231 229. Foods Yards Cathedral a year later.txt (1/2)

The next day - we came back to earth after a long absence and slept through until noon with flying colors.

As it was, I thought it wouldn't be bad to sleep through the entire day today. But when I looked at the HP and MP in the 'display', both had recovered to their maximum value, so I scolded my body for trying to be lazy and got out of bed.

Ryner and Titi had gotten up before me and were training for wind magic in the corner of the borrowed room. Ryner was down early yesterday, so he seems to be recovering well. Titty looks the most energetic, perhaps because of her race.

After the three of us firmly ate lunch at the inn together, we decided to aim for Hoozeyer's as planned yesterday. As far as we did a light preliminary investigation in the 《Dimension》, there was no doubt that Rastiara was in the cathedral, so all that remained was to meet her in person. Just in case something happens in the cathedral, I was careful not to use up all my magic power with the 《Dimension》.

Crossing the border from country to country, the closer we were to the labyrinth, the faster we would be able to cross the border. In less than an hour's walk we enter Hoosier's and take in its overly rich (・・・・・) view of the city.

Me and Ryner are open-mouthed in amazement, while Titty excitedly scurries around like a country girl.

'--Oh, wow!　This country is more opulent than that Valtese one!

She was right, it could only be described as opulent.

The 'magic stone lines' that are unique to this other world's culture glittered in the sunlight, and there were more than twice as many of them as before. There were more than twice as many of them as when I came before. Not only at the edge of the streets, but also in many newly built houses, a large number of ”magic stone lines” are stretched across the streets.

Hoosiers is a country with many wealthy people.

Originally, there was a lot of luxury and opulence. And now, the gleam that was painful to the eyes was doubled.

'No. ....... Isn't this too funny ......?

”- Yeah, something's wrong. Something's wrong. Be careful, Lord.

To my question, Ryner, who has lived in this city before, agrees. Then he moves his eyeballs restlessly, selects one of the funny things and glares at it.

The wheels are spinning on the 'magic stone line' with a light sound of karaoke.

A locomotive was running through the city. Although not large enough to carry people, goods are being transported at a considerable speed.

'There wasn't one of these things when I lived ....... In the year we were gone, maybe ....... That guy (・・・・)--

We had an idea of who had caused this situation.

In order to confirm that, I'll have to hurry onward.

But first, Lastiara. Let's get to the cathedral first.

You can't move forward forever if you stop at every new thing. I walked with Rainer and Titty down the streets of the ever-changing Hoosier's. We made our way to the center of the city in a few minutes.

After a few minutes of heading into the heart of the city, we arrive at the center.

To the cathedral, the symbol of the city.

The landscape around the cathedral has changed completely, but it is still the same.

It is surrounded by trees, fences, and a river, and is a fortress with a bridge over it. It's just like the cathedral I remember.

In the past, in order to kidnap Rastiara, I had to force my way into the building from the front.

But this time, I'm thinking of entering from the other side. Because there is a liner who is familiar with the inside, so there is no need to get lost.

But when I ask Ryner for that guidance, he gives me a strange look.

'No, Christ. You should just go in the front door. The charges of that day have already been expunged. Just be honest with me and ask for a legitimate audience. I mean, Christ is the founder of the Levantine religion, so you should be more imposing.

'No, I don't have any real feelings about being called the founder or anything like that ....... I only have memories of committing crimes here .......

When I kidnapped them, I cut down a lot of knights.

It takes a lot of courage to go in head-on.

''Then you'll have to wait a bit. I am the Lord's knight and I will go through with it. Let me take care of this.''

With that, Ryner leaves me and Titi and heads alone to the Cathedral Bridge.

We quietly watch it from the shadow of the city.

First of all, Ryner spoke casually to the heavily armed knights guarding the bridge.

At first, Ryner was looked at as if he was looking at a suspicious person, but as he proceeded to talk, the heavily armed knights' complexion turned blue.

After eavesdropping on the 《Dimension》, it was clear that Ryner was using the fact that he was a former 'Celestial Knights' and that he was a former 'Celestial Knight' and that he was a member of the four great noble families of Helvilleshain to threaten them. Even if there is no way to prove it, just feeling the magic of the boy in front of you, a knight who has a taste for magic in his own right would be forced to believe it.

It's not a very commendable act of using power and force, but it helps to get the conversation going quickly.

A few minutes later, one of the knights of the guard pulls back into the back and immediately brings in someone who is probably his boss.

The figure was familiar.

A brown, short-cut girl - Ragne Kaikwola-chan. Although she wasn't blessed with a good physique, her talents were abundant, and she was the youngest and most talented woman to become a 'Celestial Knight' (Celestial Knights). I remember her well as I fought her twice, in the Labyrinth and in the 'Dance Party'. She's a girl with such a unique way of fighting that she makes that Rustyala say she specializes in 'numbers that cannot be expressed in numbers'.

Ragne-chan's face brightened when she saw Ryner's appearance.

Then, after exchanging a couple of words, she turned her attention to the direction we were in. When she sees me, her face lights up even more and beckons me over.

''Hey. Long time no see, Ragne-chan .......

Hmm. Nice to meet you, Ragné and your sister. You are Titi, and that's nice to meet you.

We moved to Ohashi and exchanged greetings and introductions.

It's been a long time, hasn't it? It's nice to meet you too. It's nice to see you here, so please go to the cathedral. I'll take the liberty of showing you to the drawing room.

At the same time, we shake hands with each other.

And thanks to Ragne-chan, we are easily allowed into the cathedral.

''What, are you okay with being independent ......?''

”Hmmm. To tell you the truth, I've recently become the president of the Celestial Knights!　So, I'm in charge of all the security here now!

We walk past guarded knights who salute with their swords to their chests, and finish crossing the bridge as we talk.

Past the bridge, the path is lined with coniferous trees on both sides. We walk slowly today on a path that was once forcefully rushed through.

'Oh, you're the President?　Um, congratulations on that. That's a big promotion.

However, it was only because President Perciona and his deputy were loaned out for the war that they were brought up to speed. It was just a coincidence, not a meritocracy. To put it bluntly, I was useless in the war, so I was left behind.

It doesn't seem to make sense to congratulate the President too much. I immediately stopped applauding.

However, since this is the small talk of the locals, I decide to gather information without interrupting the conversation. I know that this Ragne is not the kind of girl who would lie for nothing, so now is my chance.

''But then again, Foozeyards has changed. It's in great shape after being away for a little over a year.'

Come to think of it, where has Kanami's brother been for a whole year?

From the looks of it, I can tell that I'm not supposed to have died in the fight against Palinkron. If you put together the stories of the people in the tavern yesterday, I guess I'm a heroic person who has disappeared.

''Ah, well, the three of us here have been playing far away from the mainland. It's a lot farther away than the mainland.

I'm going to go away for a visit to .......　That's nice, I'm jealous!

It's why I can't keep up with the Allies at the moment. If you'd like, could you give me a quick rundown?

You ask your brother for help, I'll do it.

With a tap on his modest chest, Ragne graciously obliged.

The conversation continued as we passed the cathedral road and looked at the flowers in the opulent garden.

'First of all, Fuzzy Yards. Only in this country, isn't it a little too amazing?'

That's right, the Hoosiers are the best country in the world today. ”That's because Foodsayers is now the best country in the world, and it's the only country in the world that has been able to unify the conflicts in the South over the past year, and it has become the head of the Allied nations. It's the same on the mainland, and now the world revolves around the Foodsayers.

'Ta, that's great ...... in just one year. But how come it's suddenly .......

It's all thanks to Aide. He did a great job in the year when Kanami-san wasn't around. He'll probably be in the textbooks.

--Aid.

I had a good idea.

The expressions on the faces of Titi and Ryner, who knew the man by that name, change.

'Aide ......, what did that guy do at Hoosier's ......?'

We provided a large amount of technology and information. As I recall ......, we improved the 'magic stone line', established a new means of transportation, improved the trade situation along with it, modified agriculture and industry in each country, and unified the system of treatment of slaves. However, not all of them have penetrated the country successfully. I'm a knight, so I don't think the general public understood much better.

My face pulls up at the lightest enumeration.

Although he was a human being from a thousand years ago, Ayde was influencing the world with no mercy whatsoever.

'The greatest achievement among them is the advancement of magic technology. This is so easy to understand, anyone can see how great it is.

What kind of advances in magical technology have you made ......?

I've solved the principle of magic itself and proved that anyone can control the magic of this world. The textbook of magic at Eltraluu Academy has been completely rewritten. Because of that, the standard of wizards has risen a lot. The number of wizards has increased as well.

However, from what I've heard so far, I thought that all of Eid's accomplishments were for the benefit of the people.

I was surprised at the amount of interference in the world, but maybe I'm just doing what I can for this world.

''Also, the amount of 'chanting' has increased all at once. The most disturbing of them all is the phenomenon of 'compensation (...)' that occurs when 'chanting' is adapted to 'inborn skills'.

-- was soon to be withdrawn from my impressions.

The 'price' is a technology that squeezes out magic power beyond its limits, and the value of the person who wields it has risen dramatically. And speaking of magic, the country has revealed a lot of magic technology that was kept secret. One of the best examples is 'Jewelcrus'. Because of Aide's revelation, there was an uproar that the research institute of ”Jewelcrus” was destroyed all together. It's been about half a year since that happened.　It's a bit nostalgic.

You can do whatever you want.

This was the moment when stopping the id was a priority for me.

”Lagune-chan. Do you have any idea where this idol is now?

I'm a little sure, but I'll check it out just in case.

Where and what is Ayde doing right now--.

Yeah, that's the thing.　Oh, my God, you're an idol!　We have extracted as much money and connections from the Confederacy as we can from this country and defected to our enemies in the North!　...... No, it was important! And then, as if following the legend of a thousand years ago, they set up a man called ”The Lord” as their king and began to play the role of ”Prime Minister” in the north. This new country was so strong. Thanks to this, the ”Borderline War” on the mainland, which was thought to be a temporary truce after the ”Catastrophe” of a year ago, has intensified again, and it's causing me a lot of trouble. No, but it's thanks to that that I became the president of the United States.

The Catastrophe of a year ago was the battle between me and Palinkulon.

Even though that 'catastrophe' caused so many people to be swept into the 'World Consecration Army', in just one year, the Ayde had managed to rebuild the world.

And if I'm not mistaken - it was in order to continue the battle between the North and the South a thousand years ago.

The reason I went to the trouble of making the Hoosiers take an active role in the South so that the Hoosiers would be the center of the battle is to make them recreate the Hoosiers of the past - no, to create an enemy nation worthy of the 'ruling king (Lord)'.

We now know that the Ayde's every action this past year is for the sake of the Lord.

'You're serious, Ayde's guy: ......

I glanced behind me and saw that Titi's face was dark and somber. Me and Ryner, who knows what's going on, have a similar expression.

'Oh, is that ......?　What's wrong with you?　We're talking about people who don't have much to do with us as long as we're in this union.　Did I say something bad: ......?

Sensing that the air between the three of us has darkened, Ragne starts to get impatient. She seemed to think she had been rude to me without realizing it.

Immediately I bring the brightness back to my face and tell her not to worry about it.

'No, it's not your fault, Ragne. Thank you for teaching me everything. It helped.

Oh, yes. You're welcome.

The conversation was interrupted.

We observe our surroundings, trying to find a new topic of conversation.

In the meantime, we climb the long stairs to reach the cathedral. We open a door with many layers of sacred magic wards and enter.

Along the way, I noticed that Ragne's gaze was directed to a certain spot several times.

It was the sword that was hanging on my waist.

''Uh, er, ......, Lagne-chan. Are you possibly curious about 'This Sword (Rowen)'?

Oh, you found out?

'Just look at it. ....... Do you want to hold it?

He tried to give her the treasure sword that was still in its scabbard.

There was something I was curious about. Once, once, Ragne had held this sword in her hand. The unidentified premonition she felt at that time - she wanted to take this opportunity to find out what it was.

''No, it's fine.''

But Ragne refused.

She shook her head with a blank expression. Then, she smiled indifferently.

''That's right, as a knight, I want a famous sword. I admire that swordsman, Lowen-san, and I have the confidence to use it well. You have to be able to get the best out of it.

The mention of Rowen gave me the same chill from her now as the end of that 'dance party'. For a moment, I lost track of who I was talking to.

'After all, a sword is a sword. More importantly, what I want right now is--oh.

In the middle of that conversation, Ragne's feet stopped.

It's here. So I guess that's it for useless talk. Please wait here. I'll be back with the young lady soon ...... but I'm a busy man now, so it may take a while.

They led me to the front of a beautiful room that looked like a parlor and told me to wait inside. After that, Ragne ran off at a small run to call Rustyala.

I wonder if it was my imagination that she seemed to have escaped from Rowen's story .......

I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make your life easier,” he said.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. Let's take our time waiting.

Following that, Titi and I were about to sit down in our chairs when the door to the room that has just been closed opens.

I'm sure you'll be able to see that the priest and the two girls in attendant uniforms are of high status at a glance, almost as a replacement for Lagune.

The priest with severely muddy eyes and twisted black curly hair. And the two behind them were also distinctive, wearing a kind of mask (visor) that covered only their eyes. It's a stylishly painted mask that goes well with their silver hair, but it's too suspicious to be worn by an attendant.

It's a good thing that you're here. The Cathedral of Fuzzyards welcomes you. Good to see you, Master Kanami.

A priest with muddy eyes suddenly appears and is happy to see me again.

However, I'm having trouble getting his name out of my head. He came to me by surprise, so I can't immediately connect his face to my name.

'Uh, uh, ......'

It's hard to expose the memories in his head these days, probably due to the mixture of people he knew from a thousand years ago. When I managed to stall for time by slurring my words, the priestess let a little vein rise in her temples and told me her name herself.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one. You're going to be able to get the best out of it.

Oh, it's been a while: ......

Finally, I remembered, albeit faintly. As I recall, there was someone like that when I kidnapped Rustyala from the Cathedral before.

The one who had repeatedly screamed at me to get rid of me during the ritual.

However, since I fought with Arti and Palinkron that day, I couldn't help but be less impressed with the rest of them. Please, please forgive me.

However, unlike me who returned a simple greeting, Ryner's response was an over-the-top one.

''Feydert ......?　Why would someone as good as you ......

The fact that Feydert appeared here now was apparently a surprise to him, as he had been working on The Seven Knights of Heaven (Celestial Knights) a year ago.

''He is a heroic figure worthy of being greeted by me. Besides, I think I'm more closely related to you ....... So--

With a cool look on his face, Feydert snaps his fingers.

Then the two girls who were waiting behind him start to move. They take out food and drink from the handcart (wagon) used to serve them, which they would have brought here, and begin to politely place them on the table in the room.

Within a few tens of seconds, a scene as if we were in a fancy restaurant spreads before our eyes.

Four glasses are lined up for each person, and three kinds of fruit wine are poured into the crystal clear, high-quality water. Then, in front of us, rare fruits that could be identified as having been brought in from far away were cut up into edible pieces, and at the back, a handy snack was prepared.

I'm baffled by the unexpected hospitality, but I bow to them.

''Well, thank you. I thought you had something against me.

At any rate, it crushed a ritual that would have taken many years to complete. I'm not going to complain about being attacked in my sleep.

Ha-ha. No, no way. I am aware that what happened that day was a tragedy, a misunderstanding that led to a misunderstanding. I have nothing against you. If I had to clear up one more misunderstanding, I would say that ...... it was also me who revoked the order for your capture by the Hoosiers after that. Now, no one would be more excited about your visit than I am.

Hahaha ......

Feydert laughed, his cloudy eyes narrowing.

I had to laugh, too.

I've fought some troublesome enemies in their own right, so I understand.

--This guy probably hates me a lot .......

I'm sure you'll be able to see the bottom of my belly, which I didn't want to see, but my skills in ”fraud” and ”sensitivity” revealed it to me, and I was at a loss for a response.

I'm not sure what's in the feast that's lined up in front of me right now, so I can't even touch it, because I don't know what's in it.

As I continue to laugh dryly, Feydert calls out to his friends as well.

''Rainer Helvirshein. You too are doing a great job. You have fulfilled our orders admirably. And you have returned safely to this cathedral. We are very pleased. I can make arrangements to return to the Seven Celestial Knights in Heaven immediately.

...... Thanks. I just haven't gone to talk to my parents yet. That can wait for a while.

Hmm. You're still the same, aren't you?

After they exchanged words meaningfully, Titi and Feydert exchanged greetings.

''Nice to meet you, beautiful young lady. I am Feydert Rioas, who is a priest here. I look forward to working with you in the future.

Hmm. The boy is Titi.

When I heard that name and also saw her beautiful green hair, Feydert's body stiffened for a moment. Thanks to the always thinly stretched ”Dimension”, I don't miss the small mumbled words.

''Titi......?　No, no way: ......

Apparently, the real name of ”The Lord” has survived to this era.

However, the vulgar girl who is now stuffing her belly full of the snacks prepared in front of her and the persona of the legendary ”Lord” do not match at all, so Feydert seems to have decided that he was mistaken.

My dry laughter really doesn't stop.

''Kanamin, what's the matter with you!　If you don't eat it, the child will take it!

Hahaha ......

Nodding back, I sort out the information I can get from the 《Dimension》.

In the room next to both sides, the knights are gathering one after another. Little by little, I can see in real time that I'm being surrounded.

If you look closely, the status of the girls who are currently serving me is also strange. Their levels are in the double digits, and they are definitely more suited to explorers - or rather, assassins - than samurai.

''However, Kanami-sama. What business do you have here today?

Feydert will use his free time to explore.

This would be the main question. Depending on this answer, the response of the priest in front of me should be very different.

I didn't even think to try to lie to him to get out of the situation. I'm going to tell you my true intentions.

''I need to meet with Rastiara and talk to her.

'Is it a story ....... What on earth are you going to do with your story?

Err, that's ......--

However, I had to stammer on about it.

Because, if we're honest, an avalanche of knights would come crashing in from both sides of the room.

Feydert smiles thinly. He might have sensed that I had come to snatch Rustyala once more.

'To be honest, I don't have good memories of your stories and all that. I do.''

Ha, sorry. ......

'No, you have nothing to apologize for. That ritual day was the result of our lack of awareness. I believe we learned a good lesson. We really learned a lot from Kanami-sama. And I will now show you the results of that study.

I wanted to end this quietly, but apparently it was an inevitable fight from the start.

After checking with me, Feydert laughs challengingly and says.

''If your objective is with Rastiara-sama, it can't be helped. It's a little disappointing, but I'll go along with my original plan--

Then, with a snap, I performed a second finger snap.

At the same time, as I expected, the two girls who were serving me took out daggers from their pockets and split up into two and attacked me.

Due to my ability, the surprise attack is pointless. I was expecting it, and I was confident that I could intercept them.

But I didn't dare to move.

I'm not going to be the only one who can do this.

--Knight Ryner Helvilshain runs through the small room like a gale, in accordance with the enemy's movements.