Ch. 210

Hello! I'm Alpheus.

Today I'm going to introduce my daily routine to everyone.

Because there are occasionally people who wonder what the Grand Priest of Kyros Church does!

"Yawn, I slept well."

My day starts in a pocket dimension. The pocket dimension where I stay has no big difference from the temple.

There's a fluffy bed and a desk where I can simply work, and such.

Unlike ordinary people, executives of the temple like me don't need much rest time.

So I emerge from the pocket dimension after about four hours of sleep.

"Good morning, Chessy! Sasha!"

When I escape the pocket dimension, the temple executives' exclusive reception room immediately appears.

I could move to other places, but I usually use the reception room. That became a rule among executives at some point!

"G-good morning, Alphi."

"...Good morning."

Though it's still early before sunrise, executives start their day in the reception room.

"Want to take a walk together?"

After exchanging morning greetings, I always suggest a walk to Chester and Sasha.

"Y-yes!"

"...I'll pass."

As always, only Chester accepts my walk suggestion.

Like that, I take a morning walk with Chester while checking if there are any problems at the temple while I was away.

"Phew."

Fortunately, there were no major problems at the temple today either.

"Then shall we go to training now?"

"Y-yes!"

After finishing the walk, I go to receive training from the Holy Knight Commander.

"Let's start with light exercises."

When I go to the training ground, the executives who arrived earlier and the Holy Knight Commander are there.

The Holy Knight Commander is always kind and gentle, but becomes scary like a tiger during training.

"Move your arms faster over there!"

Still, I don't find it hard at all because I can feel I've become stronger after receiving training from the Holy Knight Commander!

"Everyone worked hard. Let's go eat quickly."

When training ends, executives immediately head to the dining hall. But I don't eat.

Those like us who were born from Lord Kyros's grace don't particularly need to consume food.

Instead, I do other work.

"Good morning, Alphi."

"Good morning!"

While the other executives are eating, I go to find Jacob.

"Here."

And I receive a meal from Jacob and head to the Church Leader.

Knock knock.

"Come in."

After knocking and entering the Church Leader's room, I can meet the Church Leader who always wakes up early.

"Always thank you, Alphi."

When I prepare food for the Church Leader to eat, the Church Leader always greets me with a sunshine-like smile.

"Please enjoy, Church Leader!"

After taking care of the Church Leader's meal, I do another task. Now it's time to organize documents for the Church Leader to see.

After quickly organizing documents while Church Leader enjoys the meal, I deliver them to Church Leader.

Then when I organize documents given to me, morning has already ended before I know it.

"Hello, High Priest."

"Welcome, Brother!"

In the afternoon, I sometimes talk with believers who visited the temple and sometimes offer prayers together in the prayer room.

After that, I organize documents again like in the morning, and tidy the temple before sleeping.

This is my usual routine.

However... for some reason, today is different from usual?

"Alphi, I'll need to be away from the temple again for a while. Up to a month if long."

"I see. Understood!"

Since Church Leader said he'll be away, I'll be a bit busier for the time being.

"So if any problems occur at the temple while I'm away, contact me anytime, Alphi."

"Yes. Don't worry!"

Church Leader and Brother Terdius are departing on a journey again. I offered prayers to Lord Kyros for both of them to return safely without any trouble.

And I start work again. Because there's more work to do than usual when Church Leader is away.

But it's okay. Because I have to work as the Church Leader's proxy whenever the Church Leader is away!

And all the work the Church Leader does is for Kyros Church, so it's not hard at all.

Because I always want to be helpful to Church Leader.

When I work like that, before I know it, it's time for evening training.

After evening training and doing document work again, before I know it, it's time to sleep.

Since those like me born from Lord Kyros's power don't particularly need to sleep, I'm thinking of working all night today.

Still, I need to offer prayers to finish the day. Because that's my habit.

'I'm always grateful, Lord Kyros.'

I'll always pray for the Church Leader and Lord Kyros, and for the brothers who saw my routine to be at peace.

***

The Herpheon Empire's capital, Herpheon.

As always, the capital's central square was full of Empire citizens. However, the crowd gathered today was particularly larger than usual.

"Saintess!"

"Saintess Emily!!"

Because Diego Church's Saintess, Emily Billion, appeared right in the center of the square where many people gathered.

She smiled toward those fervently calling her. A smile that was infinitely beautiful in believers' eyes, but would be called a 'business smile' if someone saw it.

"The reason I came to this place today is to convey the great Lord Diego's teachings."

Saintess Emily began Diego's story like in her usual speeches.

The many Diego Church believers gathered in the square focused on Emily's story with admiration.

However, there were those watching such people from afar.

Two men wearing robes with hoods pulled up. Among them, a middle-aged man spoke to a younger youth.

"Watch well. Who we must face."

At the man's words, the youth looked tensely at Diego Church's Saintess and believers.

"...Those people are no different from fanatics."

The youth spoke while watching believers showing blind faith toward the Saintess. Then the middle-aged man nodded.

"Right. They are those who worship Diego fanatically. And such people don't just exist only in the capital."

The middle-aged man continued speaking in a voice so small only the youth could hear.

"Diego Church's branches extend throughout the Empire including Quieron. And they are precisely what's rotting Herpheon."

The youth nodded with resolute eyes. Then the middle-aged man spoke in an even lower voice.

"Even the imperial family... is stained by Diego Church."

"...Yes."

The middle-aged man turned his body. Then the youth quickly followed him.

"Therefore, we must move for the greater cause."

"I will keep that in mind."

After glaring at Saintess Emily one last time, the two people hurriedly left the square.

***

Clop, clop.

I leaned my body deeply against the carriage backrest. Being in a carriage for the first time in a while was a bit uncomfortable.

"So where's this destination?"

While adjusting my posture this way and that, Terdius sitting across asked me.

Though I had told him the destination when renting the carriage, he seemed to have noticed that place wasn't the final destination.

"You're not going to just such a small village."

"Yes. That's right. The place this carriage will reach is just one waypoint."

"So, where's the destination?"

"Perda Desert."

At my words, one of Terdius's eyebrows twitched.

"Desert?"

"Yes. Desert."

I answered with a grin.

[Sub Quest 'Finding Holy Relics 2' 1. <To Perda Desert>

Content: The God of Beauty Kyros has discovered his holy relic's location. Please help him obtain the holy relic in Perda Desert.

Objective: Arrive at Perda Desert within 24 hours (This quest is a chain quest)

Upon Success: Discover next quest trace

Upon Failure: -

Final Success Reward: ???]

Right. This was a quest I had accepted a few hours ago.

A quest Kyros brought saying he found the holy relic's location again this time too.

'I was lucky.'

Actually, Perda Desert was already a decided destination before Kyros gave the quest.

'Because the holy relic there is really important.'

And while at it, there also existed one item to obtain at the waypoint on the path toward Perda Desert.

'Such an item that could change the tide of the Continental War...'

If I obtain both items, major damage won't occur in the continental war.

Of course, that's only if hidden route variables don't occur.

'But hidden route variables don't occur that frequently.'

While thinking that, I felt Terdius's gaze.

"You must know well that Perda Desert is considerably dangerous."

"Yes. I know."

Perda Desert was a place with a danger level counted as the most dangerous place on the Continent.

To the degree that the desert near Bahano would feel like just a children's playground.

"Will it really be okay?"

"Well, of course... not. It could be a bit dangerous."

Even I couldn't guarantee 100% this time. Because 'that thing' lived in Perda Desert.

"Still, our lives probably won't be in danger, Brother’s and mine."

If it only flowed according to plan, we probably wouldn't die. And we could obtain the holy relic too.

"If you say that much..."

"Mmm. Don't worry. Brother and I will handle it smoothly."

Terdius's expression looking at me wasn't very good, but what could I do?

War, something more dangerous than Perda Desert, would also break out. To minimize damage in that war, it was an unavoidable matter.

Thinking that, I took out things from my brought luggage bag to relieve the boredom of tedious carriage life. Then Terdius immediately asked me.

"What are those again?"

"Ah, these?"

I showed knitting supplies with a smile.

"I'm going to knit on the way."

"...Knitting? You do such things too?"

"Well, it's boring in the carriage. There's nothing in particular to do either."

Though it was something I was doing for the first time in quite a while too, there was nothing that relieved boredom as much as this.

"Want to do it together? I'll teach you."

"...No thanks."

Whether he had no interest, Terdius immediately turned his head toward the window. I guarantee he won't last even 10 minutes.

I started knitting while humming. Perhaps because I was doing it for the first time in a while, it felt even more fun.

How many minutes had passed since I earnestly started making stitches and threading strand by strand?

"Is that so fun?"

Terdius, who took the bait, asked me. Though still pretending not to be interested, he couldn't fool my eyes.

"Want to try?"

At my question, Terdius nodded. I immediately handed knitting supplies to Terdius.

"How do you do this?"

I smiled broadly and told Terdius.

"Now, this is called a stitch."

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