A Powerful Martial Artist Reincarnates as a Nun Knight

For a fleeting moment, what the assembled clergy felt defied verbal expression:
Profoundly solemn yet utterly liberated,
Weightier than descending heavens yet lighter than wandering the skies.

Piercing the heart’s innermost depths with incisive chill yet simultaneously warm, enveloping exposed wounds with tender compassion.
Exuding regal imperious dominion and ferocious martial intensity, while paradoxically emanating a transcendent, faint ethereal aura akin to an itinerant sage or mountain hermit.
Could one term this ‘sacredness’?
Or merely describe it as ‘vast and expansive’ – a reductive oversimplification?
How to define this overwhelming presence, simultaneously cosmic yet permeating even the smallest mote’s minutiae?

Well, waxing lyrical about its qualities proved futile. The crucial point was this: with that single immersion, any lingering miasma traces unknowingly persisting within the chambers dissipated without a shred remaining.
For an instant, the clergy found themselves unable to speak, experiencing a refreshing sensation akin to shedding impurities clinging to their luminous forces – a cleansing liberation from that tenacious miasma’s persistent, nagging discomfort pervading their auras like stains upon white cloth. For those who wielded the luminous force as naturally as limb extensions, that lingering taint proved unbearably vexing and unpleasant.
So when Sophia’s manifested Immovable Bright King luminescence purged that miasma, the clergy experienced an indescribably special feeling – like scrubbing their faces with freshly laundered, sunbaked fluffy towels.

Their expressions instantly brightened with that buoyant, invigorating sensation as all eyes converged upon Sophia, vividly reflecting complex emotions – reverence, envy, and myriad others. Despite inwardly sweating at those almost obsessive gazes, Sophia nonetheless bore a satisfied smile.

‘It seems unveiling the Immovable Bright King Technique has succeeded for now. Thanks to Bishop Johannes Vettel, the outcome proved even more favorable than initially anticipated.’

Subsequent preparations fell under the Church leadership’s purview. Her role was simply to impart whatever knowledge she could contribute.
So then, what did the Church currently require most?

Frankly, the Church lacked everything and remained woefully underprepared in every aspect.
While commanding secular authorities’ deference, the Church lacked experience wielding actual power. Despite possessing immense wealth-generating potential, they remained inexperienced in financial operations.
More critically, although boasting forces to overwhelm any continental military, their current strength seemed inadequate against the Archfiend’s imminent escalation – lacking both sufficient numbers and assurances of besting even a single archdemon.

Then what could Sophia provide? Reflecting upon herself, she quickly reached a conclusion:
She must impart as much as possible.

The Immovable Bright King Technique. More efficient physical regimens for Profound Muscle Training. Systematic neurological development methods for Profound Brain Cultivation.
These alone could catalyze dramatic force augmentations. Concepts like qigong or yoga, however, seemed ill-advised at present – as unfamiliar foreign notions to the continental populace, systematizing them into universally applicable curricula would prove too time and resource-intensive compared to simply optimizing existing paradigms.

+++++

After Sophia unveiled the Immovable Bright King luminescence before the assembly, subsequent agenda items swiftly passed without dissent. At this stage, they had become utterly engrossed in the singular desire to learn that resplendent golden radiance from Sophia rather than squabbling over trivial issues.

To put it crudely, they had never experienced such profound clarity and refreshment since birth. That indescribably liberating sensation of having an oppressive psychic stain scoured away – once tasted, it became unshakably addictive.

This also explained why so many cultivators and ascetics obsessed over attaining enlightenment.
Within those fleeting instants of realization akin to eternity, practitioners became utterly entranced by an incomparable sense of infinite freedom and omnipotent capability. A perfect experience impossible to replicate through mere intoxicants or carnal pleasures that, once glimpsed, compelled souls to perpetually chase its echoes.
Of course, this too represented an entrapment obstructing further progress which cultivators must transcend. But fortunately, the Immovable Bright King luminescence did not induce such intensity.

‘Still, some cautionary guidance before transmission seems prudent.’

Since vanquishing the dread drake and witnessing her inner selves’ confrontation, Sophia had grown unburdened in wielding this radiance freely. Previously, invoking the Immovable Bright King Technique’s full revelations required immense restraint to maintain mental and spiritual equilibrium amid its profound elation.

So before transmitting it, recipients first required rigorous training to preserve equanimity under any circumstances – a substantial portion of the Immovable Bright King cultivation process itself.

Setting that aside, Cardinal Andrea thumbed through Sophia’s documented training methods – the Immovable Bright King Technique accompanied by various physical exercises and neurological development drills optimized for Profound Muscle and Brain Cultivation. His tongue clicked in admiration:

“Ridiculously systematic yet creative.”

Every discipline exhibited an almost obsessive systematization coupled with ingenuity – unsurprising, given their roots in 21st century Earth’s scientific anatomical insights which Sophia had adapted for astral muscle and brain refinement. From Cardinal Andrea’s perspective, it felt like unveiling an entire new world. And Conra’s supplementary elixir formulations and applications proved no less impressive.

“If combined with your disciple’s elixir brewing and administration methods, our forces could augment even further.”

As both a martial artist versed in Ailill’s spear arts and Rotaringhian fencing alongside his druidic, alchemical and runic studies, Conra had developed auxiliary elixirs enhancing Profound Muscle and Brain Cultivation alongside their optimal administration.
Cardinal Andrea could vividly envision the potential synergies combining Conra’s elixirs with Sophia’s training regimens. If humanity could endure this war against demonkind, their renaissance would surely follow – an intuition that resonated deeply within the aged cardinal.

‘It seems our generation may no longer need to take further action.’

Whether Cardinal Andrea’s bittersweet musings stemmed from lamenting his own obsolescence or praising Conra, Sophia responded with a humble smile, indifferent towards personal glory or vilification – such vain pursuits held no interest since her previous life.

A disciple’s commendation felt far more gratifying. Sophia intended to eventually impart all her previous life’s mystical knowledge to Conra, excluding only the heritage-bound succession techniques inapplicable to this non-Earth world – the fully corporeal qigong, yoga and geass remained perfectly transmittable.

Considering Conra’s druidic background, the geass may even harmonize synergistically. Of course, she would need to carefully guide what oaths and vows to undertake, but the possibilities seemed promising. Lost in such mentorship musings, Sophia received Cardinal Andrea’s lukewarm gaze – someone who had trodden similar paths.

He too had once savored such joys of nurturing disciples, before eventually dispatching them to the Paladins – a relationship reduced to incessant gibes over that very decision, admittedly common among Paladin initiates. Hmm, did Sister Chazelle not engage in such back-and-forths with her own disciple? How envious. Such idle reflections flitted across the cardinal’s mind.

Eventually, he inquired:
“So for now, you’ll oversee educating this initial selection with the materials you’ve provided. What then?”
“What else? By that point, everything should progress without my further involvement, allowing me to return to my original calling. Is that not so, Gabriel?”
[…?]
“Where would I go? That’s for you to decide. Am I not merely a cleanup servant trailing behind incidents?”

Observing Sophia playfully bantering with the spirit Gabriel, Cardinal Andrea shot her a wry look before sighing:
“While the Paladins’ duties have admittedly grown somewhat overburdened, referring to yourself as a ‘cleanup servant’ seems rather unbecoming. Could you not phrase it more gracefully?”
“I’m afraid not. No matter how servile my role, I refuse to have my freedom of expression curtailed. Leave it be.”

Perceiving further remonstrance as futile given Sophia’s blunt refusal, Cardinal Andrea simply exhaled resignedly:
“Huu, why must all Paladin knights be such incorrigible sorts?”

As the cardinal lamented thus, the elegant spirit Celestiel, silently leaning against his back, adopted a peculiar expression – as if saying ‘Is that really something you should be saying?’