episode_0028

The road leading from Philah was wide and well-maintained.

I thought to myself, “It’s worth the expensive fee they charge.”

With a good road, many people use it. As the number of users increases, so does the income, allowing for better security management on the road.

Thanks to the guaranteed safety, more people use it, creating a positive cycle.

This is due to the geographical feature that those on pilgrimage to the Papal See and students heading to university must pass through Philah, bringing great wealth to the city.

There’s no need to go far, as even from Lycia, the purpose wasn’t such a long journey.

“Compared to other roads we’ve traveled, this one is particularly wide.”

“That means we’re getting closer to the Papal Decree.”

“Why is that?”

Lycia turned her head slightly to look at me.

She must have been trying to make eye contact to ask a question, but it was not easy to maintain focus while speaking, so the girl tried a few times to turn her head and eventually gave up, looking ahead at the road.

Certainly, with the right information, Lycia had a keen ability to read the political currents.

Predicting future events based on a few words picked up from passersby and official documents from the Papal See was not something just anyone could do.

However, when it came to more secular matters, she sometimes showed a lack, as the only access she had to information was outside the church in Bolle.

To obtain quality information, she had to ask pilgrims or merchants passing between cities, and if that wasn’t possible, she had to go out and find it herself.

Of course, there was no guarantee that the information obtained in this way was accurate, so some cross-verification was necessary.

And in reality, at least outwardly, distancing themselves from the secular world was the church’s policy, so the lack of such information was understandable.

After all, the reason the Pope was spreading rumors in all directions was not because the secular power of the emperor was involved.

It wasn’t something that could be resolved in a day or two.

And having spent half of my life being dragged around by my master, gaining a lot of experience by traveling here and there, I had enough knowledge from experience to be a sort of time tutor for the girl.

My master loved to talk about old stories, so I had a lot of useless trivia. Stories that weren’t easily heard elsewhere.

Well, maybe I should try being a guardian for a change.

After all, isn’t there something called home education? Education is also the duty of a guardian.

“A thousand years ago, there was an empire that unified this continent. Do you know what the name of that empire was?”

“Oh, I’ve heard of this before. It has the same name as the current empire, right?”

That’s right, it’s the Remus Empire.”

They say if you don’t know history, you have no future, but now is the age of men who live for today.

It was a medieval era where the aftermath of plundering was postponed, and illiteracy was rampant.

Even if you knew how to read, going a step further to learn ancient characters and interpret their meanings was not something anyone could do. History education wasn’t in high demand, so it didn’t spread widely.

So, the history that ordinary people encountered was mostly in the form of myths and legends.

When a child couldn’t fall asleep and asked for old stories, it was good to tell them, but with so much embellishment, the stories were somewhat detached from reality.

“And what is the name of the city where the Papal See is located?”

“I heard it’s called Remus. But now that I think about it, it’s strange. Why is the city where the Papal See is located the same name as the empire?”

“The name of that ancient empire was derived from its capital, and the site where the Papal See was located was precisely that capital.”

Now, even though we are in an era of unprecedented turmoil, divided into countless kingdoms and principalities, it wasn’t always like this a thousand years ago.

The empire of that time had created this very system of roads.

Keeping the roads well-maintained was crucial. If soldiers could travel easily, invasions could be repelled, and the spoils of war could be safely collected. Looking back, it seemed a bit unfair.

Profiting from a road that wasn’t even yours to begin with. Real estate truly was the best investment.

They say that if you own the land, you also own the rights to the roads around it.

Regardless of the wealth and fame, the name of the game was profit. This was a significant factor in my pursuit of becoming a real estate tycoon.

Thinking about the tolls we had to pay every time we crossed a city, it was a simple and relatable concept.

“So why is the modern empire using that name again? Did they bring back the imperial heir or something?”

“No, it’s not that. The empire was revived by the Pope granting authority to the Emperor.”

“But what about that Emperor?”

“He was excommunicated.”

Ricia, who was listening in from behind, had a subtle expression on her face.

With no capital, an Emperor excommunicated by the Pope, and the imperial successors refusing to acknowledge the Emperor’s authority, there was a sense of confusion about where the true power lay.

After some thought… it seemed like there was none.

It was a strange situation. Both the church and secular nobles had been living in deception and contradiction for a long time. And enduring such contradictions was what defined an empire.

In summary, the Papacy and the Papal decrees around it were enjoying great success inheriting most of the legacy of the ancient empire.

The empire’s legacy had various aspects, including roads, buildings, artworks, and of course, magic. That’s why the university was located nearby.

“That makes sense.”

“Learn diligently while you’re there. There’s no place as proficient in magic as the university.”

Ricia fell silent for a moment.

After hesitating for a while, she softly asked, “Even after we part ways at the university… can you come back later?”

“Hmm?”

“…Even after we part ways, can you come back to visit me again?”

It was a sudden question, but it seemed like this wasn’t the first time they had this kind of conversation. Where was it… Ah, right. It was back in Volle.

“So, it might be a bit off-topic, but could I ask for one promise?”

“After I return from the north, could you visit this church once more?”

I probably would have answered like this back then, “There’s no reason why not.”

If I survived the battlefield, there was no reason why I couldn’t keep that promise.

Although I didn’t know what was on her mind, the girl smiled slightly and nodded. Whatever the reason, as long as she was satisfied, it was fine.

After traveling for half a day, we reached another city.

There was a guard in front, and the symbol on his shield was familiar. It was the symbol of the Papacy.

Since the borders didn’t align perfectly like in modern times, I couldn’t be sure until now, but it meant that we had entered the territory of the Papal decrees.

As we approached, the guard asked for our identification.

“Are you knights?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have any affiliation? If not, do you have any other means to prove your identity?”

I presented a small pass and an oath I received there to prove that I started from Phylla.

The guard glanced at it for a moment before handing it back to me. It was more lenient than modern immigration checks, in a way.

While they kept a list of all believers’ names, they did not share it, nor did they have a digital fingerprint list, so all I needed to do was prove that I was not a heretic or an excommunicated person.

In that sense, the oath came in handy when wandering around in the Papal States. Bringing what I used in Volle here was no different from hoping that a foreign ID would be accepted in one’s own country.

So, the oath could be seen as a medieval passport of sorts.

The place I arrived at this time was a small city.

Since there was no inn, I went back to the church with Lycia as usual.

“Who goes there?”

“We’re on our way to the Papal See, may we stay for the night?”

The priest who came out immediately upon seeing the oath I handed over muttered that I seemed trustworthy, nodded, and ushered us inside.

And once again, I made a donation, the priest showed us to a room, and we retired for the night. Things were progressing as they did on the way here.

It felt like something I had experienced somewhere before, but there were sturdy city walls compared to the small village.

Furthermore, unlike before, with the Papal States, thieves wouldn’t cause a ruckus here. The peace I had finally obtained was welcome.

“We are recruiting people to participate in the battle of Phylla!”

“Please join us in the holy war against the wicked!”

Until the priest dragged me out to the square the next morning to appeal for help from everyone, that was how it went.