LIGHTNOVELWORLD Episode 49
Chapter 49
“…This mural here—”
“Hmm, I see…”
As they moved through the church, we nodded along with Feralt’s explanations.
Most of the content was about the gods of the World Tree, and although I found it somewhat tiresome, Alshade didn’t stop, so it must have been within her tolerance.
To ensure Feralt could look at my face whenever he wanted, I had to maintain a serious expression or a smile, which was quite exhausting on their facial muscles.
I was even worried that my face might be sore tomorrow.
“And this one here—”
“Oh, I see…”
Feralt chatted away happily, seemingly unaware, but even Alshade noticed a hint of exasperation in the eyes of Orto, Vivian, and the guards, who were responding with smiles.
[“Man, this guy walks so slowly. Is he doing it on purpose?”]
Just as I started to think this, a priest approached briskly.
“Archbishop!”
“…What is it? As you can see, I’m currently guiding an important guest.”
As soon as the priest spoke, Feralt’s cheerful expression clouded over, clearly becoming displeased.
However, in an instant, he plastered a smile back on his face and continued talking.
It made my cheeks almost twitch in response.
“…Over there is Bishop Mark. He’s a believer in the Olympian gods and rumor has it that he and Archbishop Feralt aren’t on good terms.”
“(Well, no wonder they don’t get along!)”
Vivian whispered this information from behind, and I couldn’t help but feel like I wanted to facepalm.
If the organization’s top and second-in-command were at odds, it was easy to guess the internal situation.
“(What were the higher-ups at the comprehensive church thinking when they put these two together?)”
“Have you all finished your preparations? It’s not time yet! The preparations in the Chamber of the Divine Stone are already complete. Alshade-sama, you must have some plans as well. Rather than talking here, wouldn’t it be more polite to guide you promptly?”
“…You’re right. Everyone, I apologize. We’ll guide you to the Chamber of the Divine Stone without further delay.”
Even though they didn’t get along, perhaps because Mark’s words were reasonable, Feralt graciously yielded and apologized to them.
Well, there was a brief moment before he answered, so it was probably reluctantly.
It felt like invisible sparks were flying between Mark, who had a sober expression, and Feralt, who smiled gently.
But that was probably just my imagination. Getting involved would likely lead to trouble.
“…Sometimes, Alshade-sama, you may be busy now, but I would be grateful if you could introduce us to the knights at your convenience.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Thank you very much. Well then, please excuse me.”
Once Mark got a commitment from Alshade, he quickly left the scene.
Alshade couldn’t refuse, considering Mark’s influence and she ended up promising to introduce me.
But Mark’s proposal was nothing but a nuisance for me, as I didn’t want to get entangled in the murky world of religious factional disputes.
“(Seriously, because of you and your unnecessary comments, I bet the Archbishop’s mood isn’t as cheerful anymore! It’s so awkward, and the atmosphere is just terrible!)”
As Mark’s figure diminished somewhat in the distance, Feralt’s demeanor returned to normal, which was a relief.
However, I hoped they wouldn’t start factional disputes in front of us, their guests.
Feeling weary, I followed Feralt. At a certain door, he stopped and turned towards me.
“Alshade-sama probably already knows, but this is the Chamber of the Divine Stone. I’ll be waiting here, so please go inside.”
“Got it. Then, those entering will be me, Rios, Orto, and Vivian. The rest will stay here to guard the entrance.”
“Understood”
While listening to the responses from the guards, we entered the Chamber of the Divine Stone with Orto leading the way.
“Sigh… Rio, you see, this place is physically and magically shielded against eavesdropping and spying, so you can relax.”
As soon as the door closed completely, Alshade’s words allowed me to release the tension I didn’t even realize I was carrying.
“…That was quite a hassle.”
“I agree, but if you think about it in terms of them engaging in factional disputes, that was the more favorable outcome. At best, they were just trying to get close to future aides, and maybe even convert them to their preferred religion. Real factional disputes in this world can be much nastier.”
“Ugh… I want no part of it.”
The protagonists who willingly got caught up in that seemed to be a bit off their rocker, don’t you think?
Well, in a way, their actions were driven by the desire to help those in need or acquaintances in trouble.
But if that’s the case, players who actively accepted subquests and got themselves embroiled in religious factional disputes, effectively becoming a part of it, should probably reflect on their choices.
It might backfire spectacularly, but those dragged into the mess would have had a seriously tough time.
“Well, I can’t blame you for that sentiment. But, we’re in a position where we can’t avoid it, so we must make sure we don’t get ensnared in the factions.”
“That’s true.”
“Even so, Rio, don’t worry too much. I’ll protect you.”
“What’s up with a knight being protected by his liege, anyway?”
While I may not have experience with factional disputes or political struggles of any kind, I definitely didn’t want to be a burden.
“That’s right, Rio, you need to first become capable of protecting yourself if you’re going to protect me…Vivian, please take charge of his training.”
“Yes, I understand. Rios-sama, we’ll have a discussion later.”
“Ah, sure.”
Alshade gave a warm smile to Vivian, who nodded in agreement.
Vivian was probably talking about adding political maneuvering to my curriculum.
I’d like to say I was looking forward to it, but when it came to learning etiquette, it was quite rigorous, so I felt a bit hesitant deep down.
…I couldn’t refuse, though. It was for my own good.
“…Leaving that aside, let’s get things done. Rio, that large stone slab there is the Sacred Stone. When you touch it, it displays the details of your blessings.”
“Understood.”
The Sacred Stone was a large, smooth, black rectangular stone slab, probably twice the height of an adult.
As Alshade mentioned, it could display the blessings that a person possessed when they touched it, as well as allow you to reconfigure those blessings.
Changing the configuration took time, but it could be done even without a Sacred Stone.
However, to check the details of blessings, you needed the Sacred Stone. I remember coming here to investigate when I acquired blessings I didn’t know about.
“Oh, right. The details of the blessings displayed on the Sacred Stone can only be seen by the person in question, so let me know later.”
“…Understood.”
I had no idea that only the person in question could see the details displayed on the Sacred Stone.
In the game, as soon as you entered the Sacred Stone Chamber, a screen displaying the list of blessings for the selected character on the Sacred Stone was shown, and it was common knowledge, so it wasn’t a topic of conversation.
I was a little surprised, but I quickly regained my composure and touched the Sacred Stone.
The Sacred Stone felt smooth and cold, almost making me want to release my hand, but before I could, changes appeared on its surface.
Floating on the surface of the Sacred Stone were the words…
“‘Child of the Divine Beast, Asterios’ “(Dice)
Next to the blessing’s name, there were additional letters,”Dice”, and I had a sinking feeling that I knew exactly what they meant.
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