Chapter 69 : Criminal’s Church

As we moved deeper into the heart of the empire, Lenis asked me the questions that had been on his mind.

“But Alvis, I’ve been wondering since we set out—why are you suddenly trying to go to the Goddess’s church? Based on how you’ve acted so far, I never got the impression that you were particularly devout.”

Elfin chimed in.

“Yeah, now that I think about it, it’s kind of weird. You skipped chapel so many times that you got caught and had to write reflection papers more than once. I always thought you were the least religious person among the students. So why are you heading to the Goddess’s church? Are you planning to pray or something?”

“Pray, huh…? Well, it’s something like that. I won’t deny that I’ve been a bit neglectful, but if I sincerely ask for a conversation through prayer, wouldn’t the Goddess at least give me some kind of response?”

“If communicating with the Goddess were that easy, then what would be the point of the Lunia Order and its priests?”

Ravi fell silent for a moment, deep in thought, before turning to me with a question.

“Now that I think about it, when you fought Vector last time, he kept talking about you and the power of the Goddess. And before that, when we met Linialas in Liberta, he spoke as if you were hiding some kind of extraordinary power. Are you going to the church to find out more about that?”

“Something like that. It’s a little different, but yeah. Either way, I do want to have a conversation with the Goddess. The problem is… we’re currently wanted criminals.”

“Technically, it’s just you, Alvis.”

Elfin’s remark was accurate.

After escaping from the border, the first city we stopped in had wanted posters featuring my face. I found one, tore it down in secret, and immediately fled.

Fortunately, since I had told the others to cover their faces early on, their posters only included vague descriptions of some of their features.

But since I had drawn attention to myself by taking center stage, my wanted poster had an incredibly accurate sketch of me.

As a result, I couldn’t enter crowded areas in the empire without covering my face, and the other three also had to be careful.

If we stuck together in a group, it would be too easy for people to recognize us.

That was why we had been traveling while camping out like this.

But if I wanted to understand why this cursed thing called “fate” kept interfering with me whenever it seemed like it might help, I needed to have a conversation with the Goddess.

“So how are we supposed to get into the church? No matter where we go, you’ll have to show your face to enter, and the moment you do, you’ll be reported.”

“There’s always a way.”

Since I was a wanted man, there was no way I could enter a normal Lunia Order temple or church in any city.

However, there was one place—a branch that operated somewhat independently under the belief that even criminals should be given at least a minimal chance to repent and seek redemption.

Just like Linian’s fortune-telling shop in Liberta, this was a rather unique location.

A variety of criminals seeking repentance would come here to pray to the Goddess, atone for their sins, and vow to leave their crimes behind.

If you spoke to these criminals, some of them would offer to “extract” their knowledge of crime from their own memories and pass it on to the player as a way of proving their commitment to reform.

Most of the techniques they provided weren’t particularly useful in combat, but still…

At that special church, in preparation for any unforeseen incidents, the guards stationed there were formidable warriors with terrifying physiques.

Some were even former criminals who had sincerely repented and volunteered to ensure the church’s safety.

“There’s a secluded church in the northeastern Transen Mountains. They accept anyone, even criminals, so we can go there without worry. It’s still a proper church, so if we pray there, something should happen.”

However, Elfin and Lenis still looked skeptical.

“‘Something should happen,’ you say…”

“A church that even criminals frequent? Are we sure that place is actually safe? What if we end up being targeted?”

“Uh… If anything, it might be safer than other places?”

“……?”

The journey to the church in the Transen Mountains was more challenging than we had expected.

As we ventured deeper, the cities grew larger, and the towns became more interconnected.

The increased foot traffic made it even harder for us to avoid being seen.

Fortunately, thanks to Ravi and Elfin’s keen hearing, we could detect approaching people in advance, allowing me—the wanted fugitive—to avoid any unwanted encounters.

However, this also meant that reaching our destination took much longer than anticipated.

On the bright side, our detours led us to new information: the Holy Order’s elite unit, “The Goddess’s Blade,” had begun searching for me.

“The members of the Goddess’s Blade are patrolling the nearby cities at all times. It’s going to be tough to reach the mountains at this rate.”

“The current commander leading the unit is the Third Division Captain… Someone who rose to that rank at an extraordinary speed due to their recognized prowess.”

“It’s even mentioned in an old newspaper. ‘Appointment of the Third Division Captain of the Goddess’s Blade… A swordmaster prodigy who stood out even at the academy—Céline.’”

“……”

In place of a still photo, a magically enchanted moving image played in the newspaper—a girl with long, flowing red hair.

Céline.

I quietly read the article.

Less than a year after graduating from the academy, she had demonstrated overwhelming skill and ascended to the rank of division captain at an unprecedented speed.

Among the ranks of the Goddess’s Blade, those who knew her abilities had no objections to her rapid promotion.

And now, this same Céline was leading the entire unit in a manhunt across the empire—searching for me.

‘If I get caught, I’m done for.’

Céline was the strongest heroine in the original Loveholic storyline.

And back then, she probably hated me just as much as Elfin had.

There were plenty of reasons why the heroines disliked me, but Céline, in particular, valued honor and noble conduct above all else—whereas I, Alvis, was the complete opposite.

Lenis also had an obsession with nobility, but his fixation came from a need to maintain a pristine image in the eyes of others.

Céline, on the other hand, truly revered noble actions for their own sake, making her an even more difficult character to reason with.

Céline already disliked me enough as it was, but now that I was a wanted war-criminal terrorist, the chances of her immediately resorting to violence were a solid 100%—unlike when I ran into Elfin back in the Carat Principality.

Given Céline’s strength, if she seriously came at me, there was no way the fight would end without at least one of us sustaining some major injuries.

Since there was no reason for me to fight her right now, avoiding her entirely was the top priority.

We had no choice but to reach the Transen Mountains without crossing her path.

“If we run into Céline, there will be a fight—guaranteed. I doubt any of you want that, so let’s be extremely careful not to get caught. Ravi, Elfin, you two keep a close eye on the movements of the Goddess’s Blade. Lenis and I will make sure to travel as lightly as possible and always have an escape route prepared.”

From this point on, we had to be especially cautious.

We could no longer afford simple campfires or even tents.

Instead, we spent each night on our journey through the mountains leaning against trees, sleeping in the open air.

It was clear that all three of them—who had never lived like this before—were struggling. I could see the exhaustion in their faces.

Feeling guilty, I quickened our pace as much as possible to get to the mountain church sooner.

Thanks to Ravi and Elfin’s early warning abilities and the preparations Lenis and I made for quick escapes, we successfully reached the mid-slopes of the Transen Mountains without encountering the Goddess’s Blade.

Following my lead, we made our way toward the hidden church.

As the church finally came into view, the others stared in amazement as the structure grew larger in the distance.

“There really was a church out here…”

“I know every Lunia Order church in our own country, but I’ve never even heard of one being hidden in the middle of a mountain like this.”

“Why would they build a church in such a secretive place? It’s not like accepting criminals is a crime in itself, right?”

Unaware that every visitor here was a criminal repenting for their sins, the three of them voiced their perfectly reasonable doubts.

If I told them, “Oh, by the way, everyone who comes here is a criminal,” it would only make them more uneasy, so I chose to remain silent.

As we arrived, massive, muscle-bound guards approached us with heavy footsteps.

Sensing an instinctive threat, the three of them reflexively stepped back, ready to fight if necessary…

But instead of attacking, the giant men bowed deeply in greeting.

“Welcome, travelers, to our humble church, devoted to the Goddess Lunia. Have you come to repent? Or do you seek something else?”

Despite their bandit-like appearances and deep, rumbling voices, their speech and manners were refined and full of respect.

Thrown off by the strong sense of dissonance, the others exchanged dumbfounded looks.

I stepped forward and greeted the not-bandits—the church guards—just as politely.

“I wish to offer a prayer to the Goddess. Given my circumstances, it was difficult to visit a church in the cities, so I have come here instead. Would you grant me the opportunity to pray and converse with the Goddess?”

“Of course. The Goddess Lunia offers even the gravest sinners a chance at redemption. Please, come inside. There is a prayer room prepared for our guests. However, we kindly ask that you refrain from causing any unnecessary disturbances.”

The guards stepped aside, making way for us, and I pushed open the church doors.

Alright, Goddess.

I’m pretty sure you’re the one who gave me this power, but what’s your deal?

Why do you keep throwing obstacles in my way every time something might work out for me?

And that other voice I heard—who was that?

Let’s have a little chat.