Chapter 88: Chapter 88
The monks had been startled by the sudden arrival of more than a dozen cavalrymen.
Once they realized the visitors were acquaintances of Priest Vent, who had visited a few years ago, they opened the gate with joy.
Stepping inside the wall, Shan peeked around with a curious look on his face.
Despite the turmoil of the civil war that swept across Pendia, Vent’s monastery still retained a peaceful atmosphere.
Of course, some things had changed.
The wall around the monastery had expanded wider than before, more orphans were residing there, and the people’s clothing had grown shabbier and worn out.
It was an inevitable reality in times like these.
“It has been a long time, Priest.”
“It is an honor that you visited, Sir Shan.”
Looking at Vent as they met in the reception room, the past few years seemed to have been quite a hardship for him as well.
The wrinkles on his face had deepened and his hair had turned whiter, clearly showing signs of transitioning from middle age into old age.
“It’s just among ourselves, so please speak comfortably to us like before.”
“That’s right. We’re hardly strangers; aren’t we comrades who risked our lives fighting side by side?”
“Hahaha, how could I dare speak casually to people whose fame resounds across all of Pendia… well, shall I do that then?”
As Roden chimed in from the side, Vent smiled sheepishly and dropped his formal speech.
“Has it been three years since we last met? Especially young Shan, you’ve grown so surprisingly tall that I almost didn’t recognize you.”
“This guy really has grown quite a lot in the meantime.”
Roden patted Shan’s shoulder and chuckled.
Shan, whose growth had now mostly stopped, was more than a hand span taller compared to when he had met Vent in the past.
If he had been small even for boys his age back then, he was now considerably tall even among adult men.
Of course, even so, he was still about ten centimeters shorter than Roden.
“Still, I’m glad to see you looking well. By any chance, have you stayed in touch with Mr. Zerpo?”
“We exchanged letters about a year ago. He seemed to be doing reasonably well too, though the food situation these days isn’t very good.”
“I see…”
Facing Vent, Shan and Roden unwound stories of their past exploration days, reminiscing about the memories of those times.
Those days when they possessed nothing besides their bodies (of course, Callion’s vast fortune existed back then) and overjoyed or saddened over a single good piece of weapon or armor, felt like years ago already.
As the conversation flowed from their first expedition through a series of endless hardships and adversity, up to the exploration and spoils of the unnamed city, Vent asked with a curious look.
“Come to think of it, do you by any chance still have that? The one made of True Silver…”
“Of course.”
From Shan’s left hand, the Thousand Shapes slithered out smoothly like a snake and took the form of a dagger.
At that natural sight, Vent let out an exclamation of awe.
“You handle it far better than when I saw it before!”
“I practiced a lot during that time.”
“Word has it that you haven’t been using it on the battlefield yet.”
“There’s no need to show it off and stoke unnecessary greed in times like these, after all.”
Roden smiled and answered in his place.
If the existence of ‘Thousand Shapes’ were exposed, even those from Libert, which was currently chaotic from cleaning up after its civil war, would come seeking it with interest.
Perhaps the army of the Ajun Kingdom, which would cross over in the future, might make them their very first target.
The value of a weapon made of pure True Silver imbued with such powerful ancient magic was that high.
Even more so for its symbolic significance than its practical efficacy.
After conversing about various matters for a while, Roden looked at Vent with a serious expression and spoke.
“In truth, we have a specific reason for visiting you like this, Priest.”
“I figured as much. You are busy people to come just to chat about old memories. Go ahead and tell me.”
“Princess Cheryn desires a focal point to unite the churches of eastern Pendia.”
From ancient times, Pendia’s religious sects had been divided into the Old Faith of the west and the New Faith of the east.
Among them, the followers of the Old Faith believers looked to the Holy See in the neighboring country of Libert as their focal point, but no particular focal point existed for the followers of the New Faith believers.
There were only high priests and bishops responsible for each respective territory.
“That is…”
“I know. It doesn’t align with the existing doctrines of the New Faith. After all, the New Faith emerged as a backlash against religion turning into corrupt, massive power. But under circumstances like today, I believe it is necessary.”
The conversation that followed was somewhat difficult and complex for Shan to understand.
Discussions continued regarding issues such as the difficulty of systematically training skilled priests due to the New Faith order being disorganized and scattered, as well as various measures to prevent corruption arising from the concentration of power.
At any rate, by the end of the conversation, Priest Vent seemed to agree that such an entity was indeed necessary.
“So, I hope this monastery and you, Priest Vent, will become that center.”
“I am merely an old priest who retired after working as an explorer in the past.”
“I heard about it on our way here. Your reputation around these parts is by no means small, Priest.”
In the past, part of the vast profits Vent earned as a member of the Green Eyes exploration party flowed not only to Moniv Monastery here, but also to other nearby monasteries and churches.
That was because many of them found their financial situations in jeopardy due to the civil war.
Thanks to that, Vent’s reputation around this vicinity was higher than expected.
It was because there were many priests who owed him a debt of gratitude.
This was an advantage that the priests of Palles could never possess.
As long as Cheryn acted as a backer, investing sufficient funds and bestowing authority, it would be enough to serve as the focal point for the New Faith believers.
Furthermore, since Cheryn’s influence would be involved right from its establishment, it would not be able to grow later on and oppose her either.
“Mmm…”
“Above all, we know that you are a person of fine character, Priest Vent. In a world where it’s hard to find someone who overcomes greed and looks only after his proper share, isn’t that so?”
Locked in thought, Vent groaned and spoke.
“Frankly speaking, I do not trust those in power. Is Princess Cheryn someone trustworthy?”
“At the very least, she is not someone who abandons those who come under her. As long as that person does not betray her first, that is.”
The one who answered was Shan, not Roden.
Meeting those unwavering green eyes, Vent soon let out a deep sigh.
“Alright, if young Shan says so, I have no choice but to trust it as well. But as you know, I am not the director of this monastery.”
“You simply don’t officially appoint a director, but in truth, aren’t you an elder with supreme authority?”
“You truly know everything. Very well, I shall try speaking with the other elders.”
It virtually meant he would accept.
*
Receiving the report from Shan and Roden upon their return from the monastery, Cheryn nodded.
“Priest Vent, is it? If he is someone recommended by you two, he should be trustworthy. Though, of course, it is a common tale for people to change before wealth and power.”
Just hearing her words made it clear she would not bestow complete trust upon him.
Although she had always been that kind of person.
In truth, even Roden was not entirely certain that Vent would never change.
He had simply recommended him because, among the priests he knew, Vent was the person with the least flawed character.
“At any rate, I am glad things went well. If matters continue to proceed smoothly like this, I will be able to achieve the vision I desired.”
The picture she was painting right now was to integrate from Palles in the north to Treba in the northeast and the Shedil region in the east, taking over one-third of Pendia’s territory.
Originally, the remaining eastern region, except for Palles, was considered desolate due to its proximity to the Demonic Realm, but within Cheryn’s faction, that geographical condition turned into an advantage.
That was because they could procure Mana Stones on a regular basis.
Looking down at the map, she furrowed her brow and spoke.
“Now all that remains is for the negotiations with Count of Shedil to end well.”
It took three and a half days to reach Shedil City, the territory of Count of Shedil, the ruler of the east.
Unlike the last time they stopped by, the appearance of Shedil City had become quite respectable.
The castle walls that had been cracked from being struck by an ogre’s fist were all repaired, and the number of people wandering about was far from small.
Looking around his surroundings, Roden whistled.
“I heard rumors, but it looks to be in even better shape than before the ogre attacked.”
The reason Shedil City’s condition had improved so much was thanks to steady trade with the Palles region in the meantime.
Over the past few years, Palles had supported food as well as various materials needed for the reconstruction of the Shedil region in exchange for purchasing large quantities of Mana Stones.
On top of that, thanks to some of those fleeing the civil war heading east, which brought an influx of population, the exploration fever that had once withered had also returned.
Above all, if one were to excavate a powerful magic gear during wartime, its value would be far greater than during peaceful times.
Thanks to sending a messenger in advance, the Count had finished preparations to entertain over a thousand guests.
While people stayed in temporary lodgings throughout the city, Cheryn and her retainers stepped into the Count’s castle.
The old bear personally came out to the front gate to greet the princess.
“Karl Kurt, Count of Shedil, greets the Princess.”
“It is good to meet you, Count of Shedil. I had an acquaintance with your son.”
“I, too, have heard much about you. I did not wish to commit the rudeness of leaning on a cane before the Princess, but my body has been so unwell lately…”
“Do not consider it disrespectful. I possess enough magnanimity to show consideration to an elderly person.”
Seeing Count of Shedil after a long time, he too looked, just like Vent (no, even far more) aged than before.
Because his plump flesh had completely drained away, his skin was wrinkled, and his dull eyes lacked strength.
It was as if a pig’s bladder that had been fully blown up with air had completely collapsed.
After entering the banquet hall inside, the Count also exchanged greetings with Shan and Roden.
Just as with Vent, the very first topic brought up was his surprisingly towering height.
“Now, if I’m not careful, I might have to look up at you, Sir Shan. Don’t tell me you grew so big because you boiled and ate that ogre heart you took back then?”
“I dried and stored it. I could use it to craft a good restorative potion, but I heard the storage period was short…”
If Viscount of Treba did not have Asha, a priest of outstanding skill under his command, he probably would have consumed medicine brewed from the heart.
After amicably chatting about the ogre hunt for a short while, Cheryn brought up the main topic toward the Count.
“I now wish to take you into my faction in earnest, Count.”
The political stance Count of Shedil currently maintained was quite ambiguous.
His territory, which had once fallen into ruin, had revived thanks to support and trade from Palles, and peddlers were still busily traveling back and forth to conduct exchanges.
Yet he himself maintained neutrality without swearing fealty to any warlord, including Cheryn.
As a descendant of the former Eastern Knights, he revered only the value of defending Pendia from the Demonic Realm.
Cheryn was demanding an oath of fealty from such a man.
“…If the Princess brought such a proposal, there must be a good reason for it.”
“Of course. Could I have come without such a thing?”
Cheryn did not boast to the Count about her bloodline with cliché talk customary among nobles, such as inheriting royal blood.
What she brought up was the future outlook.
“I do not know if you have heard the news, but Conrad has agreed to receive reinforcements from the Ajun Kingdom this time. He will be temporarily pushed back by the armies of Elvin and the Ruman Kingdom, but he will soon possess the strength to match them.”
“So the Princess means that you require the support of the eastern nobles, including myself.”
“That is so. The strength of the easterners, hardened over many years of battling monsters, will be of great help. Furthermore, if you use the magic gear produced in my domain, it will be even more helpful.”
“I have heard the rumors. They say that Palles City produces and uses all sorts of magic gear. I also heard that due to that, excommunication by the Holy See is slated to be designated.”
“At any rate, the words of the Holy See hold no sway here in the east. I also have a method prepared to counter this, so there is no need to worry. The monastery in Moniv Village to the west holds high renown, and I plan to establish a new Holy See for the New Faith believers centered around them.”
At the plan to completely sever eastern Pendia religiously, Count of Shedil widened his eyes.
Regardless of how realistic it was, he could feel that this princess possessed immense execution and decisiveness alone.
“I have spoken to some extent with the eastern nobles I met on the way. They all said they would follow Count of Shedil’s intent. If only the Count agrees, I will make this eastern region, following Palles, a land entirely different from before.”
In the past, the reason she restricted her territory to the Palles area was due to an absolute lack of manpower.
Even if she subdued the lands beyond the river, she lacked the strength and administrative power to maintain control over them and save them from invasions by monsters and humans.
But now, the story was different.
The fact that an army equipped with mass-produced magic gear exerted strength several times greater than an ordinary army had been verified, and the full-scale production process had also been completed.
With the vast quantity of Mana Stones obtained from raiding the royal palace, she could arm the armies of the newly extended eastern sphere of influence with magic gear, and thanks to the bureaucrats drafted over, she could project administrative power as well.
If heavily armed forces patrolled the vicinity of Shedil, the threat of monsters would drastically decrease, and humanity’s sphere of influence would also expand greatly.
Summing it up, the advantages and disadvantages were clear.
In exchange for gaining a better life and superior military strength by arming with advanced civilization, they would step out of their neutral position thus far and intervene in the civil war.
Having heard the story, Count of Shedil fell into deep thought with a serious expression.
“Mmm…”
“I know you must have many worries, Count. I cannot force you to answer immediately. However, I hope you keep in mind that there is not much time.”
“I understand, Princess. I shall consult with my retainers and give you an answer.”
The Count bowed his head politely.
*
The time for deliberation Cheryn granted the Count was precisely three days.
She declared that after that, though unfortunate, she would abandon the deal and return to Palles.
Because she needed time to observe the moves of Elvin, who would have occupied Hasra by now, and to respond.
“Won’t it be trouble if the Count refuses?”
“Why would it be trouble? It’s just taking a slight detour. They can’t invade the lands of Palles anyway.”
Cheryn responded nonchalantly to Shan’s question.
The two were walking through the streets of Shedil City together.
It was because Cheryn had heard stories of Shan’s past exploration days and said she wanted to see the place where he had operated.
“Of course, if that happens, I would have to give up rallying the New Faith believers as originally conceived… but there is also the option of using Asha as a next-best alternative.”
Putting aside her lack of reputation as a priest, strictly in terms of pure ability, she was more suitable to become a symbolic figure.
Of course, she had the fatal flaw of being an Altoan.
Cheryn also knew the fact that Asha was an Altoan.
Not because Shan had told her, but because she had spied on her using a spider when Asha took off her mask at her court.
For Shan, he could not say, ‘Cheryn is spying all over Palles Castle with spiders, so don’t take off your mask,’ nor could he say, ‘Asha is an Altoan, so don’t try to look at her face,’ so it was an unavoidable situation.
“More importantly, you fought a duel here, right?”
“Yes. Come to think of it, the last person I fought came wearing full armor, so I was annoyed and just cut through it. That must have been really expensive.”
Back in those days, he lacked maturity and committed it as a joke, but thinking about it now, he felt a bit sorry.
Of course, if he possessed such armor, he would have managed somehow with his wealth anyway.
Walking around accompanied by guards, the sight of the two naturally drew the attention of the residents of Shedil City.
Among them, the explorers, who could be called Shan’s followers, sparkled their eyes upon seeing this.
“Wow, it’s Shan Barendil. Really…”
“I heard the person right beside him is Princess Cheryn?”
“No way?”
“Hey, someone will kill you if they hear that. What could a princess and an Altoan have between them?”
“But there’s so much talk everywhere. Even if not marriage, at least lovers…”
Since there were several Altoans among the explorers as well, they conjured up rebellious delusions at the affectionate sight of Shan and Cheryn.
Even after that, starting from the inn where they stayed during their exploration party activities in the past, to the Explorer Guild and various other places, the two walked around and generated many rumors.
After spending about two days exploring the city like that, on the third and final day, Count of Shedil requested a meeting.
“So. Have you made up your mind, Count?”
“We have gathered our opinions to some extent, Princess.”
Deep fatigue was etched onto the faces of the Count and his retainers.
It seemed they had been busy in many ways during the few days Cheryn spent leisurely idling about with Shan.
Even though there was quite a long discussion time, an agreement had not yet been fully reached, as dissatisfaction was written on the faces of a few among them.
Instead of revealing his intention to Cheryn, the Count suddenly looked at Shan and spoke.
“Come to think of it, are you using the Guardian of the East well, Sir Shan?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes. It has been of great help.”
“That is a relief. That sword is the very symbol of the values the Kurt family has guarded.”
Wondering why he was suddenly bringing up the topic of the sword, Shan looked at the Count with a puzzled expression.
Could it be that he regretted giving it away before and was now asking to have it back?
If he absolutely had to return it, he could return it.
Because if he used a few of the exceptionally powerful Mana Stones secured this time, he could craft armaments of comparable quality.
If the Count asked for the sword back in exchange for coming under Cheryn’s command, giving it up and receiving a new weapon of similar performance from Cheryn would mean everyone benefited.
However, the Count’s following words differed from what he expected.
“I told you before. My son lacks the qualification to inherit the sword. Regrettably, he proved that he lacks the qualification to inherit not only the sword, but the territory as well.”
“Ah…”
Come to think of it, even after arriving this time, he had not seen Count of Shedil’s son.
At the very least, he wouldn’t have remained in Hasra continuously during the civil war.
“Where on earth did he go for you to say that?”
“It seems he has been hanging around Prince Elvin, with whom he was usually close. Since that prince is a fellow who treasures friends who flatter him terribly, his treatment is said to be not bad, hmph.”
The southern port city, Beshalia, was a border city of the kingdom just like Shedil, but its level of prosperity was on a completely different dimension.
That was because it was a melting pot of culture trading with all kinds of countries, from the Ruman Kingdom and southern Libert to the Selim Republic on the southern continent.
The Count’s son was enjoying pleasures there while repeatedly sending letters urging loyalty to Prince Elvin.
Facing such irredeemable patheticness, now even the retainers refused to accept him.
Effectively, Count of Shedil had lost his successor.
No matter how much halo his bloodline possessed, even if his son returned in the future, none of the retainers would acknowledge him.
“However, fortunately, in Pendia there are precedents of disowning an utterly hopeless successor and adopting a son. What if a hero who hunted an ogre and a hydra while holding the family sword, and accumulated military exploits on the battlefield, were to take that place?”
The Count looked at Shan with faded eyes and spoke meaningfully.