Stern Protest
Stern Protest
***
"Vibeka. The Archbishop is calling you."
Right after returning to the order with Elbridge, Vibeka received a summons from the Archbishop.
There was no burden in Vibeka's steps as she headed to the Archbishop's office. Because she had grown up considering the Archbishop like a father since she was young. The two had quite a friendly relationship for an Archbishop and an apprentice paladin.
However, today, the Archbishop asked Vibeka with a serious expression he rarely showed.
"Vibeka."
"Yes. Archbishop."
"You didn't bring the wrong person, did you? Like bringing the wrong paladin instead of the most skilled one..."
"That's not it. Sir Elbridge said that he is the only paladin in the Order of the Rusted Shield."
"He wouldn't be lying, right?"
"It didn't seem like it. If he were going to lie, he would have hesitated at least a little, but he readily accepted as soon as I brought it up."
"If it's not a lie, then he must be the paladin the oracle descended upon..."
The Archbishop scratched the back of his head with a furrowed brow.
"Is it because he's too young?"
"Right. He needs ten or fifteen more years for his capabilities to fully bloom."
The period when a person's physical abilities reach their peak is around their twenties to thirties.
However, many considered the period when a paladin or knight's capabilities reach their peak to be from their mid-thirties to after their forties. This is what happens because experience is more important than a paladin's physical abilities.
There are occasionally orders that make them start training at a young age, but there is no crazy order that makes them accumulate real combat experience at a young age.
In that context, the paladin Vibeka brought was excessively young.
'It would have been less anxiety-inducing if he were an old knight instead... Did the Goddess really single out that young man? If the Goddess was going to give an oracle anyway, she should have given a slightly more precise one...'
As is the case with any oracle, the oracle the Archbishop received last night was also very concise.
- Ask for help from the paladin of the Order of the Rusted Shield.
That was all.
There was no simple description of his appearance, no name. The only information the Archbishop had was the order he belonged to.
The Archbishop could not bring himself to shake off his anxiety.
"It's not that some random person came coveting the promised reward, right? No. That wouldn't be it. Even if I'm anxious, since it's the Goddess's oracle, I have no choice but to believe it for now..."
Vibeka interjected and said to the Archbishop.
"He definitely didn't come because of the reward. Sir Elbridge said he wouldn't accept any reward."
"It's not that you didn't mention the reward?"
"How do you see me... Sir Elbridge said he had received the Goddess's grace in the past. It seems he received free treatment from our order."
However, the Archbishop's expression was entirely unconvinced.
"That cannot be. Vibeka. You know that when we treat someone from another order, a report comes to me. Since I became Archbishop some twenty years ago, I have never heard of treating someone from the Order of the Rusted Shield."
"Then that means the story that he received the Goddess's grace is a lie... Why on earth would he even lie to refuse the reward?"
The Archbishop, who had been pondering deeply, clapped his hands.
"It seems that paladin fancies you. Vibeka."
Vibeka was startled.
"Me?"
"He probably made up a connection with our order to look good to you. Declining the reward must be in a similar vein..."
"But, that's a bit out of the blue."
"No. It makes sense. You've been quite popular since you were young, haven't you."
Vibeka wasn't a strikingly eye-catching beauty, but she was reasonably pretty and had an outgoing personality, so she was popular regardless of age or gender.
Although it was a popularity somewhat far removed from serious romantic relationships, it wouldn't be strange if at least one man showing interest appeared.
Vibeka recalled Elbridge's face.
Dark brown hair and blue eyes. A neat yet kind impression.
Vibeka somehow felt pleased.
"...Could that be it?"
"There's no other possibility. It's not a bad situation either. Sir Elbridge will fight harder even just to look good to you, and if push comes to shove, he might even come over to our order... Anyway, good work. Go back and rest. Vibeka."
"Yes."
Vibeka left the Archbishop's office.
However, the Archbishop still could not shake off a faint anxiety.
Even gods cannot see the future, and oracles are not omnipotent.
There were many orders that had staggered and collapsed from blindly following only oracles without knowing that fact.
In other words, even if they had properly brought the paladin of the oracle, there was no guarantee that the desired result would be waiting.
'...Even if a disappointing result comes out of the Great Festival, it would also be a good thing if Vibeka meets a good match.'
The Archbishop let out a deep sigh, then buried his body deep into the plush chair.
<> <> <>
Since the very next day was the start of the Great Festival, Elbridge had no opportunity to spar or coordinate with the other paladins.
Of course, Elbridge was extremely eager to check the skills of the other paladins right away, but the other paladins refused Elbridge's proposal.
The reason was that if by some chance they got injured, even if they were treated with holy power, aftereffects would remain. Even though the so-called aftereffects were nothing more than a slight lingering pain.
'...The paladins of the Order of Spring Rain and Moss haven't changed even after two hundred years.'
In the end, all Elbridge did with the other paladins the day before was exchange names.
'No. This might actually be better.'
Elbridge had two purposes for participating in this Great Festival.
First. To repay the debt owed to the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss.
Second. To recruit followers by imprinting the name of the Order of the Rusted Shield on the numerous spectators.
Just participating in the Great Festival would be enough to repay the debt, so what he needed to focus on now was the second goal.
And as Elbridge thought about it, in order to achieve the second goal, it was rather better if the paladins of the Order of Spring Rain and Moss fought moderately poorly.
Wouldn't one distinctly outstanding person stand out even more among people with inferior skills?
<> <> <>
Elbridge headed to the venue where the Great Festival was held together with the other paladins.
"It's quiet."
"...You will change your mind soon."
At first, the streets were so quiet that he wondered where all the people had gone, but from a certain point, the number of people began to increase explosively.
And as they went a little further, it became so packed with people that there was no room to step.
"Passing through. Please make way."
Elbridge and the paladins squirmed through the crowd and arrived at the massive stadium where the friendly matches of each order were held.
The stadium had a structure where numerous seats arranged in tiers looked down on a central stage, and the scale was truly enormous.
'I think this used to just be an empty lot.'
Elbridge was guided to a hidden space below the seats.
It was a waiting area for the paladins participating in the matches.
As Elbridge was looking around, Vibeka said in a tone slightly more affable than yesterday.
"Sir Elbridge. You can wait here."
"Don't I have to register or something to participate in the match?"
"I've already done it. It was just a matter of reflecting Sir Elbridge's information in the already registered details, so it was quick."
"I see. Thank you."
Elbridge strolled around, observing the waiting room.
However, the number of paladins trying to participate in the Great Festival was more than he imagined.
'Then again, since paladins are only selected and don't die... their numbers couldn't have decreased, even if they've dropped in quality.'
While Elbridge was absorbed in people-watching, the Goddess's oracle was heard.
- Elbridge. My most precious child. I never dreamed you would come to participate in the Great Festival.
Elbridge reflexively bowed his head and whispered softly.
"It is the same for me. By the way... did you know about the Great Festival?"
- Of course. For the past hundred years or so, I have been semi-forced to cheer for the paladins of the Order of Spring Rain and Moss. Cheering for a match I cannot even see directly is quite an embarrassing thing.
"My Goddess. If you knew there was such an opportunity, how about you had given me a hint in advance. Wouldn't it be a golden opportunity to gather followers."
Elbridge's tone might have felt a bit insolent, but the Rusted Shield Goddess was not angered in the slightest.
- Elbridge. Your Goddess could not tell you about the Great Festival because she wished for you not to be hurt.
"Hurt?"
- You have no friends, do you not. Marcus and Walter are a mercenary and a knight, not paladins, and Felix, the only paladin you are acquainted with, will probably compete for the Order of the Bloody Spear. I thought it would be a distant task for you to gather four more paladins.
"..."
It wasn't exactly wrong, and he could also feel the Goddess's warm consideration.
But somehow, it felt like a scar remained.
At that moment, Vibeka called Elbridge.
"Sir Elbridge! Come this way. They say the group draw is starting!"
The friendly matches of the Great Festival are conducted with teams of five paladins from each order.
Basically, it's a five-on-five match, but if all matches started as a tournament from the beginning, the schedule would definitely drag on too long, so Vibeka explained that the preliminaries are conducted in a way where several teams gather and have a melee.
"About seven to nine teams go into one group, and only two of them advance to the main tournament. Naturally, all the other teams are eliminated."
"What is the criterion for elimination?"
"A team can avoid elimination if at least two paladins are in a state where they can continue fighting. Ah, going out of bounds is considered incapacitated."
Elbridge observed the faces of the paladins he had formed a group with.
One red-haired female paladin. One short and plump middle-aged male paladin. One tall and slender male paladin.
He had heard their names yesterday, but he couldn't remember them well. However, since their appearances had clear distinguishing features, it wasn't difficult to tell them apart.
'A redhead. One pseudo-dwarf. One pseudo-elf. And Vibeka.'
The Order of Spring Rain and Moss was also a combat order in its own way.
However, from what Elbridge had observed since yesterday, the three of them showed no signs of having engaged seriously in training. He wondered if they had never trained hard, or if it had been a long time since they quit training.
Rather, the person whose hands and movements retained the traces of earnest training was the apprentice paladin, Vibeka.
'It doesn't matter if the other three get eliminated. As long as Vibeka doesn't get eliminated, we can pass the preliminaries.'
Elbridge quickly finished his judgment, then said to Vibeka.
"Sister Vibeka. Please stay by my side when the match starts."
At that, the red-haired paladin made a meaningful expression, then poked Vibeka in the ribs with her elbow. Vibeka's attitude became strangely triumphant.
'...Why is she acting like that?'
Vibeka puffed out her chest, then looked at Elbridge with her large brown eyes.
"Sir Elbridge. I am not so helpless as to be protected like that. Although I am an apprentice paladin, I also have confidence in my skills."
"...Then do as you please. The other three. Watch your surroundings well, and if you think you're left alone, run to my side quickly. Do you understand?"
"Understood."
Vibeka glared at Elbridge slightly.
However, Elbridge did not feel the need to show a reaction.
At that moment,
"It's started."
The draw began. One person from each team came out and picked a number, and the Order of Spring Rain and Moss was assigned to Group 4.
Elbridge checked the faces of the teams assigned to Group 4.
The only places that could be called orders with a reasonable scale were the Order of the God of the Brass Cup, the Order of the God of Vines and Knots, and the Order of the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss.
'The Order of the God of the Brass Cup isn't a combat order. And the Order of the God of Vines and Knots is ambiguous to be called a combat order.'
Rather, the problem was the teams formed by paladins of small-scale orders, not giant orders.
The red-haired paladin said to Elbridge.
"In my experience, rather than large orders, alliances of small-scale orders like those were the dark horses."
"It looks that way."
Unlike the paladins of giant orders who seemed to have bought their positions with money, the teams formed by alliances of small-scale orders had quite a few paladins who showed signs of earnest training.
What was even more impressive were the emblems of the orders engraved on their armors.
'That person is from the Order of Chains and Axes. Is that side the Order of the Echo of War.'
There were tons of emblems of combat orders that used to be quite successful in the past.
Seeing people like that gather one or two at a time to form a five-person team, Elbridge felt a kind of kinship.
'Our order wasn't the only one that fell...'
While Elbridge was lost in memories looking at the emblems engraved on people's armors, the host shouted.
"Order of the God of Flowing Water. Group Three!"
The paladin who picked the number was seen returning to his spot triumphantly.
However, Elbridge discovered something strange. The emblem engraved on the armor of the paladin who picked the number was not the emblem symbolizing the Order of Flowing Water.
Even the armors of the other four paladins did not have the emblem of the Order of Flowing Water.
The only person wearing clothes engraved with the emblem of the Order of Flowing Water was an elderly priest who was with them.
"...What is that situation?"
At Elbridge's question, Vibeka stuttered, full of excitement.
"Th-those cowardly bastards! They call themselves the Order of the God of Flowing Water, yet there isn't a single paladin from the Order of the God of Flowing Water! All five of them scraped together paladins from other combat orders to form a team!"
A situation where this side used an expedient, and that side used an even more blatant expedient.
"They are bold. It's not a rule violation, is it?"
"What does it matter if they keep the rules? That's crossing the line! They shouldn't even put forward the name of the Order of the God of Flowing Water!"
It meant it wasn't a rule violation.
Vibeka, with a flushed face, strode towards the priest of the Order of the God of Flowing Water. There was no time for anyone to stop her.
Vibeka protested fiercely.
"Order of the God of Flowing Water! You confidently blabbered about clashing properly in the Great Festival and seeing who is superior, yet do you have no pride?"
The five paladins smirked and turned their heads.
On their behalf, the elderly priest of the Order of the God of Flowing Water answered smoothly.
"Huh, well. Does it matter whose sword it is? In the end, the capability to protect the followers is what's important!"
"How do you think people will accept such sophistry?"
"They will think, 'The Order of the God of Flowing Water must be ready to protect its followers even if it means asking other orders for help.' And... isn't connections also a skill?"
"Do you have no intention of keeping even the minimum decency? I will formally protest to the Order of the God of Flowing Water!"
"Protest? Do it or don't. Suit yourself."
The paladins laughed uproariously, and Vibeka's face turned so red that he wondered if she might collapse right then and there.
Finally, the moment Vibeka was about to overcome the nearly forty-year age difference and spit out harsh words.
The elderly priest stiffened stiffly as if struck by lightning.
And the smile completely vanished from his smoothly smiling face.
The elderly priest asked Vibeka.
"...Wait. Order of the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss. Did you people commit a rule violation or something?"
It wasn't an angry or sarcastic attitude. Rather, it was closer to the reaction of a flustered person.
However, Vibeka couldn't hold back and shouted.
"What bullshit are you..."
"An oracle descended. The God of Flowing Water says he will sternly protest to the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss."
Even as the elderly priest delivered the oracle, he looked as if he didn't know what he was saying.
Isn't this a case where the subject and object have been switched...
The priest's words continued stutteringly.
"He's asking if you aren't going a bit too far. Telling you to... take it easy."
The priest, though confused, waited for the oracle to continue, but there was no continuing oracle.
Finally, the elderly priest looked at Vibeka and asked in an utterly serious voice.
"...You people, what kind of scheme did you plot?"