Chapter 147
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: The Goddess's Right Arm (1)
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"Liberic."
The Silver Guard Knight approached me as I waited at the branch office's main gate. I nodded and stood up.
"Let's go. The Goddess Church isn't far."
The Silver Guard Knight took the lead. The knights guarding the gate saluted us crisply.
As the branch building faded behind us, we walked in silence.
The Silver Guard Knight looked deep in thought. It was hard to even guess what might be on his mind.
"Regarding the Ilenia Knight Order's departure... I've handled the administrative side of things quietly on my end."
I looked up at the Silver Guard Knight's back. He continued without turning around, his tone even.
"We could always say they were temporarily dispatched to the Gray Mercenary Corps. You don't need to worry about that part."
"...Understood."
I gave that answer, but honestly, he seemed more worried than I was.
With his back still to me, he let out a small sigh.
"I can't shake the thought that if I'd made the decision just a little sooner... Someone should have steadied the ones who wavered."
"Don't worry. Now that I'm here, I can convince the Red Guard Knight."
Only then did the Silver Guard Knight turn to look at me.
"Yes. It will be that way."
I clenched my fists tightly.
Even if we convinced the Red Guard Knight and proudly handed over the Silver Moon Knight Order's insignia, I couldn't be sure her turned heart would come back... But that was all we could do.
We had to believe Ilenia would return and persuade the Red Guard Knight before it was too late.
"That's the Amadelia Goddess Church over there, across the lake."
The Silver Guard Knight pointed to the other side of the lake.
Beyond the water, sharp white roofs pierced the sky.
Unlike the other buildings in Feira, which had flat stone roofs, the Goddess Church stood out even from afar.
"It's definitely a style you rarely see in Prion or the Lesion Kingdom."
"Prion had a small prayer hall, but nothing built to the Goddess Church's exact style."
We quickened our pace toward the church.
The closer we got, the more impressive its scale became.
In the center of a spring filled with clear blue water stood a statue of the goddess carved from white stone.
She was depicted as a woman with white cloth draped over her head and shoulders, hands clasped together. Golden rings adorned both arms and her neck.
It resembled the wooden statue I'd seen before, but far larger.
On the altar before it lay heaps of offerings—flowers, jewelry, fruits—and devotees bowed in prayer.
Their murmured prayers were all that could be heard. The solemn, quiet atmosphere made it hard to even let our footsteps echo.
Small waterways extended from the spring around the goddess statue, leading to various buildings.
White cloths fluttered between three- and four-story structures, and triangular gables beneath the sharp roofs bore three golden ring emblems etched clearly.
The Silver Guard Knight and I passed the goddess statue's spring.
The church had no walls, no main gate, no guards at the entrance—anyone could come and go freely.
A few devotees glanced our way but merely dipped their heads in quiet greeting.
They were Denan. Among the passing devotees, Denan and water Arbat seemed evenly mixed.
"That large building must be the main hall. Best to find a priest."
Even the Silver Guard Knight's voice softened a bit.
Feeling my shoulders tense in the reverent air, I quietly followed him.
"Silver Guard Knight, do you know anything more about the Amadelia Goddess Church? I barely know anything myself."
Suddenly, I worried about making some blunder. I had no faith in the Goddess Church, but I didn't want to be rude.
The Silver Guard Knight hummed thoughtfully for a moment before speaking.
"I'm no expert myself... but the Amadelia Goddess Church began expanding from the old empire's western regions toward the end of the Demon Emperor's rule. Now they've established the holy city of Amadelion and formed a theocracy."
"They founded a country?"
I suppressed my voice before it could rise too loud. The Silver Guard Knight nodded slightly.
"Whether Prius acknowledges them or not, or what other nations think—they don't care. They focus solely on following doctrine and spreading the faith."
With that, he pointed to the three golden rings on the roof.
"Those symbolize the Amadelia Goddess Church's doctrines. The three rings. They're also called the 'Goddess's Rings.'"
"The Goddess's Rings..."
"The ring on the left arm means 'do not steal from each other.' The right arm: 'do not deceive each other.' And the one around the neck: 'do not shed each other's blood.'"
The three rings on the statue's arms and neck. They looked crude for bracelets or necklaces, but they were symbols.
I listened to the Silver Guard Knight with growing interest.
"Of course, those are the basics, expanding into hundreds of doctrines. 'Do not steal' prohibits theft, then extends to giving and sharing."
The prohibitive doctrines were unique yet intuitive and simple.
In a place rife with thieves, swindlers, and murderers, they were certainly welcome. From there, they'd expanded meanings to draw in more followers.
"And when all doctrines are fulfilled, the Amadelia Goddess descends to lead the faithful to an eternal paradise. The rings represent that 'promises are fulfilled.'"
"You know quite a bit, Silver Guard Knight..."
"I once got cornered by a chatty priest for two hours. It stuck with me."
The Silver Guard Knight shook his head lightly, as if shaking off a painful memory.
"Anyway, that's all I know about the doctrines. The rest... most devotees wear white cloth around their bodies."
"I noticed that too."
Many here draped thin white cloth over their everyday clothes.
Some wrapped it around their waists and secured it with ring ornaments, others over shoulders and necks. A few let it hang from shoulders and arms.
As long as they wore or carried white cloth somehow, it seemed to suffice.
"I've heard of the Sanctuary. They take in orphaned children and teach them various skills."
I quietly recalled what Kalia had once told me.
I also briefly explained to the Silver Guard Knight about the woman named Kalia, now Clemence's maid.
"I've heard of such facilities. Prius excels at slaying magical beasts and demons, but supporting survivors is still a work in progress. The Goddess Church seems active in that area."
"Everyone has their role."
"As long as we don't encroach on each other's domains, we can coexist peacefully."
We entered the innermost building, the church's main hall.
Devotees came and went constantly, so slipping inside was easy.
They paid little mind to our lack of white cloth, though a few recoiled at the sight of the Silver Guard Knight's sword at his waist.
Inside the main hall was a vast space for prayers, with another massive goddess statue at the center.
Devotees gathered in small groups around it.
"Isn't this place getting dangerous too? Everyone saw that pillar of fire last night with their own eyes."
"I've never seen anything like that pillar in my life..."
"It's a sign of disaster, right? Drought or plague."
"Plague would be the worst."
The devotees trembled and murmured anxiously.
Then a woman in gray robes pushed through the crowd and ascended the altar before the statue.
The devotees looked up and bowed as one.
"I understand your anxiety. But you are all within the embrace of Amadelia the Goddess here. Set aside your fears and pray to her. No matter what comes, she will protect you."
At her words, the devotees bowed and began praying. Some knelt before the statue, foreheads to the ground.
The tension eased, replaced by a soft chorus of prayers filling the hall.
It was a serene atmosphere where approaching anyone felt impossible.
"Hello, you two."
The gray-robed woman descended the altar and approached us first. She was a Denan woman in her thirties.
She wore simple gray robes with white cloth draped over.
"Greetings, Priest."
The Silver Guard Knight greeted her, and I followed suit.
"You're from Prius, correct? What brings you?"
The priest smiled warmly and kindly throughout.
She must have noticed the Silver Guard Knight's sword or the Prius emblem at his waist.
"We're looking for a group of priests who visited here a few months ago. They would have come from Elgrace, crossing the Quint Mountains."
"I see."
An enigmatic smile lingered on the priest's face.
You'd expect surprise or curiosity if she knew or not, but her expression gave nothing away.
The Silver Guard Knight, thinking the same as me, asked again.
"Do you know someone who might have information on them? We'd like to speak with them."
"I see... Would you follow me this way?"
The priest led us down a corridor to the right.
The devotees remained focused on prayer, ignoring our passage.
The long corridor stretched ahead, deserted.
Large, ornate windows lined the right wall, rooms the left. Pillars bore the goddess ring emblem.
"I'm not certain myself, but another priest might know. I'll ask for you."
"Thank you."
She smiled in response and walked a bit ahead. We followed.
"What does the Goddess Church make of last night's pillar of fire? The devotees seem anxious."
"We don't understand it."
Her reply was swift and curt—an answer I hadn't expected at all.
"You don't understand?"
I blurted reflexively.
"All things unfold by the Goddess's will. Our limited understanding can't grasp their depth. We simply accept them with faith in her."
For a moment, I forgot what we were even discussing.
Flustered, I was at a loss for words, while the priest turned away, satisfied with her response.
Apparently, such answers satisfied the devotees...
The Silver Guard Knight had meant to share that the pillar was a 'mercenary corps summons' to ease their fears, but her unexpected reply ruined the chance.
"Please wait here a moment."
The priest stopped before a door at the corridor's end, entered, and left us outside.
Even after the door quietly closed, I scratched my cheek, still flustered.
"Maybe my perspective is too narrow, but I just don't get it..."
"Don't worry. Neither do I."
That was somewhat reassuring.
"No need to overthink it. Better to keep our distance and avoid stepping on toes."
"Yeah, I don't really want to get involved anyway."
They seemed immersed in their own world, as if the goddess would solve everything.
Did such a convenient being even exist?
Soon, the door opened, and the priest reappeared.
She bowed slightly toward us and said,
"The Chief Priest wishes to see you briefly. This way."
Had we found a lead?
Clutching that hope, we stepped inside.