Chapter 199

Giving meaning (2)

It is indeed a scenery that can be said to be superb.

A coast famous for being the most famous in Margrave Zahur’s territory.

When the open coast was suddenly revealed after going through the forest path that had been going on for a while even the workers who had been there several times let out exclamations of exclamation.

The beach which shines romantically in the noon sun seems to be lined with jewels.

However that alone is not much different from the scenery seen along the coast of Aken Island. What caught my eye more than anything was the appearance of the monastery towering high in the middle of the vast sea.

Cleric Monastery.

Even if the monastery is built with crude bricks if it is this large and grand it makes the viewer feel overwhelmed.

The long spiers rise up into the sky so high that you can easily count six or seven of them just by looking at them. The high rock wall beneath it naturally functions as a fortress.

It cannot be compared to buildings such as the Ofilis Hall or the Trix Hall which are the largest buildings in Sylvania. It really looks like a castle from a fairy tale floating on the sea.

“You probably can’t go in now.”

Kylie Ecne sitting across from me... In other words the disguised Saint Clarisse looked at the scene outside the window and said.

“Looking at it the tide is at its peak... “I guess I can go in only after sunset and the water goes down.”

okay... ?”

“Probably on foot. “You may have to carry some simple luggage yourself.”

Kylie who was sitting down and adjusting her school uniform smiled.

Surprisingly the travel time was not long. Is it about half a day by carriage? It felt like the carriage had picked up a bit of speed but it was still much closer than I expected.

In the first place Aken Island was right next to the County of Zahoor and Cleric’s Monastery was also within the territory of the County of Zahoul so it wasn’t that far away.

“It is significant that no matter who comes they must first get off the carriage and walk on their own feet. In order to enter the Cleric Monastery both the royal family of a country and the saints of the Church of Telos must walk in equally. “It is a road that only appears briefly during low tide so there is no way a horse-drawn carriage can pass through it.”

“This place is more troublesome than I thought.”

“It contains the teaching that we are all human beings under the protection of Telos.”

“... ”

“Well actually I think that’s why I added it later.”

Since the saint herself said so I cannot refute it.

However the workers sitting nearby burst out laughing.

“Haha this young lady surprisingly understands the essence of that monastery. “This is my first time seeing you. Are you from the Bachelor?”

No matter how disguised she is she is still a girl who calls herself a border noble.

However the workers seemed to have no idea that a girl of that status would be riding in these workers’ carriages and they joined our conversation in an innocent tone of voice.

“I’m a first-year member of the Ministry of Magic.”

Surprisingly this girl’s acting is thorough when she moves while hiding her identity as Clarice.

In the first place I had a strong feeling of killing myself when I moved with my status as a saint.

“I am one of the bachelor’s students who came to assist Saint Clarice.”

“Oh it’s the same reason as the master here. “Did you come into contact with Saint Clarice at the Bachelor’s?”

“It seems like we must have a special relationship with that saintess to the point where she invites us to sit together. “He wasn’t the type of person to ride in the same carriage as workers like us who only use their strength.”

The workers chatting with laughter were already gulping down glasses of beer.

It may seem like they were drinking in broad daylight but in reality once they had unloaded their luggage at the beach their work was almost over.

There is no way these workers could enter the Cleric Monastery which is strictly prohibited so it would be the nuns from there who would carry the luggage to the inside of the monastery.

“For ordinary people like us it is a great honor just to be able to carry the saint’s burden. When I say that I am personally assisting it feels like I am from a far away country. “I received a great honor even though I was still a student wearing my school uniform.”

“I think the saint will always be grateful to the workers who always work hard.”

“The young lady speaks very beautifully. “It’s a faithful character that looks like something out of a textbook.”

One wonders what Kylie’s expression would be like if she found out that the smiling Kylie herself was actually Clarisse the saint she was praising so much.

As for me there were so many listening ears in the carriage that I couldn’t have a proper conversation with Clarice.

In the first place it is not easy to have a long and serious conversation with Clarisse alone because she is always accompanied by a guard or several followers.

In my opinion I boarded the workers’ carriage as Kylie in order to share a lot of personal stories but this is a difficult situation for me. If I were to speak openly under the assumption that the other person was Clarisse the workers around me would probably find it strange.

In particular it is funny to confidently say what Seong Chang-ryong did.

“Anyway I heard that you are going inside the monastery... “You have such a valuable experience.”

“I see. We only know the grand exterior but we don’t know what the interior looks like. Is it possible for you to see with your own eyes what the interior will look like... ”

“Not only that but there are a lot of nuns inside who don’t know anything about the world so it must feel like they have the whole world. “Cluck click click.”

Aren’t all the guys’ thoughts the same?

While saying that the workers gave me happy looks as if they were envious. Since I didn’t have anything to say I had no choice but to reply that I was just going to do my duty.

The workers soon began to whisper among themselves probably because they felt that I was sitting politely and not saying more than was necessary.

“He certainly doesn’t seem like someone who enters the sanctuary out of mere curiosity.”

“Well do we really need to try to understand? “I guess all high-ranking people have a will.”

In fact even if it were me I did not enter the monastery with a very noble meaning but it seemed like they were misunderstanding it as they were whispering among themselves.

“It’s not a very grand reason. just... “I just assist the saint in her daily life.”

“If it’s about that saint how can it be anything other than a big deal? “I’m just curious about the abbot’s reaction.”

“Abbot... Do you mean... ?”

“Oh you said it well! “That old lady Austin!”

When the name Austin came up among the workers Kylie smiled as if she was guessing something.

“Do you know the abbot?”

“I know. When we load cargo they always bring manpower to the shore to receive it. It is said that inside the monastery they call it Grandma Wang Grandma Wang and when you see it in person you will immediately know why. Did you say she is 109 years old this year? The strangest thing is that they live a long time. “That old lady.”

“Cluck that old lady really has no intention of dying. Last time she stopped by to pick up groceries she said she received a lot of cream that she said was good for skin care... “She can’t believe she still has the strength to do that.”

When you think of an abbot the image that comes to mind is that of a faithful and kind nun.

However I was also bewildered by the strange reaction of the workers. When I turned my gaze to look at Kylie I saw that she was just smiling as if she was having fun.

“As for Abbot Austin... “You probably know to some extent.”

sure. “Once you meet them you probably won’t forget them.”

It was impressive to see Kylie smiling so cheerfully that I wondered why she was like this.

*

He said that and smiled brightly again but I couldn’t help but just keep eye contact.

“... I thought it was some kind of witty humor... “This humor has never worked with young people.”

“Honestly I’m embarrassed.”

“Well anyway after you’ve grown this useless you can quickly gauge a person’s depth by just looking at them at a glance. By all appearances he is a nobleman and he perfectly meets all the conditions that many young women want to find as a husband so I hope he will be more careful about his behavior inside the monastery.”

After saying that Abbot Austin glanced around from the corner of his eye. It means speaking using your gaze. Ask me to take a look around.

When I looked around out of the corner of my eye I saw that all the nuns who had followed Abbot Austin were looking in this direction with a nervous look.

About twenty or so nuns were glancing in my direction as they each went about their business to take over the luggage. The tension between them is evident.

An immature red-haired nun who was sticking out the back of the carriage and only peeking her head out popped her face and a nun who looked sincere with her jet-black hair neatly braided was pricking her ears as if she were embarrassed.

“There was already a rumor going around inside the monastery. One of her men a gentle and dignified noble family recognized by the saint would come and live at the monastery for a few days. What did they say?

He has an archaic appearance that even the sky would be jealous of a gentlemanly character that listens to every single song of the birds and magical skills so proficient as to be inappropriate for his age. In addition his level of academic excellence is so high... They say he’s like a prince who flirts with all the ladies from noble families.

”

“... ”

“Isn’t it really scary that rumors are being inflated? The fairytale-like delusions of adolescent girls often make even me watching right next to them lose my mind. Well for girls of that age isn’t it best to act like one? “Well it would be a painful experience for Nauri a noble person who is expected to be there.”

I pressed my temples and showed signs of pain. Abbot Austin then burst into laughter again as if he found the sight very amusing.

“Kahahak! Still if you were born with a stick in your crotch you should know how to enjoy this situation! Where else would you get the experience of being the center of gossip and receiving the attention of many women at once? It would be good to put some strength into your shoulders and try to show off a little by thinking “This is who I am!” but... ”

Surprisingly the mind is open. She was the exact opposite of the image of a monastery hostess who thoroughly emphasized abstinence and isolation from the world.

“... “Be sure to lock the door at night.”

“... Is it possible to invade? ?”

“It’s my personal judgment but girls of this age are harder to control than the rough mercenaries in the lawless area of ​​Cohelton.

Even an aging body needs to be properly overworked but if you forget something happens once in a while. Having an affair with a man from outside has become an annual event so now the policy is to rarely let workers in. What’s more you’re from a noble family. It’s obvious even if you don’t look at it.

”

Abbot Austin crossed his arms over his chest cleared his throat and continued speaking.

“Well enjoying a situation like this is up to you noble noble but... Still I hope you make a careful decision. I don’t want to explain it in detail but among the nuns who are indebted to the Cleric Monastery there are many friends whose back stories are complicated. There are also a few children who are illegitimate children of noble families whose names cannot be mentioned or who are born with the blood of cursed blood relatives. anyway... There are many people who think that if they borrow the power of God everything will be solved. “Just because you lock him up in a monastery doesn’t mean he will disappear.”

“... ”

“There are many children born without blessings. I have decided to take responsibility for them and carry them until I die but noble Naeuri has a bright future ahead of him. This old man fully understands the immoral pleasure that forbidden love gives but he must also have the wisdom to see his life from afar. “It sounds obvious but it is.”

And then he sighed without uncrossing his arms.

It wasn’t a very good story but it was a story that had to be told. The person speaking didn’t seem very happy either.

ha... Anyway young nobleman Nauri understands. Even though I think I should do it in moderation after reaching this age the story always ends with obvious old jokes. In the end all I can say is to look far ahead in life. “I’m an old man who has nothing to boast about other than living a long life.”

no. “You’ve seen and heard a lot so you probably have a lot of things to worry about.”

“... Anyway I am reassured that noble Nauri seems to be more mentally mature than other nobles. I feel proud in many ways because the saint seems to have a clear eye for people. okay. “Then I wonder if I can rely on that recognition and ask you one more favor.”

“Do you mean a favor?”

Abbot Austin’s generous temperament is probably a sign of his struggle to survive in his old body for a long time.

Nevertheless there are times when you can feel the sincerity with which Abbot Austin thinks of the monks of the monastery.

For some reason Abbot Austin lowers his voice a bit. Do you want to talk without people around you hearing?

“Even if they are nuns who are not welcome somewhere in the world and come to this monastery and lead an ascetic life away from the world... “It’s a person.”

“... ”

“Following God’s will is a truly noble and important thing but I think that keeping your dreams while you are young is proof of being alive. So I don’t want to break the nuns’ illusions even if it seems like spring will eventually pass. In short I am asking him to remain as a prince.”

If it actually goes that far I can’t guarantee it.

As for me I am just another human being struggling to survive.

“Have you ever seen a nun looking up at the night stars and imagining a happy dream during her early morning prayers? “Probably not.”

“... ”

“Even though I live as a servant of God when I feel like I am still a human being I feel like I am taking responsibility for these children. “I don’t want to disturb the human side of children by discussing faith.”

Then he puts his arms around his waist again and smiles.

“They are the daughters born from my heart.”

Then perhaps embarrassed he added a joke.

“For someone this age you must have had some strength. “Because I have about 270 daughters.”

It seems like I can feel the past of Abbot Austin who truly raised the nuns like his own daughters... I also decided to give up.

“I will try my best.”

The way he raises his eyebrows at those words is more generous than anyone else in the world.

She is an old woman who has been converted to the Telos Church for 80 years and has been in charge of the monastery for almost 50 years. I think I understand why she is called Grandmother Wang.

He is someone who deserves respect. I thought I knew why everyone was saying that so I agreed with Austin.

“By the way shall I tell you a story that will please noble Nauri even more?”

Anyway I have to wait until the sun sets on the beach.

Perhaps because there was no one worth chatting with the abbot spoke quietly as if he knew everything.

“This is a secret but I support the benevolent Princess Fenia.”

The Princess of Persica visits. She seemed to already have some sense that my purpose was to have a conversation with her.

No matter how much one is confined to a monastery one would not be completely ignorant of news from the imperial capital.

Abbot Austin smiled and clearly reminded us that we are allies.

*

– Bang!

The box lid flew into the sky.

The wizard girl stuck her head out from inside the wagon and shook her head. Inside her box are several leather pouches that the girl had brought with her.

Inside were simple wands and magic items and there was also a lot of beef jerky.

Should I call it a deviation? I only took a nap so it was the same as usual.

Rather the gently shaking luggage compartment of the carriage is a more relaxing and pleasant place to take a nap than expected.

“... ”

Lucy Mayril stretched out her neck in the dark luggage compartment with a dazed and drowsy look on her face.

The traces of drool were clearly visible around the corner of the mouth.