Volume Four: Withering in the Mortal World, Chapter 305: The Chief and the Fourth Seat

In the Pure Courtyard, even the unkempt Chief gentleman was indulging in utter laziness today.

The warm afternoon sun, the air purified to the point of being free of dust, the gentle breeze caressing my body, the soft branches of the tree beneath me that could be used as a bed, and the chewing gum in my mouth—it couldn't be more comfortable.

"Hmph... Ah... They say that when you're well-fed and warm, you think of lustful desires. No wonder the Papacy is so corrupt, living in such a comfortable place..."

Yu Jie rolled over, letting the sun bask in his back as he leaned against the branch. Just then, someone came down from below.

"What did you just say, Chief?"

"... Um?"

He opened his slightly sleepy eyes and looked down at the tree. What came into view was a handsome young man with blond hair, wearing ancient-style knight armor, and looking like a prince from a fairy tale.

"Oh, isn't this the Cardinal Archbishop's son? What brings you here?" he said lazily.

"... I sincerely hope you will address me as 'Mr. Carlyle' or 'Mr. Fourth Seat'."

Saladin Carlisle's face twitched noticeably, making his normally flawless handsome face appear somewhat comical. But he couldn't show it, because he was indeed the son of Cardinal Archbishop Latran Carlisle before his formal conversion to the clergy.

"Then let's call him Little Saladin. Why aren't you going to be your father's bodyguard? What are you doing here visiting me?"

Before answering you, don't you think it's impolite to lie in a book and listen to someone talk?

"Hey, does suddenly running over and interrupting someone's lunch break mean you're being polite?"

"... Never mind that, why are you alone? Where is the Priestess?"

"Spirit Sacrifice-chan is currently holed up in her room reading. And don't let her Goddess fool you, she actually has a terrible temper, so I advise you not to disturb her."

"Wait, are you saying that you, as the Chief Templar Knight and the Guardian Knight of the High Priestess, actually... left her alone? And even went to slack off in the tree outside the Goddess's residence?"

"Slacking off is too awful, it's more like sunbathing... Wait a minute! How could I be so stupid! Since Spirit Sacrifice-chan up in her room reading, isn't this the perfect opportunity...?"

Yu Jie Jieteng sat up abruptly and pulled a cigarette from his pocket.

"No, I don't have a lighter, and I don't have the ability to start a fire... Hey, little Saladin, do you have any fire?"

"You..." "Me?"

"What do you take the sacred Holy See for?!"

Enraged, Saladin reached out and placed his hand on the trunk of the large tree where Yu Jie was sitting, and then—

"Clear and disperse!"

"Hey, wait--"

The once sturdy tree suddenly softened and collapsed like a marshmallow. Yu Jie, who was sitting on it, naturally fell down as well. But before he could hit the ground, Saladin pointed at him again—or rather, pointed at the air!

"Dense!"

The air, which was originally invisible, suddenly became as hard as steel. Yu Jie's limbs were all "stuck" in mid-air by the hard air, and he was thus comically fixed in mid-air, with the cigarette in his hand falling to the ground.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! I finally managed to hide the cigarette from the spirit medium and it's just fallen like that! Quick, quick, pick it up!"

"Tch." Stomp!

Saladin, looking impatient, stomped on the cigarette, crushing it to pieces.

"Noooooo!!! What are you doing?! Is this revenge? Revenge for me pulling down your pants Divine Martial Arts Competition? I apologize, okay? So please pick up the tobacco already, hey!"

Yu Jie was completely panicked, but he couldn't move his limbs, so he could only frantically beg Saladin.

"You..."

Saladin's voice trembled slightly with anger.

"You! With this kind of character! How dare you Guardian Knight of the incomparably holy, noble, beautiful, and benevolent Goddess!? Do you know what an honor this is? Do you know how much you disgrace the Templar Knight!"

"Uh... wait, don't get excited..."

"Let me tell you! I'm here today to warn you! The Brother Simon have already reported your dereliction of duty to me! Not only the High Priest, but you're just as casual in front of the Lord Prayer! I really don't know what you're thinking; how can you protect the Goddess with this attitude!?"

"The problem is, I don't need to protect her closely. As long as I'm nearby, no one can hurt her..."

"Nonsense! Is all you've got is a mouth? Even in the Divine Martial Arts Competition, you were nothing but opportunists, showing absolutely no sportsmanship! You turned the sacred tournament into a joke! A farce! How can the Holy See maintain its dignity if even the Chief priest behaves like this!"

"Of course I can't take it seriously just because I'm playing with you guys... And besides, I'm telling you..."

"I will definitely report this to His Holiness the Pope! Repeated dereliction of duty! No matter how many times I remind you, you won't listen! I cannot stand idly by and do nothing about someone like you!"

"Hey, I said..."

"Shut up! Don't think you can get away with this again! I'm serious! You'd better give me—"

"... Don't push your luck, you brat."

"--!!!"

Saladin's body suddenly flushed crimson.

Countless blades and spears pierced his body, sharp blades slit his throat, swords shredded his spine, spears tore his heart apart, and heavy hammers crushed his limbs. Grotesque demons, laughing skeletons, and roaring monsters watched him, mocked him, ravaged him, and trampled his corpse, dismembering him. Stop! Stop! Stop! It hurts! It's so cold! It's terrifying! It's so terrifying! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!

"Ah!"

Saladin suddenly came to his senses.

He was still standing on the ground, perfectly fine. There were no evil spirits, no swords, and no blood, only cold sweat covering his entire body.

... Hallucination?

Is it his special ability?

No, it's not a superpower...

That was just a burst of murderous intent released by that man in a fleeting moment.

That alone allowed him to see himself being brutally murdered by countless evil spirits and monsters.

"Hey kid..."

"Waaaaa!!!"

A hand landed on his shoulder without him noticing. Because of his absent-mindedness, the stiff air had disappeared, and someone had casually walked up to him.

Turning my head, I saw the same face with a decadent beauty reminiscent of a fallen aristocrat, but those eyes were radiating a chilling aura.

"Just releasing a murderous aura is enough to overwhelm you? You're such a hothouse flower... Let me tell you, I can kill one kid like you, and I can kill a hundred of them too. So... don't mistake leniency for indulgence in the future. Keep your stinking mouth shut, you get it?"

"..."

Despite being drenched in cold sweat, Saladin's dignity as a knight prevented him from bowing. He simply pursed his lips stubbornly and glared back.

"... Heh, still being stubborn even at this point, you do have some backbone. Consider this a lesson for you, don't go looking for trouble again. If you want to beat me in a fight, you'll have to bring out that guy Tian Lu."

Yu Jie released his grip, reverting to his usual carefree demeanor. Then—

"Looking for me?"

"--Eh?"

Yu Jie and Saladin both shuddered simultaneously as an extremely terrifying pressure suddenly descended, like a massive boulder crashing down from the sky! The surrounding spiritual energy suddenly became extremely restless, and blinding holy light filled the space without anyone noticing, causing even the ground to crack continuously!

Of all of them, only that female voice was exceptionally clear.

"What are you doing?"

With unhurried steps, a tall, slender, indifferent-looking woman with orange-yellow hair and a face that exuded more heroic spirit than charm appeared.

Goddess of Heavenly Laws.

"I'm asking you, what are you doing? I want to hear your answer."

"You actually showed up, Miss Tianlu..." Yu Jie spoke first, "Actually, it's nothing, just a little misunderstanding, but it's all fine now, so--"

"However, I seem to sense fluctuations from someone using supernatural abilities."

"Well..."

"Could it be that you intend to, are currently, or have already, resolved the dispute by force in the Pure Courtyard, where fighting is strictly prohibited?"

No, you've misunderstood...

"This is an unjustifiable and blasphemous disrespect for dogma. According to the Criminal Law Canon, he should be punished with his limbs nailed to a cross for a month."

"This... this is a bit too harsh, isn't it?"

"No need for further words, follow the rules and accept the punishment."

Tianlu coldly interrupted their explanations. She gently raised her finger, and dazzling holy light gathered at her fingertip. Seeing this, Yu Jie's expression turned serious for the first time. He spread his legs, lowered his center of gravity, and for the first time assumed a fighting stance.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!!!!!"

An unexpected person appeared, and the three of them looked in the direction from which the sound came.

The sacrificial spirit, not even properly dressed, rushed over in a panic, panting, and blocked Tian Lu's path.

"Huff... huff... Sister Tianlu... don't rush to act... huff... huff... Actually, they... just had a verbal conflict... they didn't fight... and Yu Jie is, after all, my... Guardian Knight... hah... so, I should have... the obligation to plead for him..."

"... Wait, Spirit Sacrifice-chan, get out of my way. I'm not so shameless as to hide behind a woman."

"Lord Spirit, this is between me and this man! Please don't—" Saladin quickly interjected.

"All of you, shut up!"

A loud roar from a shrew made the two of them obediently shut up.

"Anyway, Sister Tianlu, let's just let it go this time! I will definitely—"

"No, my authority to punish those who break the rules is far greater than yours, so I don't have to listen to you."

"But..."

"No buts."

With a casual wave of his hand, Tianlu created a barrier of light in front of the sacrificial spirit, forcefully pushing her outside.

"Then, let the execution begin—"

"Wait, wait a minute."

New voices have emerged.

It is Prayer.

Were they attracted by the noise? She stood there blankly, looking at Yu Jie and Saladin, whose faces were gloomy, and Tian Lu, who seemed to be up to something, not knowing what to do. The Brother Simon, following behind her, also looked completely bewildered by the situation.

"Um, Sister Tianlu, both Mr. Yang and Saladin are very good people... uh... anyway, please give them a chance to reform!"

"Your power to punish criminals is superior to mine; your request is valid."

With that, Tianlu withdrew her hand, and the terrifying sense of oppression vanished without a trace. Without lingering, she said goodbye and left.

The feeling of impending doom, as if someone had a knife to his neck, vanished. Saladin breathed a sigh of relief, nearly collapsing to the ground, while even Yu Jie was covered in cold sweat.

"Hey kid..."

"... Um?"

"Anyway, can you please stop loitering around here?"

"... Tsk, well then, that's settled for today. I'll take my leave now. Please try to regulate your attitude in the future."

Saladin also left, his face extremely grim; he never imagined he would cause so much trouble.

"Whoa--that scared me to death! What a bad day! Just sunbathing brought on so many unlucky things~" Yu Jie breathed a sigh of relief; the oppressive aura emanating from Tian Lu was truly overwhelming.

"Um, Mr. Chief..." Prayer still seemed a little uneasy, walking over cautiously with worry in her eyes.

"Ah, thank you so much, Lord Prayer. I am deeply grateful."

"No, I believe Chief and the Mr. Fourth Seat are very good people, and they certainly wouldn't start a fight without a reason... Uh, if you could, could you tell me what happened?"

"..."

Yu Jie momentarily showed a troubled expression. He glanced at the sacrificial spirit and spoke.

"Young Saladin seemed displeased with my seemingly casual attitude, believing I had fulfilled my duty as Guardian Knight, which led to our minor disagreement. But it's alright, it's harmless."

"Regarding protecting the Spirit Sacrifice-chan, I believe that although the Chief may seem a bit... uh... frivolous, he's actually quite serious about it behind the scenes."

"Of course, whether as a 'Guardian Knight' or 'myself,' I would never and could never allow the sacrificial spirit to suffer any harm."

Only when he said this did the frivolous and casual look in Yu Jie's eyes completely disappear, replaced by absolute sincerity.

"Oh, really? That's good."

The Prayer seemed to hesitate for a moment, but her gentle, Virgin Mary smile remained unchanged.

"Then I'll take my leave now. Take care, Spirit Sacrifice-chan, Chief."

Prayer bowed and left with graceful steps, the Brother Simon quickly following behind.

However, they exchanged a glance, both looking somewhat puzzled.

Others might not notice, but those who protect and Prayer Qizhu day and night could not possibly be oblivious.

The tone of his Prayer just now was indeed a little different from usual, but I couldn't quite put my finger on why.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yu Jie: Oh my god, I was so scared! I just showed off and the city management officers came.

Tianlu: You think you can just show off and run away?

Saladin: Why am I always the one getting pampered...?

I got into the writing spree late last night and kept writing until 2 a. m., finally managing to save up one more chapter.

Then I discovered that today is the birthday of a long-time reader, Aniki.

Let's have an extra chapter after all this time!