Healing System

"So, all I have to do is lure out the traitors, then?" Michael confirmed his objective. If that was the case, he had already completed it.

"It is. There are a few I have in mind, but I can't say for certain. That's why I need you to go inside and make them come out of their own will. You can do that, can't you?"

"Yeah. Should I head out now, or are there any other things I need to keep in mind?" he asked one last time. It didn't hurt to be cautious.

After all, the people in that cathedral looked decently strong. Maybe not as strong as him, but if they were important enough to be gathered there, it meant they had some tricks up their sleeves.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Even if they didn't, it would still be good to know. Amanda had likely been preparing for this for quite some time now. It wouldn't be very fun if he just gave away the details straight up.

He'd also have a moment to bond with Rebecca, since most likely, after all this was over, they wouldn't be seeing each other for a long time. She would be heading to another world, and so would he.

Amanda rummaged in her pocket before finally pulling out a pamphlet and handing it over to him. "You can head inside now. Make sure to keep up your Saint persona." With those words, she vanished before his eyes. He couldn't even tell which direction she had disappeared to.

Nonetheless, Michael glanced at the pamphlet she had given him and opened it, revealing a bunch of rough sketches detailing what appeared to be the inside of the cathedral.

'Can you integrate this as a mini-map?' he asked the system. It would be very convenient if he didn't need to carry the pamphlet around.

Just a second.

With those words, the map that had been detailing the entire city disappeared, replaced by the map of the cathedral. It seemed to be of much better quality than the one on the pamphlet. It even included information on some rooms.

There weren't many, though; for the most part, it seemed to be one massive hall. However, upon closer inspection, he noticed a few oddities—two basements.

One was located at the very back of the cathedral, while the other was directly below where all 20 of the dots were gathered.

What made these basements strange was that, while he could see inside the second one—or at least roughly—the one where the 20 people were gathered was completely closed off. It reminded him of what he had experienced previously: the black box where he found Rebecca.

That, coupled with the fact that he now knew the Evangelists could change their appearances, led him to suspect that perhaps the two red dots were part of their not-so-little group.

Besides that, it was time to head over. Michael was still unsure how to get them to come out. He could simply tell Amanda who it was and be done with it, but where was the fun in that?

It would be a waste to ruin the preparation, after all.

Michael opted to go inside. There were a few people gathered around—some chatting with friends, others wandering and admiring the massive cathedral in its entirety.

He wasn't particularly interested. Quite frankly, the cathedrals back in his world looked nearly the same, if not better. While these looked fancy and modern, they felt soulless, as if built purely as tourist attractions.

He walked straight through the massive door leading inside. In the distance, he could see a few people taking pictures of the interior, and even farther ahead were the 20 people he'd seen on the map.

They were all seated at a round table, similar to the one he'd seen back in Vivum, yet this one had engravings on it, radiating a faint trace of mana.

It didn't escape his perception. After all, he had grown much stronger than before and also had the system's help.

A few of the people around the round table glanced at him but quickly looked away. It was a glance of curiosity rather than anything else. He did look quite fancy in his golden robes, and being a Saint added to the impression.

However, Michael was equally curious about who the people were. He made his way closer while taking a few looks around the cathedral.

There were numerous paintings, most of which depicted people he didn't recognize. According to the writings beneath them, they seemed to be legends.

'Mathew Rafford... do you know him?' he asked the system as he glanced at one painting in particular—a man holding a giant greatsword over his shoulder.

Kind of. He wasn't exactly a legend or anything like that. He was a farmer. There used to be a story about a farmer carrying a massive scythe. His name was Matthew as well.

Michael took another glance at the painting. The man was clearly holding a greatsword. 'That doesn't look like a scythe to me.'

Obviously not. Do you think people would react as dramatically to the legend if he was holding a massive scythe? They'd think he was some kind of grim reaper. Whereas a sword portrays him as a historical hero. Who could protest? Everyone from that era is dead anyway.

'True...'

As he got closer, he could finally see their faces clearly. He didn't recognize most of them, but one person, in particular, caught his eye.

'Just as I thought...' Michael sighed in realization. One of the red dots was someone he had previously been acquainted with.

'So it really is Shingen then, huh.'

It was unpleasant knowing someone he had trusted turned out to be a traitor, but that was all it was—unpleasantness.

He didn't know Shingen well. Now, he'd have to kill him.

Don't jump the gun yet. Let Amanda and Rebecca do their own thing. All you have to do is act and make the two red dots out themselves..

Michael glanced at the other red dot. It was a woman dressed in black. Unlike Shingen, who appeared normal on the outside, she was a walking red flag.

She clearly didn't know how to mask her mana well. The energy of a Tier 1 radiated from her without him even needing to focus. Added to that, her mana signature resembled that of an Evangelist, making it hard to ignore.

As for Shingen, Michael had thought he was stronger before. Now that he had a good look at him, he could sense the energy of an Upper Tier 1.

'I thought he was stronger, to be honest,' Michael remarked.

It's only natural; not everyone's strength jumps up by leaps and bounds within a few months.

'I guess... Are you sure he is not hiding any strength?'

He isn't.

Michael nodded and began making his way to the round table. There were many important people there, though he didn't recognize any of them.

Despite that, he needed to draw out Shingen and his companion. And what better way to do that than to get on their nerves?

As he approached, the woman in black stood up and greeted him. "Welcome, Saint, to the Elarion Cathedral. I hope your stay here is pleasant."

Michael's brow twitched at her. She spoke so blandly and emotionlessly that it might have been better if she hadn't greeted him at all.

Nonetheless, he had to put his plan into motion.

"Thank you. I didn't expect a greeting from someone with your experience."

As those words landed, the entire round table fell silent.

Did you just call her old?

'Yup.'