Mage? Magic Engineer!-Chapter 115 - 112: "Gray-robed Bishop" Joseph

Another person entered the private box. Rorschach saw that the old man was dressed in a simple black robe, his only adornment a crimson sash. He held a gray, pointed-hood Cloak in his hands.

"Joseph of the Sodality of the Priestly Order of Song." The old man bowed to Kano and Rorschach. Rorschach returned the bow, following his teacher’s lead.

"Kano of the Tower of Stars. A pleasure to meet you, Monseigneur Joseph."

"Rorschach of the Tower of Stars. A pleasure."

As Rorschach returned the bow, Kano’s voice came to him via the Communication Skill. It turned out that Priest Joseph was Dipresy’s most capable assistant. He was also the de facto head of Saint Miller Cathedral when the Cardinal was too busy to manage the affairs of both the Kingdom and the Church.

"In the name of maintaining order, serve the nation first, then the Divine Spirit." A Bishop with such a creed was destined to bear the majority of the Church’s affairs in the Holy Kingdom. After being recommended to the Eternal City by the Red-robed Prime Minister, he was granted the honorary title of "Monsignor" by the Holy See. From then on, despite lacking an official position, Joseph’s status and power were no different from that of an ordinary Bishop.

However, Monseigneur Joseph was a Cultivator of the Sodality of the Priestly Order of Song. He lived a frugal life and was perennially dressed in a gray, pointed-hood Cloak and a simple robe. Thus, those in the court and the Church who knew of him privately called him the "Gray-robed Bishop." The "gray robe" referred not only to the color of his usual attire but also alluded to Priest Joseph being the Cardinal’s shadow.

"Watch what you say in front of the old man. He’s a true believer," Kano added as a final warning via the Communication Skill.

’What do you mean by that?’ Rorschach realized Kano had just dissed some other high-ranking official.

As the one who first discovered it, Rorschach explained how he had seen the Magic Aura and worked with Master Kano to eliminate the danger. He also briefly mentioned the activities of the "Return of the Holy Mother" Sect within the Empire.

Hearing about the Sect, the Priest snorted coldly. "Blasphemous vermin!" Then, his expression softened. "Thank you, Rorschach Mage, and Master Kano. You two have successfully prevented a terrible attack and saved many of the Lord’s lambs."

’Why does hearing you put it that way make me feel so much less accomplished?’

Kano displayed the fragments and vine samples collected from the box on the right. The Guard Captain turned them over and over, unable to make heads or tails of them. Like a rooster that couldn’t find a worm, he puffed out his chest and paced around the box, and it was unclear whether he was thinking or trying to vent his anger.

"Since we have samples, restoring this unfortunate soul’s face will better aid the Guard Captain’s investigation and allow the lady to rest in peace." The Priest prayed softly for a moment, then waved his hand in the air, and all the curtains in the box drew themselves shut.

The Ether began to flow. Monseigneur Joseph’s prayer was both an incantation to activate a Divine Art and a eulogy for the victim:

"You walked beneath the Light and Order,

A fleeting shadow fell upon you, bringing misfortune...

Wherever one acts, a trace is left behind...

...In the name of the great Father, may you rest in peace! May you rest in peace!"

As his chanting grew louder, a golden radiance continuously gathered inside the block of ice. Phantom images appeared one after another: first, the corrupted corpse from before it was frozen; then, the deceased’s form before she was tainted by the evil power. Finally, a holy light shone upon her body. When it dissipated, the ice was also gone, leaving only a peacefully sleeping woman.

If Priest Joseph hadn’t drawn the box’s curtains beforehand, the miracle that had just occurred might very well have been seen by the common people in the theater, and that would have been a major incident.

"Do not perform miracles wantonly before men, and do not let men believe in Me because of miracles." This was an ancient oracle from the God of Light and Order. It was also Rorschach’s first time witnessing a Cultivator of the Church perform a Divine Art—if one didn’t count eavesdropping on private conversations.

"Guard Captain, I’ll leave the investigation of this lady’s identity and all subsequent matters to you." The Priest turned and spoke to the "Rooster," and Kano also handed the fragments of the male corpse’s clothing to the official.

Now it would be a headache for the Security Team under the Guard Captain’s command, but since it involved Extraordinary Evil Power, the Church would also assist. Of course, Kano kept the vine samples. The Guards suppressed their nausea and carried the body out of the box.

"My lords, what’s happened here?" Valon had also arrived, followed by Snow and a young couple. Rorschach found them a bit familiar... ’Pascal? Paulina?’

The side box wasn’t large to begin with, and now it was even more crowded. After understanding the situation, Mr. Valon hesitated. He hoped the final gala of the charity performance could continue, so he looked toward the Guard Captain. "So, what happens now...?"

Valon’s father had once been on good terms with the Guard Captain, and besides, the face of the Minister of Finance, Nekker, had to be considered... The Guard Captain replied, "I will strengthen the security here." With that, he tacitly approved the continuation of the event. No one else objected, so the "little incident" would not interrupt the social gathering Valon had so carefully organized.

"Is anyone interested in going backstage? We can go chat with the actors and the playwright." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"The Monsignor and I won’t be going," the Guard Captain said, and Joseph nodded in agreement.

"Very well. After the fundraising from this performance is tallied, I will inform you both about the charity banquet."

The Guard Captain glanced around. "We’ll see."

And so, only the four "idle hands" from the Tower of Stars were left to follow Valon backstage to greet the performers. Snow, meanwhile, stayed behind to discuss matters concerning the beverage factory in detail with Mr. Pierre.

In the theater hallway, Rorschach used the Communication Skill to ask Kano, "Are we just going to leave the investigation of the attack to the Security Team and the Church?"

"Isn’t this their greatest positive function in Valuva, and in the entire Holy Kingdom? What authority do we have to investigate or enforce the law?" Kano said, feigning the posture of a law-abiding citizen.

’That sounds like an excuse,’ Rorschach thought, but since his mentor had spoken, he would let the matter drop.

Kano continued, "We Mages and the Guild have our own ways of investigating. To be honest, even if the poisonous fog had spread today, it wouldn’t have harmed us in the slightest, nor would it have posed a threat to us. I’ve kept the vine samples. I’ll submit a report to the Guild’s Elder Council later to give them a wake-up call."

’The Sect, or perhaps not the Sect but other followers of Mother Earth, have actually spread into the Holy Kingdom.’ This surprised Rorschach. ’Will there be more to come? Good luck, Guard Captain and the old man from the Church!’ Rorschach never thought he’d see the day he would be sincerely rooting for those two.

Backstage at the theater, actors were removing their makeup in front of mirrors. A plethora of costumes hung on the walls, and quite a few people were drinking beverages sponsored by "Hercules."

"Mr. Valon! It is an honor to have you here!" The troupe leader was extremely enthusiastic toward his benefactor. It wasn’t his first time meeting Valon, but previously, the down-on-his-luck young noble had always been trailing behind Nekker.

’Nekker, that sly old fox! Getting funding out of him is as hard as snatching food from the jaws of a beast!’

The actors and playwright also came forward to greet them. The troupe leader slung an arm around a thin, melancholic young man. "Karon, the playwright of this spectacular show! You’d never guess that just a month ago, he was His Majesty the King’s favorite watchmaker!"

Hearing the word "watchmaker," the young man’s strained smile twitched, but it was quickly replaced by a look of unconcealed surprise.

"We are meeting for the first time right now. Remember that," Pascal warned the former club member via the Communication Skill.