Chapter 166

Despite the chaotic events unfolding, it didn’t take long for things to wrap up.

Gaspard closely followed the Pope and swiftly subdued him. The sight of him being carried around like a sack was quite impressive.

“No! My freedom! My ideals! My fleshpots!!!”

“··· ···”

“Just you wait! I will escape from this mad place someday! Absolutely!!”

I can’t help but wonder if this guy really is the Pope. Using terms like ‘fleshpots’ seems like something someone from the Eastern Empire would say.

Anyway, his behavior is very much reflective of a true follower of Chaos. Plus, I can somewhat understand how tough it must be to be the Pope.

‘It’s a miracle the country isn’t in ruins.’

I mean, with a human like him as the Pope, the nation is somehow still functioning. That’s quite something.

Especially since the Pope, being the top leader, has to serve as a face for diplomacy. Yet he’s busy causing a ruckus.

I wondered if he acted like that during diplomatic missions, but I refrained from asking. There’s no point in delving into such details.

‘If he’s conducting diplomacy like that, the country would have fallen apart ages ago, right?’

Or maybe, true to the ways of a follower of Chaos, he was performing his duties well. He just didn’t want to.

In any case, even if a brief uproar occurs, our steps wouldn’t falter. Our first destination was the Temple of Gaia.

“Is there anyone here who serves Lady Gaia?”

“No. There’s no one here.”

“I see. To roughly explain about the temple······”

Rize provided an explanation about the Temple of Gaia and the Temple of Gulrak as we walked. Given her much longer lifespan and experience, she boasted extensive knowledge.

“Each temple has its own characteristics. The Temple of Gaia is spacious, while the Temple of Gulrak is tall. Both temples were built in the distant past and still retain their form.”

As Rize described, the Temple of Gaia resembled an ancient Greek temple.

Typically, structures dedicated to gods, such as cathedrals, shrines, and temples, are referred to as temples, but their common appearance is based on ancient Greek architecture.

Therefore, the grandeur was beyond words, yet, interestingly, if you consider height, it wasn’t that tall.

“Is there anyone here wishing to pray?”

“Will the gods respond if we pray?”

“Not exactly. They will merely observe.”

I didn’t plan to pray. None of us were believers of Gaia, and the thought of it just felt unnecessary.

I felt the same. Maybe because of that recent dream, I felt a bit uneasy.

Normally, I’d like to curse while praying.

‘······Should I?’

Gulrak responded quite entertainingly, but I wondered how Gaia would react.

As I entered the temple, I asked Rize if I could pray just once.

Rize widened her eyes slightly for a moment before flashing a smile and gladly agreeing.

“Of course, Sister.”

“Yes. Saint.”

As Rize called for a follower of Gaia, a woman responded immediately.

The fact that believers of other religions refer to each other as siblings suggests that all religious figures are treated like family.

“Could you provide this person with a sacred flame holder?”

“As the Saint commands.”

“Thank you, Sister.”

Soon, the follower of Gaia brought the flame holder. It wasn’t the type used in the Olympics but resembled a bowl.

“You can kneel and pray now.”

“Got it.”

I knelt according to Rize’s explanation. Then, I clasped my hands together and closed my eyes.

“Hey, you witch.”

I started off by flipping her off. Given that she threw me into this world against my will, it was justified to curse her.

“Why did you summon me here? Tell me.”

‘··· ···’

“If you won’t speak, I’ll take a dump right here.”

Gaia didn’t budge in response to my ‘threat’ and continued to be silent. The flame holder staying unlit was a sure sign.

Did she not want to talk to me? Unlike Gulrak, Gaia’s lack of response made it pretty dull.

Well, it makes sense that Gulrak wouldn’t respond since he’s related to Kara. I wonder if I’ll have to become friends with Gaia’s followers later on.

“Hmm······ No response at all. That’s fine.”

“Ugh.”

With no further reaction, I stood up. Cursing or not, she clearly had no intention of engaging in conversation.

In the end, it looks like I’ll have to solve this mystery by myself. Alternatively, I could just ask Gulrak directly.

At least I think Gulrak would respond with some lightning. I’m planning to draw his attention somehow.

“Well then, thank you for your help, Sister.”

“Goodbye.”

After the prayer, I left the Temple of Gaia. Nothing happened, so there was no thrill.

Next, we were, of course, heading to the Temple of Gulrak. The Temple of Gulrak has a rather unique appearance.

While the Temple of Gaia closely resembles ancient Greek architecture, the Temple of Gulrak seems like a tower modeled directly after an altar.

It resembles a ziggurat from Mesopotamian civilization. However, it’s taller and larger than a ziggurat.

“Wow······ It looks like a massive altar. Did ancient people really make this?”

Kara, being a true follower of Gulrak, was immediately taken in by awe upon seeing the temple.

Her eyes sparkled like a pure child. That just shows how sincere she is towards Gulrak.

While Kara observed the temple, I looked around. As expected of a place dedicated to the god of destruction, there weren’t many people around surprisingly.

But then again, with life and destruction contrasting each other so starkly, it’s somewhat understandable. However, while there weren’t many at the Temple of Gaia, the actual number was still substantial.

‘Most are just people who wield power.’

Men and women alike were mostly armed. Given how the god of destruction has a strong offensive aspect, it makes sense there are many warriors.

But does that mean the atmosphere is dangerous? Absolutely not. In fact, everyone was quite friendly.

It felt like drunken people becoming approachable once they step into a pool hall.

Everyone had their serious faces on, yet they smiled kindly, giving off a strange vibe.

“Welcome to the Temple of Destruction. Is there anything I can help you with?”

As Kara was looking around like a child at a theme park, an old man approached us.

Despite his feeble voice, his sturdy physique was quite impressive. He clearly hasn’t neglected training even at his age.

“Oh. The Saint is here as well. What brings you here?”

“Nothing in particular. Just that these folks wanted to visit the temple.”

“Is that so? Hmm······”

The old man scrutinized our appearances. His gaze precisely landed on Kara.

I guess it makes sense since she belongs to the Tartar ethnicity.

“Are you from the Tartar ethnicity?”

“Ah, yes. That’s correct, but······”

“The Tartar people worship Gulrak, right?”

“Yes.”

“Welcome. A noble guest has arrived.”

It seems there’s no discrimination just because she’s from the Tartar ethnicity. It’s all about believing in Gulrak.

Although Kara was a bit cautious at first, she seemed to have relaxed upon feeling the old man’s kind demeanor. All that’s left is for her to enjoy the tour comfortably.

Others also decided to explore the temple separately as it seemed like it’d take longer than expected, in contrast to the Temple of Gaia.

And I was guided by the old man alongside Kara. Suddenly, I felt a tug at my back from Ragnarok.

“Could you tell me how the Tartars worship? I know a bit about other nations, but I’m not familiar with the Tartars.”

“Well······ They generally worship through offerings or dancing. Gulrak really enjoys that.”

“Dancing, you say? Are you referring to combat?”

“No, I mean actual dancing, without any fighting.”

“That’s certainly a unique culture.”

The old man welcomed Kara as a guest without any discrimination. We even learned a bit about Tartar culture during the process.

Kara also gained useful knowledge, like methods of rituals she wasn’t aware of and preferences of Gulrak. Quite a fruitful session.

“Oh, and Gulrak granted my father a blessing. That’s the axe that Sivar is carrying on his back.”

“I’ve heard about that. It’s quite famous among the followers of Gulrak.”

“If you’d like, I can show it to you. Sivar?”

At Kara’s request, I silently handed over Ragnarok. It was then passed to the old man from Kara’s hand.

Ideally, it should’ve sparked a bit, but the old man, being a devout follower of Gulrak, did not cause any sparks at all.

“This is a weapon close to the divine. I can feel Gulrak’s essence emanating strongly. However, there’s also a subtle aura mixed in······”

‘··· ···’

That was a bit surprising. That subtle aura probably suggests some Chaos is intertwined in there.

At the same time, I became curious. What on earth is this old man’s true identity? Kara seemed curious too.

“It might be a bit late to ask now, but could you tell us your name?”

“Oh, I apologize for the late introduction. Hehe.”

The old man returned Ragnarok to me while chuckling. He appeared to be quite a kind old man, much like Rod.

Then he slightly bent his waist and introduced himself in a polite tone.

“I am Heinkes, a devout servant of Gulrak and the priest in charge of this temple.”

“A priest means······ you’re the highest authority here, right?”

“That’s the case, yes.”

No wonder he had such an impressive presence. The position of a priest is effectively equivalent to a cardinal.

He oversees everything from basic rituals to major ceremonies across factions. In terms of faith, he could be compared to Kara.

“I’m Kara Meyer Hektorsdotir. I serve as a warrior and priestess in Tartar.”

“Hektorsdotir······ the daughter of the King of Destruction. It’s an honor to meet you. So then, this person is······”

Heinkes’s gaze shifted to me. His expression was full of goodwill.

Since I could wield Ragnarok, he must be thinking I’m a follower of Gulrak.

Considering I could use thunder, he’s partially correct. However, I didn’t feel the need to explain it that much.

“Sivar. Just Sivar.”

“Sivar······ I see. May I ask what kind of relationship you two share?”

“Y-Yes? W-Why do you ask······”

Kara looked quite flustered at the unexpected question. This reaction clearly caught her off guard.

In response, Heinkes clasped his hands behind his back, chuckling while speaking in his familiar tone.

“That weapon is surely one close to the divine. It appears as though you’d have to be quite close to lend such a weapon to someone. From what I’ve heard, that axe is the beloved weapon of the King of Destruction.”

“······That’s right.”

“It wouldn’t be strange for the princess to possess such a weapon, but it is unusual for this man to have it. Oh, but if it’s uncomfortable, feel free not to answer.”

“Well, that······”

Kara fumbled around while starting to glance in my direction. Her expression was hesitant.

Her face was gradually reddening, indicating that it was a bit embarrassing for her to admit outright.

‘We’ve already kissed, after all.’

It’s almost a given relationship at this point. To spare Kara from her embarrassment, I confidently said, “She’s my girlfriend.”

“Huh?”

“S-Sivar?!”

“Well, we’ve even kissed·····”

Just as I was about to say that,

Ka-boom!!!

A lightning bolt struck from the clear sky.

---