The moment he heard the truth, Benjamin felt a great headache.
With one foot out the door, they had written to him, saying that the plan had been successful, but by the time the other foot had stepped out as well, and he had arrived, everything had turned upside down. He really wanted to grab Dick by the collar and demand an explanation, but... With the situation before his eyes now, there was no longer that opportunity.
In the distance, the priests and the Cleaners were coming into sight steadily, rushing over to them at top speed; some of them were even beginning their chants. Magical oscillation was rippling from there to here. The stagnant atmosphere before a battle suddenly caused Benjamin's heart to calm down in that instant.
A battle was unavoidable now.
He surveyed them roughly.
Amongst the people here... Grant was not there.
Realizing this, Benjamin was much relieved. Although he was not clear about the situation now, but he should be able to handle these pursuers.
"While I am dealing with these fellows, you think carefully about how you will explain all of this."
Throwing out such words, Benjamin ignored the trembling Dick, and flew up into the sky himself, before shooting down towards the group of approximately a hundred church men.
The dancing shards of ice continuously crystallized beside him, and fell towards the enemy like a great rain!
In that moment, the priests and the Cleaners had on shocked expressions on their faces.
"Wait a minute... That is the director of the Academy of Magic! The information was wrong, how can he be here!"
"We cannot fight him head on, quickly inform His Highness the Pope!"
Their orderly troops became messed up and unruly in an instant; the Cleaners pulled at the reigns as fast as they could, wanting to turn their horses around. The priests in the air also turned around hurriedly, having not the least bit of intention to fight.
Seeing this, Benjamin furrowed his eyebrows slightly.
Had these people not thought that he might appear?
"Wanna run? It won't be that easy."
No matter what, he did not intend to let this bunch of church followers go. If the news was leaked, who knew what kind of state of affairs might get triggered? He had better make them all stay!
Benjamin was, without a doubt, the fastest person on the scene; he speedily closed in on the Church's troops. Ten thousands of ice shards crystallized beside him, and shot out in all directions like a hundred machine guns firing all at once.
The people from the Church saw this; they felt pins and needles all over their heads.
They ran as they put up shields. But the shots of ice shards were too dense; it was very difficult for a simple layer of holy light shield to block everything. In the blink of an eye, numerous Cleaners had fallen from their horses, the armor on their bodies hit so much, there were thousands of punctures and holes in them. Priests, spouting fresh blood, fell continuously from the skies, like a rain of blood.
Not far behind Benjamin, Dick hid behind a rock, dumbfounded as he watched.
"Too... This is too frightening."
His escape had been extremely hasty, and he had not been able to steal so much as a chamber pot from the hotel. Right then, both his hands were empty, and he had an extremely uneasy feeling. But watching the bloodshed in the distance, Dick could only feel his entire body becoming cold.
This was his first time watching Benjamin in action, and it was only now that he really understood what the useless idiot he had pointed the muzzle of a gun at, had become now.
No wonder... No wonder father had said those things to him.
Dick unconsciously gulped, but realized that his throat was already dry, and he could barely speak. He could only hide behind this rock, clutching to the rock with all his might, as though only this could help him stop from shaking so violently.
When Benjamin had killed those Church people, would he come over and finish him as well...
Dick's brain could not stop conjuring up similar ideas.
"No... He would not..." He could only reassure himself in a murmur.
"What would not, have you thought about how to explain all this?"
He did not know how long; Dick was still stunned when Benjamin's voice suddenly sounded out above his head. Dick jumped in shock, and got up automatically from the side of the rock.
He looked here and there, and realized that all of the Church's pursuers had become corpses on the ground; not a single one was spared. Benjamin, meanwhile, was flying not far from him, watching him with his head cocked to the side.
This... How long had this been?
Dick opened his mouth wide, but he could not speak a word.
"Hey, talk?" Seeing this, Benjamin's eyebrows crinkled up, and he said, "A few days ago, you have written to me saying that the plan has been very successful, and you only needed me to come and help with the siege on Grant, yes? What happened, why has it become like this?"
Dick took a deep breath, and said: "That... That is false."
"False? What do you mean?"
"...Five days ago, we don't know why, the pope has realized all of this, and before we can take action, he had killed all of our insider priests." Dick bowed his head, speaking slowly, "Father thought of a way to send me out from the kingdom, everyone else... are all dead."
Benjamin asked: "How about the letter?"
"Father rushed and sent it before the Holy Knights surrounded the Fulner family." Dick hesitated for a moment, saying, "He said... The only one who could save me now, was you, sir."
Hearing that, Benjamin shook his head.
"...So that is to say, the content of the letter is all false, only to trick me into coming here and rescue you?"
Dick shivered, and nodded in fear.
"So there isn't some so called 'secret signal the local, influential mages of the kingdom use,' that is all to ensure that I will appear, it's something you guys came up with?"
Dick continued to nod, his expression becoming even more terrified.
Benjamin was rubbing his head, filled with speechlessness and not knowing what to say.
It was really all about entrusting his orphan to Benjamin; the old fox Accius, even unto death, he did not forget to gain some advantage out of Benjamin, tricking him into travelling a thousand miles to the Kingdom of Helius, forcing him to save Dick.
After all, he was already here, how could he just leave Dick behind like that, and allow the Church to win?
Really, now...
Having planned all that with such difficulty, but in the end this was the result. Although Benjamin had always felt that the chances of failure were great, but to have been defeated so thoroughly, the Fulner family destroyed so quickly, and the destabilizing factors in the Church to be cleared so throughly; this ending was a bit too much.
Grant... Seemed to have become even trickier than he had imagined.
"Di-director, sir, we did not mean to lie to you... I beg, beg you, please don't kill me!" When Dick saw that Benjamin was still not speaking, he probably thought that Benjamin was angry, and was so alarmed that he almost fell to his knees, begging in a shaky, lamenting voice.
Seeing this, Benjamin had a resigned look.
"Kill you? What good is it to me if I kill you?"
"That... You could... Vent your anger?"
"Enough, enough, I won't kill you." Benjamin waved his hand impatiently, beckoning for Dick to stand up, and asked, "What on earth are Accius' arrangements? He has taken such great pains to trick me into coming here, rescue you and bring you out of the country, and then what?"
Dick lifted his head: "I-I'm not sure."
Benjamin crossed his arms, revealing a bemused expression: "Is there not even a hint of the Fulner family's industry outside of the country?"
After some thought, Dick took out a strange badge from his pocket, saying: "That... Father has gotten me to escape to Randt City in Ferelden, and had passed this ting to the owner of the inn."
Hearing that, Benjamin nodded.
Luckily, there were arrangements. If that was the case, as long as he rescued Dick by bringing him out of the Kingdom of Helius, he did not have to worry about whatever came next.
"Let's go, I'll take you out of this wretched place." Benjamin lifted his hand, and water vapor enveloped Dick as well; the two of them flew towards the east, "This Fulner family of yours now owes me yet another huge debt. When you are out of the country, I will slowly claim my dues from you."