclaimed saint the power of a true saint, and the fearlessness of a warrior who has reached the edge of mastery.
That’s why···.
Phew!
He couldn’t help but stiffen his face at the sensation of the impact on his fingertips.
‘what?’
For the first time since he came here, he felt embarrassed.
Again, I meant to stop right in front of your nose, I really didn’t mean to hit you.
‘I failed at distance control?’
No, that can’t be true.
As always, his senses were perfect.
Then the other person is fooling his senses… No, how can that be?
The sudden situation made his mind dizzy for a moment.
‘Damn, this wasn’t in the calculations.’
This was on a whole other level than anything we’ve argued about before.
Didn’t you suddenly make a save in the face of a guest who came to the Pantheon before the duel had even properly begun?
Judging from the resilience felt in his hand, it didn’t seem like he had been seriously injured thanks to the divine power, but what was important now was the fact that he had struck first.
‘···I’m going to step down for now. I have to come up with a plan again. Damn, this is going to break apart.’
The Pantheon is a collection of numerous religious orders.
Naturally, there were various factions there with similar tendencies and doctrines, and those on the Council of Twelve were no exception.
It’s been quite some time since Adeline Schneider, who was the Chairwoman of the 12th Committee, went missing, so the next committee election will be held soon.
If they want to fill those seats with members of their faction, they need to start laying the groundwork now…
So he was embarrassed and couldn’t think deeply.
What tricks did the opponent use to shake his sense of distance?
And before long, even that time to think was gone.
Kwaaaaang—!
“Cough!”
Because the sudden physical shock shook my head.
I was momentarily dazed by the blow that transcended my understanding.
“You struck first. So this was self-defense?”
Beyond the accident that slowly began to return.
A voice was heard faintly.
‘how?’
One question that came to mind.
He soon found out why.
“By the way, you were wondering why I was wearing armor?”
Not a head that is stiff and doesn’t roll well.
“From now on, I will teach you the reason step by step.”
Through the conversation of a still vibrant body.
