296 – Side Story 8
The priests of the Order reached a tribe with warriors.
And the first thing that caught their eyes….
“Uh. Uh huh?”
In the center of the village, numerous tribesmen are gathered.
And they each stepped forward and grunted and lifted something.
“Brother. Isn’t that, that’s a stick and a disc?”
Yes. Its true identity was none other than a rod with a disk inserted into it.
As for exercise equipment, the church’s priests are now very familiar with it.
It’s only natural that we’ve shared the joys and sorrows for nearly a year.
There is even a story that some even sleep hugging a stick when they sleep.
Anyway, I’d never expect that item to be seen among the nomadic tribes here.
In the empire, it’s finally spreading among the people of the empire.
I thought it was only being dealt with intensively in academies and churches at best.
I never expected to see it from this far east.
“Ha ha ha! This, it seems my friends guessed right.”
The interpreter said that with a big smile.
From the faces of the priests, I felt ‘why is that here?’ Rather than ‘what is that?’.
The priests asked him several questions.
“Brother. How did that thing end up here in the village?”
“The dragon left it to test the descendants of us wolves.”
“Dragon… I’m talking about the brothers and sisters of the Baron John Nassen family, and if you’re descended from wolves… Oh, are you referring to the brothers and sisters from the east by any chance?”
That’s right. All the tribes to the east of us are descendants of the blue wolf.
But now, too much time has passed and his fangs have become dull and his claws have become rough.
The dragon who saw it said that it shouldn’t be like that and suggested the way.
The priests saw. The longing sparkle in the eyes of the man who said that.
It was similar to that of the new paladin looking at Priscilla’s leader.
‘Didn’t John Nassen’s brothers and sisters say that they sent troops to the east?’
‘Hmm. Looks like you did something here too. After all, that’s how John Nassen’s brothers and sisters are.’
After that, the church priests followed the warriors and met the tribal chief and its elders.
Since they also have pro-imperial tendencies, they were said to be priests of the Order and welcomed them.
Where are you from? What kind of place is the Imperial Church? How are the people there
I want to continue to be on good terms with the Empire. Can you give me some advice?
A few days are fine, so stay comfortably. In the meadow here, it is a rule to treat guests sincerely.
I want to hear about the good things that the church says.
The priests even gave permission for missionary activities without asking first.
Things go so ridiculously, literally, in a flash.
One of the priests, feeling a strange energy there, parted his lips.
“Tribal chief brother. There is something I would like to ask you.”
“Tell me, guest of the Empire.”
“Even though we are guests, aren’t we strangers from a foreign country? However, I am embarrassed and apologetic because you treated me so kindly.”
At that, the tribal chief and the elders chuckled and explained the reason.
As I said earlier, it’s the rule to treat guests in the eastern plains here.
Even if it’s an enemy, if you haven’t met for the purpose of fighting, you’ll be greeted as a guest.
Most of all, if you are a guest with good intentions, you should treat them even better.
“And there is one more reason.”
The next words were taken by his son, the leader of the warriors, who was next to the chieftain.
“I hide it under those white clothes, but the warriors can see it. That they are walking the same path as our warriors. The eyes of the priests changed when they saw the items the dragon gave them right away.”
At those words, the priests couldn’t hide their smiles and laughed.
Because they also worked hard for nearly a year.
I didn’t know anything else, but I was quite confident in handling that stick.
So the priests decided to tell a little bit of their story.
The tribesmen here told me the story of their meeting with John Nassen.
This time, they thought that telling the story was the order.
“In fact, in our denomination, Brother John Nassen. So here came a member of what the brethren call ‘the dragon’ and drove away the indolence of our priests. After that….”
The stories of the following priests are very exciting and a bit exhausting.
The tribal chiefs, elders, and warriors focused on the story.
The dragon who taught them, the descendents of the blue wolves, true ‘strength’.
Those great beings had an influence not only on the Empire but also on the Church.
Even those who looked so gentle were taught the aesthetics of strength.
What a beautiful, moving and praiseworthy story this is!
The warriors involuntarily stood up and clapped their hands.
Some of the elders even put together a little more of the stories they tell.
I wanted to make it into a completely new tradition and inform it to future generations.
For the mighty dragon has given glory not only to us wolves, but also to the people of the empire!
True strength is to win over and over again in an endless battle against oneself.
There was something that those priests say was fighting against their indolent past!
There can be no greater, greater, more glorious story than this!
“… As expected, the great dragon radiates their will wherever he goes.”
“Chief! Based on this story, shouldn’t we make another legend!”
“Okay. Since this is the story of the empire, I wonder if it is theirs.”
What are these people doing all of a sudden?
While the priests tilted their heads, the warriors approached.
Then, while shouting ‘I know!’, He recommends shoulder straps to the priests.
I wonder what this is all about, so the priests look at the interpreter.
The man smiled and gave a willing answer.
“They say you guys are brothers.”
After that, the warriors raised up the priests and took them somewhere.
The center of the village where the former priests passed by earlier, the place where they held the sticks with discs.
Arriving there, the warriors point the staff at the priests.
“By the way, only recognized warriors in our village are qualified to carry this. And we warriors have decided to give you that qualification once.”
“That… We are only guests, will that be all right?”
“If we were taught by them, we would all be brothers. Qualification is sufficient.”
At that, the priests did not hesitate any longer and stood in front of the pole in order.
Honestly, I was a little bit complacent. Because it doesn’t look that heavy.
However, as soon as I got rid of that small mind, I realized that ‘I am still lacking in training of the mind!’
I think I will have to maintain my ascetic path by running instead of walking tomorrow.
“Huh!”
The first priest raises the bar.
Once you get off the ground, then you have to lift it up to your chest.
‘Oh, it’s incredibly heavy!’
When he momentarily thought, “I can’t lift this,” The priest put down the stick without any regrets.
It is said that giving up quickly should be avoided, but excessive pride harms the body.
What Kyle always emphasized was, ‘How far can my weight go?’.
I should do only what I know my subjects and can test my limits, anything more is conceit.
“Conceit and arrogance are as scary as sloth. The only thing that comes from that is injuries.”
After that, priests came forward, but no one easily lifted the stick.
It was really, no joke, heavier than it looked, and I was a little bit nervous.
As no one succeeded in the end, the priests’ expressions hardened.
‘There is not enough training. As expected, training is not enough.’
‘From tomorrow, I’ll start with the upper body instead of just focusing on the lower body.’
‘God will be disappointed. Oh, the mastery!’
But unlike the reaction of the priests, the warriors clapped their hands.
When asked why, the warriors shouted one word with great precision.
“Straight posture! Straight posture! Straight posture!!”
If you can’t maintain a straight posture even if you hold that up, that’s an insult to the dragon.
That’s why all descendants of the Blue Wolf protect what they ought to protect.
For those warriors, the priests who maintained a straight posture were, of course, worthy of being brothers!
*
The next morning. The priests who prayed are in a hurry to prepare for departure.
I was very grateful for the hospitality of the tribal people here.
But you can’t just stay here. They have to go further.
“Are you leaving?”
A man approaches and stands in front of the priests.
And then, as I just learned yesterday, I cross myself, albeit a little clumsily.
“Yes, brother. We want to go further.”
“Okay. Most tribes won’t mind too much. However, if you go further east from here, you should be aware that the tribes that appear may be a bit sharp now.”
“Is something wrong?”
The war with the empire is over, but the fight between tribes is still going on.
Perhaps it is only natural that there is no unified country in the first place.
It is said that it has decreased considerably thanks to the ‘Yongbongjihoe’.
“That’s not true. However, beyond that east side. A faraway place where none of the descendants of the wolves had gone. The eastern tip. It is said that some outsiders appeared in the place where only spirits were said to live.”
Foreigners. The eastern tip. The priests who had heard that far nodded.
They themselves are also aiming there. A place no one has reached yet.
I wanted to go there and see a new world and new people.
“In the meantime, there are strange rumors.”
“What are the rumors?”
“People from there are carrying something around and asking if they know where it came from. It’s as if something you treat with great value becomes a great treasure. They said it was something long and silvery… I’m not sure exactly. Ha ha ha!”