[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
Chapter 164
I had heard that cardinals and clergy had come out to wait for someone before, but not often.
For the Church, welcoming important guests was a fairly common occurrence.
However, for the head of a diocese to lead the clergy and wait for over 30 minutes, with preparations made in advance, was something usually reserved for a duke or someone of similar stature.
And right now, I was experiencing it firsthand.
“Hahaha! Welcome, Brother Karl. I’ve been waiting for you!”
“Yes, yes. Thank you for your warm welcome, Your Eminence.”
I had visited the south several times, and each time, Cardinal Beolant’s smile grew wider.
If I wasn’t mistaken, the corners of his mouth were almost reaching his ears.
“It seems like just yesterday we parted in late summer, and now it’s already the depths of winter. Time flies.”
“And then spring will come, and as we gaze at the new buds, summer will arrive. Isn’t everything flowing according to the Goddess’ will?”
“Hahaha! Indeed. That’s right. Change is always like that.”
I had spent so much time with people from the Church that I now understood them perfectly.
Not every time, but if I mentioned Goddess’ will or the natural order, they would be overjoyed.
And since I was practically guaranteed sainthood upon death, they would interpret anything I said in a positive light.
The right to speak freely in front of a cardinal. The prospect of sainthood was quite nice in moments like this.
“And beside you… Ah.”
Suddenly, a playful glint appeared in Cardinal Beolant’s eyes. I could immediately predict what he was going to say.
“The Starting Point has come as well.”
“Eek.”
“I’ve heard all about it. That you are Brother Karl’s Starting Point.”
“Th-that’s! That’s—eeeek!”
You’d think she’d be used to it by now. But Selena still seemed quite shy about our relationship being publicly known.
…Well, no. It’s understandable. If I had just said, ‘This is my girlfriend’ or ‘This is my fiance,’ it would have been fine, but I blurted out, ‘This is my Starting Point.’
“There’s no need to be so shy, Sister Selena. The Church doesn’t view love between a man and a woman as something lowly or shameful. Love is the most beautiful thing, and at the same time, the strongest and most righteous. It’s no different from Goddess’ will, the light of the world.”
Meanwhile, it seemed our dear Cardinal had misunderstood the reason for Selena’s shyness.
“Your Eminence.”
Let’s end the lighthearted talk here. The most important thing right now is something else.
“I’d like to hear about our plans for the south.”
“Ah, of course.”
Cardinal Beolant’s smile faded as he got to the main topic.
“Actually, just yesterday, before Brother Karl arrived, something very auspicious happened.”
“An auspicious… event?”
“Yes, Brother. A pure white mist rose up, indicating the presence of the Light, not only at the Church headquarters but also at the place where you recovered the relic, the places you’ll be staying, and even the station where you’ll arrive.”
“…”
I almost blurted out, ‘Maybe it was just steam because it was cold and those places were warm.’
Of course, that couldn’t be true.
The south is the warmest place in the Empire, even in winter. And no matter how much the Church is infatuated with Goddess, they wouldn’t confuse water vapor with divine will.
“So everyone in the south is curious about Brother Karl’s actions.”
“They’re probably hoping for another miracle, right?”
The cardinal responded to my question with a hearty laugh.
* * *
This was a bad omen. Karl’s premonition was proving true from day one.
“Your Eminence, they say that all the temples in the south are filled with an auspicious energy.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. Since this morning, radiant lights have been dancing and swirling.”
As soon as Karl started his first schedule with a visit to the cathedral in the south, such news started to pour in.
And as he entered the cathedral, he could hear an unknown song coming from somewhere.
“…Your Eminence, is there a choir nearby?”
“We do have a choir, but they finished their practice a while ago.”
“Then what is this…?”
The cardinal only smiled at Karl’s question, as if saying, ‘You already know the answer, why are you asking?’
Moreover, flowers that were not in season bloomed in the garden, and unlike other places, a brilliant light was shining only on the cathedral.
It was as if someone was welcoming him back to his land.
‘Please stop… Please stop it…! How could this be happening from the very first day? If this keeps up, I wouldn’t just end up a saint, I’d be a living legend.’
Karl pleaded with Goddess, but that was not the end of it.
In fact, the real thing happened the next day.
“…That day, I remembered a passage from the scriptures: ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.’ Thus, I went forth to save my friends, not for personal glory, nor out of hatred or anger for the enemy, but solely for their sake.”
To ordinary believers, he taught the lessons of sacrifice and love from the Light’s teachings.
To the local leaders of the south, he conveyed a message that there was something other than ‘fierce anger or hostility towards the elves,’ a subtle warning not to cause friction in the current relationship between the Empire and the elves.
Karl faithfully carried out the requests made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before his departure.
After all, he had no desire to send his juniors to the same battlefield, to face the same enemy, ever again.
Just as Karl finished speaking and was about to clasp his hands in prayer,
“…What the…?”
Suddenly, something began to glow brightly from Karl’s chest.
Cardinal Beolant, the priests, the paladins, and all the believers in front of him were startled, but the most surprised was Karl himself.
‘What is this now?!’
Startled, he reached into his coat, and the first thing he grasped was, of course, that.
He pulled out the familiar hilt, and now his greatsword, practically an extension of himself, was emitting a light that was beyond mere brilliance.
Even under the bright sun, its radiance was even more intense. It was like a beacon in the darkest, foggiest place, guiding all the ships in the world so they wouldn’t lose their way.
“…”
The cardinal, witnessing the scene, was the first to kneel and recite the Lord’s Prayer.
Following suit, the priests, then the paladins, and finally the believers all knelt and began reciting the prayer along with the cardinal.
“Uh…”
Selena, wondering if she should do the same, also knelt. While reciting the prayer along with the others, she glanced at Karl and mouthed, ‘What’s going on?’
But could Karl answer? In fact, he was the most bewildered and dumbfounded by the current situation.
‘I mean, what is this?’
God, please. At the very least, shouldn’t we have agreed on this beforehand? How am I supposed to explain this if you just randomly do this?
Just as Karl finished speaking and was about to clasp his hands in prayer,
“…What the…?”
Suddenly, something began to glow brightly from Karl’s chest.
Cardinal Beolant, the priests, the paladins, and all the believers in front of him were startled, but the most surprised was Karl himself.
‘What is this now?!’
Startled, he reached into his coat, and the first thing he grasped was, of course, that.
He pulled out the familiar hilt, and now his greatsword, practically an extension of himself, was emitting a light that was beyond mere brilliance.
Even under the bright sun, its radiance was even more intense. It was like a beacon in the darkest, foggiest place, guiding all the ships in the world so they wouldn’t lose their way.
“…”
The cardinal, witnessing the scene, was the first to kneel and recite a prayer.
Following suit, the priests, then the paladins, and finally the believers all knelt and began reciting the prayer along with the cardinal.
“Uh…”
Selena, wondering if she should do the same, also knelt.
While reciting the prayer along with the others, she glanced at Karl and mouthed, ‘What’s going on?’
But could Karl answer? In fact, he was the most bewildered and dumbfounded by the current situation.
‘I mean, what is this? Goddess, please. At the very least, shouldn’t we have agreed on this beforehand? How am I supposed to explain this if you just randomly do this?’
Karl’s mind was racing faster than ever. He couldn’t just stand there dumbfounded in this situation.
He was the heir to the County of Friedrich, the future head of the Adelheit family, a noble of the Empire, their favored war hero, and a soon-to-be saint.
And a person of that stature had a duty to meet the expectations of others.
“Ah, um! So! Yes! I hear you, Light! I swear upon this sword, entrusted to me by my friends, that all nobles of the Empire shall pursue honor as I do! Duty and glory are one! Loyal to those above, compassionate to those below, until the moment I stand before you without shame!”
‘Screw it, I’ll just go with it. I’ll think about it later. It’s better than standing here like an idiot!’
Waving the lightsaber-like greatsword around, Karl spouted whatever came to mind.
The unfortunate thing was that no one present could question or find anything strange about his words.
“The Light watches over the Empire!”
“Know only honor, and glory will follow!”
“Goddess, protect His Majesty the Emperor and the Empire!”
“A new relic! The Sword of Oaths! The Light reveals a new will through the Blessed One!”
And in the midst of it all, the greatsword gained a new name and the title of a holy relic.
Watching the scene, Selena suddenly thought—
‘It’s a good thing Karl is kind.‘
She didn’t know why she thought so, but she was incredibly relieved that it was Karl, and not anyone else.
Meanwhile, Karl was thinking—
‘What is this atmosphere? I feel like I could grow a mustache and start spouting nonsensical propaganda… No, wait. Am I losing my mind?’
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
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