episode_0055

“So, what did we find?”

A dreary room with nothing in it.

A small eagle opened its beak.

“Well, what you asked for was the reason why the hero can cross the Red Sea.”

“okay.”

“No matter how much I research, I still can’t figure it out!”

“···?”

Moment.

My colleagues who were listening to the story laughed helplessly.

“Um, uh… you came here looking for that…?”

“I do not know!”

“···Ah yes.”

Isn’t that too confident?

It’s ridiculous that a man called the Grand Wizard is so proud and acts like he doesn’t know anything.

Did he notice us like that?

Hecate began to set the mood again, which had been turned upside down by saying she didn’t know.

“I don’t know, but one thing is certain.”

“sure thing?”

“Yes. The gods must have been involved.”

“Poetry, the gods…?”

Jupiter responded to Hecate’s words.

The gods were involved.

Now that she heard that story, as a priest, she couldn’t help but react.

“Yes. I don’t know why, but the hero and his companions all crossed the Red Sea unscathed. And unfortunately, no information remains.”

“What does that have to do with the gods?”

“Since there is no information, we can only conclude that the gods are the cause.”

···I didn’t really understand what was being said.

If you don’t know, just say you don’t know.

No matter how I think about it, it seems like an excuse.

Did he notice my suspicious gaze?

Piyak’s beak opened urgently. Ugh, spit is splashing.

“Think about it carefully! Heroes, with some exceptions, have no common ground!”

“That’s right.”

“So, it’s a god, that’s what it means. It has produced so many warriors who have had no contact for thousands of years, so who else can there be other than gods?”

Uh, I mean.

The reason why only warriors and their companions could cross for a long time was because the gods were watching. Is this it?

“Then, how can beings other than the hero and his companions safely cross the Red Sea?”

“Uh, umm… well.”

It’s useless.

It was like that last time, but in the end, this guy doesn’t tell you anything.

“I-I don’t know! There is a place where I expect to know!”

“Probable location?”

“Cathedral! You can go to the cathedral!”

···It’s easy to handle.

If you look at them with a moderately useless look, they will quickly pour out the knowledge they have.

Well, I’m called an archmage, so it would be embarrassing if people asked me if I didn’t know that.

“Ugh. To the cathedral? Really?”

“Should I go to Seongguk? I don’t want to go.”

“Ah, ahaha…”

However, when the story of a place called a cathedral came out, the reaction was unusual.

Lisbeth and Yuna complained as if they were fed up, and Jupiter, who should have been angry, instead of retorting, just laughed.

What else?

“I understand your feeling of not wanting to go to the Holy Kingdom, but there is nothing you can do about it. Since it is a place called the playground of the gods, there must be more information. Maybe you can find out why.”

“I really don’t like it. Can’t you go?”

“Are you crazy? I hate it too! Are you telling me to crawl into a place that is ridiculous to even be called a country like that?!”

“We don’t want to go either!”

wow.

We started arguing about not wanting to go.

“Hey, Jupiter.”

“Huh? What’s going on, sister?”

“What kind of place is Seongguk that you don’t want to go to like that?”

I asked Jupiter, who seemed to know the best.

Isn’t that what a holy country is like?

Pure white buildings lined up, and knights wandering around embroidered in gold and silver.

And a country where numerous clergy roam.

…If you don’t want to go like that, it’s inevitable that you’ll start to feel anxious.

What kind of country is this?

“Well, Seongguk… is a bit free-spirited.”

Freewheeling? The country of the gods?

“Ah, ahaha. There are not just one or two gods, and the church is even called a pantheon. There are so many…”

Jupiter speaks a little tiredly.

Her pale face gave me the feeling that she didn’t want to go either.

“I also heard this from the priest, but he said that there are endless disputes among believers in the Holy Kingdom.”

“Ah, I heard that too. They believe in different gods.”

“There are gods that many believers believe in. Lightning, justice, the sun…”

Jupiter showing a flash of lightning from his hand.

…Are you bragging that your god has many gods?

I think I was just bragging.

“But that doesn’t mean there are few followers of other gods. If people with different doctrines live together in one city…”

I imagined it for a moment.

Catholicism, Protestantism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam…

Imagine religious people from previous lives living together in one house.

It’s terrible. Wouldn’t it be nice if there wasn’t even a murder?

“So, the Holy Kingdom is a sanctuary for believers… but it is also a place that believers are reluctant to visit. There are frequent conflicts.”

“And we have to go to that place?”

“···yes.”

I don’t want to go.

No, do you really need to go to that place?

“It’s probably not as bad as you think!”

“I think it’s severe enough.”

“No! If it’s that bad, there’s no way we can live together! It’s okay!”

…I feel desperate for some reason.

Now that I think about it, did he yell out that he knew?

Are you saying that if you point that out, you might have to follow along, so it’s not a problem?

It’s a place that even Hecate, who said so, doesn’t want to go…

What is it really?

Rather, I started to get curious.

If it was an action aimed at touching the psychology of people who want to press the red button that says never to press, I could praise it.

I really want to go there.

“Okay, if I have to go, I have to go.”

“···Really? Are you really going?”

“There’s nothing you can do about it. They say you have to go to find a way.”

“If you say so…”

Everyone seems to be forced to agree.

What.

What kind of rumor is going around?

I’m really curious.

The image in my mind of a clean and holy country had already been shattered.

What kind of place is Holy Kingdom?

Seeing him freak out like that makes me even more curious.

“Okay, if it’s decided, let’s go as quickly as possible.”

To the Holy Kingdom.

···Ah, before that.

“Damian!”

“···What is it, why are you calling me? Are you done talking? It’s important so I told you to leave for a moment.”

“I have to leave for a while because I have work to do. If you’re hungry, ask Vivian for food. Don’t dirty the room without us, and…”

“Ahh, nagging again! I got it, I got it! It’s okay if I just do it!”

···This guy is real.

My temper is not going anywhere.

“Try to change your way of speaking. That way, that chick of yours won’t hate it.”

“She and I have nothing to do with each other! Please stop!”

“I understand, I understand. . . . Do I have to eat rice?”

“Okay, just go! I said I was going out!”

Oh, wait a minute.

Don’t push.

There’s still more to say…

“···Sister, isn’t there something particularly kind about that person?”

“That’s right. Damian seems to be more friendly to us than he is to us.”

“It’s good to be friends, right?”

“is that so···.”

***

“This is a sacred country.”

“It looks better on the outside than I thought.”

“···Is it even scarier because I’m fine?”

It’s been 10 days since we set off by carriage.

The Holy Land of the Holy Kingdom. Arrived at Nazaris.

“···Jupiter, you’re okay, right?”

“Uwaek. Sa, save me… Uwaek….”

“Wow! Joe, be careful! It’s dangerous! You almost fell!”

“···There’s no sign of it getting better.”

I’m still very motion sick.

I left Lisbeth and the dying Jupiter in the distance and looked around.

···Is it better than I thought?

The shattered image of the Holy Kingdom began to be reassembled.

Pure white buildings… There is.

Numerous believers who appear to be priests… There is.

Isn’t this okay?

What on earth happened?

While I was looking around and wondering, the rumbling sound started to get louder.

“···Sister, it’s a bit noisy over there.”

“I guess something is wrong. Let’s go.”

“Go first. I’ll go when he’s okay.”

“S-sorry…”

“Oh, don’t talk, just stay! Please!”

I left the two people alone and approached the noisy place.

…Hmm, is it a square?

Large, white buildings surrounded what appeared to be a circular square.

“It’s a duel! I can’t stand your insults!”

“I insulted you. I was just telling you the truth.”

“W-what! How dare you insult the God of Dueling like that!”

“He’s the leader of the gangsters who start fighting when he’s in trouble, isn’t he? He’s still doing it right now.”

In the center of the crowd, one believer was holding out a spear in anger.

driving me crazy.

Taking up arms? here? …Isn’t this inside the city?

Where did the guard go?

No, besides, why did you take out a weapon and the onlookers just looked at you without being scared?

“I’m sorry. The truth is always uncomfortable. I apologize.”

“Ha, about the bookworms who are sullenly locked in the library!”

“···That statement. You will regret it.”

“Oh, the sea I’ve been waiting for. Come on!”

Before I knew it, even the believers who had been verbally provoking me began to get angry.

···No, what if that happens to you too!

It really looks like a fight!

“It’s them today.”

“Who do you think will win? I’m betting on the duel over there.”

“I’m a bit of a bookworm. I fought with him last time, but he’s a little picky.”

“Now, don’t waste your money! In the name of the god of messengers and travelers, I won’t commit fraud!”

“Don’t be damned! I saw you cheating last time!”

“Get out! How are you interfering with business? Do you want to die!”

“Do you want to fight? Take my money you stole last time!”

No, what is it?

Two believers began a duel, and while they were staring blankly, a fight began to break out next to them.

What is it really?