I Returned with the Cheat Holy Sword

Now that he thought about it, the system message saying something would change between him and Cardinal Felix had popped up right after the main event ended.

And yet this person had left quietly without saying a single word.
Carlyle had wondered why there’d been no follow-up action—but apparently, this surprise event had been in the works.
“⋯⋯.”

Carlyle darted his eyes around nervously, scanning the surroundings.
—Did you say a date just now?
—You heard me perfectly well. Don’t make me repeat myself, Carlyle Belfast.
—⋯⋯.
—Get in. We’re going together.
⋯⋯Recalling that conversation only made him even more paranoid.

She said “date,” but wasn’t this basically a kidnapping?
Sitting inside a magitech motorwagen—one of those top-secret transportation methods reserved for the highest-ranking clergy in the Orthodox Church—it genuinely felt like being abducted by some elite government official.
As expected of the ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) Orthodox Church. While even the mighty Chasefield Duchy still relied on horse-drawn carriages, these people cruised around in immersion-breaking machines like this.

Whatever the technical mechanism behind it, from the inside, it felt exactly like riding a car.
Still, even that oddity paled compared to the presence of the person sitting right beside him—Cardinal Felix.
‘The atmosphere… is way different than usual.’

Cardinal Felix always presented herself like the textbook image of a “benevolent priest” in front of others.
Gentle mannerisms. Kind and compassionate voice.
But right now?

She was crooked.
The decadent aura of a world-weary professional oozed from every inch of her body, as though she’d stared directly into society’s abyss and lived to talk about it.
And somehow, the dangerous undercurrent surrounding her hadn’t faded one bit—it was as oppressive as ever.

“Go ahead and read the paper or something. We’ve still got a ways to go.”
⋯⋯Did she just use informal speech?
Carlyle blinked at her in disbelief. Felix curled the corner of her mouth into a cold, sardonic smile.
What should he call this?

This was the first time he’d ever seen her real face.
Not the mask she always wore—but actual emotion.
From earlier until now, it was all completely unfamiliar.

“⋯⋯Well, you were going to find out sooner or later. I figured it’d be better to show you myself.”
Saying that, Cardinal Felix snapped her fingers.
“I’m not really in the mood to wear a mask today anyway.”

From the shadow at her feet, something suddenly surged upward.
—There’s no way in hell that’s a technique a priest should be using.
“⋯⋯Is it okay for you to be showing me something like this?”

“I need it for what’s coming. And I thought it might be time you got to know the kind of person I really am.”
What was she trying to say—that she walked the line of defrockment every day?
Even more bizarre, the thing that emerged from her shadow… was a pipe.

Without hesitation, she stuffed it with tobacco and struck a flint to light it.
“You smoke? Want one?”
“⋯⋯No, I’m good.”

“Surprising. You look like someone who would.”
A sharp observation.
Not just “used to”—he’d been a chain smoker.

Mostly before the regressions.
He’d quit now, for fear of negatively affecting Gray.
“⋯⋯.”

Hmph. What was he, Gray’s dad or something?
Even though her biological father Lionel was still alive, why did he have to go through this kind of inner conflict?
Carlyle rustled the newspaper, chasing the thought away.

Honestly, this entire situation was making him unbearably uncomfortable.
He needed something—anything—to redirect his focus.
[‘Red Alex’ Finally Declares War on the Orthodox Church’s ‘Gray Cardinal’!]

“⋯⋯.”
Hmph.
A scandalous headline right from the top.

And it was talking about the very person sitting across from him.
Carlyle frowned and continued reading the article.
It claimed that “Red Alex” was a man who’d united rebel forces in a province on the Empire’s outskirts.

He’d gathered an armed group under the slogan that the Orthodox Church was a corrupt institution exploiting the people, and called for its expulsion from the entire Empire.
‘Sounds dangerous.’
The accompanying photo showed Alex himself—looking exactly like someone you’d avoid making eye contact with on the street.

He had that look: like he had a thousand scheming thoughts running beneath the surface.
[Red Alex, huh…]
‘Do you know him, Holy Hero?’

[No.]
‘⋯⋯.’
[Just someone I killed, once.]

⋯⋯Of course.
[Still, the fact that I remember his name at all says something. He was a hell of a political manipulator.]
He was a mystery figure who suddenly emerged one day as a masterful agitator.

From what Gray recalled, his movement to expel the Church across the Empire was basically just a veiled form of extortion.
But hiding that dark intent behind charisma, he’d managed to manipulate the fiercely insular border regions into following him—and grow his group’s size exponentially.
And no one ever figured out who the hell he really was. That was the final nail.

Extraordinary didn’t begin to describe it.
[If he'd been born in the right era, they say he could’ve founded a country. I remember hearing praise like that. Even Cardinal Felix won’t find him easy to deal with.]
⋯⋯Hmph.

If people said things like that, he really wasn’t normal.
‘But then why is someone like that going after the Gray Cardinal?’
[⋯⋯Don’t know. But someone that talented… well, I wouldn’t be surprised if calling you here was related.]

‘Ah.’
That would explain it.
If Cardinal Felix had called him out because of that guy, it made perfect sense.

In fact, if that were the case, Carlyle felt somewhat relieved.
If she had a clear purpose, at least it’d be easier to read her intentions. It simplified the situation.
As that thought passed through his mind, Felix suddenly reached over and plucked the newspaper from his hands.

“Oh, right. I almost forgot—I needed to deal with this.”
She puffed on her pipe while scanning the very article Carlyle had just been reading.
“Red Alex. You interested?”

“Today’s the first I’ve heard of him.”
“Really? That’s a shame.”
Hearing that, Carlyle sat up straighter.

Ah, just as he thought.
She must’ve brought him here because of some connection to—
“If you were interested, I could’ve shown you something fun.”

“⋯⋯?”
—Or maybe not.
Her tone had zero seriousness to it.

As Carlyle stared at her, dumbfounded, Felix casually pulled out a magitech communicator from her pocket.
“Yeah, it’s me. Red Alex. Mm-hmm. Take care of it.”
“⋯⋯.”

Even if she were just booking dinner reservations at a restaurant, she’d probably speak more politely than that.
In that droopy, lazy voice, Felix confirmed the incoming transmission and skimmed it with her eyes.
Then, with zero ceremony, she tapped out a signal on the device.

[⋯⋯Who is this? This line should be secured.]
A calm, male voice.
Just hearing it inspired a sense of trust, like that of a gifted orator.

And in contrast, Felix let out a huge yawn and responded with a tired voice.
“Red Alex. Real name Alex Myers. That right?”
The voice on the other end instantly went silent.

“Well, fine. Let’s ignore the pathetic attempt to rebrand from Alex Myers to ‘Alex.’”
Felix rubbed the tears from her yawn into her face and continued speaking.
“Born in Starshine Village, far east of the Empire. Nationality: Velber Principality. War veteran. Five counts of fraud. Bank PIN: 22411234. Mother’s name: Ria Myers. Two daughters, three sons. Six mistresses under the alias Red Alex. Funding your militia through a dummy corporation named Salt Paper, based in the capital. The reason you’re picking a fight with me is because I look like I’ve got the most money.”

[⋯⋯.]
“Did I get all that right?”
[⋯⋯.]

⋯⋯With every word, the man on the other end visibly ran out of things to say.
At this point, Carlyle could practically feel the cold sweat pouring down through the communicator.
“Your life’s over, Alex.”

Felix tapped her pipe against the window frame and added calmly,
“Three templars are en route to your location right now. Sit still.”
[Wait, what the hell—]

“Don’t try anything. Just sit still.”
She casually tapped a few more commands into the communicator.
“There we go. Your identity’s been erased in the Velber Principality too. You’re not even a person anymore.”

[Cardinal Felix, wait, please—listen to me for just a moment—]
“Once this is over, I’m rounding up every last bastard who helped you and exiling them all to the Empire’s southernmost point.”
[⋯⋯.]

“Five minutes left. Better pray you make it to heaven. It’s your best bet, the way I see it.”
With that—
Felix cut the call.

Then, yawning again, she lit her pipe once more.
Ten seconds. That was all it took for her to annihilate the life of a man even Gray had deemed exceptional.
“⋯⋯.”

Carlyle sat in stunned silence, watching her.
Felix, noticing his gaze, glanced out the window.
“Oh, we’re here.”

At her words, the magitech motorwagen slowly decelerated.
The place they’d arrived at… how to put it?
A date spot.

No, seriously—what the hell?
After witnessing something that terrifying, they were now pulling into a pristine downtown district?
“⋯⋯Um, what exactly are we doing here?”

“I told you from the start, didn’t I? It’s a date.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Get out. We’re walking.”

⋯⋯Ah.
So she’s not someone who needs his help.
She’s someone who can destroy a potential nation-founder’s entire life in a single phone call, just sitting on her ass.

“⋯⋯.”
Which just makes this harder to understand.
Why would someone like that want to go on a date with him⋯⋯?

“I can hear your brain whirring from over here.”
Felix spoke without turning around as she walked ahead.
“Don’t overthink it. I’m just here to seduce you, purely and simply.”

“⋯⋯.”
⋯⋯Honestly, it would’ve been easier if she said she needed help with something.