novelraw Chapter 245
Chapter 245
244. Childhood Friend - Communication
Items imbued with the divine power of the Lord are classified into three main categories.
The first category consists of *consecrated items*. These are items blessed by a priest, and they are the only ones that can be privately owned. Although they don't have any special effects, people believe that carrying them wards off evil. Because of this belief, engaged couples often exchange consecrated rings.
The second category is *sacred objects*.
Unlike consecrated items, which are relatively quickly made by a priest's blessing, sacred objects are created over a very long period.
There is no fixed form for the items that become sacred objects. They are often statues, but sometimes they are paintings or even small decorations.
The reason sacred objects take on such diverse forms is deeply connected to the reason for their creation. Sacred objects are born from items that devout clergy members have poured their hearts into over the years.
Since the method of creating sacred objects became known, their forms became somewhat standardized.
Clergy members began to hope that they could leave behind a sacred object and searched for items suitable for this purpose. The Church of the Cross even distributed small statues of one of the seven saints to priests, crusaders, and monks graduating from monastic institutions.
Despite this, the number of sacred objects did not increase dramatically. Even today, sacred objects are rarely made, and they are kept in churches across different regions.The third and final category is *relics*.
Relics are not created; they are *discovered*.
Relics do not have any distinctive external features. In most cases, they are very ordinary items.
The key difference between relics and sacred objects is that relics affect their surroundings.
There are places where the air feels unusually heavy, where an inexplicable stillness prevails, and where sounds that should echo seem to fade away into the distance. If you feel as if someone is watching you in such a silence, you might suspect the presence of an undiscovered relic nearby.
Throughout history, about fifty items have been discovered or presumed to be relics.
Some have been lost due to war, like the marriage vows of King Maunin and Queen Reti, which were kept in the Aslan Kingdom. Others, like the royal scepter, once a symbol of the Arcaea Empire but now held by the Church of the Cross, have become the possessions of successive saintesses.
The wooden staff carried by the First Saint, Azura, and the brass chalice are also suspected to be relics, though they have yet to be found.
In any case, every church across the continent holds at least one sacred object. The priest assigned to the church uses the authority of these sacred objects to conduct rituals and, when necessary, as a means of communication.
And the Brigitte Church was no exception. As evening fell and the church became quiet, with hundreds of flickering candles illuminating the space, a priest from Brigitte Church prepared for communication.
In front of him was Marquis Drazhin, and the target of the connection was a cardinal from the Conrad Kingdom. The recipient was none other than Prince Leán de Yeriel, who had recently become the subject of much rumor, but the priest calmly recited the communication protocol.
“Marquis, please have a seat. As you know, communication is conducted alternately. You may speak the message you wish to convey, but please write it down if possible, as a misunderstanding could arise from misinterpretation of tone or expression.”
The priest mistakenly assumed that the Marquis was the one communicating with the Prince.
However, Marquis Evni Drazhin turned to the young man accompanying him.
“Have you ever used communication before?”
“Yes. You need not worry.”
The young man had hair with a dry, brittle texture, making it look like straw, and he took a seat, holding a quill with a practiced hand. The priest, though somewhat discomfited by his earlier mistake, waited.
“Let's see...” The young man pondered for a moment before quickly jotting something down and handing it over. The priest shrugged and remained silent. The paper read:
/ Confirming the recipient. From your childhood friend. /
It was a cautious, distrustful action, indicating a need to confirm who he was communicating with first.
Had he lived his life constantly deceived?
But the priest did his duty. He placed his hand on the thin book, the sacred object of Brigitte Church. The book's title was too worn to be seen.
After a moment of silent contemplation, the priest began to transcribe the reply with his other hand. Only then did Rev confirm that Leán was indeed on the other side.
/ Confirming the recipient. From the beggar siblings. /
There was no more hesitation. Rev moved the quill rapidly, exchanging dozens of messages while Marquis Drazhin waited idly by.
/ The operation with the childhood friend proceeded similarly to the last time. Lena has gone to the monastic church, and I’ve started preparations. There were no major issues, but there’s been a setback in securing magical power. /
/ You couldn't persuade Count Soarel Demetri Ogleton? /
/ I did persuade him. But it’s become difficult to get help from the Bollineu Tower. /
/ Do you need a mage? /
/ I’ve altered the plan. We need Conrad Kingdom’s assistance. /
/ Speak. /
So reliable.
However, Rev paused the quill and looked up at the priest.
The communication between him and Leán would inevitably reach the ears of the Church of the Cross, but since the Church’s leader, the Saintess, had offered to help, there was no need to worry.
The person facilitating communication on the other side was Cardinal Verke, so there was nothing to be concerned about...
Rev’s quill regained its vigor as more significant matters were discussed on the paper.
/ Prince Elzeor de Lognum has been elevated to the rank of duke. He will invade Conrad Kingdom’s borders this year, alongside Marquis Guidan’s forces. /
The response took a bit longer to come.
/ More details are needed. /
/ Don’t worry. Marquis Guidan is on our side. Prince Elzeor de Lognum seems intent on annexing Conrad Kingdom. I plan to use this. /
/ Did that last session end like that? /
This time, the reply took even longer, and Rev felt a pang of guilt. The unspoken words from their last communication, held through a mirror, had come back to haunt him.
He didn’t want to reveal this.
The sharp-witted Leán would likely deduce the outcome of his and his sister’s future just by hearing the conclusion.
After hesitating for a moment, Rev picked up the quill again.
/ Yes. /
In a communication devoid of commas, question marks, or ellipses, Rev felt a deep sense of guilt.
Forgive me for having to affirm so stiffly. I’m sorry I can’t give you a detailed explanation, telling you how you became a great king and a mighty general who successfully defended your kingdom.
Did our sister who married into the Aisel Kingdom feel this way whenever she wrote letters to you?
Did she hide the hardships of living in a foreign land, praising the man she married for political reasons as a good person? Lerialia, our dear sister, you must have lived as a lonely queen.
Finally, the reply came. Leán de Yeriel calmly asked about the future plans.
/ How do you plan to use this? /
With a sigh, Rev, harboring some resentment, wrote:
/ I’ll kill Duke Elzeor de Lognum at the border. /
The priest, upon receiving the paper, was visibly startled. Rev stared at him intently, and after a brief pause, a reply was returned. The response was laced with a hint of anger:
/ I will support you. What do you need? /
Rev then requested what was necessary to assassinate Duke Elzeor de Lognum.
Leán expressed concern, but Rev responded succinctly:
/ Leo has joined us. /
This seemed to suffice, as Leán moved on to another question:
/ How is Lena? /
/ She’s learning to cook. How is your sister? /
/ She plays with Tian every day. /
Ah, so Santian didn’t die.
The one who had sacrificed himself to save Lerialia… Rev felt a warmth in his chest, but then something occurred to him, prompting him to ask:
/ Why did you stay in Orville for so long? Was it because of Katrina? /
Leán had remained in Orville until the summer of the following year, marking the start of the Beggar Siblings scenario.
During the winter when his father, King Caderyk de Yeriel, passed away, and Prince Eric de Yeriel ascended the throne, Leán had launched a rebellion, but his actions had been uncharacteristically slow.
Could it have been the reason his father succumbed to illness? Leán, who had not yet met his father, would not have cared much about him, but he was on the verge of ascending the throne.
Was that his true objective? However, Leán's reply completely diverged from Rev’s speculation:
/ Do you remember the beggar with the broken arm? /
*
A few days later, Rev's group, now significantly larger, was heading toward the territory of Marquis Guidan.
A large number of knights from Marquis Evni Drazhin's retinue had joined them. Including Leo and Lena, their group now numbered thirty-five, and they faced the warm spring breeze head-on.
It was a dangerous season that could easily make one complacent.
However, Rev did not neglect his sword training, especially after having recently sparred formally with Leo and suffered a crushing defeat.
Although they were both Swordmasters wielding identical weapons, Rev was no match for him.
Even with the help of the achievement:
[ Achievement: 26 Knights - You become stronger when facing knights. min(1) ]
Rev still lost, despite Leo Dexter being a retired knight and therefore allowing Rev to benefit from the achievement's assistance.
To make excuses, Leo had one more counter on his Monster Hunting achievement than Rev...
‘Ugh, how much of a difference could that really make?’
It was simply a matter of lacking the sense for swordsmanship. Whether it was {Swordsmanship.3v: Bart Style}, {Swordsmanship.4v: Jacob Style}, or {Swordsmanship.5v: Forte Style}, with such mastery and identical sword techniques, he should have been able to hold his own even if they were in different weight classes.
Leo Dexter offered some advice.
“If you think achievements and abilities are all there is to swordsmanship, you're mistaken. Even if you perfectly mimic someone else’s swordsmanship, you can never surpass its creator. That’s because it carries their unique philosophy.”
Annoyed, Rev retorted.
“Then what’s your philosophy?”
“I…”
Leo trailed off, turning away silently as he watched his wife bother Vanne Bizaine to teach her cooking.
How dull.
But since it was still a form of advice, Rev pondered over his own swordsmanship. Eventually, he grew tired and put down his sword, turning his thoughts to something else.
It was something Leán had mentioned.
Leán had advised him that if he ever had another chance to run the Beggar Siblings scenario, he should avoid the beggar with the broken arm and refuse any requests, should they arise.
The beggar with the broken arm. Rev had a faint memory of him.
It was a long time ago, perhaps during the second Beggar Siblings scenario. He hadn't yet met Jenia, had no idea he would encounter Katrina in Orville, and didn’t know where Cassia’s shoe shop was.
During the first Beggar Siblings scenario, he had sought out Cassia's help, and despite the unhappy ending, he had been on his way to find her with his sister when a group of beggars had accosted them.
- "Hey, who are you two to keep wandering around alone? I see you in the market all the time, isn’t that a bit much? We all share what we get, so how about you join us?"
- "If you want to survive by begging, you need to be mindful of others. It’d be better for you to stick with us rather than wandering around on your own."
Rev (back when he didn’t even know his real name or identity) had refused, but the beggar who had made the offer had an arm twisted badly out of shape, likely left untreated after being broken, rendering it useless.
But why was Leán bringing up that beggar now? Perhaps he would explain later. Rev was about to reply, / I remember. /, but then he froze.
He hadn’t realized it at the time, but thinking back now, that beggar…
Royal etiquette.
The beggar had been using royal etiquette. Despite his twisted arm, there had been a certain elegance to his movements that Rev had found oddly refined, but he hadn’t recognized it back then due to his lack of {Noble Society} knowledge.
Leán then issued a very brief warning.
/ If you follow his request, you’ll end up meeting Duke Astroth. I barely escaped. It’s best to avoid meeting him altogether, so don’t go to Cassia next time. /
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