“What’s with this city being completely white?”
As Leje looked at the scenery of the city plastered in white, her expression was one of disbelief.
The castle gate was white, the roads were white, and even the clothing of the buildings and people was white.
Even the street trees along the side of the road were white.
It was truly a world made of white.
That was the first impression they had as they entered the Holy Kingdom.
“This feels strange.”
“Y-Yeah… I guess it’s a bit scary?”
Kurt and Silphier also let out soft groans at the surreal sight.
They say if you lock someone in a completely white room, they’ll go crazy eventually…
It was surreal enough to make one think ordinary people might end up that way if they lived here for too long.
“By the way, there’s quite a crowd, is it normally like this?”
“This isn’t a usual sight for the Holy Kingdom. It’s all because of the Hero Selection Tournament.”
While Leje watched the bustling crowd outside, she asked Eleor, who was sitting across from her, and she answered with a faint smile under her veil.
“Hmm…”
When it comes to the Holy Kingdom, most people have a calm and sacred image in mind.
But the scenery of the Holy Kingdom right now was so lively, it could easily be called a marketplace.
People gathered to grab the honor of becoming a hero.
People trying to witness the moment a hero is born.
And even merchants targeting them.
The scene was nothing short of a crowded market.
As the carriage carrying Rudell and the others rolled through the multitude of people, it gradually started slowing down…
“We’ve arrived. This is the main headquarters of the Gaia Church. The Gaia Temple.”
Eleor said as she looked at the large building in front of her through the carriage window.
What was visible outside was a massive structure reminiscent of ancient Greek architecture.
And the countless crowds filling the area in front of it.
“Oh my… what are all these people?”
Crowds bustling around the temple along with priests.
Guards and holy knights of the church were keeping a strict watch around.
“I’ll get off here first.”
As Eleor stood up, the carriage door opened and a priest welcomed her.
“Welcome, Saint.”
“Saint!! It’s the Saint!!”
“Look this way, please!!”
As she gently grabbed his hand and stepped out of the carriage, a thunderous cheer erupted.
The sound was so loud that Rudell and his group couldn’t help but cover their ears.
“Wow… that’s incredible…”
“Well, she is the Saint. It’s only natural, right?”
Though there might be slight differences between churches, usually the Saint is right below the High Priest, the leader of the church.
Meles, the head of the Gaia Church in the Empire, was technically of a lower rank than her too.
Now that she made a public appearance, their reaction was bound to be explosive.
“We will escort the guests separately.”
As the priest guided Eleor inside the temple, the coachman said this, closing the door of the carriage.
With the neigh of the horses, the carriage moved, and once behind the temple, it came to a stop again.
Due to the temple’s massive size, it took a few minutes just to head to the back…
“Welcome, esteemed guests. I am the priest assigned to guide you, Filson.”
Unlike the busy entrance of the temple, they were greeted by a young priest in the quiet back.
With golden hair and striking blue eyes, he was a man of objectively good looks.
“You must be tired from your long journey, so I’ll guide you to your lodging first. Please follow me.”
As the man who spoke started walking, Rudell and the group followed him towards the inside of the temple.
*
“Lodging is white too…”
“Ugh…”
Seeing the scenery of the room that resembled a hospital, Leje couldn’t hide her disbelief.
If there weren’t any windows to look outside, one could easily mistake it for a mental ward.
Could the fanatical attitude of the priests in this world be influenced by such interiors?
With this thought, Rudell let out a low groan.
“These people… are they perhaps a bit off? Everything is white, I can’t understand it at all.”
“Is… is this really okay…?”
Kurt and Silphier also reacted as if they couldn’t grasp the situation.
But what could they do?
Changing lodgings now was impossible.
All accommodations in the city were packed, and those who couldn’t find a place were camping outside the city.
Finding another lodging in such a situation was like trying to catch the stars.
“There’s no other choice… if not this, we’ll have to sleep outside.”
No matter how used to sleeping outside they were, they’d only do it when there was no choice.
They had no intention of sleeping outside when a decent lodging was available.
Once everyone finished unpacking…
“Have you had your meal? If not, I can prepare something for you.”
“Please do.”
“Please follow me.”
At the arrival of Filson’s question, Rudell nodded and followed him.
They walked down a hallway made of polished marble that reflected their figures faintly, and soon arrived at a small room.
It was decorated with an old-fashioned atmosphere.
In the center of the room was a table laid out with various dishes.
“When will Eleor arrive?”
“The saint said she cannot join us for the meal due to her busy schedule. Please understand.”
“Then there’s nothing we can do.”
Just by the reactions of the people at the temple’s entrance, it was easy to predict she was quite busy.
Nodding to Filson’s words, Rudell and the group took their seats at the table and began to eat.
“Whoa… what is this? It’s way more delicious than I expected!”
“Definitely, the ingredients are fresh.”
“I heard the crops in the Holy Kingdom are of exceptional quality, and this seems to be true…”
“Probably thanks to the Divine Power that spreads all over the land.”
Even though it was just ordinary bread and fruits, the flavor was exceptional enough for Rudell and the group to notice.
If Rudell’s memory served right, it was due to the Divine Power spreading through the land of the Holy Kingdom.
“Divine Power?”
“The Divine Power flowing from the Sacred Flame Tower makes the land of the Holy Kingdom fertile.”
The Sacred Flame Tower was a massive tree filled with Divine Power whose roots spread all over the land of the Holy Kingdom.
The Divine Power flowing from its roots made the land fertile and promoted the growth of the crops that grew there, resulting in their exceptional quality.
In other words, even if the same crops were grown, the quality of those from the Holy Kingdom was overwhelmingly better.
“I see. I need to buy some as gifts when I go back.”
“That might be difficult, as crops from the Holy Kingdom wilt quickly once they leave.”
The agriculture of the Holy Kingdom was strictly self-sufficient.
And it was understandable since the crops of the Holy Kingdom were practically grown using Divine Power, meaning they would rapidly wilt in places with less Divine Power.
That was also the reason why produce from the Holy Kingdom was hard to find in other countries.
“Geez, what a bummer…”
At Rudell’s response, Leje smacked her lips, and so they busied themselves with their dishes.
Just as they were almost finished with their meal…
Knock, knock.
“Hm?”
“Who is it?”
As someone knocked on the door, they turned their heads after finishing their meal and enjoying a drink.
Just then, the door opened, and two holy knights wearing swords at their waists and a man entered.
“…!!”
Upon seeing the man who entered, Rudell took a short breath.
He had short black hair with curls.
He wore a monocle over one eye.
His eyes were thin and narrow, giving a squinty appearance, while his mouth wore a slightly pleasant smile.
The man gave the impression of being very friendly at first glance.
“Hello, esteemed guests. I am Carvel, and I assist Johannes Derenses Tubel Kainers, the current High Priest and Pope of the Gaia Church.”
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