With a hurried greeting they passed through the gate of the laboratory.

“Is Bishop Judas not here?”

While walking inside the usual gloomy passage, Ars asked the man in the white mantle leading them.

“I am very sorry but a summon from the Holy City came in just yesterday. It seems he will not be returning for atleast half a year it seems.”

“Just missed him huh? Well this was an unexpected visit, although it can’t be helped, it is a bit regretful.”

The man sighed with relief on seeing Ars not being too displeased.

The man leading the 2 of them is currently the highest position holder as the proxy of Judas.

Although a proxy, he was the head of a 100 man giant facility, a senior priest. But even he was filled with tension in front of the man who was next to the Pope, a cardinal and an apostle.

Without minding the man’s behaviour, the 2 people calmly continued walking. Along the way, Ars asked the Priest about various things relating to the facility. Soon they had reached their destination, which was the conference room.

“”Welcome, your highness Cardinal Ars, 7th Apostle Lord Sariel—“”

Inside the room, many other researchers in white mantles similar to the Priest came to meet them.

The Priest and the others were all elder in age to the Cardinal and the Apostle, but all of them were bowing their heads in respect in front of those 2.

“Please, come and have a seat here.”

The Cardinal Ars who sat on the white chair was only 30 years in age but he already possessed a presence fitting for his position. Wearing a special made robe made out of Mithril, he possessed rich blonde hair and sharp forward looking blue eyes. With a face that looked like the heroes of ancient times, that figure of him sitting on the giant armchair was indeed looking appropriate.

Ars who was a Cardinal at the age of mere 30 was certainly worthy of admiration but the woman known as the 7th Apostle Sariel was even more so. Long silver-hair and brilliant red eyes, possessing soft white skin that seemed to assimilate with her white robe was Sariel.

That appearance that looked like a doll was young, very young.

Currently, sitting on the same type of seat as Ars, her feet did not touch the ground. That was how small and delicate bodied she was. Here, she looked the most out of place but, as one those who held the special position of an Apostle, she showed no tension or discomfort at all.

“Well then, please give me explanation regarding the project.”

After both of them sat down and received the documents, the Priest started to speak.

“—-this Holy Soldier project is meant to accomplish the holy war without sacrificing any of the Holy citizens living in the Republic, an extremely humane and ideal project. As you already know, the east side of the Arc continent and in the Pandora continent, heresy is prevalent and the area ruled by the evil god extends very extensively. The most effective method to counter this is our church’s very own holy magic also known as white magic, but the number of Priests able to use this miraculous technique and white magicians is absolutely insufficient currently.

The users of white magic are completely used up in the maintenance of the Republic along with the current areas under the control of the church. We have no personnel to send to the East side or the remote Pandora continent.

But still, several clergymen burning with the will to complete their mission crossed to Pandora and are making efforts in subjugation operations but it cannot be said that they have enough people to complete it. So, to counter their evil black magic we shall also use black magic.

Of course, to teach evil black magic to the Holy citizens would be felony against the White God. As such we shall acquire black magic users from heretics, demons, and foreigners.

Fellow non-humans, with same evil power will destroy each other. Fighting poison with poison, if I say so myself. With this methodology in mind, what resulted was the Holy Soldier project.

Currently, the progress of the project can be said to have been going very favourably. Especially, the foreigner summoned 3 months back; experiment no.49 is endowed with high powers enough to be called the culmination of all our research up till now.

His ability will definitely be able to satisfy your highness as well. From here on, with no.49 as main, although ability might fall a little, we plan continue research to make some adjustments in order to mass produce black magic warriors. Today, we have plans to perform the final baptism on no.49, and by this year, no, end of this month, we shall unveil its ability in the Holy City—“

The priest who was passionately talking was suddenly interrupted by the one who had been without speaking a single word up till now, Sariel.

“Your highness Cardinal.”

It was a delicate and quiet call, but it clearly reached Ars’ ears.

“What is it, Lord Sariel?”

It couldn’t be a question. Ars who knew Sariel’s not-speaking habit wondered in his head.

“Hide.”

With the next word, the doubt in Ars head only deepened further. Without paying any attention to it, Sariel starts taking action and says one more time.

“Hide.”

Sariel stood up from her seat and crawled underneath the giant table. Looking at the weird scene, voices of bewilderment started rising.

“......Understood.”

“Eh? Your highness Cardinal!?”

Towards the mysterious words of Sariel, Ars decided to obey them.

The 2 with the second highest authority suddenly crawled underneath the table. There was no one who could understand the meaning behind it. For a moment, a dumfounded atmosphere comes inside the room. But the one who brought this atmosphere Sariel along with Ars paid no attention to it. This was because for Ars, the words of an Apostle were always meant to be trusted in.

And as a result of that trust, Ars realized that he had made the right decision.

*zuzun—–*

Vibrations as if coming from the depths of the earth, the sound of the building creaking, and vibrations strong enough to jolt the whole body.

“It, It’s an earthquake!?”

Someone’s shout, clearly expressed the current situation.

At this moment, an earthquake of magnitude reaching 6 had just occurred here.

“uu, uwaaaaa!!”

Screams were coming from everywhere. A bookshelf kept inside the room toppled over and fell on the chairs.

Within the cries of people Ars , ‘so that’s what it was all about’, looked at Sariel with an understanding gaze.

Even during an earthquake which was rare in the Republic, looking at Sariel who showed no change even in such a situation, Ars did not feel the need to even pray to god for his safety.

And soon the earthquake that caused shaking inside the laboratory calmed down after a few seconds.

Both of them came out from underneath the table. On the floor lay all the of the researchers without any exception.

“Is everyone alright?”

Fortunately, nobody had fainted due to the bookshelf falling over and getting hit. While groaning, one by one all of them unsteadily stood up on their feet.

“ Qui, Quickly we must get out of here.....”

“Please calm down. Is this lab not built using ancient historic ruins? If so then there is no way it’ll collapse with just this.”

“Ye, yes......It is as you say.”

“Still, this is an emergency. Just to be safe we should evacuate. Priest-dono please take evacuation measures without causing any mass panic.”

Regaining their calm with Ars’ words, the priest and the researchers started taking action. If the organisations top is giving out orders, even if some casualties do appear, the situation should be able to be resolved properly.

Without taking much shock from the sudden earthquake, led by a researcher, Ars and Sariel started to leave the conference room.

“Priest-sama! We have trouble!!”

At that moment, a man in white mantle, probably one of the researchers came running in.

Even with Ars and Sariel in his view he did not seem to notice them meaning he must be very impatient right now.

“Calm down. You are in the presence of the Cardinal and Lord Sariel, also the earthquake has calmed down as well.”

The priest warned him for intruding in such a rude manner.

“That’s not it! During the earthquake—–“

As soon as he said that, from below vibrations resounded with a thundering sound.

“Wh, What? Is it another earthquake?”

Towards the Priest who got cold sweat, the researcher shouted the continuation of his previous sentence.

“——No.49 has escaped!!”