episode_0055

55.

After asking Rosa, who was on the lower floor, she promised to provide the personnel and equipment to build a kind of human farm facility.

The mother’s milk holy water, appraised through Levi’s connections, received top-grade recognition. Apparently, it can be sold at a pretty high price, and even just drinking it is worth the cost.

What needs to be prepared is a large quantity of nuns, and a large quantity of human milkmaids.

Of course, the belief that this is all done for the goddess remains unchanged. Ultimately, in spreading the goddess’s influence widely, creating a ‘brand’ is also helpful.

The milkmaids will be procured as we travel. This is because I’ve already planned to utilize the faithful who devoutly follow the doctrines in expanding influence.

The nuns will be made by converting the elves. The number of elf prostitutes obtained from Chinahara is quite large, and in a situation where ‘mating = faith,’ there is no shortage of suitable candidates for nuns.

The holy knight training program is also progressing, bit by bit. However, this too suffers from a shortage of numbers. Unless we’re preparing for a large-scale holy war, the current number, which is about the size of a small knightly order, would be sufficient. However, the future that lies ahead of us is certainly a thorny path. Although it’s a distant future, having seen the world ravaged and shrouded in dark magic, it’s not difficult to predict a world-class great holy war.

‘But I know absolutely nothing about combat or training…. It would be helpful to have something to refer to….’

Erina recalls the kingdom’s knight order party she saw a few days ago.

Their destination was clearly Celtia, so if we hurry, we should be able to meet them somehow. And it seems possible to get a lead on the matter in the southwestern coastal region that the Banshee demon spoke of.

First, we need to hurry. We’ve lost a lot of time, and the portal’s duration is getting dangerously short.

“Ersti-ssi, please accompany me today.”

“Of course.”

Today, I decide to take Ersti instead of Hanna.

I’m hoping for the speed boost effect of the elves’ unique skill, Light Footing.

We can arrive within a day. We just need to walk a little harder.

Because of their size, horses can’t use the portal, and purchasing or long-term renting them, along with the burden of their care, makes them difficult to employ.

Erina and Ersti emerge from the portal, which they set up last night, into the inn they had visited.

Locking the door makes it quite safe, so we decide to do that whenever possible. Of course, to account for contingencies, we have personnel watching the portal.

Ersti was on duty the day before yesterday; that’s why she happened to be staying at the church.

“Though not as much as Levi, I can carry you.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Ersti, seeing through her intentions, carries Erina and activates Light Footing, hurrying their pace. She runs, instinctively sensing the fastest route with the elf’s unique sense.

As a member of the guard, she’s confident in her stamina and strength. Furthermore, since Erina can heal, it’s a rational decision.

“…Wait a moment, Ersti-ssi.”

“I felt it too. The smell of the air has changed.”

Though she didn’t notice it from the smell, when they were about halfway there, she vaguely began to sense dark magic.

“…I smell dark magic?”

“No. It’s the smell of orcs. To be precise, it’s an unpleasant memory.”

“Ah… Still, thank you for coming with me. I’m sure the Goddess will surely bless you.”

“Of course, it’s for the Goddess, but… I also want to receive blessings from my master.”

Ersti quietly says, stroking her own buttocks.

“Of course. Good deeds are rewarded. Your bottom will be working hard for a while, huh? Hehe♡”

“Don’t worry.”

Ersti smiles, a smile unimagined at their first meeting.

Faithfully embracing the doctrines and their rewards, she has become quite docile. Erina thinks this much more feminine attitude is far better than her previous prickly, sharp demeanor.

Lightly massaging Ersti’s buttocks, they walk toward the source of the problem.

Fortunately, only dark magic is emanating; there are no monsters nearby. Even if there were, anything less than a demon-class foe would be one hit for Erina.

“Halt! This area is currently sealed off!”, a large, female knight in full armor blocks their path.

“I sensed powerful dark magic ahead. As a nun, I couldn’t stand by and do nothing, so I came here.”

The imposing presence of the enormous woman guarding the fully built city walls is overwhelming. Though the walls themselves show many signs of repair, an aged, worn-out wall, their strength remains evident.

Temporary tents with the knight order’s flag hanging are set up before the walls.

“…Unauthorized personnel are prohibited from entering. No exceptions.”

“…She reminds me of myself, a few weeks ago.”, Ersti mutters softly.

Erina doesn’t back down. She simply maintains her position to follow the goddess’s will.

In the midst of their meaningless standoff, another knight quickly emerges from the makeshift guard post to assess the situation.

“What is the matter…, Ah, I’ll go report to the captain.”

The moment a fairly gentle-looking middle-aged man confirms the nun’s habit, he enters the city.

After waiting a while, he rushes out.

“Nun, please enter.”

“…We’re allowed in.”, the large woman reluctantly obeys.

“A nun accompanied by an elf… what is the meaning of…”

“Orcs and elves are intensely antagonistic, aren’t they….”

The two knights on guard speak loudly enough for everyone to hear. While they try to speak quietly, their voices are so soft that everything’s still audible.

“Don’t mind them.”

“Of course. I’m only following the Goddess’s will.”

Inside, a city landscape large enough to recall a wide expanse unfolds.

Although traces of a unique architectural style, influenced by cultural exchanges with the orcs, are subtly apparent, ironically, the city is quiet because many citizens seem to have evacuated due to problems with the orcs.

“Nice to meet you. You’re Erina-ssi, correct? I’m Jane, the captain of the 4th squad.”

“Oh my. I thought Satsuki-ssi would be here.”

A girl with striking red hair and freckles, a new face to Erina. Though called a young lady, she seems to be older than Erina, around the same age as Rosa.

“The 3rd squad is currently deeper inside. This is the 4th squad.”

“I see. Should I tell Satsuki-ssi…? Ah, this person here is affiliated with our order.”

“Yes. I heard she met Satsuki-ssi by chance. …She won’t be too happy at the nun’s arrival, but would you like to hear what’s going on?”

“If it will be helpful.”

Jane explains the situation roughly, omitting the information that the knight order keeps secret within their ranks.

Recently, orcs who have lost their minds have suddenly appeared, and traces of some action by the Fried Church have been discovered, hence the investigation.

There are nuns within the knight order, but they’ve cut ties with the church and are more like healers, so they don’t seem to be aware of the situation.

However, those nuns claim that a large amount of dark magic has been unleashed in the city, and that’s why they’ve come to deal with it.

“And the nuns?”

Looking around, only knight order members are visible.

“Ah… We’re severely short-staffed. So we can’t spare anyone. We’ve come to solve the problem physically.”

“Then I believe I can be of great help.”

Shared Sense Activation

Satsuki -> Erina

‘Oh, I forgot…. I’d attached the shared sense skill. I unconsciously forgot it because she couldn’t detect things for so long.’

It was the skill she’d placed when she first met the 3rd squad captain, to track down the Fried Church. And she’d also made them horny.

Since their visions are shared, Erina slowly closes her eyes, and she sees Satsuki’s vision. The clarity is low, but it’s enough to discern.

“…It seems a member of the Fried Church is here. Ersti-ssi, we need to hurry.”

“Eh? No one but the nun has been here since we arrived.”

“Then, they must have never left this city from the start.”

“That makes sense. Knight, it’s best to make no attempt to stop us. We are merely following the Goddess’s will.”

At Ersti’s resolute words, Jane shakes her head.

“As rumored, you may well cause trouble though, but please be cautious. I believe you understand what that means.”

“Yes. For the sake of your knight order’s honor, I will behave myself.”

Erina says this, then scans the knights. It’s a pity their body shapes are hidden by their armor.

“Shall we go, Ersti-ssi?”

“Of course.”

The two venture deep into the city. Heading toward the area with the strongest dark magic will lead them to their target.

As they head in the direction Erina suggested, they sense a presence.

“Five…, no, one more moved, six.”

Elf ears twitch, assessing the situation.

It’s a subtle skill made possible by her finely tuned hearing.

“Ersti-ssi, reveal our position to them.”

Ersti nods, pulls out a firecracker from her bosom, and launches it into the air. It explodes in the air with a loud, brilliant sound, like fireworks.

“Um, this is a little too flashy….”

“It’s rather noisy. My apologies.”

“It’s fine. It’s better than being insufficient.”

Erina smiles faintly and enters the area of presences. The unexpected explosion startled everyone and froze them in place, so Erina’s infiltration was utterly natural.

“…You’re that nun, from that time.”

“You recognize me. Hello. Satsuki-ssi, wasn’t it?”

Five knights surround a girl in a half-torn Fried Church uniform.

Her ragged appearance suggests she’s been running, unwashed, for several days.

“…Did Jane let you through?”

“Let’s say I forced my way through? This dark magic… as a nun, I must purify it.”

Satsuki reluctantly agrees. She doesn’t seem like someone to obstruct, so she restrains herself for now.

Furthermore, creating a situation where the state is suppressing the church should be avoided and having the religious figures resolve it would be a better situation.

And, above all, upon seeing Erina, a burning sensation wells up within her.

While not precisely expressible, it’s like falling in love, but without the sweetness. Suppressing personal feelings during missions is the specialty of the knights, so…

“You didn’t seem to have an elf with you at the time.”

“Ah. She’s resting. And Ersti-ssi here is a devoted follower of our doctrines.”

“Ersti.”

After a brief greeting, Erina walks confidently toward the Fried Church priestess.

The badge glows once more, signifying their proximity to the statue of the goddess.

“What about the orcs?”

“With the help of some who retained their reason, we moved them to another area. They are still our citizens, and they aren’t killed arbitrarily.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Relief? What relief is there?… Those… those green-skinned things are not citizens, they’re not even worthy of being treated as humans.”

The priestess strongly refutes Erina’s remark. Her terrified and angry expression suggests she’s experienced something very harsh.

“What happened?”

Listening to others is a nun’s specialty. She decides to hear what transpired.