Chapter 34. Hero (1)
I dread of my childhood.
It was a cliché scene.
A wide sports field.
A red track.
running on it.
Peers on their way ho from school, watching with curiosity as they passed by.
On a winter day when the sunset was deep, I was at a crosswalk with a delivery box stuffed full of food from three different restaurants, when I was hit by a speeding motorcycle.
It was the end of the dream.
* * *
The damp sll of wood.
The warmth of a heavy, wet towel on my forehead.
A cool breeze brushing against my face.
And even the straw poking my back.
The sensations and situation feel sohow familiar.
The throbbing pain all over my body is the sa.
It feels like a déjà vu of when I woke up at the inn after the defense of Burken.
That ans I survived.
“…….”
Did I survive?
The fact that I survived ans there’s a high probability that others survived as well.
Because when the [Calvenia’s Waning Moon Labyrinth] spell was dispelled, the Count and I would have appeared right in the center of the spell’s range.
‘…If the Emperor had bombarded the area as planned, I would have died without being able to resist.’
But the Emperor didn’t do that.
It was probably because he confird that the main target, the Count, was dead.
My guess is that the Emperor probably noticed the anomaly from the mont I cast [Calvenia’s Waning Moon Labyrinth].
I distrust the Emperor as a person, but at the sa ti, I trust his abilities just as much.
That’s why I carried out the plan.
“…Hmm, ahem.”
My voice seems to be coming back.
Except for a slightly dry throat, I’m fine.
The senses in various parts of my body are slowly returning.
I slowly lifted my heavy eyelids.
Through my still-hazy vision, I see soone approaching the bedside.
A caregiver.
Co to think of it, the last caregiver, the innkeeper, was horrified, thinking I was a corpse.
She even threw an axe at .
This ti, I wonder….
“Are you awake?”
I don’t have to worry about an axe flying at .
It’s Karen.
As my vision beca clearer, I watched her approach with her long hair fluttering and tried to sit up.
To be precise, I tried to sit up.
“Keuk…!”
My whole body feels like it’s going to break.
“Oh, right! I’m sorry. I ant to tell you beforehand.”
“Keu-eu-eu-eu…….”
“The priests ca and gave you a healing prayer, but they said that although the wounds are healed, there are still traces of contaminated mana, so there might be so pain.”
So?
It feels like my muscles are being torn and my spine is being folded in half.
Is this damn dieval-land a world only for manly n?
Well, that’s probably why the average human lifespan is so short.
“Here, drinking this will make you feel a little better.”
As I was groaning and moaning, Karen quickly brought a cup of tea.
It seems she had prepared it in advance.
It probably contains so kind of painkiller.
As I was torn between enduring the pain of reaching for it and telling her to just leave it at the bedside, the cup was suddenly brought closer.
“Say ‘ah~’”
“Hmm?”
“I’ll cool it for you.”
[[Warrior’s Insight] is active.]
[You have acquired a skill.]
[Aid of the Wind Spirit (Level 2)]
A familiar notification window appeared before my eyes.
At the sa ti, a refreshing breeze tickled my face.
Gentle ripples ford in the teacup from which steam had been rising.
I didn’t want to pretend to be a seriously ill patient with no hands or feet, but in the sudden situation, I found myself opening my mouth obediently without realizing it.
The tea, at a perfect temperature for drinking, slowly moistened my dry mouth.
As I drank it, I thought.
‘…Spirit magic.’
There are nurous skill groups in Warlord Conquest.
Among them, there were types that were almost impossible to learn through effort alone.
A representative example is spirit magic.
Because spirits can only be handled by a special bloodline among elves.
That is, only the royal family.
‘…This isn’t the work of a novice.’
Co to think of it, there have been a few suspicious points from before.
The fact that she has outstanding archery skills that are hard to find even among rangers.
Or the fact that despite having such skills and being active in the rcenary industry for a long ti, her na was not known.
As I was gulping down the tea and my suspicions were growing little by little, Karen said in a small voice.
“I took care of my sick father for a long ti.”
“…….”
“I also took care of a fawn that was injured in a trap for a while.”
A frightening woman.
To not give a chance to ask questions.
She shut up and made the first move.
The mont I say a word, wouldn't I beco an animal-hating person who spouts family insults?
Anyway, from the context of her excuse, it seems Karen doesn’t think I noticed the spirit magic.
Actually, that’s normal.
If the notification window hadn't appeared due to [Warrior’s Insight], I might have missed it too.
Because spirit magic, unlike spells, has no particular movent of mana.
“Anyway!”
“……Hmm?”
“Serious talk later! Now is the ti for you to enjoy.”
Enjoy.
What?
“You were unconscious for a full three days. That ans people have been wanting to see you for three days. Do you know how anxious everyone was to see the hero who saved Wolfskrig?”
What’s this all of a sudden?
Without giving a chance to ask, Karen stood up abruptly.
She strode across the room and threw open the window.
The bright southern sunlight filled the room.
“You’ve beco a hero, Captain! To the point where there’s no one in Wolfskrig who doesn’t know you!”
Huh?
A hero?
* * *
This was the full story.
When Count Calvenia died, the spell was soon dispelled, and the Count and I appeared in the middle of the spell’s range.
Up to this point, it was as I had expected.
The [Calvenia’s Waning Moon Labyrinth] spell randomly relocates the living beings within its range when it is dispelled, but it drops those who were in the central cavity of the labyrinth right in the center.
The unexpected situation ca after that.
For so reason, my [Holy Aura] seed to have been maintained for a short while even after I lost consciousness.
In front of everyone, I appeared with my sword plunged into Count Calvenia’s chest, and on top of that, the white flas of holy power were burning on the sword.
Everyone nearby witnessed that scene.
Sir Andarin and his fellow paladins, who had jumped into the labyrinth to save , were no exception.
“As soon as I saw that brilliant light, I ran with my brothers! Shouting to protect our brother!”
“W-wait a mont.”
“There was no hesitation. There absolutely could not have been! Captain Ash has now beco our true brother, united in His light, chosen by Luark…!”
“Cough! Just a mont, I can’t breathe, please.”
“Ah, my apologies! I forgot that you haven’t recovered yet. I was just so happy!”
I barely escaped Andarin’s brutish embrace just before suffocating.
Does this paladin even know that he has different physical abilities from an ordinary person?
I slowly composed my breath and looked around the room once more.
Right now, Andarin and his fellow paladins, as well as a few priests, have visited my room.
They are the first guests to visit as soon as it was known that I had regained consciousness.
So, you could say they are the first well-wishers.
However, there is one problem.
“Hoho, Sir Andarin’s brotherly love is special even within the diocese. I myself learn a lot every ti I see it.”
They are not just guests.
They are literally guests representing the church.
Especially that priest who praised Andarin’s brotherly love.
The half-bald old man was revealing a long necklace that ca down to his chest over his priest’s robes.
“…….”
The symbol hanging on the necklace.
A large cross and a small X crossed over it is the symbol of the Imperial Church.
For reference, wearing that necklace is a privilege only for priests of the diocese head level or higher.
So, right now, in front of my eyes, is the representative of the diocese that encompasses Burken Fortress, its neighbor Hohnberg, and the newly pioneered Wolfskrig.
To put it simply, it’s as if the Imperial Church itself has co into my room.
The reason is simple.
“Brother Ash, could you show us once more the grace that Luark has bestowed upon you?”
They need to verify my ideology.
To them, holy power is the grace bestowed by Luark.
The fact that God’s grace has been bestowed ans that one has been chosen by God.
The problem is that I, the one who received that choice, am an outsider who does not belong to the church.
[[Holy Aura] is active.]
“It truly is the grace of Luark.”
I have not received paladin or even priest training.
I am not even a formally registered mber on the church register.
My origin is unclear, and my profession is a wandering rcenary.
And I’m a mage, a profession that the church implicitly taboos.
“I heard you are from Gunterburk. It must not be a place where it is easy to hear God’s teachings….”
The diocese head’s eyes were tinged with suspicion.
It’s hard to believe even after seeing the holy aura right in front of him.
Well, it’s not just because they are religious people.
Science, philosophy, ideology, and so on.
Most people will turn a blind eye to phenona that go against what they have been educated on and have learned throughout their lives, even with their own two eyes.
However, in this case, the solution is easy.
What the diocese head doesn’t understand is ‘the situation where a scoundrel with insufficient faith has received God’s grace’.
There's no doubt about the holy aura itself.
If so, all I have to do is show them how crazy I am about my faith.
“Although my origin is humble, I have striven to listen to and practice Luark’s words whenever I had the chance.”
“Hmm?”
“Philippians 18:9. Brothers under the sa light are each a limb of the church, so it is right to treat them as one’s own body.”
For reference, acting as a devout believer is one of my areas of expertise.
“Heeding those words, I resolved to lay down my life for my brothers in the rcenary band. It is what I ought to do.”
“H-how do you know the words of the scripture…!”
“Song of Habus 51:4. Luark’s word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
“…….”
“If one is under the bright light, there is no fear of getting lost. While walking the path of spells, I followed the light of Luark, so I was able to not lose my way.”
The old diocese head’s jaw dropped.
He probably didn’t expect to recite the scripture verses word for word without a single mistake.
Because the Imperial Church’s scripture is all written in the ancient Imperial language, making it virtually impossible for ordinary people to read.
The only place an ordinary person can hear the word is at church.
To be able to recite it like this ans that one has participated in worship more diligently than anyone else.
Let say this in advance, I am confident that I was more diligent than anyone else.
I diligently reviewed the notepad where I had copy-pasted the church’s lore.
“Oh, O Luark. I have been foolish. I did not recognize such a faithful brother. Why on earth are you not registered as a mber in the Gunterburk diocese….”
Of course, one shouldn’t be too boastful in a situation like this.
A priest, and a diocese head, must always be in a position to care for the faithful.
I need to show a slightly lacking side.
A pitiful situation would be even better.
“I wouldn't be registered as a mber. Thinking that a lowly person like could not set foot in the church, I used to secretly worship from outside the window.”
“W-what are you saying right now! Soone like you, brother, must co to worship! Reflect on the verse you just recited! Luark shines his light on everyone….”
The old diocese head began to speak with passion, along with his saliva.
A benevolent smile was slightly ford on his lips.
This should be enough.
With this, to the diocese head, I will appear as a pitiful little lamb with deep faith and God’s choice, but with low spiritual self-esteem.
After that, I talked with the diocese head and the priests for about thirty more minutes.
It didn’t take long for the diocese head’s eyes, which were initially full of suspicion, to change to a look of admiration.
It’s no boast, but a third of the Empire starts I played were of the religious type.
It’s ridiculous not to be able to score points in a conversation like this.
‘Co to think of it, it was thanks to the Imperial doctrine that I overca the crisis of having my head chopped off as a death row inmate when I first opened my eyes.’
“We will be going now, brother. We will convey the church’s will as soon as possible.”
“Sir Ash! Take good care of yourself! We’ll see you again soon! Khahaha!”
And so Andarin and the priests left.
It ended well.
At least, there should be nothing to be picked on by the church for this matter.
As I’ve ntioned several tis, making an enemy of the Imperial Church is a foolish thing to do.
Even considering that the Empire’s church has beco considerably secularized, they are an important resource in my plan.
Of course, so corrupt organizations and people, like the priests of Burken Fortress, must be cut out.
That’s sothing I’ll do when I have the power.
‘Anyway, I’ve secured my alibi on this side.’
I’ve sent one group away, but this isn’t the end.
Is it because of the three-day gap?
There were quite a few guests waiting for to wake up.
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