53 Someone's Breaking In!!? (Please Keep Reading!)

“Name?”

“Herbert Albert.”

“Age?”

“Eighteen… Are you doubting me?”

“Hmm.”

Herbert looked at the expressionless cardinal in red before him, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

What on earth is going on here?

Gazing at the rusty rivets piercing the cardinal’s attire, Herbert wasn’t sure whether this nobleman was avant-garde or just downright rebellious.

But one thing was certain… you are seriously rock ’n’ roll!

Though, shouldn’t you at least sanitize those nails? They look all rusty!

While his mind wandered through these fanciful thoughts, Herbert maintained a calm exterior—at least, he was “pretending to be composed.”

He had never met this cardinal before, but the image in his mind matched the man standing before him.

The Rusted Rivet Cardinal, Commander of the Mist Knights—a legendary paladin known for his cold ruthlessness and brutal methods.

Why was he after me?

And why bypass all formal summons, coming straight to seize me?

A preemptive strike?

Are you some kind of disciplinary inspector?

Even if you were, that wouldn’t justify this!

I’ve shed blood for the monastery, earned merits in the alien prison—I can’t be arrested on mere suspicion without evidence—

Of course, Herbert only dared mutter these thoughts silently, not a word aloud.

“Commander, I am truly not a blasphemer. I don’t understand why you suspect me.”

He looked the Rusted Rivet Cardinal squarely in the eyes and said gravely, “Besides, does the Inquisitor General know about this?”

Herbert was the warden of the Inquisition, directly subordinate to the Inquisitor General, Cardinal Thorn.

Logically, even if there were issues with him, the Inquisitor General would be the one to summon him for a thorough memory restoration in the interrogation chamber.

So what’s the meaning of this move from a knight commander?

“Hmm, he doesn’t know,” the Rusted Rivet Cardinal said flatly, not even raising his eyelids. “And he’s not in the monastery now; you won’t find him.”

Herbert’s heart sank at this news.

Well then.

No big shot coming to bail me out.

Click, clack.

Herbert shifted slightly, only to realize the chains binding his wrists behind him had somehow come undone.

Huh?

Unlocked!?

Before he could ponder this, the Rusted Rivet Cardinal, who had been silent for a long while, spoke up:

“Why did you stay in the Third Discipline Ward last night?”

Suppressing his confusion, Herbert countered:

“Is there a problem? I checked; the scriptures don’t forbid wardens from spending the night in the discipline ward.”

“There’s no prohibition in the rules, but it’s dangerous,” the cardinal fixed Herbert with a gaze containing an inscrutable hue. “Why would you risk that?”

You ask why?

Should I tell you I was worried about the Hooks… hmm?

No.

Suddenly enlightened, Herbert replaced his defense with a question:

“Commander, for a paladin, is there anything that isn’t dangerous?”

“Hmm?”

The Rusted Rivet Cardinal furrowed his brow, narrowing his eyes at the young man before him.

This fragile paladin’s expression was calm and resolute, devoid of any negative emotion.

No fear, no resentment at being forcibly detained—only an unsettling tranquility, as if he had made peace with life and death.

“Battling heretics, guarding humanity from dangerous monsters, resisting the corruption of the world by evil gods… which of these is safe?”

“Commander, from the moment I took my oath, I understood our duty.”

“We are the sword that pierces evil, and the shield that protects the weak.”

“A sword and shield must not know fear.”

As he spoke, Herbert recalled a phrase that had deeply impressed him and said in a low voice:

“We are guardians, but also a bunch of poor souls constantly fighting danger and madness.”

That’s how it went, right?

I think that’s close enough…

After all, I spend my days facing “dangerous monster girls” and “mischievous trickster gods”—life’s been tough.

When Herbert finished, the Rusted Rivet Cardinal suddenly opened his eyes wide, then fell into silence.

He lowered his head and pondered deeply for a long while before slowly exhaling, shaking his head, his voice hoarse as he muttered:

“Poor souls, huh? Heh.”

Compared to Herbert’s borrowed words, the cardinal was deeply moved by that phrase.

“You’re right. We are a bunch of poor souls, never knowing when evil will corrupt us.”

He raised his head, nodded slightly at Herbert, and asked:

“What about that blasphemer?”

The Rusted Rivet Cardinal’s expression returned to calm; he no longer questioned whether Herbert was a blasphemer.

?

Herbert suddenly sensed something was off.

This didn’t feel like the cardinal was convinced by his words; it was as if he had never truly suspected him from the start…

Then why kidnap me?

I’m not playing this game.JPG

“He’s dead.”

Despite wanting to retort, Herbert cooperated obediently.

“He was destroyed physically by the Fury and his soul dissolved by the Endsong, ultimately falling into the Prison of No Light.”

Though he omitted some key details, everything Herbert said was true.

Realizing the cardinal seemed to bear no ill will toward him, Herbert’s mind began to race.

Could this mean… I might get some kind of compensation?

After all, I was detained without cause!

Without hesitation, Herbert chose to be bold.

Take a chance.

Win or lose, at least try!

“Commander, I survived thanks to their intervention. I am truly grateful.”

“My duty is to educate them, to guide them back from darkness, and this act is a perfect example.”

Herbert inhaled deeply, his voice tinged with earnest pleading:

“So, I wish to… no, I want to submit a request to the monastery to grant them a reward, to encourage their behavior.”

“…”

Unexpectedly, after a long silence, the Rusted Rivet Cardinal didn’t refuse outright but asked:

“What do you want to give them?”

He didn’t say no!

There’s room to negotiate!

Herbert drew a deep breath, knowing this was the critical moment.

He suppressed the surge of emotion, striving to appear calm, and said solemnly:

“I hope… they can temporarily leave the Third Discipline Ward.”

“Yes, to let them have some fresh air outside.”

……

……

“Inquisitor General!”

Sister Kaplan reported to Cardinal Thorn, who had just returned to the monastery:

“Herbert was taken away by the Rusted Rivet Cardinal!”

“Taken away… this is bad!?”

Cardinal Thorn’s expression darkened, his voice furious:

“Damn! That bastard is scheming against me!”

Trouble!

Someone’s raiding the house!!!