Erased History
Michael's sharp gaze moved back and forth between Bishop Yohan and the chapbook in his hand.
"How can something like that even exist?"
Yohan smiled brightly.
"You're not denying it. May I take that as confirmation that it's true?"
Michael's expression hardened.
He felt as though Yohan was slowly dragging him along at his own pace.
Annoyed, Michael stepped toward him threateningly.
"Answer my question first."
His eyes narrowed.
"Is that book a holy relic?"
"A holy relic..."
Yohan stroked his beard.
"I'd like to call it that, but unfortunately, it isn't something left behind by a Saint."
Just as Yohan said, Michael couldn't sense any special energy coming from the book.
Bang!
Michael slammed his fist into the back of the pew.
A deep dent appeared in the wood.
"If it isn't even a holy relic, then who the hell could've left behind a record like that?!"
Seeing the damage Michael had caused, Jungon could no longer stand quietly by.
He stepped forward and placed one large hand on Michael's shoulder.
"Even if you are an Apostle, I won't tolerate any further disrespect toward the bishop."
Jungon moved between them like a bodyguard protecting an important figure.
Michael glanced at him coldly.
"Stay out of this, lackey."
He tried to brush Jungon's hand away.
Neither of them seemed willing to back down.
Just as the situation was about to escalate again, Yohan raised one hand.
"Haha. That's enough, both of you."
His voice remained calm.
"This is a conversation between the two of us. I'd prefer it if neither of you committed any further discourtesy."
Jungon still looked unwilling to retreat.
Yohan spoke again before he could object.
"Jungon, I understand that you're angry because the Apostle laid a hand on your daughter."
He adjusted his glasses.
"But didn't you also make a mistake earlier? We can discuss punishment for either side later. For now, please wait."
"...My apologies."
At Yohan's firm rebuke, Jungon finally relaxed.
He lowered his head slightly toward Michael in something resembling a bow, then stepped back.
Michael was somewhat surprised.
He hadn't expected Jungon to obey so readily.
Still, there were more important matters to deal with.
"Whatever."
Michael held out his hand.
"Just answer the question. Who left that record?"
Yohan stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Hmm. Who could have written it?"
His lips curled upward.
"Perhaps a woman who earned her living with a sewing machine."
"Perhaps a farmer struggling to survive another year."
"Or perhaps..."
He paused.
"A knight who survived the final battle."
Michael's expression darkened.
A lie.
Michael had been the last survivor of the Battle of Lourdes.
He knew that for certain.
His senses at the time had confirmed it.
No one survived Lourdes.
Yohan had apparently intended it as a light joke.
But Michael clearly didn't find it amusing.
Seeing his expression, Yohan let out an awkward laugh.
"Haha. Please don't take it so seriously."
His smile softened.
"To tell you the truth, we obtained this book entirely by chance ourselves."
"And once divine revelation was added to that..."
Yohan shrugged.
"There wasn't much reason for us to question it further, was there?"
Michael wasn't satisfied.
"I won't believe anything until I see it myself."
He held out his hand again.
"You told me about it because you wanted me to see it eventually anyway, didn't you?"
Yohan calmly slipped the chapbook back into his sleeve.
"Showing it to you isn't difficult."
His fox-like smile returned.
"But didn't I already tell you?"
He tapped his sleeve.
"This is my bargaining chip."
Michael frowned.
"What do you want?"
Yohan didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he asked another question.
"Before that, how much of your power has returned?"
Michael nearly cursed aloud.
The fact that Yohan casually mentioned something that should have been almost impossible for anyone but Michael himself to know irritated him immensely.
"...You really do know everything, don't you?"
Michael clicked his tongue.
"If I'm being generous, about thirty percent."
He folded his arms.
"Even so, I can easily deal with demons up to the middle rank."
"Hmm."
Yohan's expression became thoughtful.
"Is that so?"
He adjusted his glasses.
"Then it may still be too much for you right now."
Crack.
Michael's cheek twitched.
Every word that came out of Yohan's mouth somehow managed to irritate him.
The man spoke like a snake flicking its tongue.
"Shut up and get to the point."
"Oh!"
Yohan clapped his hands lightly.
"Of course."
His smile vanished slightly.
"Then I'll skip the unnecessary details."
He looked directly at Michael.
"The servants of the Seven Deadly Sins have begun establishing their rule over the world."
Yohan said it almost casually.
But the meaning behind those words was anything but casual.
The servants of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Michael knew exactly who he meant.
The 72 Demons.
Seventy-two demons recognized by the beings representing the Seven Deadly Sins.
Each one was practically a great demon capable of commanding armies from Hell.
They had been among the greatest obstacles Michael had encountered throughout his long life.
Not all of them are actually on the level of true great demons...
Michael frowned.
But this is still going to be annoying.
Among the 72 Demons were some who had gained recognition simply because they had pleased one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Even so, none of them could be underestimated.
Yohan continued.
"Many demons have already taken root throughout the world."
His expression became serious.
"At this point, it wouldn't be strange for any demon to appear anywhere at any time."
Michael thought back to the attack on the church where he had awakened.
That alone was enough to tell him how deeply demonic influence had spread.
And if one of the 72 Demons appeared openly...
It would be nothing short of a disaster.
Michael narrowed his eyes.
"So?"
He leaned back.
"You want me to stop those bastards for you?"
His tone became mocking.
"Even though that's supposed to be your job?"
Yohan smiled.
"Apostle, I would be grateful if you simply thought of it as caring for the Lord's lambs."
Michael immediately replied,
"And if I refuse?"
For some reason, he hated the thought of being pushed around by Yohan's unpredictable words.
Yohan's smile didn't change.
"That won't happen."
Michael frowned.
Yohan continued confidently.
"Fate says that while dealing with your own problems, you will inevitably end up helping us as well."
Michael opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
For once, he had no immediate answer.
He still didn't know whether Yohan truly was a Saint who had received divine revelation.
But at the very least...
It seemed God still intended to treat Michael like a lion cub tossed from a cliff and expected to climb back up on its own.
"Ha..."
Michael rubbed his forehead.
"Unbelievable."
He changed the subject before his irritation got worse.
"Fine."
Then he looked directly at Yohan.
"Let's do it differently."
Yohan tilted his head.
Michael continued.
"You help me."
His gaze hardened.
"I'm not the one helping you."
If Michael wanted to remain in proper condition, he needed to find Helena.
And if he wanted to find her, he couldn't allow himself to be dragged around by the Exorcism Association.
This was the alternative he had chosen.
Yohan nodded easily.
"Of course."
He spread his hands.
"Is there anything you require?"
Michael answered immediately.
"There will be another war against the demons."
His voice became serious.
"Before that happens, we need to gather knights and priests who can fight alongside us."
Preparing for war against demons was something Michael knew better than almost anyone.
But the modern world was completely unfamiliar to him.
If he wanted preparations to proceed smoothly, he needed help.
Yohan blinked.
"Priests?"
Then his expression brightened in realization.
"Ah. You mean clergy."
Michael tilted his head.
"Clergy?"
Thinking about it, Michael had always used priest as a broad term.
But people in the modern era seemed to distinguish between clergy, priests, and fathers more specifically.
Yohan explained.
"You're not exactly wrong."
He folded his hands.
"The meaning has simply shifted somewhat compared with the past."
"'Clergy' is the broader term."
"Among clergy, those given certain duties may be called priests, and priests are commonly addressed as fathers."
He smiled faintly.
"These days, people usually just say 'priest' or 'father,' so the broader usage you remember sounds somewhat old-fashioned."
Michael nodded slowly.
"I see."
But the word past left a strange feeling in his chest.
It reminded him once again that he didn't belong to this era.
While Michael processed the differences of the modern age, Yohan considered his proposal.
"Hmm..."
Yohan adjusted his glasses.
"Knights and priests who can be mobilized for war..."
He shook his head slightly.
"That would be rather difficult."
Michael frowned.
Yohan continued.
"Unlike in the past, the possession and carrying of weapons are heavily restricted in the modern world."
"So when it comes to knights..."
Michael thought back to the peaceful streets he'd seen earlier.
Is that one of the reasons this era is so peaceful?
If ordinary people couldn't freely carry weapons, then sword fights wouldn't break out in the middle of the street.
That was probably a good thing for civilians.
For Michael...
It was inconvenient.
He needed soldiers.
"If knights are difficult, then you can at least support me properly with priests, can't you?"
Michael could find combat-capable people while learning more about this world.
If necessary, he could train them personally.
But devout priests would naturally be connected to the Church.
Which meant he would need support from the Vatican...
Or at least from Yohan.
Yohan gave an apologetic smile.
"I'm afraid I can't give you a definite answer."
He leaned back slightly.
"Even if I am considered a Saint, this isn't something I can casually decide with the authority of a mere bishop."
Michael clicked his tongue.
Apparently, even a Saint didn't wield as much institutional authority as he had expected.
That's troublesome.
He began wondering whether he would have to search for wandering priests like in the old days.
Or perhaps gather people with the same beliefs and train them from scratch.
Then...
"How about this instead?"
Yohan's eyes brightened.
Michael looked at him suspiciously.
Yohan continued.
"For now, don't you need to earn the trust of the other brothers as well?"
Michael immediately understood.
"You want me to prove myself?"
Yohan nodded.
"Exactly."
When gathering people, there were few things more valuable than proof and trust.
"If you demonstrate your abilities and intentions, wouldn't more people naturally follow you according to Heaven's will?"
Yohan smiled.
"The Holy See itself might eventually decide to act."
The Holy See.
Michael became thoughtful.
If the Vatican itself became involved, its political and religious influence would be enormous.
Even if Michael couldn't secure their full support immediately, receiving their assistance until his power recovered would still be useful.
However...
Michael stared suspiciously at Yohan.
"You want something from me."
Yohan's lips twitched.
Michael hated that smile.
Yohan laughed lightly.
"Yes."
He leaned forward.
"In that case, how about we establish a verbal mercenary contract?"
Michael raised an eyebrow.
"A contract?"
"It would allow us to officially provide you with support much more easily."
Michael immediately understood.
So this is what he wanted.
Yohan wanted to create an official connection between Michael and the Exorcism Association.
Yohan explained.
"To put it simply, you may act freely."
"But when we request your assistance, you help us."
"In return, the Exorcism Association provides whatever support the Apostle requires."
He raised one finger.
"And you may terminate the agreement whenever you wish."
Then he smiled.
"Does that arrangement displease you?"
Michael considered it.
"No."
He nodded.
"If that's really all, I don't mind."
He didn't know exactly what benefit the Exorcism Association hoped to gain by putting him under contract.
But the arrangement wasn't bad for him either.
This much is fine.
While I'm adapting to this world and recovering my strength, hunting demons located by the Exorcism Association will probably be useful anyway.
Michael raised his eyes.
There was still one issue Yohan had conveniently avoided.
"But you bastard..."
Yohan blinked.
Michael pointed at his sleeve.
"You're trying to slip past the important part, aren't you?"
His eyes narrowed.
"What about the chapbook?"
During their conversation, the chapbook had nearly disappeared from discussion entirely.
Yohan smiled innocently.
"Surely you don't believe a clergyman like me would lie."
Michael stared at him.
Yohan added,
"Especially to an Apostle."
Michael's expression didn't change.
