Ch.2222. Not Entirely Welcome (1)

“While it’s called going to work, there wasn’t really any systematic work assigned at the Hero’s office. It mostly involved responding to letters from the royal family or high nobles, or providing support when there was a monster subjugation that required the Hero’s cooperation.

Of course, I wasn’t just wasting time. I invested all that free time in training. Actually, when you think about it, writing responses to letters and showing my face at events was a waste of time for a Hero. I needed to become stronger to survive and increase even slightly the possibility of defeating the Calamity. There wasn’t much time left before setting out to subjugate the fourth Calamity. The red crosses eating up the white squares on the calendar seemed to gnaw at my heart too, making me anxious.

“You look idle.”

George suddenly spoke to me. I had just finished reviewing our strategy from when we tackled the third Calamity. Since I didn’t know much anyway, my role was simply to pretend to listen attentively to George. Other than that, we had a brief meeting about future plans. It wasn’t exactly the most productive use of time.

“Have you ever heard of a swan’s feet beneath the water?”

“Effort must continue even if others don’t recognize it. Even a swan would sink if it stopped swimming, wouldn’t it?”

George was getting increasingly skilled at responding to my remarks. The problem was that this time I wasn’t joking. I sighed and sprawled my body across the desk. Lately, the Holy Sword had been training me quite harshly. Among mind, energy, and body, the foundation that needs to be established first is ultimately the body, or something like that. I got quite scolded for simply swinging my sword without any proper system until now.

Since the Holy Sword’s opening had increased my body’s recovery rate, I could focus on training even while splitting my sleep. A miracle morning—falling asleep around 2 AM and waking up again at 5 AM to start training. It was somewhat shocking that my body felt almost no fatigue despite this. Even more shocking was the Holy Sword’s voice clicking its tongue, saying this was nothing.

“I brought tea.”

Daphne peeked her head through the door of the pantry. Her voice, like a clear crystal bead, was like sweet rain. There was a pleasant clinking sound as the teacup was placed on my desk. Daphne must have skillfully prepared cold tea. I wrapped both hands around the cold teacup, savoring its cool sensation. It was the perfect drink for early summer.

“It’s getting a bit warmer, so I tried making it cold.”

“No one but you, Daphne.”

As I muttered with a pleased sigh, Daphne’s face flushed slightly. Taking a sip of the tea, I felt the well-balanced blend of jasmine and green tea permeate my body.

“It’s good.”

At my appreciation, Daphne smiled brightly. Since her confrontation with Nella, Daphne had become noticeably more cheerful. I took another sip of tea while admiring that smile I now got to see quite often.

Thump, thump, thump.

Just then, the sound of someone knocking on the front door came from the first floor. Without anyone needing to say anything, we all looked up, and I stood to greet the visitor. Daphne followed behind me out of habit.

“Who could it be? Someone visiting at this hour.”

“…I wonder. I hope it’s not an unwelcome visitor like last time.”

With an uneasy feeling, I reached the first floor and opened the door with uncertain hands. The person standing at the doorway was someone I wasn’t sure whether to welcome or not.

“It hasn’t been long, but the weather is quite nice today, Hero.”

Bishop Andre was wearing his pitch-black priest’s robe with a silver rosary as always, smiling with narrowed eyes. Not an unwelcome visitor… I suppose?

“I’m not sure if coming at this time is inappropriate.”

Bishop Andre smiled as he noticed my blank expression. I shook my head glumly. Although he had coordinated well with me during the last hearing, this man was fundamentally the leader of the Inquisitors. That meant he was someone I should never let my guard down around or trust completely.

“Please come in.”

I made way for him. Bishop Andre entered while looking around the lobby appreciatively.

“You’re staying in the kingdom longer than expected.”

“There turned out to be more matters to resolve in the Kingdom of Kairos than I anticipated. Thanks to Isis and you, Hero.”

Bishop Andre let out a low laugh. Well, since Isis disappeared after entering the kingdom, he would need to stay here for a while to track her whereabouts or hear news of her. Since we couldn’t finish this in the lobby like with the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs last time, we decided to continue our conversation in the office.

“The reason for your visit today…”

“There are some facts I need to inform you about. I believe there might be news you’ll welcome.”

Bishop Andre shrugged his shoulders as if telling me to look forward to it. When we reached the office, George, who had been guarding the room, greeted Bishop Andre with a knight’s courtesy.

“Welcome, Bishop.”

“There’s no need to be so formal. Please treat me as an ordinary guest.”

Bishop Andre sat on the sofa prepared for visitors. I sat across from him, and Daphne scurried off to the pantry, saying she would bring more tea. The Bishop glanced at her retreating figure and murmured admiringly.

“She’s grown. Daphne, was it?”

“You remember well.”

“Yes. I should congratulate you. She seems to have achieved quite a lot. She’s become a magician truly befitting the Hero’s party.”

The Bishop turned back to me with what appeared to be a genuinely pleased expression. I began to worry about what kind of bombshell he might be bringing today behind that smiling face. Daphne returned with tea, and Bishop Andre took a sip of the jasmine green tea with clinking ice.

“We’ve found Isis.”

Gray eyes flashed between the Bishop’s narrowed eyelids. I almost spat out the tea I was drinking. I swallowed the tea that stung my throat along with my saliva and blinked. Surely this person wasn’t planning to break his promise to me and do something unnecessary?

“You found… Isis?”

“I’m not sure when she got there, but she’s in a city quite far from the royal capital. She was spotted at the Adventurer’s Guild several times, and is currently staying at an inn in Colda. The church is a place where information from across the city gathers every weekend, so finding where Isis is wasn’t difficult.”

“Running away from home is never easy,” Bishop Andre added.

“Isis hasn’t come to the church yet. It seems she has a separate purpose and is continuously looking for someone. But she can’t avoid the church forever, so I think she’ll show herself at the church before long.”

That someone is definitely Aryen. I wonder if the two of them have met? It was one of the more impressive scenes in the original work, but thinking about it now only made my stomach twist.

“What do you plan to do with Isis?”

“If we can get in touch with her, I’d like to ask her to help with the aftermath. Coincidentally, Colda is close to Barktins, where the third Calamity appeared. It would be fine to tell her what you said, wouldn’t it?”

Fortunately, it seemed the Inquisitors weren’t having any strange ideas. I was fine with anything as long as they didn’t try to kidnap Isis or mess with the protagonist.

“…I see.”

“Thanks to what you said at the hearing, the Holy Nation and the Holy Maiden were able to escape from a difficult position. I must thank you again for this.”

Bishop Andre sighed.

“We won’t send the Holy Maiden back to battlefields teeming with monsters, but if people want it, someday we might have to face Isis again.”

Isis. To be honest, I had no desire to get further involved with her or the protagonist. But as long as I remained the Hero and she remained the Holy Maiden, it seemed we would inevitably be entangled.

“If such an opportunity comes, it is my wish that the misunderstandings between the Holy Maiden and the Hero be resolved, and the conflicts settled. Separate from the relationship between the Holy Nation and the Kingdom of Kairos.”

I’m not sure if it’s good to touch a relationship that’s already as tangled as it can be. It seems like it would only lead to more fighting. I nodded vaguely and downed the rest of my tea in one gulp. Seeing my lukewarm response, Bishop Andre gave a wry smile and shrugged his shoulders.

“So, what’s the news that I’m supposed to welcome?”

Bishop Andre clapped his hands together. Seeing the expectation in his eyes, I wasn’t sure if it really was news I would welcome.

“Regardless of how it happened, the mercenary and the Holy Maiden have left the Hero’s party. The fighting strength of the Hero’s party has undoubtedly been reduced.”

“…That’s right.”

“Since the Holy Nation has incurred a debt to you through this incident… I’ve prepared a small token of gratitude.”

Gratitude? I tilted my head.

“If you’re giving me money, I’d really appreciate it.”

Bishop Andre burst into laughter at my words. I wasn’t joking.

“The Holy Nation is in a tight spot these days, so I can’t give you money, but instead, I’ve prepared something whose value cannot be calculated in money. I think it will be of great help to you.”

An object. That kind of answer makes me even more uneasy.

“Did you bring this object here yourself?”

Bishop Andre shook his head.

“It’s not something I can personally carry around. It required quite a bit of care even when moving it from the Holy Nation to here.”

“Then, where is it now…”

“It’s currently being solemnly stored in the basement of a church in the royal capital.”

The Bishop answered and stood up.

“Please follow me. It might take some time, and since only you and I are permitted to enter the basement, the two of you…”

As the Bishop turned to look at Daphne and George, I shrugged my shoulders and waved my hand.

“No need to wait. You can go home first.”

George nodded and left first, and I forced Daphne, who insisted on waiting until the end with a worried expression, to go home as well. Bishop Andre watched the scene with an amused expression.

“You have good companions.”

“…Let’s go.”

==

Contrary to my expectations, the Blue Orthodox Church wasn’t very large. I had expected the grandeur of a Gothic cathedral, but what appeared before me was an ordinary-sized church closer to the ruggedness of Gregorian or Romanesque architecture. I suppose those massive cathedrals are mainly found in the Holy Nation, not here.

“The churches in the Kingdom of Kairos have history and tradition. This is one of the churches I quite like.”

Bishop Andre said as he opened the creaking church door. Despite the approaching summer, the church, built with its back to the sunlight, felt cool.

“…There’s no one here.”

“It’s not a day for mass, and I asked them to vacate the place for a while since I would be bringing the Hero today. They gladly agreed.”

I nervously fingered the hilt of the Holy Sword.

“[I wonder what kind of object they’ve brought.]”

…Well, the Holy Sword didn’t seem particularly concerned.

“Here we are.”

Bishop Andre spoke as we stood in front of a wooden door set in the back of the nave, in a place like a cloister. With the Inquisitor opening a door leading underground, it felt as if there might be a dungeon for heretics lurking behind that door.

“Please enter.”

The Bishop said, holding up a lantern he had produced from somewhere. I secretly swallowed dry saliva and followed the Bishop into the darkness. It was already dark, but as we began to enter the basement, what felt like a chill rather than coolness began to seep into my body.

“There are things called holy relics. Have you ever heard of them?”

The Bishop’s voice came through the sound of footsteps on the stone stairs. His shadow appeared and disappeared on the wall like a ghost in the flickering lantern light.

“You mean like relics left by ancient saints?”

The Bishop nodded and smiled.

“Yes. And they often possess special powers. Many of them are also selective about their owners. Much like the Holy Sword you use.”

I glanced down at the Holy Sword at my waist. As if it had been waiting, the Holy Sword spoke to me.

“[Not all of them are like me.]”

Right. There probably isn’t anything as powerful as the Holy Sword. If there were, the church would be more of an armed group with suspiciously powerful weapons than a religious institution.

“I’m going to lend you one of those holy relics now.”

Upon reaching the basement, Bishop Andre hung the lantern on the ceiling. Under the gleaming light, I noticed something like a glass case wrapped in black cloth. The Bishop slowly approached the case and pulled down the cloth. I let out a gasp when I saw the holy relic sitting in the glass case.

“Long ago. In a time so distant it’s unimaginable now, an object left by a saint.”

There was a crown woven from thorny vines, stained in places.

“The Crown of Thorns.”