30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?! novel Chapter 209

“......Why is no one here?”

After spending thirty grueling minutes swimming through the treacherous currents and successfully infiltrating the Grand Temple, Ihan blinked in confusion.

He supposed he should just be grateful that he made it inside. But considering the sheer level of security outside, the complete absence of guards inside was... odd.

"Did they cut down on internal patrols, relying entirely on the exterior forces?"

That made sense in theory—but was it really the best strategy?

Ihan tilted his head, puzzled.

But at the same time, he considered himself lucky.

His stamina had taken a serious hit—having to swim while maintaining Turtle Breath Technique, dealing with giant crocodiles and venomous water snakes without shedding a drop of blood...

Seriously, what kind of insane river had that many monsters?

He had to subdue them instead of killing them outright, which made it the most difficult battle he had faced in recent memory.

So, the lack of resistance upon entry?

He’d take it as a small blessing—a chance to catch his breath, even if only for a moment.

That said—

"I don’t have time to rest."

The night wouldn’t last much longer, and every second counted.

There was, however, one minor issue.

“...Where the hell am I?”

Once again, it had to be emphasized—even the royal family didn’t know the full details of the Grand Temple’s interior.

Even the King himself was unaware of its exact layout.

Ihan had infiltrated successfully...

But finding his way inside would be a completely different challenge.

Now officially lost, the knight had to spend some time figuring out where he was.

It was important to note—Ihan hadn’t infiltrated the temple to assassinate anyone.

As he had prayed to the Fairy of Spring—

This mission was all about "righteous theft."

His target?

—[A Sacred Relic].

More specifically, the very sacred relic meant to be granted to Ihan as part of his indulgence.

And the source of this information?

"What kind of gift should I give to Father Raphael?"

Father Raphael.

The only person Ihan considered a true adult in this medieval, barbaric society.

He was the wise old man who had provided Ihan with key intelligence, allowing him to pinpoint the relic’s location.

Ihan’s plan?

To steal—no, temporarily "borrow" the relic and return it later.

And the one who planted the idea in his head—

"Brother, hypothetically speaking, what do you think would happen if the sacred relic meant for you were to suddenly... disappear from the Grand Temple?"

"...Excuse me?"

—Was none other than Father Raphael himself.

"Hoho, don’t be alarmed. It’s just a ‘what-if’ scenario. Don’t take it too seriously—just an old man’s nonsense, hohoho."

"......"

...Yeah, right.

At first, Ihan thought he had misheard.

It almost sounded like a priest was suggesting theft—but in a roundabout way.

Why would the next Pope-to-be even propose such a thing?

Could it be some kind of trap?

Was Raphael testing him?

Trying to lure him into a mistake so he could be eliminated?

Ihan’s confusion quickly turned to suspicion—

And it must have shown on his face, because Raphael chuckled and continued:

"Hahaha, again, this is merely hypothetical... but if the sacred relic meant for you were to suddenly disappear, the temple would be thrown into chaos."

"While the Grand Temple holds many relics, each one is priceless—whether historically or due to the divine power it holds. The temple's most sacred duty is to guard them at all costs."

"Preserving relics is what allowed the Temple of Light to establish its power in the southern regions. If the Grand Temple were to lose one..."

"...Its very authority would be shaken."

"!?"

A sharp jolt ran through Ihan’s mind—like lightning flashing in his thoughts.

He finally understood what Raphael was getting at.

The old man was planning to turn the board upside down.

With force.

"So if the relic disappears...?"

"The entire temple will immediately go into lockdown, and a massive investigation will be launched to root out any potential heretics. More importantly—"

"The specific relic that goes missing will just so happen to be the one meant for you—a detail known only to myself and a few cardinals. That means... we will become the prime suspects and face intense scrutiny."

"......"

Just as the temple had used brutal tactics to corner others, Raphael was planning to corner them—from the inside.

A dangerous maneuver.

"...Are you sure this is okay? If they drag you into the dungeons at your age, you might not make it out alive..."

It was a serious risk—

Not for Ihan, but for Raphael himself.

If the relic vanished, Raphael would undoubtedly be the prime suspect.

After all, he was the only high-ranking member openly opposing the Grand Temple’s current agenda.

The Inquisitors would use this as an excuse to torture him for answers.

"This is a bit much..."

Ihan was about to object when—

"Ah, don’t worry. This worthless old man happens to have a [Sacred Indulgence], after all."

"......"

"Hohoho, after all these years, I was granted one as well. Quite excessive, really."

"......Oh."

Right—this man was a living legend in the temple.

"Hoho, it’s just something I have. I haven’t done anything with it, and neither have you. So there’s no reason to use it, is there?"

"...Ha."

Now Ihan understood.

Raphael wasn’t just some kind old man.

He was a strategist.

"You planned this all along."

"I don’t know what you mean."

"...Right. Let’s go with that. Just hypothetically—if something like this did happen, would it be... acceptable? I mean, you could just sit back and automatically become the Holy King."

"Oh, no, no. Don’t get me wrong—this isn’t about power."

Raphael smiled brightly and said—

"Would becoming Holy King save even a single lost lamb?"

His voice held a force so overwhelming that even Ihan was momentarily speechless.

"I don’t want to sit at a desk signing papers or holding meetings."

"I want to stand with my own two feet and be a shield for the weak."

"......"

"And when these two legs can walk no more, I want to collapse—having given everything to spread the Light’s teachings—only to return to the earth as mere nutrients for the soil."

"......Damn. That’s kind of badass."

"No need to flatter an old man."

"I’m not flattering you."

He was being serious.

For the first time in a long while—

Ihan felt a deep respect for someone from the temple.

And now—

"Ah, I see. This is the rough layout of the area."

Ihan was steadily making progress toward his goal.

Not for Raphael’s sake—but by his own will.

His expression held no complaints.

He simply focused—pressing forward without hesitation.

"━━!"

A roar.

But not a deafening one.

Instead, a gentle, rippling sound filled the vast space.

The same echolocation technique he had used against the Holy Knights the previous night.

If he had to name it in technical terms—

It was [Active Sonar].

A strange ability to have, but useful nonetheless.

As he sent out repeated sonic waves, they bounced off surfaces, revealing the layout of his surroundings.

"I can get a rough idea."

Not everything—but just enough to determine where to go.

It seemed detecting enemies was far easier than mapping out terrain.