I see your code (160)
There is only one neutral city officially recognized in the Velia continent, Layton. It is only natural that it is the only place where the three kingdoms have unanimously agreed upon.
But if you go unofficially, the story is a little different, because of some temples.
Of the hundreds of thousands of religions, some of them have grown to a particularly large extent and have declared their independence from the state. The reason was that the land they lived on was not made by humans, but by God.
Of course, it would have been an unacceptable proposal from the perspective of the kingdoms. Because they didn’t want to set a precedent in the territory where their control did not reach.
However, despite the opposition of the kingdom, there were beliefs that had grown so large that even they could not control them.
Kitan, the god of humans and the deity of the continent.
The Nyx who rules the moon, sun and sky.
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Mother Gaia, who said that the land of the continent was made by hand.Hearton, the master of life who created all animals and plants.
The last created new immigrant of different races, Depiti.
The kingdom has not yet been recognized, but these five have succeeded in owning their own city in the end. At the point where the most important tax is not being collected, it must be said that the discussion is over.
In any case, here Lubinheiken can be said to be the land under the control of the Lord Khitan among them.
Should it be thanks to that? The one who guards the entrance to the castle is not a general guard, but a paladin. That’s the level of a skilled knight reaching level 4.
“stop.”
In other cities, it’s a little strange to see a person who would be in charge of tidying up the guards standing at the entrance.
With that feeling in my heart, I calmly stopped.
The paladin looked at our party suspiciously and asked.
“What’s going on in this city?”
“I’m just returning from a sacred mission to report to the temple.”
“Sacred mission?”
The suspicious gaze intensifies.
“As far as I know, the only people in charge of sacred missions now are the saints. And they still have a long way to go before they come back.”
As the paladin said so, he drew his sword. The sharply refined thing looked like it had been taken care of.
He pointed the black cutlery at us and spat on the floor.
“However, you dare impersonate the saints… … . I don’t know who you guys are, but it would be good for your own safety if you surrender gracefully.”
He sighed slightly at those words.
I roughly expected it, but in the end, it turned out like this.
Fortunately, there was no need to prepare any explanations.
I turned my head to the side and opened my mouth.
“Arina, take it out and show it to me.”
“Is it?”
“Why do you have candidate seals? Did you not get it?”
“Oh right. I forgot.”
There’s something else to forget. Are you forgetting the plaque that recognizes you as a candidate for a saint? No matter how you look at it, I think Kitan got it wrong.
But instead of shooting like that, I was silent.
If the saints of the gods you worship were treated like that, no paladin would be happy.
So, while Arina was searching inside her arms, the paladin who saw it came closer to us with a frown on her face.
“What are you doing now… … .”
“Ah, I found it.”
Breaking the paladin’s low voice, Arina pulled out something. And he handed it over with no dignity at all.
“Here is the seal that proves that I am a saint candidate.”
A golden pattern depicting a human that would never be recognized by Khitan’s followers.
It must be a treasure within ten fingers of the church. It is the seal that proves the candidate now, and it becomes the seal that proves the saint from the moment they report the success of the mission.
He could not have imagined that he would hand it over with such an attitude, so the other party took over him indifferently. It was obvious that he thought it was fake.
But for a while.
“This… … !”
clink.
After completing the verification, the paladin opened his mouth and missed the sword. Scratches are engraved on the sharply refined blade.
Arina looked at him with a slightly worried look, then tilted her head and asked.
“Then can we stop going in now?”
* * *
“I’m really sorry. I’ve heard reports of flying ships, but I never expected them to be this fast… … .”
It was the bishop who was bowing his back to the point where he looked a little sarcastic.
It was the same burden for me, but it must have been much more for the party, Arina. The boy bowed his head facing each other with a look of embarrassment.
“Oh, no. We are only sorry for coming so soon… … .”
That’s nothing to be sorry about.
To others, it was a sincere apology, but to others, it must have sounded like a rebuke.
Not surprisingly, the old bishop’s waist was more bent than before.
“I apologize again. If you want to be punished, I will take responsibility myself.”
“Woman, punishment?”
“Yes.”
He answered, still bowing his head.
“I will immediately step down from the position of bishop.”
“… … .”
Surprised by the unexpected answer, Arina didn’t say anything and just pursed her lips.
A bishop is usually a high-ranking clergyman in charge of an entire city. They say that they give up on such a small mistake, so that’s good enough.
But for me, it was a situation I had expected. I spoke on behalf of the guy who was still restless.
“You don’t have to. In fact, it is true that we arrived so quickly that the common sense of the continent could not have guessed.”
“You… … ?”
Then the bishop straightened his bent back and looked at me.
I greeted them with my surname in their way.
“It’s called Rian, who accompanied us on this mission of the saint.”
“Oh, you… … .”
I don’t know what he was trying to say after that, but at least it’s not a bad image. Because as soon as I revealed my identity, my face became brighter.
He nodded his head as if he understood something to himself, and then answered.
“I heard a lot about it. Actually, I was a little puzzled when Kitan-sama chose a person who was not a believer to accompany the saint, but… … Seeing it in person, I think it was worth it.”
“It’s overrated.”
“It’s overrated. Even in this mission, I know that you have done all the key tasks yourself. In my heart, I want to compensate for anything, but now that I am no longer a bishop, I can’t do that.”
please don’t Can’t you see that saint’s face over there is blue?
“You really don’t have to. That wouldn’t be what the saint herself wanted. Isn’t it?”
“Yes Yes? ah… … .”
Arina finally came back with a calm face and answered vigorously.
“Of course it is. With something that wasn’t a big deal in the first place… … .”
“It’s not a big deal. Absolutely not.”
The bishop cut off Arina’s words with a firm expression and looked straight at him.
“Nothing about her can be trivial. Everything from small meals to drinking water. If that’s not a big deal, it’s an insult to our temple itself.”
At those words, Arina spoke intermittently with a complexion that had lost her soul that she had managed to regain.
“uh… … . Well, I didn’t mean it that way… … .”
“Of course I do. It’s all because of St. Mary’s endless consideration. However, I want you to realize that you are just that important.”
“yes… … .”
Seeing Arina answering reluctantly, the bishop smiled benevolently and turned to the back.
“But I have to thank you for pardoning my negligence. Come on, follow me. I will guide you to the main office right away.”
Then he starts walking right in front of him.
I shrugged and followed him.
At that moment, Lilia, wearing a large hat, muttered quietly with a slight click on her tongue.
“Anyway, humans. One fanatic should know.”
Anyway, it wasn’t the words I wanted to hear from the elf.
* * *
“I think I’m going to die because I’m embarrassed.”
“I think I’m going to die because of you.”
I still haven’t been able to unpack my luggage in the room I was directed to. But suddenly he came in without knocking and lamented.
I thought about just throwing it out, but I held it back. Because he understands his heart.
I sat him on a chair and asked.
“Have you never thought that you would be treated like this when you came here? You don’t know better what the position of a saint is.”
“I had a rough idea… … .”
It probably wasn’t like this. Even if I didn’t have to listen to the backstory, I expected it.
“How was it in Layton? It’s been a while since I got a candidate position there.”
“The Paladins who came out of the main office treated me with excessive respect, but other people didn’t change much from before. Are you just feeling a little curious?”
“It must have been because they didn’t even realize it.”
Even if you’re like me, you wouldn’t believe it if a friend you’ve been playing with since childhood suddenly calls you the successor of a large corporation. I guess I just said I was out of my mind.
In addition, the fact that Layton had been out of the hands of Khitanism for a long time may also have played a part.
It’s more like an orphanage than a temple right now, so there aren’t many people who have been systematically educated about the doctrine.
He got up again, unpacked his bags, and said nothing.
“Just get used to it quickly. Now you can eat whatever meat you like.”
“I think I’m going to pretend before it even goes down my throat… … .”
“Try it. Perhaps at that moment, the denomination was turned over and the chefs thought it was an attempt to poison him? The sight is worth seeing.”
Arina covered her mouth with both hands to see if her words made her more nauseous.
Seeing this, he smiled and said it was a joke, and then he took on a slightly calming look.
In fact, it was a sincere thing to say.
On the contrary, if it’s worse than what I said, it’s not going to be any less. Because the safety of a saint is that important.
Arina rested her chin on the desk and sighed heavily.
“Are all the saints of other denominations like this? How the hell are you living?”
Not necessarily. Depending on the denomination, there are cases where they just treat them the same as ordinary lay people.
He was also from Layton, so I guess he didn’t understand the situation properly… … . Shall I wake you up for once?
With that in mind, I slowly opened my mouth.
“Usually you are treated to a certain extent, but you are actually a bit overkill. Elsewhere, I gave up the position of bishop because I made one mistake with the saint, so I don’t do it.”
“Then why are you only doing this to me?”
“The reason is simple. It’s the first time they’ve ever experienced a saint. You are overreacting.”
“… … Are you experiencing this for the first time?”
“yes. You are the first saint to be born in the history of Kitanism.”
I paused my unpacking hand for a moment and looked straight at him and said,
“Perhaps the pope can change with your words now.”
* * *