Chapter: 526
As soon as Benedict met Lucy after a long time, he fell into a state of disarray, but after regaining his senses, he tried to act nonchalant while inwardly berating himself.
‘What a stupid fool. After months of not seeing Lucy, instead of showing off my magnificent fatherly figure, I faint at the sight of her!’
Even though Lucy was dressed in a stunning black dress that made her look as beautiful as the night sky, was that really justification for passing out?
Of course, she looked cuter than usual today!
In fact, there were parts of her that reminded him of her mother!
But still, fainting was just unacceptable!
Lost in self-loathing, Benedict made an embarrassing mistake and endured Lucy’s teasing until they reached Soul Academy.
He regained his sharpness only after sensing someone’s gaze directed at Lucy. Someone was following us.
One. Two. Three.
…There are quite a few of them, and they’re not bad at what they do. This isn’t just ordinary stalking.
It’s an organized malice! Benedict hid his clenched fist behind him and followed the briskly walking Lucy.
This is strange. Why would anyone have a reason to spy on our daughter?
Had the Alrn family not been taken apart, he might have thought it was some distant relative up to no good, but those who had been smashed would never try something again.
Moreover, there’d be no good reason for other factions to target Lucy.
In the current situation, the ones under the spotlight are the Saintess, the Sword Saint, and the Young Lady of Partran, those who fought the followers of the Void head-on.
Lucy, suspected of fighting behind the scenes, had no reason to draw attention from other factions.
Besides, it’s odd for someone to be stalking us when I’m right here. If it were forces from the kingdom or rival forces that had clashed with me previously, they wouldn’t engage in such lunacy.
Feeling his thoughts spiraling, Benedict launched a sudden, lethal attack on one of the tailers while Lucy was busy chatting with Joy.
It would be so suffocating that even breathing would be a struggle for anyone ordinary. And when the target revealed their power in a desperate attempt to hold on, Benedict’s suspicions were confirmed.
Holy Power.
The power displayed by the stalker was a miracle bestowed by the God.
Did the church pick up on Lucy’s peculiar traits? Realizing this cleared up several of his suspicions.
Especially as to why it was Lucy and not anyone else who garnered their interest.
They didn’t know much about me as a person.
Their organization was tightly knit.
And they disregarded the political issues that could arise from sneaking into the chaotic Soul Academy.
All of this makes sense.
The reason they didn’t approach through official channels is clear.
While they harbored suspicions, they weren’t certain.
Given what Lucy had done in the past, it’s understandable that they wouldn’t be too certain.
Even myself, had I not witnessed the scene, could not have imagined that Lucy was loved by God.
As he walked down the hall following Lucy, Benedict continued to ponder.
The priority right now is to shake them off.
Lucy certainly wouldn’t want her identity exposed to the church.
If she truly desired that, the Saintess would have stepped forward first.
So I must shake them off before their doubts turn into certainty.
The problem is, if I react too strongly, it might just add certainty to their suspicions.
And the fact that the Church of God is such a large power unnerves me.
If they were a smaller faction, I might have considered just wiping them out entirely.
This is tough.
What to do?
As his turmoil deepened, it was none other than Lucy who provided a resolution.
As soon as she stepped outside the building, she approached one of the stalkers and picked a fight with him.
Originally, Benedict thought the stalker harbored ill intentions towards Lucy and that she caught onto him, but he soon realized he was mistaken.
Ah, I see. Lucy didn’t just see him without saying anything; she recognized the stalker.
And she was likely giving me a reason here.
Seeing his little girl, whom he felt he had to protect, stepping in front of him made Benedict’s eyes misty as he suppressed his tears and celebrated Lucy’s actions.
As Lucy’s clear voice overlapped with Benedict’s uncomfortable expression, the commotion grew, eventually prompting the leader of the stalking organization to reveal himself.
“A miracle has occurred.”
The moment the church’s interrogator uttered those words, Benedict realized his speculation had been correct.
Lucy had caused something significant while fighting the followers of the Void, and the church had taken notice.
“The Saintess is not the miracle’s beneficiary.”
In the interrogator’s gaze on Lucy, Benedict felt madness creeping in.
It’s true; no decent person exists among those interrogators. Their excitement over the word “miracle” made it evident they could hardly contain their emotions.
That doesn’t sit well with me.
“So you’re saying our daughter is the beneficiary of this miracle?”
Benedict, with arms crossed, openly displayed discomfort, prompting a smirk from the interrogator.
“That might be the case. The Young Lady received the mace from Ruel directly from God. It wouldn’t be strange for her to be the miracle’s beneficiary.”
So, there’s really no certainty, huh?
You were just chasing after our adorable daughter because it seemed the most plausible based on pure speculation.
Without even thinking of asking the Saintess, whom you cherish so much.
“Listen here, interrogator.”
Benedict, inflamed with emotion, suddenly became remarkably calm, looking as if he were gazing into the battlefield.
“I understand the church is excited about the miracle. I get your desire to meet the beneficiary. But. There are procedures to follow, right?”
There’s no way Lucy could keep hiding her identity forever. The sun in the sky would naturally reveal itself as clouds parted.
“If what you’re saying is true, then the one who caused the miracle must be someone beloved by the God, right?”
But that should be driven by Lucy’s own will.
“It stands to reason that the reason they remain hidden from the church must reflect their intentions.”
This isn’t some petty fooling by a nobody.
“…What do you mean by that?”
Upon hearing the interrogator’s rotting voice, Benedict uncrossed his arms.
You don’t know what I’m trying to say? Nonsense. You’re just pretending ignorance because you don’t like what I’m saying.
“Don’t overstep your boundaries. While the Church of God carries great authority, that authority isn’t yours to wield.”
As Benedict leaned on the desk with both hands, he glared at the interrogator, who tensed up.
Seeing that, Benedict couldn’t help but chuckle.
Hah. Has it really been that long since I’ve slipped back?
I would have never imagined having such cockiness like this back in the day.
“You were probably just taking your first steps in walking when I was prowling the frontlines, so you may not truly grasp who I am.”
Benedict exhaled deeply, unleashing the pressure he had been saving in his usual demeanor, bearing down on the interrogator. The smug smile vanished from the interrogator’s face, and he went pale.
“Of course. A child wouldn’t remember the voice of someone else.”
With every word spoken from Benedict, the air in the room became heavier.
Though he had long since retired, his monstrous air, still acknowledged as one of the continent’s strongest, transformed the room into a battlefield.
“So feel it for yourself. Why other nations feared the kingdom. Why the land I safeguard became the Wall of Lamentation. Why the church’s condemnation wasn’t so fierce despite my daughter’s offense.”
And amidst that battlefield, the interrogator’s shoulders began to shrink gradually.
Rebellion wasn’t an option.
Expressing anger became impossible.
Even erasing fear with insanity had its limits.
A monster bearing the name of a human threatened the primal instincts residing deep within human beings, simply by existing.
“If you repeat the same rudeness next time. I assure you, it won’t simply end with this threat. My sword will touch your neck, and you’ll find comfort in the embrace of God, ending everything.”
The interrogator, trembling like a small beast left in the rain, found it hard to calm down even after Benedict withdrew his pressure.
“I’m happy to accept that our daughter seemed noble enough to cause a miracle, so I’ll take my leave.”
Without an ounce of intention to console the interrogator, Benedict stood up.
“Lucy, let’s go.”
While Lucy looked on in confusion at the interrogator, who seemed on the verge of fainting, she finally followed Benedict’s instruction and stood up.
*
‘…Grandfather. What on earth just happened?’
Benedict had expressed dissatisfaction, and all of a sudden the atmosphere in the room changed, making the previously dazed interrogator tremble!
[Didn’t you sense it to some extent? I crushed him just with my presence.]
‘He didn’t seem weak at all.’
[That just shows how monstrous your father is.]
Grandpa, reminiscing about similar events from his own past, coughed lightly and then switched subjects.
[But Lucy, let’s take the Saintess and head to Karia again.]
‘Huh? Why’s that?’
[From the looks of those fellows, it seems the church has descended into chaos.]
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