Of Course a Saintess Is Connected to God (3)
Of Course a Saintess Is Connected to God (3)
The place Lee Ha-sol and I arrived at, walking in step, was the Grand Cathedral.
Specifically, the Archbishop's Office, which must have been the busiest place around.
As soon as we entered, the old man buried in documents and holograms stood up immediately and gave a benevolent smile.
"I'm too ashamed to lift my head, bringing a great being into such a shabby place."
[Shabby? I don't think it's shabby at all.]
To be fair, it was a little messy. But given the current state of affairs, a clean office would be more suspicious.
[You must be incredibly busy managing the city right now.]
"Thanks to the grace bestowed by the great being, I've been immersed in the honor of tending to our home. I have nothing but gratitude."
The archbishop, who had smiled gently, turned his head toward Lee Ha-sol, who was seated beside me.
"I apologize for the belated greeting, Sister Lee Ha-sol. Even when you first visited, this old man was too absent-minded to greet you properly."
"Who would find fault with a greeting in that urgent situation, Your Eminence?"
Lee Ha-sol gave a faint smile and glanced at the pile of documents stacked messily on the desk.
"Although you still look so busy you don't have a moment to spare. You could have called for us when you had a little more leeway."
"I cannot keep precious people waiting indefinitely."
The archbishop spoke with something closer to sincerity than a platitude, wetting his lips with tea. He then bowed his head deeply toward me.
"Before I speak, I, Agram Musgella Aromut, the diocesan head of Erteria and archbishop of the Tower Faith, on behalf of all believers, offer my boundless gratitude."
[I can't even count how many thanks I've received since yesterday.]
I must have received thanks hundreds of times just on the way here, from people of all ages and genders.
Especially the looks in the eyes of the Tower Faith's believers—they were very hard to bear.
"No amount of thanks, repeated a thousand times, would be enough for the great being who protected millions of people and this holy land."
The archbishop's gaze then reached Lee Ha-sol.
"I also wish to express my deep gratitude to you, Sister Lee Ha-sol. It was thanks to your courage and aid that the innocent were able to protect their home."
"I only did what I had to do."
"Indeed. Since you were very young, Sister, you have always put many good deeds into practice."
"Ah."
[Curiosity]
At the mention of the past, Lee Ha-sol let out an awkward sigh and glanced at me for my reaction.
I deliberately activated my necklace to show my curiosity. The archbishop smiled softly and continued.
"Sister Lee Ha-sol's exemplary tales were well known from childhood. Her attitude of sincerely attending to any teaching, and her unwavering effort and good deeds even when no one was watching, made her a model for the faithful."
[Is that so?]
"At a young age, with her outstanding skills, she courageously volunteered as a military chaplain and placed herself in the expeditionary force, saving and aiding countless lives."
[Ooh...]
A stream of praise poured freely from the archbishop's mouth.
I'd already heard many of these stories from Lee Ha-sol herself.
For instance, about how she joined a Tower Faith expeditionary force as a child, patrolling the gray zones to build real combat experience.
But it still felt good to hear the archbishop shower her with praise.
The sincerity in his demeanor left no room for doubt either.
I found my head bobbing along as if I were adding my own interjections of approval. In contrast, Lee Ha-sol, not knowing what to do with herself, clenched her fist tightly beneath the table.
"Um... Ahem, Your Eminence..."
"Oh dear, this old man has talked too much."
[Ah]
[Regret...]
In the end, the archbishop's trip down memory lane was cut short by Lee Ha-sol's subtle cues.
I wanted to hear more. As I let out a regretful sigh, Lee Ha-sol squeezed my hand tightly under the table.
"I was so lost in old memories that I made a fool of myself. I apologize."
[Not at all. Actually, I wanted to hear more...]
[Tickling]
[That's all.]
Slender fingers began to tickle the back of my hand.
- That tickles.
- I meant for it to tickle.
I moved my fingers in resistance against this tyranny that was even restricting my words, but I was ultimately overpowered and my hand was held tight.
"This may contradict the apology I just gave, but I'd like to bring up an old story for a moment. Does the great being know about this place, 'Erteria'?"
[Erteria, if I recall...]
It's the name of this city, its location.
I recalled the earlier statement.
[It's the headquarters of the Tower Faith and... a holy land?]
"Yes, Erteria here is the officially designated holy land of the Tower Faith."
Erteria is considered the headquarters and holy land (聖地) of the Tower Faith.
"In the olden days, when there was no place named Erteria and no city, the Tower of Growth stood exactly on this spot."
It's a famous anecdote.
The five towers that suddenly appeared during the Chaos Period.
The Tower of Growth appeared in this vicinity.
"Back then, Neriel Claidia ascended the Tower of Growth, and as time passed, she moved the tower's location."
[So the Tower Faith was built at the spot where the tower disappeared.]
"That was the work of the first archbishop."
The old man in front of me was the 3rd archbishop.
If we assume the Tower Faith was founded roughly 140 years ago, that means the position has changed roughly once every 45 years. All the past archbishops were superhumans, so they had long lifespans and long tenures.
Especially the archbishop sitting before me, whose tenure had supposedly far exceeded 60 years.
The 1st and 2nd archbishops were martyred early during the Chaos Period, but it seems the 3rd has somehow managed to lead the Tower Faith until now.
Now that I thought about it, it seemed like quite a long time.
I used to think religions were only considered old if they were thousands of years old, so this felt comparatively short.
"Just as the name we've given to the world suggests, from its founding until now, the Tower Faith has served the Tower Masters as gods."
[That's true.]
"Forgive my audacity, but might I dare ask the great being for their opinion on religion?"
To me?
I swallowed my momentary confusion at the archbishop's question. I hadn't expected the highest leader of a religion to ask for my opinion on religion.
I mulled it over for a moment.
'Hmm... religion, huh...'
Religion.
Honestly, I can't say I had no preconceptions.
The internet is a mixed bag of glowing and nasty stories, but the sensational, nasty ones always spread far and wide.
As a former shut-in, I'd picked up just as many nasty stories as glowing ones.
Of course, I never had any direct personal experiences that gave me any particular thoughts on the matter.
The only thing that ever happened was a religious person suddenly handing me a Choco Pie on the street and wishing me happiness for the future.
Anyway, thanks to that memory, my impression is slightly positive.
'Ah, come to think of it, that Death God Cult I was crushing like rats in the China region was strictly a religious group too.'
Anyway.
[I'm sorry I can't give you a proper answer, but I've never held any specific thoughts on it. I've never been affiliated with a religion.]
"I see... Thank you for your answer."
Even though my answer was poor, the archbishop smiled brightly.
"To me, religion—the Tower Faith—was a sanctuary for my heart."
[A sanctuary for the heart]
"Not that any life is without its ups and downs, but the hardships I faced at the time felt truly arduous."
A bitter smile crossed the archbishop's face as if he was recalling the past.
"I had many thoughts. I wanted to give up. I just wanted to turn my back and run away. I wanted to slump down since I'd never achieve anything anyway."
[So then...]
"That's when I suddenly wanted to lean on something. It didn't matter what. I was desperate for an existence that would share and support my burden."
[And that was religion?]
"Yes, I'm ashamed to admit that I was too weak to overcome it alone."
The archbishop laughed abashedly and took a sip of his tea. As I waited, quietly fiddling with Lee Ha-sol's soft hand, he continued.
"But thanks to that, I endured hardships I couldn't have overcome on my own. And as time passed, I found myself in a position to lead the very religion I had physically and mentally relied on."
[That's a good thing.]
I bobbed my head in agreement.
Whether by coincidence or not, the Tower Faith had consistently helped people up to now.
They hadn't been without mistakes, but the intent was clearly good. The same went for the era led by the archbishop sitting across from me.
"Throughout that process, I invoked the name of God."
[Hmm...]
"The Tower God (塔神)... I acted under the name of the heroes."
More weighty words.
Not just me, but Lee Ha-sol also wore an awkward expression. The archbishop chuckled and shook his head.
"I am not trying to deny my faith. I simply hadn't considered how the Tower Masters, who receive that faith, might think about it."
[And so...?]
"I sought answers through the Association and Siyoram, but no answer came. I felt both regret and, secretly, a sense of relief."
Having said that, the archbishop placed his teacup on the table.
"I have heard that the great being is connected... to the Tower Masters."
[...Yes.]
They've all been silent since I came to this city, but I can definitely feel that they are connected.
After a moment of hesitation, I bobbed my head. As if relieved, the archbishop smiled and slowly rose from his seat.
"I wish to offer an apology, even if it's late, for so freely using the name of the Tower God."
He then tidied his clothes neatly and bowed his back.
"If, through the great being, a negative opinion is expressed, the Tower Faith will, on that very day, begin a phased process of disbandment as a collective."
"Archbishop...?"
Lee Ha-sol's eyes widened as if she hadn't expected that at all. I too was surprised by the drastic statement, and the archbishop continued with a bitter smile.
"However, if they have no particular opinion... then under their merciful and silent consent, I hope the Tower Faith can be maintained and continue to exist as a pillar of the heart for those who seek help."
The archbishop lifted his head and fixed his gaze on my face.
"This statement will remain in effect forevermore. At any time and in any way, we will follow the will of the Tower Masters."
[...Yes, I will deliver your words to the Tower Masters.]
I nodded and closed my eyes.
I couldn't meet his eyes directly, but the archbishop's face was tinged with surprise. I glanced at the corner of my vision.
The newly updated Status Window came into view.
[The Tower Master of Harmonization wears a dumbfounded expression.]
[Honestly, I never had any particular thoughts about it...]
[The Tower Master of Knowledge shakes his head with a complex look.]
[I had complicated feelings when it was founded, but I think the deeds themselves have been beneficial to the world.]
[The Tower Master of Growth nods gently.]
[I am too lacking a body to receive faith... but if it helps the world, and if the religion does not become corrupt, then I do not wish for its dissolution.]
Three Tower Masters answered.
The Tower Master of Space and the Tower Master of Observation, who were still under heavy restrictions, seemed to find it difficult to send their intentions from here.
[I don't know about the other two, but these three say it's fine.]
"......"
The archbishop's complexion shifted in a truly funny way at the immediate reply.
Was he not expecting an answer to come back so quickly... no, perhaps he hadn't expected an answer at all.
"Hu, huhu... is... that so...?"
[Yes, they said you've done well so far. So they don't wish for it to be abolished as long as it doesn't become corrupt.]
"...Yes, corrupt... that goes without saying... Th... thank you..."
The archbishop, who had been standing there slack-jawed, let out a hollow laugh.
"So that the pillar does not rot, I will lead it to the best of my ability to be of help to the world."
Soon, wearing an indescribable expression, his mouth opened and closed, and he bowed his head, trembling slightly.
His overwhelming emotions were clearly observed through his words and actions.
'Well, he heard it directly from the gods he worshipped...'
It must feel like some kind of revelation. For someone who has held this faith for so long, it's bound to be moving.
'That ended well.'
I can ask the Tower Master of Space and the Tower Master of Observation about it later.
Especially since I plan to visit the Tower of Observation soon.
I bobbed my head as I thought about my plan.
.
.
.
"I hope that Sister Lee Ha-sol will be canonized (諡聖) during her lifetime."
"...Excuse me?"
Lee Ha-sol, who was stirring her tea, had a dumbfounded look on her face.
Her light-green eyes widened vacantly as if she'd heard something she shouldn't have.
"What... me... ?"
"Yes."
Canonization.
Simply put, it means they want to elevate her to sainthood.
"No, what do you want me to do? Canonized? And living canonization at that?"
Lee Ha-sol expressed her shock and doubt with a horrified look. The archbishop's gaze then shifted to the side.
[?]
I tilted my head at the sudden attention. Lee Ha-sol, who had turned her head to follow his gaze, also had her eyes land on me.
"...Ah."
Lee Ha-sol let out a sigh as if she had just realized something.
* * *
