Chapter 70

A little further on, there was an open room. Rows of chairs were lined up, and there was a statue of the goddess Flodia, though it was smaller than the one in the previous room.

"You can pray here."

This room was one of the places where the clerics who served in the cathedral during the game era used to pray. It was still a place for prayer, but it was not a special room, and no quests would occur here.

"Thank you for the tour. ...By the way, can we no longer enter the room where we used to pray?"

"Yes, that's right... All the orders come from the Pope, so we don't know the details. It seems that the statue of Flodia is very valuable, and it shouldn't be easily accessible..."

"Indeed, it was a magnificent statue."

From the words of the priestess, it was clear that Rodney was leading this initiative. Despite being a holy nation, things were getting increasingly suspicious.

Praying in front of that statue of the goddess would affect future job changes. To become a 'Healer' from a 'Healer Apprentice,' one had to pray in front of that statue.

...Is Rodney only opening that place to those under his control? Or perhaps he will demand a huge sum of money.

The path to job change seemed to be quite long, so I lightly prayed and left the cathedral.

"Sorry to keep you waiting~!"

"Meow!"

I waved my hand and joined Tarte, Kent, and Cocoa. The meeting place was the 'Transfer Gate' in the central square. Tarte seemed to have done some shopping at the guild and item shops, and he looked very pleased.

I felt bad for dampening the mood, but I explained the situation at the cathedral. It was under Rodney's control, and it was no longer possible to become a 'Healer.' However, I had some plans in mind.

The three of them were surprised, their mouths open. They probably didn't expect the situation to be so dire.

"Well, from what I heard, he seemed like a bad guy... but to go as far as making it off-limits?"

"It will cause a lot of trouble for people."

"What do you plan to do, Master?"

"That's something we'll discuss later. This isn't the place to talk about it."

We nodded and returned to Snowtia by horse.

***

"Phew. Riding a horse is getting easier."

We stayed overnight on the way and returned to Snowtia without any issues. The horses would return on their own, so we just needed to go back to the inn.

As I was thinking this, Kent and the others touched the gate and looked at me.

"Can we really move between cities with this...?"

"It's hard to believe..."

I agreed with their words. After all, the gate would reduce a two-day horse ride to an instant.

"Why don't we try going back and forth between Tzile and Snowtia? You can even register 'Ranch Village' if you want."

"That sounds fun! But do we have that much free time?"

Indeed, with the cathedral under Rodney's control, we didn't have much time. However, I thought it was important to expand our range of movement. It would make it easier to escape if something happened.

...Besides, 'Ranch Village' was Kent and Cocoa's hometown. If we registered the gate, their parents would be happy to see them.

When I explained this, Kent nodded in agreement.

"I've decided to become a 'Shield Knight'! So, I'll need to go to the 'Capital Bloom' for the job change soon. If we register the village gate, it will make travel easier."

"Indeed!"

Kent's suggestion made Cocoa nod, and she said excitedly, "I want to register gates in other countries too."

I understand. I also want to register all the gates in this world!

"Then, shall we return to Tzile?"

"Sure—oh, we should check if the guild has any 'Fire Bombs' in stock, right?"

"That's right. We should stop by the guild before returning to Tzile and then meet up with the others."

"Agreed."

Tarte and Kent quickly decided on the next steps. They were so competent, which made me feel very reliable.

We parted ways, and I headed to the inn where Tertia and the others were waiting.

When I arrived at the inn, Tertia and Roi greeted me. Mimoza and Blitz were not there; they seemed to be out.

"Welcome back, Sharon. Is everything alright?"

"I'm glad you're back safely."

"Thank you, I'm back."

Roi prepared tea, and I immediately reported the events in Tzile to them. The good news from Grandma Luminous and the bad news from the cathedral.

After hearing my story, Roi sighed and pressed his temples.

"Rodney's actions are faster than I thought. He probably intends to allow entry to the room with the statue of Flodia only to those who are on his side or pay a large sum of money."

"That... is the privatization of the 'Flodia Cathedral.' This place is meant for pure prayers to the goddess Flodia..."

Tertia's expression twisted, and she was pained by what Rodney was doing. How many people, like Tertia, could think purely about the country? I hoped Tertia could return to the papal chair soon.

After taking a sip of tea, Roi looked at me.

"As it stands, you can't become a 'Healer.' What do you plan to do, Sharon?"

"I'm planning to break in at night."

"Sharon?!"

When I honestly answered Roi's question, Tertia's eyes widened, and she exclaimed, trembling, "What are you thinking...?"

...It is illegal entry, after all.

I smiled wryly but had no intention of giving up. Becoming a secondary class was necessary for the upcoming battle with Rodney, and I planned to become an 'Archbishop' and a 'Holy Maiden' in the future. Roi also needed to go to the statue of Flodia to become an 'Archbishop.'

In contrast to Tertia, Roi nodded and said, "There's no other choice."

"Even Roi... But can you really break into the cathedral at night?"

"...I once heard that the sewers under the city connect to the cathedral. If we use that, it might be possible."

"Is there such a path?"

Roi mentioned the sewers, which I also knew about. In the game, there was a quest to break into the cathedral at night, and I remembered the route well. I planned to use that this time.

...The problem is the smell...

While I was thinking about the smell, Roi was spreading out a map.

"From here, the sewers should connect to the cathedral."

"Is it possible to enter from here?"

I shouldn't be thinking about the smell! I immediately looked at the map and listened to Roi's explanation. Even though I had gone through it once in the game, there might be changes in the real world.

However, a quick check showed no issues.

"When do you plan to carry out the operation?"

"While you two are making the 'Adventurer's Bracelets,' I'll go and pray, then immediately join you. Tertia and Roi can register me at the transfer gate, and we can wait for morning to meet up with Tarte and the others and leave the city. That's the plan."

"Understood. However, there are monsters in the sewers, so please take Mimoza with you. She can provide some support."

"Thank you. ...By the way, where are the two of them?"

When I tilted my head and asked, Roi explained that they were out gathering information, specifically checking for any messages from other 'Paladins.'

"Indeed."

Incidentally, the two 'Paladins' also planned to have the bracelets made. Tertia and Roi would have them made before they left to check the safety of the bracelets.

...Since Tertia would be wearing them, they wanted to check them in advance. As expected of a bodyguard.

We decided to leave for Tzile as soon as Mimoza and Blitz returned.

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