Chapter 135

“You lucky bastard…!”

“…What?”

“Cardinal Raphael! Do you have any idea how many believers would give anything just to speak with him? There are people who’d spend fortunes for a chance to share a meal with him! And here you are, someone who doesn’t even care about religion, casually spending time with him…!!”

“Really?”

When Jake, who had come to relay news from the tunnels, heard about Ihan’s recent interactions, he reacted explosively, leaving Ihan to blink in surprise.

Ihan had already heard that Raphael was impressive, but he hadn’t realized just how high his standing was.

To Ihan, Jake’s outburst seemed excessive.

“But why do they still call him a cardinal? Didn’t he retire ages ago?”

It seemed strange to make such a fuss over someone who was already well past retirement age.

“…That’s a statement that would turn believers’ worlds upside down if they heard it.”

Jake pressed his fingers to his temples, as though trying to suppress a headache from Ihan’s outrageous remark.

“He only stepped down because he chose to decline the position. His potential rank is still far beyond that of a cardinal. Honestly, it wouldn’t have been strange if he became Pope, and if he wanted to, over forty percent of the temple clergy would back him.”

“…So he’s not an ordinary guy.”

“……It’s baffling that someone in this kingdom doesn’t know who he is.”

Jake’s incredulous reaction was akin to someone hearing a fellow citizen admit they didn’t recognize a national hero.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“I’m not some temple fanatic like you.”

“…Fanatic? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means someone like you.”

“…Why does that sound like an insult?”

“It’s not. Now hurry up and dig. The day’s wasting away.”

“Hmm…”

Jake was helping to create a garden around Ihan’s yard.

They were clearing out weeds, removing rocks and debris, overturning the soil, and mixing in fertilizer before watering the ground—all to make the land viable for planting.

Though this process would normally take days, Ihan, in less than half a day, had singlehandedly cultivated over 80 pyeong (about 265 square meters) of land.

“Phew, finally done.”

“…Did we really need to go this far?”

“It’s self-sufficiency. Over there, I’ll plant radishes. Next to that, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, and peanuts. That section will be for lettuce and cabbage.”

“…Quite serious about this, aren’t you? What’s that big empty section for?”

“For peppers.”

“Peppers? You mean the spicy ones recently brought in from the west? The ones they say are used for torture…?”

“…They’re spicy, yes, but what’s this about torture?”

Ihan was genuinely confused. He had simply bought some seeds being sold locally, and now this bizarre misunderstanding had cropped up.

But Jake, apparently convinced, continued:

“You cruel man. Who are you planning to torture by growing those?”

“…I’m growing them to eat, you medieval simpleton.”

Ihan felt unfairly accused.

If only these people could witness the stress-relieving effects of capsaicin in countries where spicy food was a staple.

However, to the medieval knight who thought eating something spicy equated to death:

“You’re going to eat them? …Are you trying to build pain tolerance? Huh, now that you mention it, it does sound like a decent training method…”

“……”

It seemed he’d misunderstood in a completely different direction now.

“Let’s just go with that…”

Deciding it was easier to let the misconception stand, Ihan shook his head. There was no point in arguing further.

For a while, the two continued working on the garden, planting various crops.

The sight of knights—one a commoner and the other a destitute noble—engaging in farming instead of honorable combat was a rare spectacle indeed.

It was enough to make more traditional knights faint from shock if they saw it.

But for Ihan and Jake, there was no sense of shame in the task.

They simply worked diligently, enjoying the satisfaction of preparing the soil for their daily sustenance.

As they wrapped up and Damian approached with sandwiches for a snack break:

“…Dealing with sacred law will be tricky.”

“Huh?”

“The inquisitors from the Inquisition are all skilled in [Sacred Law]. You probably don’t know much about it since you have no ties to the temple, but Sacred Law is completely different from martial techniques. It’s a [mystical] power granted by the Light of Radiance. It’s almost like a fusion of magic and martial techniques. But because of how powerful it is, mastering Sacred Law is an incredibly grueling process. Those who manage to do so and freely use it in combat are the human weapons we call inquisitors.”

“Huh, is that so?”

“…Why do you sound so casual about this when it directly concerns you?”

“Why are you acting like I’ll definitely end up fighting them?”

“Not acting—you will. That’s why I’m warning you.”

“……”

Ihan felt wrongfully accused.

Where else could you find a peace-loving guy like him, and yet he was being maligned-

‘…Then again, with my record, I can’t exactly argue against it.’

Ihan admitted it.

It was true…

“Just seeing them made me feel a bit gross.”

Having recently tangled with a group of fanatics, Ihan’s annoyance was already at its peak. Now, finding himself entangled with the Inquisition as well, his stress was piling up.

And the most frustrating part?

‘I still don’t even know why they’re watching me.’

That’s right—he didn’t know the reason.

At least Cardinal Raphael had been kind, refraining from using force and only engaging in conversation. He showed no intention of harming Ihan.

So Ihan let it slide for now. But if…

‘If someone like the guy I met a few days ago shows up again…’

He might not hold back next time.

“Take it easy. Crossing the temple will make life difficult, especially in this kingdom. Clashing with the temple here means you can’t live in Pendragon anymore. Be careful.”

“Then I’ll just go into exile.”

“…So you’ve no intention of being careful at all.”

Jake shook his head, but Ihan remained resolute.

…However, perhaps Ihan’s concerns were unnecessary after all?

Chirp, chirp!

“I heard that young one caused you trouble after I left. I’d like to extend my apologies on his behalf, Brother.”

“…Apologizing is fine, but did you really have to come and do it at the crack of dawn?”

He had come.

At the break of dawn, when the sparrows were at their noisiest.

It was an early morning visit, and Ihan, with hair resembling a bird’s nest, grumbled at the old priest.

No matter how urgent, wasn’t this a bit too early?

“There’s a prayer gathering scheduled for the next four days, and this was the only time I could visit. The thought of not being able to see you for so long was unbearable. Ha ha.”

“…You really do live a diligent life, don’t you?”

“It’s only natural. Ah, should you wish to attend the prayer gathering, you’re always welcome. Our temple is open to new brothers at any time.”

“Thanks, but I’ll politely and sincerely decline.”

“What a pity.”

“…Assistant!”

“Damn it… I just want to sleep more…”

Determined to send the overly enthusiastic old priest on his way as quickly as possible, Ihan called out to his assistant, while Raphael maintained his ever-present smile.

“Ah, speaking of which.”

“?”

Suddenly, Raphael continued:

“While I’m away for the prayer gathering, that young one—and perhaps some of the other brothers—might cause you some trouble.”

“……”

It was an ominous prediction.

“They’re devout but somewhat overzealous, so I’m worried they might bother you.”

“…If you know that, can’t you stop them?”

“I’d like to, but many of them don’t listen to the words of an old man like me.”

“…Even if you’re a cardinal?”

“Ha ha, aside from the Almighty Light of Radiance, what use are ranks in the temple? We’re all equals.”

“…That’s a very long-winded way of saying you can’t stop them.”

“Ha ha, my apologies. So, please…”

Swish.

“If they trouble you too much, feel free to reprimand them. You have my permission—it’s entirely fine.”

“…Now that’s a permission I like.”

Ihan’s lips curled into a smirk at the sight of the superior-grade holy water Raphael handed him, along with his meaningful words.

“You know, I’ve always thought you were a true adult.”

“That’s a delightful compliment.”

Getting permission from an unofficially acknowledged elder of the temple to scold others brought Ihan some satisfaction.

And, as always, Ihan felt anew:

‘This old man is genuinely likable.’

“You’re a delightful brother.”

Raphael politely declined the offer to be escorted back, choosing instead to walk the dirt road himself.

Though he could barely walk without leaning heavily on his cane, he had not yet received the call of the Light.

Until that time came, he intended to walk on his own strength.

“Ha ha, this wasn’t here yesterday.”

Even so, the care shown by his new brother was quite heartwarming.

The newly cleared path was a joy to walk on.

There were no stones to trip on, and there were shaded benches beneath trees at regular intervals, as if to invite him to rest whenever he felt tired.

Raphael’s smile grew as he realized how thoughtful the knight truly was.

And as he walked, he murmured:

“As the senior priest said, he’s a remarkable motivator.”

He thought of the senior priest who had introduced him to his new brother.

A man who, in the past, had been just as devout but had since retired.

“…A bit eccentric, though.”

The senior priest had taken on the [Butler] profession after rejuvenating through Sacred Law.

Even so, he wasn’t one to exaggerate.

“Sometimes, other brothers need to be disciplined too.”

In the past…

“Get down, you insolent brat!”

Young Raphael himself had been “disciplined”—no, reprimanded—by that very senior, who corrected his misguided faith.

“Ha ha, in hindsight, those were fond memories.”

Wishing that this would one day become a fond memory for the other brothers, Raphael continued walking diligently.

Humming a cheerful tune all the while.