Imperial Knight Order (2)
“So you’re trying to create a cult? Then help me out a bit. I’ll let you look as much as you want and touch it to your heart’s content.”
Winter nodded so hard her face was practically invisible. A deal as simple as it was fierce was struck. I felt pleased, thinking about how much I could put her to work from now on.
“Here.”
Thinking of it as a bit of service, I handed over the Holy Scripture. Winter received it reverently, with an honored expression, and carefully cradled it. She examined the material and even sniffed it. I stopped her when she tried to taste it.
It was a reaction I had never seen from a human until now. I looked at her with renewed curiosity. Just a moment ago, she had been the one crying just because I talked to her.
“Hey, hey. Why are you crying again?”
Winter, who couldn’t even turn the book cover, suddenly burst into tears. Droplets formed at the corners of her eyes and fell.
I flinched and tried to comfort her, but she waved her hand. Telling me not to interfere, she opened the Holy Scripture in a solemn posture. It seemed her eyes were fitted with faucets.
“The amount of divinity is small because there are no believers, of course. Sniff. Still, the density of the divinity is unmistakably high. I never thought I’d get to touch such a treasure in my lifetime.”
As Winter kept muttering to herself, her 모습 gradually started to feel scary. If she was going to be moved, I wished she would at least stop crying so much.
It went beyond being unpleasant to look at, and I started worrying she might die of dehydration at this rate.
“What are these letters written here? I’ve never seen this kind of script before.”
“The life of our god.”
“Wow! That kind of content really is what you’d expect in a holy scripture… You can read these letters!?”
I met her bright eyes. Inside them, I saw earnest desire and longing. I nodded.
“Since we’re making a cult anyway, you should join our cult too.”
“Gasp!”
She, who couldn’t remember her past, sought it desperately. All she remembered was a single sacred light. For the sake of that last memory, she wandered in search of faith without direction. However, no god ever accepted her.
“I, um, thank you for the offer, but I have a special constitution.”
The expression that had been filling with joy quickly sank. When I looked at her silently, she hesitated before continuing.
“I don’t know why, but the gods don’t want me to become their follower. So I’ve been turned away every time.”
“Our god is different.”
There might have been something wrong with Winter. But I didn’t care. A religion that had someone like Davide as an apostle was already standing at the pinnacle of benevolence just by that fact alone.
There was no reason not to accept Winter. I took the Holy Scripture back from her. The ability I gained upon receiving the scripture again was a skill that bestowed the Trace of Anaye.
“Huh.”
When I activated the skill, the Holy Scripture emitted a faint glow. Winter knelt reverently, clasping her hands together. Expectation was written all over her face.
The light of the Holy Scripture gradually grew thinner. I had a bad feeling, and sure enough, the light went out completely. I glanced sideways to gauge Winter’s reaction.
Fortunately, she did not cry. She looked detached, as if she had expected this all along. I couldn’t give up. Not because I pitied her, but because she was simply too capable.
“Goddess. You need believers, don’t you?”
“?”
I quietly murmured toward the Holy Scripture. She knew anyway, since she was listening. Watching me commit such an odd act, Winter’s expression turned blank.
“This girl is more capable than she looks, you know? She’ll really be a huge help to our cult.”
After going that far, I opened the Holy Scripture. After the life of Anaye, there were pages filled only with blank space. There was no response.
So this was how she wanted to play it?
“Goddess. You know I’m your only believer, right? This is troublesome. You never know when I might get into an accident and bite my tongue.”
“That wouldn’t be an accident, though…….”
To think I’d end up as an apostle threatening a goddess. I lightly ignored Winter’s interruption and went on listing stories that would make Anaye’s blood run cold.
“Ah!”
The Holy Scripture, which had vanished without warning, reappeared above my head. Unable to defy gravity, it fell and struck me on the head.
Winter’s expression was turning into something that couldn’t be described with mere words.
“Hey now, Goddess. That’s not what I meant. I’m telling you, this girl is really capable. She’s knowledgeable, and she’s even got passion. Someone like me became an apostle, after all…….”
“An apostle? That apostle, really!?”
“Anyway, with just this girl, our cult will revive within a year. Hey, hey, do you have any certifications or something?”
“C… Certifications? I have Level 1 in Faith History, Level 1 in Ideological Verification Systems, Level 2 in Faith Propagation Utilization, Level 3 in Divine Power Utilization, and Level 2 in Heresy Judgment and Torture…….”
“Well, anyway, she’s got a lot. Goddess.”
I hoped I had misheard that last part.
The Holy Scripture reacted. After trembling violently for a while, it turned its pages on its own.
“Wow, as expected of our goddess!”
As expected, certifications mattered when it came to employment. The Holy Scripture was updated.
[Holy Scripture of the Anaye Faith]
A book containing the doctrines of the religion that worships Anaye, the Thunder Deer. The first believer, the ‘Apostle,’ bears the duty of recording the growth and history of the Anaye Faith.
―Believers : 2 ―Faith : 2 ―‘Trace of Anaye’ enhanced.
―‘Trace of Anaye’ can be bestowed upon other believers.
<Believers> Apostle : Davide
Priest : Winter
Seraphist
Sacred light gathered on the back of Winter’s left hand, and then the Trace of Anaye was engraved there. Anaye felt more lovable than ever. Winter blankly stroked the back of her hand.
“Alright! Let’s go register the cult!”
I led Winter along, who still had a dazed expression.
***
“Cult registration complete.”
“Thank you.”
“I still can’t believe it.”
The cult registration proceeded smoothly. Winter, an expert in this field, prepared all the related documents in just three hours.
We headed straight to the Lofty Cathedral. We passed the ideological verification with ease, and the stigmata and the Holy Scripture were also verified. Thus, the ‘Anaye Faith’ was born into the world.
Perhaps Anaye was in a good mood as well, because the Holy Scripture was sparkling rhythmically.
“Let’s start by cleaning.”
After registering the cult, we were assigned a chapel. The name sounded grand, but in reality it was about the size of a small clubroom. Unlike my lukewarm reaction, even this left Winter looking deeply moved.
There was sincerity in the way she swept with the broom. Since the chapel wasn’t very large, the cleaning was finished quickly. I flopped down in a spot where the sunlight fell just right.
“W… Worship halls are sacred places! You can’t lie down!”
“Goddess. May I lie down?”
Winter’s fierce reprimand came down on me. I hurriedly took out the Holy Scripture and asked cautiously.
“I’ve received permission.”
“My goodness.”
I put away the Holy Scripture, which showed no reaction at all, and lay back down again. I could feel the fresh scent unique to a wooden floor.
Perhaps the sight was too shocking for Winter, because she couldn’t close her mouth.
“The goddess is incredibly benevolent.”
She reached that conclusion on her own. I glanced at her, then decided not to bother. She was the type of human I couldn’t understand no matter what she did.
The chapel was quiet. There was no furniture, just a large emblem of Anaye hanging alone on the wall.
“Um, senior?”
“Yes, junior.”
“Doesn’t it feel a bit bleak?”
I nodded. No matter how much it was a chapel, having absolutely nothing was a bit much. The goddess might be scatterbrained, but there was no telling when she might come to her senses and scold us. Every time I saw the Holy Scripture flying in from a corner, my heart went cold.
“Write down what we need. Excluding the basic issued items.”
“Ah! Yes! Just a moment.”
Winter immediately sprawled on the floor and started scribbling something diligently. Watching her, I thought we should bring in furniture quickly. It felt pitiful.
“Here you go! I picked out only the basic things.”
“This is……?”
Five A4 pages landed in my hand. I frowned at the list, densely packed in Batang font, 10-point size. Bringing Winter in had been a god-tier move.
“Alright. I’ll step out for a bit.”
“Ah! Senior, wait a moment. This is the paperwork related to the imperial religion support funds. Since you’re going anyway, could you submit it to the academy office?”
To think Winter would be the one asking a favor. I nodded readily. She would stay here and deal with the headache-inducing paperwork.
I needed money. It was a bit troublesome since I had already offered up everything of value as offerings.
—Knock, knock.
I froze when I heard a knock just as I grabbed the doorknob. Winter, who had been scribbling something, also turned her gaze toward the door.
Was there anyone who would come looking for us on our very first day here? An inexplicable tension filled the air. Winter slowly edged toward a corner.
“Ah, I’ve come to the right place.”
“Vice-Commander?”
I threw the door open, but the other party did not look surprised. Seeing a familiar face, the tension eased. Winter, who must have hidden herself at some point, peeked her head out.
The white uniform with gold decorations was distinctive of the imperial style. The badge pinned to the left chest indicated the position of Vice-Commander.
‘Someone of her standing would never normally come to a place like this in person.’
I did not bother hiding my displeased expression. I had a pretty good idea why she was here.
“What brings you here, Vice-Commander?”
It had to be about the Guardian. I asked out of courtesy. The Vice-Commander, her black hair tied high, smiled brightly.
“Student Davide. If it’s not an inconvenience, I’d like to talk with you about the Guardian matter.”
Would that be alright?
Judging by her tone and attitude, it did not seem like an interrogation. I glanced at Winter. Having relaxed her guard, she was sprawled on the floor doing something.
I really needed to get her a desk first. Sensing my concern, the Vice-Commander added,
“It won’t take long. The Knight Commander wished to see your face, Student Davide. And I also came to express my thanks, as I received great help.”
That much should be fine. When I nodded, the Vice-Commander led me away. The Imperial Knight Order, responsible for the security of Museion Academy. To think I would enter a building used exclusively by the Knight Order.
It was a place I had never even set foot in, not even in the game, so my interest was piqued. Seeing me look around, the Vice-Commander smiled with satisfaction.
How many uniformed figures with sharp, rigid auras did we pass? We came to face a door grand enough to deserve the word.
—Bang! Bang!
“I will enter.”
The Vice-Commander knocked with all her strength. It was such a forceful knock that “pounding” felt more accurate. From beyond the door came a weary voice granting permission.
“Knight Commander. I’ve brought Student Davide.”
“Knock a bit more gently.”
“If I don’t, you won’t hear it, will you?”
“Hoo.”
A large man with short brown hair came into view first. His neatly trimmed beard suited him well, but his tired face was marked by deep dark circles.
One of the top ten strongest individuals on this island. A major character whose face and name appeared throughout countless main storylines.
The Knight Commander, who had been bantering with the Vice-Commander, stood up from his seat. I promptly sat where he gestured. Once he stood, his build looked even more imposing.
“Nice to meet you. I am Ethan, Knight Commander of the Imperial 6th Knight Order.”
Being spoken to so politely by someone of a Knight Commander’s rank was quite a burden.
“I’m Davide, second-year student of the Combat Department.”
“The Combat Department? Hmm.”
“I became a cleric not long ago. And you may speak comfortably with me.”
“Ah, thank you.”
He accepted my suggestion without hesitation. Both of us let out a sigh of relief. Right on cue, the Vice-Commander brought out drinks.
“First of all, I apologize for calling you so suddenly.”
“Not at all. The academy’s procedures tend to be strict.”
“You know it well. I called you to express my gratitude. For saving Sheila at the right moment, and for dealing meaningful damage to the Guardian.”
“Thank you for saving me.”
The Vice-Commander bowed her head in thanks. I waved my hands in denial. It was Bereninche Duhein who saved her. If anything, I had asked for a major spell in that situation.
“Vice-Commander, Bereninche saved you. I didn’t do anything.”
“I already expressed my thanks to Student Bereninche. And that bundle of lightning at the end, wasn’t that your attack? Thanks to that, we were able to prevent a major incident in advance.”
I never expected to receive thanks just for landing the finishing blow. My conscience prickled, but I understood. From their perspective, they had gained what they needed, and they were probably grateful that we stepped in at all.
“Well, we did it because we needed to.”
“I understand. Still, gratitude is gratitude. We’ll send compensation separately. I won’t ask about your circumstances.”
The Vice-Commander placed a plate of cookies in front of me. I wondered why she deliberately set it there. When I looked at her, she smiled softly and pushed the plate closer to me.
I checked the Knight Commander’s reaction. He wore a sullen expression. Was this some elaborate strategy to mess with me?
“That should be enough. Have you filled all your practical training hours?”
My hand, which had been reaching for the teacup, froze. This pattern felt familiar. It was exactly the line used when a quest was first given after clearing Episode 2.
An uncomfortable silence followed. In the meantime, the Vice-Commander kept offering me cookies. What was wrong with her.