Visiting the Pantheon Headquarters
The first time I saw the Pantheon Headquarters after coming to assassinate the secretary.
Located on the outskirts of San Francisco, it had once been a vast forest.
It was inevitable that priests serving various gods from different dimensions gathered in one place.
Each of them had vastly different requirements after all.
Could environments worshipping the fire god and the water god coexist? No way!
In the expensive urban center, they could hardly afford the area they required.
But just because it was built in a place that used to be a forest, and the Pantheon hadn’t even been established for twenty years, didn’t mean there was a lack of infrastructure.
No, on the contrary, it was thriving to an unbelievable extent for a place that hadn’t been around long.
“Essentially, you could call it a small city. Not only the devotees of each church but also those desiring to benefit from holy power have flocked here, creating residences and commerce in the surrounding area.”
Facing this unusual scenery again brought back memories.
But what was bothering me the most right now was something else…
“The security is… extremely tight, isn’t it?”
The level of security was so substantial that I wondered if this was truly a gathering place for priests.
“Wasn’t it less intense the last time I was here?”
As Heinrich glanced outside through the car window, he surveyed the surrounding area.
The number of security barriers we had passed so far must have exceeded ten.
And they were of such a high level that even transcendent beings would find them hard to breach.
“I haven’t even entered the headquarters yet.”
The outskirts were open to outsiders, so there had been thorough defenses in place already.
The attempt to assassinate the target outside of their domain was all part of that strategy, right?
“Hmm, you might not know this being from another world, Brother Heinrich… But there’s been a major incident at the headquarters recently. This is my first time seeing it directly as I was in Korea during the whole commotion.”
Jason, the priest, sighed deeply and slowly began to explain.
What he revealed was a grim tidbit; one member of the twelve-member committee representing the Pantheon was attacked by a ‘vicious crime organization’ and went missing.
“…Following that, all security levels were significantly enhanced. It’s like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted, but it’s better than risking further harm.”
“Oh, I think I heard about it while in Korea.”
“It was quite a noisy incident. Since then, not only our Pantheon but also other organizations have ramped up their security.”
Jason, who seemed pained just to mention it, sighed heavily, claiming to have had some acquaintance with the missing priest.
Heinrich, making a sorrowful expression, offered a prayer in mourning for the victim.
“Oh! So it was because of me then?”
He felt a strange sense of relief now that his true intentions were hidden, thanks to his Persona.
“Priest Jason? It’s been a while. So, the person accompanying you is…”
“Oh! I received notice ahead of time. Let’s hurry in.”
The vehicle carrying Heinrich underwent several checks before heading straight to the central area where only priests were allowed.
Along the way, he encountered many awakened ones with varying abilities, but one peculiar aspect was that most of them dressed in flamboyant styles.
“America is the land of freedom, after all. Unlike Korea, more liberated hero activities are permitted here. Of course, it comes with a degree of responsibility.”
Heinrich tilted his head slightly and looked past the distant checkpoint.
From a muscular giant in a green skintight suit, announcing his body, to a female warrior armored in what looked like a bikini having high defense in a game.
“A land of freedom…”
Indeed, compared to Korea, the freedom of awakened ones was greater.
That also meant they had much more clout, and that greatly affected why the headquarters of worldwide returnee associations were established in the U.S.
“Unfortunately, that also made it easier for supernatural criminals to run rampant.”
And emerging from that were what you might call ‘heroes.’
In a nation where the privatization of firearms was permitted, they actively adopted a method of maintaining order by issuing licenses for vigilante activities, going beyond just using powers to protect themselves.
“I heard that acts of excessive suppression, including murder, counted as demerits for licensing and renewal.”
Though the term ‘hero’ was used, considering they were compensated based on their achievements, it wasn’t too different from bounty hunters; that gimmick received significant support from American citizens who were enthusiastic about heroes.
After becoming famous, many even released character merchandise or entered the entertainment industry, a combination of the entertainment industry and heroics.
“We have arrived. This is where the business of the Pantheon, the religious union of otherworldly faiths, is decided.”
Just as Heinrich was lost in thought, the smoothly moving vehicle came to a stop.
Following Jason, he stepped out of the car and looked at the building in front of him in surprise.
Unlike the uniquely styled shrines he had seen so far, this structure appeared utterly ordinary.
“This is essentially a neutral zone. I’ve heard many people are wary of overt religious affiliations, which is why it was built so blandly.”
Just hearing that made him feel exhausted.
Well, it would hardly be easy to unify this many religions.
As a priest who followed a god himself, he understood that very well.
Just using holy power would taint one’s disposition with the god’s nature, and then it became hard to tolerate other methods as well.
“What? Isn’t that Jason? I thought you’d finally died since I hadn’t seen you for a while, but you’re alive.”
Almost immediately proving that fact…
A strange voice blocked them just as they were about to enter the operations committee building.
With a hissing tone that was clearly not friendly.
“…Walter.”
Jason turned stiffly to look at the man.
In stark contrast to his neat appearance, Walter was disheveled, sporting unkempt hair and a faint smell of alcohol.
Without the extremely toned physique and piercing gaze visible between his clothing, one would think he was just a ruffian, but he strode right up to them.
‘Is this guy also a knight? Speaking of which, Jason was one too.’
Heinrich watched with interest as Walter, who had just approached, engaged in a war of nerves with Jason.
The level of prowess he gauged between the two was neck and neck.
Moreover, the tendencies of the gods they served appeared diametrically opposed, which was rather unsurprising that they bore such animosity toward one another.
‘This kind of friction isn’t something an outsider like me should interfere with.’
After all, he was an invited guest.
If he were to pick a side out of personal relations, it would only escalate the issue.
Just like he had in the past, he decided to let them resolve this on their own—
“Pah-ha! So this is the so-called saint you’re talking about, huh?”
—And just as he was thinking that,
An arrow suddenly flew his way.
“Impressive indeed. I don’t know if you’re worth bringing in such a ruckus, but it was a fitting task for you. Running errands for a country I’ve never heard of before.”
“…He’s a guest representing the entire Pantheon, Walter. Show some respect.”
“The entire Pantheon? Who made you the representative? At least my Quiladia sect hasn’t recognized that.”
“Walter.”
It was as if he had come with the intention of starting a fight from the get-go.
He had realized from the start.
Not every priest has a good personality.
In cases where the god they served was violent, even among the devotees of the same god, not everyone was the same in temperament.
In humans, cruelty to others can coexist with kindness toward one’s own children—how much worse could it be with gods, who are on an entirely different dimension?
“Is it true that you’re doing volunteer work? You seem pretty trained, but were you trying to imitate a knight? Ha! Oh, and I hear your alias was ‘White Knight’.”
“Walter, this is your last warning.”
Having worn the holy clothing of the Holy Church Order for this official first visit, it seemed he had mistaken Heinrich for a pure priest.
No matter how one looked at it, he hadn’t anticipated such an open provocation.
Especially from someone with clearly greater holy power than himself.
‘No matter how deep my faith proved, in the end, I’m just another god’s devotee, right?’
It was such an odd experience, he didn’t even feel angry.
He could view himself as an officer from an entirely different unit.
Or perhaps even more than that.
After all, he was from a different nation and even a different ‘dimension.’
“I remember thinking that your physique looked quite wonderful when I saw the videos. Tsk, was it all just about the armor?”
…But that was where Walter’s relaxed demeanor came to an end.
As he hadn’t reacted to the provocation, Walter crossed the line.
“I said this is your last warning. I challenge you, Walter. Today, I’m going to make sure you learn your lesson…”
“…Wait, Priest Jason. Please hold on a moment.”
“Brother…?”
As Jason stepped forward with a stiff face, Heinrich held him back, taking a slow breath.
That remark was something he could not just let slide.
That was Heinrich’s… weak point.
He looked down at his own arm.
Then to his chest, his abdomen, his legs.
And verifying that his mass had distinctly decreased, he gently closed his eyes.
‘Could it be that being an angel has such side effects?’
Angel.
The messenger of the will of the gods.
The changes occurring within him were a trait of his kind.
It had been slowly progressing since he had become an angel.
Of course, it was merely a matter of reduced mass; his physical abilities hadn’t declined.
With extreme compression, the power he could exert per unit area increased, and the form of his muscles transformed ideally, so it could as well be seen as an evolution.
But this was hardly what he had desired.
‘Muscle loss! Muscle loss! My magnificent muscles that I worked so hard to build and maintain!’
Heinrich’s attachment to his muscles was natural enough.
Unlike Harley, who could freely control his body and shape it as he desired, Heinrich’s muscles were a result of his own efforts from start to finish.
‘How long did it take me!’
–Thanks to being doped with holy power, it hadn’t taken too long.
‘The fruits yielded after such grueling effort!’
–Thanks to the Mind Hub, it hadn’t been painfully tedious either.
‘To lose all that is already infuriating… and to be mocked for it?’
–That was a blatant fact!
How much did he struggle to bulk up afterward?
But this damn racial characteristic forbade his body from returning to how it looked before.
Yet, the words of that Walter denied all of his past efforts…
“Did you say a duel? May I fight in that, personally?”
“…Of course, you may.”
“Are there any procedures required for that?”
“No matter how you look at us, we are all servants of our gods. We swear to fight fairly in the name of the gods and to accept the results, and that’s about all the procedure required.”
“Well, that works for me.”
How refreshing, Heinrich thought.
This must have been the key to the Pantheon’s long-standing survival over the years.
Of course, to do that, he needed to ensure the opponent would accept it willingly.
“Hah! A duel? Do you really think I’d agree to that? Win or lose, it’s a loss for me, so why should I?”
Even if the opponent had more holy power than him, it would still be a great dishonor to engage in a duel between a combat class like a paladin and a non-combat class like a healing priest.
For a paladin like Heinrich, a priest was someone to protect, not an adversary to take down.
And Heinrich knew exactly how to provoke the opponent in this situation.
“Hmmm, have you perhaps lost your nerve? Well, I’ll get it. I should understand you. But it seems like the Quiladia sect has a rather lax doctrine?”
“Huh?”
Provoking one who represented the military power of the sect from the start should never be ignored.
Walter, who frowned at the name he had used as a provocation, let out a hollow laugh.
Then he—
——!
Dashed towards Heinrich’s face, his hand outstretched like lightning.
Of course, he didn’t genuinely intend to hit him.
He only meant to demonstrate the true power of a true paladin, showcasing the fear of a martial artist who had reached the pinnacle.
As a result…
Puh-ack—!
He couldn’t help but stiffen at the feeling of impact traveling through his outstretched hand.
‘What?’
For the first time since arriving, he felt flustered.
Once again, he had planned for his hand to stop just short of contact and not genuinely make contact.
‘Did I fail at distance control?’
No, that couldn’t be true.
As always, his senses were perfect.
Then did the opponent deceive his senses…? No, that couldn’t be!
Amidst the sudden chaos, his mind was thrown into disarray.
‘Damn it, that was unanticipated.’
This was on a completely different level than the provocation he had initiated earlier.
Even before a proper duel had started, he had just cold-cocked a guest who came to the Pantheon!
His hand felt the resilience of the counter-blow,’d likely sustained no serious injury thanks to holy power, but the critical point was that he had been the one to strike first.
‘…For now, I’ll retreat. I need to rethink my strategy. Damn it, I’m in big trouble.’
The Pantheon was a conglomerate of numerous sects.
There would naturally be various factions formed from groups with similar tendencies and doctrines, and the same applied to the twelve-member committee.
It had been quite some time since one of their council members, Adeline Schneider, had gone missing, so there were bound to be elections for her successor soon.
If he wanted to fill that seat with someone from his own faction, he needed to lay the groundwork starting now…
Thus, flustered, he did not think deeply.
He had absolutely no time to consider how the opponent had shaken his sense of distance.
And before long, he lost even that moment to think.
KABOOM—!
“Gah!”
A sudden wave of physical shock rattled his head.
His consciousness was briefly foggy, transcending cognition.
“You swung first. Then this is self-defense, right?”
As his thoughts slowly returned, he could faintly hear a voice.
‘How?’
One singular question arose in his mind.
He soon understood why.
“Now that I think about it, you asked why I wore armor, right?”
Not with a head too stiff to properly function.
“Let me clearly impress upon you the reason for that now.”
