Chapter 45: A Gentle Priest

The owner of the store seemed quite flabbergasted and asked Aria what the visit meant.

“I’m sorry, is there some reason you’re staying with us?”

“No, I was merely stopping by on my way back to the country. Am I interrupting anything?”

“Of course not! It’s an honor to have someone like Aria-sama stay with us!”

The owner of the store looks relieved when he finds out that it is not a particular investigation. Shion and the others are shown to the stables where Haku is staying.

It was a very ordinary place with only a few horses, and although it was cramped, there was space for Haku to rest.

As soon as Haku walked in, the horses behind the stable partition all started to fuss as if they were frightened at the same time.

‘Oya oya~, it’s my fault? Don’t worry, everyone, I won’t eat you’

“”NEIGHH””

‘…Did I make you more uncomfortable? Hrmm…’

Haku raised an eyebrow, saying that it would be difficult to get along with them. The owner then explained that horses are smart and will soon get used to you if you don’t show hostility.

He heard that sometimes there are terrible Familiars who can intimidate a horse all the time, but Haku doesn’t do anything like that.

‘But I’m afraid all I’ll be able to say tomorrow is NEIGHH. What should I do, Shion-san?’

“I’ll do my best to learn horse language then”

‘You said it like it’s someone else’s problem~! NEIGHHH! NIEEGHHH!’

As they walked out with a slightly broken Haku, a man from the church walked up to Shion and the others.

The fact that he was wearing a black monastic uniform made it easy to determine that he was a priest. He is slender and tall, and his age is probably around thirty.

He had short hair with the sides cropped, no beard, and a clean face that was full of cleanliness.

When his eyes met Shion’s, he stopped and bowed with a simple gesture. It was an act of respect for the traveler, and it made a much better first impression.

The priest shifted his gaze to Haku, Aria, and Shion in that order, but he made no pretense of being upset like the innkeeper.

“I heard your voice, so I thought you were a guest. Nice to meet you. I’m Horst, a priest in the church there”

“I’m Shion. This here is my companion, Aria, and this will be Haku”

“I was already surprised by the strong and healthy Familiar, but to think that your companion is the water hero herself”

“Sorry for the sudden visit. I was on my way to Valenciu”

“I see. If you don’t mind, please come to the church”

I will pray for you, Horst told them.

As a person who wanted to know the inside of the church, Shion had no reason to refuse.

They entered the church, including Haku. The inside was neat and tidy, and in the back, a sister was praying fervently in front of an idol[1] that resembled a god.

There was a door in the corner of the large room, and Shion paid attention to it.

When Horst stood on the pulpit[2], he gestured a cross in front of his chest and uttered a platitude to God. Then he speaks softly to Shion and the others.

“I would like to cherish our relationship. It may be a temporary relationship, but please let me know if there is anything I can do for you. I will do my best to help you”

After hearing about the history of the church, Shion and the others went outside. After they finished cooking and eating the meat outside, the sun went down and it became dark. Haku went to the stables, while Shion and the others moved inside the inn.

Then, they stay quietly until everyone goes to bed. Around midnight, in a pitch-black room, Shion and Aria heave themselves out of bed.

They didn’t have a specific meeting, but the timing was perfect.

“I think it’s about time”

“Be careful, okay?”

“If I’m not back in thirty minutes, assume something’s wrong”

“And when you do, don’t worry, I’ll do whatever it takes to pick you up”

When they move together, they stand out, so Shion will move alone first. The reason why is he is very good at covert activities.

Standing by the wall, Shion’s body melted into the darkness. He went straight out of the inn and then floated up once in front of the church to check his magic.

The response in the room was two people, so it must be a priest and a sister. He confirmed their location, so he used the to quickly go through the door at the back of the room and into the hallway.

One narrow corridor leads to two rooms, one on each side.

He walked stealthily, trying not to make a sound. There are pots of plants in the corridor and a stone statue of about 150 centimeters by the wall.

This stone statue serves as a guard to the hidden room. Even though it is smaller than the one in the chapel, a normal muscle can’t move it without making a sound.

Even a man with a full plate could lift it. There was no way Shion could not do it. He lifted it without making a sound and gently placed it in a position off by one person.

The wall was a revolving hidden door, so he pushed his way through.

In the middle of a small empty room, a staircase led majestically to the basement.

“Okay, so far, it’s exactly as described. Now it’s down here, but I hope there’s no …… trap”

Taking great care, Shion walked down the stairs.

[1] Statue or painting representing anyone that is revered, though I suppose you guys already know that… In case you didn’t /// ///

[2] For those who don’t know /// ///