Cardinal Farey couldn’t very well understand what was happening before him. He’d asked the man to place his fingers on the orb, and a mere inch away from it, he had stopped, his expression suddenly turning pained, annoyed even.

“What’s the matter…?” He asked Verity cautiously.

With a grunt, Verity raised his palm. “Hold on.” He said, not even bothering to look Farey in the eyes.

Farey raised an eyebrow. It would have made sense for the man to be panicking, looking for an opportunity to run, but that was not the air he was getting from Verity. The more he looked at the amber eyed young man, the more annoyed his expression seemed, as if he was thinking of something else entirely, not even caring about his current predicament.

This made the Cardinal uneasy. He was also putting a lot on the line by antagonizing a Duchess so openly. As Evangelina had said, Farey would not usually find himself so far away from the main Temple, in the capital. In fact, the only reason he’d come here was because he had received a tip from a local Marquis family, who promised him significant rewards, and support in his ascension to Papacy if he personally rooted the heretic out.

It seemed like overkill to send a Cardinal for such matters, but they assured him, putting their house on the line, that one other than Evangelina Dreadmoore would be arriving at this city in the company of a planewalker.

Even though he’d made the trip, Farey had his doubts, of course, but when he saw the Duchess approach the gate with this man who apparently had no proper identification, and when he saw how aggressively she refused any testing, he jumped at the opportunity. This was a once in a lifetime chance for his fame to skyrocket.

‘The Holy Temple needs stronger leadership… ‘ Farey thought ‘Someone unafraid to do what it takes… Someone like me.’

Farey glanced at the planewalker once more and smiled faintly. His expression was strange, sure, but in the end, it did not matter. Whether he chose to run, or place his hand on the orb, the result would be the same. He did not know what preparations they had made, but there was nothing that could fool an Orb of Truth operated by a Cardinal.

“Take your time.” He told Verity softly.

He could wait a minute or two.

As Farey relished in the visions of his future glory, Verity’s argument with Vera did not seem to be reaching a conclusion. ‘In the first place, am I not in this situation because of you!? Why are you being so difficult about fixing something you caused!!?’

[Your sponsor crosses her arms. ‘Hmph, well then go on and get your soul erased. I don’t care.’]

Verity winced. ‘Wait! Wait! I’m sorry, alright? You’re very useful, is that what you want to hear??’

[Your sponsor leans forward with a grin. ‘I don’t know…it doesn’t sound like you mean it.’]

Verity barely held himself from yelling out curses. ‘Fine. You want something, right? Tell me what it is!’

[Your sponsor strokes her chin. ‘Let’s see… I want a real apology, and… I want you to call me by my name when you speak to me.’]

Verity pinched the bridge of nose and sighed. What kind of sponsor was he stuck with? Why was she so childish?

Still, if he wanted to survive this, he had to soothe her tantrum. ‘Yes, of course that’s what you want…’ He then pressed his hands together and lowered his head, which earned him a confused glance from the Cardinal, and Evangelina.

‘Then…Vera, I promise I’m sorry about what I said, I was foolish! You’ve been more than helpful enough!! So… Please help me out on this one!’

[Your sponsor smiles faintly. ‘I’m not fully convinced but… that will do.’ ]

Verity sighed with relief. ‘Alright, now can you–’

[Your sponsor nods. ‘Of course, and quite easily too. If the orb detects mana signatures, then I can just change yours to match this world’s.’]

‘Really!? You can do that!? Let’s not waste any more time then!’

[Your sponsor is channeling her power and directly interfering with your world. ‘Oh, it’ll hurt like hell though.’]

‘Wha-’

Instantly, Verity felt a burning, searing pain grip the deepest part of his soul. Taken by surprise, he gasped, his knees buckling as an inferno raged within him. The pain was deeper than flesh, and sharper than any blade. It felt like something within, something extremely important, was being torn apart forcefully.

He hit the ground, his breath coming in short gasps, and his vision blurred as he endured the torment. This was unlike any pain he’d felt before, and there was absolutely nothing he could do to alleviate it.

He could barely hear Evangelina’s startled cry as he focused all of his attention on not collapsing. He gripped his chest, and groaned in pain as he waited for it to pass.

“Kid!!” Evangelina cried out as she rushed to his side.

The ordeal had even startled Farey. He looked down at the man on the ground with a complicated expression on his face. ‘That pained expression…was he having a heart attack?’ He wondered.

Stolen novel; please report.

He then bent a knee, and placed a palm on Verity's back. “Let me pray for you.” He said before activating the second Priest skill, [Prayer]. “O Holy Mother of the Earth, please ease this child’s suffering and [...]”

Verity felt a warm rush throughout his body. He could clearly feel a difference. As it passed through him, the warmth soothed his skin, his muscles and all matters of the flesh but… It did nothing for the agony of his soul! Blood trickled from his nose, and both of his palms hit the ground as he felt another jolt of pain.

Farey stumbled backward as Verity slipped from his grasp. “W-what? My [Prayer] didn’t-”

Enraged, Evangelina pushed the Cardinal aside, and tried to feed Verity one of the health potions she’d been carrying. “And you call yourself a Cardinal!?” she barked at him as she forcefully opened Verity’s mouth.

But before she could use the potion, Verity took a deep breath, and straightened. The pain had been intense, but also short-lived. Though… He couldn’t really tell if anything had changed, and was unsure how he could verify it.

[Your sponsor lowers her hands. ‘Done.’]

‘Neat’. He let out a dry chuckle as he painstakingly stood up. “Sorry… haha, it’s a.. medical condition.”

“Kid, look at yourself! You need rest! We can do this some other day.” Evangelina exclaimed as she helped Verity up.

Sensing the situation slip from his grasp, the Cardinal tried to interject. “I don’t–”

“No…” Verity’s voice cut through the air. “it’s fine. Bring me the orb, and let’s get this over with.” Verity said, still feeling the after effects of Vera’s help.

The Cardinal frowned. ‘Has he realized there’s no point in delaying the inevitable or… did he do something just now…?’ He questioned as he stared at Verity.

But that couldn’t be. If someone had used some sort of spell just now, he’d have felt it. Sure, there existed beings who could pass the wool over his eyes, but when it came to the arcane, no such person was present. Evangelina may have been a grand warrior once, but her magic was worse than a child’s.

The Cardinal composed himself, and his smile returned. Whatever the amber eyed man was plotting, it would be useless in front of him. With a measured motion, he extended the orb to Verity. “If you say that you are fine… then you may go ahead.”

Evangelina tried to protest. “Fare—”

But Verity instantly placed his palm on the orb, and as soon as he did, he felt an energy within him, likely mana, being sucked into it.

He closed his eyes. ‘Let’s hope Vera knows what she’s doing’

And Evangelina bit her lip. There was nothing she could do now. ‘I can only hope Thragnuk’s spell holds up…’

At first, the orb shimmered with a soft blue radiance, to Evangelina’s joy, but the Cardinal quickly injected more power into it. The Orb of Truth’s performance depended on its wielder. The more power was given to it, the deeper it would see.

As Farey fed the orb his divine power, the blue light gradually grew dimmer, and although no one could see it, the black markings under Verity's tunic shone brighter, as if the two were now battling in a tug of war.

It was growing dimmer, but it was not disappearing. Rather, it was almost threatening to brighten again, which the Cardinal could not allow to happen. Farey grimaced. ‘As if I’d lose..!’ He thought before placing his other hand on the orb and sending out a torrent of divine power onto it.

“Farey! It shone blue! Is that not enough!!?” Evangelina cried out.

But Farey did not answer. She wouldn’t interfere, and Farey knew that. If she did, she risked seriously injuring him, and although Evangelina was known to be hot-tempered, even she knew that she’d lose all credibility if she did that.

Ignoring her, Farey grit his teeth, and send every last drop of his divine power into the orb. Met with this fervent opposition, the markings under Verity’s tunic ultimately failed, their radiance extinguished.

Farey panted as he felt as though he’d managed to get through a bottleneck, and his eyes expanded as the luminescent blue of the orb shined in a dim red instead. His smile grew wider, and he already thought of the glory he’d acquired. “Ah, so it is-”

‘Damn it Thragnuk!!’ Evangelina thought as she pulled her spear from the ground. She’d have to make a choice, and she’d have to make it quick.

The situation seemed to be reaching its climax, but as it turned out, the orb’s investigation had not ended. Against all odds, the magic tool’s crimson hue was erased, and in its place, a bright blue glow appeared. It grew stronger and stronger, until it reached its peak, forcing Verity to look away to not be blinded.

Farey’s brows furrowed ‘That can’t be!!’ .

Desperation overtook him. He tried to pour the last of his divine power into the orb, in hopes of breaking whatever trick the man had prepared, but the brightness of the orb did not even flicker.

“What trick did you pull?!!” Cardinal Farey;s voice cracked with fury.

But Verity simply scratched his cheek. “Can I remove my hand now?”

Not hearing an answer from the Cardinal, Verity pulled his palm away, and the orb’s radiance vanished.

Farey took a step back, refusing to believe what he’d just seen. “N-no! It was red! You all saw it!!”

A smile curled Evangelina’s lips as she loosened her grip on her spear. “…All I saw was the orb shine blue, quite brightly, at that.” She then turned to the guard. “Wouldn’t you say so, guard Regias?”

“D-Duchess!! Are you trying to falsify the results of this sacred test!!?” Farey exclaimed in agitation.

Evangelina’s smirk widened to a smug grin. “Hah? The orb shone blue, and we have a third-party witness. I think you’re trying to falsify the results.”

“S-Still-”

Evangelina clicked her tongue. “Enough.” And her palm landed on the Cardinal’s shoulder.

“It’s over, Farey.” She said as she leaned forward, her voice now a low, menacing whisper. “I’ve been going along with your humiliation but… if you insist on insulting me then…” Her grip tightened. “...Would anyone blame me for what happens next…?”

Farey’s blood ran cold, and he found his body trembling against his will. This was more than a threat. She meant it.

He had to accept it. He’d lost, and there was nothing that could change that. Nothing good would come out of staying here for a second longer.

‘Damn it! I shouldn’t have trusted the tip from that backwater family!’

With a grunt, he pushed Evangelina’s hand aside, and he reached for a tool from the inside of his robe. It was a hollow spherical object made of steel. He threw it in the air, and with a flash, what appeared to be a portal leading to somewhere far away opened.

“Then...I shall… take my leave.” He stepped through, turning back only once. “May the Goddess be with you.”

Before the portal closed, however, Evangelina left him with one final message. “I’m not one to forget a grudge, Cardinal.”

Farey paused for a moment, but did not reply. With a click of his tongue, the portal closed behind him.

Verity held back a smirk. ‘That totally worked! Thank you, Vera!!’

But he did not receive a reply. ‘Has she gone to take a nap again?’

Before he could ponder any further, Evangelina grabbed his arm and dragged him across the city gates. She seemed rather content. A wide smile curled her crimson lips. “I don’t know what you did, but good work kid! I’ll make that bastard regret ever messing with me!”

The duo soon disappeared beyond the doorstep to the city, and the heavy doors slammed shut behind them.

Finally able to breathe freely, Regias dropped to the ground. “I’m quitting this job.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead. “I’ll go back home and open a restaurant, like my wife always wanted… Yeah, that sounds nice.” He mumbled to himself.