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As the heretics were caught one by one by the golems, Elteman began to calculate in his mind. Of course, this calculation was purely about money, not about the future.

Current losses, potential gains. No matter how strong Elteman was, it was impossible to have zero damage to the golems in battles against such superhumans. Yet, he still maintained a smile, likely because the gains outweighed the losses.

For a moment, he hesitated to view people merely as money, but after a few calculations, they no longer appeared as humans to him. With hesitation gone, the previous feeling of discomfort was now nonexistent. Perhaps it was because he had just fought against them.

“Is it almost over?”

Heeheehee….

Chills ran through the bodies of the captured heretics at Elteman’s mutterings.

The voice he let out while looking at them was filled with an indescribable madness and power. Although it originated from an entirely different subject than their lives, the listeners could not discern this fact.

Since they had fallen into the hands of Elteman, their fate was nearly sealed, even if he did not take their lives himself. The Imperial family despised worship of foreign beliefs above all else.

With the last person defending being caught by a golem, the battle occurring here ended with Elteman’s victory.

“Hmm…”

Elteman glanced over the interior of the now chaotic building.

The superhuman battle surpassed humans in brutality, and the aftermath reflected that. Most of the furniture and inner walls that originally occupied the space were destroyed. The flooring and wallpaper were torn in various places, leaving only the exterior walls intact, making it a haunted house akin to no other.

Even after causing such havoc, it held together remarkably well.

Knowing that a barrier was set on the building’s outer wall, Elteman found himself secretly impressed.

The fact that this building could still stand meant that the barrier was fulfilling its role properly. The effectiveness of a barrier depends on the skill of the one who casts it, suggesting the person who set this barrier was quite accomplished.

“I thought I had given it quite a bit of power, but it’s surprisingly resilient. Well, that’s good for me.”

Elteman thought deeply while gazing at the slightly damaged yet standing exterior walls, eventually breaking into a satisfied smile. Being strong indicated a high standing within the church, and the higher the status, the larger the bounty when captured.

Perhaps the bounty for capturing just one of them was worth more than rounding them all up, so his joy outweighed the worry of things not going as planned.

Just as Elteman’s expectations seemed set to unfold, one of the captured heretics shouted at him in anger.

“Go ahead and laugh now! Soon the bishop will come and break you to pieces!! Elteman, you know his power well, don’t you? After all, you were closer to him than we were.”

“Ah, certainly, the professor is an exceptional magician. But you see, he knows my skills well, unlike you. Romberton, you foolish fool. Look around. By the time you all ended up like this, where do you think the bishop has been? Do you truly not understand what it means that he hasn’t shown up?”

The heretics who had been loudly chattering now fell silent at Elteman’s words.

They understood well why the bishop was not visible here.

Even an Elteman desperate for money knew what was more important than his life. His actions were all carried out within a certain, reliable calculation. There might be differences between the bishop unleashing divine power and the characters he knows, but with all of them caught in Elteman’s hands, he anticipated a margin of error of that extent.

Knowing the difference, the bishop likely chose to avoid confrontation. Left without words, Romberton hung his head in defeat and spoke to Elteman.

“P-please spare us… If it goes on like this, we will all die. You know how brutal the Imperial Family is towards heretics.”

At those words, his icy violet eyes, which had been cold as ice, quivered slightly.

But that was all. Elteman had shed all ties the moment they imprisoned him. He replied to the pleaded heretic Romberton in a tone no different from before.

“If you know that, you shouldn’t have done what you did.”

“I-I can give you riches. Just spare my life. You can do that, can’t you? If you just close your eyes here….”

“B-Block 227, Floor 4.”

“!!!!”

“Did you think I wouldn’t know? I already know all about your slush funds and where your assets come from. Even without you saying that, I was planning to gather it all later. There can’t be much remaining anyway. Thank you for supporting and being my social companion during this time. Because of you, I was able to continue my research without feeling lonely. It’s all thanks to you.”

At Elteman’s gratitude, they momentarily froze in disbelief but soon began to curse him in resignation. Elteman no longer listened to their words. There was nothing left to say to them.

“Have a good one.”

After exchanging a final goodbye, he assigned one of the golems he had brought with him to keep watch and then left the place. His battle was not yet over.

In the academic meeting room, the bishop had yet to reveal himself, but Elteman knew that he was still within this building. He was likely buying as much time as possible until the Imperial Army broke through the barrier. Hiding inside this building was safer than trying to escape out there.

However, the fact remained that he could leave whenever he wanted. If the previous battle had made him reconsider fleeing, it would significantly complicate matters for Elteman.

“I need to hurry.”

Recalling the structure of the building he had previously examined, he moved forward.

*

“Is it over?”

In the pitch darkness devoid of any lanterns, a man muttered.

The vibrations that had shaken the entire building were no longer felt. It meant their battle was finished. Despite being there the entire time, he reached out his hand without hesitation toward the exit.

No need to confirm who won. The identity of the victor was not a concern for him. The Imperial Army, alerted by the commotion within the building, would soon arrive, and all he needed to do was escape from here.

“I hoped for a little more time… but oh well. I did better than expected.”

Thinking of Elteman, who was likely causing chaos above, he pushed open the door. No one knew better than the man who had watched from the side just how exceptional Elteman’s abilities were. It had been he who invited Elteman to the Academy to assist with his research.

The professor of alchemy who brought Elteman to the Academy, Philipus Parkel, was the owner of this building.

Even though he thought he had reached a decent level in his field, Elteman’s talent was beyond his imagination. Excluding the Golden Tower Master, it was talent so significant that it even instilled feelings of jealousy in a man who thought everyone was beneath him.

Knowing Elteman’s skills, he had no intention of risking everything by confronting him. It wasn’t that he lacked confidence, but his objective was survival, and unnecessary expenditure of strength was not appealing to him.

“It was quite an enjoyable time. Elteman Edelweiss. I won’t forget your hard work.”

Looking at the ceiling, the man muttered to himself as he ascended the stairs beyond the door. It was the escape route he had prepared for moments like this. Although he could not leave Ruden, he had several ways to survive as long as he got out of this spot.

He would inevitably be inactive for a while, but as long as he stayed alive, support from the church would come eventually. Until then, he only needed to remain hidden and wait.

“Still, it’s a bit regrettable. The title of Academy Professor. I quite liked that position.”

Parkel lamented as he hurriedly ascended the stairs.

 

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