An Unexpected Gift
by Afuhfuihgs
I opened my eyes as the carriage came to a halt. What entered my vision was a gigantic World Tree. I blankly stared at the recreation of my imagination in the form of the massive World Tree that obscured even the endless sky, before getting out of the carriage.
I watched as a greasy-looking nobleman and a woman in an uncomfortable-looking dress emerged from the carriage, arm in arm, and headed towards a nearby building. There were more buildings around the World Tree than I had anticipated. There were things like churches, shops, and hotels, and several buildings under construction on the outskirts. Unlike Ludwig, which was growing into a huge city, this place had more of a resort vibe, I’d say.
Perhaps this was a deliberate choice, considering that the emergence of a new city here would weaken Ludwig’s power. The World Tree was clearly part of the territory belonging to Ludwig, so they probably decided there was no need to divide the city into two.
The largest building closest to the World Tree was, as expected, the church’s cathedral. It was only natural for the church to be located where the World Tree was. Even though the growth of the World Tree had nothing to do with the church, it was the church’s specialty to insist that the appearance of the World Tree was clear evidence of God’s existence.
Not interested in the church, I turned my gaze to a shop operating nearby. I browsed the shop along with the other people, but most of the items were souvenirs related to the World Tree. It seemed like they could only sell these kinds of things. Since most people could buy everything they wanted in Ludwig, it seemed they were only allowed to fulfill the role of a shop in a tourist destination.
Not particularly interested in buying souvenirs, I headed straight for the World Tree. However, a barrier blocking people from approaching the World Tree appeared again. I presented my golden identification badge to the soldier guarding the gate, just like before, but this time I was coldly rejected, unlike last time. Curious, I asked the soldier who refused my entry for the reason.
“Can’t I get any closer to the World Tree, even with this identification badge?”
“No, unless you have a special permit issued by the Imperial Family, no matter how noble your status, you cannot approach the World Tree. This is a rule for the safety of the World Tree.”
I guess there’s no helping it. I scratched my head and stared blankly at the World Tree, hoping for a flash of inspiration, when I felt someone approaching from behind and stopping. Raising my guard, I turned around, and a face that wasn’t unfamiliar came into view.
“Long time no see.”
An unforgettable face and voice. It was the church’s inquisitor, the bastard who tortured me himself.
Benedicto.
“I’ve heard a lot of rumors about you. Seeing your face in person like this, I can tell you’ve grown a lot since then. Did the experience you had with me become a good turning point in your life? Hehe.”
At those words, I unknowingly took a step towards Benedicto. Immediately, paladins who had been hiding nearby surrounded me as if to protect Benedicto. As if by instinct, I recognized all the spatial coordinates around me and finished preparing to draw up mana at any moment.
“Ah~ calm down. I didn’t come to find you to fight. Look at my attire. I’m not the inquisitor I used to be.”
Unlike before, Benedicto wasn’t wearing a red priestly robe. Rather, he was dressed in uncomfortable, heavily decorated attire that you’d only see at an Imperial Family festival. From the church’s emblem embedded in that outfit, I could tell that Benedicto had risen to a higher position.
“A cardinal, huh.”
“Yes, sadly, I don’t have the qualifications for pope yet. But I’ll eventually get it as time passes.”
Watching Benedicto gently stroke his clothes with his palm while wearing a benevolent smile, I scratched my chin and said.
“Then you shouldn’t have appeared before me. The date and the title of cardinal will be written on your tombstone today.”
As I subtly raised my momentum, the paladins in charge of guarding the cardinal also raised their momentum. But to me, I could clearly see a gap to pierce Benedicto’s head hiding behind the paladin’s shoulders. It was possible enough even without using space magic.
“…I told you, I don’t intend to fight. I’ve only come to invite you to the cathedral. Being able to enter the cathedral closest to the World Tree is an honorable thing that only a specially permitted few can do.”
“If you thought I’d accept your invitation with just that, I don’t think you’d have any regrets about dying by my hand.”
To be honest, I barely remember the torture that Benedicto inflicted on me. I have a vague feeling that such a thing happened, but at the time, I was in a state of unconsciousness with indomitable will. Still, the anger clinging to my unconsciousness remained under my skin, seething.
“…Tsk.”
Benedicto clicked his tongue and glared at me for a moment before letting out a long sigh. Then, as if he had never done that, he wore a benevolent smile.
“Of course, I’d like to send you an invitation to clear up any misunderstandings about me, but the reason I’m inviting you this time is to deliver a ‘gift’ left for you.”
“A gift?”
Thinking that I was showing interest, Benedicto pushed the paladins aside and took a step forward.
“Yes, it was a gift to be given to you whenever you came to find the World Tree. So, I had no choice but to wait endlessly here for you to come. A cardinal with so many things to do in the capital, mind you. Hehe.”
Hearing the annoyance in his voice, I smiled and said.
“I should have come later. Or should I go back and come back in a few years?”
“Then, of course, the gift would have to be discarded. If I said I met you but you refused the gift, no one would say anything.”
Seeing him raise the corners of his mouth as if he wanted that, I waved my hand as if I was annoyed.
“Lead the way.”
Benedicto, who reflexively frowned at the attitude of treating him as inferior, stroked his thick chin.
“Are you acting up like this because you trust your brother? Hehe. Well, I heard you dropped out of the academy belatedly. I think it’s a good choice. It would have been too wasteful to spend a year realizing that you’re being compared to the same bloodline and that you’re inferior―”
“Benedicto.”
Interrupting his words that he was spouting arbitrarily, I used the intangible to move right in front of Benedicto and looked down at him. The paladins, who couldn’t keep up with my speed, belatedly raised their hands to their sword hilts, but they couldn’t act any further because I was already completely close to Benedicto.
“Do you know why people have two eyes?”
At the kind question, Benedicto swallowed hard and lowered his gaze. I didn’t care whether his body was trembling because of fear or humiliation, so I slapped Benedicto’s cheek as if urging him to answer.
Pa-! Pa-! Each time the sound echoed from my palm, I could feel the paladins flinching, but they were people who couldn’t even keep up with my movements. Everyone had already noticed that if they moved rashly, Benedicto’s head would disappear first.
“Benedicto, are you curious about the reason?”
Benedicto, whose face had hardened, rolled his eyes. Noticing that the number of his eyeballs would change depending on what answer he gave, Benedicto moved his burst lip and answered.
“…N, no.”
“If you spout bullshit one more time, I’ll just tell you.”
As I said, tapping his cheek, Benedicto, who had been nodding diligently, suppressed his emotions and wiped the blood flowing from his lips before saying.
“…I will guide you to the cathedral where the gift is.”
*
As if they were planning to make it another cathedral symbolizing the church, the interior of the cathedral was so grand and beautiful that it was comparable to the cathedral in the capital. Seeing that they had built a cathedral with this level of quality in such a short period of time, I could tell how much money the church had.
Even though some parts were still under construction with screens installed, the cathedral’s completeness was more than enough. As I was looking at the statues, I realized that they weren’t all ‘statues’. There would be no more suitable material for the statues of sinners than the church’s followers.
Benedicto, whose face was a mess, gestured, and several nuns carefully placed a box the size of a person on the table. The gift didn’t seem heavy enough to require several people.
“This is the gift.”
“Who’s giving the gift?”
At my question, Benedicto showed a sign that he didn’t want to answer, but he eventually opened his mouth.
“…It’s from the Saintess-nim.”
“The Saintess?”
It hasn’t been revealed yet that the Saintess has died. I don’t know if the church doesn’t know, or if they’re planning to reveal it at an opportune moment, but only a few people would know about the Saintess’s death. Would Benedicto be among them? As a cardinal, he might know. But that’s not what’s important right now.
I slowly reached out and opened the lid of the box. Inside the box was a wooden spear with a design that looked like it was made directly by nature, and a letter. For some reason, that spear felt very familiar. But first, I checked the letter left by the Saintess.
It’s a short message.
– This will be very useful to you. You probably already know how to use it. I didn’t bother saying goodbye on purpose. I believe you will definitely succeed.
PS. I like apples. Enough to eat three at once.
“…”
After reading the letter one more time, I carefully put the letter in my pocket and took the wooden spear out of the box. The familiarity I felt in my hand the moment it touched me allowed me to realize it. That I had obtained the weapon used by Ross, who had reached the pinnacle of spear techniques.
The World Tree Spear.
It had come into my hands.
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