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This was a pitch-black room.
There were no lights inside, yet a ray of light shone down from an unbroken section of the ceiling, casting a bright circular patch on the floor.
Within that circle, a middle-aged man dressed as a priest was kneeling on one knee, as if in prayer. He held a crucifix in his hands, eyes closed, as a solemn stillness filled the air.
Looking closely, one could see that besides this middle-aged man, there were others in the room as well.
These people, one by one, were all wearing the robes of ordained clerics. Like the middle-aged man, they too knelt on one knee, holding crucifixes, arranged around him in the light, all praying.
Beneath the feet of these faithful, carved into the floor, was an extremely intricate magic circle, lying quietly in place.
Zheng!
At a certain moment, the magic circle suddenly lit up, radiating a glow.
"Hm?"
The priestly middle-aged man immediately opened his eyes.
Shuā!
At the same time, the clerics around him all rose to their feet. With that single motion, they transformed from devout believers into a unit that exuded an unsettling aura, like a disciplined combat force.
Only then did the middle-aged man stand up unhurriedly and murmur, "We've been intruded upon?"
Olet-Galilei, that was the man's name.
"If the barrier's been broken, then an intrusion is the only explanation." As Olet analyzed this, the expression on his face twitched slightly.
It was because of anger. It was because of contempt.
"Anyone capable of breaking the barrier is no ordinary person. In this Island Nation of the Far East, someone with such skill can only be either a fool from a foreign cult… or one of those uncivilized monkeys from Academy City."
Olet's mouth twisted into a smile of fury.
"It would seem this can be taken as a provocation toward our Roman Catholic Church."
At his words, the clerics around him simultaneously released a surge of anger, burning with almost palpable intensity., The Roman Catholic Church.
That was the religious organization to which these believers belonged.
"Mystery" and "miracle" were terms inseparable from myth and legend.
As a magical force that truly possessed mysteries and miracles, in this world there was no real difference between inheriting magic and inheriting faith.
Many magic factions had in fact developed from religions that had endured since ancient times.
And when speaking of religion, one naturally could not avoid Christianity, one of the most widely practiced faiths in the world.
In this world, Christianity was likewise the religion with the largest number of believers and was known simply as Christianity.
However, here it was divided into many sects.
Broadly speaking, it could first be split into two major branches, Catholicism and Protestantism.
Within Catholicism, there were further divisions: the Roman Catholic Church centered in Vatican City, the Russian Orthodox Church based in Russia, and the Anglican Church centered on St. George's Cathedral in the United Kingdom, among others.
Though all these churches upheld the Bible as their doctrinal foundation, they had each adapted their development to suit their respective environments and nations.
In other words, although they all believed in the same God, these churches were no longer part of a single organization, and often clashed behind the scenes over their own interests.
At present, the magicians stationed at this exhibition hall belonged to the Roman Catholic Church.
"Very good, isn't that just wonderful?"
Saying this, Olet took a step forward.
His step rippled outward as if on the surface of water, causing a wave to spread across the magic circle.
Where the ripples passed, the floor within the circle suddenly became like a mirror, reflecting a scene from somewhere inside the exhibition hall.
Everyone present could see it.
There, a ghost-like figure was streaking down a corridor at astonishing speed.
Seeing this, Olet narrowed his eyes slightly.
"That speed… it's probably the result of acceleration magic, isn't it?"
Magic that could enhance mobility and movement wasn't rare.
Even in Academy City, there were Ability users with powers in this field.
"But unfortunately, those monkeys without faith can only possess a single Ability. If that speed is their Ability, then it's hard to imagine they could break through the barrier."
"In that case, this betrayer must be a follower of some heretical evil cult."
Although Olet's tone carried the calmness of analysis, every word and gesture dripped with disdain and contempt for others.
The Roman Catholic Church is the largest denomination of Christianity today, boasting as many as two billion followers, governed by a Pope and 141 Cardinals, with churches in 113 countries. Internally, it had various factions, and even the Roman Pope was chosen through election, yet it claimed responsibility for the management and operation of the world, keeping a close watch on Academy City and other powers.
Of course, in the Roman Catholic Church, most believers were merely ordinary people, completely unaware of magic's existence.
However, those guarding the original Magic Path book here, who knew its value, were naturally exceptions.
Christianity's faith had once been so widespread that it ruled over all of Europe.
Unfortunately, with such a vast scale, conflict was inevitable.
Thus, ambitious individuals obsessed with privilege and profit inevitably arose, ultimately fracturing Christianity's largest denomination into its current state.
The Roman Catholic Church had, in fact, inherited these corrupt aspects.
Aside from the common believers ignorant of magic, the rest of the Roman Catholic Church's members were extremely proud.
They outright scorned all faiths other than their own, viewing any doctrine outside Christianity as heresy and evil cults. Even other churches that also followed Christian doctrine were met with extreme rejection, arrogant to the point of believing no one else mattered.
At least, the majority were like this.
Olet was clearly one of them.
"To expect monkeys from a Far Eastern country like this to understand the teachings of our great Lord is pointless."
"To be foolish enough to try to break in here and make themselves enemies of us, the faithful of the Lord, is to be a sinner undeserving of salvation."
"In that case, let me, with a heart full of mercy and sorrow, grant release to the sinner who has committed such a crime."
"I, Olet-Galilei, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church, will carry out the execution."
With this declaration, the expression on Olet's face was anything but merciful or sorrowful, instead, it was full of glee, like a thug reveling in violence.
Immediately afterward, Olet waved his hand and gave the order to the surrounding clerics.
"Activate the anti-intruder defensive technique and set it to maximum scale. Objective: the protection of the Gospel and the elimination of external enemies."
In that moment, the entire exhibition hall transformed into a fortress.
No.
It was not a fortress built for defense.
It was a killing cage.
And with that, the restless night began.
(End Of This Chapter)