God Whispers: Get Some Exercise
Before Priscilla arrived, Kyle shared a light conversation with Cardinal Paulo.
The main topic was, of course, academy life.
Talk of training left the cardinal far out of his depth, while any discussion of doctrine left Kyle woefully shallow. So academy chatter was the only subject that let Kyle, the Saintess, and the cardinal all laugh together without strain.
"Brother Kyle. Now that I think of it, there is something I have been meaning to ask."
"Yes, Your Eminence. What is it?"
"I have heard that among this year's new students is a young lady of the Litorio Grand Duchy."
"Ah… if you mean Lady Elga, then Your Eminence has heard correctly."
"From the way you speak, the two of you seem rather close."
In that single remark Kyle understood at once why Elga's name had suddenly come up.
The ugly incident between House Jon Nasen and the Litorio Grand Duchy—one side insulted, the other left injured—was still the talk of the Empire. Naturally both houses nursed hard feelings. And now the son of one house and the daughter of the other had entered the academy together as freshmen. The cardinal was simply asking whether that was going to be a problem.
"Your Eminence! Actually, because of that very matter Brother Kyle delivered a formal letter of apology himself!"
"A letter of apology? Brother Kyle. Is that true?"
When Kyle nodded, Cardinal Paulo tilted his head in open surprise. He had been told the Imperial Family itself had stepped in and declared that House Jon Nasen had every right to act as they had. That was why the Jon Nasen young lady had only been expelled from the academy, while Litorio had kept silent!
"Be that as it may, people were hurt. Grudges only dig deeper with time, so I decided it was better to put an end to it now rather than later."
"Is that so."
"Yes. And Lady Elga herself proved remarkably gracious; she even served as a bridge between us."
In truth Elga had only stepped forward to raise her own standing, but that hardly mattered. Thanks to her the apology had reached its destination all the faster.
If he speaks of her that warmly, then this Lady Elga of Litorio must be a decent person.
Word had it the Litorio succession was a tangled mess. Cultivating a connection with a possible heir at a time like this could only benefit the Church. Perhaps a private meeting with the young lady was in order, the cardinal mused.
"Your Eminence."
At a knight's summons Cardinal Paulo turned. Priscilla, who had only just arrived, was staring at them with a look that clearly asked what on earth was going on.
"Please have a seat for a moment, Commander."
They then recounted to Priscilla everything Kyle and the cardinal had discussed so far.
"…So you want me to take charge of a health-improvement program for the priests… is that it?"
Priscilla kept tilting her head, her expression pure bafflement. Asking the commander of the Holy Knights was strange enough; the content of the request itself was stranger still.
"That is correct, Commander."
"…Why me of all people, Brother Kyle?"
The Knights of Saint Elfleda did far more than simply guard the Church headquarters. Whenever the Church dispatched people for ceremonies they had to organize escorts. They had to rotate personnel so the branch knights would not grow resentful. They had to keep every knight's combat readiness razor-sharp. The list of duties went on and on.
It was not that Lea of Jon Nasen had been standing right there and Priscilla simply chose not to challenge her to a duel. The mountain of handover work and endless responsibilities had simply left her no time.
"For one thing, the Saintess stays at the academy chapel and only comes to headquarters on weekends."
"True."
"And His Holiness the Pope or Your Eminence cannot very well handle it yourselves."
"…Agreed."
"Most importantly, physical conditioning for health is something knights understand better than anyone."
"Well… most of what knights teach is pure combat technique…"
"Don't worry about that. I will personally teach you the fundamentals, Commander."
In his heart of hearts Kyle wanted to run the program himself. An expert really ought to supervise every step from the ground up; one wrong move and someone could get badly hurt. But he was an academy student. Monday through Friday he had to sit in lecture halls. He might not care much about grades, yet he still needed the bare minimum. Anyone who fell too far behind was simply expelled.
"This is awkward. I already have a mountain of work…"
Even while glancing at the cardinal and the Saintess for cues, Priscilla spoke her mind. The message was clear: her plate was already overflowing; she simply had no free hours.
Time to cast the bait—bait so sweet she would carve out the time no matter what.
"Commander Priscilla. That favor you asked of me earlier—I'll grant it soon."
"…Truly?"
"Yes. And after that, I'll grant the second favor as well."
Priscilla's eyes flew wide.
"You mean it—both favors?"
"I swear it on my honor."
"Ah… thank you. Thank you, Brother Kyle!"
Whatever fretting and hesitation she had shown a moment ago vanished without a trace. Beaming, she seized Kyle's hands. Cardinal and Saintess both looked on with identical curiosity: What favors?
Favors? What exactly did the knight commander discuss with him… Wait—could it be specialized training for the knights?!
That was the hopeful thought of Cardinal Paulo, who wanted nothing more than to strengthen the Church.
Uh… why do the two of them suddenly look so friendly…?
That was the thought of the Saintess, who felt a sharp little twinge in her chest.
"I'll do it."
While they were still processing, Priscilla simply nodded. The reward Kyle had offered was simply too sweet to refuse.
"Your Eminence."
Kyle turned next to Cardinal Paulo. In truth the cardinal was the single most important person in the entire plan. They said well begun was half done, and the cardinal was the man who could give them that beginning.
"This is for the priests. This is so they may serve the will of God more faithfully. Will you help us?"
Faced with such earnestness, what cardinal could possibly say no? Especially one who still secretly hoped to bring Kyle into the Church someday!
"If it does not go against the will of God, then yes—I will help. Brother Kyle."
With the superior's blessing secured, the disposition of everyone beneath him was decided as well. Effective immediately, the Church's Priestly Health Improvement Project was underway.
The hour for evening prayer drew near.
Priests who resided at headquarters gathered one by one, giving thanks that the day had passed in peace and beseeching God that tomorrow might be just as peaceful for all.
"Brothers and sisters."
Suddenly Cardinal Paulo appeared before them.
"Your Eminence."
The priests offered a light bow; the cardinal returned it. Then he stepped forward and slowly opened his mouth.
"During today's prayer I received a small revelation. I wish to share that small revelation with all of you gathered here."
At his words the priests gently folded their hands. A cardinal's personal address was rare. If they took it to heart, another ray of light would surely enter their souls.
"The world we live in is, for the moment, peaceful and still. Yet storms and blizzards are the natural order of the world. We cannot forever lift our prayers to God beneath gentle sunlight alone. And yet we have foolishly spent far too long basking in that sunlight."
"We are ashamed, Your Eminence."
"There is no shame in it. It was simply inevitable. The days were always fair; what else could we have done? Still, while we stand beneath that sunlight, would it not be wise to practice enduring harsh winds as well? Holding that small revelation in my heart, I stand before you today."
From there the cardinal delivered the words he had prepared. No matter how difficult the circumstances, they must fulfill their duty. On behalf of the people of the world they must continue to offer prayer even before the fiercest gales. Every phrase fit the Church's doctrine perfectly: do not grow arrogant, do not overestimate yourselves, live in humility, and by your sacrifice atone for the sins of others.
Almost every priest listened with rapt attention—as was only natural.
"We must endure both the temptations of the spirit and the suffering of the flesh. Strengthen your own hearts by your own will. As for the flesh, however, there is someone who can offer a little help."
With that, Cardinal Paulo stepped lightly aside. The next person to take his place was Priscilla, Commander of the Knights of Saint Elfleda.
"Brothers and sisters."
"Commander."
After a brief exchange of greetings, Priscilla spoke.
"As His Eminence has said, I will be the one to assist you. Morning, forenoon, afternoon, and evening—while we lift our prayers we shall also examine ourselves a little. Have we not grown too accustomed to sunlight alone? What of the shade, the wind, and everything else?"
The Knights of Saint Elfleda were one of the three swords that protected the Church. Naturally the bond between their knights and the priests was ironclad. Without the slightest suspicion the priests simply nodded.
"I will be honest with you. It may be hard. It may even be painful. No one is forcing you. You may continue offering prayer beneath the sunlight exactly as you always have. No one will reproach you. But once you begin, you may not leave. I will regard this as a path of penance we offer to God. I ask that you understand."
At the words "path of penance offered to God," the priests made the sign of the cross. To bear the sins of others and atone for them was the destiny of the faithful. If this could help them do so even a little, then the coming days of endurance would be well spent. So thinking, the priests standing before Priscilla nodded once more.
Time passed, and an entire wing of the Church headquarters was emptied.
Inside it, equipment the priests had never seen before began to fill the space.
"Oh Lord…"
And the priests' posture of prayer changed—from the reverent kneel to the full-body trembling plank.