Chapter 183: The Saint of Another World-5
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 183: The Saint of Another World-5
The meal ended even more uncomfortably than I had anticipated.
I expected to be treated like a monkey in a zoo, but I didn't think they would stare so blatantly.
One nun kept walking back and forth in front of me, pretending to just be passing by naturally. She didn't disappear from my sight until I had finished every last drop of the stew in my bowl.
"Whew..."
After finishing the meal, I walked around with Father Allerio, who had eaten with me, to help with digestion. To be precise, Father Allerio was following me around and introducing the various locations.
This place—the Solarium Church Headquarters—consisted of three main districts.
[Solaruchia]
The district containing the Cathedral where I had drawn the sword and proven myself as the Saint. Along with the Cathedral, the Pope’s office and the bishops' quarters were located here. It was the most important area of the Church Headquarters.
[Solarumea]
The Holy Knight Headquarters. The Solarium Church’s most powerful military force trained and lived here.
[Solacusia]
The Inquisitor Headquarters. It was the smallest of the districts and was located slightly away from the center.
Sister Maria, whom I had chosen, would likely be in the convent located within Solacusia. They called it a convent, but given the layout of the buildings, it seemed more like a dormitory.
"The Pope suggested that you explore the surroundings freely today. You may go anywhere you wish, Saint."
"Hmm... where would be good?"
"Since you can see Solaruchia, where your room is located, at any time, why not visit Solarumea or Solacusia?"
Come to think of it, there was something I wanted to check.
"Father Allerio. You mentioned that the Holy Knight training center is in Solarumea, right?"
"Yes, that is correct. To be precise, it handles the final training of apprentice knights who have successfully completed their education at training centers assigned to each diocese."
"Then I’d like to go there. I’m curious to see what kind of training those called the 'Swords of God' undergo."
When I gave a thin smile, Father Allerio looked slightly surprised.
*
Perhaps Father Allerio had sent word ahead, because as soon as we entered Solarumea, I frequently saw Holy Knights in crisp, disciplined formations passing by. Their white armor was polished to such a high sheen that it sparkled in the sunlight.
"Everyone seems to maintain their equipment well."
I hoped they weren't doing this just because I was coming.
As we approached the training grounds along the path, a familiar sound reached my ears—the clashing of various weapons, a sound I had heard until I was sick of it in the previous dimension.
Knights stood in neat rows and columns in a wide, open lot.
"Hah!"
"Hah!"
"Hah!"
Their shouts unified into one, echoing across the dusty lot.
"You may observe from here," Allerio said.
I stood in a spot with decent shade under a tree and watched the training. There was something I wanted to confirm.
"One!"
At the instructor's shout, the apprentice knights swung their swords. Perhaps because they weren't yet used to the blades, their forms were quite awkward.
"One!"
Postures with off-center gravity. Forms where they were being swung by the sword rather than swinging it themselves. Those things caught my eye.
Well, that was knowledge, after all. The memories of what I learned from my Master hadn't vanished.
I closed my eyes. Then, I quietly observed my interior.
There was none. No internal energy.
It wasn't that it was empty; it was in a state where filling it was impossible.
"Is the concept of internal energy non-existent here?"
"Pardon?"
"It’s nothing."
Then again, it was probably more common for internal energy to be non-existent. Having spent so much time with my Master, I had mistakenly assumed that having internal energy and cultivation was the norm.
If there was no internal energy, it would be impossible to reinforce the body with it. It would be impossible to deliver a meaningful blow with a body like this. I could perform martial arts techniques, but since I couldn't imbue them with internal energy, my body would just move in a ridiculous fashion.
"Alright, break!"
The set time must have passed, as the instructor shouted loudly, and the apprentice knights moved somewhere in an orderly line. It felt exactly like a military boot camp.
"Father, may I go over there for a moment?"
I started walking before I even heard Allerio’s answer. I could confirm it now.
My visit caused a bit of a stir at the training ground. The apprentice knights sat down with their backs perfectly straight, staring only forward, while the instructor was so tense his body had gone stiff.
"It is an honor to meet the Saint! I am Andrea, the training instructor!"
Boom.
A voice louder than the shouts the apprentice knights had made earlier struck my ears.
"Yes, nice to meet you. Brother Andrea, the reason I came here is..."
"The—the Commander is currently with the Pope, as far as I know!"
Ow, my ears.
"Ah, I didn't come to see the Commander."
I glanced at his waist. A sword was tucked into its scabbard.
"Shall we walk for a moment?"
I walked slowly toward the center of the lot. Allerio and Andrea followed behind me, looking bewildered. Arriving at the center of the dusty lot, I turned around to face Andrea.
"Brother Andrea. I know this sounds strange, but please don't be surprised."
"Yes, I understand."
"Draw your sword."
"Pardon?"
Andrea asked back. His right hand twitched.
"Don't be afraid, just draw your sword."
Since he seemed to hesitate, I spoke once more.
"Yes? Yes... I understand."
Whether he had grasped my intention or not, he drew his sword. Hmm... his posture was certainly better than that of the apprentice knights.
"Brother Andrea. Try swinging that sword."
Andrea, who had been facing me, turned his body to the left at my words.
"No, you must face me."
"Saint?"
Father Allerio, standing behind me, was utterly shocked.
"Sa—Saint. What on earth do you mean by that?"
Andrea also stared at me with wide eyes, his head turned toward me. I walked closer to him.
"Don't worry. Just swing the sword."
"B-but, Sa—Saint."
The hand Andrea used to hold the sword began to tremble. I could hear the clanking of his armor. I looked him straight in the eye and gave him a reassuring smile.
"Trust me."
Surprise and horror still lingered in Andrea's eyes, but the initial hesitation seemed to have cleared a bit. Andrea nodded resolutely and raised his sword high.
"Brother Andrea, what are you doing?"
"It's alright, Brother Andrea. Swing the sword."
I spoke again to him, as he held the sword high but couldn't bring it down.
"I—I trust you, Saint!"
With a scream-like shout, Andrea swung the sword down.
And I could see it. The process of the sword slowly descending.
I took one step back. It was exactly one step.
Clang!
The sword Andrea swung hit the ground.
"D-did you just dodge that?"
Andrea, who had swung the sword, was the first to speak.
"Your faith is truly deep, Brother Andrea."
I patted him on the shoulder. It was hard to stop the corners of my mouth from curling up. Honestly, I felt so good I wanted to dance.
My guess was right.
What I had learned had not disappeared.
It was a significant discovery.