Chapter 267: With the Outer Church

I left Ryozo’s hospital room, still surrounded by lingering commotion. Having narrowly escaped disaster, the exhaustion was beyond words.

In the end, Saki Hina even mentioned a two-digit number of potential wives, but I didn’t feel it was worth responding, so I slipped away as quickly as I could.

“Huff…”

I walked down the hallway, tapping my tense shoulder muscles with my fingers.

Outside the window, darkness was slowly melting into the horizon.

‘What a mess. It cost me quite a bit of time.’

But it was fine. Starting tomorrow, winter break begins. That meant I’d have more free time than during the semester. Two whole months to focus entirely on the duties of the Seven Stars and war preparations.

‘On second thought, that doesn’t sound so relaxing after all.’

As I looked out the window, someone approached from the side. I assumed it was another patient or visitor, so I stepped aside, but they addressed me directly.

“I am Priest Welter of the Outer Church. It is an honor to meet you, Lord Heavenly Sword.”

I looked to the side. A man with a calm expression greeted me, placing his fist over his chest.

“The Outer Church? Are you here as an escort for Yu Sein?”

I replied with a nod and asked. The priest responded with an open smile.

“In general, yes, but that’s not our only reason. In fact, even without the saint, our Outer Church had already planned a visit to the Academy during the break. So, we took the opportunity—left minimal staff at headquarters and brought the entire order of knights.”

“And what’s the purpose of the visit?”

“You already know.”

I stared at him for a moment and let out a long sigh.

“Take me then. We’re blocking the hallway, and it’s bothersome for others.”

“How considerate of you—as expected of the Lord Heavenly Sword.”

Though I spoke indifferently, the priest only smiled kindly. I couldn’t tell if it was his nature or sheer hypocrisy. He seemed like a genuine believer, so I said no more. Besides, I was tired.

“We’ve prepared a reception room. I’ll be happy to escort you.”

I followed him as we walked. As we neared the room, I saw several people in white cloaks the Holy Knights.

“““Greetings, Lord Heavenly Sword.”””

The group bowed politely upon seeing me. Since it felt awkward to ignore them, I gave a small nod in return.

Then my gaze fell on the emblems on their cloaks—a kind of red cross.

“That’s the Mark of the Sinner.”

The priest began speaking as he saw me observing.

“The Outer Church was born from the rejection of the gods. A rebellion against deities who demand only faith from humans. That was the beginning of our religion. You could say it stems from the mindset of the ‘ancients.’”

“So, you know about the Ancients.”

“I don’t know how you’ll take this, but there are very few things the Outer Church does not know.”

Welter continued calmly.

“The doctrine and essence of a religion are constructs shaped by history. We seek answers in the past to find hope for the future. That’s why we strive to learn as much as possible. Not just to preach, but to gain wisdom from historical events. That is the pursuit of the Outer Church.”

“Hmm.”

I understood. This priest had the talent of complicating what’s simple.

“And that’s why we engrave the ‘Mark of the Sinner’ on our sacred robes—as a form of reflection for all the wrongs we’ve committed through history.”

“If it’s a mark, shouldn’t it be on the body? Like a tattoo?”

“In ancient times, it actually was etched into the skin.”

…What? This is sounding like a cult.

“But religion must adapt to the times. If today we said we marked people’s skin, what would the public think? They’d surely say we’re a cult. Wouldn’t they?”

“…….”

Although we had arrived at the room, the priest continued his sermon.

“Religion must be flexible. If we cling to the past, people won’t see us as saints but as…”

“Hey, you! Are you going to keep preaching even in front of him?”

The door to the room opened and an elderly man appeared. Instantly, the knights bowed.

“““We are here, Your Holiness.”””

That old man is the Pope of the Outer Church?

His sudden appearance made me uneasy.

Welter lowered his head the moment he saw him.

“My apologies, Your Holiness.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me. You should apologize to Lord Heavenly Sword, who patiently listened to your rambling.”

“Ah, yes.”

Welter turned toward me.

“I apologize for my impertinence.”

“Welter’s a fan of Lord Heavenly Sword. That’s probably why he got carried away.”

The Pope gave him a gentle pat on the back.

“Ah, although it’s not just Welter. In truth, everyone in the Outer Church—including myself—are your admirers.”

“I see…”

I replied evasively. I didn’t know how to react. Every word and gaze focused on me felt like a burden. And coming from the Pope, his words were heavier than a mountain.

“I’ve let the cold wind reach you for too long. Please, come inside. We’ve prepared some light refreshments.”

The Pope took over from the priest.

***

The first impression of the Pope was completely different from what I had imagined.

Well, to be honest, I had never imagined it, but I didn’t expect him to look so ordinary.

‘He looks like he’d be good at playing Go.’

Although his aura was something else. Beneath those thick, gray eyebrows, his eyes shone with an uncommon light.

“It’s not much, but have something, Lord Heavenly Sword. You must be hungry after keeping your friend company so late.”

“Then, with your permission.”

I was hungry, so I didn’t turn down the offer. I shoved a piece of bread into my mouth in one bite.

“Hehe, if I’d known you’d eat so heartily, I would have prepared more.”

The Pope looked at me from across the table with a serene smile. His gaze was so warm that I couldn’t help but let out a sigh. That nostalgic expression made it clear he knew who I was.

“That’s right. I’m someone who knows that you and the saint are not from this world. Allow me to begin speaking, and you just listen while you eat.”

The Pope offered me a bottle of water. I took a sip to clear my throat and gave him my full attention.

“I’m not quite sure where to start… ah, I think it’s best to first explain whom we serve in the Outer Church.”

I had always been curious. I wondered if that “outer god” Yu Sein spoke so often about was the same one I was thinking of.

But she could never really explain it, as if something was holding her back. And without understanding our background, it was hard to accept.

Possessed, reincarnated, returned beings brought into this world by a higher entity.

I had thought only Yu Sein and I knew the truth, but—

In any case, I felt it was finally time to get answers to my questions.

“This world is a multiverse. ‘Outer god’ literally means a god from the outside. It is an entity that rules over the many universes.”

Multiverse. I’d vaguely heard that from Yu Sein.

I set the bread down on the table.

The Pope took a deep breath and began to speak more deeply.

“Timelines branch infinitely. The world we inhabit is just one among that infinity. The same applies to the world you come from, and to the saint’s. Even the universe we once believed infinite is just part of a higher plane.”

His tone was so calm, listening to him felt like floating. Perhaps because of the topic of infinity, my mind also felt lighter.

“The outer god resides in that higher plane. But that doesn’t mean it’s ‘greater’ than other gods. It simply governs on a different scale. In divinity, there are no hierarchies—only differences.”

“So being more widespread doesn’t necessarily make it greater.”

“Exactly. Though there can be differences in power. For example, the ‘God of the Sword’ was much stronger than the corrupt gods of this world. But that doesn’t make it the greatest, just that its domain—cutting and rending—is very specific.”

“That God of the Sword and the Outer God—are they different?”

“Hmm.”

The Pope fell silent for a moment, thoughtful.

“It’s hard to consider them the same entity. The ‘God of the Sword’ was originally a fragment of the ‘Outer God.’ Over time, it grew into an independent deity. So they are the same and not the same, part and whole at once.”

“So the ‘Outer God’ is like the origin of the ‘God of the Sword’? Is that right?”

“Yes, although not exactly. It’s not something that can be easily explained from a human perspective. Even I don’t truly understand it, I’ve just grown used to it. It’s not a mental limitation—it’s because they belong to different planes. It’s better to think of them as the same. In essence, that’s what they are.”

“……”

“To summarize the Outer God brought you, the saint, and another into this world because it considered it a defective gear. First, it tried to fix it by sending a fragment, which became the God of the Sword, but apparently that failed. So now it’s attempting another correction, this time investing seven hundred years.”

From Balor Joaquin to the present, the Outer God had been planning for centuries how to fix this world.

And why?

I have no way of knowing. But as the Pope said, if this world collapses, the other timelines could also become entangled. That would mean total destruction.

“Was my explanation confusing?”

“No more than Priest Welter’s.”

I shook my head. The Pope burst into laughter.

“Welter comes from a noble family, that’s why he speaks so convolutedly. Though he’s been with us for ten years, what you learn as a child doesn’t go away easily.”

“So he gave up his title and chose to become a priest.”

“Do you know what he said to me the first time we met? ‘God is dead!’ He shouted it so loudly I almost had a heart attack.”

“And how did he end up becoming a fanatic—sorry, a devout priest?”

The Pope smiled nostalgically.

“I didn’t convince him. I didn’t even try. If I had forced him, it would’ve only pushed him further away. Instead, I put him to clean the library. One day I walked in and saw he’d dropped the broom to read ancient books. I tried to take them away, but he begged me to let him continue. I gave them back, and he was as happy as a child. And just like that, that young man became one of the most devout.”

In short, the Pope was a master of emotional push and pull.

“While we’re at it, I brought some items from our church for you. I sent them to your office. They might come in handy in the future.”

“Thank you. That wasn’t necessary.”

“Haha, I’m glad you didn’t reject them. If you had, I would’ve taken them right back.”

Correction the Pope isn’t just good at emotional games. He’s a supreme master.

“Well then, we should take our leave. It’s late. Our knight order will be working with the Association to protect the Academy for a while.”

“Ah…”

I was silently impressed. So that’s why they brought all those knights.

“Also, if anything happens, don’t hesitate to ask our church for help. We’ll intervene without hesitation. Although our doctrine says we shouldn’t get involved in worldly matters—who cares about that? This is all about survival. Religion must change too.”

I nodded gently, showing my gratitude in my gaze.

The Pope personally opened the door for me.

“Rest well, Lord Heavenly Sword. The difference between humans and gods is that you need to sleep. It’s when you’re most vulnerable, but also when you can dream. That’s a privilege exclusive to humans—even the gods envy it.”

As I was about to leave, I stopped and turned back to him.

“May I ask you something, Your Holiness—how did you return to religion?”

“Interested in an old man’s past?”

The Pope smiled briefly, but then his expression turned bitter.

“The woman I loved wanted to become a nun. Nuns can’t have ties with men. I thought about taking her away, running off with her. But in the end, she married someone else. I guess I just wasn’t what she wanted.”

Wow.

“After that, it was the typical story of a man consumed by revenge. Now, with time, I think maybe all of that was also the will of the Outer God.”

I nodded silently.

It was the best comfort I could offer.