Alma visited the Safe House of the Assassin Order three days before she met Noel.
Alcor told me about the catacombs of a lonely church in the corner of the Empire, and the church headquarters at the end of its hidden doors.
The promise to visit is already attached through the intermediary. It is a mechanism by which you can communicate with the Assassin Church when you say the word in an end-of-place liquor store. The request for assassination is also basically the focal point for this tavern.
"Well done. It's Alma, Alcor's grandson. Follow me."
Alma is guided to the safe house by a man in a white robe who welcomes him.
I was never suspected of blood ties, either because I was pressing the seal of Alcohol when I contacted him. No, they may suspect me, but so far they seem to treat me as a grandson.
Either way, you have to complete the exam to join the denomination. I guess the denominational side also intends to determine authenticity in terms of its strength.
The Safe House of the Assassin Church was a killer landscape wherever it looked. There are no condiments, and the beast fat candle fire is shaking on the stripped rock wall.
Eventually, the conductor stopped in front of a large iron door.
"Alma Iudicare. Check again. Do you truly desire to be a compatriot of our Order?
"I intend to."
"Fine. Then we should move on to this door. And when thou hast won the trial, the God of our underworld shall bless thee also. Now, go."
When the conductor prompts you and Alma hangs her hand on the door, a heavy noise of gogogo sounds. Alma opened the door, usually open by a few grown men, with his fine arms.
At the end of the door, there was a training center and a space for thought. And there's one man standing there. A long-haired man in an oriental kimono, equipped with hook claws on both hands. Its standing and the quality of struggle it conveys undoubtedly belong to the Repellent (Scout) B-Rank Function (Job) and Assassin (Assassin).
"You're Alcor's grandson. I heard the story, but it doesn't look that way."
Alma sighed at the man as he glanced down.
"Are you going to join a church even under these three?... Disappointed"
"Oh, my God, you!
"You're the examiner, aren't you? Then let's get started."
"C-rank flair, don't be shy! Show them the power of a true assassin!
With his wind-like appearance and velocity, the man jumps on Alma. If it was just a C-rank, it would be finely chopped in an instant.
But being here isn't just a C-rank.
It's Alma Iudicare, who inherits the blood and moves of the legendary killer Alcor.
"... then fool!?
The intersection of moments. It was the man with the hook and nail who scattered the blood splash down.
"I knew it, Sancho. I'm not talking about it."
To the man who falls down, Alma slowly walks over. Now it was the man's turn to be looked down. In that unbelievable situation, the man hesitates.
"Yes! What the hell is your power?
"Idiot? The way it's fought handed down to the Assassins (Assassins) denomination was all conceived by Jicha. If it were, it wouldn't work for me."
"You really... are you, uh, Alcor's grandson?
"You should know that the moment you confront me. A fool who is hard to save even if he tries. But don't worry. Because I don't need to worry about my incompetence anymore"
Alma smiles and wields a knife.
"Holy shit! I'm done with the exam! My loss!
"Yeah, it's not over yet. If I kill you, it's over."
"Stop. Whoa!
Ignoring the man's scream, Alma waves the knife down.
But...
"That's it. Put the blade away."
Alma's knife never killed a man. The blade is stopped by only two fingers. An intruder who appeared with no sign at all, on his fingers.
It is clear that he is an unusual and powerful man. Alma takes a great distance in the backstep to rebuild her attitude.
The intruder was a brown man in a white upright collar festival dress. He seems to be already middle-aged judging by his appearance, but he has a resilient flesh that can be seen even from above his clothes. Its forged flesh and short pruned gray hair impressed the man more as a monk than a monk.
"... what about you?
"Head of the Order, Simon Gregory"
In a low and good passing voice, the man told him who he was.
"... I see. If you are the head of the congregation, you are convinced of its strength."
Alma delivers the knife to her sheath and tilts her neck.
"But I don't know. Why did you stop?
"Let's ask the other way around. Why are you trying to stab me?
"Jicha told me that's the kind of exam. Only the strong will survive, and the losers will give their lives to the gods of the Underworld."
"It's a story of the past. I will not tolerate such an old and abominable code under me"
The head of the congregation affirmed with an unspeakable voice, and let the long-haired man leave with one eye.
Alcor has resigned as head of the Assassin Order for decades. The way the organization is, it seems, has changed considerably.
But that's not why there was disagreement.
"Understood. So, did I pass?
"Pass.... battle skills."
"You still got something?
"Let me ask you a simple question. You just have to answer that."
The eyes of the head of the congregation, who explores his inner body deeply, are directed towards Alma.
"Did you kill Alcor?
"Yes, I am."
Alma responded instantly. The letter told me it was aging, but if you're finding out, you don't even have to hide it. Alcor lost his life not by aging, but by Alma's hand.
"You can't be too busy at EX rank. It was easy to kill."
"Let me ask you why."
"Do you need to hear that?
"... no, I don't need it. That was a stupid question."
It wasn't until I got my mind on it that I became willing to kill Alcor.
I've never been given family love by that man. All you have been given is the knowledge you need for an assassin (Assassin) and a workout that goes off the regular track imposed every day.
Every day my mind and body rub off. If you refuse to die waiting ahead, there was only one way to be free by killing Alcor.
"Alcor is a seeker of strength. The spirit was no longer closer to ghosts than men, but merely to spreading death"
The eyes of the head of the congregation are directed to the past and his memories are put into words.
"He was a horrible man, heart to heart. I also became a depository of the denomination now, and my function (Job) became an EX rank, but I still wouldn't beat that guy in the full season. That wasn't a person. He looked like a man, death itself."
"But I lost to the Undying Devil (Overdeath)."
"Yes, I lost. It's what's up there. Even the embodiment of death cannot beat an immortal demon. That makes sense when you think about it. And from then on, Alcor started going crazy"
Unexpectedly, the colour of mercy sprinkles in the eyes of the head of the Order.
"Alma, you are not Alcor's grandson. You're really my daughter, aren't you?
Apparently, everything's been checked out. Alma laughs bitterly at that.
"That's right. I'm not Alcor's grandson, I'm his daughter. One of the children that the man let a woman grab him from some village"
Alcor lost his mind when he was defeated by an immortal demon (Overdeath). For the Seeker of Power, strength is absolute existential value (Resondattle); it has been broken from its roots, thus obliterating its own existential significance.
Having lost his normal ability to judge, Alcor becomes a fanatic and becomes possessed by distorted delusions. - I lost in a fight I shouldn't lose. Then if you create yourself undefeated, you can decide that you had no past. Yes, I thought about it.
"That man didn't want a successor. I wanted to create the same existence as myself. I truly believed that doing so would erase the stains of the past"
"... that's pathetic. Is that the end of the legend?"
"No. It's the victims of those men that are pathetic. Women caught from villages and made to have children they didn't even want to have. And my brothers and sisters were murdered by Alcor's paranoia."
Many innocent lives were swept away by Alcor's paranoia and disappeared. If you think about that carelessness, it won't be any sin, such as the taboo of killing my father. At least, that's what Alma thinks.
"For that man, I was the greatest success. Still, I've been told many times not to lay a hand on the immortal demon (Overdeath). Even if I lost my sanity, I couldn't seem to forget my fear when I lost. I hate that guy, even now that I killed him, but given that, the drinking just drops a little. Even an immortal demon (Overdeath) is so much your grandfather. Like an idiot."
"If you're an immortal demon, you died a few years ago."
"Huh?"
"The city where I lived became an abyss, and I consulted with the Demon King (Lord) Demon (Beast), its nucleus."
"... yes, the indestructible demon (Overdeath) is dead too"
Only Alma was left. Clearly, I feel like I've lost my stopover.
"Alma, let's be honest. You don't deserve the Order."
Alma was struck like he had been hit in the head by words he didn't make it his congregation chief's prediction. Even though it was forced, I didn't want to easily believe that I didn't deserve the Assassin Church, which I had been training for long before my heart came on.
"Why!? The power should have shown!
"Indeed, your power is wonderful. I can even see one scale leading up to the EX rank any day. But it's another story about whether the church deserves it or not."
"I don't know why! Explain it properly!
When Alma questions him, the head of the Order strokes his jawbeard worried.
"... from here on out, no need to say anything else. Can you promise me that?
"Okay, I promise..."
"The Assassin Church plans to reinvent the nearby organization. From now on, he will be reborn into an umbrella organization of the Empire, not an independent secret organization. The new Assassin Church is based on intelligence and doing everything in its power to protect the country."
"... does that mean I won't kill you anymore?
"Unfortunately, you can't quit killing completely. But whereas until now it has been a kill for an end, from now on it will be a kill as a means. It seems similar and the difference between the two is huge. At least, the latter has a future"
"The future..."
Alma doesn't know what kind of future that is. But however great the future may be, there is no place for Alma. That's all I understood.
"Shura is asleep in your heart. You can't put such a dangerous person in a job to protect the country."
"............ haha"
A dry laugh comes in. What a terrible nightmare. No, this is reality. It's been going on since birth, a reality named Nightmare.
"... the result of being forced to spend 21 or 21 years on this? Nothing was ever fun. I don't have friends, I don't have lovers. All the time...... all the time, I can't believe I was attached to that dude's paranoia and that quote, my powers, didn't help me at all...... So, what have I lived for? Twenty-one years so far... what was it?
I couldn't stop crying. It's so vain, so remorseful, its thoughts become tears, and it overflows with no stopping place.
"Give it back! Give me my life back!!!
I just sued this guy, and I know it's pointless. Still, I couldn't help screaming. There is only one Alma in this world who thinks of Alma.
"Your life is yours."
That's all the head of the congregation said, he turned his heel back.
"Wait! What am I supposed to do? Tell me!
"You can live as you please. The Church is not the only place to harness your power. Whoever seeks you, there is as much. [M] Explorer, for example."
"… Explorer?"
Indeed, a Seeker might need Alma's power. But I knew very little about them. At best, he relies on his arm to hunt demons (beasts) in the abyss (Abyss).
"Speaking of which, I have an interesting story to tell you"
When Alma is perplexed, the head of the congregation continues his words with his back turned.
"The grandson of that indestructible demon (Overdeath) is a Seeker in this Imperial capital. Well, I hear the party you belong to got wasted in trouble, but they're looking for new members to revive it."
"... what's that?
Not knowing the intention of the head of the congregation, Alma tilts his neck.
"There is no wonder that the grandson of the Undying Devil (Overdeath) is a Seeker. The frog child just frogged."
"But his function (Job) is not to be a warrior, but to be a speaker."
"Speaker!? The grandson of that indestructible demon (Overdeath)!?
"Yes, he's a supportive magician."
To his surprise Alma, the head of the Order looks back and smiles.
"Everybody knows the weakest job."
"Yet you're a Seeker? Because the Undying Evil Devil (Overdeath) forced it?
"No, it's the person's will. In the first place, the Undying Devil (Overdeath) is already dead."
"... it was. But if so, why?
"I don't know that far. But there's only one thing that's obvious. Speaker Noel Stolen, grandson of the Undying Devil (Overdeath), is strong."
I don't have a lot of knowledge of support positions (buffers), but I do know their shortcomings as functions (jobs). Being said to be the weakest or having no choice is performance. I couldn't believe Russia had such a strong supportive (buffer) speaker.
"Is that story true?
"Even if it's true. Now he's even called the big food rookie. Function (Job) is still C-ranked, but one of the Rookies who will eventually rise to the top."
"Unbelievable..."
"That's why I told you. That's an interesting story."
The head of the Order looked to Alma and deepened his grin.
"If you're interested, you should visit him"
†
†
"I'm not interested in Seekers. The only thing I'm interested in is you, grandson of the Undying Evil Ghost (Overdeath)."
That word was half right and half lying. To be precise, I wasn't interested in the Immortal Devil (Overdeath) either. The cause of the Immortal Evil Ghost (Overdeath) and Alcor is only a trigger. Alma's interest was directed only at Noel from one to ten.
How did a speaker, who was supposed to be a weak man, get into the line of the strong? It was no surprise to Alma, the pure mighty.
"My eyes are different from the others. I'll do anything to win, eyes."
I actually met him, and he was called the mighty one, so I understood. The root of Noel's strength lies in the way the spirit is. Since in the world of battle the lack of forgiveness is directly linked to strength, the more stubborn and harsh the spiritual structure, the easier it is to achieve results. The matter could be discerned at a glance.
But Alma was also discerning that it was not enough.
"Creating that body requires an unyielding effort. Most workouts don't do that. But no matter how much Noel works out, he's no match for the avant-garde of his position. Interpretation is the fruit of effort alone, without talent. So, too bad. If Noel's Function (Job) were the same Warrior as the Undying Evil Ghost (Overdeath), he could have been the strongest Seeker."
Noel knew that, too. I didn't have to dare put it in my mouth. But it pained me to continue my unrewarded efforts, and I inadvertently made an inadvertent statement.
Indeed, Noel is strong. Together we crusaded the bandits and Alma was greatly impressed with their brilliant tactics as well. But it's still an area that anyone can reach if they make an effort. Strong, but not special. I could easily have expected Noel's limits to be close to an Alma with real talent.
Yet...
"Blue Beyond becomes seven stars in a year"
Noel is unwieldily trying to reach into the sky that is not supposed to reach him.
I thought it was stupid. I thought it was a story that ended with a smile. Because I'm one of them, I also thought I should tell them honestly and stop them.
But behind such reason, Alma felt her chest get hot.
I want you to be rewarded. If humans who work so hard and scratch so desperately are not rewarded, then this world is all a lie, and Alma's heart with real talent was moved.
"I'm fine. It's a boring thing to lose as much as you think."
It was not to be missed that there was a slight shade in Noel's face when he said so.
Come to think of it, Noel is only sixteen. No matter how stubborn the spiritual structure is, there is still young in the mind that has just welcomed adulthood. It's a difficult story for a mature adult to have a sad hatred directed at a child and still be okay.
Alma believes that Noel's dignified attitude and ruthless and relentless thinking are also part of his efforts to make himself look strong. There are a lot of boring guys in this world. To avoid being insulted by those guys, I guess Noel is hiding his original heart and acting like that.
Also, according to a story I looked into before I was interviewed, Noel has experience of being betrayed by a previous member. That sanction itself seems complete, but remorse betrayed by fellow inmates who have suffered for a year remains to be seen for the outsider Alma as well. Still, we want to go for the pinnacle, so we can only admire the strength of that will.
The strong like those who keep trying.
To overlap the figure of those who strive, and themselves when they were still weak, and to have empathy there. Not to mention, the bigger the dream of trying to grab it, the more those who are scratching algae without being frustrated by the difficulty, the more they want to support it, help it.
"I'm beginning to understand Noel's character. - It means she's so cute. So..."
So for Alma...
"I'll fight you with me forever."
The determination was real.