“……?”
It may have been around evening, but….
Not a single priest or cleric was in sight.
‘Where did everyone go?’
STEP, STEP—
The pews stretching in long rows to either side were empty, and only a few candles burned dimly atop the altar.
Then I caught sight of a man at the edge of my vision.
A middle-aged man was praying alone before the altar.
“Bishop… Mmph!”
Someone’s hand covered my mouth.
A warm scent of roses brushed past me.
‘Damn it… a rose? Is this an assassination?’
My hand instinctively went to my waist.
But the moment I saw her face, I relaxed. She wasn’t an assassin.
“Shh.”
She raised a finger from her other hand to her lips, signaling me to be quiet.
I nodded, took hold of her hand, and lowered it.
It was Sera… the priestess who had smuggled out the medicinal herbs.
‘Priestess, why are you doing this?’
‘Let’s talk outside.’
Sera and I spoke by silently mouthing the words, then eventually stepped outside.
“I’m sorry about just now… Today is the day the bishop offers his private prayers.”
“What? Private prayers?”
I wasn’t particularly familiar with the Church’s affairs, but….
I’d never heard of anything like that before.
“Well… yes. Anyway, what brings you here?”
“Ah! I came to let you know that the medicinal-herb smuggling matter I asked about last time was resolved without any trouble.”
I smiled and shrugged.
“HIC—!”
Her face turned as red as a cherry, and she hiccuped. Did I take the joke too far?
“Ha ha… I met Priestess Sena as well, and the herbs were put to good use treating the soldiers.”
“That’s a relief….”
“And I’d like to receive the Blessing of Levita one more time. Would that be possible?”
“You haven’t brought any trade goods today.”
“Ah… well, this time you’ll have to come to our village.”
A shadow briefly crossed Sera’s face.
‘Was that asking too much?’
Cold sweat formed on my forehead.
“It should be possible, but I’ll need the bishop’s permission.”
“You mean, like last time—”
“—Yes. He’ll tell you to pay.”
I patted the leather pouch at my waist.
“I’ve got plenty of money. I’ll pay, then.”
“You’ll have to wait until his prayer is over. It’s cold out here. Shall I warm up some tea for you?”
“Ah, I’m fine. I’ll just wait here. Ha ha.”
Sera fell silent for a moment.
Her gaze shifted past my shoulder.
“Did you bring that horse, Mr. Mikael?”
“Everblack?”
“……What?”
“Ah, the horse’s name is Everblack.”
“It sounds like the surname of some great noble house.”
I snickered.
It was a little grandiose.
There were some worlds women simply couldn’t understand.
“I see. I’m sorry, but… may I take a quick look?”
“At Everblack?”
“Yes.”
“It’s still a little dangerous, so stay behind me.”
Sera approached the horse while lightly clutching my lapel.
WHOOOSH—
When she placed a hand on Everblack’s back, a faint light bloomed.
A moment later, her expression stiffened.
“This horse… is rejecting the blessing.”
“What…?”
‘Is that the Church’s way of describing abuse?’
I muttered inwardly.
“It’s an excess of blessings(Over-Blessing).”
“What… is that?”
“When someone receives more blessings than their vessel can contain, the backlash causes a curse to fall upon them.”
“It curses itself?”
“…Maybe an Evil God(malevolent deity) intervened. But it happens only very rarely.”
Her lips trembled faintly.
“Just being near the cathedral right now must be quite taxing for Ever… ahem, this horse.”
“Then what should I do? I was planning to keep riding it.”
“There’s… no way.”
“How does the curse manifest?”
“Every case is different.”
What was I supposed to do with that, then?
Sera hurriedly waved her hands.
It must’ve shown on my face.
“I’m sorry. I only meant that there’s no way as far as I know. But if it receives no more blessings, it shouldn’t go berserk.”
So it was basically like pouring more water into a cup that was already full and making it overflow.
“Sera, what have you been talking about for so long?”
The middle-aged man, his priestly robes damp after he had exhausted all his divine power, spoke from behind us.
It was the bishop.
“Aah!”
Sera jumped in surprise.
“…Ah, Mr. Mikael said he would like to receive the Blessing of Levita.”
“I see. Take him to the same lodging he used last time.”
The bishop turned and walked away after saying only that, without so much as glancing at me.
For some reason, it felt as though he wasn’t the same man I’d met last time…. He looked weighed down by sorrow.
“Did something happen to the bishop?”
“…….”
“If it puts you in a difficult position, you don’t have to tell me.”
“Yes… I’ll show you to your lodging.”
We entered the cathedral and headed toward the lodging.
Unlike last time, when everything had been a blur, I could now see the interior clearly.
Light filtering between the stained-glass panes spread across the floor in blotches, and the faint scent of incense lingered in the air.
And—
“What?”
A portrait that hadn’t been there last time hung on the wall.
My gaze locked onto it, and my feet stopped.
Silver armor enclosed him up to the neck, and his hair was golden.
Even though it was only a painting, I could tell at a glance.
He was extraordinarily handsome.
A Holy Knight.
He was far too young for it to be a memorial portrait.
And that armor.
‘It feels like I’ve seen it somewhere before….’
Even after searching through the memories of my previous life, nothing came to mind.
I sank into thought for a moment, but Sera’s words pulled me out of it.
“……Actually.”
“Yes?”
“The bishop lost his son during the attack on the western region.”
“I see.”
“He was young, but there was hardly any divine power in him… He must always have seemed inadequate in the bishop’s eyes.”
She paused to catch her breath, then continued.
“So he prayed every day. His son finally managed to accept divine power, and that was his first deployment. …And his last.”
“Ah….”
“The bishop still… hasn’t accepted reality. His guilt and sense of loss… seem too much for him.”
“…….”
No soldier on a battlefield lacked a story, and no death was without sorrow.
The bishop’s story was tragic, but that was all.
More importantly—I had finally sorted out the thought from earlier.
He had died before I even enlisted.
‘There’s no way I could’ve known him.’
I entered the lodging and closed my eyes.
Unlike usual, sleep wouldn’t come easily.
What Sera had told me about ‘Over-Blessing’ kept circling in my head.
I found myself worrying about Everblack for no reason.
‘All right. Let’s just go check whether Everblack is sleeping well.’
I quietly passed through the corridor, crossed the central chapel, and headed outside.
No, I tried to.
“O God…… Even if I must give him part of my life……. This is all I can offer as a father. Please…… return my son…….”
A man knelt before the altar, praying.
‘That’s… the bishop.’
On top of that, his prayer sounded almost like sobbing.
SHIVER—
Gooseflesh crawled up my spine.
The shadow before the altar stretched strangely long.
As though someone else were casting a second shadow.
‘This…… isn’t a prayer.’
The bishop’s prayer grew even more grotesque.
“O God… whatever the price may be… make this child’s heart beat once more….”
His voice cracked, and the words bit into one another.
“……Seraph vel invar… antrum—”
An incomprehensible sound echoed above the altar.
FLICKER, FLICKER—
Though there was no wind, the candles thrashed violently. The flames swelled, then immediately shrank as the shadows flickered.
“——Anetra Xul, Bellasis.”
WHOOSH—
In an instant, every light went out.
Only suffocating darkness remained.
GULP.
My battle-seasoned instincts warned me.
I didn’t know what this was, but I was fucked if I got caught.
I swallowed and slowly backed away.
My vision was completely blocked, but I felt along the wall with my fingertips and barely made it back to the lodging.
I buried myself beneath the blanket and placed my silversteel sword beside the bed.
‘This feels ominous… I’ll have to come back here another time.’
In the end, I fell asleep without even seeing Everblack.
***
“Bishop, did you sleep well?”
“…Yes. When will Sena return after finishing her prayers?”
Somehow, the bishop’s face looked even paler than it had yesterday. Like a man drained of all his blood, hunger flickered in his eyes.
‘This feels seriously off. Still, it isn’t as though I have any evidence that he’s suspicious….’
“I’ll make the trip to Heindel today and have her back at the cathedral by evening.”
“Yes… May God’s protection be with you.”
I paid for the ‘Blessing of Levita’ by placing gold coins on the altar.
A full two gold coins.
It was expensive for a one-time blessing, but—
‘Time is money in the end.’
When I stepped out through the cathedral entrance, Everblack was crunching away at hay as though mocking my worries from the day before.
The real problem started now.
One horse, two people.
Apparently, Sera didn’t know how to ride.
“Priestess, get on behind me.”
“…Could we not walk?”
“And leave Everblack behind…?”
“…All right.”
My pride felt strangely wounded.
“How do I get up there?”
“Ah. I’ll hold out my hand, so step on it and climb up.”
“Yes….”
After helping her onto the horse behind me, I mounted in front.
I lightly nudged Everblack’s flank with the tip of my foot.
“Let’s go.”
NEEEEEIGH—!
Everblack launched forward with a powerful stamp.
I felt the startled Sera clutch my lapel tightly.
THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD—!
The wind brushed my face as I raced toward the Heindel First Supply Depot in a blur.
My family, Garen, and even Lisa were already outside the First Supply Depot.
‘Why are Garen and Lisa here?’
I waved from a distance as I dismounted.
“I’m back!”
My eldest sister called out first, and Lisa’s voice soon followed. Then my third sister joined in.
Come to think of it, my eldest sister and Lisa were the same age.
“See? I told you I was right. He can’t resist a woman.”
“I’m disappointed in you, Mikael.”
“Look at him. What about Lisa?”
Seeing the tension written all over Sera’s face, I hurriedly stopped my family.
“She’s come all this way to offer a prayer. Everyone, show some respect.”
Only then did my sisters fall silent.
“Um… where should I perform the ‘Blessing of Levita’?”
Her expression plainly said, ‘I want to finish this quickly and go home.’
Sorry. My sisters could be a bit much.
“There are three hundred crates of wine in this warehouse.”
“Three hundred… crates? Are you selling all of them?”
I nodded wordlessly, with all the dignity befitting the second-in-command of a merchant company.
Sera quietly walked over to the crates of wine, took a small breath, and began reciting a prayer.
“……Peace upon the place where light dwells… Purify the life residing within these vessels…….”
WHOOOOSH.
“——Lux artena.”
A transparent light swept across the crates.
The liquid inside the wine bottles flashed gold for an instant, then faded.
As I listened, it sounded somehow different from the bishop’s prayer.
I could’ve sworn he had said ‘Anetra Xul’ yesterday.
Anyway.
Before taking Sera back to the cathedral, I approached Garen, who was covered in dust.
“Mr. Garen, what are you doing here?”
“Merchant Company Head! It has been a while. Lady Seriel said she was building a stable, so I was helping out. Ha ha….”
Garen’s forced smile looked strangely forlorn.
‘This isn’t labor exploitation, is it?’
“Stop now and get some rest. We’ll leave as soon as I take the priestess back.”
“Is that truly all right?!”
“……Of course.”
Not that I was confident, either.
While I was talking with Garen, Lisa approached me.
“I told you to come pick up the cherrywood plywood. Garen and I ended up moving it ourselves.”
I’d had so much to do that it slipped my mind.
“Ah, right. You did.”
Lisa frowned slightly.
“You’ll be gone at least two months this time, won’t you?”
“I’m going all the way to Port Marina. It’ll probably take quite a while.”
“Yeah. Have a safe trip.”
She was far quieter than usual.
Then she lightly tapped my shoulder twice.
***
By the time I returned from taking Sera back to the cathedral, the preparations for Oxhorn Pass were already complete.
My parents looked at me anxiously.
“This journey will be longer than the last one.”
“Yes, Father. I’ve been there before, so it won’t be difficult. Please don’t worry too much.”
“All right… I trust you.”
Mother continued.
“Your father and I are going to fix up the warehouse a little. We’ll finish the stable this time, too.”
“Ha ha, when I get back, this place will be a truly magnificent supply depot.”
“Perhaps it will.”
Mother paused to catch her breath, then looked at Garen.
“Seeing Mr. Garen, I don’t think there’ll be much danger.”
“Of course not. Don’t worry, and go back inside.”
“Ha ha! Put your worries to rest. I’ll stay by his side and protect him this time!”
After saying goodbye to my sisters as well, Garen and I set out for Oxhorn Pass.
We couldn’t hitch all seven horses to the wagons, so four of them pulled the two wagons—
And Garen and I each rode a horse.
NEIGH… NEEEIGH…….
Garen’s transport horse did look a little pitiful, though.
While on horseback, I took out the parchment.
∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿
✓ Current Assets(Cash)
⤷ 40 Gold Coins / 14 Silver Coins
✓ Transportation
⤷ 6 Horses + Everblack, 2 Carts
✓ Cargo
⤷ 300 Crates of Wine
✓ Ownership Rights
⤷ Exclusive Purchasing and Sales Rights for Wine
⤷ 1 Blank Letter of Credit(Arise)
✓ Notes
⤷ Cherrywood Plywood Secured(Carts, Carriages)
∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿∿
Oxhorn Pass was a strategic point for me.
I could use it later to establish myself as a weapons merchant, and geographically, it was essential if I wanted to seize control of the trade routes.
Besides—
‘I never expected I’d use the Arise Merchant Company’s letter of guarantee this soon.’
I checked the document in my hand once more, then grasped the reins.
GRRRRRR.
Everblack growled menacingly.
And so my second journey to Oxhorn Pass began.