Pope and Ninja

"And the ogre vanished into the Demon Lord's territory. Quite the triumph, wouldn't you say?"

"Not at all. We didn't actually eliminate the ogre."

I told the boy before me.

Observing his demeanor.

The boy casually chewed on a sweet.

His appearance matched his age, but his inner self should not align with that outward form.

After all, this boy was a reincarnate.

"So, from your perspective, was that ogre a reincarnate as well?"

"Can't tell. I got attacked before I could even speak."

The boy, currently named Sajin, formerly known as Kusama Shinobi.

Sajin possessed a unique skill titled "Ninja," specializing in espionage and assassination.

Therefore, I had sent Sajin to make contact with the ogre—suspected of being a reincarnate.

Result: negotiation failed.

Not even a negotiation attempt had occurred.

—Nearly killed. Is that guy really a reincarnate?

—That’s why I had you make contact.

The ogre appearing near the border with the imperial demon territory.

Combat ability far surpassing ordinary ogres. Intelligence demonstrated by setting traps that annihilated adventurers. Most notably, a previously unknown skill: crafting magical swords.

Even these fragmented details indicated a high probability the ogre was a reincarnate.

Reincarnates possess unique skills innate from birth—like the ninja abilities Sajin wields.

This skill, combined with the unverified n% I=W skill whose effects remain unknown.

These two constitute proof of reincarnation.

I became aware of this fact primarily due to Sajin’s existence.

Sajin was born the son of a subordinate within the covert branch I directly oversee in the Divine Word Church.

In other nations, nobles typically do not undergo assessment until reaching a certain age. Children born within covert branches, however, are assessed early and tested periodically for ability.

Assessment was conducted immediately after birth to establish baseline status. It was during this process that Sajin’s anomalies became evident.

An unprecedented occurrence: a child born with a substantial number of skill points.

Two skills, both innate at birth.

And both skills were entirely unknown.

I immediately exercised my authority to verify the details of these skills and to confirm whether any other individuals possessed identical abilities.

The results indicated that, within our nation alone, two other infants—aside from Sajin—possessed the same n% I = W skill.

One of them had been abandoned at the church. Perhaps that was fate.

I stationed my direct subordinate at the church, issuing orders for surveillance and Guard.

At the same time, I secretly assigned surveillance and Guard to another individual as well.

Looking back, I may have sensed an omen at that moment.

It solidified into certainty when the Elven leader, Potimas, demanded the handover of a child possessing the n% I = W skill.

Such a child was, in some way, an entity capable of significant influence on the world.

The Elves' movement indicated something of great consequence.

They do not act over trifles.

When they act, the world itself shifts.

A child with the n% I = W skill held that much value.

And this became clear when Sajin, albeit in fragments, began to speak.

The concept of a reincarnated being, spoken from Sajin’s lips.

Shock.

A human from another world reborn in this world.

Could such a thing truly exist?

If such a thing were possible, then the existence of a higher administrator.

A being above even the Black Dragon—system architect.

An entity existing far beyond reach, known only by the symbol D.

Perhaps the reincarnated being was sent into this world by that entity’s will.

No other explanation seemed plausible.

Otherwise, a being born with skills and skill points built into the system would not exist.

If that were accidental, the system would contain a critical flaw.

That was impossible, given the state of the Black Dragon encountered earlier.

If such a severe issue had occurred, that being would not have ignored it.

"Old man, don’t trip out on me."

"Oops, sorry. Getting lost in thought makes me forget my surroundings."

Right, right.

That was supposed to be about the ogre, wasn’t it?

"Whether or not a reincarnated one. In any case, the ogre must be dealt with as it is. If beyond human capacity, delegating to the demon clan is not a flawed imperial decision."

"Really? That ogre's scary. You think we can kill something like that?"

"Reports indicate even two of the empire's finest specialists failed to kill it. Yet it fled—suggesting it was sufficiently cornered. Not an invincible monster, then."

Of course, that holds true only at this stage.

The growth rate of reincarnated ones is unparalleled.

One need only look at Sajin.

Born with high skill points and unique abilities, and further advanced mentally—this explains the accelerated learning, even for a child.

Despite still being an infant, his capabilities match those of an adult who has undergone specialized training.

If this continues, he will eventually surpass the strength of any ordinary human.

The same might apply if the ogre were a reincarnated being.

Moreover, the degree of growth far exceeds that of Sajin.

Currently, he possesses the strength to evade even the empire's most skilled practitioners.

An elite imperial warrior could defeat a monster of B-class danger alone.

That they failed indicates the ogre's danger level is at minimum A-class.

Considering future growth, the longer we wait, the more dangerous it may become.

"If the demonic race eliminates it, that would be ideal. Preferably, they should be weakened before being destroyed."

"Would it really go that smoothly?"

"If not, we'll deal with it when the time comes. Until then, the ogre is not our concern. We'll attend to our own matters."

"Got it. The enemy's taken the bait."

"That's a royal procession."

All that remains is to hope Sugihara manages it successfully.

Two reincarnates were under my protection.

Sajin, and an orphan named Yurīn.

And one more—Sugihara Kenichi, currently known as Ugio, a boy under surveillance.

I had secretly contacted Ugio, teaching him espionage techniques.

Then, feigning a family relocation abroad, I expelled him overseas.

To create an opening.

With surveillance removed, the elf abducted Ugio.

A gamble, half-expecting failure, yet the elf appears deeply fixated on reincarnates.

Only possible explanation: they knew the risk of our counteraction.

Favorable for us.

I hope it works out.

Though ostensibly for gathering intel on the elf, Ugio must cross a dangerous bridge.

Should anything go wrong, it would leave a bitter aftertaste.

"Ugio'll handle it smoothly."

Sajin's light tone eased my tension, but I still prayed that the other reincarnated individual would successfully infiltrate the elf's inner circle.