Chapter 566
Chapter 566
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 566
Chapter Title: A Good Friend to Meet
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The red bob reaching down to her neck, the light blue nun's habit draped with lightweight armor—that was Elise's identity.
The distinctive nun's hat on her head added even more to her unique look, while the murderous mace and thick holy book hanging from the belt at her waist proved she was a battle nun of the Radiant Cross Society.
—Elise.
"El!!!!"
Was it just coincidence? As I was about to enter the Adventurer's Guild, I bumped right into her in front of the building.
"Ri!!!!"
The moment I recognized her, joy exploded from the deepest part of my chest. How long had it been since I'd last seen her...!
"Je!!!!"
An irresistible impulse surged up from within, overwhelming my mind. It felt right to let this feeling burst out right then and there, so I was about to shout our promised call-and-response.
"Diiiiiiiiva—!!!!"
"Saint."
—?
Something was off.
Elise wasn't reacting like she usually did. A mix of delight and surprise—that was the natural response she should have shown.
"...Uh, huh? Elise?"
But she was utterly expressionless.
No.
Beyond expressionless—
"That armor."
—Elise's eyes had turned completely dead fish eyes as she stared into mine and spoke coldly.
"What the hell is it?"
I froze for a moment.
"..."
Her widely opened eyes contrasted with her tiny, contracted pupils. Those pupils held no light, just an eerie chill and ferocity condensed within.
"It's armor with the Brass Celestial Society's emblem."
With that murderous gaze fixed on my eyes, Elise continued in a low tone.
"The greaves are the same as the old Salvation Church ones you used before, but everything else has been replaced with Brass Celestial Society standard gear."
"Ah."
This side of Elise was something I'd never seen before.
"Saint. Did you convert to the Brass Celestial Society? When I tried to evangelize you, you refused, saying you couldn't abandon your ancestral faith..."
Her gaze and tone were so chilling it instilled real fear, and I ended up cowering.
"You're free to convert, Saint, but as your Divine Friend... this hurts my heart."
That was why...!
My panicked mind cleared up in an instant. This was a misunderstanding. Elise was under a fatal misconception right now.
"No, no! Elise! It's a misunderstanding! A total misunderstanding!"
I frantically tore at my hair as I explained.
"It's not what you think! I didn't convert!"
"...?"
As I shouted desperately, light slowly returned to Elise's pupils. She must have thought I'd betrayed her, my Divine Friend, and run off to another religion.
I hadn't converted or anything.
The only religion I believed in was Fusion Confucianism, and the only things I worshiped were my own martial prowess and unyielding spirit.
"You didn't convert... Th-then what the hell is that armor? No religion allows their church's standard equipment to be taken outside. Saint. What's going on?"
"Well, you see, Elise. Take a look at this first."
I immediately pulled out my junior priest certificate from my pocket and shoved it into her hands. My palms were sweaty from the tension.
That Elise just now was scary as hell without even bluffing.
It was the first time in my life I'd seen eyes like that from her. Even when slaughtering heretics and demons, she'd unleash her ferocity in battle frenzy—not stare with such eerily dead eyes and contracted pupils like before.
"This is... a junior priest certificate?"
Elise slowly examined it and looked up at my face. Fortunately, she was back to her usual expression.
"Yeah, Elise. While I was doing this and that in the city, the Brass Celestial Society said they'd reward me and gave me the junior priest position. This armor's the prize. It's an honorary title, so no conversion required."
"..."
I explained everything exactly as it happened, and for some reason, Elise's face began to slowly flush red.
"Th-that..."
What?
"...I misunderstood."
Elise bowed her head deeply. Good, the misunderstanding was cleared up. Her blushing face was from embarrassment over her mistake.
"Heh heh heh, yeah, you did. Oh man, Elise. Did you really think I'd abandon you, my Divine Friend, and run off to the Brass Celestial Society?"
"Ugh, uuu..."
Of course, Elise would never give me such a fierce glare.
I must have seen wrong.
"I'm ashamed to admit I thought that for a moment. I'm sorry, Saint. I know better than anyone that you wouldn't do that, yet I misunderstood anyway."
Elise returned to her usual blank face and apologized to me. But that face was already quite flushed.
This is unforgivable...!
"Elise. You know this isn't forgivable, right?"
"Wh-what?! Please forgive me, Saint!"
I grinned mischievously as I teased her, and she cried out in a panic.
"No, you have to pay the price...! Go!!!! How dare you doubt your Divine Friend!!!"
"Price?! What price?!"
Elise's eyes widened as she protested. Of course, it was just a joke. I didn't want any price. I just wanted one thing.
"Shout it loud."
I spread my legs shoulder-width apart, pointed at Elise, and declared.
"Huh?"
"Divine."
This was the price for doubting her Divine Friend.
"Shout it loud enough to shatter the whole world."
"Th-that...! Saint, that's too harsh! You can't do this to me!"
At my demand to shout "Divine" loudly, Elise clenched her fists like a prisoner facing an impossible punishment and protested.
"Fine then."
"...!"
"Right here."
I maintained my stern demeanor and continued point by point.
"I'll sulk."
"Wh-what!"
"Kneel down and wail."
Of course, I was the kind of guy who could pull that off casually.
"That I was misunderstood by Elise."
As soon as I hinted at it, Elise's face twisted in complete confusion and shock.
"Saint...! Don't say such nonsense! You can't do that!"
"So do what I say."
"Th-this can't be...! At least let me go somewhere quiet!"
"No."
That wouldn't make it a proper price.
"Right here."
I pointed firmly at the ground.
"Do it right here, right now."
"Th-this is insane...! Saint! Didn't I already apologize?! I was wrong! Please forgive me! At least let me lower the volume, I beg you!"
—Thud.
Elise begged, and I immediately knelt as a warning.
"Elise."
"N-no way...! Saint, please! Please stop! I'll do as you say!"
As I really started to wail, Elise grabbed her head. I laughed and stood up.
Elise glanced around with her flushed face and cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Ahem, hem... Di, Divine...!"
Her voice was too quiet!
"Elise! Is that all our friendship means to you?!"
"N-not that... Divine!!!"
"Still too quiet!"
"D-Diviiiine...!!!!"
"Gaaaaah!!!"
In front of Elise, who looked ready to die of embarrassment, I kept shouting endlessly.
Finally, she hit her limit and unleashed her voice.
—Divine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Icicles and snow fell from the eaves. What a voice. Only then did it really hit me that I'd reunited with Elise.
—Frrrrriend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I too let my voice explode in ecstasy. Thus, the cross was complete. After all that commotion, Elise's face was as red as her hair.
"Haa... haa... S-Saint... at least let me leave this spot right now."
"Of course."
I immediately grabbed her wrist and pulled her along.
"Let's go grab some food."
I hadn't eaten breakfast anyway, and Elise probably hadn't either. I dragged her by the wrist straight to a restaurant.
After ordering our usual stuff, the real catch-up talk began.
"Junior priest... What an astonishing story. But at the same time, it's only natural. With your character and abilities, Saint, the church couldn't just leave you alone. Congratulations."
Having calmed down, Elise gave me her honest congratulations.
"Heh heh heh, aren't you overpraising me? Thanks."
"It's just the truth."
"Oh, by the way, Elise."
"What?"
"I am a junior priest, but I might end up doubling as a paladin soon."
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Elise was shocked a second time and demanded an explanation in full excitement. I mentioned the Cardia Saintess and explained everything exactly as it happened.
While carrying out requests against demons and heretics after getting the junior priest position, I caught the saintess's eye and got scouted as a paladin. Of course, no conversion required.
"Whew... To think such things happened... But hearing it all puts my mind at ease. As expected, you haven't changed, Saint."
Elise gradually calmed her excitement as she listened to my story.
"Still, it's regrettable. If it were you, Saint, surely our Radiant Cross Society would have..."
Was that what she regretted?
"Heh heh heh, no way. That life seems way too tough."
—Ascetic Holy Warriors.
The Radiant Cross Society's holy warriors worshiped not just God but personal asceticism as well. Building paradise through human strength alone was incredibly arduous and harsh. That's why they embraced bizarre levels of self-mortification.
With that ideology at its core, the Radiant Cross Society was brutally spartan. They were truly the frontline guardians devoting themselves to this world.
Extremists, plain and simple.
I couldn't handle that kind of life.
If the military was just coffee, that place was a tower. No way in hell I'd join the Radiant Cross Society, even in my next life.
"I accepted the paladin offer because they didn't demand conversion. Honestly, if they had, I wouldn't have done it."
The moment you convert, the church gains control over all your actions. You'd have to live strictly by their doctrines.
Worshiping Verde God and working for the church meant that. No compromises there.
That's why the Cardia Saintess half-tricked me into scouting.
"Hee hee, a rational choice. I understand. Our Radiant Cross Society doesn't have such a system. Conversion would have been mandatory."
Elise finally smiled.
"Right? Conversion's impossible for religious reasons. And even if I could, the Radiant Cross Society seems too tough. I can't live that harshly."
"Such humility... As expected of you, Saint."
It's not humility...!
"Heh heh heh, anyway, you were seriously scary earlier. I thought I was gonna die."
"P-please forget about that. My mind went completely blank for a moment. And you made me do that too, Saint. That topic's banned now."
"It was a joke, I told you. But, Elise."
Now for the main point.
"What brings you here this time?"
Elise showing up meant something had come up.
"Actually, before that—how about the demon stuff? Things were pretty hectic here with demons and heretics too. I figured you might swing by once, but since demons spread across the whole region, you were probably busy too. Is that all wrapped up?"
The entire area around here had been hit by demon gates. The religious folks in Krasheim must have been working day and night.
"Yes. We've been running nonstop demon subjugation ops, so time flew by in bliss. Truly dreamlike days."
"Ah."
She enjoyed it, huh.
"It definitely built a reputation that even Aijomart would approve of, but the snow forced us to wrap up operations."
"Ah, so you kept hunting right up until the snow started?"
"Yes."
Snow makes it hard for anyone to move.
"So things are in a lull for now, and before spring comes and the evil ones stir again, there's something that needs handling. I requested permission from the church and came here."
"What is it?"
"Didn't you give me evidence on the heretics from the Misty Plains last time?"
Uh, no way?
"Yeah, I did."
"We couldn't spare troops before because of ops. Now that we have some breathing room, we're going to investigate it."