Flimsulat. In this mountain range, where nature is so strong, there are several decaying ruins. Among them, there is a huge structure, which is called a temple or a relic of the gods in the High Holy Church. It was the Great Temple of Frimsrath.

　For what purpose was it built and who used it? What was the temple to honor? It is still inconclusive to this day.

　Some say that the majesty of the god Artius had reached this far, others say that it was just an alien deity of a local tribe, and some say that it was to appease the giants that once glared down upon the earth itself.

　At any rate, there was no doubt that it was a relic left behind from the age of mythology, and it was said to have once been kept in a cathedral. However, due to the unimaginable inconvenience of its location and the difficulty of its management, it seems that priests were no longer sent there.

　In the event that you've got a lot more than one of these, you'll be able to find a lot more than just one.

　Revelations are like the voice of the god Altius to the Great Saints. Once it has landed on human flesh, priests will interpret it as much as they can, the powers that be will twist it around as much as they can, and in the end it will become a tool in political battles. It is no longer uncommon for factions to form and warfare to break out over a single word.

　Fortunately, we haven't had any such incidents since His Holiness became the current Pope, but I'm sure there will be many people who will make a fuss again with this revelation. Garrus slung his beloved vermillion spear over his shoulder as he relaxed his sharp eyes in disgust. His eyes look at the blonde hair in front of him.

How is the diva, Heldt? I hope she is in a good mood.

　I hope she's doing well," he muttered absently. The words were coarse for a knight to speak, and very rude. I'm not sure if you've heard of this, but I'm sure you've heard of it.

It's not bad, I guess, but you didn't say much. Is it because of this cold wind?

　The response was matter-of-fact. No great emotion, no over-embellishment, no such words. Garrus nodded with a shrug and blinked his eyelids.

　I can't say the same for myself, but I do think that Herdt-Stanley is a strange young man, Garrus thought.

　The fact that Buckingham, an old acquaintance of his, a difficult man to please, and a saint allowed to accompany him, made him a very promising and typical member of the High Holy Church, he thought.

　However, when I met him and saw his face and piercing eyes, I realized that he was not what I had imagined.

　Garrus had the impression that Herdt had a squeaky-clean expression, but there was something hidden inside that made him look nothing like him.

　You can find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier. How she looked, how beautiful her words were, and so on.

　At least, that's what the other cathedral knights seemed to say when they exchanged even a few words with the saint. You can't help but be in awe, and yet reverence. To the Great Saints, a saint is such a being.

　But for Heldt-Stanley, it is not so. That's why I made him visit the saint. Garrus snapped his pointed canines and intensified his gaze.

　That girl, Alueno, is a pitiful girl.

　She was picked up by the cathedral because of her rare magical talent, and was forced to live as a nun whether she wanted to or not. It may sound simple, but living as a nun is like living with all your limbs tied up.

　There is no freedom, no time to breathe. Garrus knows how much she has gritted her teeth and lived with pain in her heart in that life.

　He also knows how noble she is for choosing to live in such a lowly position, shaking off the sludge that is thrown at her.

　That's why, when Alueno was chosen as a candidate for sainthood, while everyone else expressed feelings of confusion or near-hostility, Garrus alone said words of congratulations. It wasn't about the pride of being a knight that flowed within him, it was just a blessing from the bottom of his heart.

　But there are some things that I think about. In any case, becoming a saint is a joyous thing, but it also means that Alueno, as a person, will be devoured by the gods.

　It's okay for now. But once she officially becomes a saint, her peace of mind will be killed and she will not be able to move her limbs or speak freely. Whether that's happiness or not may depend on the person, but at least Garrus didn't want that.

　Therefore, during the pilgrimage that he would be escorting, he would allow her a little more freedom. That's why I had Herdt-Stanley, who didn't seem to care about her, as my bodyguard, and I kept the other guards out of her sight as well.

　When everyone around you has their faces tightened, it forces those around you to tighten their expressions as well. In the not-too-distant future, she would surely be thrown into such a situation. Then it's better to let her relax for now.

"Commander of the Garrus Heirs. The area around the entrance to the Great Temple has been secured. We're searching the back now. Bring the saint inside first.

　One of the temple knights bowed reverently to Garrus with a fist in front of his chest. Garrus nodded back, controlling it with his hand. We don't know everything yet, but it seems that there are no magical beasts walking around the Great Temple.

　Garrus was called the Commander, but officially, there is no such position as Commander in the Cathedral Knights. The reason is that all Cathedral Knights are under the direct control of the Pope, and the Pope is the only one who can command them. You can't order them to do anything lightly, even if you're the king.

　But that doesn't mean that the Pope can't accompany the cathedral knights to every battlefield they go to, and it would be foolish to ask him to make all the decisions in the field.

　Therefore, if a situation arises where a cathedral knight has to step out on his own, someone from among the cathedral knights will temporarily inherit the Pope's command of the cathedral knights.

　Then, on the battlefield, the commander who has taken over will give the order to all the cathedral knights.

　This time, and not just this time, but for a long time now, the Pope has inherited this authority only in Gullas Gargantia. Only a few people know the reason for this.

　Gullas lightly relaxes his body and lets his words fly.

"Invite the saint into the temple. Be as polite as you can. It's better to be inside a moldy temple than hiding in the snow like a mole.


　I'm sorry.


　In the Great Temple, a voice spilled out. I'm not sure what to make of that.

I'm not sure what to make of that. If so, they must have the beast with them.



　It is customary for pilgrims to be unaccompanied by an escort," said Kalia, her small lips quivering. You can see the figure of a knight walking down the majestic corridor of the Great Temple, making a crunching sound.

　I'm sure I've seen him in his distinctive white armor a few times in the past. The Great Swordsmen of the Cathedral are under the direct control of the Pope. If the Pope is so inclined, it will be wielded by one of the Cathedral's forces, as it has been called.

　I'm done. Since it's a pilgrimage, I thought we'd only have a few guards, just like on our old trip. But that's not the case. There would be dozens at least. And that's just the cathedral's rabid elite.

　I'd say that's a small number for a saint's bodyguard. But it's still a problem. It seems like the gods want to put a wall in front of me.

　I slip into the knights' blind spot and pull out a chewing tobacco from my pocket. But I put it away once more, thinking it would be foolish to let the smell escape.

What are you going to do, Lugis? I'm sure the Knights of the Holy Temple are the most respected in the Kingdom of Garleist.

　I heard Fialat's voice and nodded. As he said, they are not people to be taken seriously. They're the kind of people who are willing to give up their lives for their faith and are capable of cruelty to any extent. They don't have the heart to show mercy to a heraldic man.

　It's not for nothing that we were able to get inside the temple before they did. The proper course of action would be to stay in the temple and hide until they leave.

　That is, if Alueno is not there.

　I let out a breath, trying not to make a sound. Bending his numb fingers in the cold, he said.

I don't think I'm the right person to go head-to-head with, so let me get off on the wrong foot. I'm actually quite good at that.

　He said, his lips rippling. He sniffs lightly.