Chapter 16: Turmoil in the Royal Capital – Part 07
“Hmm, so you’re saying we’re going to the cathedral? You can’t refuse?”
Upon returning to the room and sharing the earlier conversation, Larni asked with a look of distaste.
“If a cardinal calls for you, it’s hard to say no. Besides, they mentioned wanting to express their gratitude, so refusing that would be socially unacceptable.”
“I don’t really get it, but it sounds like a hassle. And even if they want to thank us, I can’t shake the feeling that the church might be stingy about it.”
Larni’s cynical remark drew a chuckle from Sfenia and Mariane, though Freinir wore a more serious expression.
Karma, the tiger beastfolk, peered suspiciously at the letter spread out on the table.
“But Soushi, can we really trust this ‘gratitude’? The cathedral’s reputation in the royal capital is terrible right now. Especially that Cardinal Holwood—he’s infamous for being a miser. It seems he doesn’t even realize it himself.”
“I did cross paths with him once inside the castle. He definitely seemed like someone with ulterior motives.”
“He was the one trying to negotiate with ‘Elixirs,’ right? And I suspect he’s the one who removed me from the list of candidates for the Saint.”
All eyes turned to Freinir. It was rare for her to mention the ‘Saint’ candidates.
Gently, I reached out and stroked Freinir’s head, sensing the painful memories resurfacing.
“I hate to bring this up, but how is Freinir treated by the church now? The priest who came earlier said not to bring her along.”
“What I was told was, ‘We have determined you lack the qualifications to be a Saint.’ They said, ‘Normally, you would face severe punishment, but we will allow you to leave with a mere excommunication.’ I was brought here, unable to be protected by my family, to meet you, Soushi.”
“I see… Was there a specific reason for saying you ‘lack qualifications’?”
“Yes. When I awakened, they checked my skills, and it was determined that I did not qualify.”
“I see…”
I didn’t know what skills were required to qualify as a ‘Saint,’ but if Freinir’s ‘Divine Attribute Magic’ was one of them, it meant there were people who could naturally possess such skills. However, based on my experiences so far, that seemed unlikely. It was more plausible that they fabricated a reason to conveniently expel Freinir.
As I fell silent for a moment, Mariane spoke up in my stead.
“However, even if that was the reason for her excommunication, it’s absurd to say she can’t be brought along to express gratitude. I feel like we can’t take the contents of this letter at face value.”
“That’s true. But if that’s the case, what does the church intend to do with us?”
“That idiot Garsonia probably made up some excuse, blaming us for Lyra Nora’s defeat. He must know that Soushi used an ‘Elixir’ on Sakurahime, and he might be trying to sweep it all under the rug.”
Larni’s speculation was quite paranoid, but given my ignorance about the church, it felt plausible.
Freinir nodded in agreement, looking up at me with worried eyes.
“By the way, Soushi, we entered the boss’s room with seven people, and I used ‘Divine Attribute’ magic in front of Sakurahime. Is it possible that this has been discovered?”
“That’s a valid point. However, since ‘Divine Attribute’ magic is supposed to be kept secret, I think the chances of her realizing it are low.”
In any case, we had no choice but to meet with them.
They probably wouldn’t spring anything on us out of the blue; if anything, it would be a subtle trap. It would be better if the young Garsonia merely concocted some excuse to accuse us. I wondered what kind of conversation awaited us.
The next day was a day off, and on the following morning, we visited the cathedral.
Accompanying me were Larni, Sfenia, and Mariane.
Freinir and Geshura stayed behind at the inn. Since Shizuna, the priestess from Oz, might cause trouble if she went to the cathedral, she remained on standby, and Karma was also on standby as Geshura’s protector.
The Arshuram Church’s cathedral in the royal capital was a grand structure dominated by white.
It felt more like a temple than a cathedral, with towering white columns that seemed to reach for the heavens, overwhelming even someone like me, who had once lived in Japan.
Despite the early hour, many believers and worshippers had gathered. It seemed that religious buildings remained tourist attractions, even in this transformed world.
As we passed through the grand entrance and requested an audience with a nearby priest, the priestess Canary, who had delivered the letter, arrived to guide us deeper inside.
The corridor leading to the back of the cathedral was relatively simple compared to the ornate worship halls, giving off a more genuine religious atmosphere.
The priests we passed were composed and polite, casting no strange glances at us adventurers.
The guiding priest stopped in front of a certain door, knocked, opened it, and invited us in.
Inside was a room that was quite spacious for an office. A large desk adorned with expensive decorations sat at the back, while to the left was a seating area that could accommodate about ten people. To the right, various art pieces, dishes, vases, and jars were prominently displayed. The walls were lined with paintings that were clearly not religious in nature, giving the room a vibe more akin to a noble’s office. Admittedly, neither Viscount Barius’s nor Count Lautrec’s offices had been this lavish.
“Ah, welcome, members of ‘Soul’s Guidance.’ I am Holwood. I apologize for summoning you on such short notice.”
The man who approached with a leisurely gait was a stout middle-aged man with a catfish-like beard, someone I had indeed crossed paths with in the royal castle. His sly smile and the mismatch of his cunning face with his fine white and blue robes were striking.
“Nice to meet you. I am Soushi Okuno, an adventurer. It is an honor to meet the esteemed Cardinal Holwood.”
“To call me esteemed is too much praise. Please, have a seat.”
Though Cardinal Holwood’s manner of inviting us to the sofa was polite, it reeked of insincerity.
Once we were seated, the cardinal instructed the priest at the door before settling into the sofa himself.
“First of all, thank you for responding to my summons. I have heard much about the achievements of ‘Soul’s Guidance,’ not just from the recent battle at the castle gate…”
For about ten minutes, the cardinal praised our accomplishments before finally getting to the main topic.
“By the way, I have heard that you rescued Sakurahime, a member of ‘Supreme Radiance,’ near the dungeon close to the Elf Village. According to Sakurahime, you used an ‘Elixir’ to aid her.”
“Yes. It was a close call, but the medicine arrived just in time to save her. She has returned here, hasn’t she?”
“Indeed. ‘Supreme Radiance’ is a group of adventurers that we, the Arshuram Church, fully support. After any significant events, they are required to return to the cathedral. Now, could you tell me what transpired between ‘Soul’s Guidance’ and ‘Supreme Radiance’ in that dungeon?”
“What transpired, you say? Understood.”
The atmosphere suddenly shifted to one of interrogation, but I recounted the events of the ‘Wandering Dungeon.’ I explained how we had advanced to the fourth floor first, how ‘Supreme Radiance’ had followed us without engaging in any minor battles, and how we had rescued Sakurahime in the boss room. Of course, I omitted any mention of entering the boss room with seven people or Freinir’s ‘Divine Attribute Magic.’
“…I see. So that was the situation. Actually, I had also heard from ‘Supreme Radiance,’ but there seems to be a discrepancy between the accounts of their leader, Garsonia, and Sakurahime, whom you saved. We have been pondering how to address this.”
“What kind of discrepancy are you referring to?”
“Garsonia claims that ‘Supreme Radiance’ was deliberately led into the boss’s room first. He says they were deceived into thinking they were meant to weaken the boss.”
The cardinal’s smile vanished, signaling that we were now getting to the crux of the matter.