Battle Race in the Fantasy World

Battle Race in the Fantasy World – 108

EP.108 Good Changes, Bad Changes

He remembered receiving a decent reception the first time he visited the Church.

Leaving aside the fact that he was from Jonathan, as a guest of the Saintess, it was only natural for the Church members to show proper courtesy.

In that regard, today’s reception was even more impressive than before.

“Saintess, you have arrived. And Brother Kyle, welcome back to the Church.”

The one bowing and greeting them was the vice-commander of the Holy Knights of St Elfreda.

It was highly unusual for him to personally come out to greet guests.

“It feels like it’s been a while, Vice-Commander.”

“I apologize. Whenever you returned, Saintess, I was either on duty or resting.”

“You’ve been working hard. Your dedication to the Church, your faith in God, and your love for all of it. I am truly grateful for everything, Vice-Commander.”

“I am merely doing my duty. And today, you have brought a guest with you.”

“Yes. It’s your first time seeing him in person, right?”

“That’s correct.”

The vice-commander approached and made the sign of the cross over his chest.

Kyle, who had been preparing to shake hands, instinctively made the sign of the cross as well.

Even though it happened in an instant, there was no mistake in his movements.

They say if you’re not smart, your body suffers, but in this case, his body was so well-trained that it never had to suffer.

“I’ve heard much about your reputation, Brother Kyle.”

“Reputation, Vice-Commander? Please, don’t say that. It makes me uncomfortable.”

“You defeated Sir Mathieu Philibert, who is acknowledged even by the Ten Strongest. A warrior must show respect to the strong. Age, experience, none of that matters.”

Old-fashioned. That was Kyle’s first impression of the vice-commander.

Still, upon closer inspection, he was relieved to see that the vice-commander’s physique was solid.

If the vice-commander had been all appearance and no substance, Kyle would have said something immediately.

“Ah, Saintess. His Holiness is currently praying with the priests. He just went in, so you might have to wait a bit.”

At the vice-commander’s words, the Saintess smiled, indicating it was no problem.

Then she suggested to Kyle that they sit and pass the time for a while.

From a distance, other holy knights in white armor approached.

“…Saintess. It’s the Holy Knight Leo.”

“Yes, it is. Why are they suddenly….”

The Saintess and the vice-commander looked at the approaching holy knights with a hint of tension.

Kyle also wondered, ‘Is something happening?’ but he didn’t feel any tension.

“Saintess.”

The holy knight at the front paid his respects.

His armor was similar to that of the vice-commander of the Holy Knights of St Elfreda, but the emblem was different.

“His Holiness wishes to see you.”

“Me? Suddenly?”

“Yes. And….”

The holy knight who had come to deliver the Pope’s message looked at Kyle.

“He has also asked for the guest to be brought along.”

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***

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What’s this all about? Why are we suddenly going to meet the Pope?

Thinking this, Kyle observed the knights walking ahead.

“They are the Holy Knight Leo. They mainly guard His Holiness the Pope or His Eminence the Cardinal.”

Recalling the Saintess’s words, Kyle nodded.

As befitting those who protect the most important figures of the Church, they were as robust as the Holy Knights of St Elfreda.

Although the Holy Knights of St Elfreda received relatively less attention because their commander, Priscilla, was one of the Empire’s Ten Strongest, the knights of the Holy Knight Leo were by no means weak.

“Don’t be too nervous, Brother Kyle. It’s probably nothing serious.”

He almost replied, ‘I’m not nervous at all.’

Fortunately, he managed to hold back, not wanting to say something so disrespectful to the Saintess.

In the meantime, they moved deeper inside, heading towards a place filled with an increasingly sacred aura.

Finally, when they reached the innermost part of the Church, Kyle saw an old man.

“Your Holiness.”

The knights and the Saintess all bowed in greeting, and Kyle followed suit.

The old man, or rather the Pope, lightly waved his hand and began to speak.

“So, how is the Academy?”

“It is a delightful place, Your Holiness. And a very bright one.”

“That’s good to hear. I was worried you might be disappointed, but I’m glad to hear otherwise. And it seems you’ve made good friends, which is always a joy.”

The Pope’s gaze then shifted to Kyle.

“You must be Brother Kyle. Come closer. This is your second visit to the Church, correct?”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

“What do you think of this place? I’d like to hear your thoughts.”

“It is a beautiful place. And a warm one.”

At that response, the Pope burst into laughter.

It was a kind and bright laugh.

“I’m glad you feel that way. Some say this place is rigid, dogmatic, and sometimes even bleak with an excessive devotion to God.”

Who on earth would say such a thing?

In a time when the Church and the Empire were pursuing a win-win strategy, making such remarks could only harm their relationship.

It would be insufficient even if the Church officially expressed regret over such comments.

“By the way, that was something I said in my foolish youth. Haha.”

“….”

What the heck is wrong with this world?

“Brother Kyle, I actually have something to discuss with you, which is why I’ve taken this liberty. Please forgive this old man.”

“I am perfectly fine, Your Holiness. But, what is it that you wish to discuss?”

“Do you remember? The last time Brother Kyle came to the Church, you persuaded the Saintess and the Cardinal to do something.”

“If you mean the time I persuaded the Saintess and His Eminence the Cardinal to do something….”

What could he be referring to? Only one thing came to mind.

The health improvement project for our priests with the worst physical condition.

It was called ‘Let’s Exercise While Praying.’ Yes, that was it.

“…I think I know what you’re talking about, Your Holiness. But why bring it up now…?”

“Follow me.”

The Pope stood up and gestured for Kyle to follow.

Kyle hesitated, looking around for cues, and the Saintess gave a slight nod with a smile.

It was as if she was telling him not to worry and to walk beside the Pope and converse with him.

Taking the Saintess’s hint, Kyle cautiously stood next to the Pope.

Even though he had met two grand dukes and the princess, the Pope had a different kind of unfamiliarity.

Somewhere between an ordinary old man and a servant of God representing the entire Church and its followers.

“Since Brother Kyle’s visit, something miraculous has happened.”

“A miraculous event, you say?”

“Yes. After the Empire’s turmoil ended, our Church also fell into a deep slumber. Are you aware of this?”

“When the night is deep and the day is very tiring, it’s only natural to fall into a deep sleep, isn’t it?”

Kyle aptly compared the chaos during the Empire’s conquest wars to the Church’s current state of rest.

He was turning the statement about the Church being asleep into a positive light.

The Pope chuckled and nodded at his words.

“You’re right, Brother. Yes, it’s natural to sleep when tired. But if you sleep too much, your body becomes heavy. It’s good to sleep adequately, wake up, spend the day, and then sleep again.”

Creak—.

As the white door opened, a passageway leading to another space appeared.

The Pope walked first, followed by Kyle, with the Saintess and the knights trailing behind.

“Strength belongs to warriors. With that strength, they protect, fight, and uphold the noble. But sometimes, even the purest things must also possess strength. Our brothers of the past were like that, but unfortunately, the young souls of today are not. They were in too deep a sleep.”

“That’s regrettable.”

“But not anymore. Brother Kyle, you made it happen.”

Eventually, they arrived at a corner of a large prayer room within the Church.

It was a place where they could quietly observe the interior without disturbing anyone inside.

“God said, wherever your heart can reach….”

Inside, Cardinal Paul, whom Kyle had seen before, was reciting a prayer.

And below him, many priests were also praying devoutly.

However, there was a notable difference from before—their posture.

‘…Wow. What a sight.’

With each verse of the prayer, they performed planks.

In this manner, throughout the entire prayer, all the priests diligently strengthened their core muscles.

They were laying the foundation for future training.

“Tell me, Brother Kyle.”

The Pope, who was watching the priests with satisfaction, turned to Kyle and asked.

“What should they do next?”

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***

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“Huff, huff.”

A man panted heavily as he ran frantically.

Piercing through the darkness, he managed to board a ship.

“Huff, huff….”

“Is it just you? Where are the others? Where are the others!”

“I don’t know. We were pursued on the way, and we decided to split up.”

“Did you bring the goods?”

At that question, the man showed the contents of his bag to the commander.

The captain, after checking the contents, showed a look of relief amidst the misfortune.

“Captain! There, over there, we can see torches! It looks like the pursuers!”

“…Damn it.”

After a brief moment of conflict, there was only one answer.

“Raise the anchor and unfurl the sails. We’re getting out of here.”

“But we still have most of the crew….”

“If we get caught, it’s all over anyway. There’s no choice. They knew the risks.”

At the captain’s words, the sailors couldn’t argue any further.

If they were caught, it would be the end for everyone. There was no other way.

They raised the anchor and unfurled the folded sails.

The wind that blew at that moment pushed the ship towards the open sea.

“What course should we take?”

“If we follow the usual route, we’ll be caught immediately. We’ll have to take a longer way around.”

“We’ll be cutting it close with the drinking water.”

“Ration the water supply by half. If that’s not enough….”

If that’s not enough, they would have to leave it to God’s will. The captain swallowed his last words.

The ship then began to sail southward across the night sea.

Meanwhile, those who had just arrived at the port began to search the area thoroughly.

“Damn! It looks like they noticed something and set sail!”

“According to the report, we couldn’t catch some of the ones who escaped. It seems they boarded the ship.”

At the knight’s words, Mathieu Philibert sighed in frustration.

He thought they had almost caught them, but it seemed there was another faction hiding within.

“Can we find out where they set sail to?”

“It’s difficult in the night sea. But if we’re lucky, some nearby sailors might have seen something, so we’ll inquire around.”

Ordering the knights to do so, Mathieu bit his lip.

These damned hardliners, who had jeopardized the alliance, were causing trouble until the very end.