The Demon Sword Surtr (1)
The Demon Sword Surtr (1)
I walked in step with the old man. The inside of the building was as cold as I'd expected. It was bleak, with almost no furniture in sight.
The one consolation was that it was fairly spacious. In the rooms along the way, I could see children shivering from the cold.
Some of them were putting something into their mouths.
Bread that had gone hard and dried out.
So there was nothing to eat here.
The old man stopped. He quietly opened a door.
"Not everyone who bears a Sacred Mark can become a priest. You must complete a certain rite first."
"A rite?"
"Think of it as a rite of passage. It is a ceremony to determine whether your Sacred Mark is genuine."
I stepped into the room.
It was the only bright place in the shabby building. The sun, not yet set, shone through the stained glass. Everywhere else was crumbling or no longer capable of serving as a church... but this place was different.
Well-polished chairs stood aligned at precise angles. The sunlight shattered brilliantly, splitting into many colors, and though the air was cold, no wind leaked in.
A strangely warm place. It was properly heated to a degree that made it hard to believe this was a winter frontier city.
...No.
So this is the power of the Sun God Ra.
"Come this way."
The old man took my hand and led me. After seating me in a chair, he walked into an inner room.
When he came back out, he was holding a small bowl with water in it.
"Child."
The old man sat down in front of me.
"What is your name?"
"It's Zahard Balton."
"You have a family name. Are you perhaps of noble birth?"
"I don't know. My mother passed away before she could teach me."
"...You have been through a difficult time."
The old man carefully stroked my head.
"My name is Mierkant. You may simply call me Priest. Child, before the rite, I would like to offer you another path."
"What kind of path?"
"The glory of the gods has departed from humanity, and we are steeped in poverty. Any faith is bound to crumble before reality. Even a spirit like steel and a flame like the sun will eventually wither away in suffering... Those who once cried out to the gods have left, and all that remains for us is the contempt of the people."
"...The contempt of the people?"
"This place...is one of the branches of the Church of Ra."
Hearing what I had already heard once more doubled the sense of despair.
Right. Nothing ever goes the way I want. No matter how ruined a church is, its headquarters is always perfectly intact. This damn game must have twisted the setting a little on its own again, and like the roguelike it is, it's carrying the story along however it pleases.
"The headquarters of the church that serves the Sun God Ra is in a city to the south."
I passed it?! Damn it!
If I'd known sooner, I would have gone straight to the church headquarters and visited this place later...!
"I, I see..."
"Child, I know it must be disheartening after you came all the way north with such hope... but the Sun God Church is in even worse shape than it looks."
"What do you mean by that?"
"At the church headquarters, they sell divine glory without hesitation. They're focused on making money like merchants, and rumors say they've colluded with certain forces operating behind the Empire... For a church, that's devastating. Once word spread that the church was being run on illegally earned money, our standing fell below even the other churches. People began shunning us as priests who had surrendered to reality—filthy hypocrites who sold their faith for money."
Mierkant smiled forlornly.
"And this branch was once corrupted and even burned down. So I am the only remaining ordained priest...and I have only two apprentice priests under me... Once an impression has been set, it is exceedingly difficult to change it. It is easy to commit a wrong, but to cast off that disgrace requires dozens of times more effort."
"...No. Why."
"Child, I understand. I know your fairy-tale story has been shattered. But it cannot be helped. Reality is cruel, and sometimes it gnaws away at people."
Well, whatever.
If you were going to do it, you shouldn't have gotten caught. Stupid bastards.
I couldn't understand it. If anything, it just made me angry.
If they could turn their power into money, they should've cashed in everything they could and played dumb afterward! As long as they didn't do anything blatantly evil, what was wrong with making money from the power they had?
Good grief. Clergy. If they were going to do it, they should've at least done it properly instead of ruining themselves completely.
I let out a sigh. The old man glanced at me.
"Child, if you join the church, all sorts of hostile looks will follow you. Sometimes you'll be beaten. You'll be criticized for things you didn't do and forced to bear responsibility for them. Simply because you're part of the church, you'll have to help repay the sins others committed."
"I see..."
"If you go north from here, there is an institution that introduces work. Before you are baptized, I wanted to let you know that there is a better path for you."
It's not like I want to do this.
But what can I do? The skills I have are tied to this church.
The fastest and clearest path to survival is right in front of me, and he's telling me to go do mining work with no prospects. That makes even less sense.
I lowered my voice. I closed my eyes and whispered like someone who truly believed in the gods.
"There may be easier paths in life, but they are not necessarily the right ones, are they?"
"...Child, think again..."
"The Sun God chose me."
I opened my eyes and looked at Mierkant.
"Since she has called me, I will simply do my duty."
Mierkant shed tears.
"O God... to think you would send us such a devout child...!"
The rite continued. Confirming the Sacred Mark was quick. When the water touched it, the mark shone and radiated a gentle warmth.
"Child, remember that power. It is borrowed divine glory. Even when darkness blocks your path, it will become a ray of light that illuminates the way ahead."
"Thank you, Priest."
"I will tell you what you are to do starting tomorrow. You must be tired from the long journey, so go in and rest. You may use the room on the right. The children staying here are all good-natured and kind, so you should be able to fit in without difficulty."
Mierkant stroked my head. For the first time, a smile settled on his gaunt face.
"Child of the Sun God Church. I sincerely bless your admission."
"...Thank you, Priest."
I opened the door and was about to turn away. But a question I couldn't resolve came to mind, and I stopped in my tracks.
I looked back at Mierkant. He was writing something in a book he'd taken out. He was probably sorting out the paperwork for my admission.
"...Priest."
"Is there something more you need?"
"I have a question. Why did you try to refuse my admission? From the church's standpoint, isn't even one more believer important?"
An apprentice priest is no different from a laborer to a priest. Since they are people striving to become priests, no matter how much work is piled on them, they don't run away or complain.
It's the same as workers who don't expect wages flocking in.
That was why I couldn't understand it. Why refuse a slave who crawled in on their own two feet?
Mierkant took off the glasses he had been wearing. He smiled softly at me.
"Would it not be more important for one life not to go hungry than for one more believer?"
"......."
With that single sentence, I understood.
That old man...
He's a clergyman to the bone.
. . .
As Mierkant had said, I went out into the hallway and entered the first room on the right. There were five or six children shivering from the cold.
The gazes that glanced at me were not particularly kind. As I trudged over and claimed an empty bed, a large boy walked toward me.
"What are you?"
Territorial hazing.
I casually showed my Sacred Mark. The boy standing in front of me snorted.
"Who asked about that? That spot's mine, so move."
"Ah. Sorry."
I shifted my ass over and sat in another empty spot. But the boy clung on persistently.
"That spot's mine too."
"What about here?"
"That one too."
"...What about here?"
"Ha, fuck. Are you retarded?"
The boy snarled. He slammed his fist against the bunk bed beside him with a bang.
"There's no spot for you here. So get lost."
"The priest told me to stay here."
"Who do you think listens to some old man like that? Say one more word. I'll make sure you never eat again for the rest of your life."
This was a classic power struggle. I frowned. As naturally as flexing a muscle, I wrapped divinity around my body.
Skill Blessing.
[You feel better.]
Heh. There's nothing better than this for mental care.
"Sure. Whatever."
"...What?"
"You're telling me to use a different room, right?"
I got up and walked right out of the room. I could hear cursing behind me, but I ignored it. I slipped into an empty room.
A desolate room without even a pillow or blanket. I laid my body down on a hard bunk bed. The boy who had followed me in glared at me.
"You think I'm joking?"
"What now? I did everything you asked."
"You little shit."
He was big, but he seemed to be around my age. A menacing but youthful face.
For now, I was at a disadvantage because of the size difference... Hmm. If we fight, I'll lose. I'll definitely lose.
...Alright.
I had a good idea. In exchange for a little pain, why not use this chance to try out a Hidden Piece?
"Hey. What's your name?"
"Like I'd tell you."
"You're not some nameless son of a bitch, are you?"
"You son of a bitch!"
Bang!
A fist slammed down. My vision spun, and in an instant I was slammed into the floor.
It hurts. This bastard. He can throw a punch pretty well.
But that's actually good. My face needs to get red so it's obvious I was hit.
I banged against the furniture. I rolled around for all to see and screamed. I yelled with all my strength, enough to make the boy in front of me flinch.
"Ow! You're killing me!!"
"Wh-what are you doing?!"
"Ow! Ow!"
Children swarmed in. And among them was Mierkant. He looked back and forth between me rolling on the floor and the boy, then shouted.
"Hector! Didn't I tell you to control your temper?!"
"B-but this bastard started it...!"
"Shut it! I can no longer overlook your misdeeds! Go to the punishment room this instant! Do not come out until I call for you!"
"I-I don't want to!"
"If you will not listen to me here, I have no choice but to send you out! Go to the punishment room right now!"
Mierkant embraced me. I looked up at him with the eyes of a puppy on the verge of death.
"P-Priest..."
"You witnessed something ugly the moment you arrived. It is because my teaching was lacking."
"I-It's okay...but...not just that guy...the others also just stood by and watched..."
Mierkant flew into a rage. His sweeping gaze burned like fire.
"You worthless children! Did I teach you to tolerate injustice?!"
The children who met his eyes flinched. I tugged at Mierkant's sleeve.
"Staying...in the room...is frightening..."
"I will have you moved to another room."
"I'm afraid the same thing will happen...Priest...if it's not too much trouble...would it be alright if I slept in the prayer room?"
"What?"
Mierkant gently pushed me away.
"That is not allowed. Rules are rules. No child has ever slept in the prayer room."
"Just let me stay until I adjust. A week is enough. During that time, I'll...try to get close to the other children too...Priest...please help me...I want to get along well here..."
I pinched my thigh to make my eyes well up with tears on purpose.
"If God is with me... I think I can calm down..."
The soft-hearted priest let out a sigh.
"No means n—"
"Priest..."
"I'm talking here..."
"My wounds hurt so much...I miss the Sun God..."
"I said, rules are ru—"
"Ah... if I get hit again... it hurts so much I think I might die..."
"......."
Mierkant let out a sigh.
"One week. No more than that. It goes against doctrine, so even if you throw a tantrum to stay longer, I will not permit it."
"Thank you, Priest."
"Adapt quickly. I cannot protect you forever. Getting along with those around you is also one of the Sun God's teachings."
Of course.
A week is more than enough time to wrap things up.
I casually glanced at the children. Just you wait. In a week, you're all done for. Little shits.