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Chapter 300: Seventh Circle (2)
“Let know if the voice of the Holy One speaks to you again soday.”
“I will.”
As Oscar escorted Archbishop Baldwin, he asked.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay and rest for a few days before leaving?”
“Haha, believe , I’d love to—but my schedule is packed to the minute.”
Well, considering who he is, even a minute-level schedule isn’t surprising.
Baldwin laughed contentedly.
“A lot happened, but in the end we recovered the Holy Relic safely, so my position in the Church will be much more solid now.”
“At this rate, you might really end up being called Cardinal Baldwin.”
“Hoho! Cardinal Baldwin… that does have a nice ring to it.”
With a grin wide enough to reach his ears, Baldwin gently drew a sign of the cross.
“If I really do reach that seat soday, I promise I won’t pretend I don’t know you.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I have an excellent mory.”
“Haha! Rember to your heart’s content.”
“Your Excellency, everything is ready.”
“Hm, so it seems.”
As a priest approached and spoke, Baldwin offered a final farewell.
“Whenever I get involved with you, I feel like you drain the life out of , yet the results are always good. Let’s not see each other too often—just once in a while.”
“I feel exhausted every ti I see you too.”
The Archbishop burst into hearty laughter, waved casually, and boarded the Church’s white vehicle.
He then lowered the window.
“Oh, and one more thing—this is advice. Don’t do anything bad. Live a good life.”
“Out of nowhere?”
“You’ve beco the vessel of a Holy Relic. If there’s one area the Holy One is absolutely rciless about, it’s that.”
What would happen if he committed a cri?
Before Oscar could ask, Baldwin raised a finger to the sky.
“Heaven’s punishnt will fall. I am not joking.”
“...I’ll keep that in mind.”
Oscar answered with an uneasy expression.
He had no intention of going around committing cris, but now he suddenly felt burdened by the thought.
“Your Excellency, maybe it’d be better for everyone if you just took the relic ba—”
“Depart! Yes, take the road to the left!”
Ignoring him cleanly, Baldwin led the Church’s convoy away.
And then Heavenly Sword and Cheon Ajin approached from behind.
“Tsk, tsk. That kind of guy is an Archbishop? The Church is dood.”
“...If you say things like that carelessly, divine punishnt might fall.”
“Divine punishnt? If the Holy One could smite people, shouldn’t they start with soone else first? There are way worse people out there.”
Oscar thought about it—he had a point—so he just nodded.
“But are you really fine with this? The Heavenly Sword Clan gained nothing.”
“The White Tower is the sa. You becoming the vessel of the relic was purely your own ability.”
Heavenly Sword didn’t seem to care deeply about the negotiation terms from before.
“Personally, I discovered a few areas where I can grow further, so I’m satisfied. This brat also earned so worthwhile experience.”
“I’ll never forget that you saved my life twice.”
Cheon Ajin bowed deeply.
“If you allow it… I would like to serve you as my older brother.”
“Older brother, huh…”
Having soone who might beco the next Sword Lord of the Heavenly Sword Clan as a younger brother?
That didn’t sound bad at all.
Oscar accepted without hesitation.
“No reason to refuse.”
“Th-thank you!”
“...Tsk.”
Watching the scene, Heavenly Sword clicked his tongue.
His grandson choosing a mage as his elder?
But considering the debt he owed Oscar, he couldn’t outright forbid it.
“Let make this clear: just because Ajin treats you as his elder brother does not an I’ll treat you kindly.”
“...Excuse ?”
Oscar grimaced as if he’d found a hair in his food.
“Sorry, but how do you even co up with thoughts like that?”
“……”
Receiving instant treatnt as a delusional narcissist, Heavenly Sword coughed awkwardly.
“Ahem! Anyway, we’ve been seeing each other too often lately. Don’t show your face for a while. Let’s go.”
He turned and left, and Cheon Ajin bowed repeatedly before following.
Once all the visitors were finally gone, Oscar let out a long breath.
“Phew.”
Honestly, he was worn out and wanted to collapse in bed.
But…
‘I still have sothing to do.’
When Oscar walked toward the entrance, Lloyd, who had been waiting, spoke.
“Are you done seeing the guests off?”
With his words, a layer of magic spread and sealed off the surroundings.
“Yeah.”
“I see.”
Lloyd’s deanor was different.
Cold, sharp—like when Oscar first t him.
“Master.”
“Mm.”
“I have a request.”
“Alright.”
“If you refuse—huh?”
Lloyd blinked in surprise.
His face clearly said: You’re agreeing before even hearing it?
“I said I’ll do it. I can pretty much guess what it is.”
“...Do you an that?”
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“Yes. I was too harsh this ti.”
This was one of Oscar’s few flaws—
making decisions too quickly.
“In that situation, I simply couldn’t see any way to win. Honestly, the fight didn’t even seem possible. So all I could think was to get as many people off the island alive as possible. Naturally, you were one of them.”
“…….”
Lloyd understood.
It was all because his master cared for him.
“Perhaps… the reason I beca the Red Tower Lord’s disciple wasn’t entirely for the White Tower.”
“What do you an?”
“‘For the White Tower’—that was just a good excuse, a justification. I can’t say that was the only reason.”
He hesitated, then continued.
“I wanted to beco stronger. Strong enough that I’d never again lose soone precious. Strong enough that the people I care about wouldn’t push away for being weak.”
“……”
Lloyd stared at the floor, unable to look up.
He looked just like the child he once was—nervous and seeking approval.
Oscar stepped forward, hugged him gently, and patted his back.
“I’m sorry.”
“...!”
The unexpected apology made Lloyd’s eyes widen.
“W-why are you apologizing?”
“Hearing sothing like that co out of your mouth is entirely my fault.”
Oscar released him and added.
“If sothing like that happens again, I won’t push you away.”
“Master…!”
“It’s a promise.”
They hooked fingers.
With that alone, Lloyd’s expression brightened.
Watching him get so moved by such a small promise, Oscar renewed his resolve.
‘I can’t give this kid the sa wound a third ti.’
To keep his promise, he needed to get stronger.
A 6th-level mage couldn’t guarantee that future.
There was only one conclusion.
‘It’s ti.’
Ti to engrave it—
the seventh mana circuit.
* * *
“Vessel of the Holy Relic? A saint?”
Sasha’s eyes widened.
She looked down at Oscar’s chest.
“But you’re not glowing.”
“...Sasha. Saints aren’t walking light bulbs.”
“What!? But that’s what you told !”
“That was… the fairy tale I read to you when you were little.”
You know, the one where a saint appears and brightens the whole world and chases away demons.
“Anyway, the relic has lost all its power for now. There’s no telling when it will awaken. Maybe not even until the day I die.”
“And the Church’s stance?”
“Well, since the relic chose its host on its own, they can’t complain. They said they’ll give so honorary position soon, so I didn’t turn it down.”
“You did well. Holding so kind of title will make the Church feel more at ease.”
An outsider who isn’t even a believer holding the relic?
That alone could put the Church in an awkward spot.
But if he had an official role, at least it gave them justification.
“Do you feel anything different physically?”
“Feels like there’s a 2-gram ring sitting near my heart. Other than that, nothing.”
“A ring?”
“Yeah.”
When he focused, he could sense a warm, divine energy from the ring—proof that the relic still resided within him.
“Anyway, I’m just glad you both ca back safely.”
Sasha looked between Oscar and Lloyd, then added her scolding.
“That’s why I told you to take ! If I’d gone, maybe the crisis wouldn’t even have happened.”
True enough—
her world that purifies all evil was perfect against Belpher.
If she had gone, things might have ended far more easily.
‘Though in that case, I probably wouldn’t have beco the vessel…’
Honestly, he wasn’t sure yet if becoming the vessel would bring any aningful changes.
“The Church adopting a friendlier stance toward the White Tower is definitely a positive outco.”
“Oh, that’s true.”
As Lloyd said, the Church was a massive power, rivaling the Imperial Palace.
They didn’t cozy up to anyone easily.
“If you feel anything wrong with your body, tell us imdiately.”
“You must.”
“Alright, I will.”
Seeing their worried faces made Oscar oddly proud of how well he’d raised his disciples.
“And about what I said earlier—set up a eting with Chester soon.”
“You’re going to reveal your identity to him, right? Got it. I’ll tell him to return imdiately.”
“How long will it take?”
“Judging from the last location he reported… about two weeks?”
“Two weeks. Not too tight then.”
“Are you planning to go sowhere during that ti?”
Oscar shook his head.
“No, not going anywhere.”
The six mana circuits within him pulsed distinctly.
He’d forcibly inscribed the last two, so stabilizing them took a long ti—
but now they were perfectly integrated.
Admiring the beautiful structure within him, Oscar smiled faintly.
“I’m going to train.”
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