episode_0200

***

I’ve never seen the scenery of a village welcoming an emperor, but I thought it might be similar to this.

Screaming cheers heard from all over, applause that made your hands hurt, and colorful flower petals falling from the sky.

When the carriage I rode entered the village, I was greeted with an overwhelming welcome.

The sounds people made made the carriage rumble.

“Everyone is happy that the saint has come.”

Maria said with a proud face.

Actually, it was a hundred times more burden on me.

Madini Village was so large that it would be a shame to call it a village.

From my perspective, it seemed more appropriate to call it a city.

I haven’t visited many villages here, but considering that it is a world with a medieval framework, I think the level of development of Madini Village is quite high.

First of all, there were neat houses lined up along the road, and the road was well paved, so I felt like I was driving on an asphalt road.

“It’s a nice place.”

“It is a village where many people gather.”

I don’t think it’s a transportation hub for no reason.

We arrived at the church in Madini village when the constant cheering was deafening.

This was due to the doctrine that when a believer entered a village, he or she should stop by the church first.

I stretched out, grateful that the long, long journey was over.

“꺗.”

As I stretched forward slightly, I lightly touched Maria’s shoulder as she was gathering her luggage and preparing to leave.

“I’m sorry, Sister Maria. It was a mistake.”

Maria let out a cute squeal, and I immediately apologized.

At my words, Maria immediately adjusted her expression, raised the corners of her mouth, and gave me a deep smile.

“It’s okay. Even if it wasn’t a mistake.”

With her words flowing through one ear, I adjusted my clothes.

Still, he’s a saint in his own way, so he can’t go out unprepared.

“Saint. Ready.”

I heard the voice of a paladin who had finished clearing up the surroundings.

Now, for the first time, the moment has come when I set foot on land other than the church headquarters.

I see Maria in front of me.

Her sparkling green eyes stare at me.

Slightly wavy blonde hair, a benevolent smile, and neatly dressed nuns.

Maria waits for my signal.

I put back on the saintly mask I had been portraying so far and took a deep breath.

“Let’s go.”

I snorted and opened my mouth.

Maria nodded once and knocked on the door twice with her white hands.

– rattle

The carriage shook slightly, and the door opened.

“Wow!!!”

“Saint!!!”

“May there be the grace of light!!!”

The wild cheers I heard on the way here began to pierce my ears as a single sentence.

Now that the wall of the carriage is gone, the sound pours in so much that you can’t even hear Maria’s voice speaking right next to you.

I was impressed by the carriage’s sound insulation performance.

As I walked out the door, patting my aching back, the noise of people became even louder.

I raised my hands with the most peaceful expression on my face and responded to the cheers of the crowd.

My feet touched the ground.

The feel of the hard ground ran up the soles of my feet.

Close your eyes and take a deep breath. The smell of the village comes in.

It’s a different smell than the one I smelled while taking a bath.

“Hello, Saint. My name is Pietro, a priest from Madini Village.”

A voice was heard through the noise.

When I opened my eyes, a middle-aged man in neat clothes was in front of me.

“Hello. This is Kang In-ho.”

I made the sign of the cross, and Pietro followed me and made the sign of the cross.

“I will take you to church.”

“Yes, it’s a little noisy.”

As I spoke, following behind him, Pietro made a very guilty face.

“Ah… I will warn you.”

Pietro looked around and said, and I waved my hand.

“No, I would like to thank you for your warm hospitality.”

Pietro’s expression relaxed at my words and he led me into the chapel.

***

After entering the chapel and finishing a short prayer, I went into his office and was served tea.

“Thank you so much for visiting us in person to carry out relief work.”

Pietro thanked me again.

“No. As a saint, you should help people directly, not just in a religious church.”

After saying something a saint would normally say, I took a sip of tea. The tea water at the right temperature warmed my body.

I don’t know if I slept cold while camping the night before, but the slight chill in my body could be a sign of a cold.

Ah… if I can use the Flame Ball, I don’t have to worry about catching a cold…

It’s a pity that I fell into a world where I couldn’t gain a single ounce of inner strength.

“As expected… The saint’s kindness is as deep as I heard.”

Pietro spoke as if he was moved, and I frowned.

“Just as I heard… Ramen.”

“Ah, the church periodically sends official documents summarizing the saint’s whereabouts.”

?????

“Aha… I see. Because I’ve never seen it before.”

Grab the teacup and let it crumble.

“Huh? Is that so?”

Pietro spoke with an innocent face, and I smiled at him through gritted teeth.

When I return to the church, I will ask them to get my approval before making something like that.

I have a strong feeling that if the Pope was making a fuss, he would definitely be punished.

“Yes, if there are any official documents left, could you hand them over to my attendant in the evening?”

“Of course. I can give it to you right now.”

“Ah, I see. Sister Maria. Please do me a favor.”

Pietro took out a bundle of papers from a drawer, and Maria took them.

After that, Pietro and I talked about various things.

Although he mainly talked about faith, I remembered his daily life more often than that.

By the time the story ended, the tea in the teacup had cooled down.

“I think I talked a lot because I was so excited. I never thought I would see the saint with my own eyes in my life.”

As I got up and got ready to go, Pietro smiled awkwardly.

I smiled for the first time, looking at his unspoiled face.

“You will see me often while I stay here. Aren’t you coming during the relief work tomorrow?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“What activities are you doing tomorrow?”

“We plan to distribute food to starving people. I think we can help many people if we combine the food the saint brought with the food our church has.”

“I see. Well then, see you tomorrow. The village leader said he would come tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, I asked the saint to tell me that I am sorry for having to leave because something suddenly came up.”

“I see. Anyway, I understand. See you tomorrow.”

Pietro continued to see me off even as the carriage I was riding in was moving away.

I could see him walking away through the window at the back of the carriage.

Is it because I talked to Pietro for a long time? The crowds that had filled the streets had suddenly disappeared.

I was worried about what would happen if we continued to gather together, but I think it was a useless worry.

– Multi-faceted, multi-faceted

The sound of horses’ hooves was heard and they ran down the road.

I said to Maria as I sat in the carriage rocking up and down.

“Sister Maria. Are there any errand boys here?”

“If you call me an errand boy…”

She tilted her head as if considering the intent of my question.

“This is a person who will provide you with simple information.”

“Yes, there is.”

“Then, can you send someone to the nearby Albainin village and check how the boy named Antonio is doing?”

“Antonio? If you’re Antonio… Are you talking about the kid who asked the question to the saint last time?”

“You remember. Yes, I heard that he returned to his hometown after not being able to adapt to church life, and that the child is from Albinin.”

The carriage turned a corner, and Maria and I veered slightly to the right.

Her chest heaved and moved.

“Yes, we will send someone as soon as we arrive at the accommodation.”

“And… Could you please read the official letter Father Pietro gave you earlier?”

“Oh, wait a minute.”

Maria took out an official document from her bag.

She looked through the official documents a few times, selected the appropriate content, and began to read it.

“X day of X month. As the saint blessed the lunch, everyone’s food in the restaurant became warm and flavorful.”

…?

What did I hear?

Maria, who read the official letter, also looked at me with a worried expression.

“Saint… did you perform this miracle while I was away?”

“…….”

I’ll have to ask the Pope when I get back.

I guess they even made grenades out of pine cones.