Chapter Forty-Four: The Pilgrimage

The rain had completely stopped by nightfall. The next morning, the rising sun illuminated a cloudless sky, crystal clear and brilliant blue.

When Eric woke up, he felt the back of his head resting against something soft and warm, and his body was embraced by a reassuring heat. He stirred unconsciously, and suddenly, a bright light filled his vision.

Wings snapped open, retracting behind him where he could not see, and a gentle feminine voice sounded from behind: "Mr. Eric, you're finally awake."

The female winged being rose, supporting herself on his shoulders, and with deliberate gentleness eased away, letting him slip from her warm embrace.

His gradually clearing consciousness caught up with him then, and Eric quickly remembered that he had spent the entire night leaning against the female winged being's body.

"Thank you for your saint-like vigil and companionship, as well as your warm hospitality last night. You are the most gentle, courteous, and compassionate aristocrat I have ever met." The female winged being bowed to thank him and bid him farewell. "It is getting late; I must be on my way."

His back still yearned for the fading warmth. Eric opened his mouth, unsure of what to say, and in the end, simply murmured a farewell.

"Right... Safe journey."

The female winged being smiled at him, glanced once more at the two motionless carriages, then unfurled her wings and took to the sky with a powerful beat.

Circling the campsite once, she waved down at Eric, who was watching from below, and then flew off toward the southwest, growing smaller and smaller in the distance.

Only when she vanished completely did Eric lower his gaze, bury his face in his hands, and rub them tiredly.

"Why does it feel like a dream..."

When the nun and the guards woke up one by one and asked about the whereabouts of the winged woman, Eric only told them that she had departed early.

Sophie looked somewhat regretful. "I wanted to ask her if she could take me flying with her."

Probably not, Eric thought with a faint smile, though he kept it to himself.

The experience of the stormy night was merely an interlude in their journey. Once they were back on the road, those memories and emotions were quickly swallowed by new scenery.

Of course, certain individuals still found themselves lingering on the memory longer than necessary.

"Was the side of this carriage always this hard?" Eric turned to look at the carriage panel he had leaned against for days.

"It has always been like that, young master."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

The carriage continued its gallop along the wide road plunging deeper into Gladia.

Having had this unexpected encounter, Eric and his companions paid much closer attention to the weather for the remainder of the trip.

Fortunately, their luck held. For the next four or five days, they encountered no rain at all. The weather was mostly clear, or at worst overcast, without a single drop falling.

On the ninth day after their departure, Eric's party entered the territory of the Trebniti Province.

The Holy City of Layser lay at the foot of the sacred mountain in northern Trebniti.

"Before sunset today, we should be able to reach the outer city of the Holy Capital," said Abbess Alena after observing through the carriage window for a moment.

"Am I going to see the Saintess directly?" Eric turned to look at her.

"No... According to the rules for an audience with the Saintess, you should meet her when the sun is rising," the Abbess replied.

When the sun is rising... That meant he would have to spend the night in the outer city and wait until tomorrow morning for the audience.

Eric had no particular objection to this, and his mind began to drift to what he knew of the Holy Capital's outer city.

Like many large cities, the Holy City of Layser was divided into an inner and outer section. The difference was that the inhabitants of Layser's outer city were devout believers rather than the impoverished—land in the outer city was exceptionally precious, and the truly poor could never gain a foothold here.

The outer city was densely packed with buildings, while the inner city was vast and open, housing the Holy See, within which stood the Saintess's Convent.

Upon entering Trebniti, both nuns had grown much quieter. Sophie, in particular, had gone completely silent, making Eric, seated at the front, feel quite unaccustomed to the stillness.

This was perhaps another form of "growing timid as one nears home."

Eric took a deep breath, and infected by their mood, he could not help but feel a twinge of tension.

The galloping horses ahead remained oblivious to his emotions, charging forward relentlessly and dragging the people and carriage ever closer to Layser.

By afternoon, under the intentional control of the driver, the carriage's pace was forced to slow down.

"These people..."

Eric frowned as he watched the figures kneeling and prostrating themselves along the grand avenue ahead. "Are they all pilgrims?"

"Yes," the Abbess replied.

Eric stared ahead. "With these people blocking the road, will we really make it to Layser before sunset?"

"It is precisely because they were factored in that it takes this long." The Abbess's voice was as calm as if devoid of all emotion. "Mr. Eric, please look to your left."

Eric shifted his gaze and narrowed his eyes.

In the not-so-distant distance, two towering spires stood behind the city wall, piercing the sky.

Alena spoke: "Those are..."

"—The Pontiff's Tower," Eric recognized both structures, "and the Saintess's Tower."

"We have arrived in the vicinity of Layser," said the Abbess.

"Very well." Eric finally understood. It seemed the entire afternoon would be consumed by navigating around the pilgrims who carpeted the grand avenue.

The carriage moved forward at a crawl, picking its way carefully. The pilgrims on the road seemed to have eyes only for the two distant spires, completely oblivious to everything else, advancing step by kneeling step in prostration.

"Is this a requirement of yours? That once those two towers come into view, one must advance by kneeling?"

Alena glanced at Eric ahead. He had stood up, and from inside the carriage, only his lower back was visible.

"No, this is a spontaneous act by the believers."

"Does this kind of performative piety really make the gods spare them a second glance?"

There was no reply from inside the carriage.

Eric hadn't expected an answer anyway. After standing and watching for a moment, finding himself helpless aside from grumbling, he sat back down.

"Willy, do you dare to speed up and drive straight over them?"

"Young master?! I wouldn't dare..."

"Good, neither would I, so you mustn't be reckless either, understand?"

"......Understood."

Creeping along the outer city's grand avenue, it took nearly the entire afternoon for the carriage to finally reach the outer city of Layser.

The outer city had gradually grown around the inner city—the original walls of the Holy City—and was not entirely enclosed, though Templar Knights stood guard at the intersections of the main roads, performing inspections.

The carriage stopped, and Alena stepped out, presenting her credentials. The two knights immediately lowered their heads in salute and cleared the way for the carriage.

Entering the outer city, Alena guided the driver closer and closer to the inner city, finally arriving before a substantial building guarded by Templar Knights.

"This is where visitors of special status stay before entering the city proper, Mr. Eric. You will spend tonight here, and I will handle the necessary procedures for you."

Eric caught the subtext in her words. "Is Abbess Alena entering the city ahead of time?"

The Abbess nodded. "Tomorrow morning, I will come out to escort Mr. Eric inside."

Eric figured as much. Once she arrived here, she was essentially home; there was truly no need for her to spend another night waiting with him in the outer city.

"I understand."

Following her into the embassy-like residence, Eric didn't need to lift a finger as Alena arranged and handled everything, right up until she escorted him to a private room on the third floor.

"I have arranged separate lodgings for Mr. Eric's guards. There are Holy See knights guarding this area, so it is completely safe; you need not worry. Anything you need will be brought to you."

"Mm." Eric spent those few minutes simply nodding.

"Then..."

The Abbess stood at the doorway without entering, gave him one last look, and bowed her head in a salute. "Sophie and I will take our leave for now, Mr. Eric."

The two nuns left together. Left alone in the spacious and luxurious room, Eric felt unaccustomed to the sudden solitude and walked over to look out the window.

Alena and Sophie quickly emerged, boarded another carriage, and departed, while the two Templar Knights stationed closest to the door stepped inward in unison, directly blocking the exit.

"......"

Eric suddenly had the sensation that he was not merely staying here temporarily, but rather imprisoned here—albeit with a much larger living space and a superior environment.

He reached for his waist, only to find it empty.

His weapon had been left in the carriage...

Realizing he might be overreacting out of tension, Eric lay down on the soft, large bed, took a deep breath to banish his anxious thoughts, and mentally replayed his plans.

"Since I'm already here..."

At worst, he would end up stripped of everything and given a stern lecture; surely the Saintess wouldn't murder him, right?

As darkness fell, Eric summoned a servant and expressed his hunger. The latter, however, urged him with great nervousness to wait a little longer.

"......Wait for what?"

The servant kept silent, merely lowering his head.

Eric suddenly understood.

He stopped asking for food and instead requested a basin of clean water. He thoroughly washed and groomed himself, changed into the formal attire originally prepared for tomorrow's audience, and waited quietly.

When the night was completely dark, a knock sounded at the door.

Eric rose, opened the door, stepped back, placed a hand over his chest, and bowed deeply.

"Eric of the Cimino family pays his respects to Her Holiness the Saintess."