Chapter 175 : Chapter 175

Chapter 175 : Three Divine Artifacts (1)

“Kwahaha, was Itilus a devout clergyman when he was young? There’s no way! In the first place, the Adjak family didn’t even have a single church of the Holy Order.”

“Then what was Lord Itilus like when he was young?”

“He was a pain in the ass! He would get frustrated because there was no stone to smash, and guess what he did?”

“No? Did he try to break a mountain?”

The sea route heading to Aquiris.

Gallajio boarded the Holy Order’s ship instead of his own vessel.

He was lying half-sprawled in the most comfortable position, laughing heartily.

I and my companions, along with Itilus and the Paladins, were huddled together in the cabin, engrossed in Gallajio’s storytelling.

Gallajio vividly recounted stories of his and Itilus’s childhood spent in Adjak’s 1st Autonomous Region.

“I tell you, he was caught going around to every house and stealing a brick from the chimney!”

“...Gallajio. Stop it.”

“You bastard, is that how you talk to your senior? Huh? Kwahaha!”

Gallajio teased Itilus so much that it seemed his sole purpose for being on board was to annoy Itilus.

“At this age, what senior are you talking about? Since when were we friends?”

“Weren’t we quite close when we were kids? How many pieces of bread did you eat at my house? Are you trying to act as my equal now just because we’re growing old together?”

Gallajio laughed heartily like a boisterous pirate and continued to tease Itilus.

The Paladins under Itilus couldn't laugh properly as they watched their Grand Master suffer, but they didn't leave either, instead eavesdropping on Gallajio’s revelations.

Bea, Everchen, and Keldric were also holding back their laughter, unsure whether they should laugh or not.

I, too, found Gallajio’s stories interesting.

The tales from a time when the Adjak Autonomous Region only went up to number 12 were essentially a living history book.

But unfortunately, the story could not continue.

The ship stopped, and the busy shouts of the crew reached the cabin.

“It seems we’ve arrived.”

As soon as the ship stopped, Itilus rushed out onto the deck as if he had been waiting.

Seeing this, Gallajio laughed heartily once more. We also left the cabin.

Gallajio leaned against the railing, gazing at the exterior of the Aquiris Temple.

The amusement gradually faded from his face.

“The Holy Order should know your standing by now.”

“...That is probably true. Although the Holy Order is not our enemy.”

“It’s not always necessary to show your power only to your enemies.”

That seemed to be Gallajio’s way of life.

There was some truth to his method.

There are times when you need to display your strength even to allies.

However, his method was certainly different from mine.

We had lived, and would continue to live, in different ways, so I had no intention of trying to persuade him.

But it was clear that while our methods were different, we were on the same side, looking in the same direction.

“Go to the Order and get what you want.”

“Are you not coming, Lord Gallajio?”

“Why would I? I don’t get along with religious fanatics.”

“You seemed to get along well with Lord Itilus, though.”

“Was it because Itilus is a religious fanatic that we got along, or just because he’s a neighborhood kid that we got along with?”

Gallajio chuckled and answered.

A man who could call the Grand Master of the Holy Order’s Paladin Order a neighborhood kid.

I also smiled faintly at Gallajio.

“Then will you remain on the ship?”

“I must remain to escort you when you return. Not here, but on my ship.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll see you when you come back.”

Splash—!

Gallajio immediately jumped into the sea.

Then, he skillfully swam toward his own ship.

You must be able to swim that well to be called the King of the Seas.

Watching the retreating Gallajio, I shouted loudly.

“I’ll see you when I return, senior!”

Gallajio stopped swimming and turned back to wave at me.

Then, he continued swimming toward his ship.

As I watched Gallajio, I heard a sigh from behind me.

“Let’s go, Polarin.”

“Yes, let’s go.”

“I repeat, you must not forcibly seize the Three Divine Artifacts.”

“Of course not. I will officially request them from the Saintess, and if I can’t get them, I will leave without regret.”

“You must.”

Being with Gallajio made me discover many aspects of Itilus I hadn't seen before.

“Of course. I promise.”

Following Itilus, who was grumbling to himself, I arrived at Aquiris Island.

***

I was speechless as soon as I disembarked.

The Saintess, Serel, had come out to the dock to greet us.

Priests and Paladins, who seemed to possess outstanding Divine Power, were lined up neatly beside her.

And in front of the Saintess were two dazzlingly shining artifacts.

“Did... did you receive a message from Lord Itilus?”

The Holy Sword Eusebia, the Divine Shield Aeliard.

The Three Divine Artifacts of the Holy Order were placed on a table covered with a white cloth.

“No, Lord Itilus only informed us of Lord Polarin’s visit. Have I been presumptuous?”

“Oh, no. It is true that I intended to ask if I could borrow Eusebia and Aeliard.”

“That’s fortunate. You may take them all. I have already secured permission from the bishops as well.”

Even Itilus looked surprised, his eyes wide open, so it seemed to be a situation he was unaware of as well.

“Thank you. But how did you know? Did the God of Peace send a revelation?”

“No, it is not often that God lets us hear his voice.”

Serel stroked Aeliard and continued speaking.

“I guessed it when I heard the news of Lord Polarin’s visit to Aquiris. The only thing that came to mind that would bring an Apostle, who must be very busy, to the Sanctuary was to retrieve the Three Divine Artifacts.”

“...”

I was speechless because Serel was not wrong.

However, my purpose for coming to Aquiris was not solely to retrieve the Three Divine Artifacts.

“I will gladly accept the Holy Sword and the Divine Shield. But that is not my only purpose for coming here.”

“Is there something else you desire?”

“Since we haven’t met in a long time, I would like to speak with the Saintess. Lord Everchen would wish for that too.”

Serel glanced at her brother, Everchen, who was standing right behind me, and smiled faintly.

“Very well. I won’t take up much of your time.”

I, Everchen, Keldric, and Bea followed the Saintess toward the Aquiris Temple.

Priests and Paladins cleared the path and gave us their blessing.

On the way to the temple, the Saintess spoke to me.

“Congratulations. Everyone here was delighted to hear that the Apostle has ascended to the King of the Inoe.”

“It was also made possible because I was an Apostle of the Holy Order.”

“Was it? I would be glad if we were of help.”

The Saintess, having said that, walked in thought for a moment and then added.

“But you achieved everything, Lord Polarin. Both becoming an Apostle and ascending to the King of the Inoe.”

The Saintess opened the temple door herself, then turned back and smiled brightly.

“The God of Peace must also be watching us. What was the message you wished to convey?”

“It’s not so much that I had a distinct message... but I was curious about the Saintess’s condition.”

Serel looked at me blankly, as if she didn't understand, and then smiled again.

“I am fine. Just as I promised Lord Polarin, I am not using Divine Power to prevent the Dome from breaking.”

“That’s a relief.”

The Saintess’s face looked more comfortable than when she had just recovered from Divine Petrification, so I was genuinely relieved.

Everchen also looked relieved as he gazed at Serel.

Although they hadn't expressed it, they were close siblings, so Everchen must have been curious about Serel’s condition too.

“In truth, I still doubt whether that decision was the right one. I keep thinking, ‘What if I could have given Lord Polarin more time to prepare...’”

“No. The Dome was destined to break anyway. You don't need to sacrifice yourself, Saintess.”

And I drove the final nail in the coffin so that the Saintess would no longer carry a burden of guilt.

“And I am also prepared. There is not much left to do now. I will meet the Emperor to ask for cooperation, resolve the minor matters that need to be dealt with, and then advance to the front of Myeolji.”

“May the God of Peace be with Lord Polarin.”

The Saintess put her hands together and began to pray.

A dazzling light emanated from her small body, enveloping the inside of the temple.

I watched the sacred sight, then nudged Everchen, who was standing awkwardly behind me.

“You must have a lot to talk about?”

“That’s... true.”

Everchen also prayed alongside Serel.

The sight of the two people praying together was very heartwarming.

After finishing their prayer, the two gently clasped hands and talked affectionately.

Bea, Keldric, and I watched the scene with satisfaction and gave them space.

Stepping out of the temple door, I gazed thoughtfully at the Three Divine Artifacts.

Bea also came up next to me and exclaimed as she looked at them.

“They are incredibly mysterious. Even though I am not a believer, I can feel the power of the Gods.”

“Right? How about you convert to the Holy Order while you're at it, Lady Bea?”

“Why should I do that?”

“Since I am an Apostle of the Holy Order, if my friend Lady Bea joins the Order, you might receive a pretty decent position, you know.”

Bea glared at me, then respectfully put her hands together and pointed to Maron.

She knew well that Maron was not just a sword, but the World Tree itself.

“I only have the World Tree. Lord Polarin is not just the Apostle of the Holy Order, but also the Apostle of Death... no, the World Tree.”

“Haha, that’s true.”

I turned my attention back to the Three Divine Artifacts.

If I had to choose only one of the Three Divine Artifacts, it would be right to choose the Celestial Crown Mutis, as decided last time.

I already had the best sword, and I wasn't used to fighting with a shield.

But if I could wear all three, the story would change.

If one person wore all three Divine Artifacts, the amount of Divine Power they could wield would increase significantly.

It wouldn't stop there.

The appearance of the three pieces of equipment would disappear, but the effects attached to each piece would be engraved onto the person and could be used.

That is, even without wearing the crown on my head, I could wield the God's Avatar effect in a more amplified way; even without holding the shield in my hand, I could deploy absolute defense; and I could overlay the effect of the Holy Sword onto Maron.

When the Saintess came out, I planned to ask her permission once more and try wearing all Three Divine Artifacts.

Just then, a Divine Power far stronger than before suddenly burst forth from inside the Aquiris Temple.

“...What happened?”

“It seems the Saintess offered some kind of prayer.”

“That’s not an amount the Saintess should be able to release?”

The priests waiting in front of the temple were also startled and began to murmur.

A moment later, the temple door opened.

And the Saintess and Everchen came out together.

The Saintess looked at the people gathered in front of the temple with a reverent expression and said.

“I just received a revelation from God.”

“Ohhh... God of Peace.”

Clergymen and priests alike all bowed their heads and began to pray.

“Assist the Apostle, and let us begin the Holy War.”