Episode 216 Beginning of Doubt
Pelji, Priestess of the Holy Kingdom of Frias.
He still had no doubts.
‘To endure this level of penance with a smile… He must have done something.’
But that doesn’t mean you can’t put a watcher on the VIP.
He lost his mind for a moment to find a way in the room and called a successor priest.
Soon after, a man enters with the sound of a visit.
“I heard you called. What else are you doing? Priest Felji.”
“It’s because we have a little something to discuss about the distinguished guests of Gaia’s kingdom.”
“yes? Discussion… Did the distinguished guests even ask for something?”
“No… I would rather do that, but you’re not asking for anything.”
“Hmm… No matter how much you say that you are an adult chosen by Goddess Gaia, you two are still young. Even so, you follow the penance well and don’t even have anything to say… isn’t it really wonderful?”
As the conversation seemed slightly off, Priest Felge shook his head.
“No. That’s not what I want to say.”
At those words, the successor priest tilted his head.
“Then what are you talking about?”
“…Let me turn around a bit and say it. Please understand.”
“No problem.”
He scratched his head for a moment, then pulled out a pair of shabby leather shoes from underneath.
The appearance of the shoes spread as they spread is quite miserable.
Felge points to the shoe and says.
“These are the leather shoes I shared with you in the asceticism that took place a week ago. How does it look?”
To that question, the successor priest answers without thinking.
“It was very difficult.”
“yes. If not, then it must be normal for a hard look to show on your face, right?”
“…Yes, but…”
“Because there seem to be people who don’t.”
After talking to that point, the man also knew what Priest Felge was trying to say.
“Does the high priest suspect that the distinguished guests of Gaia’s kingdom played a trick?”
“…Thus it would be straight forward.”
“No matter how you do it, you still doubt the adults. That’s not to say.”
“no. It’s because there’s not just one or two things that I’m suspicious of… I guess I need to do a little research.”
“…Are you serious?”
With his excellent intuition, he rose to the position of priest.
The successor priest was also well aware of that fact.
Perhaps the fact that Priest Felji came this far is more than half certain.
“Hmm… How do you think about the investigation?”
“I can’t attach surveillance to two adults, but at least I can tell them to report the actions of the paladins and priests who are doing penance together.”
“I see… At that level, it’s not like I’ve crossed the line, so I think it’s okay.”
“I think so too. Just in case, this last penance will go to the area south of the Hefrian Mountains, so you can observe them while acting together.”
“yes? If it’s to the south of the Hefrian Mountains… isn’t that where a new rod was created this time?”
“It will be cumbersome, but not enough to worry about. We will form four groups and divide the area.”
“…If the High Priest said so, it would, but… But, please be mindful of the safety of the two adults.”
“ha ha ha. Unbeknownst to you, you worry a lot. Did you like the two young adults?”
The man’s ears burned red at the priest’s teasing.
“Oh no! I’m just worried that if harm goes to the guests of Gaia Castle Kingdom, Frias Castle Kingdom will be in trouble…” ”
Hahaha. Got it. I understand what you mean, so please go away.”
The man shook his head at the congratulatory command in a pleasant voice and left the door.
Of course, don’t forget to add one more word.
“Absolutely not. Don’t get me wrong.”
The atmosphere is like a close brother.
Percussion-
The sound of a door closing is heard and as the presence gradually disappears in the hallway, Priest Felji’s complexion hardens.
“Huh!”
Bring your hand to your mouth and exhale deeply.
Perhaps it is difficult to breathe, I just stare at the ground with unfocused eyes, exhaling large and small breaths.
How many minutes did you stay like that?
As his complexion slowly returned, he supported himself by using the desk as a support.
It’s still a body that doesn’t get better.
“…Cure.”
The warm touch of divine power wrapped around his body, and yellow light permeated his body.
“I think I can last for another week with this…”
I sat down on a chair feeling the pain in my chest that had disappeared before I knew it.
He closed his eyes with his hands together.
A figure of him praying to God was reflected through the crack of the window.
* * *
“Going back to the mountains…”
“There’s nothing we can do about it because it’s the last penance. Still, you can put up with camping, right?”
I nodded at Iriel’s words.
The two of them exchanged light eye contact and then dispersed to their respective military bases.
The place Ray will go is the western mountains.
I decided to organize four groups to divide the number of people going to the mountain range, but because of that, Iriel and I were separated from this penance.
He carried his backpack and looked at the paladins.
“Then let’s go.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Even though the mountains to the west are safe, you know you have to be vigilant, right?”
“I understand. I think you can let go of your worries.”
Check the number of Paladins selected from the words of the commander of the Holy Knights.
Counting the number of them lined up behind me, I think there are a little over fifty.
‘About sixty people.’
At this rate, I won’t be beaten by monsters in the forest.
I checked the ranks and was just about to leave when a messenger approached.
“Meet the saint.”
“What happen?”
“Chief Felji said that we should deliver this before going to the mountains. The Monster Road is located south of the Hefrian Mountains.”
“Monster Road?”
The messenger continued to speak at his questionable expression.
“He is the one who controls the monsters in the area regardless of race. Like a monster tamer.”
“Then isn’t it troublesome?”
“That’s why we mobilized more Paladins in the Southern Mountains than in other regions. Although monster lords are rare, they are powerful.”
“If something happens in the forest, will you come back to inform me?”
“I don’t think things will happen as much as the Holy Son is worried about, but if an unexpected problem arises, I will be the first to come to you.”
“Please.”
As the messenger disappeared in silence, the personnel heading to the western mountains began to depart.
Ray was lost in thought as he was escorted in the middle of the group.
‘Monster Road is something I’m afraid of…’
Even when I was in the Holy Kingdom, there were definitely times when monsters came.
As if someone had given an order.
He felt the power of the swarming monsters with his whole body without distinguishing between large and small monsters, so he was not alone in worrying.
That’s why I told the messenger in advance to let me know if something happened.
The number of people in the south was 60 paladins and 20 priests.
Even if the monsters came in droves, the number was enough to send a messenger.
He looked at Joe behind him, then turned his head.
“No big deal.”
* * *
As soon as I arrived at the mountain range, I cut down a tree.
to make a huge tent.
Now, the Paladins have gotten used to Ray to some extent and do it well when asked to do so.
“Leave it here. It’s better to trim it to assemble it later.”
“All right.”
The paladins brought the logs and cut them little by little with a dagger pulled from the side of the thigh.
A groove was cut into a flat wooden surface and a long line was drawn along the side, resulting in an excellent piece of wood for assembly.
When the wood is properly inserted into the facing groove, the skeleton of the tent is roughly completed.
Cover it with usable leaves and use a hand drill to light the fire.
The paladins exclaimed in admiration as the series of processes seemed to be seeing a natural person who lived only in the mountains.
“You are amazing too.”
“Great camping knowledge.”
A radar that increases the efficiency of the body three times like a buff when praised.
When he made up his mind and prepared for camping, it wasn’t long before a splendid campsite was created.
Beyond the bonfire, there is a table made of wood and a nature-friendly tent that looks good for sleeping.
If this is the case, I think it’s okay to stay for more than a month instead of a week.
It has already become a vacation in the forest rather than penance.
A paladin approached and reported.
“Saint-nim, the reinforcement of the boundary has been completed.”
“In case a messenger might come, put up a sentry in the direction of the southern mountains as well.”
“I’m sorry, but we don’t have enough people to do that. With a total of 64 people, it is too much to pay attention to the southern mountains.”
“Then, how about supplementing a little with the western border personnel?”
“There is nothing to discuss. We cannot give up the comfort of the Holy Son.”
The paladin who continued talking pointed to the south.
“You don’t have to worry too much. There is a monster road in the mountains to the south, but there are over 60 knights using mana. After that, the priests will support you, so you should be able to withstand even if there are a tolerable number of different races, not a bunch of monsters.”
“No matter how much mana we use, monsters are not easy opponents. It won’t be easy to protect even the messengers in a state of flocking.”
“Besides us, there is a saintess in the east, so as long as we keep an eye on the south, everything will be fine.”
When he, who had a lot of experience in living in the forest, said this, Ray nodded and backed away.
“Then the rest of you, please pay more attention to the south.”
“All right.”
When the paladin left, he also sat comfortably at the table and opened the book.
I am anxious about every single thing, but what can I do?
Except for the number of people needed to stand guard, there are only a few left.
Even those personnel are being used as their own escort troops, and there is no way to do anything about it.
But even so, there would be very few battles or things to do in the southern mountains.
It is a large group of over eighty people.
If the monster lord did what he thought, there would be no reason to fight against that large group of people.
However, if the monsters attacked even one of them, they would suffer quite a bit.
The terrain itself was advantageous to monsters.
‘Because I don’t know, I’ll have to pay attention.’
Focus on the southern part of the Hefrian Mountains by expanding the sense of mana.
If something passes by, the movement will be caught.
After making several preparations, he went to sleep with the book covered over his face.
