Chapter 13. Discomfort (1)
It was a short time, but I was treated undeservedly.
If the Bayern couple treated Ludwig like their own son, the Wistenbach couple did their best as respectful guests.
As the day of departure approached, Adrine was saddened by the separation from Emilia, but she was able to leave the Wistenbach family with a smile as she promised the next day.
Originally, I planned to tour Alteon with Adrine on the way, but unfortunately, the schedule was disrupted, so I couldn’t.
“Isn’t it a pity that I couldn’t look around more? Emilia.”
Ludwig asked in a low tone in a carriage leaving Alteon and heading for Lutentia.
Knowing that she had been looking forward to this trip, I wondered if there would be any regrets about not being able to look around Alteon more.
Fortunately, however, Emilia firmly shook her head and smiled.
Whether it was to reassure Ludwig or whether he really didn’t care, he had no way of knowing, but at least he felt that there was no lie in that smile.
“it’s okay. I promised next time, so I can stop by anytime.”
“Well, that’s right. If I have time on the way, I will stop at a suitable place and look around. The spontaneity of travel is also the beauty.”
“Pufu, why does it seem like Ludwig is becoming more and more like his father?”
“I mean?”
The words that Emilia uttered while smiling discreetly with her mouth covered were very unexpected.
To think that he resembles the upright and strong Stefan, who is no one else.
If you hear it, I think it’s something to be very proud of.
“Yeah. My father was like that too. It’s no fun when everything goes according to plan. He said that traveling is one thing.”
indeed. I never thought Stefan would have said that.
Only then did Ludwig smile and nod his head.
He thought that their personalities were very different, but somehow Stefan and himself seemed to share many similar values.
Maybe that’s why the conversation went well.
In any case, it was a good thing for the prospective son-in-law, who should look good to his father-in-law.
* * * * * * *
At the end of the road from Alteon to Lutentia, there is an area called the Sanctuary.
It is a village named Astepor, where ordinary residents cannot move in, and only the followers of Goddess Hypresia can be permitted to live.
This is because it is also the only village outside of the capital where the temple of Goddess Hypresia exists.
It was this temple built in Astepor that Emilia received the oracle from, and it is also a place often visited by the Bayemurn family, who have enshrined Goddess Hypresia for generations.
And Ludwig and his party came to visit this place today, just before arriving in Lutentia after a few days of traveling.
“The place called Sanctuary is different. It must be a familiar place to Emilia.”
“It’s not a very familiar place. I’ve only stopped by five times at most.”
It is only served because the family has brought the Goddess Hypresia. Emilia was not the type to envy the existence of God.
No, it would be more accurate to say that he hated it.
Why did you make yourself see these ugly things. In the past, if there was an author named Shin, he wanted to point a sword at his throat and ask why.
Even though I’m grateful for letting me meet this man now, it’s a completely different matter.
“What can I say… The village feels unspoilt.”
The inner view of the village seen from the outside seemed appropriate for this expression.
Of course, in good terms, yes, but in bad terms, I felt burdened.
In particular, all the residents were wearing something like a pure white veil over their basic clothes, which was quite a foreign sight.
“I’m just going to visit the temple today anyway. They will arrive at Lutentia around dawn and will be eating at the mansion tomorrow morning.”
“I hope so.”
Emilia also knew that he had a personality similar to hers.
That’s why, as soon as he tried to calm him down as much as possible and step towards the entrance of the village, a man and a woman who were standing on either side of him walked forward and stopped them.
“Excuse me for a moment. Where are you from?”
A woman with a polite and friendly tone.
Since Emilia had already been through this situation several times, she did not panic and revealed her identity and presented something that could be used as a proof.
“I visited as a representative of the Bayern family. here… … .”
“Confirmed. The person next to you seems to be in a group.”
“He is my fiancé.”
“Have you already served your meal… … ?”
“Yeah.”
Apparently, there seems to be a rule that only nominal fiances are not allowed, and only those who officially held an engagement ceremony can enter together.
This was information that even Ludwig did not know, so he had no choice but to keep his mouth shut and watch Emilia busily continue his conversation.
“Then I will cover the tabernacle. Would you like to come forward?”
“Ludwig over there… … .”
“It looks like that.”
It was as if each of the members of the same sex received the veil called the tabernacle before entering.
From the entry procedure, Ludwig was quite strict to the point of laughing.
When visiting the capital, all you had to do was show the proof of your family, but somehow this was on a different level.
“Sorry for the inconvenience. You can go right in.”
“The trouble is what we caused. May Goddess Hypresia bless you.”
“Goddess bless you.”
Emilia greeted the female priest, and Ludwig followed suit, awkwardly greeted the male priest, and entered the village together.
Unlike Lutentia, Astepor had tall buildings and did not give the impression of a big city.
To be precise, it was like a village in the countryside.
It was unimaginable that there was a temple of a goddess worshiped by everyone in a place like this.
“I don’t know if I should say this, but for a place that enshrines Goddess Hypresia, it’s pretty simple.”
“Yes? I heard that the land was chosen by Goddess Hypresia herself.”
“There must be a reason for that. Well, if it’s the land that the Goddess herself decreed, we won’t be able to throw up any more.”
Why the hell did Goddess Hypresia choose this place as a sanctuary to build her temple?
The land does not look very fertile, and even the location is not good because it is surrounded by mountains.
There was a river flowing nearby, but even that was not a large river that could be used for trade, and it was just enough to sustain the lives of the villagers.
‘That’s something only God knows.’
Since it was impossible to ask the person directly, Ludwig decided to shake off his thoughts at this point.
As they trudged along the long dirt road, their destination eventually appeared.
The temple of the goddess who receives the most faith in this country was not big, but the goddess statue built in the middle was proving that this place was correct.
“The security is tight. It seems to be difficult to get in.”
“Yeah. Those who can enter the temple are only a small fraction of the believers. Even nobles are no exception.”
‘Of course, Ludwig’s case would be an exception.’ said Emilia.
I never thought that thanks to my fiancée, I would be able to enter a temple that no one else could enter without permission. I don’t know if I should say that I benefited from this, but it was just a new feeling for Ludwig anyway.
Leaving behind the rough-looking men who guarded the front of the temple, the two were able to enter the interior with unexpected ease.
I thought there would be some complicated procedure, but it was quite different from what I expected.
“Are you curious? That there is no restraint.”
“Yes.”
“It has to be. This is a place where those who do not have God’s permission cannot enter in the first place. Even if such impure elements enter, they are cursed by the goddess and cannot survive for several days.”
“Then you mean the people outside were show-offs.”
“I guess so.”
That’s a very convenient feature.
If that statement is true, doesn’t it mean that Goddess Hypresia is always watching over the temple and directly punishing those who do not allow entry?
‘He’s pretty sincere for a god.’
The image of God in Ludwig’s mind was a being sitting on a constellation and watching the ground while munching on fruit.
Perhaps even the author of God is doing something worthy of his duty in his own position.
Anyway, it’s just amazing.
“Ludwig, could you wait a moment? I have to go in after washing my face.”
“Ah, sure. But is it okay if I don’t?”
“it’s okay. The only people who need to wash their face with holy water are those who listen to Goddess Hypresia’s message. My mother said it was a kind of medium.”
“okay.”
Either way, Emilia was very quick-witted about this kind of information.
Like it or not, it might have been natural since she was born as the eldest daughter of a family that worshiped the goddess Hypresia.
After washing her hands and cheeks with holy water, Emilia took off the veil for a while, drenched the veil with the remaining holy water, and put it back on top of her head.
Thanks to that, my hair started getting wet from the top of my head, but I didn’t mind.
“Come on in.”
“Yes.”
Following Emilia’s guidance, we moved deeper into the temple.
It was a little more closed than the atmosphere of the temple that Ludwig had imagined, and not much light came in when you went inside.
I don’t know if it’s because of that, but there were small lamps all over the place, which just added to the spookiness.
‘Somehow the air is cold.’
Did you step into the sanctuary? Or is it just a mood?
Either way, my heart became solemn for some reason.
Following Emilia’s guidance, he headed a little deeper, and an altar-like object appeared along with the statue of the goddess.
‘What is this feeling.’
The statue of Goddess he had seen in Lutentia, the statue of Goddess standing outside, and this statue of Goddess would not be much different.
Somehow, Ludwig got the impression that he had finally met the real Goddess Hypresia.
Even if he felt it, he wanted to know what a stupid idea it was, but there was no other way to express it.