Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Acusium
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The Valterus Church's sole holy relic.
Acusium.
It could identify every pilgrim wearing a rosary.
And every person carrying a scabbard made from a rosary.
On this day, the Church monitored the movements of pilgrims and paladins.
There was no particular reason.
They simply wanted to secure their locations, so that in case of need, they could dispatch messengers to the nearest pilgrim or paladin with missions.
From trivial tasks like capturing a noble's pet beast.
To major operations like assassinating imperial spies or heretics.
Acusium was a holy relic.
However, activating it required the divine power of a bishop or higher.
Thus, it was not used unless there was urgent news or a need to confirm positions. But today was different.
To observe just a single pilgrim, many bishops rolled up their sleeves. The stone chamber of Acusium, normally accessible only to Church officials.
There sat a holy woman who seemed out of place in the austere chamber.
"Lady Sahara."
"Yes."
The bishops managing Acusium rose from their seats, sweating profusely.
A woman with long, braided silver hair that shimmered.
A crown rested atop her head, proclaiming her queenship.
Indeed.
The guest in Acusium's stone chamber.
The Queen of Carpe.
Queen Clara von Agatha Bright had come in person.
Thus, despite having done nothing wrong, the bishops broke out in cold sweats.
Normally, they did not find dealing with the queen difficult.
It was only natural.
An unworthy queen.
A cowardly queen—that was the stigma attached to Clara.
The common view was that she had lucked into the throne that should have gone to Grand Duke Cloy.
Clara possessed neither the power nor authority befitting a queen.
Hence, Queen Clara always maintained a humble posture toward her subjects.
Who would fear such a queen?
No one.
Of course.
That was all in the past.
'She's grown resolute.'
Every bishop looking at the queen felt the same.
Word was that her swordsmanship mastery had been advancing daily under Saintess Stella.
Indeed.
The aura emanating from the queen was markedly different from before.
The queen no longer flashed cheap smiles at her subjects.
Her pure white pupils sank deeply, piercing through their intentions without revealing her own. Aside from a slight upturn of her lips, no change in expression could be discerned.
Now, she feared no one.
"I see. So the count went to the holy land to become a seeker after all. Are there pilgrims from our Church in the holy land?"
"There are. Some continue their training there. But they are pilgrims who haven't left the holy land in ten years."
"Why stay in the holy land for a full decade?"
"It's due to the nature of the holy land. It's an even better place for pilgrims to train, and the tower there is essentially a training ground built for pilgrims, so naturally they settle in."
Moreover, the holy land wasn't home only to Sword Pilgrims.
One could easily encounter pilgrims of other gods, rarely seen elsewhere.
Training alongside them in the tower brought many insights, and they received teachings from those at the tower's pinnacle.
"Our Church's saint, Pilgrim Orville, is also in the tower."
The Valterus Church had three saints.
One was Pope Felice, followed by Cardinal Sullivian.
And the last.
Orville.
The Valterus Church's saint and the only one who was also a pilgrim.
Despite possessing a saint's divine power, she lived as a pilgrim without seeking her sword—an oddity.
Moreover, she never appeared before the Church, simply residing in Sahara Holy Land without returning.
When a Church official pointed this out, the pope silenced him with a single word.
[Do not disturb her peace.]
A pilgrim even the pope approached with caution.
Orville.
"I see."
Sahara Holy Land.
Pilgrim, Orville. Saint.
As these words filled the queen's mind, Kallias's name was etched alongside them.
'Killing is forbidden in the holy land.'
Still, she worried inwardly.
The knight who had saved her life, and also her teacher.
Kallias.
The queen gazed at the blinking dot indicating his position, her eyes filled with concern.
It had been half a year since this insolent subject departed without informing her of his destination.
Annoyed by the lack of even a single message, she had come to the Church to find out his location. And to think he had crossed the Empire to reach the holy land.
"I hope he's not overdoing it again."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. Victor? Let's go."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Will you visit the academy as scheduled?"
"Yes. I've wanted to see this Jerban noblewoman for myself, since even the pope is personally overseeing her training."
His mansion bore heavy traces of him, filled with children from Caradi.
Children dreaming of becoming knights.
Not those of noble birth, but purely aspiring knights.
He had done what she, as queen, should have done, so she felt grateful deep down.
"It's called Jerban Academy."
"Yes. They often compete with the royal academy."
"Oh my, the royal academy students must bully them a lot."
"No. At first, the royals led, but now they're evenly matched."
"Really? How so?"
"Because the Jerban noblewoman I mentioned before left the royal academy to join Jerban. Lady Emily is personally training her."
Like father, like daughter.
A faint smile curved the queen's lips.
* * *
Sahara Holy Land.
The towering spire there.
Agatodo.
With a total of 66 floors, Agatodo was packed from the first floor with numerous pilgrims and priests.
The reason was none other than.
"Fingers of the Black Saint for sale."
"The skull of one who nearly became the King of the Dead. Imbued with powerful divinity. I'll take three yawn spirit stones."
"Fan of the fallen kingdom. Yet it still holds strong divinity and a pure soul. Originally spirit grade. One spirit stone suffices."
Pilgrims had set up stalls, selling items acquired on travels from various places.
"Master, no. Sir Kallias."
"What."
"Why are these people selling goods here?"
The holy land's tower.
At the entrance to Agatodo, stalls lined up—it was hard to see them as pilgrims rather than merchants.
"They're not selling because they want to. They have no choice."
"What does that mean...?"
Serena struggled to understand.
"Pilgrims climb the holy land's tower for enlightenment. Or for training."
Even in the holy land, the tower was the center, where divine power concentrated more intensely.
There was no better place for cultivation.
Thus, many came to break through their walls.
"When demand outstrips supply, the tower managers came up with a scheme."
Training rooms in the tower required payment. So they sold here.
"I see..."
Pilgrims were rarely wealthy.
Thus, they sold everything they had to climb the tower.
"Of course, it's not only to break walls. Sometimes to challenge, sometimes because they lost."
The holy land's tower.
Agatodo had managers.
Those called layer lords oversaw every ten floors, and pilgrims could challenge them.
Victory brought rewards, but defeat...
"Losing challengers forfeit much to the layer lord as challenge fee and run errands—that's the holy land's custom."
Most at the stalls sought spirit stones, but some wandered picking fights after losing to managers.
"Why pick fights?"
"The layer lord probably ordered them to duel and win against anyone."
A 10th-floor lord: ten times.
A 60th-floor lord: sixty times.
Typically like that.
No rematches with prior victors.
'Agatodo.'
Kallias's gaze upon Agatodo sank into deep regret.
Serena, stealing a glance at his profound eyes, realized her lack of tact.
'A tower built after the Dragon-Human Great War ended.'
To him, a dragonkin, this place was no novelty or amusement like it was for her.
Serena blamed and reflected on her own excitement.
However, contrary to Serena's thoughts.
The regret in Kallias's eyes stemmed from an entirely different reason.
"Why build something like this?"
"Pardon?"
"Never mind."
Kallias had designed Agatodo.
The layer lords.
The six at the tower's peak.
Trials for trainees on each floor, and more.
He had designed it all.
Climbing the tower alone could make one stronger.
The system replicated super-sensory perception beyond virtual reality.
Yet precisely because of that.
'It's tough.'
The tower's trials were exceedingly difficult.
The mere thought of ascending darkened his vision.
"First-time pilgrim visitors?"
"Not interested in duels."
"Haha, I'm not so shameless as to challenge fresh chicks like you. Just offering advice."
"Advice?"
"Better close your eyes beforehand. I guarantee it."
So that's what it was.
"Serena. What will you do."
"I'll follow."
"Right."
Kallias opened Agatodo's door.
Creak.
Entering the tower, they soon saw its interior.
Not a single light inside.
Pitch black, nothing visible.
But in the brief light from the opening door, they glimpsed what lay within.
'Puppets.'
Wooden puppets.
Thud.
The door closed. And simultaneously.
[Welcoming the challengers.]
The tower's voice began to echo.
[Beginning the trial.]
Clank, thud thud thud.
As mechanisms activated.
In the impenetrable darkness, the presence of puppets charging at them could be felt.
Floors 1 through 10: total darkness, no light entering.
That was the concept.
And in that darkness.
Defeat invisible foes.
Dozens of sturdy, powerful puppets.
Most pilgrims failed even the first floor, panicking and getting battered out.
Of course, for ordinary pilgrims.
Kallias stomped the air.
"Triple Scripture: Heaven-Shaker."
A ritual circle manifested from his feet, instantly enveloping the area.
The dim first floor was inscribed with divine spell lines.
Unlike before, astonishingly concise and swift deployment.
"Binding Chains."
Rattle!
Formless chains erupted from the ground, binding all wooden puppets.
Clank, clank clank.
Amid the wriggling, immobilized puppets.
"Out of the way."
Flick.
With a wave of his hand, the puppets' bodies parted automatically, clearing a path.
Like the parting of the Red Sea, as if marching like a king.
Kallias crossed it leisurely.