The Path to the Holy City
At best, the fruit's sweetness had simply grown stronger. Still, that alone made the experiment well worth it.
"So even if the blessings of two deities intertwine, there aren't any particular side effects."
"It seems so. We can move on to the next stage now."
Annie and Yohan exchanged brief words. They had confirmed that Falco's ring and the Goddess's blessing harmonized without any adverse side effects. Now, it was time to continue the experiment using seeds from other crops.
"The next stage?"
"Yeah. I want to see if this just improves the flavor of fruits, or if it also enhances the efficacy of medicinal herbs."
"I see. So that was your real goal from the very beginning."
As a former heretic inquisitor, Annie quickly grasped Yohan's true intention. He wanted to combine the powers of the two deities to cultivate medicinal herbs that could soothe stomach ailments, reduce fevers, or alleviate pain. While herbs wouldn't be enough to treat severe, life-threatening injuries like severed limbs, being able to grow high-quality medicinal plants right in the village was an immense privilege for the locals of this world.
Medicinal plants were also used as raw ingredients for potions that could rapidly heal minor wounds, making them incredibly expensive. For the impoverished, who had to worry about putting food on the table day by day, such remedies were practically a fantasy.
"Still, there's no need to rush. We have other things to take care of first, and we still have plenty of medicine left from what we bought in Balifield."
"True. Besides, from the villagers' perspective, raising the defensive walls and paving the roads is probably a higher priority right now."
"Exactly."
Not long ago, under the pretext of gathering medical supplies for the villagers, Yohan's group had practically cleaned out every single apothecary in Balifield. In terms of sheer volume, they had stockpiled so much that they had to worry about the medicines expiring or spoiling before the villagers could even use them all.
"Once we return from the Holy City with the scriptures, we'll be staying in this village for a while anyway. Let's focus on that task first."
"Understood."
With their plans sorted, Yohan finished his conversation with Annie and turned his gaze toward Falco and Billy.
"So that's how it is. We'll split into pairs for a while."
Yohan and Annie immediately prepared to leave the village. Aside from the two horses they would ride and the weapons Annie carried, they had virtually no luggage. Yohan could summon his Light Sword using the Apostle's Authority, and since they could rest in the pocket dimension—the single-room apartment created by the Goddess's power—camping gear was entirely unnecessary. Furthermore, the single-room could double as a storage warehouse, so they had moved everything even remotely bulky into it.
To be honest, Yohan had been deeply disappointed when he first entered the single-room. It was only natural, considering that his supposedly safe haven turned out to be a cramped studio apartment covered in tacky yellow wallpaper. Over time, however, Yohan realized just how incredibly useful the single-room actually was. Not only could he wash up with hot water anytime and anywhere, but it also completely eliminated the need to camp outdoors and risk danger. On top of that, although he refrained from doing so because it consumed a massive amount of divine power, he could expand the single-room as much as he wanted if he set his mind to it.
One day, I'm going to build a proper hideout, Yohan thought to himself. To achieve this, he needed to visit the Holy City, the largest metropolis on the continent. He wanted to see proper architecture with his own eyes and use that experience to construct a decent building within the Goddess's pocket dimension. The day he could finally escape his cramped studio apartment life and fulfill his dream of homeownership was not far off.
"Since we have teleportation, we'll probably finish our job and get back much faster than you guys." Before departing for the Holy City, Yohan spoke with Falco and Billy one last time.
"Yeah. Leave the tree planting to us."
"Should we build a few wooden houses while we're at it? I'm confident in my physical strength, and I know how to build houses."
"Ah, well, you can just handle that on your own."
"Hehe."
Now it was time to split into two teams of two and go about their respective tasks. That meant he would be separated from Falco for a while. Yohan suddenly realized that ever since he rescued Falco from underground that day, they had been traveling together for quite a long time. Reflecting on this, he felt a pang of regret at the thought of being apart, even if only for a short while.
"Just make sure to explain things to the villagers on your end," Yohan said, feigning nonchalance to hide his inner thoughts. Falco nodded with a faint smile.
"But don't go shouting 'Do you believe?!' in front of everyone like last time."
Falco had a history of completely swaying the villagers with an incredibly demagogic speech not too long ago. Thus, Yohan figured that leading the villagers wouldn't be much of a challenge for her.
"Well then, shall we go plunder some scriptures?"
"When you put it like that, it sounds like we're planning a heist."
"A heist? How absurd. We are merely retrieving what rightfully contains my will."
Annie and the Goddess each chimed in response to Yohan's remark. Yohan let out a chuckle and shrugged.
"Whatever, let's just get going."
Soon, Yohan, the Goddess, and Annie gathered together.
"Take care of yourself."
"Please tell us all about the Holy City when you get back."
Falco and Billy took a few steps back and waved to the three of them.
"Let us begin, then. Picture our destination in your mind."
"Got it."
Yohan closed his eyes tightly. Unfortunately, he had never visited the Holy City before. Furthermore, teleporting blindly into the heart of the Central Church's headquarters risked drawing the immediate attention of those church bastards. Therefore, he pictured the borderlands between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom—the closest location to the Holy City he had actually been to.
Flash! Soon, Yohan's group teleported to their destination using the Goddess's power.
"Ugh."
Feeling a slight wave of dizziness, Yohan groaned softly and opened his eyes. At the same time, Annie and the Goddess opened their eyes and looked at each other.
"This is... the border region between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom."
Annie spoke in a low voice.
"Do you plan to travel on foot from here?"
The Goddess looked up at Yohan and asked. Yohan nodded lightly.
"Yeah. If we get caught teleporting out in the open where there are lots of people, it'll be a real pain in the ass."
"Yohan is right. It is common knowledge that precise, long-distance teleportation of this scale is normally done through magic circles."
With Annie backing up Yohan's reasoning, the Goddess seemed to have nothing left to say. She dissolved into her spiritual form and vanished.
—Well, do as you please, then.
"Yeah, yeah."
This brat. Last time, she insisted on manifesting physically just to get some fresh air, but now she was already tired of it and went straight back to her spiritual form. Yohan gave a half-hearted reply to the Goddess's voice echoing in his mind. Then, he turned his head to scan their surroundings.
The place where they stood was a mountain path between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom. Among the various routes connecting the two nations, this one saw relatively little traffic.
"I heard that to teleport, you must have personally visited the location in the past. Have you been here before?"
"Yeah. I've been near the Great Forest too. Back in the day, I traveled all over the place."
Answering Annie's question, Yohan fell into a brief moment of nostalgia. Memories from the days before he joined the grave robbers, when he literally wandered the continent aimlessly, came flooding back.
"..."
Of course, none of them were good memories. It had been a repetitive cycle of living on the streets, stealing money or food, and tagging along with merchant caravans under the guise of an escort whenever things got too dangerous.
"Shall we get going, then?"
"Wait a moment."
Just as Yohan was about to mount his horse and set off, Annie stopped him for some reason.
"What is it now?"
"The Holy Kingdom has far more eyes watching than the borderlands, and they are highly sensitive to the movement of people. So..."
"Ah, so we need to get our stories straight beforehand."
"Exactly."
This was something Yohan hadn't even considered. After all, he had never set foot in the Holy Kingdom before.
"I don't particularly like it, but it would be best to make use of my identity."
As Annie spoke, she pulled out her inquisitor's token from her breast pocket.
"That works."
Annie had certainly abandoned the Central Church to join the Church of the Unnamed Goddess, but the Central Church was still unaware of her defection.
"If we use my identity, we can enter the Holy City without any issues. We'll also have free access to the long-distance teleportation magic circles. Once we reach the Holy City and grab what we need..."
"We can just teleport straight back to the village."
They were surprisingly in sync. The two exchanged subtle smiles.
"So, should we go with the 'Inquisitor and her squire' dynamic?"
Yohan asked. Annie shook her head.
"Inquisitors do not travel with attendants. Most travel alone or pair up with other inquisitors."
"Then what should we do?"
When Yohan asked back, Annie crossed her arms and tilted her head.
"A heretic arrested on-site should do the trick."
"What the hell did you just say?"
"I'm joking. We can just say you're a new believer I met in the borderlands. The Church is always welcoming of new converts."
Did she always have this kind of personality? Yohan thought to himself as he stared at Annie, who was wearing a sly, playful grin.
"Since we don't need to stop by any towns, we'll take the fastest route."
"Sure. Lead the way, Inquisitor Agnes."
"Leave it to me, new believer Yohan."
He had said it to tease her, but her comeback was just as sharp. Yohan clicked his tongue. Soon, the horses carrying the two began to gallop down the path.
—By the way, my Apostle. There will surely be many in the Holy Kingdom capable of sensing my divinity. Will you be alright?
After riding toward the Holy Kingdom for a while, the Goddess's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Of course. Who do you think I am?"
—Who else? A foul-mouthed, ill-tempered, pathetic Apostle.
"Haha, what a cute little brat. Hey, manifest right now. I'm gonna seriously, huh?"
—At any rate, since you seem to have learned how to suppress your energy, I shall trust you and leave it in your hands.
This brat. She deliberately dodged his threat. To vent his frustration, Yohan flipped his middle finger at the empty sky.
"An—no, Agnes! So how long do we have to ride?"
"If we ride without stopping, it will take about three days to reach the nearest magic circle!"
The two exchanged brief words as they galloped along.
"Three days! Got it!"
Without using the teleportation magic circles, it would take over ten days just to reach the Holy City. If things went well, they could finish their business and return to the village in a week, or maybe even four days.
Of course, there was no need to rush too much. He needed to study the architecture of the Holy City to successfully expand his single-room.
"Are there any buildings worth seeing in the Holy City?! Like a grand cathedral or something!"
"There is a grand cathedral inside the Papal Palace! It's a place that many tourists actually visit!"
—A grand cathedral... That makes me curious as well. Perhaps my other half resides there.
Yohan was delighted by the welcome news, and the Goddess also showed interest. However, that interest was short-lived. No matter how easily they could teleport, entering the very heart of enemy territory without caution was bound to invite trouble.
—However, we must not poke a hornet's nest out of mere personal curiosity.
The Goddess seemed to share his sentiment. Yohan smacked his lips in disappointment.