Chapter 178 - Fifth Story: Church Underground Passage Exploration ④
=== CHAPTER 178 ===
"Beatrix. After hearing that just now, what do you think?"
When the Headmistress asked Beatrix, she let out a low groan.
"Even if you ask me what I think, it's something from ancient times, right? It doesn't really feel real to me."
She was as broad-brushed as ever.
If someone else heard that, they would likely turn pale.
"I mean, there's no good or bad in killing each other, right? People kill each other just because they're hungry. There was an era like that, so we just have to work hard so it doesn't happen again."
I see. That's quite positive.
"Beowulf. What about you?"
When asked, Beowulf straightened her posture properly.
As expected of the guard unit.
"I believe that the guard unit and the Royal Army exist in Sertoria to eliminate such lawless acts. It would be best if we apply this to the future, would it not?"
Umu. Positive.
"Bonnie. You?"
Bonnie swayed her head left and right while thinking, but once an answer came to mind, she replied while looking at the Headmistress's face.
"I don't really get it, but we just shouldn't repeat the same mistakes, right?"
Yeah. Everyone is being positive.
"Jeanne. And you?"
It finally came to me. I have to prepare an answer befitting a priest here.
"History is, so to speak, the past and experience of society. We should reflect on the parts that need reflection. The Goddess-sama forgave the barbarism of the past, did she not? If so, we should be deeply grateful for that and, from now on, follow the Goddess-sama's teachings and never forget the spirit of coexistence and co-prosperity."
Good. That was well-put.
When I looked at the Headmistress hoping for praise, she flicked my forehead with her middle finger.
It hurt quite a bit.
"Don't go saying things like Jennifer would say."
She didn't seem angry; she was smiling.
Katherine-sensei, who was next to her, was smirking while looking at my face.
The Headmistress leaned back and looked at the Archbishop-sama.
"How about it? My pupils? There was one who was acting a bit pretentious, but they're all good kids, right?"
I had tried to look cool by borrowing a bit of Jennifer-sensei's words for the history part, but it seems I was seen through.
"Why are you the only one trying to give a model answer?"
"I thought Jeanne was a slightly more simple girl, though."
"She's a little show-off~"
Surrounded by the three of them, my forehead was poked repeatedly.
Hey, stop it.
I just summarized it like a priest should.
It's fine if I say something cool once in a while, isn't it?
Even Beowulf said something that sounded like it.
"Beowulf is fine. She's just being her usual self. But you, you usually say things like 'it's too difficult, I don't really get it,' so what was that just now?"
The interrogation was unusually harsh.
"But I really do think so. In short, it's about coexistence and co-prosperity, right?"
The three of them smirked in unison.
"We know. It's because you were there that Dune, Mel, Flora, and even Fiona were all playing together. It was just so much like you that we teased you a little."
Hmm. I don't really get it. Then why poke me?
"It's fine, it's fine. Jeanne should just stay the way she's always been."
"That's right. That's why everyone is having such a good time."
Mel and Dune were... following up? I'm not quite sure.
"Thank you. You all have saved me. I feel as though I've come to understand why not only the spirits and the ghost, Fiona, but even King Griffith took a liking to you all."
The Archbishop-sama's complexion seemed to have returned to normal as well.
Well, let's just take it as being praised.
"So, in the end, we're stopping here for today?"
When the Archbishop-sama nodded at the Headmistress's words, the Dwarf called for a halt.
"You've gotta be joking. We've put a lot of preparation into this side too. You think I can just say 'oh, is that so' when you tell me you're going home after coming this far?"
"Must we proceed further?"
"Of course! What are you saying after making people wait for two hundred years! Besides, you lot want to receive an oracle, don't you!"
Umm, oracles can be received at the town church, though...
"Heh?"
The Dwarf froze.
It seemed his momentum from a moment ago had vanished somewhere.
"In... in town? Don't give me that crap! If you say something weird, I won't let you off easy! ...Whoa! Whoa-oa!"
The moment he tried to grab me by the collar, he was pinned down by Dune. Mel, who had taken her human form, was kicking his head.
This might be a bit much.
"Ow! S-Sisters! I'll apologize for trying to lay a hand on your friend, so please, have mercy! I'm the gatekeeper here too. I've got a contract!"
Just like that, one of his arms was pulled behind his back and he was pinned to the ground.
"Th-That was fast..."
Katherine-sensei, who had her spear ready, was surprised.
Looking around, the Headmistress and everyone else had surrounded me to protect me.
"It's okay, Dune. Thank you. For now, I want to hear what he has to say."
When I took Dune's arm, she said, "If you say so," and released the arm pinning the Dwarf down.
"You're a good fellow. You saved me. I apologize for trying to lay a hand on you."
Speaking of Dwarves, they are famous as one of the two great fae alongside Elves, but it seems they are no match for the Four Great Spirits.
Since he had calmed down, I explained that the Priestess receives oracles at the church, and he somehow believed me.
"It's surely the fault of you priests. In the old days, those indigenous people I mentioned, the ones painted blue, used to bring the Priestess. Those guys would go further than this, but at some point, priests wearing white clothes like you started coming. Nowadays, it's been a long time since we've seen anyone. Well, thanks to that, we've been having an easy time here."
When I looked at the Archbishop-sama, he was nodding.
"It was likely the priests who built the place of prayer... the origin of the current church... in the village along this river. It has not been passed down exactly what kind of oracle they received. However, it is said that those priests were the ones who had the Priestess live in the new temple to receive oracles."
He said it was written in the church records.
The Dwarf was also disappointed, but he said that was one thing and this was another.
"Now that I've opened this gate, you're going to proceed. That's the contract. If you break it, it'll never open again, so keep that in mind."
"Isn't it fine? Let's go."
When the Headmistress said that, the Archbishop-sama also agreed, saying it couldn't be helped.
Well, Dune and Mel are here, so it should be fine.
"Sorry, but from here on, the Sisters will have to refrain. N-No, it really is that kind of contract. You can't bring spirits that are too powerful, like the Sisters. This is a place to test humans. If you don't do that, nothing will happen even when you reach the destination, so it would be meaningless."
Glared at by Dune and Mel, he was desperately making excuses.
"Am I no good either?"
"No, an Alraune is fine. Because you're not that powerful of a spirit."
Apparently, there is such a thing as status.
"O-Ouch! It's the truth. Believe me. Have mercy! H-Help me, you!"
The Dwarf, whose butt was kicked by Mel, came running to me for help.
"Mel. Please stop. And, Dwarf-san. If we break through that testing place or whatever and reach the altar in the back, can we call the two of them?"
"I-I'm saved. You really are a good fellow. And it's just as you say. Once you break through the test and reach the room with the altar, the Sisters will be fine too."
Hearing that, both of them seemed satisfied. "Then call us when you get there," they said, and each returned to where they came from.
Seeing that, the Dwarf was astonished.
It seemed he didn't think I could summon the two of them.
"Are you, by any chance, a descendant of that first king or something?"
"No, not at all."
I shouldn't have any connection to him.
"Is that so? But the atmosphere is similar. That guy seemed to be on good terms with spirits too."
If I were royalty, I wouldn't be in a place like this.
Since ghosts are fine, we'll be able to take Fiona along.
I immediately summoned her and explained the situation, and her eyes went wide in surprise.
"A Dwarf-san, is it? Nice to meet you."
Perhaps she couldn't understand the situation, so she acted as if she hadn't heard and greeted the Dwarf.
"Where are you from?"
"I am from an island in Uminohara."
"Then you're a descendant of the indigenous people."
"Is that so?"
"Probably."
They were having a mysterious conversation, but since neither side had any certainty, it ended as a mystery.
"And also, uh, Priest Catherine."
"Yes?"
"Where did you get that mace you're holding?"
"I got it from a Dwarf who digs silver in the Western Plains."
It's a major source of wealth for Sertoria. I didn't know she was in league with Dwarves.
"I thought so. Since the quality is so good, I figured it was something made by a Dwarf."
"What about this spear?"
She pointed at Katherine-sensei's spear.
"This one isn't a Dwarf. It's probably an Elf. If you meet one somewhere, give 'em your thanks. It's a top-quality piece, like a treasure. It's well-done for something made by an Elf."
"This is?"
Katherine-sensei was surprised.
It seemed she didn't know.
I remember Will praising it. Apparently, it easily pierced an Orc's body even though she only hit it lightly.
"I don't really understand, but thank you for the praise. I'll treasure it."
After exchanging those words, we decided to enter through the gate.
"Good luck! I've given you a little service!"
I didn't know what he meant, but encouraged by the gatekeeper, we finally set off.
Bonnie, carrying the basket with Flora who can see in the dark, was at the front.
Next to her was Secretary-sama holding a lantern, and beside him was Beowulf with her slimy shield.
The second row was me, the lighting person. Since the ceiling was high, Fiona was floating above my head.
Next to me was Beatrix.
The third row was the Archbishop-sama, who had activated [Sense Living].
The rear guard consisted of the Headmistress and Katherine-sensei.
There was plenty of width, but since the Headmistress said it would be better if it were easy to swap front and back, we formed a somewhat vertically long formation.
According to King Griffith's diary, there's a Fenrir.
It's probably the boss. Since it'll be in the latter half, at first it'll probably just be something like bears.
Or so I had thought, but a snake suddenly appeared.
That Dwarf. This isn't what you call 'service'.
"Beatrix. Freeze its head. Give it everything you've got."
Since we knew its location with [Sense Living], we launched a preemptive strike. After exiting the gate and proceeding for a while, we came out into a large square room.
The snake was coiled in the far left corner.
Fortunately, there were several flames lit in oil dishes in the room, so while it was dim, it wasn't impossible to see.
The Dwarf probably prepared them for us.
Approaching while illuminating its face with [Light], I froze its head with two full-power [Ice Cube] spells just as the opponent started to move.
The snake was writhing violently.
It must be painful because it can't breathe.
"Let's watch it for a while."
When we stepped back and watched as the Headmistress said, its movement stopped. According to the Headmistress, it had gone into hibernation.
"Does that mean that thing is still alive?"
"That's right. Katherine. Finish it off with that spear."
"Where should I stab?"
"If you look closely from under the head, there'll be a place that's moving. That's the heart, so if you just stab it a few times, it'll die eventually, so it's fine."
How irresponsible.
I went along with Katherine-sensei, who replied with a "yessir," and as we observed the snake while illuminating it with [Light], she seemed to have found it.
"Here it is," she said, and after stabbing it a few times, blood began to gush out.
A pool of blood started to form, so we hurriedly ran away.
The snake was either sleeping or paralyzed, as it didn't move.
As the Headmistress said, it would likely bleed out and die eventually.
"Well then, shall we go?"
Umm, what was all that struggle from back then for...
Is it just my imagination that I feel a sense of emptiness...
Since the snake stopped moving, I looked around the room again; it was quite large. It had plenty of height too.
It would be tough if there was something that moved around like a Fenrir.
"Which way should we go?"
The Archbishop-sama was tilting his head.
There were as many as six doors in the room.
One where we came in. Three in front, and one each on the left and right.
"Hmm."
Even the Headmistress was having trouble deciding.
Huh? Wait a minute. I've seen this before.
"It's probably the middle one in front."
"You can tell?"
"I saw it before in the palace garden."
It was the pond with Dune's bronze statue.
When I rode on the bowl and looked from above, there was a circular pattern at the bottom of the pond.
The pattern probably indicated where Dune lived, and a single straight line was drawn there. It was surely a message left by the First King.
"Was there something like that?"
The Headmistress and Beatrix were tilting their heads.
"You saw it together with me, didn't you?"
The Headmistress aside, Beatrix was looking from the sky.
"I remember Henry-sama and the others saying something about the pattern of the pond, but wasn't it a circular pattern?"
This is why mages are...
"Fine. Let's try going there. Since we don't know anyway, let's try believing Jeanne's words."
The Headmistress summarized, and we decided to proceed straight ahead.
"Headmistress. Snake skin and fangs sell for a good price."
Beatrix pointed at the long thing regretfully.
Unfortunately, we don't have any [Teleport] scrolls.
Since we can't explain the location, I can't write the report to be sent to Adolf-san.
"Is that so? Then let's ask the Dwarf."
We decided to turn back for a moment.
When we asked the Dwarf who was lying down at the barrier, it seemed we could take it back if we managed to reach the altar. He said the Dwarf side would slice it into rounds and transport it via [Teleport].
This is something to look forward to. If we have the Headmistress defeat magical beasts that we usually can't defeat, it'll be a good earner.
As a result of the consultation, the shares were to be split equally among everyone.
Apparently, we just have to sell them and donate the per-person portions to the church and the orphanage.
"Since we're at it, shall we explore all over on the way back and earn as much as we can?"
"That sounds good. Practical experience is necessary once in a while."
When the Headmistress proposed it, the Archbishop-sama also said so while holding his staff in front of him.
"Things are getting exciting. Let's work hard and earn."
Beowulf, who hasn't been able to fight together lately, also got into it.
Alright, let's work hard and earn.