The number of ships entering and leaving the Duchy of Kapatia was so overwhelming that it was hard to count.
As it hugged the coastline with relatively deep waters, this port could accommodate various vessels, from large cargo ships to small fishing boats. At that moment, a massive passenger ship adorned with the flag of the Church of the Celestial God sailed in.
As soon as the ship docked, a thick mooring rope, as wide as an adult’s torso, was lowered from the passenger vessel.
Once secured to the mooring pin, the ship was only gently swayed by the waves and was quite stable.
As soon as a sturdy oak gangplank was placed, a red carpet was rolled out on top of it.
Among the individuals onboard, the two most distinguished figures slowly stepped down onto the carpet, making their way to the port.
“Is this the Kapatia Port?”
Priest Vigrind’s face had improved somewhat.
Although she had suffered from severe seasickness, after two weeks at sea, she had adjusted significantly and was feeling a bit better now.
“Indeed.”
Priest Vigrind nodded at the hero Ludvik’s question.
In truth, she wasn’t too sure herself.
The attendants had informed them that they had arrived at Kapatia Port, and she simply accepted it as such.
“It’s quite a large city…”
The hero looked around, marveling at the surroundings repeatedly.
Though Vigrind felt a bit embarrassed, slightly rustic in appearance, she too was busy rolling her eyes around to take in everything around her.
It could be described as a city full of life.
That was the initial impression of Kapatia Port.
Amidst the rough sea air, the voices of people were vibrant, and everywhere were the bustling figures of those handling and moving various marine products.
“Is that you, Saint Vigrind?”
While she was momentarily looking around, a white-haired man approached with a smile.
Wearing a pure white robe with a red and gold-trimmed bishop’s mitre, he had a gentle expression. Vigrind recognized him as someone she’d never met before.
“I am Bishop Pileo from the Kapatia Duchy branch, here to welcome you, Saint Vigrind.”
“Oh, Bishop Pileo. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Vigrind touched the front of her saintly robe and slightly bowed in greeting.
Initially, the revealing nature of the saintly attire had been quite burdensome, but now, she was relieved to be used to it.
Thank goodness I’m used to gold and silver.
“You must have had a tough journey. This is…?”
Seeing the Bishop Pileo’s gaze shift toward him, Ludvik, who had been standing next to Vigrind with a blank expression, flashed a wide smile.
“I am Ludvik. Nice to meet you, Bishop Pileo.”
To Vigrind’s surprise, Ludvik’s surprisingly normal self-introduction made him sigh with relief inside.
Given that Ludvik had some odd, twisted traits, he had been somewhat of a nag aboard the ship.
Well, I guess it’s good that he’s improved a bit.
“It’s good to meet you both. Please, come this way. The workers of the church will take care of your luggage.”
As Ludvik and Vigrind nodded, Bishop Pileo led the way with his customary warm smile.
Following closely were Ludvik and Vigrind, with priests dressed in the Church of the Celestial God’s robes trailing behind them.
Vigrind almost gasped in awe.
The cathedral standing before them boasted an overwhelming size that couldn’t even be compared to the one in Evian where she had stayed.
The white bricks, as if they hadn’t gathered a speck of dust, had the Church of the Celestial God’s insignia engraved on each one, tightly stacked to form towering walls.
These walls created a gently curving enclosure, upon which an arch-shaped bronze gate stood adorned with a bas-relief of the couple of deities guarding the Celestial God.
As the bronze gate opened silently and smoothly, a garden unfolded inside.
Somewhere, it seemed heat stones had been embedded, contrasting against the slightly chilly outdoor air, and Vigrind casually stepped onto the white stepping stones within.
“You must be tired from your journey, so let me guide you to your accommodations first.”
“Y-you’re personally… going to guide us, Bishop?”
The priests standing behind Vigrind and Ludvik kept their eyes downcast, not moving at all.
It was as if they were saying that it was only natural for Bishop Pileo to do so, and no one dared step forward.
“Yes, of course. A saint of the Church of the Celestial God is the daughter most beloved by the Celestial God. For such a noble person, furthermore—”
Bishop Pileo briefly glanced at Ludvik.
Ludvik had yet to receive his ordination.
So, it was impossible to know whether he was truly a hero or not.
The Celestial God had descended and declared Vigrind a saint, but there had been no mention of Ludvik standing beside her.
Only after going to the Infura Church Region, discerning the divine presence, and evaluating his weapon would he be proclaimed a hero. So for now, it was a wait.
“And only after recognizing that weapon will you be declared a hero, so not yet.”
“Ah, your companion is the Saint, huh?”
Ludvik’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
Ludvik was no fool to not understand the implication behind Bishop Pileo’s words.
“That’s right. Until I receive proper recognition, I shouldn’t call myself a hero.”
Ludvik smiled brightly.
“Thank you for understanding. Now, please follow me.”
Bishop Pileo guided Ludvik and Vigrind to their accommodations.
The room was very spacious, yet tidy.
Filled with simple furnishings, it was perfectly suited for a priest’s stay.
“Urgh—”
With a groan, Ludvik collapsed onto the bed.
The mattress, tightly packed with cotton, only contorted slightly with his weight, but lying down felt incredibly comfortable.
“Geez, I feel like I’m getting an ugly reputation everywhere.”
Ludvik was in his prime.
Well, since the Divine said he was a hero and bestowed a holy spear upon him, he had no doubts about being a hero.
However, the thought of having to travel all the way to the Infura Church Region to get ordained was quite bothersome.
“…They say disaster is approaching.”
Was this really the time for lounging around?
He figured that going to the Church Region would provide more details on the current situation.
But after a month of travel to Kapatia and another two weeks by carriage to reach the Infura Church Region, he couldn’t help but feel that maybe he had jumped the gun.
It felt like a waste of time.
As an adventurer, wouldn’t it be faster to just head to the Adventurer’s Guild and grill the informants for information?
There might be high-level info in Infura, but the chance of unearthing something odd while sifting through various information wasn’t to be overlooked either.
Ludvik sat up suddenly from his lying position.
If he had his way, he would head straight to the Adventurer’s Guild in Kapatia right now, but the Saint was weighing on his mind.
She looked a bit weak, and he worried if she could keep up with his hero antics.
*
It had been a month since leaving the village.
Days passed without any notable events, just walking straight along the map.
Along the way, there were a few towns, but following Kaiyak’s advice, they opted for quick moves, securing only necessary supplies before setting off again.
Kaiyak insisted it was better to move quickly rather than stay put, so after stocking up on just the necessary supplies, they set off right away.
“This is a windmill flower. See, the petals look like a windmill, right?”
“What’s a windmill?”
“A windmill is… uh—”
Rubina was riding on James’s back, chatting away quietly as they moved.
It would have been impossible for a 10-year-old to keep up with the adults, so they were wondering how to bring her along when surprisingly, James said he would carry her.
He had experience carrying his own kids, and with orc children already built like tanks, he claimed that human kids felt as light as feathers, and it seemed he was telling the truth.
The days passed without a hitch, almost void of encounters with monsters.
If there was one downside in these peacefully flowing days—
“Did you wake up?”
“…I’m okay…”
After switching shifts for the night watch, Yona crawled into the sleeping bag and asked Rubina, who blinked awake.
The sound was probably louder than an ant’s voice.
It was a whisper that sounded like someone trying to sneak in without even getting a morsel of grass, but Yona managed to catch what she said.
The issue was the sleeping bag.
Although Yona was on the slim side, the sleeping bag itself was extremely narrow, making it inevitably cramped for both her and Rubina to sleep comfortably at the same time.
Of course, Kaiyak and James were out of the question, and while Alex was a guy, Yona just didn’t feel right about having Rubina sleep with him, so she decided to share the sleeping bag with Rubina.
Having one girl and one little kid wasn’t too outrageous, but it was still cramped, especially whenever their night watch began and changed shifts, which would always wake Rubina.
‘So warm…’
But it wasn’t all bad.
Even though it was cramped, Rubina was still a child, so her body temperature was somewhat warm, making the inside of the sleeping bag cozy and pleasant.
Before closing her eyes, Yona gently brushed Rubina’s head as she snuggled into her arms.
After spending two weeks together, it seemed that Rubina had started to form a bit of affection for Yona.
‘In any case, once we get to the Duchy of Kapatia, I’ll have to leave her at the orphanage.’
The cathedral orphanage was a place she could trust to leave her.
Yona had no intention of getting emotionally attached to Rubina.
Just a few more days, and they would reach the Duchy of Kapatia.
There, she would say goodbye to Rubina.
There was no reason to get attached.
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