Ten minutes later, Rimuru walked out of the church holding a set of documents copied through magecraft—something he found rather amusing.
The relationship between the Mage's Association and the Holy Church wasn't exactly cordial. Before they signed a peace treaty, the two sides had practically been at each other's throats. Even so, Rimuru hadn't expected the Holy Church to treat people from the Mage's Association quite so poorly.
When he'd first changed his appearance and visited the church as an ordinary magus, all he'd received was a priest's insincere handshake and a collection of fake documents.
They'd even sent Executors to assassinate him!
"So, if they'd cooperated like this from the start, the people who came before wouldn't have had to suffer so much..."
"Those people died..."
Rimuru's eyes peered through his mask as he gave the church behind him and the familiar that had somehow already flown into the sky one last cold glance. He shook his head slightly and let out a quiet, amused laugh.
Within the Clock Tower, he could be a gentle professor who cared about his reputation and his students, a kindly embodiment of positivity. But outside... Rimuru didn't consider himself a particularly good person—
He knew very well that he had to adapt to darkness, cruelty, and ruthlessness.
If he wanted to go home and achieve his goal, then using any means necessary was the only way.
Of course, Rimuru had to admit that killing people was genuinely difficult for him... If those groups of Executors hadn't cornered him two days ago and left him no choice but to fight back—
What Rimuru hadn't expected was that the Holy Church's initial pursuit and assassination attempts had been triggered simply because magi taking an interest in Dead Apostles was forbidden—
Much like how Emiya Kiritsugu's father would have been treated as a heretic by the Holy Church for researching Dead Apostles, and would also have received a Sealing Designation from the Mage's Association. Any magus who came into contact with Dead Apostles—whether out of hatred, curiosity, or a desire to pursue them—risked being turned into one. And when a powerful magus became a Dead Apostle...
Just look at how Wizard Marshal Zelretch had become the Fourth True Ancestor. It showed just how dangerous such beings were to humanity.
As far as the Holy Church was concerned, any magus who pursued Dead Apostles was a heretic. Rooting out heretics was, after all, the Burial Agency's rightful duty.
Rimuru wasn't unaware of these basic facts. He simply hadn't thought of them at first. Or rather, even if he had, he wouldn't have cared—because the outcome would have been the same.
Even if he was the one who'd been in the wrong first, so what?
If becoming a Dead Apostle could get him home, then she would have taken that path without hesitation—he might conceal his intentions, but he would never give up. Clashing with the Holy Church and killing its Executors was practically inevitable.
What? You were asking if his actions outside would affect his identity at the Clock Tower?
Give me a break... The great Blue Professor, the Fairy Tale Lord, was right now at the Clock Tower looking after the kids!
What did some wild magus running around outside and killing a few people from the Holy Church have to do with Professor Rimuru? Even if they looked alike... so what?
Rimuru watched the birds in the sky and paused. After casually glancing around, he stepped into the restroom of a nearby shopping mall. A swirl of black mist surged up and swallowed him. Seconds later, a handsome German man with a high nose and a tall, straight figure appeared before the mirror. This was the appearance and identity of one of the Executors he'd killed. The Holy Church had to be commended for keeping the Executors' identities so well concealed...
At least, he'd used this identity to evade several pursuits without being discovered. It had even made him wonder if the people tracking him were senile old fools.
"Phew. I hope I find something useful this time."
Rimuru lightly squeezed the documents in his arms. After having Great Sage memorize everything, he burned them to ashes. He wasn't surprised that the text might have been enchanted with tracking magecraft. Even if it wasn't, he'd still be careful—not because he was afraid, but simply because he didn't want to kill anyone.
"So why are you so eager to find a Dead Apostle?"
A voice suddenly came from behind Rimuru. Startled, he looked up at the mirror. Where there had been nothing but his reflection, ripples had inexplicably appeared across the glass, and a girl with black hair that fell to her hips and a short skirt ending at her slender thighs was staring at him with curious, crimson eyes.
Gulp...
Rimuru swallowed, dazed. He wanted to find Dead Apostles, sure, but honestly... he hadn't wanted to run into her!!
The ninth of the Dead Apostle Ancestors... the Black Princess, known as the Black Princess of Vampires—Altrouge.
"You're not going to get anywhere searching like that."
Seeing Rimuru standing there in a daze without saying anything, Altrouge frowned slightly and shook her head. She pointed at the documents in his hand. "Most ordinary bloodsuckers have nothing but instincts and no awareness. The moment they appear in society, they're easily wiped out... As for high-ranking Dead Apostles..."
She paused, then leaned close to Rimuru with a mischievous smile and asked softly, "What will you do when you find one?"
What would he do... dissect it, obviously.
Rimuru swallowed again. He stared at Altrouge, who looked like a fourteen-year-old girl floating in midair, and didn't dare say a word. If he remembered correctly, Altrouge couldn't use her abilities before transforming. So if she could float and conceal herself, there had to be a guard nearby...
Perhaps the Black Knight or... the White Knight.
They were the Sixth and Eighth Ancestors, respectively, beings who were essentially demons—
For a moment, Rimuru wanted to cry. He'd naturally considered the difference in their strength before daring to come to Germany. To be precise, he'd believed that with his power as a Lord, he could easily escape in one piece using his template, even if he couldn't defeat a True Ancestor!
But...
How did you just happen to run into three of the greatest progenitors of Dead Apostles when you went out?!!
Even with eight lives, he wouldn't dare act out in front of three Ancestors—no, two Ancestors and a King of Dead Apostles!
"Fou...? Fou-fou?"
Just then, a particularly adorably stupid-looking white head, neither quite cat nor dog, poked up from behind Altrouge. It sniffed in Rimuru's direction, then tilted its head. "He smells like a Phantasmal Species. He doesn't look very tasty, fou!!!"
"Right... everyone's here."
Rimuru gave up resisting completely...
Chapter 26: The Black Princess's Provocation!
The little white beast was named Cath Parage. It was the legendary Black Princess's hound, Primate Murder.
The First Ancestor, Beast IV—though, in Rimuru's few memories of his previous life, this creature also had another especially famous name.
Fou.
Unlike the cheerful, adorable pet at Chaldea, which posed no danger as long as it stayed away from human society, this beast had been abandoned by Merlin after he threw it from a tower into the world of Phantasmal Species. After meeting Altrouge, it had learned to drink human blood... and was classified as a bloodsucker. It possessed a terrifying ability that was especially effective against primates, making it extraordinarily dangerous.
Even though the Dead Apostle Ancestors weren't ranked by strength, the title of First Ancestor still set off alarm bells in Rimuru's mind—
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Altrouge's delicate, pale face crept closer once more. Her small, lovely nose drew nearer to Rimuru's, until they were nearly touching. Rimuru had no choice but to retreat half a step until he was against the mirror. Only then did she stop advancing. Her lively, blood-red eyes met his golden ones, a hint of amusement in them as she curled her lips into a playful smile and asked softly, "Weren't you looking for a Dead Apostle?"
"...I'm looking for a Ghoul or a Living Corpse."
Rimuru leaned against the wall and forced the words through clenched teeth. "I don't want to provoke you..."
"Just as I thought..." The Black Princess tilted her head slightly and smiled. "You know who I am, but you're clearly not looking for Dead Apostles to become immortal like Zepia..."
Throughout history, many magi had tried to extend their lives as much as possible so they could continue pursuing magecraft and seeking the truth. Some had even willingly become vampires. Apart from the geniuses who managed to become bloodsuckers through their own research, most magi had only one simple way to do so: seek transformation by a True Ancestor or a high-ranking Dead Apostle.
In other works of fiction, they called it "the embrace."
And Zepia was the most accomplished magus bound by a contract with the Black Princess, Altrouge. He had even become one of the Dead Apostle Ancestors.
"What if I am?" Rimuru suddenly said.
"Then I can make a contract with you right away." Altrouge answered without hesitation. She stepped back and sat in midair, her legs crossing and one knee resting over the other, her hands placed neatly in her lap. She gazed at Rimuru with a sly smile. "If you ask me, I can help transform you—"
"How about it?"
"Although your way of searching for Dead Apostles is crude, not even as good as the lowest-ranking Executor's... the recognition in your eyes when you saw me, and that inexplicable familiarity, suggest that you know something about Dead Apostles—or at least... something about me."
"...You have a lot of faith in me, don't you?" Rimuru gave a dry laugh and forced himself to stay calm. He could feel cold sweat soaking his back, even though he knew it was probably just an illusion.
"You're very interested in Dead Apostles, and I happen to be very interested in you, too."
Altrouge spoke without haste. Ever since she'd heard that an evil magus searching for Dead Apostles had appeared nearby, she'd tried observing him a few times. And now, after witnessing Rimuru change from a boy who looked fourteen or fifteen into the proud-looking German man before her, she was even more interested in him!
"And if... I refuse?"
"Then tell me why you're looking for Dead Apostles." She said this as if it were obvious. After a pause, she added, "And explain how you know who I am—"
"I'm not unreasonable. If I'm satisfied with your answer—" The Black Princess thought it over arrogantly, then suddenly asked, "Are there any other Dead Apostles hiding nearby?"
"There is, my princess. Sow Dantes, if I remember correctly." Suddenly, a soft, feminine voice came from behind the Black Princess. It belonged to one of her guards, the Black Knight.
"Dantes... Isn't he one of the White Winged Duke's followers?" Altrouge's eyes lit up, and her smile grew brighter. "Very good. He'll do."
"If you satisfy me, I'll capture him and give him to you. How does that sound?"
"..." Rimuru's expression turned strange.
Capture him and give him to me... What could he say? It really was just the sort of thing a princess would say, wasn't it?
Just then, a virtual, three-dimensional map of the shopping mall suddenly appeared before Rimuru. A dozen red dots were slowly closing in on the mall from every direction. Great Sage's voice rang out, too.
"What's going on?"
Rimuru paused in surprise and asked internally.
"They're Executors. You've been in the mall too long—"
Oh, people from the Church?
Rimuru was delighted rather than alarmed. The Holy Church's people had arrived right on time! Between a magus searching for Dead Apostles and the famous half-True Ancestor, half-Dead Apostle princess of the Dead Apostles, who would the Holy Church rather eliminate?
Obviously!!
If they discovered the Black Princess was here, what Executor would still care about some insignificant magus like him?!
Maybe he'd even get a chance to turn the tables on the Black Princess. If the Holy Church and the Black Princess fought to the death, he could reap the rewards!
Honestly... Rimuru had never thought about dissecting the Black Princess, but if he had the chance to dissect the Black Princess, who would care about those trashy Dead Apostles?!
At that thought, Rimuru instantly calmed down. With an escape route in mind, his tension vanished, and his thoughts cleared. He began to chuckle as if he had nothing to fear.
"Heh heh. To tell you the truth... it's not Dead Apostles I want..."
"Hmm?"
"What I'm really interested in is... True Ancestors."
As he spoke, he looked at Altrouge's face and watched her expression. Sure enough, the next moment, her smile froze. Her face cooled, and she looked a little vexed.
What Rimuru said was, in a sense, provocative, but it was also the truth—
It was worth clarifying the difference between True Ancestors and Dead Apostles. True Ancestors were True Ancestors, the origin of Dead Apostles. If True Ancestor was a designation for an entire race, much like Phantasmal Species, then they were a race created by Crimson Moon using her own template. Dead Apostles, by contrast, was just a blanket term for the servants or weapons created by all True Ancestors.
Dead Apostles could be stronger than True Ancestors and might even destroy them, but they could never become True Ancestors.
The Dead Apostle Ancestors were the first group to successfully rebel against the True Ancestors' control. They surpassed the True Ancestors and became the strongest among the Dead Apostles. As the positions changed hands over time, the title came to represent the twenty-seven strongest bloodsuckers.
Some of them were True Ancestors, but most were Dead Apostles.
And in the present day, not only were there very few True Ancestors left, but Arcueid Brunestud had also been set up by Roa and slaughtered all the True Ancestors in Millennium Castle... As a result, apart from the True Ancestors living in seclusion across the world, the number of True Ancestors still active in the world—including the younger sister she so disliked in Millennium Castle—could be counted on one hand.
So when Rimuru said that what he was really interested in was True Ancestors, and fixed his gaze on her, she clearly sensed the implication in his tone. For that one instant, he had actually dared to set his sights on her?!
"Interesting..."
A stillness like the gathering of a storm filled the air. Rimuru stared at the Black Princess, whose expression had turned cold, and calculated his escape route in case they fought—
Nearby, the lazy Fou seemed to notice something and alertly looked toward the door. Altrouge, however, narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Did those Church bugs give you courage?"
Rimuru's expression stiffened, but he answered calmly, "I have more faith in my own strength—"
"Someone's coming, fou..."
Fou's tail swept lightly, interrupting the Black Princess as she glared angrily at Rimuru. She paused, then looked toward the restroom door—
Someone was coming?
Rimuru glanced in surprise at the Executors still some distance away on the map. His heart suddenly sank. If there was no source of magic...
"They're ordinary people."
With a creak, the men's restroom door swung open. A young man who didn't look very old came in, whistling as he unfastened his belt. Suddenly, the hand at his waistband paused, and he stared in shock at the tall man and the delicate, petite girl at the far end—
Because of the angle, the girl floating in midair looked to him as if Rimuru were holding her up. The young man froze like a jammed cassette tape, then immediately turned around. But he quickly realized what he was seeing.
"Hey, man... Put the girl down... This is, uh... creepy—"
"Deal with him, Cath."
Faced with a passerby who'd blundered in like this, Altrouge couldn't even be bothered to look back. She simply gave the order in a cold voice.
In an instant, Rimuru felt the pet-like Fou lift its head slightly and lazily glance at the young man. An invisible mystery swept over the man's body. With a thud, before he could finish speaking, he dropped to his knees and clutched his stomach, vomiting blood as he convulsed.
"Damn it..." Rimuru cursed under his breath. In an instant, bright blue Magic Circuits flared to life around his heart. The Phantasmal Species' immense magical aptitude poured into the young man, and the flow of blood from his mouth slowed a little. He gasped in panic—
"Hmm?" The Black Princess paused. "Are you trying to save him?"
Rimuru ignored her and quickly had Great Sage scan the man's entire body.
"The human genetic chain is collapsing... Repair will be difficult..."
"His genetic chain is collapsing?" Rimuru blurted out. The magic he was pouring into the man slowed a little as well. Even magecraft couldn't constantly sustain a genetic chain that was falling apart.
"It's no use." Seeing Rimuru rush over as if he meant to save the man, Altrouge turned around in curiosity and spoke softly. "Cath is Primate Murder. It can erase the concept and soul of any primate at their very foundation. A primate attacked by it can't survive, even if your immense magical power can delay the process—"
Rimuru's vast reserves of magical power had surprised her again, but unfortunately, magic couldn't always change the outcome. To counter Beast IV's attack, he would have to fundamentally distort its target or alter his own concept.
"Help... help me..." The young man clutched his throat in agony with one hand and reached toward Rimuru with the other. He seemed to realize that Rimuru was the only one who could save him. His instinct to survive temporarily pushed all thoughts of the mysterious aside. He struggled desperately, doing everything he could just to stay alive.
Before you continue