Eleanor and the Pope’s conversation had gone on for quite a while.
There had even been a few moments when shouting could be heard.
During that time, Jun had waited quietly in front of the door.
Some time later—
“…….”
Eleanor stepped out, but her expression was unreadable.
She was still covering her eyes with black bandages.
Instead, she conveyed her emotions through her voice.
“That felt good.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I guess people really aren’t meant to just hold everything in.”
“Hmm. Bottled-up anger can be poisonous.”
“Anyway, I’ve said everything I needed to. Go back in and finish your story.”
When Jun stepped back into the room, the Pope was still seated in the same position as before.
But something about his expression looked a bit vacant.
To Jun, that made him seem all the more human.
“She’s got quite the sharp tongue, doesn’t she?”
“Hoho. I’m actually grateful it ended with just that much.”
Only then did the Pope seem to snap back to himself, and his expression brightened slightly compared to before.
It wasn’t that he had completely let go of his burden.
But it did seem a bit lighter.
Jun sensed that now was the time to finally have a proper conversation.
“The world is truly complicated. But perhaps that’s what makes it interesting.”
The Pope looked at the mage in front of him and said.
He had already heard about the mage from his old friend Bern.
Everything he’d heard sounded unbelievable.
But Bern was not someone who would lie.
He was fundamentally different from either the Pope himself or Elias.
“So then, mysterious mage. What is it that you seek from this old man?”
At last, the words Jun had been waiting for were spoken.
***
The Pope of the Ariklotus Church.
Elahim.
He had been a named NPC even within the game and had a modest fanbase of his own.
Some might scoff at the idea of an old man having fans, but it was because many players had been moved to tears by the sight of him solemnly sacrificing himself in front of a level 10 raid monster.
But, naturally, he had his fair share of haters too.
After all, he was the Pope overseeing the declining Ariklotus Church.
In other words—
He was a miser.
Since the incident twenty years ago, the Church had been steadily recovering, but it was still far from its former glory days.
The irony was that the priests of the Ariklotus Church possessed the best healing abilities in the game, which meant that many players had no choice but to reluctantly take on their quests.
The quests were hard, and the rewards were stingy.
Players who focused purely on performance didn’t think too fondly of Elahim.
For the Pope himself to bring up rewards… that was a rare thing.
Even in the game, Elahim had never directly issued rewards.
That task had always fallen to the priests beneath him.
I’ve got to squeeze out everything I can while I have the chance.
Not that he hadn’t done so before, but in this incident, Jun had risked his life in many ways.
The biggest burden by far was having made an enemy of the level 7 warrior known as Butcher Monk.
This operation must’ve been a long-term plan for the Heavenly Church as well, and now that it had failed—
Information on Jun and his companions had surely made its way to the Heavenly Church.
And on top of that, I went and revealed that I know way too much.
Being a jack-of-all-trades was useful back on Earth, but in this world, flaunting knowledge too carelessly could easily get you stabbed in the street.
It was exactly for that reason that Jun traveled in a small, elite group.
Though, to be fair, the other side was just as full of secrets. That’s what started all this.
Either way, since he had exposed things he would’ve rather kept hidden, he planned to extract everything he could in return.
“I’d like to request access to the Church’s sacred grounds.”
“The Church’s sacred grounds, is it…”
He’d started with a bold demand right out of the start.
The sacred grounds of the Church were, quite literally, a realm of inviolable sanctity.
It was that difficult to enter, and even if one did manage to get in, it would normally take a significant amount of time.
But this time, an opportunity had presented itself.
The sacred grounds of other Churches might be useful in their own ways, but none offered the kind of growth the sacred grounds of the Ariklotus Church did.
Visiting those sacred grounds would allow for much more stable growth than ever before.
That was exactly what the place was meant for.
As compensation for this incident, it was more than enough.
The Church’s treasure vault would also make for a good bargaining chip.
As for items. There were more than enough alternatives to make up for those.
It might take a bit longer and get more troublesome, but they were things he could acquire at any time afterward.
Jun had a vast amount of knowledge to make that possible.
But growth was a different matter.
The faster it was achieved, the better. And the more it expanded the range of what he could do.
In other words, it meant an even greater acceleration in his path forward.
If he refuses, there’s nothing I can do about it.
In that case, he would simply demand access to the treasure vault instead.
And then—
“All right.”
“……!”
For the briefest moment,
He failed to keep his expression in check.
Even his fists clenched with tension.
It couldn’t be helped. The sacred grounds of the Church weren’t a place even the Emperor could enter at will.
It lasted less than a second, but the experienced Pope didn’t miss the dumbfounded look on Jun’s face.
“Hohoho. Sounds like you’ve heard the rumors.”
“…….”
“They’re true. I’ve got quite the reputation for being stingy, you see.”
The Pope was well aware of that rumor himself.
But he wasn’t particularly offended by it.
“They say a thirsty man digs his own well. I’m no different.”
And in this case, it wasn’t anyone else. The Pope himself was the thirsty one.
“We’ve shared quite a few secrets with each other, haven’t we? But you’re alone, while we’re a group.”
The incident from twenty years ago. Eleanor’s true identity. And now, the current crisis. Jun knew an overwhelming amount about the Church.
In contrast, what he knew about Jun was that he was quite knowledgeable about the unknown group called the Heavenly Church.
“So, there’s change left over. I’ll grant you access to the Church’s treasure vault.”
This was an outcome he hadn’t even considered.
Just receiving the sacred ground was more than enough, and now there was even “change” left over. Startled in a different way, Jun asked,
“…Are you serious?”
“You and your group deserve it. You saved an old friend of mine, after all.”
The Pope was a stingy man, but he knew when to spend.
Indeed.
He couldn’t help but admire, once again, the foresight of those who had been fans of Elahim in the game.
***
Once the Church’s second wave arrived, everything proceeded smoothly.
They fixed the problematic areas and, according to the postponed schedule for the sealing, began the subjugation of the five named beings.
Jun and his party weren’t involved in that process.
Aside from that, the Church also began a large-scale purge of undead in Silent City.
“If they wipe out the undead like that, the seal will be even stronger in the next season.”
That was an explanation from Bern, who was standing nearby.
“By the way, I heard you were allowed into the sacred grounds.”
“Yes. I was lucky.”
“Haha, as if. The elder… no, His Holiness the Pope isn’t someone who grants access to the sacred grounds so easily.”
That’s how important the sacred grounds were to the Church, in many ways.
Inviting outsiders to such a place was no easy matter, and the only person permitted to enter regularly was the Emperor.
Even that Emperor couldn’t step foot inside the sacred grounds unless it was for a special event.
And yet someone at the mere fifth circle level, along with a silver-ranked mercenary group, was allowed into the sacred grounds?
It was the kind of story too absurd to even write into a cheap fantasy novel.
And yet, Jun and his companions had done it.
That meant he had done quite a lot for the Church.
“However, even if the road to the sacred grounds feels stuffy, stay inside the carriage.”
“I will.”
No Church ever disclosed the location of its sacred grounds carelessly.
Of course, someone high up in the Imperial family probably had a rough idea, but even they never said it aloud.
In a world where the power of gods truly existed, such an act was considered blasphemy.
And so, the Church’s duties came to an end.
Jun and his companions boarded the Church’s carriage.
Unlike when they had arrived, they were treated with true luxury on their way back.
***
“You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind.”
They were on the road out of the Silent City.
There were still fifteen days left until they reached their destination.
It was Jun who spoke as he looked at Aiden, lost in deep thought.
“Ah, well…”
After a moment’s hesitation, Aiden cautiously opened his mouth.
“Lately, I feel like… my growth has slowed down a bit.”
“Hmm.”
Well, now.
If a passing knight had heard that, he might’ve drawn his sword on the spot.
A kid who had only been wielding a sword for just over a year and could already use aura, saying something like that?
But in truth, Jun could understand Aiden’s feelings to some extent.
My own growth has been a bit fast lately, after all.
Which made it all the more fascinating.
Aside from gaining the Meteorite Sword and the [Beast Body] in the Black Forest, Aiden hadn’t experienced any significant strokes of fortune.
And yet, despite showing that level of growth, he was now feeling impatient while looking at Jun.
Compared to him, I really have had a lot of lucky breaks.
Including the absurdly overpowered skill known as [Mana Body].
On top of that, he was tied to a previous life and using knowledge from a game.
Even then, he had nearly lost his life several times along the way.
If anything, I was the one who had felt impatient.
Before heading to the Witch’s Forest, he had watched Aiden grow rapidly and had even questioned whether he could really keep up with the main character from that game.
Maybe that’s why I can relate to what he’s feeling now.
A trustworthy companion could be the most dependable ally in the world.
But at the same time, only being able to follow someone else’s back could be exhausting.
Jun didn’t think Aiden’s reaction was wrong.
Most likely, Aiden felt that way because he had been forced to just stand by and watch the fight between Bern and the Butcher Monk.
And that was understandable.
Though he was on a different level compared to an average Level 3, Aiden was still only Level 3 at the moment.
In fact, the very fact that he had such thoughts while watching the battle of Level 7 users showed that Aiden had a different baseline.
Ordinary people, when faced with an overwhelming presence, would either feel admiration or despair. One or the other.
“I’m not in a position to give you a clear answer on that yet.”
However, Jun had no intention of solving that problem for him.
It wasn’t simply because Jun had a bad personality.
A problem like that… he has no choice but to overcome it himself.
It was because he could relate to that feeling that he was able to come to such a judgment.
And Jun decided to show it through actions, not words.
The sacred grounds.
If one wanted to truly grow after going there—
That kind of mindset is essential.
Jun also glanced at Maya, who had her eyes closed as if she had no interest in the conversation at all.
“Why are you looking at me?”
Maya asked, sensing Jun’s gaze without even opening her eyes.
“It’s nothing.”
He said that as he leaned back against the seat.
Since it was a high-class carriage, the shaking was minimal, but especially after noon, even that had noticeably lessened.
It meant they were now traveling on a well-maintained road.
It wouldn’t be long before they arrived at the sacred grounds of the Church.
“Get some good rest now. You won’t have time for that later.”
***
When Bern’s voice called out that they had arrived and he stepped out of the carriage, less than one-tenth of those who had started the journey remained.
“Only a limited number of people within the Church are originally allowed to come to the sacred grounds.”
Eleanor added an explanation.
Later he heard that people usually visited only when appointed as high priests or during the initiation ceremony for paladins.
“There are also some paladins who come here for training.”
Jun was the only one paying attention to Eleanor’s explanation.
“Wow…”
Aiden was too busy taking in the surrounding scenery with his eyes sparkling.
And honestly, it was understandable.
The cumulus clouds drifting leisurely across the blue sky looked as free as proud birds gliding through the heavens.
The deep blue sea reflected that sky, shaping rolling waves as it shimmered.
Atop the cliffs, the sight of the pure white temple radiated such a majestic presence that no artist, no matter how skilled, could ever hope to capture it in full.
Meanwhile—
“Be quiet. Keep it down.”
Maya was speaking to someone in her native tongue.
It was likely because the spirits of her ancestors were feeling disturbed.
After all, just being near this place gave off an eerie sense. Like one might ascend to the afterlife at any moment.
They wouldn’t move on that easily, though.
In some ways, Maya’s ancestors were close to evil spirits, but fundamentally, there was still some distance between them and that label.
That matter would have to be dealt with later.
Just around the time they arrived in front of the temple—
Wearing a gentle smile, the Pope welcomed the group.
“Welcome. This is the sacred ground of our Ariklotus Order. Nuada Neferden.”
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