Chapter 343: Pantheon (2) |
A large office, its walls adorned with grand paintings.
Scroll—
A woman with gray hair, dressed in a uniform, scrolled the mouse wheel, a heavy silence filling the room.
Her indifferent blue eyes scanned the monitor, a subtle smirk playing on her lips.
“Heinrich Saint Landguard. The Saint of Auterica.”
A cold voice, devoid of emotion.
Her gaze, sharp and piercing, was fixed on the silver-haired man on the screen.
‘He first appeared on Earth last month. And the Master confirmed his existence in another dimension just recently.’
The woman—Scribe, the head of Heaven’s Turn Society’s North America branch—steepled her fingers and leaned back in her chair.
“…It seems he can actually travel between dimensions.”
There was no other explanation for the discrepancy in time.
The Master had personally confirmed it. It was an undeniable truth.
She couldn’t believe it, but he must have some kind of ability to cross dimensional barriers.
‘It seems he can only travel between his home dimension and Earth for now.’
Even that was an incredible feat.
Such a thing had never been reported before, excluding the Master, who had already ascended to godhood.
But that wasn’t her main concern.
“He had to say such… unnecessary things…”
She frowned, muttering her displeasure.
His words, his declaration, were the reason for her current predicament.
An evil organization plotting the destruction of countless dimensions.
A hidden force, rooted on Earth, that had to be eradicated.
That was the cause Heinrich, the otherworldly Saint, had proclaimed.
And the organization he had identified as the enemy… was Heaven’s Turn Society.
‘I need to find out how much he knows.’
She closed her eyes, massaging her temples.
He had seemed like a valuable asset, someone they could potentially recruit… but now that he had clashed with the Master, they couldn't continue with that plan.
“The leader of the investigation team was Priest Jason.”
A paladin known for his uncompromising nature, his hot-headedness tempered by a cold, rational mind.
She knew him well.
She had manipulated him countless times, using his personality to her advantage.
‘I’m not sure if it’ll work. I hope it buys us some time.’
She recalled her recent conversation with Priest Jason.
She had planted a seed of doubt in his mind, subtly undermining his trust in the White Knight… but she wasn't sure how effective it would be.
“A Saint… A Saint…”
Scribe muttered to herself, tapping her fingers against the table.
And then she stopped, a sudden realization dawning on her, and chuckled softly.
Her worries seemed… pointless.
Swish—
A sunset-colored holy power emanated from her body.
She looked at the energy swirling around her hand and smirked.
It didn’t matter if he was a real otherworlder or not. It was too late.
He was just a Saint, a puppet of a foreign god. There were limits to what he could do.
And she served a true god, a god of Earth.
Her worries were unfounded.
“But I can’t just do nothing.”
The public’s interest in the White Knight stemmed from their inability to comprehend his existence.
But what if his claims were false? What if he couldn’t prove them?
‘I can always find an excuse. No matter what he says, I can just twist his words.’
Without irrefutable proof, his claims would lose their credibility.
Eliminating him would be a simple matter after that.
Scribe nodded slowly, then stood up and left the office.
‘This might be easier than I thought.’
The sunset-colored holy power that had filled the room flickered and faded.
____________________
The conversation, which began after Heinrich took his seat, progressed smoothly.
They knew each other, and they acknowledged his power, so there was no friction.
The White Knight’s popularity was undeniable.
The government and other organizations didn't want to antagonize him.
They were satisfied with just meeting him and establishing a line of communication.
“…But didn’t Brother Heinrich say he could freely travel between two worlds?”
Naturally, the conversation revolved around Heinrich, the man of the hour.
Priest Jason, a middle-aged man from Pantheon’s US headquarters, with neatly trimmed brown hair and a short beard, brought up the topic, and everyone’s faces lit up with interest.
That was their main concern, after all.
“I heard about it as well. Traveling between dimensions! I never thought such a thing was possible.”
“It’s truly remarkable. How is that even possible…? It must be a divine power, right?”
“How often can he…?”
“What about the time difference…?”
Heinrich smiled gently and patiently answered their questions.
“…The reason I haven’t been making many public appearances is because of the time difference. I have to focus on my own world, after all.”
Questions and answers were exchanged in a friendly atmosphere.
Some of his statements were true, some were half-truths, and some were complete fabrications… but they were all beyond the scope of modern common sense.
And naturally—.
“…Hmm, I have something to say about that.”
…Such extraordinary claims weren't easily accepted.
“I acknowledge your power, Brother Heinrich. Your faith is so strong that it makes me tremble just by being in your presence.”
Priest Jason spoke, and everyone’s attention shifted to him.
Among clerics, holy power was the most reliable proof of one’s faith.
Having witnessed it firsthand, they couldn't deny it.
Of course, that was irrelevant to his current point.
“But… I’m not sure about the rest of your claims. Especially the part about you being an otherworlder.”
Heinrich nodded slowly at the clear skepticism in his voice.
It was an expected reaction.
<Only Earth’s awakened individuals can travel between dimensions.>
It was an established law, a common sense that had been ingrained in people’s minds for over twenty years.
And now, someone claiming to be an otherworlder had appeared.
It was hard to believe.
Twenty years might seem like a short time, but it was a period of unprecedented change, a turning point in history.
“And one more thing. You said you came to Earth to eradicate evil, according to God’s will. That there’s a secret organization operating in the shadows, plotting the destruction of countless dimensions… Haha.”
Priest Jason chuckled, shaking his head.
He looked around the room, then met Heinrich’s gaze.
“If such an organization exists, why are they so quiet? If they’re capable of destroying multiple dimensions, Earth shouldn’t be a problem.”
“We’ve also investigated Auterica. You’re currently fighting a war against the Immortal King, a being who almost destroyed your world. And you’re saying that this… evil organization is behind it…?”
His voice, initially calm and rational, gradually rose in intensity, his tone shifting from inquiry to accusation.
“Pantheon might not be a tightly knit organization, but its scale is global. Comparable to the World Returnee Association.”
“If such an organization exists, we would know. No, even if we didn’t, someone else would have heard of them. We only learned about it from you, Brother Heinrich.”
Silence filled the room as Jason continued, his words sharp and accusatory.
Heinrich could feel the others silently agreeing with him.
They were all thinking the same thing, even if they didn't say it out loud.
‘…This is dangerous. Their skepticism is stronger than I expected. I was too careless.’
His claims were based on the premise that he was an otherworlder, sent by God.
If that premise was questioned, his entire argument would crumble.
‘And I’m actually an Earthling.’
Even now, not everyone believed him completely.
They were simply influenced by his overwhelming power and the ‘faith’ he emanated, maintaining a neutral stance for now.
‘I have to prove that I can travel between dimensions…’
But Earth was a gathering place for individuals with all sorts of unusual abilities.
No matter what he did, there was a high chance of his claims being refuted.
‘If I had more time…’
The returnees from Auterica would eventually confirm his story, increasing its credibility.
But even that would only prove that he could travel between dimensions, not that he was an otherworlder.
‘I don’t have time for that.’
He had to break their preconceived notion that only Earth’s awakened individuals could travel between dimensions.
But how?
Irrefutable proof, undeniable evidence…
Was there such a convenient method…?
“I see. Then allow me to demonstrate.”
“Hmm?”
“What?”
…There was.
It wasn't even a difficult task for him.
‘It’s not uncommon for Earthlings to return from other worlds as vampires or werewolves. Some even have the ability to transform into completely different beings.’
But there were limits.
And the most effective method…
‘Right, I might as well go all out. It’s better to overwhelm them with shock and awe than to try and be subtle. They’ll have no choice but to believe me.’
As the others exchanged confused glances, Heinrich closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and spoke in a solemn voice.
“…God has answered my prayer. He has granted me permission to summon another of His servants to this world.”
“What?”
They looked at each other, their faces filled with bewilderment.
But he ignored their reactions and stood up, his movements swift and decisive.
He strode towards a window and threw it open.
“Saint Heinrich? Summon… What are you summoning…?”
“A being that shouldn’t exist in this world.”
He looked up at the clear sky, his voice filled with reverence.
“A guardian of dimensions, a balancer of equilibrium, a watcher of worlds, by God’s will.”
And as if responding to his words,
Crackle—!
…A spark flickered in the middle of the clear sky.
It wasn’t just one or two sparks. They multiplied rapidly, spreading outwards, their intensity increasing.
The others, sensing the unusual phenomenon, jumped to their feet.
“W-what?”
“W-wait! This is Seoul! We’re in the middle of the city…!”
But before they could finish their alarmed cries,
Flash—
…A blinding golden light, accompanied by a deafening roar,
[“Rooooar—!”]
…engulfed the area.
And then, a massive creature, dozens of meters long, covered in shimmering golden scales,
…appeared where the sparks had been.
-Wee-ooh—! Wee-ooh—!
The city’s alarm sirens blared.
The peaceful city was plunged into chaos, the streets filled with panic and confusion.
‘I feel a bit bad… but it had to be done.’
His objective wasn't just to convince the people in this room.
His words had spread through various media outlets, reaching people all over the world.
To make them believe him, to make them take his words seriously, he had to imprint this image into their minds.
And as he glanced at the others, who were staring out the window with their mouths agape, he knew his plan had worked.
“What… What is that…?”
“Ha!”
They were speechless, their faces a mixture of shock and awe.
Anyone who saw that creature would instinctively know.
That it wasn’t something that could be artificially replicated.
An overwhelming difference in level and species, a presence that transcended illusions and transformations, pressed down on their souls.
[“Rooooar—!”]
Flap— Flap—
The Gold Dragon, holding a Dragon Orb in its mouth, roared again, its massive wings flapping powerfully.
A student diligently studying abroad, taking a break from his academic pursuits to make a grand entrance, imprinting his existence upon this world.