In front of an apartment entrance.
“Thank you for your cooperation, Sister.”
“Oh my, not at all, High Priestess. It's not even a difficult task.”
“Then I shall take my leave. May God's blessing be with you, Sister.”
“Yes, yes. Thank you.”
At the words of the cleric, who smiled benevolently and bowed, the middle-aged woman before her flusteredly bowed her head in return.
Once the farewell was over, the female cleric in her early thirties immediately moved to the parking lot and got into the back seat of the waiting car.
Vroom—
Inside the car that smoothly began to depart shortly after, she picked up the tablet beside her and once again scanned over the materials organized within it.
-······
-White Knight Estimated Spec Summary. (View Details)
-Results of inquiring about holy power from returnees of each dimension suggest the Primary God of the Auterica dimension is the most likely. (View full interview details)
-Assuming a certain relationship with a specific patient, visiting investigation of related parties in progress. (Current progress 28%)
-······
“Hmm.”
A troubled sound escaped her unconsciously as she tilted her head slightly to the side.
As the representative of the investigation team dispatched by Pantheon's Korean Branch to track the White Knight, she soon marked something on the tablet, then set it down again and slowly closed her eyes.
‘...Truly remarkable.’
And recalling the lingering resonance of holy power that still remained in the body of the now-discharged patient—a fact she had reconfirmed during this visit—she let out an admiration she had long since lost count of.
‘Just how deep must one's faith be for something like that to be possible?’
She had already been shocked when she sensed that aura from quite a distance on the day of the hospital terror attack.
But no matter how much time had passed, observing the remnant directly evoked an entirely new sentiment.
The more she investigated, the more respect and awe for the person responsible bloomed within her.
‘It wasn't simply a matter of scale. It was holy power so pure it was refined solely by devout faith. Just what kind of saint could draw such energy on Earth...’
She too was a high-ranking cleric who had risen to quite a high position in the otherworld, but no matter how generously she assessed herself, she could not compare to the White Knight.
If forced to name a comparable figure from her world, wouldn't it have to be an apostle said to have been directly chosen by God?
‘I truly wish to meet them at least once.’
In truth, that was the biggest reason she had actively taken on the role of the investigation team's representative.
She couldn't contain her curiosity about what kind of person could perform such miracles.
Of course, there were practical reasons beyond such personal interest.
‘A saint of that caliber might truly become the new center of Pantheon...’
Given the importance of healing abilities, the treatment of clergy on Earth was more than simply favorable.
Since there were restrictions on using holy power, it was more valuable here than in other worlds.
But the problem lay not in external reputation, but internally.
“Hoo.”
Letting out a small sigh, she rubbed her face a few times.
Her smooth and elastic skin had been a source of pride, likely thanks to her holy power, but the skin troubles caused by recent stress bothered her immensely.
‘...The conflict between factions is too severe.’
In a way, it was only natural.
Unlike ordinary denominations where believers worshipped the same deity, the gods and doctrines followed by Pantheon's clergy all differed.
Even if those with negative faiths such as evil god worshippers were excluded, differing fundamental values inevitably caused continuous friction, accumulating discontent and causing rifts.
‘If someone acknowledged by all could stand at the center in such a situation...’
They might be able to break through the current situation.
If so, they could redirect the energy wasted on pointless factional struggles toward more benevolent directions.
And that would naturally lead to public benefit.
‘We cannot let such a great figure be taken by another nation.’
Due to Pantheon's nature as a coalition, the headquarters in the US was closer to a representative concept than a superior institution.
Requests had already come in, so they would cooperate, but that didn't mean they had to follow blindly.
Steeling her resolve once more, she picked up the tablet she had set aside and scanned the result reports from team members with her eyes.
How much time had passed like that?
Ding!
Suddenly, an urgent message popped up on her tablet messenger.
And shortly after her eyes widened greatly as she read the content without a second thought.
Screech—!
The car she was riding in, which had been traveling at a constant speed, suddenly drifted sharply and changed direction.
Fortunately, there were no other vehicles nearby.
Thanks to that, the car immediately accelerated without worrying about its surroundings.
Vrooom— Vroaaar!
The vehicle's destination was where the new urgent report had come from.
A university hospital in Seoul where the White Knight had appeared.
***
Warm light enveloped the surroundings.
Hwaak—
The area was not merely a few meters around.
Stretching further and higher beyond the lobby filled with people, it finally encompassed the entire children's hospital, burning softly yet beautifully.
It was the manifestation of a miracle and the realization of hope.
It was the incarnation of compassion, soothing the wounds of the patients present.
‘Since I'm doing it, I might as well do it properly.’
Despite its warm outward appearance, the ultra-high-purity holy power contained enormous energy, causing immediate phenomena.
Recovery, healing, and regeneration.
Those present could immediately feel such changes.
“Aah—.”
“...O Lord. Thank you, thank you!”
“Wow! Mommy, this is amazing! It's so warm. Hee hee!”
The reactions of those experiencing the phenomenon they had only heard about varied.
Some couldn't continue speaking and shed endless tears; some prayed continuously with clasped hands; children burst into innocent laughter, unaware of anything.
But among those various reactions, there was one common action they all showed.
Namely, gazing endlessly at the one who performed this miracle.
Standing in the center of the lobby, wrapped in brilliant light like a lamp illuminating the darkness.
A noble saint wearing smooth and elegant pure-white armor, placing both hands upon the hilt of a beautiful longsword planted in the floor.
The White Knight, Heinrich.
“Ah...”
“......”
Surrounded by that divine visage, the people could only stare blankly at him.
Unlike when they had clamored and begged for mercy at his first appearance, now they couldn't dare approach or speak to him.
They could only send reverence from a few steps away, as if appreciating a work of art.
‘As expected, the effect is definitely solid. Then now, slowly...’
But at that moment when everyone seemed frozen as if time had stopped.
Tap— tap—
There was one who moved first.
“Su... Sua?”
Was she about seven or eight years old now?
A small, frail girl wearing ill-fitting patient clothes moved her feet with difficulty and approached him.
Leaving behind the wheelchair her father had been pushing until moments ago.
‘Oh? She moved first even when the adults were frozen?’
A middle-aged man who belatedly followed behind with quick steps looked at the child with an expression mixing anxiety and overwhelming emotion.
But unable to ignore the child's will, he could only stamp his feet anxiously.
The girl who had reached Heinrich carefully looked up at him.
And opened her small mouth with sparkling eyes.
“...Angel?”
Though she raised her voice at the end as if asking, the child's eyes held a certain conviction, perhaps because he matched the image she had imagined from stories.
“Did you come to take me because I'm a good girl?”
But the words that followed were something even he had not expected.
Both Heinrich and the guardian behind the child stiffened in surprise.
“...Can't I go yet? I haven't even said all my goodbyes...”
The child fidgeted with her fingers and stole glances up at him.
Just what kind of imagination was unfolding in that small head?
But from the child's physical condition, which he could feel despite her having already bathed in holy power once, he could roughly understand the situation.
‘Hmm.’
Organizing his thoughts, he who had been quietly looking down at the child soon slowly bent his knees and crouched down.
Having matched eye level with the child like that, his own helmet reflected in her small pupils entered his sight.
‘Right, if I'm going to do it, doing it this way would be more certain.’
So he slowly raised both hands and grasped his helmet.
And lifted it straight up.
Shhh—
Silvery hair fluttered through the air, freed from the cramped space.
It scattered the light from the hospital lobby's lamps and the surrounding radiance, sparkling brilliantly.
“Hup!”
“......!”
And at the same time, those watching with bated breath unconsciously gasped.
Heinrich lightly brushed back his silver hair, softly curved his golden gleaming eyes, and faced the child again.
The exotic features of that handsome man, combined with the lighting and staging, etched into people's minds like an illusion.
He reached a hand toward the child—whose eyes were wide and mouth hanging open like everyone else around—then paused.
Then he withdrew his arm, removed the metal gauntlet from his right hand, and slowly stroked the child's head with his bare hand.
“Ehehe...”
The child let out a bashful, toothy laugh at the careful touch.
Heinrich smiled gently as he bestowed additional measures and a blessing upon the child with the holy power filling his hand.
“Then I'll wait. Until Sua grows up. Whenever is fine.”
“...Really? Then is it really, really okay even much later?”
“Yes, but you have to keep receiving treatment going forward, okay? Then you'll easily live to a hundred.”
“Uh... a, a hundred?”
Seeing her eyes dart about at the playfully thrown words, the number didn't seem to register accurately yet.
He let out a chuckle and removed his hand from her head.
And when he gestured to the middle-aged man who had been holding back tears behind him and slowly rose, the guardian quickly picked up the child and bowed repeatedly.
Even then, the child laughed innocently and waved her hands flutteringly.
She was a child who caught his eye for some reason.
‘It was an unexpected event, but.’
Heinrich, who had tucked the helmet under his arm, equipped his gauntlet again and slowly looked around.
Thanks to this, it seemed he had promoted himself more effectively than planned.
‘It may not be as large-scale as during the terror attack, but the healing level shouldn't fall much short.’
Having naturally drawn attention and even revealed his face to confuse the investigation, only one task remained for him.
He opened his mouth slowly, filling his voice with holy power.
“Warm attention to those groaning in pain, a hand of salvation to those in difficulty...”
In the otherworld, the Primary God had no separate name.
The Primary God, much like a Creator, was merely a solitary existence.
But from outside the dimension, there were words to refer to Him.
“...May Auterica's protection be with you all.”
The name of that dimension itself was the word that could refer to the Primary God.
Heinrich smiled softly, having engraved a deep impression in people's hearts with that voice filled with holy power.
‘They're here.’
Sensing presences rushing in from all directions, he reined in his energy and pulled out the holy sword embedded in the floor.
He had no intention of meeting those seeking him right now.
‘Now is not the time.’
Since he had achieved his goal for now, he needed to let anticipation build for a more dramatic moment.
Using this attention to naturally promote himself as well.
‘Blindly preaching and proselytizing is a poor strategy.’
With the current attention focused on Heinrich, if he just dropped a few hints, people would look into it themselves.
Until then, what he needed to do was...
Fwoosh—
Using [Blessing: Leap] just before his pursuers burst in, he disappeared from the hospital lobby.
The place where he appeared afterward was another hospital far from there.
Thus, surprise visits continued as if to tease them.
And that evening.
With the steady stream of news since the first visit accumulating.
Finally, public opinion on the domestic internet exploded.