Chapter 123: Holy City

Chapter 123 - Holy City

Updated: Jan 27

The Zesu Sect Holy High Society is an organization created by the founder Zesu.

Its purpose is to spread the teachings of Zesuism to the people and protect the land from maturing demonic beasts, so it is said that it has had a strong role as a ruler since its establishment.

Hundreds of years later, it is still a nation with its own territory and army. However, it has fallen far short of its heyday.

The political and economic center of Saint Navenpos, the once glorious holy city of Maguaose, was drizzling that day.

"Huh. ......"

In the anteroom of the Colpa Cathedral, a priest sighed.

The rain clouds outside the window were as dim as his heart.

"Priest Lante. You're sighing again."

The man called Lante replied, making no attempt to hide his annoyance at the priest who had warned him.

"I don't blame you. The mere thought of attending a saint's meeting makes my hands shake, so shut up and listen to me sigh."

"Isn't it a proud thing for a priest to be able to attend the Congregation for the Causes of Saints? I envy you."

In response to the priest's light-hearted remark, Lante pinched his own priestly garment between his fingers and flicked it around.

It was an unadorned garment that indicated the status of a lowly priest.

"If you want, you can take over. Wouldn't it be nice to sit at a round table with all the high priestly dignitaries?"

"Please don't. I'm more than nervous enough just being in this waiting room.

After that, Lante became silent with a sullen expression on his face.

The other priests in the anteroom understood how Lante felt, so they decided not to say anything else.

Tapping his fingers on the desk, Lante looks out the window and waits for the call with a sigh.

As the drizzle turned into a real downpour, there was a knock on the door of the waiting room.

"Thank you for your patience. Priest Lante, Priestess Renessa is waiting for you.

When Lante opened the door, it was his colleague, the priest, who was standing there.

As he led the way out of the corridor, he found an elderly woman waiting for him, dressed in a priestly uniform that was far more opulent than that of the lowly priest.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Priest Lante. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

Lante shakes off his nervousness and anxiety as he speaks.

When Renessa saw him, she smiled benevolently.

"You don't have to be nervous like that. I chose you to be my assistant because I judged that I needed you."

The Congregation of Saints, consisting of the Pope and nineteen supreme priests, was the apex of St. Navenpos's power.

The supreme priest was allowed to have one priest as his assistant, but a high priest was customarily chosen.

The term "high priest" does not refer to a specific position, but is a general term for all priests belonging to the Patriarch. In the same way, a low priest is a priest who belongs to the ancestor.

"But I am a lowly priest. ......"

"If you are concerned about such practices, you will not be able to move forward. Priest Lante, you know it well, don't you?"

As a subordinate of Renessa's, Lante is involved in the administration of the territory, reorganizing and reforming to break down vested interests.

However, in the corner of his mind, he thought that the custom of limiting the attendance of high priests at the saints' meetings was one of the customs that should be protected.

The high priests are the power and the key to protect St. Navenpos from the threats of the Levios Kingdom, not to mention the maturing demonic beasts.

It seemed like an act of disrespect to all the high priests for a lowly priest to attend a meeting of saints who were directly involved in the running of St. Navenpos.

Even if Renessa, one of the highest priests, allowed it, it was impossible to predict what the Pope and the other highest priests would think or do.

The worst that could happen is that the matter would be brought to the fore and Renessa would be forced to leave the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

"Has the ...... Priest Lante heard of today's agenda?"

"No, nothing yet. Does Priestess Renessa know about it?"

Renessa took a step closer to Lante, her eyebrows furrowed as she surveyed her surroundings.

Judging from the look on her face that this was a serious matter, Lante approached her with her head at Renessa's height and waited for her to speak.

"It looks like we're going to war with the Kingdom of Levios."

Before Lante could react, Renessa gestured with her finger, "Quiet.

Fortunately, Lante did not have the temperament to raise his voice carelessly. No one would have noticed the change if they hadn't seen his tense expression.

"Is it true, ......?"

"To find out, I would like you to assist me."

In the event that St. Navenpos and the Kingdom of Levios were to go to war, Lante began to run a number of simulations in his mind as to how he should act.

When Renessa saw the change in Lante's expression, she smiled with relief. There was the talented politician she had come to rely on as her one-armed friend.

"You've become a reliable face. I'm counting on you, Priest Lante."

With Lante nodding silently, Renessa began to walk down the corridor.

The meeting of the saints is held in the Holy Room, the innermost room of the Colpa Cathedral.

It is a sanctuary that not only ordinary believers and priests, but even high-ranking priests are not allowed to enter, unless they are from a very prominent family.

The sanctuary, which is said to be the room that Zesu, the founder of the church, used to pray in, was filled with a heavy atmosphere.

The presence of Lante, a lowly priest, was not well received by the other high priests, but their complaints were suppressed when the Pope accepted Renessa's word that there was no problem with the regulations.

"I will now hold an emergency meeting of the saints. Prayers and vows, each of you."

Since there is no hierarchy of supreme priests, the presiding role is rotational. This time it was Renessa who presided.

The meeting of the saints opened with the Pope, the supreme priest, the priests who assisted him, and several clerks and other administrative staff.

"First of all, let me ask you something. Is it true that you launched a massive indiscriminate attack in the Kingdom of Levios that failed?"

It was not the hostess, Renessa, who spoke first, but the middle-aged, bald-headed high priest.

He had a short temper and usually tended to ignore the moderator, but this time there was no one to blame. Everyone wanted to know the answer to his question.

"May I make a statement?"

The elderly high priest slowly lifted his palm, which was crisscrossed with blood vessels.

On the right half of his bearded face, a scar that looked as if it had been burned red stood out. It was a scar of honor from a battle with a mature magical beast.

He had been known as a martial artist in the past, and his body now looked well-trained and toned.

"Please. High Priest Terotris."

High Priest Terotris is one of the most outspoken priests in St. Navenpos.

The nineteen High Priests who attend the Congregation of Saints have formed several factions, one of which is the Terovolas faction.

One of the factions is the Terrorists, a faction that is willing to use violent means to revive the Society of the Holy High Priest. They are the extremists of the extremists.

"I would hate to be accused of having failed."

In an old man's voice, moderately hushed and low-pitched, Terotris continued.

"We have been forced into a situation where we must fail. I'm sure those of you sitting over there are well aware of that."

Making no attempt to hide his sarcasm, Terotris turned his palms to the other side of the round table and said.

"What do you mean?　The reason for this in the first place, Priestess Terotris!　It's probably because of the plan that you guys dictated!　Do you know how much more vigilant King's Landing has become because of that?

The Supreme Priest, who had his palms turned towards Terotris, who showed a fearless smile, turned red and protested. I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea.

When Lante thought that the discussion was about to turn into a shouting match, the moderator, Renessa, interrupted it.

"Silence. ...... Priestess Terotris. Can you begin by telling us what happened so that all of us here can understand?"

"Yes, miss."

After receiving the nomination from Renessa, Terotris stood up and looked at everyone sitting at the round table.

When his eyes met those red-black eyes, Lante felt a cold sweat break out on his back. It was as if he was looking at something dirty, a gaze that could only bring him shame.

I'll start with the conclusion. My subordinates have carried out a random attack. The location is New Nellie City in the Quadrant.

The words caused an uproar in the Holy Room.

"Why, of all places, New Nellie City?" Lante felt like slamming the desk.

And that seemed to be the feeling of most of the people present, as one of the high priests threw his words in anger.

One of the high priests said angrily, "Why did you provoke the Quardenze family?　Priest Terotris!　This is a serious matter!

Seeing the High Priest raising his voice, Lante inwardly cheered, "Good, say more.

The Quardenze family has not destroyed the Holy High Church despite being in the Kingdom of Levios.

Their collaboration with St. Navenpos is monitored and there are many restrictions on their activities, but they are still allowed to worship in New Nelly City.

There are a few moderate high priests who are considering reconciliation with the Kingdom of Levios, but they envisioned negotiations through the Quardenze family.

Even if they did not proceed with the reconciliation, there was no merit in making enemies of the Quardenze family, which was not strongly oppressive against the Holy High Society.

"Silence. Continue."

Renessa did her job as a moderator again and returned the control of the conversation to Terotris.

"We must start with the beginning. The first time this happened, I don't know how many years ago, a boy was born blessed by a spirit in a farming village near New Nellie City. The parents of the baby boy were devout members of the Holy High Society."

Even if it is just a commoner, a child of two slave ancestors, a person who belongs to the main ancestor can be born in very rare cases.

This is called a child blessed by the spirits, but in the Kingdom of Levios and the Jinkaen Empire, it is separated from its parents in the hunt for the main ancestor by the nobles.

As a rule, they are executed if they are boys, and if they are girls, they are often raised as mothers who bear children.

The parents, who did not want their child to be killed by the Quardenze family, consulted the church in New Nellie City. So we decided to raise the boy in secrecy from the Quardenze family.

It was only natural that the parents would try to hide the child, as a boy was certain to be executed.

But it was not something that could be easily hidden. As if he had read Lante's thoughts, Terotris continued his story.

The place where it was hidden was the field. Fortunately, there was a large field in New Nellie City.

The field is a perfect place to hide the baby of the main ancestor, since it is difficult for detection magic to work inside the field.

"I've heard that even babies can destroy leeches with just their natural magic power if they are the main ancestor. On the contrary, I would like to report that research has shown that leeches are no longer generated in an area the size of this room."

Lante understood the troublesome nature of leeches in the field, as he had once entered the field to exterminate magical beasts.

He thought that it would be quite convenient if he could just take one of the main ancestors into the field and not have to worry about leeches.

However, it was not in his power to take a high priest into the field.

"The environment for the child's upbringing was set up with the help of the local church leader. The environment for the child's upbringing was provided by the local churchwarden, and food was brought in mainly by adventurers, but I don't know much about that."

Adventurers spend several days or weeks in the field, so it was not unnatural for them to have a large supply of food.

The local church leader seemed to be a smart man in his own right, Lante thought.

"The reason we raised the boys, to create an army. Once the Blessed Child had reached sentience, we planned to bring in cheap slave girls to increase our numbers in the field. It would be just the thing for the incisive force of the coming days."

Terotris insists that we must fight the Kingdom of Levios decisively. The "coming day" he was referring to was the day of war with the Kingdom of Levios.

If the Kingdom of Levios and St. Navenpos were to go to war as he said, the Quardenze family would also join the war. If that happened, their home city of New Nellie would be stretched thin.

So what would happen if a special squad of followers led by the main ancestor suddenly popped up from the field?

It would be able to inflict a great deal of damage on the Quardenze family, who would be hit in the side.

Lante thought that what Terotris said made sense, regardless of whether it was right or wrong.

"In other words, we did not intend to carry out the same indiscriminate attack plan in the Quardenze territory as before. We intended to use the Blessed Child as a stallion. In fact, I've received reports that we were able to impregnate several of them."

Lante looked at Terotris's face.

He had the look of a man who was convinced that nothing he had done was wrong.

"However, our plan has been ruined. I believe there were some who failed to make it to King's Landing, and thanks to them, some of our movements were leaked."

When referring to those who failed in their efforts in King's Landing, Terotris glanced at a few of the high priests.

The irritated tone of voice that said it was your fault must have come from the heart.

Unfortunately, the only ones in the field were the Blessed Child and a newborn baby. It's no wonder he chose to strike a blow against the tyranny of the nobles rather than flee with them. My comrade Diana has carried out an indiscriminate attack by a mature magical beast."

Lante knew the name of the low-ranking priestess Diana.

Diana was a direct subordinate of Terotris, a female priest with a strong radical ideology. It would not be surprising if she launched an indiscriminate attack, as Terotris had suggested.

The details are still unknown, but a mature magical beast was born and attacked New Nelly City.

Once again, the Holy Chamber becomes noisy.

Everyone understood that a mature demonic beast jumping out of a field the size of New Nellie Field would be a once-in-a-century disaster.

They all waited for Terotris to continue, wondering how much land had been contaminated and in which direction the mature demonic beast that had destroyed New Nellie City was headed.

Lante also narrowed his eyes as he thought about what to do.

If a mature demonic beast were to move south, it would cause a great deal of trouble for the city-states that had established friendly relations with St. Navenpos.

And if this plot were to be leaked, it would lead to a serious deterioration in relations.

"......, by the way. The mature demonic beast was apparently defeated overnight. By the Quardenze family."

The face of Terotris, who said it as if he were spitting it out, was heartbreakingly bitter.

It was not only Lante who felt the concentrated outpouring of rage, like sludge spewed from the depths of his throat.

Everyone in attendance gasped at the sight, and for a moment the holy room was silent.

"...... Wait. I'm not sure if it's possible to defeat a mature demonic beast of the scale of New Nellie in one night?　This is the first time I've seen such a thing. I've never heard of any heroism against a mature demonic beast before."

The question that everyone felt was voiced by one of the High Priests.

After the silence was broken, the other high priests began to voice their doubts one after another.

Is it really a magical beast that was born in New Nellie Field?　Could they be mistakenly thinking that it was born in a smaller field?

"No, it's likely that Galfis was staying in New Nelly City. It makes sense if you consider that the one night was just a rumor and they actually fought for several days."

"Isn't it normal to think that Galfis is on the front lines against the Empire?　Considering the current composition of the Quardenze family, it is reasonable to place Galfis in the west."

"It's probably just that their military prowess wasn't widespread and they had power in their own generation. It's no wonder he has the blood of the Five Lords Princess and the Red Devil in his veins.

As speculation spread everywhere, Renessa turned her gaze to Lante.

"What do you think Priest Lante?"

"I......"

The moment Lante was about to speak his thoughts, Terotris lightly poked the desk and then answered his question.

"It was the legitimate son of the Quardenze family, Quardenze Wilk, who took the fall. I've received reports that a festival was held in his name in New Nellie City."

Even the High Priest does not know the name of the child of a noble family.

Terotris looked at the Supreme Priests, who were not responding well, and began to tell them information about the vanquisher, as if he had no choice.

"It seems that the priest Lante already knew."

-Seeing that Lante was listening to her only for confirmation, Renessa said quietly. Lante immediately affirmed it.

"Yes. Recently, some of us have become obsessed with Quardenze, and I naturally became familiar with it.

"So ...... I'd like to have a little chat with you when the meeting is over. The fact that a mature magical beast was defeated in a single night raises eyebrows, but I am concerned about the fact that the head of the Quardenze family is trying to spread the name of his son. I'm sure they have some sort of agenda, since the Quardenze are schemers."

Terotris's explanation was over while Lante and Renessa were whispering.

After looking around at everyone for the last time, Terotris begins to conclude his story.

"There's one last thing I want to say. Diana sent me a letter before she went ahead with her plan. This letter."

Then he took out a letter and flicked it around.

"It says that the indiscriminate attack will be carried out after all conclusive evidence has been destroyed. We'll just have to go through with it."

No matter how much the low priests said they would dispose of the evidence, the high priests could not be trusted.

In their eyes, Diana was just a feeble being with the magical power of a follower.

"What would happen if Priestess Diana was captured by the Quardenze family?　Wouldn't she tell them everything?"

Terotris glared at the High Priestess, who had interjected from the side.

"First, sacrifice the captured adventurers, then the hired mercenaries, then the babies that the Blessed Child has given birth to, and if the magical beast does not mature with that, Diana will offer herself, and finally the Blessed Child will jump in. ...... This is the indiscriminate attack plan that was written in the letter."

Lante felt his skin crawl with fear at the spirit of this man who was willing to sacrifice his own body to carry out the plan.

The Blessed Child was also educated in the ideology of the extremists, so he would have no doubts about being sacrificed.

The distortions of the extremists and the terrorists made Lante feel fearful even after all this time.

"The demonic beasts won't mature in the New Nellie Field if we take in a few ...... squires. I believe that taking in the Blessed Child probably completed the maturing of the demonic beasts. Considering the order of events, Diana is most likely already dead."

The tone of Terotris's voice dropped, and as soon as he finished, he prayed to the spirits. It was a requiem prayer for Diana, the lowly priestess.

With his eyes closed, Terotris said: "Even if she caught, there is no problem. Diana will not succumb to the torture of the nobles."

This confident statement resonated well in the quiet sanctuary.

After the meeting of the saints was closed, Lante and Renessa returned to the waiting room and let out a sigh together.

It had only been about 20 days since the indiscriminate attack by the mature magical beasts in New Nellie City.

At the moment, they could only trust what Terotris, who was an expert on New Nellie City, had to say.

There are many things we don't know, such as how the Quardenze family will actually act, how much information they have, and whether the lowly priestess Diana has really been able to dispose of the evidence.

Renessa felt the need to find out what was going on in the city of New Nellie as soon as possible, and closed the meeting of the saints before it fell into disarray.

She felt that making a decision without enough information would be like letting Terotris do what he wanted.

In fact, there is a hint that Terotris wants a war with the Kingdom of Levios.

It's a good thing that we were able to avoid having to start a war with him before he does.

Lante, on the other hand, was pessimistic.

He thought that an open war with the Levios Kingdom was quite possible.

There was a possibility that the Quardenze would not announce the indiscriminate attack by the Holy High Society because they wanted to prioritize the war against the Jinkaen Empire.

However, Lante believed that there was a 50-50 chance that the Quardenze would choose that option.

If the facts were made public, the Leviathans would take up the cause and declare war on Saint Navenpos.

Lante was desperately trying to think of a way to avoid war.

It was only when a cold sweat trickled down his chin that he heard a soft, sweet voice in his ear.

"Priestess Renessa."

"It is the Holy Priestess, isn't it? What brings you to this place?"

Renessa replied to the owner of the voice, and Lante just looked at her in silence.

There was a girl standing there.

She was a girl of an age that could best be described as a girl taking the first steps in her transformation into a woman.

The pure white robe she wore was simple, with only a few gold ornaments sewn into the ends of the sleeves and the edges of the cloth.

It is made of layers of cloth, and to the casual observer, it looks less expensive than a high priest's robe worn by a renaissance man.

However, the cloth was made from the finest pure white silk of the Mamshred Federation.

The clothes, which were worth enough to build a small castle or two, were holy garments that only those in the position of holy priest were allowed to wear.

"Please don't call me a holy priestess. Please, as always.

The way she speaks in a calm tone is that of a saint who knows no dirt.

I'm not sure if it's the light or the black hair that reaches her knees like the darkness of the night, but it has a lustrous shimmer to it that is out of character for a young girl.

Her black, childlike eyes shone like obsidian, making her smile all the more attractive.

Lante, who turned thirty this year, gazed at the girl who could have been his daughter and swallowed his saliva.

As for Renessa, she was a little stunned but relieved to see that the girl's attitude was the same as usual.

"You haven't changed at all, Lorna. The only people in this room right now are from my faction, but you mustn't talk like that anywhere else."

Holy priestess Lorna.

She was a girl who held a position as a symbol of faith in Saint Navenpos.

"So what are you doing here? You don't attend meetings of the Saints, do you?"

The current position of the holy priestess is only a symbol and has no political power.

Since the position is only for the purpose of gaining popularity among the people, beautiful daughters from famous families were usually chosen.

"I have a question for you."

"What is it?"

Renessa used to be Lorna's tutor, and sometimes she would come to her for advice like this.

Most of the consultations had nothing to do with politics, and were mostly about what was wrong with her pets or what she didn't understand in her study of ancient languages.

Sometimes, when Renessa was busy, Lante and his friends would write to her with their answers.

"What’s going on in New Nellie? 　I'm so nervous...I can't sleep at night..."

"Lorna is kind. ..... let's pray to the spirits."

Lante was not too fond of the sweet spirit of the holy priestess.

Yes, she was undoubtedly beautiful and a perfect symbol. But couldn't she have done something about this heartwarming personality?

Why was Lorna, her student, so laid back when Renessa was such a spirited woman?

Lante wanted to end this boring conversation quickly and discuss how to deal with the Levios Kingdom.

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However, Lorna slowly denied Renessa's words.

"I am not a stranger. A friend of mine is visiting the church in New Nellie. Oh, ...... how I can only pray that she is safe. ......"

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Lante wasn't the only one who was startled by these words.

All of the priests around her, including Renessa, gasped.

The holy priest's friend couldn't be just a commoner, he was definitely from the Holy High Society.

"Who is this friend?　Why were you visiting the church in New Nellie?"

"What?　What's wrong with you, Priestess Renessa? Why do you have such a scary face? ......"

"Just answer me, please. This is very important."

When Renessa shouted, Lorna began to speak in a faltering voice, as if she could read the air a little better.

"I don't know if you know this priestess Renessa, but her name is Cynthia. She is a very kind woman who cares about the scriptures. ......"

"Lante."

When his name is called, Lante immediately twists a priestess named Cynthia out of his memory.

A woman named Cynthia who was close to the holy priestess and was a devout Christian.

The first thing that came to Lante's mind was a female priestess whose breasts caught his attention.

Casually approaching Renessa, Lante told her where Cynthia was from, her affiliation, and her position.

"Lorna, please tell me. Tell me, Lorna, why did priestess Cynthia go to the church in New Nellie City?"

If the holy priestess is trying to become politically powerful, she must have some kind of agenda since she sent her men to New Nelly. Lante looked at Lorna's face and tried to find out what was behind it.

But Lorna's face remained unconcerned.

"It is said that New Nelly City is in the Kingdom of Levios, but the Holy High Church is still there. If that's the case, then it would be possible to get along with the Quardenze family, wouldn't it?"

Of course, Lante would not deny Lorna's words. She is a holy priestess, and her status is much higher than that of Lante, a lowly priestess.

You can't say, "No, of course not."

"If we show the correct beliefs of the Holy High Society, the Quardenze family will surely understand. Cynthia seemed to agree with me and wanted to actually take action. ......, so I gave her some time."

"Cynthia told me that she was going to improve the status of the Holy High Society by working faithfully as a nun, and then she left."

Lante couldn't help but think about that peaceful thought. The same seemed to be true for Renessa.

The holy priestesses of the day were very religious and had no interest in political battles. And there's not much a priestess can do.

As a result, they are neglected by all factions and have little experience in the viciousness of factional conflicts.

She is beautiful and calm, and has probably been surrounded by good intentions her whole life. She believes that if you approach someone with good intentions, they will respond with good intentions.

If the Quardenze family accepts the Holy High Society, the Kingdom of Levios will one day admit its mistakes. There is no mistake in the teachings of the saints.

Seeing the holy priestess who believed in a bright future without a single speck of doubt, Lante couldn't help but wonder if he was the one who was wrong.

"Priestess Renessa?　Um, did I do something wrong ......?"

Lorna said uneasily, as she noticed that everyone in the room had a suspicious look on their faces.

Renessa put her hand on Lorna's shoulder and said admonishingly.

"No," she said. Your idea is a wonderful one. Your ideas are wonderful, they are the very ideals of the Holy High Society. ...... But if you are going to do anything that takes you outside of St. Navenpos, you need to talk to someone. Preferably me."

It sounded a bit like she was trying to get the priestess to join her faction, which was a dangerous thing to say.

But even so, Renessa wanted to reduce the chance that Lorna would be in danger.

For Renessa, who had never been blessed with a child, Lorna was like a daughter to her as well as a student.

"I will look into the movements of Priestess Cynthia at ....... Lorna must not move."

"Yes sir. Yes sir. ...... I made a mistake, Priestess Renessa.

The holy priestess corrected her in a cute way, but Lante looked at her with a cold eye.

Cynthia, like the holy priestess, is definitely a priestess of the so-called faithful.

She is incompatible with the Terrorists, who would not hesitate to unleash mature magical beasts in order to regain the authority of the Holy High Society.

He must have gone to New Nellie City regardless of the plans of the Terrorists and was working without knowing anything about it.

Thinking about this incident, Cynthia would have met a tragic end.

She would be arrested without question just for being in the Holy High Church and tortured to tell the whole truth about the indiscriminate attack plan that she was not supposed to know. She was just genuinely trying to protect the teachings of the saints.

The holy priestess and Renessa prayed to the spirits for her safety, but Lante only prayed that she would be able to meet her end as peacefully as possible.

Renessa, Lante, and the other priests headed straight for Renessa's mansion.

Lante had a position in the church, but his main responsibility was to manage the territory that Renessa owned.

Most of the priests who hold territories live in the Holy City and govern without going to the territories.

Because the territory of St. Navenpos as a whole is not that large, even if a mature demonic beast appears, they can rush from the Holy City in time.

Lante looked around the work area of the mansion and confirmed the situation.

In the last room he visited, a young man was lying on the floor.

"Vidaldo, what are you doing?"

"Ah, the ...... Priest Lante. This is how I work out my calculations."

If you looked, you would see blueprints spread all over the floor.

Lante picked up one of them. It was a blueprint for a bridge.

"Can you really build a bridge this big?"

"Well..."

Vidaldo fell silent.

Thinking it would be a bad idea to interrupt his work by talking to him, Lante decided to look at the other blueprints scattered on the floor. They ranged from designs for bridges and mansions to construction plans for flood control.

He had no idea what the formulas were, but he didn't need to understand them, so he abandoned his thoughts.

In the past, Vidaldo had created unfamiliar blueprints and made them a reality. There was no need for him to encroach on his work.

The only thing that Lante could enjoy was the projected finished painting.

Remembering that Vidaldo used to make money as a painter, Lante felt that it would not be surprising if someone would pay for a painting as magnificent as this one.

"The budget is not enough. I'm running out of money. Let me do more experiments."

"I'm sorry, but we have our hands full with this. I'm sorry Vidaldo, but I hope you can make do with the budget you have."

Renessa appeared from behind Lante.

Lante straightened his posture in fear at the sudden appearance, but Vidaldo remained sprawled out.

"Hey, Vidaldo!　Don't dress so rudely in front of Priestess Renessa!"

"I don't mind. Vidaldo's job is to think, and if no one else is around, he doesn't have to be so formal with me."

"You're a good judge of character, Miss Renessa."

Vidaldo laid down to show Lante his approval and farted.

Vidaldo, the man who had done such a rude thing, was just a commoner. He is not even a priest, let alone a main ancestor. He is a weak man with no magical power.

The only thing that makes him worthy is his genius mind.

Math, architecture, civil engineering, and painting were just a few of his abilities. This young man, who was exceptionally talented in everything, was one of the most valuable people that Renessa had found.

"But the budget is the only thing we can't control," he said. "Can't you do something with the budget you have?"

Renessa was pragmatic and rationalist among the high priests.

She would call low ranking priests like Lante to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints if she thought they were capable, and she had no trouble using laymen like Vidaldo. She believes that everything is for the good of St. Navenpos.

"Lady Renessa, Vidaldo is even using the budget for his own hobby experiments. The more we give him, the more he spends on experiments."

"Good experiments are what give rise to good ideas. I'm just doing my best for Miss Renessa. So it's okay to experiment a little bit with my hobby.

Lante knew that Vidaldo wasn't completely wrong; there had been several times when his experiments had led to a solution to a problem that had paid off handsomely.

In total, it was a definite plus, but the problem for Lante was that he had too many gold coins to invest.

"I've already given up on the mana crystal experiment, so why don't you give me a little extra?"

"That's a given. If I wanted to buy mana crystal, my finances would be in the red at once. We went to a lot of trouble to make it healthy."

He wanted to be patient with Vidal, though he had a bit of a budget to pay for it.

"It is no laughing matter if the estate is ruined for the sake of the idea of the Rebirth Initiative."

Renessa was currently working on a plan called the "Rebirth Initiative".

Right now, she was putting all her energy into reorganizing and revitalizing her territory.

Lante's organizational reforms had gone smoothly, and Renessa's territory, which had been in the red for years, had become healthier.

Since Vidaldo's arrival, a number of facilities and tools using new technology have been created, and productivity has increased dramatically.

Renessa had planned to make achievements in her own territory first, and then advocate for the reform of St. Navenpos as a whole.

The plan was to do so and take control of the reforms, streamline the governance structure, and increase the power of the country to compete with the Kingdom of Levios.

"Rebirth, huh? It's all the rage."

For the past ten years or so, an idea called "Reincarnation" has been spreading in St. Navenpos.

In the past, the Holy High Society had influence all over the continent and boasted immense authority. Today, however, St. Navenpos has fallen and is not even a shadow of its former self.

The basic idea of reincarnation is to regain the authority of the Holy High Church as it was in the classical era, because the current situation is not good.

This is a vague idea, and it depends on how you look at it.

For Renessa, Nativism is about opposing the kingdoms and empires by correcting the organization, making it financially sound, and boosting the economy and culture, as the cause of the corrupt Holy High Society itself.

For Terotris, reincarnation is about demonstrating the power of the priests by overthrowing the nobility through force and violence.

For the holy priestess Lorna, reincarnation means reexamining the scriptures to regain the correct faith and become a virtuous priest, because the Holy High Priestess has lost faith and fallen.

"In the meantime, why are you so involved in the Rebirth Movement?　I think you should only think about your own territory, I think..."

In response to Vidaldo's light tone, Renessa turned a serious expression on her face.

"It is to protect a world where people can live as people."

"What?"

Vidaldo, who had been expecting her to answer with some definite benefit, gave a distracted reply.

The two of them were in the kingdom of Levios.

"Are you two aware of the current situation in the Kingdom of Levios?　The Holy High Church has been destroyed and the faith is in ruins."

The Church of the Holy High Priest has been destroyed and the faith is on the verge of extinction," Renessa said slowly, as if she was a teacher teaching.

"Of course. It is nothing but the arrogance of the aristocracy. Destroying a church is unacceptable."

"I've never been to the Kingdom of Levios, but I hear it's like that. Priests have a hard time finding jobs."

There is no priest in St. Navenpos who does not know that the Kingdom of Levios is destroying the Holy High Church.

Lante was unsure of Renessa's true intentions for asking such a question.

When Renessa heard both of their answers, she exhaled deeply.

"No, you don't know anything about it. I am not talking about the Church of the Holy High Society or the priests. I'm talking about the people."

"The people?"

"I'm not talking about the Holy High Church or the priests."

"Do you know how the people in the Kingdom of Levios live now?　Do you know how the people in the Kingdom of Levios live now? How do they decide what is good and what is evil?"

"Good and evil are things that common sense can tell us."

"What you mean by common sense is the teachings of the Holy High Society. The common sense you are referring to is the teaching of the Holy High Church. ...... Priest Lante, a child must not kill his parents. Why is that?"

"It's in the scriptures. ......"

"That's it," said Renessa, clapping her hands.

"The child must not kill the parent. That's what the scriptures say. So, Priestess Lante, if you were to ask the people of the Kingdom of Levios the same question, what would they say?"

"I don't know, ..............................."

"There is no Holy High Church in the Kingdom of Levios. This means that there are no priests to read the scriptures to the people."

"This means that the people of the Kingdom of Levios do not have access to the scriptures."

"That's what I mean. We don't know what the people of Levios think is good and what they think is bad. This is very frightening, don't you think?"

"...... It is, indeed."

"There are people for whom common sense, which we take for granted, does not apply at all. I think that is terribly unsettling, don't you?"

Lante felt that he understood what Renessa was trying to say.

"Our values are based on common sense, based on the scriptures of the Holy High Society. I had an instinctive fear that there were people in the Kingdom of Levios who could not understand that at all."

"What I have just said is an extreme example, because even without priests, there is common sense that can be passed from parent to child."

Renessa continued.

"But the Church has been destroyed for about eighty years, the people are weaker than we are, and the generations change quickly. The common sense that is handed down from parent to child will fade as the generations go by. There is no priest in the Kingdom of Levios who can point that out."

This means that there will be a growing gap in common sense with St. Navenposs.

The common sense that needs to be conveyed will fade away, and even if the wrong common sense gets mixed in, there will be no priest to correct it.

Since there is no unified teaching like the Holy High Society, each person creates his or her own sense of values, and as many people as there are, common sense is born.

"What do you think will happen to the people of the Kingdom of Levios if the current situation continues for 100 or 200 years? Do you think you will be able to work hand in hand with the people who live there?　Can you trust them with your heart?"

"...... cannot."

As if to cover Lante's answer, Renessa continued.

"It's the same for them. The people of the Kingdom of Levios will not be able to trust the people of the Holy High Society because they will not be able to understand them. It's a world where people can't trust others."

"It is a world of beasts," Renessa assured him.

"Once that happens, all that awaits is endless killing. ......"

Lante felt that people who were blind to their beliefs were like beasts.

But he had never imagined that someone would see him as a beast.

"The teachings of the Founder Zesu, and the teachings of the saints, do not exist only for the benefit of the Holy High Society. They are teachings that are necessary for people to live hand in hand."

Lante nodded silently.

"We, the Society of the Holy High Priest, have forgotten our mission in the past and have allowed ourselves to be corrupted by our obsession with authority and the rise of the nobility. Faith should not be for priests. Faith must not be for priests, for it is necessary for man to live as a man, not a beast."

"Yes."

"We must rebuild St. Navenpos and turn the people back to the ways of men, not the ways of beasts. That is our mission and our responsibility."

Having watched Renessa struggle with the idea of the rebirth, Lante was convinced that she meant what she said.

He opened his clenched fist and saw that he was sweating slightly.

That was the end of the conversation, and tea was prepared by Renessa, who said she was thirsty after her powerful speech.

As the three of us were drinking tea, Renessa reminded me, "I remember in the saints' meeting, you said that Priest Lante had become familiar with the territory of Quardenze. Who told you that?

"Oh, that's Vidaldo. Isn't he the one who knows the most about the Quardenze family in this house?

When Vidaldo heard his name called, he turned his gaze only to Lante.

"Oh, What interest did Vidaldo have?"

"I've heard that in the last few years the Quardenze has been making a name for itself, and that New Nelly Silk has been making soap and other unusual things, as well as the Nambonan market."

As they looked at him, Vidaldo stood up and picked up a book from the shelf.

Placing the book on his desk, he said, "Here. This. It's a book made in New Nellie City."

Renessa took the book and flipped through the pages.

The last page was stamped with the author's name and the seal of the bindery.

You're still reading that boring book?"

Lante had read the book before, but had stopped reading halfway through.

Lante wondered why a man as smart as Vidaldo would keep such a book in his possession.

"Isn't it boring?"

Vidaldo did not respond to Renessa's question, so Lante answered instead.

"Well, what can I say? ...... It's a boring book. It's ridiculous. I think it is a book made by a rich man for pleasure. The author's name looks like a pseudonym.

"Oh dear. Then what did Vidaldo find to be so excellent?

Vidaldo did not say anything. It's not as if he was embarrassed by his favorite book.

"I think you should read it once, Lady Renessa. Then I will answer you.

Vidaldo then pulled some more books off the shelf and placed them in front of Renessa.

When Renessa's eyes fluttered, he continued.

"So far, this is all I have."

"So many ....... These are books that were sold in the city of New Nelly in the territory of the Quadrant, right?　What did you do with the money?　If you buy them here, you'll have to pay more to the merchant, right?

"I paid for it out of my salary. I'm living in poverty.

"Oh, my God. ......"

In order to keep the genius Vidaldo around, Renessa is giving him an unbelievable amount of gold coins as his salary.

Knowing the amount of gold she had prepared, Renessa was horrified to find that they had been turned into books.

"It's such an interesting book. And I'm curious about the author. See, if you replace them like this: ......"

With that, Vidaldo brought out a wooden letter for notes.

Vidaldo wrote the author's name on it, and then wrote down each of the words that made up the name in a different order.

"............ Quardenze Wilk?"

What appeared there was the name of the legitimate son of the Quardenze family, which had been the topic of conversation at the meeting of the saints.

"Yes. I was wondering if the author of this book is actually a nobleman. That would be really interesting. Interesting. And the latest volume is really exciting, I can't wait to read the next one."

Neither Lante nor Renessa noticed that Vidaldo's eyes were shining brightly.

"I can't wait to read the next volume. I'm sure you'll have a hard time getting it if you go to war with the Levios Kingdom. ......"

"What?"

Even though Renessa was hiring him, Vidaldo was not a priest, just a commoner.

Lante hesitated to tell Vidaldo about the contents of the meeting with the saints.

"Are you sure, Lady Renessa?"

"It will soon become a rumor, so let us tell the story ourselves."

Lante reconsidered, "It's true that bad rumors like this spread quickly.

If that's the case, it's better to tell them first than to let them hear exaggerated information.

Lante agreed with Renessa's idea and decided to tell Vidaldo about the situation.

"Huh.　The ...... die is cast, huh?"

Vidaldo muttered, and Lante picked up his words.

"What's that?"

It's a quote from a general in this book. Remember it well, it will come in handy soon.

Lante felt something disturbing about Vidaldo's fearless smile.

The next day.

Vidaldo had disappeared, leaving only one letter.

The letter said, in summary, "I'm moving to New Nelly City because I don't want to lose the ability to read the latest volumes. I'll pay you back this month's salary in books. Bye-bye."

Not wanting to give up a brain as smart as Vidaldo's, Renessa and Lante immediately sent their men after him.

In order to get to New Nellie City from St. Navenpos, all they had to do was to head north along the great river.

They couldn't deny that they was too proud to think that they could catch up with Vidaldo, who had no magic power.

In the end, Renessa and the others were unable to find Vidaldo.

At the same time that Lante and the others were in trouble, Vidaldo was on a ship crossing the great river.

There was no need to cross the river to get to the city of New Nelly, but Vidaldo had crossed it in anticipation of his pursuers.

If Priest Lante had read the book, he would have known.

If he had been caught, he would have been caught, so Vidaldo playfully told Lante, "The die is cast."

In the book, the general who said "the die is cast" was in the process of crossing the river, implying that he was crossing the great river to New Nellie.

"Now, what to do?"

The Quardenze family seemed to have a lot of money, so if possible, he would also like to get a job similar to the one he had when he was employed by Renessa.

Either way, he would like to meet the legitimate son of the Quardenze family.

Vidaldo was sure that if he could get a meeting with him, he would be able to show his talent and get some kind of job.

The most troublesome part was to get the meeting.

He needed a souvenir that would attract the attention of the nobles.

"Hey, where are you going?"

A sailor on a break spoke to Vidaldo.

He thought about it for a moment and then said.

"I'm going to go back to my hometown to see the sea, and then New Nellie City."

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