The Cowardly Baby Saint Sees Ghosts - Chapter 82

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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# Chapter 82
As we entered the forest path, the sound of hoofbeats grew cautious.
Liam raised his hand to halt the column. Through the trees, the roof of a dilapidated mansion came into view—walls choked with ivy, broken windows that stood out ominously even from a distance.
“We proceed on foot from here.”
The knights dismounted silently. The Pope descended as well, still holding me.
The surrounding forest was utterly still, not even birdsong breaking the silence.
“Diane, quiet. You understand?”
“Yes.”
I nodded, pressing my lips together.
Three scouts moved ahead.
Their movements were deliberate as they skirted the mansion, treading across tree shadows. Before long, a signal returned.
“No guards present, sir. There are clear signs of recent habitation. The hoof prints haven’t fully dried yet.”
“They fled in haste, then.”
The Pope spoke quietly.
“Everyone advances. Maintain formation and don’t let your vigilance slip at the rear.”
The knights dispersed rapidly.
Then a Status Window materialized before my eyes.
[Sudden Mission!]
Pursue the traces of the Heretical Sect
Reward: Good Deed Gauge +10
[Current: 79 / 1000]
‘I wonder if there’s anything I can do.’
Honestly, it was unclear.
I’d followed along because it seemed like I should, but I’d done nothing since arrival—merely watched from behind as events unfolded.
The interior of the mansion was chaos: scattered documents, overturned furniture, a fireplace still radiating warmth.
The signs of someone’s hasty departure were evident everywhere.
“They didn’t leave long ago,” Liam observed.
He picked up a charred document.
The Pope’s fingertips glowed with light as he examined the mansion carefully.
“There’s no barrier, but the traces of power handling remain quite clear.”
When we discovered the stairs leading downward, we descended at once.
A corridor lined with narrow rooms, iron doors fitted with locks, old stains marking the walls.
This was exactly the place Seria had described.
A rustling sound came from a room at the end of the corridor.
Liam drew his sword and kicked the door open.
“H-help!”
A man crouched in the corner stumbled backward in fright.
His shabby clothes marked him as menial labor, of low rank.
“Please, spare me! I only cleaned the basement! I’ve done nothing!”
“We’ll question him thoroughly at the Temple.”
The Pope nodded at Liam’s words.
“Even a small clue is precious now. Don’t injure him—transport him directly to the Temple.”
In the inner chamber, Experiment Records and sketches of twisted Holy Artifacts were found.
‘Candidate 89, minimal response, disposal completed.’
The few words written in calm script chilled me far more than anything else.
On the next page:
‘Candidate 47, high fever on fourth day, observation ongoing’
That was the entry there.
In the innermost room lay a blanket still warm to the touch and a single pair of small shoes.
On one wall were tally marks scratched in uneven strokes.
A record of someone enduring, counting off the days one by one.
Liam loaded the documents and the prisoner onto a cart.
“We’ll send people to the nearby villages to confirm whether any suspicious groups have passed through recently.”
The Pope nodded.
I suddenly grimaced and covered my nose at the metallic scent of blood wafting through the air.
Though no one else seemed to notice, fresh bloodstains marked the walls and floor in several places.
Older stains, blackened by time and neglect, were scattered everywhere.
‘The reek of blood.’
My stomach twisted.
How could anyone do this to children?
A memory flashed unbidden—the director at the orphanage striking me—and I gagged.
Liam’s head whipped around, concern flickering across his face.
‘I’m fine.’
I mouthed the words and waved him off.
His perception really was uncanny.
* * *
That evening, everyone moved with practiced efficiency—tents erected, supplies organized.
I sat to one side of the Conference Hall.
At the broad table: the Pope, Liam, and Michael.
Other high priests filed in to take their places.
“The Abandoned Mine site is still under investigation, but we’ve confirmed traces of large-scale facilities,” Michael reported, sliding documents across the table.
He continued methodically.
“The prisoner from the Mansion is in the Interrogation Room now. Low rank, though—their knowledge will be limited.”
The Pope folded his arms.
“Even so, they should know membership rosters, movement routes. Finish it tonight. Deploy additional interrogators if needed.”
“Understood.”
Liam unfolded a map and added, “I’ll send a messenger to the Abandoned Mine with the intelligence we’ve gathered from the Mansion. If the two sites are connected, what we learn from one will aid our search at the other.”
He traced his finger along the marked routes.
“Proceed as planned.”
Michael spoke again.
“I’ll cross-reference the specimen numbers from the documents against orphanages and care facilities throughout the kingdom. Any matches with missing-person reports take priority.”
“Good thinking. Request additional personnel as needed.”
One of the high priests ventured carefully, “Your Holiness, shall we file an official report with the Crown?”
He hesitated before answering, “Not yet. We report only when we have solid evidence and have identified the orchestrators. Otherwise, they slip away.”
Another high priest leaned forward.
“We cannot rule out other spies within the Temple itself. Like Seria, there may be others we’ve failed to notice—manipulated by the Heretical Sect without our knowledge.”
Silence fell heavy across the room.
The Pope lowered his voice. “A fair point.”
“We must re-examine the movements and contacts of key personnel. Liam, I’ll need you to oversee that as well.”
“Understood.”
Michael added quietly, “Any information from the prisoner—even at dawn—I’ll report immediately. The same for news from the Abandoned Mine.”
“Yes. Remember: the longer we delay, the more advantage they gain.”
The meeting dissolved swiftly.
Duties assigned, people filtered out one by one.
I watched quietly, turning over everything we’d learned in my mind.
Fact One: The Heretical Sect had tried to artificially create a Saint. They forced Holy Power into children’s bodies, calling them Vessels. In that process, countless children vanished.
Fact Two: Seria was the sole survivor.
Each time I recalled that reality, my chest grew heavier.
But why a Saint, specifically? What had they truly wanted?
If they’d needed a replacement for the Temple, why invest centuries and countless lives?
If their goal was simply power, other methods existed.
I couldn’t fathom why they’d gone to such twisted lengths to recreate that particular figure.
As I pursued that thread, pain lanced through my temples.
It felt as though invisible hands gripped my mind, preventing me from going further.
“Ugh…”
I pressed my palms to my forehead and closed my eyes for a moment.
‘Why does it hurt when I try to think past this point?’
It was strange. I’d never experienced this with any other question.
Only when I approached the root purpose of the Heretical Sect did this pain bloom.
As if some boundary had been drawn inside my skull—one I wasn’t meant to cross.
No matter how many times I circled back, my thoughts slid away at the same point.
Cheese stirred in my lap, whimpering with concern. The soft warmth of its fur brushed against the back of my hand, grounding me.
I steadied my breathing, feeling the small creature press close.
“Diane, are you all right?”

The Pope approached and asked.
“Yes, I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Don’t strain yourself. Leave the rest to us adults, and why don’t you get some rest? It looks like we’ll be moving quickly tomorrow as well…….”
I brushed it off and got to my feet.
This wasn’t the time to dwell on the cause of this headache.
What would come out of the Interrogation Room mattered first, and news from the Abandoned Mine region.
Yet even as I left the Conference Hall, that strange ache I’d just felt lingered in a corner of my mind.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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