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244. Childhood Friend – Communication

Items imbued with divine power fundamentally fall into three categories.

The first are “Blessed Items,” consecrated by priests, which can be personally owned. While they don’t offer any significant effects, the belief that possessing them can ward off evil has led couples about to marry to commonly exchange rings blessed in this manner.

The second type is “Divine Objects.”

Unlike the easily fabricated Blessed Items, Divine Objects are made over an incredibly long period.

There are no specific guidelines for the items that form the basis of a Divine Object. Often they take the shape of a statue, but sometimes they could be paintings or small ornaments.

The diverse forms of Divine Objects are deeply related to the causes of their creation. They become Divine Objects because a clergy member has poured their “heart” into it for an extended period.

After the method of their creation was discovered, the forms of Divine Objects became standardized.

Clergy members, hoping to leave behind Divine Objects, sought suitable items, and the Cross Church even distributed appropriately sized statues to priests, holy knights, and monks graduating from monastery schools.

Considering personal preferences, individuals can choose from among the statues of the seven saints, but the number of Divine Objects hasn’t seen a dramatic increase. Divine Objects have been rare to create both then and now, and they are placed in churches across various regions.

The last category is “Holy Relics.”

Holy Relics are not made; they are “discovered.”

Holy Relics don’t have any particular physical characteristics. Most are just ordinary items, but what distinguishes Holy Relics from Divine Objects is that they influence their surroundings.

There are places where the air feels particularly still. For no reason, the atmosphere is serene, and sounds that should echo seem to fade away into the distance. In that tranquility, if one gets the sensation of being watched, it would be reasonable to suspect the presence of an undiscovered Holy Relic nearby.

During thousands of years of history, around fifty items have been discovered or are presumed to be Holy Relics.

Some were lost due to war, like the marriage vows of King Maunin and Queen Letty, which were held by the Asran Kingdom, while others, like the royal scepter that belonged to the Acaian Empire’s emperor but ended up in the hands of the Cross Church, becoming the possessions of successive holy women, also fall into this category.

The wooden staff and brass goblet used by the First Saint, Azra, are also presumed to be Holy Relics, though they have yet to be found.

In any case, each church across the continent possesses at least one Divine Object. The priests sent to the church perform rituals using the authority of that Divine Object and use it as a means of communication when necessary.

This is true for the Bridget Church as well. In the now quiet chapel, under the flickering light of a hundred candles, a priest of Bridget Church was preparing for communication.

Before him sat Marquis Drazin, with the connection target being the Cardinal of the Conrad Kingdom, while the recipient was the recently much-discussed Prince Lean de Yeriel, yet he recited the communication manual in a calm tone.

“Marquis, please have a seat. As you know, communication proceeds alternately. You can relay your messages verbally, but ‘ah’ and ‘uh’ could differ, and I might inaccurately interpret your tone or expressions, so please write it down if possible.”

Naturally, the Marquis was presumed to be the one conversing with the prince, which was a misunderstanding. Marquis Evni Drazin then turned to the young man accompanying him.

“Have you ever used communication before?”

“Yes. You needn’t worry.”

The young man had hair that was just right for grazing and was seated comfortably holding a quill pen, while the priest, somewhat at a loss, waited patiently.

“Let’s see…” After a moment of contemplation, the young man swiftly wrote something and handed it over. The priest shrugged and said nothing. The paper read:

/ Recipient confirmation. From Childhood Friend. /

An action filled with distrust, wanting to confirm who they were communicating with first.

Have I lived deceived all along?

However, the priest fulfilled his duty. He placed his hand on the shallow book, a Divine Object of Bridget Church. The title of the book was unreadable due to the worn pages.

A moment later, the priest, who had been in contemplation, received a response with his other hand. It was then that Reb could finally confirm Lean was indeed on the other side.

/ Recipient confirmation. From Beggar Siblings. /

Now there was no holding back. Reb began to write swiftly, and while Marquis Drazin idly waited, dozens of messages were exchanged.

/ The conversation with the Childhood Friend proceeded similarly to before. Leah went to the Monastery, and I commenced preparations. It proceeded without major issues, but there are setbacks with securing magical power. /

/ Couldn’t persuade Count Soarel Demetri Ogerton? /

/ I persuaded him. But it’s difficult to get help from the Bolinou Tower. /

/ Need a sorcerer? /

/ The plan has changed. We need support from the Conrad Kingdom. /

/ Speak. /

Quite reliable.

However, Reb paused momentarily with his quill and glanced up at the priest.

Because this communication with Lean would ultimately reach the ears of the Cross Church, and as the leader of the Cross Church, the holy woman stated she would help us, it seemed we had little to worry about.

The one facilitating the communication from the other end was Cardinal Berg, so there was no cause for concern…

Reb’s quill regained its momentum. Significant matters were being written on the paper.

/ Prince Alzeor de Lognum ascended to the rank of Duke. He will invade the Conrad Kingdom this year, alongside Marquis Gaidan’s forces. /

The reply took a moment.

/ More details are needed. /

/ Do not worry. Marquis Gaidan is on our side. It seems Prince Alzeor de Lognum desires to merge with the Conrad Kingdom. We will use this. /

/ Did the last session end that way? /

This reply took even longer to return, and Reb felt a jolt. It echoed back the words he couldn’t express during their conversation in the mirror.

This was something he didn’t want to share.

The astute Lean would surely guess what the future held for him and his sister just by hearing the conclusion.

For a moment, Reb hesitated before picking up the quill again.

/ Yes. /

In a communication devoid of commas, question marks, or ellipses, Reb felt a wave of guilt.

Forgive me for being so stiff in my agreement. I couldn’t fully explain to you what a wonderful king and great general you’ve become, and how you managed to protect your kingdom.

Did my sister, who married into the Aisel Kingdom, write to her brother in the same way?

Hiding the difficulties of living in a foreign land, elevating the man she had an arranged marriage with as a good person… Reriana, our sister. You must have lived as a lonely queen.

At last, a reply arrived. Lean de Yeriel calmly inquired about future plans.

/ How do you intend to use this? /

Letting out a sigh, Reb wrote somewhat bitterly.

/ I plan to kill Duke Alzeor de Lognum at the border. /

The priest, upon receiving the paper, looked visibly shocked. Reb fixed his gaze on him, and after a moment, a reply came back, also showing traces of anger.

/ I will support you. What do you need? /

Reb requested what was necessary for killing Duke Alzeor de Lognum. Lean expressed concern, but Reb responded simply.

/ Leo has joined. /

That seemed sufficient, as Lean inquired about something else.

/ How is Lena? /

/ She is learning to cook. How is your sister these days? /

/ She plays with Tian every day. /

Ah, Santian is alive.

The one who died in exchange for saving Reriana… Reb felt a warmth in his heart but suddenly remembered something and asked.

./ Why did you stay so long in Oberg? Was it because of Katrina? /

Lean hadn’t moved from Oberg through the summer of the following year, which was based on the timeline from the beginning of the Beggar Siblings scenario.

Father, Kaderik de Yeriel’s fate will be decided in winter. He planned an uprising in line with Eric de Yeriel’s coronation, but he moved far too slowly.

Could that be the reason Father had not passed away? It’s highly unlikely that Lean, who hasn’t met Father yet, would be concerned about him.

Lean was on the verge of ascending.

Could that have been the goal? But Lean’s answer didn’t align with Reb’s surmises.

/ Do you remember the beggar with a broken arm? /

*

A few days later, the number of people in Reb’s group had significantly increased as they headed toward Marquis Gaidan’s territory.

Many knights from Marquis Evni Drazin had joined. Including Leo and Lena, the group had become thirty-five strong, feeling the warm spring breeze against their faces.

It’s a season that can make one lethargic.

However, Reb didn’t slack off in mastering swordsmanship, as he had suffered a humiliating defeat during a formal duel with Leo recently.

Though they both wielded the same weapon as swordmasters, he was no match for Leo. Even despite

[ Achievement: 26 Knights – You become stronger when fighting knights. min(1) ]

Leo Dexter was a retired “knight,” so Reb only enjoyed the benefits of the achievement for knight slaying, yet still lost.

Well, to make excuses, Leo’s count of achievements for hunting monsters was one higher than Reb…

‘Ah, what difference could that make?’

It was simply a matter of lacking swordsmanship talent. {Swordsmanship.3v: Bart-like Style}, {Swordsmanship.4v: Jacob-like Style}, {Swordsmanship.5v: Forte-like Style}… If they share similar sword techniques and levels, there should be some heads-up against differing body types.

Leo Dexter commented.

“Do you think possessing abilities just because of your achievements represents the entirety of swordsmanship? Even if you perfectly mimic someone else’s technique, you can’t defeat the one who created it. That mindset is what makes it unique.”

Reb felt irritated and shot back.

“Then what’s your mindset?”

“I…”

Leo trailed off. Glancing at his wife, prompting Vann Bijan to teach her cooking, he turned silently away.

What a dull guy.

Yet, that was a form of advice, so Reb schemed to develop his swordsmanship. Eventually, he became fatigued and set down his sword to contemplate other thoughts.

It was a story Lean told him.

He cautioned that if he had the opportunity to run through the Beggar Siblings scenario again, he should neither meet the beggar with a broken arm nor accept any requests.

The beggar with the broken arm. He faintly remembered who it was.

Was it during the very old second run of the Beggar Siblings? He had yet to meet Ksenia, and it was unimaginable to think he would meet Katrina in Oberg, and he absolutely didn’t know where Kasia’s shoe shop was.

In the first scenario of the Beggar Siblings, having received Kasia’s help, he was on the way to find her with his sister. The end was not good, but… Either way, they were ambushed by a group of beggars.

– “Hey, who do you think you are wandering around just the two of you? We see you every time in the market, isn’t that a bit much? I don’t know where you sleep, but you keep coming early to snatch food; how is that fair? We all share ours.”

– “If you’re going to beg and live off scraps, you should at least be aware of how others see you, so will you please accommodate us? Being together is far better than just the two of you.”

It was an ambiguous proposal, either a threat or a suggestion he once received.

Of course, even though Leo (at that time didn’t know his surname or true identity) refused, the wrist of the beggar making the proposal had been severely distorted. It appeared he hadn’t treated his broken arm, rendering it useless.

But why was he suddenly bringing up that beggar? Thinking it might explain itself, Reb was startled to send back a reply saying, / I remember. /

He didn’t know at the time, but now it struck him that the beggar…

Royal etiquette.

The court etiquette was being used. He had thought there was a quaint elegance in the movements of a hand that was twisted, but it was because he hadn’t recognized the absence of information about {Noble Society}.

Lean gave a limited warning.

/ If you listen to his request, you will encounter Duke Astroth. I narrowly escaped. It’s best to avoid him altogether, so don’t go see Kasia next time. /