Chapter 193 - Chapter Sixteen: The Ritual of Purification
Well, thanks to someone, things got busy. We promised to meet the lord-sama again in a month and flew back to Nakanohara. There were various things to adjust.
Naturally, I had to explain to the Class of 175, meet Adolf-san, and consult with Paul-san and Marcelo-san, while Beatrix and I ran around everywhere between monster hunts.
Then, a month later, we were scheduled to meet the lord-sama again in the village where Beatrix was born.
This time, I was wearing my ceremonial robes. This was Beatrix's once-in-a-lifetime big undertaking.
"Quite a crowd has gathered, hasn't it?"
Looking down from above while riding the bowl, a crowd had formed around the village's main gate. Roughly estimated, about two thousand people.
After conspicuously flying around above the shouting crowd pointing at the sky, I landed and descended to the ground, brandishing my Knight's Staff.
"Hello, Lord-sama."
I slowly approached the lord-sama who was coming closer and greeted him.
However, the lord-sama passed by me, walking straight past...
"Are you Bishop Catherine?"
"Yes, that's right. Are you the lord-sama of this place?"
He knelt and pressed the Headmistress's right hand to his forehead.
A collective sigh was heard from the crowd.
Everyone had gathered to catch a glimpse of a hero.
I had informed the lord-sama to gather as many people as possible from his territory, regardless of status, starting with the serfs, because I was bringing the Headmistress. Thanks to that, quite a turnout occurred.
It seemed he had also informed the lords of other territories. There was a group of well-dressed individuals.
"I never thought I would have the honor of seeing your esteemed face with my own eyes."
"You exaggerate. It seems my student has caused you some trouble this time. Thank you."
"Your words are too kind."
After exchanging a few words, he turned to me and said, "Ah, Jeanne-shinkan."
Well, that's fine. I'm aware that I can't compare to the Headmistress.
"Are you the lord of this land, sir? I look forward to working with you today."
"Oh. Harrison-dono. You really came. I was worried when I didn't see you."
"Nonsense. It wouldn't do for someone like me to interfere with your meeting with Bishop Catherine. I was merely hiding."
"Again with such jokes."
They clapped each other on the shoulders and laughed.
Harrison-san seemed to be famous even in the Regnentes royal palace.
After all, he was a super-high-level magic user who crossed borders to fight evil spirits. Apparently, requests for exorcising evil spirits constantly poured into Regnentes from various countries.
This time, we hired him. His reward, like the Headmistress's, was a donation of five gold coins.
From the crowd, several voices rose, saying, "The lord-sama is amazing!" These were the security guards of the managed land, led by the security captain-san. We hired them as 'sakura' (plants in the audience) with highway cookies and dried meat.
Everyone knelt and offered prayers to the two super-famous priests.
The lord-sama was beaming with pride.
"Jeanne. Aren't you going to introduce us?"
The guests on the second bowl urged me.
I, along with the Headmistress and Harrison-san, had refused, saying it would get complicated if they came, but they had come along anyway, riding on Wilson-san's bowl after receiving orders.
"Um, Lord-sama. These two individuals are..."
"What is it? Are they acquaintances of the priest?"
He looked suspiciously at the old couple dressed as farmers.
"Yes. They are Henry-sama, the former King of Sertoria, and Eleanor-sama, the former Queen."
"Huh?"
As expected. He looked as if he had seen the Demon Lord, taking two or three steps back.
"Ah, so you are the lord of this land, sir? Jeanne said she would perform an exorcism with Catherine and Harrison today, so I thought I'd come to see it. Ah, please don't mind us, we're incognito."
"It will only be for a short while, so please keep it confidential."
No, they are not in a position to be incognito.
The lord-sama, whose shoulder was clapped by Henry-sama and whose hands were held by Eleanor-sama, begging for confidentiality, was gaping like a fish. He seemed unable to speak.
"The Seven Heroes. Three of the Seven Heroes are gathered..."
The crowd buzzed with excitement, and the attention-seeking old couple waved their hands in response.
"Come, come. Henry-sama. Eleanor-sama. This way."
Paul-san deliberately spoke their names loudly, offering them the bowls. Beside them, the bandit, wearing a surcoat with a crest, knelt.
"Bishop Catherine, this way too."
"I'm fine."
When the Headmistress tried to escape, Harrison-san, the bear in priest's robes... I mean, Harrison-san, stood in her way.
"Catherine-sama. Please don't say that. Show yourself to the gathered crowd and encourage everyone. That would be for the good of this land, which has suffered from such abominable rumors."
Pulled by the arm by Harrison-san, she was forcibly put on the bowl.
They then flew at low altitude over the crowd, receiving thunderous applause.
"J-Jeanne-shinkan-sama?"
The lord-sama, whose voice was completely cracking, was shaking at the knees as if he would collapse. This must be what they mean by a newborn fawn.
When I supported him, he clung to me.
"W-who are you?"
"I am just a priest. I just happened to get to know them. Today, I think I just came along with the Headmistress... Bishop Catherine."
"I-is that so. Y-yes, that makes sense."
Beatrix immediately offered him wine from her canteen, and after taking a sip, he seemed to calm down a bit.
"Ah, perhaps it was my destiny to sell this land to you."
He knelt, clasped his trembling hands before his chest, and uttered words of gratitude to the Goddess-sama.
A month ago, after returning from the village to Nakanohara, I first spoke to Adolf-san.
Adolf-san was well aware of the circumstances under which Beatrix came to the orphanage. He was the very person who made Beatrix a citizen of the Kingdom of Sertoria.
He protected Beatrix, who was on the verge of freezing to death, and took care of her with female soldiers until she recovered. During that time, he arranged with the Headmistress to take her in. He negotiated with the town office and the church to record her as a foundling and register her in the family registry.
Apparently, when several signal flares went up from the vicinity of the hidden mountain hut, and soldiers who went to investigate rushed back to the camp carrying Beatrix, he immediately decided to protect her. Come to think of it, Beatrix might have stopped having nightmares so often after she started running errands for the town office. It seems Adolf-san and she have had a long relationship.
When I told him about meeting her father's and mother's ghosts, he was delighted and agreed to let us use the wood cut on the Regnentes side in the village.
When Beatrix became responsible for errands at the town office, they talked many times. Since there was no definite proof, he apparently didn't touch on why Beatrix was abandoned in the forest, but he seemed to emphasize that she was able to become a citizen of the Kingdom of Sertoria as a result.
I finally understood the reason for the strangely intimate relationship between the two of them.
Returning to Marcelo Company, I discussed the same story with Paul-san and the Marcelo couple. As a result, Marcelo-san suggested that the Headmistress perform a Ritual of Purification. Angelica-san cried with joy.
The Headmistress immediately contacted the Royal Capital and arranged for Harrison-san to be called through Eleanor-sama.
Beatrix and I were taken to the Royal Capital by the Headmistress and explained the situation directly to Harrison-san.
"Beatrix. Did you properly thank your father and mother?"
The Headmistress gently embraced Beatrix, who shyly replied, "Yes.".
I went to Lewis-san's place and asked the border guard Jaegers to help build several log cabins using the cut wood.
In return, I proposed building an outpost within the village grounds where the border guard Jaegers could be stationed free of charge, and Lewis-san and the Jaegers agreed.
At the same time, we decided to provide the Regnentes side's outpost free of charge. This was communicated from the Jaegers through the captain-san to the lord-sama, and the reply came back, "Of course.".
Henry-sama and the others came uninvited.
They had been quietly staying in the Royal Capital for a while, but as soon as Engrio withdrew its army, this happened.
"How can royalty not participate in such an interesting... important exchange with the people of Regnentes?"
Eleanor-sama said, but well, let's allow it.
Thanks to them, the event was quite lively.
Next time I have a chance to go to the royal palace, I'll have to listen carefully to the King-sama's complaints.
By the time the lord-sama's legs stopped trembling, the bowls carrying the heroes returned, and it was time for the ritual.
"Everyone! Listen well! This land, at the request of the lord-dono here, will be completely purified by the super-high-level holy magic of Bishop Catherine and Bishop Harrison. It will become a land worthy of receiving the blessing of the great Goddess-sama!"
For some reason, Henry-sama began a preliminary speech.
The crowd knelt, maintaining silence, not wanting to miss a single word from the hero who defeated the former Demon Lord.
"The attendants will be the Bishop who protected this land despite the abominable rumors, and Jeanne-shinkan, who defeated a dragon in Medioland and received a knight's investiture."
He says unnecessary things. Everyone wants to see you guys.
"The witnesses will be I, Henry of Sertoria, and my wife, Eleanor. Everyone, please bear with us!"
I don't recall assigning them...
But I couldn't deny it in front of the crowd, who were prostrating themselves before Henry-sama.
"Now, Lord-dono. Please give a brief greeting and the command to begin."
The lord-sama, who was carried away, gave a speech of gratitude to the guests that was excessively long and full of rhetoric, so I couldn't quite understand what he was saying, but it seemed he said something similar to Henry-sama.
"Then, Catherine-sama. Harrison-dono. Please begin."
Like a bad actor, he dramatically unfurled his cloak and pointed to the village. His nose was in full bloom, but was he alright?
The Headmistress and Harrison-san performed the purification prayer in front of the village's main gate. As the attending Bishop-sama and I chanted, the crowd, led by the lord-sama, came to the stone wall and surrounded the village, joining in the chant.
When the prayer ended, the two of them entered the village together. The two attendants followed them.
First, Harrison-san chanted Ascension to send any lingering ghosts to heaven, just in case.
Naturally, we didn't see a sight like the ascension of four thousand Revenants, and there were no lost souls, but still, the sight of a ball of light large enough to envelop the tall Harrison-san ascending to the heavens was spectacular.
The crowd all looked up at the light and offered prayers to the Goddess-sama.
After that, the two of them placed stone tablets with magic circles drawn on them at five locations on the village ground, then began chanting sonorously in the center of the village.
This was an Exorcism Formation, a formation of warding magic that activates with magic circles and chanting to purify a wide area of land cursed by evil spirits. It is also the magic used to purify land for planned grand church constructions.
The words of the chant vary from person to person. However, holy magic inevitably involves words of prayer to the Goddess-sama.
The Headmistress chanted one verse, and then Harrison-san chanted another. They chanted alternately, as if singing in harmony.
The Headmistress's voice was gentle and kind, while Harrison-san's voice was deep and powerful.
"Exorcism Formation!"
With their combined utterance, a roar and a pillar of pale yellow light burst forth from the magic circles, drawing a five-pointed star in the air.
It was a combined technique of two super-high-level magic-user priests. A shockwave came with its activation. The stumbling crowd murmured.
From the star floating in the air, particles of light rained down on the village, as if it were now receiving the Goddess-sama's blessing.
Finally, some people started crying.
The lord-sama was also crying.
I knelt, clasped my arms before my chest, and offered a prayer to the Goddess-sama.
After the star, which had shone for a while, disappeared as falling light, the Headmistress and Harrison-san called out to me.
"It's over. There are no evil spirits or monsters here, and there shouldn't be any curses either."
"Catherine-sama. It has been an honor to work together again after so long."
"Thank these children. I was just hired."
Even as she said that, she went to Beatrix and stroked her head.
"It's just beginning. Do your best."
"Yes. Thank you very much."
She embraced Beatrix, who bowed deeply, then said, "The rest is up to you," and went towards the outpost.
The ritual was over.
I looked at the lord-sama, who was clasping his arms before his chest, looking up at the sky, and shedding tears.
When I patted his shoulder, he seemed to remember his role.
"E-everyone! This land is not cursed! It has just now received a blessing!"
He stood up and shouted loudly, and the crowd's cheers erupted.
After that, things became chaotic.
After a commotion surrounding the lord-sama, we calmed down the excited lord-sama, quieted the cheering crowd, and informed them of the conditions for living in the village.
The moved lord-sama offered to release the food supplies he had accumulated at the camp for the Engrio counterattack.
As a countermeasure, we had considered paying the registration fee for hunting in the forest ourselves, but he also exempted that for three years.
It was also decided that security guards and woodcutters would help with hunting as caretakers.
From the surging crowd, we first recruited ten families who met the criteria of being serfs, having no magic users in the family yet, and having children under adult age.
Thankfully, Eleanor-sama, the Headmistress, and Harrison-san joined the screening, so lies were quickly discovered. Moreover, people who had no relation at all lined up just to talk to these three. All three readily shook hands, and everyone was deeply moved.
Henry-sama managed the crowd control. He stroked the children's heads and carried the smaller ones, so the children flocked to him.
Considering the number of livestock and the children's ages, we managed to select ten families, with five families moving in with their families and livestock in spring, and another five in summer.
After that, the lord-sama issued a proclamation throughout his territory, promising to continue recruiting until there were twenty families in three years, including those who were not selected this time, if the village could sustain itself. The lords of other territories who were also observing agreed to sell serf families at a reasonable price.
Furthermore, a big bonus was added later by Henry-sama and the others. The King-sama and the Regnentes ambassador had a discussion, and the Class of 175 Shop was granted free passage through checkpoints and free commercial rights in Regnentes.
It seemed that as a result of the lord-sama discussing this matter with the King-sama of Regnentes, a letter of thanks was sent. From there, the discussion expanded, and it was decided to make the village a cornerstone of friendship between the two countries.
The abandoned land was now being considered for a function as a border gateway in a few years.
With this, the Class of 175 could open its second shop in the village. Since it would be exports, the King-sama's approval for the product lineup would be necessary, but what we sell are marble-dyed clothes and accessories for young women. The rest would be agricultural products harvested in the Flatlands. There should be no problem.
And we would undertake to sell the goods produced in the village and anything the lord-sama wished to sell in Nakanohara. This would be imports, so procedures would still be necessary, but the lord-sama promised his full support.
Since they were still at war with Engrio and the highway was cursed, the lord-sama, who governed the border region, had lost the danger but also lost the ability to trade. He probably needed transactions with Nakanohara, or with Medioland and Engrio via Nakanohara.
When I said that a brokerage fee wouldn't be necessary if we just received the transportation fee, the lord-sama took my hand and bowed to me.
We were like merchants, but on a small scale. If we could hire one shop assistant in the village, that would be enough.
Looking at the still-excited crowd, Beatrix had a tearful expression, so I poked her cheek.
"That's good, Beatrix. But the hard part starts now."
"Well, yeah. But we'll manage. It'll be fine."
"Why don't you go visit the graves and report to your family?"
"Let's go together."
"Go by yourself."
"I want you to come with me."
Oh my. It's rare for her to use such a killer line.
Well, I guess it can't be helped.
"Ah, wait, don't rush so much!"
Pulled by the hand by the impatient magic user who had started running, I desperately tried to keep up so as not to fall.