313 – Don’t Stop Me Now (1)
Theo’s thoughts were like this.
‘Avoiding the person who appeared after 200 years and took the holy sword… And that is a church official?’
It didn’t make any rational sense.
There is no way a normal church official would avoid someone who has taken the holy sword for any reason.
Whether it’s for superstitious reasons like wanting to be baptized by light like the people in front of you now, or for the reason that you want to make a mark on the great warrior of light… It’s normal to stick to yourself in this situation.
But in this situation he avoids himself?
Only one thought came into Theo’s mind.
‘He was in close contact with a devil worship group, so he must have felt fear that he would be punished by God.’
In the true sense, there is no such thing as divine punishment, but they have been involved in the church for a long time. Since this is a world where divine power exists, is it worth being scared?
Of course, there was a possibility that he had made excessive assumptions, so Theo did not make a hasty move.
“Yes. Billy and Mike. “I’ll hold your hands first.”
Just as Theo held the hands of those who asked him to shake hands, he just glanced discreetly at the church officials who were not in line in front of him.
Either way, Billy and Mike cheered as if they were thrilled that they were the first to hold Theo’s hand.
“Wow~ We are ahead of the high-ranking officials of the religious order!”
“I shouldn’t wash my hands from now on.”
The lower-ranking church members looked at the two with envious eyes.
The church officials cleared their throats as if they were uncomfortable.
“Keu, keum!”
But he soon calmed down. Their order wasn’t first, but they were a good enough lead.
Anyway, Theo started shaking hands with the church members one by one.
As soon as the church members held hands with Theo, they each poured out exclamations.
“Oh, oh… The Great Warrior of Light has very soft palms. “It looks like you are practicing swordsmanship… Do you have any secrets?”
“······Nothing in particular.”
Theo applies hand cream dozens of times a day, but he doesn’t necessarily say that.
The church member who held his hand was impressed.
“Oh, as expected…! This too must be Lenimide’s blessing. Ah, I can see it. The bright light that surrounds the Great Warrior of Light!”
“······The line is long, so I think we need to go quickly.”
“Oh, look at my mind! While witnessing the great warrior of light born after 200 years, I made a mistake! Sorry. “Could you please hold my other hand one more time?”
“I understand.”
As Theo held his remaining hand, the church member stepped away, rubbing his hand over his face as if he was moved.
So much time has passed.
Nothing much happened other than Billy and Mike bringing a bottle of fresh orange juice to Theo, and Theo praising him for turning his water into orange juice.
Although Theo was mentally tired, he maintained a calm demeanor. That’s because he could already see the end.
‘I feel like 3 hours have passed.’
There were approximately 300 people in the cathedral. Even if each person spends just 30 seconds, it takes a whopping 2 hours and 30 minutes.
I was afraid that people would be disappointed if I kept trying to finish it quickly, so I only cut off the words of those who were too lazy, so it probably took about 3 hours.
While we were mechanically shaking hands with that in mind, it was our last turn.
The last person was someone Theo knew well.
“Nice to meet you, Great Warrior of Light. My name is Archbishop Lankter. “I feel it is an infinite honor to have been given the opportunity to receive this baptism of light.”
Lankter held out his hand to Theo with a warm smile.
Theo smiled slightly.
‘What a fun guy. On the topic of selling internal information about the church to [Turning White].’
At the same time, I thought that he was an enlightened person who was not typical of a religious leader.
If you are a religious person in this era, there is a high possibility that you will feel fear of superstitions such as divine punishment. As evidence, the three church officials who did not ask Theo to shake his hand left the venue.
Theo held Lankter’s hand.
“Although I was chosen by the Holy Relic, I am also just a faithful servant of Renimid.”
“Ahahahaha, you are so humble. This is the Great Warrior of Light that was born over 200 years ago. “If it were me, I would have run around the church roaring with joy.”
“You’re good at telling jokes, Lankter. “It is an honor to meet you like this.”
“You say what I have to say first, ahahahahaha~”
Lankter was smiling on the outside, but his mind was spinning rapidly.
‘As expected, he is very good at dealing with people. ‘He looks like a worn-out warrior, not a fresh first-year student at the academy.’
At the same time, he was a person who knew how to control himself.
Selected by a holy relic after 200 years? What man could maintain such an innocent appearance? Even if he is an old man, he will cheer enthusiastically and talk about his greatness.
‘This is probably the one who took in the already disposed practitioners of light. ······How much do you really know?’
A sense of fear came over me.
However, Lankter is a worn-out man who has not been broken to this extent.
He spoke to Theo, still maintaining a warm smile on his face.
“Do you have any other plans to see at headquarters?”
“There weren’t any, but it looks like there will be more. As you see.”
Lankter followed Theo and looked around.
The cathedral was still full of people. They could not help but notice Theo’s appearance, and they were looking at him on his knees, praying.
“Ahahahaha, I guess it has to be that way. This is the great warrior of light born after hundreds of years. It’s just that I’d like to treat the Great Warrior of Light to dinner, if you don’t mind. “We also have a skilled chef who can satisfy your sophisticated taste buds.”
Theo did not speak for a moment. Of course, the inside was different.
‘Things will work out on their own.’
Lankter is the youngest archbishop of all time. He is an orphan who was abandoned by the church and has no background. He is a man of outstanding ability who has achieved the position of chief archbishop on his own.
It is highly likely that he not only knows the people who were truly bribed into [Turning White], But also knows the extent of their involvement.
‘But the most important thing is whether you will play into my hands.’
No matter how excellent a person is, if he can’t control it, he’s a dead fish.
So Theo asked a test question.
“I will accept if not only me but my companions can join us as well.”
As I said, it means ‘Can Lankhter himself face the greatest flaw of the Light Acolyte?’
The meaning is, clean up the cheap sh*t yourself and clearly decide on the route.
‘It must be very reassuring to have an ally.’
Lankter has a strategic partnership with [Turning White] To exchange helpful information.
If we succeed in recruiting him, we will be able to use him to confuse [Turning White] By spreading false information.
“Ah… Come to think of it, the Great Warrior of Light had company.”
Lank Ter opened his eyes wide and answered.
“······.”
Theo looked at Lankter without answering.
Lanc Terre knew the unspoken meaning well, so he clenched his molars.
‘······You probably already know that I have a very uncomfortable relationship with saints and practitioners of light. ‘This is a test.’
Theo is the most dangerous person in [Turning White] Who murdered a key executive and disintegrated the force.
The handshake was an attempt to reflect on how much he knew and what his future goals were.
‘But it would be such a waste to kick the seat away from him.’
Theo is a great warrior of light born after hundreds of years. It is clear that the cardinals and the Pope, the most powerful figures in the church, will also be keeping an eye on him in the future. We cannot ignore the possibility of having a private meeting with the Pope tomorrow.
From now on, he is nothing more than a chief archbishop’s babbler, and it is clear that he will be extremely difficult to treat alone.
‘······Damn, I suddenly made the choice of a lifetime.’
When Lankter was thinking and even biting his lip without realizing it.
Theo said.
“You seem to be having a hard time. Well then, let’s go back. “Have a nice evening.”
“······Ah.”
Lankter hurriedly caught Theo.
“I’m sorry. “I was so thrilled to be able to serve a meal to the Great Warrior of Light’s companions, including the saint, that I lost my mind.”
“What do you mean?”
“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve dinner to the Great Warrior of Light and the rest of the group.”
Lankter closed his eyes, placed his hands together, and bowed his head to Theo.
‘······Ha, f*ck. Okay, let’s go. ‘I, Lankter, have lived a life that would lead to hell ever since I was young.’
The die has already been cast.
Thinking so, Lankter repeatedly bowed his head to Theo.
*
*
*
That night.
Theo and his party headed to Lankter’s mansion.