episode_0040

The name Gilberto was not a common one.

But there was a reason why it stuck in my memory.

It was a few days ago, when Licia showed me her magic and we had a deep conversation.

“Have you ever been caught by someone else?”

“No. Well, there was a close call once…”

At that time, the girl told me about the priest I met when I bought the necklace relic.

He seemed to have some sort of connection when he saw my sword and then looked at himself.

Thinking back, I could remember one priest who praised the blessings on my sword.

If Licia hadn’t cleverly revealed his name, I would have probably forgotten about him.

Come to think of it, Licia always seemed a bit wary of the higher-ranking priests she encountered after that day.

At the time, I didn’t understand her behavior, but looking back, it was just cute.

I couldn’t recall Gilberto’s impression and face clearly. It was a long time ago.

It was almost forgotten until Licia brought it up during our conversation.

But when other priests only reacted with mild surprise to my sword, I could deduce that Gilberto was the one behind the powerful magic.

“Does Bishop Gilberto have a deep interest in relics?”

“He chose relics when he finished theological studies and started studying magic. How did you know that?”

“I ran into him on the way to Filah.”

“Of course! Seeing him wandering outside the church, he must be up to something against the bishop.”

The bishop pulled Gilberto aside to defend his innocence.

“It’s good that you know about him.”

“Well, we only exchanged a few words.”

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I just wanted to give you a warning.”

After looking around, the bishop approached me and said quietly, “He might be behind this. This is not just my personal suspicion.”

“Is that so?”

“Well… there have been testimonies that he has clashed with thieves a few times, but it’s not enough. So, don’t go around talking about this carelessly. The bishop should know about this.”

I listened to his rant again, and the bishop recited his grievances and loyalty to the pope like a prayer.

Finally, after finishing his long preamble, he got to the point.

“I digressed a bit. Let’s stop here on this topic. You must be curious why I called you here. If there’s anything you need before the expedition, feel free to tell me.”

“What do you mean by ‘need’? Like what…?”

“I mean something that priests can help with. I hope the expedition will showcase your talents.”

Although he didn’t explicitly say it, his anxiety was evident in his words. I could guess his situation.

His diminishing status and pride in front of the marquis. The power he once held was now in jeopardy.

If he wanted to turn the tables, he needed to make some effort to cover up the situation.

In other words, he needed my services.

And this was a rare opportunity. When would I ever have the chance to ask a bishop for a favor from a knight’s perspective?

Well, there was nothing to ask for in terms of money since I had already agreed to receive payment. It would be inappropriate to ask for more, as it would go against the teachings and be seen as greedy. It wasn’t something to bring up in front of a priest.

Asking for recognition of my heroic deeds for the honor of a knight was something I could do on my own without having to ask.

Without overdoing it, what could be a good way to make a profit?

When it came to priests, they could seek help with magic and relics. In that sense, there was something that came to mind.

“Oh, could you take a look at this relic for me?”

I took out the compass I had brought from the village that had given me the reputation of a fluorescent sword from the pouch at my waist.

There was no need to take it all the way to the Papal Palace, I could fix it here and use it myself or sell it.

“It’s a relic I’ve never seen before. Oh, it seems to have a powerful magic on it.”

Taking the compass, the bishop touched it here and there for a moment, then turned his head back to me and said.

“I’ve been interested in making relics before, but it wasn’t my major, so it seems difficult. If it was a simple relic, I could fix it, but looking at the intricate internal structure, it seems like I’ll need to find an expert.”

“Well, then there’s no choice.”

I’ll have to take it to the Papal Palace. I put the compass back in my pocket.

The bishop smiled elegantly and asked me again.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help. Do you have any other requests?”

“I have one more. This shouldn’t be too difficult, right?”

Besides this request to the priest, there was one more request I had.

It was for my personal dream, but…

Upon hearing that, the bishop nodded his head and replied.

“It shouldn’t be difficult. I’ll prepare for it.”

*****

Up until now, the battles had been lacking in some areas, just poking and shooting arrows.

If it wasn’t the Marquis’s territory, I could have shot a fire arrow and made a Ghost Rider Edition Filah, but I couldn’t burn down the whole house as it was, so I ended up in the current state of peace.

In other words, there hadn’t been any real battles so far.

But with today’s negotiations, the peace that had been walking on thin ice would surely be shattered.

From the north, I had been preparing for a negotiation competition called the Best Vocal Cord Competition, but my reputation was still lacking in this neighborhood.

So today, I was just going to watch the final negotiation from a distance. It was nice to participate directly, but watching from afar was refreshing.

“Let the representative come out!”

The Marquis’s representative, holding a flag with the family crest that indicated his will was the Marquis’s will, stood in front of the castle wall.

After a while, there was a bit of commotion on the castle wall, and soon a man appeared.

He was probably the leader of the thieves who had occupied Filah.

There was a lot of talk about justice, legitimacy, surrender, and persuasion. More sophisticated expressions were used than the straightforward language used by the barbarians in the north.

Of course, both sides had put forward conditions that were unacceptable in previous negotiations, so there was no narrowing of differences.

The Marquis, before the materialistic goals of money and territory, could not forgive from his pride. All those thieves had to be eliminated.

The situation of the thieves was not great, but one thing, time, was on their side, so they did not retreat. It was solely because it was a relic of the gods that the Marquis could not possess even if he wanted to.

As expected, the conclusion was a battle. I watched the negotiations break down and returned to the tent where Lycia was.

The girl who was rolling around on a bed made of straw and cloth, not feeling any pain in her back, asked me as I entered.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yeah. It’s lunch tomorrow.”

I had already told Lycia where to go and what to do.

The girl said softly.

“…You could get hurt, so if I go with you.”

“My social reputation will hit rock bottom. Otherwise, you’ll have to reveal to the whole world that you’re a magician.”

“……”

“I’ve been doing things like this for a long time, so don’t worry. I’ve already informed the soldiers patrolling nearby to take care of this tent.”

If I had left the girl alone, I would have been worried, but I confirmed last time that I can use magic to protect myself.

It’s a well-known fact that I am the guardian of the child, both the bishop and the marquis know, so there shouldn’t be any foolish humans trying anything.

Furthermore, the campsite is surprisingly safe. The enemies inside the castle wouldn’t give up the advantage of defense unless they were crazy.

Even if an emergency were to occur, wouldn’t the church take care of the saint appropriately?

And most importantly.

“I have confidence in my return, so wait for me.”

Even with good weapons and armor blessed by the saint, if I were to lose, I would have to give up my knighthood out of shame.

From a modern person who is used to solving everything with the push of a button to a knight in a medieval fantasy world, I have experienced much more than this.

“If you want to help the soldiers, use healing magic from the back so you don’t get caught. Got it?”

“Yes…”

The girl had seen me bless the weapons several times before, so she knew that using magic gently wouldn’t be noticed by most priests.

Of course, one should be cautious as there was still a possibility of being caught when combining the bishop’s position, long study, and specialization like Gilberto.

Still, I don’t think there will be any chance of revealing my identity at this campsite.

I checked my equipment one last time.

The glow sword may not cut through stone, but it was more than capable of reaping human heads. The armor didn’t shine with a glow, but the girl had blessed it slightly.

It was the best preparation I could make in this era.

I knew that I would have to part ways with Licia someday, and perhaps today was when I could fight the strongest.

“Take this before you leave.”

“Huh?”

“I made this while you were out today. It’s a protective charm.”

The girl handed me a necklace. It was a relic with a weak protective power that I had given her.

And now, it was faintly glowing. It had become a powerful relic.

“But you gave it to me as a gift. You have to take it back when you come back, right?”

The girl, who was trying to indirectly say for me to come back safely, looked cute and admirable, making a small smile escape me.

I habitually stroked the girl’s head and replied, “Yes, I understand. Thank you for worrying about me.”