232 - - Art. 232. Holy Encounter

"I see, so the pilgrim's journey is in a certain order.

As Tracy got used to moving around and settled in, we were learning about the route of the pilgrimage.

"Yes, yes. We will go through six towns and villages, corresponding to the six countries that the young men toured."

You don't actually go to six different countries, do you?

If we were to visit all the countries, there wouldn't be enough time to do so. Besides, some countries have already been destroyed.

Tracy laughs at Mr. Gyro's words.

It is true that rituals are a simplified version of myths and past events.

"And then, by doing good deeds in each place, we can go to the next town. And finally, the pilgrim's journey is accomplished when he reaches the Holy Land."

And then Tracy mentioned a curious rule.

"Do good deeds?　What is it like?"

It depends from time to time. If a resident has a clear problem, solving it counts as a good deed. That's why everyone arrives at the village early and asks if there are any obvious problems.

"That's why you had all those expensive magic items to speed up the process."

I see, that's why everyone was in such a hurry.

I just thought that the pace was too fast for everyone to be the first to reach the goal.

Because this ritual is a journey, and it will not be over soon.

"Speaking of which, when are we going to catch up with those who have gone before us?　We're supposed to be chasing them pretty fast, too."

Mina nodded her head at the absence of other temple participants ahead of her.

"Maybe they took a horse-drawn carriage on the way?　You're going to different towns, aren't you?"

No, that's impossible. The pilgrimage is a sacred journey undertaken by the first popes and they would not be allowed to ride in a carriage.

Tracy assures us unequivocally that this is not the case.

"Is it okay to use magic items?"

"Uh, uh, well, I'm walking by myself, so why not?　You see, it's a kind of equipment ...... and?"

But then I suddenly became sloppy.

I'm not sure what the criteria are for a magic item that assists in transportation but not for a carriage.

"In any case, if you do something that is clearly forbidden, other temples that have lost the ritual will come down hard on you for violating it. Even if other temples were doing the same thing."

"I see, so convenient methods that anyone can do are explicitly prohibited because they would lead to a foot-dragging contest, while high-performance magic items that could turn the tables are kept vague as a type of equipment."

Yes, it's true that ordinary carriages are pulled by living creatures, so there are inevitably limits to what they can do as living creatures.

Then, if we allow magic items, which can be used to overcome any number of performance differences, even the inferior temples will have a better chance to win.

"But does that mean that the other participants got a magic item for moving around that's really great?"

"Not only that, they are probably running as fast as they can, using a combination of potions to restore both magic and strength. They are expensive items, but the temple, which is the headquarters of all churches, should be able to provide enough to last the entire trip.

I see, sleepless nights may be an exaggeration, but if you're running as fast as you can without a break, I can understand why you can't keep up with them.

"Also, I was pretty relaxed at the starting point.

Oh, that reminds me.

I was so surprised that I talked too much.

"But are you all all right?　They have been running at a very high speed since a while ago. You guys aren't using any magic items to move around, are you?"

While we were talking about this, Tracy was concerned that we were pushing ourselves too hard.

She said, "Yes, you don't need to worry. We'll be fine. At this speed, it's just like a light sprint.

"Is this what you call running ......?"

"Yes, Raksi trained me so I have plenty of magic power to spare."

"The physical strengthening has increased the stride length, so it consumes less energy.

In fact, we are not so much running as we are leaping forward, so our energy consumption is not so great.

However, if it is against the rules to walk or run on the ground, we have to be careful about large leaps, because they may be against the rules.

Also, if you run too fast, you will destroy the road and cause trouble for travelers.

"Oh, I see. ......By the way, um... ......"

"Yes, Tracy?"

"Have there been any strange demons attacking you since a while ago?"

Tracy pointed out to me the rate of encounters with demons since we left the Holy City.

It is true that there are a little too many.

"That's right.

"No, no, no, not at all!　You've been attacked constantly since a while ago!

Even as we are saying these things, demons appear, and we all proceed forward, defeating them as we go.

Then Mr. Norbu and Mr. Megli, who are in the last row of the party, follow us, collecting the demons they have defeated in their magic bags.

"But we usually encounter a lot more demons, you know.

Yes, in fact, since I became an adventurer, I've been attacked by many more things.

"How can you say that ......?"

"If you ask me, ......"

"I think it's less than when I'm always working with Mr. Laxi. ......"

Tracy is puzzled, and Lilieira and the others are nodding their heads as if they think there are not enough.

"No way!

"Oh, no, that's not true. I've been thinking about it and it's been weird. I shouldn't have done that, my life has been too dense these days, and I've been basing it on the time I've been working with Mr. Lakshi."

Oh, what's that?　Suddenly, Liliela turned her palm over and said that everything had been strange.

"If you ask me, it's true that there are a lot of them. It's not like we're going to a place where there are a lot of demons by chance, or that we've been unlucky enough to get into trouble. It's not ...... normal, but it's a bit much for a normal road trip."

"Right!　That's right!"

Tracy nodded her head repeatedly in agreement with Liliela, looking truly happy.

Hmmm, I don't know what's going on, but if Liliela, who is an experienced adventurer, says so, she might have a reason.

"Do you think there is a cause for this, Liliela-san?"

"Well, I think there is a non-zero chance."

It seems that Liliela has some basis for this.

"There are many pedestrians, merchant guards, and skilled adventurers along the roads, so the demons are wary of them and don't target travelers who are more numerous than they are.

Well, it is true that many of the demons that appear along the roads are weak.

Even if strong demons come, they will be hunted by those who are looking for materials as soon as they find them.

"Besides, the demons that attacked us earlier were in large numbers, but each of them was a small group. Sometimes demons that have overgrown during the breeding season go out and come to the human village, but if that's the case, they'll attack in larger packs.

Yes, it was indeed a small herd of a few animals that attacked us constantly.

"Tracy, do you know of any large forests or caves around here where demons might live?"

I'm sorry, I don't often go to places far from the Holy City. But I heard that the large demon habitats in the vicinity of the Holy City have been hunted down in the past by the temples in a joint effort.

The Holy City is the headquarters of each religious sect, so to speak, and it is God's home.

They probably wanted to make sure that all the demons were clean out of the city.

"I see. But even so, there were a lot of demons around the Holy City. There were demons of some strength.

"Oh, that was a good earner, wasn't it?

"Oh, by the way, Liliela and her friends were hunting demons around the Holy City, weren't they?"

As I recall, Liliela and Gyro-kun have killed quite a few demons in their hunt.

That's a lot of demons to eliminate.

I see. Did you consider the situation around the Holy City and judge that the number of demons was that large?

There is someone in front of us.

While we were talking about that, Megli found a person in front of us.

"It's true. I wonder if they are participants of the pilgrimage?"

"Hey!　Hey!"

Then the people in front of us seemed to have spotted us and started waving at us and calling out to us.

"What is it?"

"Maybe they are assassins from another temple who want to kill us. Be careful."

"Oh, no!"

Tracy shudders at the mention of assassins.

"Don't worry, Tracy's sister. We're not afraid of assassins!

"Janet-chan, ......"

We slow down and approach the people who have been calling out to us, keeping a wary eye out for us.

When we get close enough to recognize each other's faces, we notice that they are strong amazones, and we are convinced that they are definitely participants of the pilgrim's journey.

"What's wrong?"

As I got closer, I saw that their clothes were stained with blood. They must have been fighting just a few minutes ago.

"Oh my God!　A lot of demons appeared from the forest over there. Oh, we managed to hide and get away from them, but they were heading toward the Holy City. Are you guys all right?"

"A lot of demons?　They attacked us somewhat and we fought them off."

However, I don't think it's irrelevant, given Lilieira's story.

"Well, the demons may have changed direction and scattered on the way. But there is a high possibility that there are still many demons lurking in the forest. We will go to the Holy City to warn the people. If you don't mind, I'd like you to investigate the forest.　And if there are any herds of demons left in the forest, I want you to alert the villages and towns ahead of us."

I was asked to do this by other temple attendees who were not Amazone.

"Well, I think you are also participants in the pilgrimage, but if we go back to the Holy City now, won't we be able to win the war?

In fact, since we haven't caught up with the participants ahead of us, it would be hopeless for us to return to the ritual if we return to the Holy City now.

"I know. We cannot allow ourselves to be defeated since we have participated in this event with the prestige of the temple. But we are not just representatives of the temple, we are followers of God who bring peace to the people. There are more important things than a pilgrimage."

""Oh.""

He may look quite stern, but we were impressed by the sincerity of his inner thoughts.

"I understand!　Leave it to us!"

"Yes, I'll be happy to help in any way I can!"

Not only me, but also Tracey expressed her willingness to cooperate with the girls.

"I see. Thank you for your cooperation!　Then you're in good hands!"

Take care, everyone!

I drop Tracy off as soon as I see that the participants are heading back to the Holy City.

"Well, I'm going to the forest, you guys go ahead of me.

"What?　Aren't we all going together?"

Tracy seemed to think that she was going to be taken along with him, and she looked disappointed.

"So you knew they were suspicious too?"　

Mina seemed to be suspicious of them and asked me about it.

"What?　No, I just thought that if we were going to do normal reconnaissance, we could approach the forest in a small group and use exploration magic."

"...... I remember you having that kind of magic."

"Le Laxi's exploration magic is horseshit. ......"

Then I'll go with you.

"You too, Mr. Megli?"

I was about to head for the forest when Mr. Meghri insisted on accompanying me.

"Since you're Lakshi, you're going to fight if there are many demons, aren't you?　If so, I, the fastest of them all, will go with you, and if there are not many, I will cover you, and if there are too many, I will go back to the others to tell them the scale."

"Okay. Thank you, Mr. Megli.

Certainly, depending on the size of the herd, it is better to have a liaison.

You are indeed a skilled support person, Mr. Megli, since you are working with Mr. Gyro and the others.

I understand. In that case, we'll go ahead of you.

I'll carry Tracy's sister on my back. Come on, get in."

"Oh, yes. Thank you very much. Laxi, the first village is Isla, just along this road!

Tracey told us about the village where we would meet up with Mr. Gyro.

"Okay. We'll meet up with you at Isla!"

◆ ◆

Me and Mr. Megli come to the forest and immediately check how many demons are there with a probing magic.

"......There are certainly a lot of demons. There is a large group in the middle of the forest, and many smaller groups spread throughout the forest. It seems that the one that attacked us earlier was a small herd that was on the periphery of the forest.

"What are we going to do?"

There are a lot of them, but not that many. So we'll destroy them all at once with magic.

"By magic?　But unlike the plains, it takes time to defeat demons in the forest. How do you defeat them?"

I think Mr. Megli means the trouble of defeating only the demons without destroying the forest.

In fact, we don't have to worry about environmental destruction in the air or on the plains, but in the forest, there are many useful resources such as beasts and medicinal herbs, so we don't want to cause as much damage as possible.

Well, there are rare cases like the forest of magical beasts where burning the forest protects the environment.

However, a forest of this size is not a problem.

Don't worry, we have the best magic for this kind of situation.

We have already confirmed that there are no humans in the forest with our search spell.

So I will use that magic without hesitation.

High area search!

First, use search magic to mark demons in the forest.

Next, we launch an attack spell.

"Forest Thorn Lance!"

"""""Ggghhhhhh?

As I activated the magic, a scream roared out from the forest.

"What?　What?

Megli shouts in confusion as she can't understand what's going on from the outside.

"We have destroyed the demons lurking in the forest.

After confirming that there is no longer any reaction from the living demons, I report to Mr. Megli that they have been exterminated.

"What?　Already?

"Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any demons of any great strength.

Forest Thorn Lance is a broad-range magic that manipulates the trees of the forest to attack by extending their roots and branches as spears.

The disadvantage of this magic is that it can only be used in places where there are no plants, or where there are no plants with thick enough branches or roots to be used for attacks.

Also, since plants do not have the wisdom to judge the enemy, the magician needs to either see the target or magically designate the target.

This magic seems to be useless with many drawbacks, but since trees of the forest itself attack monsters as a weapon, it is an attack magic best suited for environmental protection without the fear of destroying the forest like wide-range fire magic.

The point is that the right person is in the right place at the right time.

"Well, once we've defeated the demons, we'll just have to collect the materials. Forest Control!

I activate the magic to control the plants in the forest and make them carry the dead carcasses of the defeated demons out of the forest in a bucket race.

After a while, the carcasses of the demons brought by the branches and roots of the trees start piling up at the edge of the forest closest to us.

"A great number. This many demons from outside the forest ......?"

"It's not difficult to defeat them by using targeting magic applied to exploration magic, right?"

"No, I think it's usually extremely difficult ......"

Now all we have to do is put it in the magic bag and we're done.

I'll have to prove later that I killed the monster lurking in the forest to reassure everyone.

"Well then, now that we've finished collecting the materials, let's go.

"Ummm, yeah...... I was no help after all......"

◆Surveillance

"Hey, what happened to ......?"

We are the pilgrimage participants of the God of Commerce congregation .......

But our real role is to be a stone thrower to thwart our rivals.

We are not the only ones, there are many others who take on such dirty work in other temples.

The bottom line is that our main temple congregation should complete the journey.

And our orders were to sabotage the temple of the Lord God.

Unlike previous pilgrimages, the participants in the temple of the Lord God this time are very suspicious.

That's why the higher-ups are on alert.

In fact, the stranded Temple of the Lord God group was catching up so fast that they were almost catching up to the main group of participants who were ahead of us.

So we decided to lure them into the trap as planned.

Thanks to the herbal incense that the detachment had planted in the center of the forest, the forest had become a den of demons.

And when the men from the temple of the Lord God arrived nearby, we'd ask for their cooperation.

Then, we will watch for those who pretend to return to the holy city and head for the forest, and attack them when they come out of the forest after completing the investigation and becoming exhausted.

Even if they escape, we can buy them enough time so that their victory will be hopeless.

If they ignore our request and continue their journey, we will report the whole story to the management after the journey is over.

We can then claim that their actions are unbecoming of servants of the Lord God and that they are not qualified to lead the ritual.

In other words, the situation was going to be in our favor no matter how it turned out. ......　

"The trees in the forest are carrying the dead bodies of demons ......?"

They never entered the forest.

Instead, the bodies of demons were carried out of the forest one after another.

And they brought not people but branches and roots. How is this possible? Why are the trees moving?

What the hell is going on?

"Oh, I don't know. Hey, can you do that with magic?"

I ask my fellow wizard if he's doing it by magic, but he shakes his head vehemently in denial.

"Don't be absurd!　There is no such magic!　The only possibility is the spirit magic used by the elves, but there are no elves among them. The demons should be in the forest. If that thing is really magic, then the whole forest is within its magical range. That's not the kind of magic humans use!

This forest is quite large. I've never seen magic that can bring such a vast forest within its range, not even on the battlefield.

But then, who are these people?

If it wasn't magic, would the trees in the forest have moved on their own to kill the demons?

That's just human work. ......?

"No, no way, are you sure they're not human ......?"

What?　What are you talking about?

My friends hear me muttering and turn their heads to see what I'm talking about.

"Think about it!　There's no way a human could do this without using magic!　If that's the case, then he's something other than human!"

"What in the world is something that isn't human, then?"

I fearfully tell my friends the answer I have come up with.

"You know this is a journey dedicated to God, don't you? ...... how does it feel to be the recipient of an offering, to have it watered down?"

"No, you're joking ......, right?"

I think you got what I was trying to say. My friends deny it with incredulity.

"Well, then, I ask you, how could a human being do something like that?"

"""......"""

None of my friends could answer my question.

They looked as if they didn't want to believe me, as if they wanted to deny it.

In other words, no one could deny what I said.

"The priests told me that God used to send beings called angels and apostles to the earth to punish human beings for their folly. So nowadays we call those who are better than humans at healing magic "saints" for publicity, but the original saints were extraordinary beings like that. I thought it sounded fishy, but look at the way the temple is now and the scene ......"

We can't deny that God's messenger came to punish us for our actions.

What?　He looked this way!

That's when it happened. One of our men who had been watching suddenly screamed.

"Are you crazy?　They're using magic items to hide their presence. It's all in my head. ......"

I wanted to say that, but he was definitely looking at me.

"Hey, he's waving at me. Maybe he really noticed?　This magic item is working, right?"

That's impossible. We're hiding too far away. They can't see us.

It's just my imagination. Maybe there's a traveler near us. Don't make any sudden moves."

But if it really is a messenger of God ......

"All the demons have been defeated, so don't worry and report back to the Holy City!"

I wanted to think I was imagining things, but he obviously knew we were here and was talking to us.

"""" is,......""""

We got up without anyone's help.

We started running toward the Holy City.

""""I'll go tell them right away!

No doubt about it!　That thing is a real messenger of God!　A real saint!

She is the one who must never be offended!　If we offend them, we'll be d*mned!

We headed for the Holy City as fast as we could, as she had ordered.

And as soon as we report everything to the client, we will leave the Holy City!

I will never do this dirty work again!　I will donate all my money to the Church!

"So!　Please forgive me!