Chapter 257 - Backyard of the Stray Priest ⑩
This is a story set between Chapter 6, Episode 12 and 13.
It was the night before the Water Splashing Festival when Henry and Eleanor visited the Nakanohara Great Church along with Catherine.
They entered through the back door via the church courtyard from the back of the orphanage, so they were not seen by the townspeople. Even inside the church, Catherine and the Archbishop's secretary led the way, so they only exchanged brief greetings and proceeded without stopping.
When they entered the Archbishop's office, Adolf, the town mayor, had already arrived and was waiting. After being greeted, the three were offered sofas and served wine by Kevin, the secretary.
After enjoying the wine for a while and discussing the situation at the construction site where the two royals were earning their lodging and food expenses, they brought up their business.
"The reason we came today is about tomorrow's Water Splashing Festival."
The Water Splashing Festival began to commemorate the time when the town was attacked by a swarm of four thousand Revenants, and three priests from the orphanage repelled them with holy water. During the first festival, Prince Roberts had participated incognito with his wife, Gladys. The story of the merciless splashing of holy water between the royalty and Hero Catherine has now become a legend.
"We would like to participate as well, but would there be any issue?"
"Could you perhaps watch as spectators? If so, I would dearly love for you to act as the judges for the victory or defeat."
Adolf, the town mayor, had said that priests were the most suitable judges, and the Archbishop had reluctantly accepted.
"What is this? Does the Archbishop dislike passing judgment? Well, I suppose the Church does loathe conflict between people."
"That's not it. The Archbishop wants to participate himself."
At Catherine's words, the two royals widened their eyes.
"What do you mean by that?"
When Henry asked, the Archbishop scratched his head while laughing.
"No, it is quite embarrassing. As you know, I can only use [Sense Living]. I cannot perform the primary duties of a priest, which are the extermination of monsters and recovery from the injuries they cause. Yet, I hold the responsibility of an Archbishop. I train in staff techniques daily to prepare for the day that may come, but in the end, it is merely practice. I am anxious that unless I place myself in a competitive or combative environment, I will never truly master it."
For the Archbishop, the Water Splashing Festival seemed to be a place to test the results of his daily training.
Previously, an unofficial martial arts competition had been held in Nakanohara, but he had given up on participating after those around him vehemently opposed it, telling him to consider the feelings of his opponents.
"I can understand that. Evading an enemy's attack and counterattacking. Helping an ally in danger. What to do when surrounded by enemies yourself... there are parts that connect to actual combat."
"Last year, I became a judge without really knowing what the Water Splashing Festival was, but it was quite a magnificent battle."
Since it was the first time, the participants only recognized it as a good way to stay cool by splashing holy water on each other.
However, due to the unexpected appearance of Roberts and Gladys, the circumstances of the start became a bit complicated, and before anyone knew it, it had become the Eastern Plains led by Roberts versus Nakanohara led by Catherine.
"At first, Jeanne, who was in the middle of both sides, was the main target, but Adolf-dono organized the women who were watching from behind the men and launched a surprise attack from the rear."
"Thanks to that, the Nakanohara Vigilante Corps was in utter chaos. Even though there was a massive difference in combat power at first, it was overturned in an instant. After that, it just became a free-for-all with everyone splashing their neighbors..."
"It was worth seeing in many ways, so this year I definitely want to participate as a competitor rather than a judge."
Henry and Eleanor laughed at the Archbishop's excited explanation.
"Then, isn't it simple? This year, the Archbishop should just get soaked as well. Is someone opposing this?"
"Everyone wants to participate in the splashing; nobody wants to be the judge."
Everyone in the room looked at Henry and Eleanor's faces at once.
"We can't do it. We are incognito, after all. We are merely ordinary peddlers earning our daily food through civil engineering work. We are not in a position to pass judgment. Catherine or Adolf should do it."
The two of them waved their hands in refusal.
"What are you saying? Ordinary peddlers don't use high-level magic for civil engineering work."
"Indeed. If you are concerned about appearances, we can manage somehow using Priest Jennifer's [Transform]."
Catherine and Adolf would not back down either.
After that, the debate grew heated over whether it had to be a priest or if a random passerby would be fine, but in the end, it was decided by a roll of the dice.
The next day arrived.
After the morning prayers were finished, ten carts led by Jeanne chanting the [Chant of Exorcism] pulled large barrels filled with holy water down the main street and into the church courtyard.
On the terrace above the main entrance of the Nakanohara Great Church, the Archbishop, Secretary Kevin, and Catherine watched the procession.
"What's this? Is Jeanne the one chanting this year?"
"It's not Jennifer, is it?"
An old couple watching the street from behind the three priests let out voices of disappointment. They had come to see the fine appearance of their beloved daughter, who had completely disappeared from the public eye since being assigned to the orphanage.
"You know Jennifer is bad at this sort of thing. Especially since her parents are here to watch. She's too embarrassed to come out."
"Hmm," Henry grunted, crossing his arms. From Catherine's argument, it sounded as if their presence was the cause.
"Originally, the talk was that it would be for last year only. I heard that it was Priest Jennifer who prepared a large amount of holy water in preparation for the Revenant attack and tried to use it to repel them. I was the one who pleaded with Priest Jennifer, who had once refused the Vigilante Corps' request, on the condition that it would be for one time only."
"Then it can't be helped, I suppose," they sighed.
"Did she not participate in the Water Splashing Festival last year either?"
"I don't think an average priest would participate. I myself thought I would just sit in the guest seats as a spectator and watch with a smile."
"And how was it?"
"I got excited. It was the first time I had taken up a staff since the Revenant incident."
Henry and Eleanor clapped their hands in delight, while Secretary Kevin burst out laughing.
"Honestly! Why are you so active?"
"I don't want to hear that from someone who participated despite being absent during the incident and managed to splash the very first cup—which could be called the monument of this festival—right onto Roberts-sama."
Catherine, who had turned away from the Archbishop's counterattack, was poked in the shoulder by Eleanor.
By the time the carts carrying the large barrels entered the courtyard, people participating in the Water Splashing Festival were gathering one after another.
Participants lined up at the reception and received wooden tags. There were two types of wooden tags: the White Team and the Black Team. The Water Splashing Festival, which had taken on the appearance of a competition with various rules, was divided into a first half and a second half. In the first half, the White and Black teams competed, and Mayor Adolf would judge which side won.
They had even gone so far as to make flags to fly at their headquarters.
The generals were Catherine for the White Team and Owen of the Vigilante Corps for the Black Team.
This level of elaboration was only for the adult selection division, mainly composed of the Vigilante Corps. After that was over, it became a peaceful affair where people scooped water from buckets on the ground with their hands and splashed each other to stay cool.
"Yo! Are you two participating as well?"
A man called out to Henry and Eleanor as they were wrapping hand towels around their necks. Like the two of them, he had a black-painted wooden tag hanging from his neck.
"Oh! You've been a help to us at the construction site."
"Thank you for your hard work."
It was the foreman of the civil engineering team Henry and Eleanor had joined. They sweated together daily.
"Most of us are migrant workers and not from this town. However, the mayor of this town is a man of understanding. Since we're staying at the town's inn and spending money until the work is finished, he said we could participate if we wanted to, so we all came to kill some time."
That meant the migrant workers could be considered a single group.
"It seems there's a winner and a loser."
"Looks like it. Apparently, if we win, we get two free beers. We just have to show this tag. However, it looks like the Vigilante Captain here is going to lead us, and the opponent is that Bishop Catherine. We don't stand a chance."
"That's not necessarily true. Regardless of the Vigilante Corps, we migrant workers just need to do our part. Looking at the situation, I reckon if we take down the so-called 'Imperial Guard' around Bishop Catherine, we'll win."
The foreman frowned slightly. After checking the surroundings, he leaned in and lowered his voice.
"Are you two former Kingdom Army soldiers?"
The two were celebrities at the construction site. Henry would shatter rocks with a blunted sword, and Eleanor would dig up earth rapidly with high-level magic.
"When you've lived a long time, many things happen. It's the wisdom of age."
"I can gather the migrant workers. There are thirty of us. I might not look it, but I'm a former Kingdom Army heavy infantry foreman. If you tell me the plan, I'll move those thirty exactly as you say."
"I see. Then, Foreman, lend me your ear."
Eleanor began drawing a diagram on the ground with a tree branch, and Henry began explaining while placing stones.
Ten large barrels were arranged evenly throughout the courtyard.
The courtyard was a rectangle stretching east to west, and it could easily fit two thousand people.In that vast courtyard, two groups of two hundred people each were divided between the east and west ends.The area was surrounded by a wall of people, and on a stage to the south, the judge Adolf sat in a chair along with several church priests.
A priest wearing work clothes climbed onto that stage.
It was the Archbishop of the Nakanohara Church.
He had a hand towel wrapped around his neck and was holding a bucket. His tag was, of course, white.It was rare for the Archbishop to show himself in work clothes to the public. Naturally, he would be wearing something new, but for some reason, it was tattered and full of holes. Moreover, he wore it strangely well. It was proof that he wore such things regularly.
After the Archbishop gave the opening remarks, he nimbly jumped down from the stage and ran toward the white flag where Catherine was. He was joining the fray.Catherine, standing by the flag, let out a war cry, and the two hundred members of the White Team raised a shout in unison.The Black Team shouted back just as fiercely, and the Water Splashing Festival began.
Right at the start, the Black Team's vanguard advanced to form a wall.Since they were in front of several barrels, resupply was easy. Owen's strategy was to have resupply personnel continuously pass buckets filled with water to the vanguard to shower the opponent with water incessantly, which served well to form the front line.
Against the Black Team's vertical formation, Catherine countered with a horizontal formation. She attempted to advance one wing to partially encircle them.
When the White Team's right wing advanced, the Black Team formed a left wing that slanted back from the front line. By forming a front on two sides against the White Team's partial encirclement, they prevented it.
A new movement occurred when about half the time limit—roughly half an hour—had passed with both sides at a stalemate.A separate unit of about ten from the Black Team showed movement as if scouting the rear of the White Team's left wing. Clutching buckets brimming with water, they tried to dash into the headquarters all at once.Catherine intercepted this with a reserve unit she kept on hand and succeeded in repelling them.
The Black Team repeated the same thing four times without learning their lesson.
During the fourth incursion, the White Team's headquarters, having grown accustomed to dealing with the surprise attacks by the Black Team's separate unit, carelessly advanced forward.The Black Team, not missing the disorder in the formation and the gap in the White Team's headquarters, had thirty people who had been running from the rear burst through the gap between the White Team's center and right wing while clutching their buckets, forcing their way through to the other side of the front line.
They've taken the rear!
The White Team, having had their center broken through, saw their vanguard retreat in an attempt to compensate. The Black Team did not miss that movement and ordered everyone to double-time, launching an all-out offensive and overtaking the retreating White Team across the entire line. They then surged into the headquarters as they were. They soaked the white flag.
Mayor Adolf fired a [Lightning] into the sky.
At that sound, everyone who looked at the stage saw Adolf holding the black flag high.
"...And that's how it went, apparently."
Beatrix had come to ask about the splashing battle.Since a lightning spell had been fired from the direction of the church courtyard, she had gone to see what was happening.
"Honestly, what are they doing at their age?"
It made one want to let out a sigh.
"Well, it's fine, isn't it? Since Owen-san won. When I congratulated him, he gave us a barrel of beer for our party."
If that was the case, then so be it.
"Who was the MVP?"
"Apparently, it was an old couple from the civil engineering work. They planned the strategy and even carried out the surprise attack on the enemy headquarters themselves. They supposedly splashed the Headmistress. It was only about a cup's worth, but the tip of her priest's sleeve definitely got wet. Adolf-san fired the judging magic to force an end to it. If he hadn't, the Headmistress would have gone on a rampage."
"That old couple... it must be Henry-sama and Eleanor-sama."
Seriously, what are they doing at their age?