Chapter 152
Chapter 152
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: The Shadow of the Great Mountain Range (1)
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The ordination ceremony for the new archbishop was conducted with splendor nearly rivaling a city-wide festival, but it didn't drag on as long as an actual festival would have.
The reason was simple. Every archbishop in attendance, along with the bishops of the Central Diocese, held extraordinarily high positions.
The Church in this world wasn't merely a gathering of the faithful. It also handled some governmental functions, hospitals, orphanages, and other grassroots social services.
Bishops oversaw these churches, so they couldn't afford to be away from their posts for too long.
Archbishops had it even worse. They managed their own dioceses while supervising other bishops as well.
As soon as Lilia's ordination ended, the priests departed the city in haste.
The bishops from the same Central region had shorter distances to travel, but the archbishops—coming from distant areas—hurried off even more urgently.
Ernst headed northwest, Miriam west, Varga south, and Anton southeast.
For reference, Michael had gone with Anton to the Southeast Diocese. He seemed to have some kind of commission there, but they weren't close enough for Galen to pry into the details.
Daimus ultimately decided to travel with Galen and Lilia, staying a bit longer. Since the pair would leave soon anyway, it was only a day or two's difference.
The night before their departure, Galen received a private invitation from Julian.
"To be honest, I thought it would take at least another ten years."
"Ten years..."
"I predicted that's how long it would take for Bishop Lilia to awaken her eighth miracle."
In truth, Julian's estimate had been perfectly reasonable.
Even prestigious families occasionally produced once-in-a-century geniuses who reached Gold rank in their twenties, etching their names into family history. But that didn't guarantee they'd become Gems.
There were plenty of geniuses who blossomed early only to stall there for the rest of their lives.
Silver was achievable through effort, but Gold required matching talent, and Gem demanded luck on top of that.
The moment of enlightenment—when absolute, unshakable self-confidence crystallized in one's consciousness—was incredibly rare.
"I called it half in jest when I spoke of fanaticism, but in a sense, it's half serious. For warriors, mages, or priests, the Gem realm arrives the instant they fully embrace their own fanaticism. And that usually... only happens after sufficient mental maturity. That's why I figured a minimum of ten years."
The Pope added that it was akin to philosophy in academia.
"There are certainly brilliant young philosophers, but as the years layer on, their thoughts deepen profoundly. The young simply haven't had enough time to grapple with existential turmoil."
"Well, that's probably why Sir Michael was reluctant to acknowledge us at first. He must have figured our youth left us with some immaturity."
"It might sting to hear, but other Gems likely hold the same preconception. They know how they themselves reached Gem rank. Of course, once they meet you, they'll accept it easily enough. You don't seem a day under twenty-four. And no one could fake decades of age."
"Haha..."
Galen laughed it off.
Combining his past and present lives, he'd lived nearly sixty years. No wonder.
He hadn't led an extraordinary life, but he prided himself on having the maturity to uphold firm convictions. Evidently, that's what showed in the old man's eyes.
"However."
Julian shattered the amiable atmosphere. The pressure from his golden eyes intensified slightly.
"Archbishop Lilia is a bit different. I could tell after speaking with her. How would you define her personality?"
"Purity, I suppose."
"Exactly. She maintains a purity that should be impossible. You're both exceptional cases."
Lilia wasn't some simpleton; she was remarkably intelligent and worldly-wise. Yet she retained a childlike innocence.
"Most people temper their resolve through cycles of success and failure. But she was born with a pristine spirit untouched by corruption from the start. In a way, that's a form of madness."
If deviating from the norm qualified as 'madness,' then Lilia's purity fell into that category too. It was an unnatural innocence no ordinary person could possess.
"And, by coincidence... you've become her faith."
"Pardon?"
"She trusts your judgment more than her own. That ironclad faith in you, combined with her purity, birthed her fanaticism—and turned her into a Gem. Trusting someone else to that degree is nearly impossible under normal circumstances... but her purity made it possible."
"I-is that so...?"
Galen let out a groan.
He'd felt their bond grow closer since she awakened the Miracle of Selection, but he hadn't imagined it played a role in the awakening itself. Did she really see him as that trustworthy?
"She's more influenced by you than I—or probably you yourself—realized. This goes beyond mere romantic affection between man and woman. It's a fundamental trust between two people. Keep that in mind and act accordingly."
"...Understood."
Galen's stiffened lips parted slowly. He shook his head with a mutter.
"Looks like I need to live a straighter path from now on. If I stray, she'll follow right along."
"Just keep living as you are—that's straight enough."
"I'm just going with the flow."
"I told you before. You live like an ordinary person despite not being one. Your achievements are remarkable, yet your mindset remains relatably commonplace."
Julian gave a faint smile.
"That's what makes you extraordinary—a special Gem mage."
"If His Holiness says so."
Galen grinned.
"I'll try even harder to live ordinarily."
"I'm counting on you."
No subject was stated. But both knew exactly whom he meant.
* * *
The next day.
The carriage carrying Galen's group passed through Chroma's east gate and pressed onward eastward.
There were four in the group.
Galen and Lilia sat side by side, with Daimus and his priest Larry opposite them. Larry served as the archbishop's secretary.
"Did you come here the same way?"
"Which is why we're going back the same."
"It's awfully modest."
"We're short-staffed as it is—why bring more? If it were closer, maybe."
There was no straight path on the map from Mezaya, home of the Northeast Archbishop, to Chroma. The Great Mountain Range blocked the way even to the northeast.
They had to head north nearly to the Northern Diocese, skirt the range, then swing south again.
A one-way trip by carriage took over a month.
Hanging a train of subordinates on such a grueling journey didn't suit Daimus's temperament, and with priests absent, church operations would grind to a halt.
"Truth be told, me being away this long is already problematic. Even with good delegation, work piles up."
"Sorry to put you out."
"Nonsense. Skipping the ordination would be worse."
Daimus firmly dismissed Lilia's apology.
Celebrating a new archbishop and catching up with the Pope and fellow archbishops was equally vital. Opportunities like this were rare. Work could wait; a little overtime fixed it.
"Your method saves massive time compared to the usual route—more leisure than expected. But will it really work?"
"Didn't I mention it before?"
"I heard you used it for scouting at the hunting tournament."
"Multiple times beyond that. It's reliable."
"I won't doubt the performance. Wyverns aren't your average evil beasts."
When Galen first suggested crossing the Great Mountain Range, even Daimus had recoiled.
No evil beast could trouble a Gem like him. If one existed, the world would've fallen long ago.
But beating them one-on-one was worlds apart from punching through the range.
Possible in theory? Sure. But the exhaustion? Unimaginable.
Fortunately, Galen hadn't proposed walking through.
Flying over, though? Equally insane.
"Frankly, I'd have no grounds to protest if called mad. It's mage-like, but still..."
"Um, sorry to interrupt, but... Lilia was the one who suggested riding wyverns over the range."
"Did I?"
"And Brother, you're the one who first brought up riding wyverns!"
"I just floated the idea casually. You hammered out the specifics on beating them."
"To me, you're both the same. Enough. Still, I'm purely curious."
Theoretically, it was brilliant.
Lilia headed east due to tradition: newly ordained priests visit their ordaining mentor.
Hers was Myra, who'd skipped deacon and ordained her directly as priest.
Thus, they were bound for Abaka, westernmost city of the Eastern Diocese.
The 'normal' route looped from Central up to Northern, east to Northeast, south to Eastern, then west. Dizzying just to hear.
The 'unorthodox' way? Cross the range east from Central straight into Eastern's west side.
Even on foot, the distance was drastically shorter. No reason not to.
Daimus wasn't exactly normal himself for considering flight viable when walking repulsed him.
Larry, the sole voice of reason, was just a priest—outmatched by two archbishops and a Gem mage.
After an eight-day carriage ride, they reached the Central's easternmost edge.
"Y-you're going into those mountains?"
"It's dangerous, Your Grace!"
"Hoho, it'll be fine."
They hadn't announced their status, but their vestments marked them as priests, drawing instant recognition.
The three clerics and one mage brushed off the villagers' earnest pleas and began the ascent.
The archbishops went without saying; even the priest outlasted Galen in stamina.
Instead of continuously infusing Lilia with the Miracle of Vigor, Galen opted for a novel approach.
Shhh...
The ground beneath Galen's feet slowly rose. An earthen golem sprouted from the soil, seating him on its shoulder.
"...This feels familiar."
"They appeared in the Oklane ruins."
"How do you even use that?"
"Learned by watching. Practiced on the side."
"Wait..."
If magic could be learned by sight, transmission wouldn't be so secretive.
Larry gaped speechlessly, but Daimus fared better.
He'd heard reports from Cairoan of Galen using non-water magic.
Even so, this defied belief. Really?
"Can I try?"
"Let me check mana cost first. Never tested this setup."
"...Alright, let's go."
Daimus wisely held his tongue despite the questions.
The golem wasn't speedy, but Galen hiking wouldn't be either.
"Ride's not comfy. Better than sore legs, though..."
"For Brother's sturdy stamina, why not walk now?"
"I'll build endurance another way. Hmm, actually, this is good practice. Controlling it on slopes without tipping."
No wyverns appeared that day. Starting from the village kept them too far from such threats.
But after camping overnight and resuming, they spotted one early next morning.
"Grab 'em like this!"
"Ho, impressive."
Of four unsuspecting wyverns, two died instantly, two captured.
Easy prey for Bishop Lilia back then; with two archbishops? Laughable.
Lilia carried Galen; Daimus bore Larry.
The four soared east.
A ten-day trek on foot took just over ten hours mounted.
Having snared wyverns that morning, they crossed before sunset.
"Heh."
Daimus chuckled dryly at Abaka's distant walls.
"Utterly absurd speed."
"Told you this was the way."
Lilia beamed, her smile brighter in her hometown.
Yet as they neared the walls, her expression darkened. The others followed suit.
"...Why's the city's atmosphere so off?"