Chapter 14-15  : A conceited reflection time

“This was a failure! A failure! A BIG failure!!”

The place is the Light Church’s main headquarters, the meeting room at a section of the grand light church.

Suppressing the monster strife, escorting the people to their houses, and finishing the work that was left, Karen-san and I returned and we were soon called.

What was waiting for us there, were a lot of important-looking people.

One of the people there, an armoured knight, was losing his temper for some reason.

“Hero Karen! In this monster cleaning mission, there’s no other word to describe it but failure! To think we would have the glory stolen by the Fire Church!! That’s the worst! Is there any worse disgrace than this?!”

Is what the knight said as he slaps the pile of papers on top of the table.

I got interested in it, so I checked the pile of papers and there was this heading written there.

‘In the monster strife at the Trixia forest, the Fire Hero played a big role’

I know about this. This is called a newspaper.

Apparently, there’s an ethereal powered machine that is able to print the same words in several hundreds of papers. Using this, they spread around the daily news.

While we were in the middle of returning here, Karen-san was also interviewed by a newspaper reporter, and I who was accompanying her, learned about the existence of this.

“Hero Karen, what is your job as a hero?”

“...Protect the people from the threat of monsters.” (Karen)

“In that way, we show the outside world the majesty of the Light Church, and in turn, increases the divine virtue towards the Light Goddess, Inflation-sama! And yet, this time’s result...made it look like our Light Church was lacking compared to the Fire Church!!”

“Knight Commander Dobbe, calm dow—!”

“Do you think I can be calm here?!” (Dobbe)

The surroundings tried to calm him, but the armored knight that was called the knight commander didn’t show any signs of calming at all.

Or more like, that’s the Knight Commander?

“...Hero Karen. As a Knight Commander, I have questioned your aptitude as a hero for a long time now. This is a good opportunity, so today, I will be thoroughly placing the blame on you about this.” (Dobbe)

“...Yes.” (Karen)

Karen-san accepted the words of the Knight Commander without any energy.

Even though she just returned from the monster subjugation after doing her best, I haven’t heard a single word of gratitude from them.

“First of all, hero Karen, at the time you were heading to the site, I heard that you utilized the small-sized flying machine. Is that true?” (Dobbe)

“...Yes.” (Karen)

“That accursed machine that only corrupts us humans, the use of it is completely forbidden inside this church. For the hero herself to take the initiative and break the rules is inexcusable!!” (Dobbe)

“......”

“We will be disposing of that machine immediately. Listen here hero Karen, if you are going to act as the representative of our Light Church, have awareness of it, and follow the rul—” (Dobbe)

“Can rules kill monsters?”

Those words silenced the place.

No one showed any signs of interjecting, so I continue.

That’s right, I was the one who spoke.

“Following the rules and defeating monsters; if you are able to do that and still manage to protect the people, then follow it as much as you want. But reality is different. Against an impending threat, rules serve nothing.” (Haine)

“W-What did you say?!” (Dobbe)

The hostility of the Knight Commander was directed at me.

“What’s with you?! I am the Aurora Knights’ Knight Commander, Zeberphon Dobbe, you know! And you are going to go against me?!” (Dobbe)

“Giving out different opinions and looking for an unified answer, isn’t that what a meeting is? Are you going to deny that very definition?” (Haine)

Karen-san who was at my side, was sending me worried gazes.

There’s also several important-looking people that were surprised, but as expected, they didn’t raise a single beep and were only looking at me as if looking at something curious.

That’s why, I continued without caring.

“Then, Knight Commander-san, you looked down on the flying machine of Karen-san like it was the sworn enemy of your family, but it was thanks to this very machine that Karen-san was able to arrive at the scene first. And yet, even with that achievement, you will still be disposing of it. Isn’t that a bit too unreasonable?” (Haine)

“Machines are things that corrupt humans and make people lose their faith towards God! Their very existence is evil! What’s wrong with disposing of something like that?!” (Dobbe)

“Even though the one that has lost the most faith towards God is you?” (Haine)

“What?!” (Dobbe)

For the people that are in the meeting, just how do I look?

Inside the Light Church, I am a newbie among newbies that had just joined at the recruitment yesterday. Moreover, a grunt that was send to the kitchen after being rejected from the exam.

And that bean sprout is right now hurling at the Knight Commander. If looked at it from a calm position, it is a situation where I wouldn’t be able to complain even if I were to be executed for this rudeness.

Even so, since I have already rushed in, I will have to continue.

“I?! This Knight Commander here?! I -the Knight Commander, Zeberphon Dobbe- has lost my faith towards the Light Goddess, you say?! I would like you to stop your baseless accusations!” (Dobbe)

“In today’s monster subjugation, it was truly tough, you know. Why didn’t you come?” (Haine)

“Ugh.”

“The number one job of the knight corps is to protect the people from monsters, right? And yet, you didn’t run there. Just what were you doing?” (Haine)

I must have hit a sore spot, I could tell the vigor of the Knight Commander was withering.

“I heard from Karen-san; after receiving the report of monster sightings, the knight corps take 1 hour gathering, 1 hour preparing, and 3 hours to mobilize to the place. Is that right? In an emergency where every second counts, you guys waste time like crazy, and in the end, you wouldn’t even be able to arrive at the place by the time it is over. I am surprised you are able to blame Karen-san who was the first arriving at the scene.” (Haine)

“...T-That’s why the view of an amateur is so shallow.” (Dobbe)

The Knight Commander smooths over some composure.

“Listen well. It is not like just arriving at the scene is all that has to be done. When we arrive, we have to fight monsters, keep the damages to the minimum, and grab victory in those circumstances. For the sake of that, there’s the need for careful preparation, and because of it, it is a given that it will take time. When moving as an organization, mobilizing in itself will take time after all. To ignore that and just go at it by the standards of who arrives faster or slower would be—” (Dobbe)

“And as a result, you don’t make it in time for anything.” (Haine)

That short statement destroys the whole claim of the Knight Commander.

“Assembling the necessary things at the necessary moment is important. You have ignored the timing of assembling too much, and as a result, you served of no help at all. Even though you are in a position of being the Knight Commander.” (Haine)

“Gigigigi!!”

“Compared to that, Karen-san made swift judgment in this time of emergency, even utilized a flying machine, and rushed to the site faster than anyone else. As a result, she was able to save an old woman and a little girl that didn’t escape in time. Karen-san was able to achieve that much, and yet, she has to be blamed by you who didn’t do anything?” (Haine)

“Giiiiiih!!!”

From the opening of the Knight Commander’s teeth, an unbelievable sound is produced.

His hand grabbed his sword.

The people at the meeting room raised their voices.

‘Oh? Is he going to rampage here?’, is what I thought, but at that moment...

“The thick-headedness of the Knight Commander is something that has been pointed out before.”

And so, one of the people sitting in the meeting said, moreover, it was the voice of a woman.

Reacting to this, the Knight Commander instantly calms down the bloodthirst that was coming out from his body.

“F-Founder-sama...” (Dobbe)

“In the article that was written at the newspaper, looking well at it, it is referenced that Karen-san was the one who rushed head first to the place, and that in the end, it was the cooperation of the light and fire hero that led to the defeat of the monsters...... Kuromiya Haine-san.”

“Yes?” (Haine)

This woman I don’t know of called me by my full name and I get agitated.

Because she is wearing a priest robe, her age is hard to tell. A mysterious woman.

I can’t tell because her face is covered with a veil, but simply seeing her bearing and her tone of voice, I can tell that she is a peerless beauty.

“You were the one that provided this point of view, right? Thanks to the newspaper reporter having this piece of information, our Light Church was able to maintain its prestige.”

“Well, it is true that I did speak with the reporter as well.” (Haine)

“I have heard about you. I heard that you were personally scouted by Karen-san in order to increase the adapting ability of the knight corps. I am happy to see that there’s already achievements from you. I heard that your family is a family of hunters. That must have properly connected to this line of work as well...... Vice Captain, Dinron Grades.”

“Y-Yes!!” (Grades)

Being called by name, the bald Vice Captain stands up.

So he was here too.

“It would be bad to have a capable person like this without any role. With my authority, I accept Haine-san into the knight corps. You who are in charge of revising the newcomers, please find him a role that can allow him to move freely without being bound by the framework of the organization.”

“Hah?! ......Y-Yes!” (Grades)

I don’t understand what’s going on.

The Knight Commander interjects.

“Please wait, Founder-sama! I have not heard anything about that! If it’s related to the personnel affairs of the knight corps, isn’t there the need to say something to me as the Knight Commander?!” (Dobbe)

“Knight Commander, Dobbe, you will be taking the blame for the delay in this time’s dispatch. In order to not repeat the same mistake, I will have you draft some reformation ideas.”

“Ugh!”

The Knight Commander steps back to the firm words of the woman.

“The Fire Church’s headquarters located at the fire capital, Muspelheim, are situated relatively close to this Apollon City, so both churches are mostly being compared at almost everything. If we are to get the better of again...Dobbe-san, you understand, right?”

“Y-Y-Y-Yes!!”

“I will ignore the use of the ethereal machine from the hero Karen-san this instance. Once the Knight Commander is able to come up with a reform plan that makes it possible to arrive quickly at the scene, we will discuss it again. Everyone, any questions?”

Not a single one of the several tens of important-looking people said anything.

Or more like, these people didn’t say anything in all the meeting.

“Then, there’s nothing more to discuss in this occasion. Karen-san, Haine-san, good work. You can retire for today and rest at ease.”

“Y-Yes!” “Yes...”

When the woman stands up, two maids also followed behind as they left the meeting room.

That became the sign of the meeting finishing, the other important-looking people stood up from their seats one after the other.

Only one, the Knight Commander Dobbe stood up with a red face and kicked the seat he was sat on.

A noisy sound was made.

And then, he walked out from the meeting room angry.

This is something I learned later on but, that solemn woman was the founder, Yorishiro. The number one most important person that supervises this Light Church.