What Faith Truly Means (1)
I discarded the mattress stained with strange filth and bought a new one.
Returning after purchasing the new mattress on a twenty-four-month installment plan, I checked my tightly budgeted living-expenses account. There wasn't much left until the next payday, and unexpected outlays beyond the carefully planned budget were never a pleasant surprise.
"Haa... this is cutting it a bit close."
I resented my past self for the choice of dumping half my salary straight into savings.
Are you watching, past me? Thanks to you, I'm living this pinched life.
Still, if I just held out a little longer the maturity date would arrive, so I endured day by day with my eyes fixed on that single hope.
I trudged along and let out a deep, heavy sigh.
"Aigoo..."
My mood was already gloomy, and my stomach churned unpleasantly. It felt as though something mushy had filled me to the brim. Around the pit of my stomach something was full and sloshing about.
"Ah, if only some money would fall from somewhere."
I muttered while staring at my phone. A snicker escaped at the thoughtless words.
Money suddenly falling? This wasn't some movie where food dropped from the sky. No way—
—Thud!
"...Huh?"
...Money fell from the sky. A crisp yellow bill. A fifty-thousand-won note fluttered down.
—Thud-thud! Flutter-flutter!
"Wha-what?"
Countless bundles of bills blanketed the sky, swirling and dancing. Money was... falling from the sky. Passing cars screeched to a halt, and pedestrians scrambled after the drifting notes.
"Whoa— what's going on?"
I hurriedly began scooping up money myself. Thinking this was a windfall beyond belief, I moved with frantic energy.
"Everyone, my name is Galtamel! At the bank in this building—...!! Unjustly treated just because I'm a foreigner—...!!!"
At the sudden voice I turned my head and looked up at a building. A short, stocky man stood on the rooftop with a megaphone, shouting about his grievances.
—Flutter!
Corruption and Malpractice at OO Bank! Sacrificing Innocent Employees—
He had prepared thoroughly; a massive banner dropped from the rooftop and unfurled across one entire face of the building. Whatever the story, the man clearly felt deeply wronged.
"Better pick up the money first."
I didn't know about any of that and simply gathered bills. The corners of my mouth were stuck to my ears and showed no intention of coming down.
"Wow— what a stroke of luck is this?"
My mood soared; I was grinning from ear to ear. Maybe because I had picked up free money, the bloated feeling in my stomach completely subsided. The sloshing around my solar plexus seemed to drain away in a rush, leaving me clear and open inside.
"Lucky me."
My thickened wallet felt so reassuringly solid.
In the Holy City of Civitas, a massive funeral was being prepared under the leadership of the Pantheon. It was meant to honor the holy knights who had gone to the side of the gods while fighting a great demon.
Black flags commemorating them hung throughout the streets. Ahead of the funeral that would celebrate the holy knights' noble sacrifice, countless nations had rushed to send representatives.
It was a golden opportunity to forge ties with Civitas, the undisputed holy land of faith, and no power-holder was unaware of the fact.
"So this is Civitas! As befitting the name, the very air feels different."
"Indeed, young master. Look at those buildings and walls visible in the distance!"
"Hah, such elegant and splendid forms. Truly magnificent."
Iscal, the illegitimate son of a baronial family from a small kingdom on the continent's fringe.
For him, this journey to the Holy City was a golden opportunity—a chance to create a lifeline that could lift him higher.
"We were quite lucky, weren't we?"
Seated atop a slowly walking horse, he spoke to his servant Sancho who followed behind.
"To think such a thing would happen while we were already near Civitas! Heaven is clearly aiding me."
Iscal recalled the messenger who had roughly pounded on his lodgings at dawn. The experience of receiving the king's order while half-asleep! Still not fully real to him, he idly rustled the sealed letter tucked in his bosom.
"Indeed, sir. We were truly lucky. If we'd come from our kingdom it would have taken over three months... Huh? Young master, how did that messenger even get here?"
"Well, they must have sent a carrier pigeon or something from the kingdom to this region, then run all the way to our lodgings."
"Must have been tough."
"Right. We got here quickly thanks to luck, but countries farther away will have quite the complaints."
Sancho, who kept looking around as he followed, spoke with curiosity.
"But young master, shouldn't we wait a bit then?"
"You dense fellow. Is the Holy City called that for nothing? Does it make sense for the host to adjust to the guests' circumstances?"
Iscal looked pitifully at Sancho, who scratched his head in embarrassment.
"Moreover, the Holy City's prestige is soaring sky-high right now. Even less reason to care about others' opinions."
Ahead, countless people stood in a long line waiting to enter the Holy City. At that sight Iscal's eyes narrowed as he gazed forward.
"Rumors are rampant that the sixth miracle of the gods has descended upon the Holy City, and even a hero appointed by the gods has appeared. The Pantheon is expanding its power more strongly than ever before. Public sentiment and justification both rest with the Pantheon. Who would dare oppose the Holy City?"
"A hero... wasn't that just a rumor?"
"What good would it do the Pantheon to spread such baseless rumors? It's probably all true."
Standing at the end of the line, Iscal fell into thought. An illegitimate son of an insignificant baronial family from a fringe kingdom. But if he could form connections with the people of the Pantheon on this Holy City trip...
I will definitely escape that backwater kingdom and make my name widely known in the vast world!
From Iscal overflowed the unique vigor and ambition of youth. Watching those eyes burn hotly, Sancho shook his head from side to side.
The tedious wait continued. The people ahead slowly decreased while those lining up behind kept increasing. Iscal began snatching the snacks Sancho was eating, one by one.
—Crunch crunch —Crunch crunch
"Sancho, this is quite tasty. Where'd you get it?"
"Ah, that fruit... I picked it up on the road, sir."
"Ugh, ptooey! You give your master something picked up off the road?"
"Aigoo, young master! Just kidding, kidding! How many years have we known each other!! Ow!! That hurts!! You snatched it first anyway!!"
"Shut up, you!"
Even as they bickered over Sancho's untimely joke, the line slowly shortened. Before they knew it, Iscal was close enough to see the city gate.
"I———you bastards———!!!"
Iscal, who had been tussling with Sancho, pricked up his ears at the commotion from ahead.
"Shh, stop for a moment, Sancho."
"Hey, you snatched it first—"
"Shh!"
Sancho grumbled from behind with his lips sticking out a full foot, but Iscal narrowed his eyes toward the front.
At the checkpoint before the city gate someone was raising a ruckus, and the soldiers looked flustered.
A ruckus right in front of the Holy City?
Was there someone with that much guts? Iscal listened carefully to the murmuring of the crowd.
"What, what's going on?"
"Dunno, seems like someone's raising hell up front."
"Hah, no fear at all. Who is it?"
"Something about someone from the Empire..."
The Empire?
In Iscal's mind the big shots who might come from the Empire flashed by in rapid succession. Yet the names of all those people vanished from the candidate list again.
There's no idiot who'd blatantly cause a scene right in front of the Holy City...?
The Empire had sent someone like that? Iscal tilted his head. An incomprehensible personnel choice by the Empire.
Others seemed to feel the same; they murmured among themselves.
"Why'd the Empire send such an idiot?"
"How should I know? Maybe he was the only one close to the Holy City?"
"Surely not? It's the Empire after all."
"Or maybe they sent him hoping he'd just go die doing that."
Iscal turned his eyes away from the murmuring people. He didn't know the details, but the Holy City side would handle it well enough on their own.
After some time passed like that, someone who looked like a superior came out and entered the city gate together with the man who had been causing the ruckus.
After that, the line decreased smoothly in one continuous flow.
"Next people! Please come forward!"
"Our turn! Sancho, hurry up."
The checkpoint guard maintained a stiff posture and addressed them.
"Place of origin and name—do you have documents or items to prove it?"
"Ah, yes. Here it is."
Iscal took the order letter from his bosom and handed it to the guard. An order stamped with the king's seal. The guard accepted it and carefully checked it against something.
Eventually the guard finished his verification and returned the letter to Iscal.
"Yes, confirmed. Sir Iscal of the 'Far-Away Kingdom', is that correct?"
"...Yes, that's right."
Iscal lowered his head and answered quietly at the kingdom's name that embarrassed him no matter how many times he heard it. Why on earth was the kingdom named like that!
Whether Iscal bowed his head or not, the guard continued his work.
"I will check your armament status. Excuse me for a moment."
After a brief inspection the guard looked at the holy knight standing behind him. The holy knight who received that gaze stepped forward.
"Please follow me, everyone."
The holy knight guided Iscal and Sancho into a small room. A chamber of bare stone walls on every side, with a door on the opposite wall. Other than that, no furniture existed at all.
"...Hm?"
Iscal tilted his head while staring at the stone walls.
—Clank! Thud!
A heavy latch sound rang out beyond the closed door. The holy knight continued in a blunt tone.
"I will briefly examine you with holy power. This is to prevent evil beings such as demons and heretics in advance, so please do not take it unpleasantly."
"Uh, yes? What do you mean—"
Iscal's dazed reply was cut off by an unknown sensation sweeping through his body. Something soft brushed from his toes all the way to the top of his head in one long stroke.
"Ugh, uuuh."
Iscal trembled at the unpleasant sensation. At that the holy knight's eyes lit up with surprise.
"Oh? You felt that just now? Amazing. Ordinary people can't sense it at all. You must have been born with keen senses."
"Haha, yes. Thank you... And the result...?"
"Passed. Just a moment..."
The holy knight raised his hand smoothly and spoke.
"No abnormalities."
—Clank! Creak Thud!
A noisy metallic sound rang out again from outside the opposite door. The holy knight kindly guided the two, who still wore dazed expressions.
"If you go out that door as you are, someone will be waiting to guide you. Then I'll be off..."
"Wait a moment!"
"Is there something you're curious about?"
"Th-at— what on earth is this room for? What's inside those walls... exactly?"
Iscal spoke while thinking of the strange sensation he had felt beyond the stone walls ever since entering the room.
"Oh, you felt even that? Truly remarkable."
The holy knight's tone rose with open surprise. Then he grinned and continued.
"Since you felt even that... I'll specially tell you. Inside those walls a special holy formation is installed. It is for dealing with demons and wicked things."
"Th-then... if those activate...?"
The holy knight smiled brightly. Spotlessly clear eyes looked straight at Iscal.
"Do you wish to know?"
"No no! It's fine! Hahaha, we'll be going now!! Sancho, hurry let's go!"
"Oof, yes yes! Coming!"
Iscal urged Sancho and rushed out in a fluster.
Even after that, only after passing through various further inspections could they finally set foot inside the Holy City.
"Phew... The Holy City is indeed the Holy City. The inspections are so strict and numerous."
"Indeed, sir..."
Iscal and Sancho dragged their feet along the main road, completely drained of energy.
In the distance the massive Pantheon greeted them, boasting its full majesty.
"Hm?"
Iscal, who had been trudging along, suddenly looked up at the sky.
In one corner of the clear blue heavens, vermilion paint was spreading, dyeing everything with the colors of sunset.
"...Is it just my imagination?"
He felt as though someone was watching— Iscal tilted his head and muttered.