Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha (LN) - Volume 3 - Chapter Ep

Epilogue 

There was a religious organization in these lands called the Church of Lobelia. If one were to ask the average townsfolk milling around the streets of Maalt, they would say the church didn’t have much of a presence. This was perhaps true in the Kingdom of Yaaran, but it couldn’t be further from the truth in the great kingdoms to the west, for the Church of Lobelia was one of the most powerful religious organizations there. While they had a church in Maalt, few believers were in its halls. The structure in Maalt was, as a result, a small building, proportionate to the amount of believers in the township. The holy water it offered for sale, however, could only be purchased at ridiculous prices—prices that wouldn’t be forgivable for any other church. 

Such was the nature of the Church of Lobelia. While these observations were more or less accurate, it didn’t show the entire picture—far from it, actually. 

While the church had few followers and a reduced presence, their efforts in the Kingdom of Yaaran hardly faltered—espionage was espionage. 

“So, this is Maalt, huh...” the figure said, looking out from the window of the horse-carriage. 

A glimpse at their surroundings was enough for them to understand they were no longer in the Holy Kingdom of Ars. Maalt had a somewhat wilder feel to it. 

The place they were heading to now was none other than a certain rural town on the border of the Kingdom of Yaaran, a certain town by the name of Maalt. One couldn’t help but wonder if the brave pioneers there lived arduous lives. 

It wasn’t the first time they had set foot in Yaaran. They had previously visited the capital, and some small towns and villages around it. The fact they were so removed from any central locales was somewhat refreshing, and equally rural. 

At least, that was what Myullias Raiza, priestess-saint of the Church of Lobelia, thought of her destination. 

Myullias looked preoccupied, glancing out of the horse-carriage’s window with her crystal-like, purple eyes. Those eyes were framed with shining silver hair, which all added to a certain aura of mystery surrounding her being. 

There were many other priestess-saints, but they weren’t limited to the Church of Lobelia. priestess-saints were blessed by the spirits, or even gods, and were often gifted with reserves of divinity, along with some other mysterious powers. Myullias was one of these priestess-saints. The god that had blessed her was none other than the only god the Church of Lobelia believed in, and her powers were equally awe-inspiring. 

The Goddess Lobelia—she who had created these lands, the world, and various other existences. 

Those who receive her blessing are often gifted with varying kinds of powers, often unique to the individual. For instance, Myullias wielded powers specialized in healing and purification. If she so desired, she could bask the entire township of Maalt in healing light, purifying it in its entirety. Myullias would, unfortunately, find it difficult to stand after bringing about such a feat, but the fact she could even do anything of the sort was shocking in and of itself. 

Myullias was also somewhat new when it came to being a priestess-saint. There existed certain individuals in the headquarters of the Church of Lobelia, individuals who could snort and laugh at Myullias’s supposedly awe-inspiring powers. As such, Myullias herself merely performed her duties, without a shred of arrogance in her manner. 

For the Goddess Lobelia, and to spread the teachings of the Church of Lobelia across the lands, she would preach and give sermons, heal, and bless. All so the shining light of guidance could reach far and wide. 

This was why she traveled between towns, demonstrating her powers. This was also why she was currently headed to Maalt. 

Just the day before, a priestess-saint from another religious organization had offered its denizens healing and blessings—or so she heard. From what she was told, the priestess-saint in question wasn’t from the Church of the Eastern Sky, said church being the largest religious organization in Yaaran. That incident alone was enough to prove that various religious organizations operated in this kingdom. 

It has long been said that the Kingdom of Yaaran sat on troubled lands. Due to most of Yaaran’s citizens belonging to and worshiping the Church of the Eastern Sky, it was difficult for a foreign church to simply barge in and offer its own teachings. To make things worse, the teachings of the Church of the Eastern Sky were...unique. Compared to other religious organizations, it placed little burden on its followers, and encouraged its monks and nuns to live pious, frugal lives; this was quite a painful reality for most other religions. 

While no specific organizations would be named, it was common knowledge that corruption was rife in the upper echelons of many churches, and heavy tithes were expected of their followers. The Eastern Sky was different, though, and their members were often proud to be part of the church. 

Even so, there was the occasional priest or monk who fell astray, hiding their true motives while working under the guise of expanding the church. But the citizens of Yaaran were quite perceptive of these ruses, and they often exposed them before they did any real damage. This was probably why the Church of the Eastern Sky had a choke hold on the Kingdom of Yaaran, and why other religious organizations had a hard time even establishing themselves. 

However, recent matters changed that. 

Monster sightings were increasing across the lands. As the world slowly sank into darkness, even the rural border Kingdom of Yaaran couldn’t escape its influences. As the desperate voices of the public crying out for salvation grew louder, so did the preaching and promises of various priests and other supposedly holy men, all offering a simple means of salvation. 

The Church of the Eastern Sky believed that one had to look for salvation from within, which was quite a strict teaching. Increased monster sightings seemed to have shaken that belief. 

One could say religious organizations could only truly shine when the world was plunged into chaos. 

One would assume said organizations would use this chaos to gain more followers. The Church of Lobelia, however, didn’t view it that way. They instead thought of this chaos as a great trial from the gods, and that humanity would do well to believe in the church to overcome it. Not too different, really, but quite an interesting perspective, if one may put it that way. 

Myullias herself would probably give a vague answer if asked for a personal opinion on the matter. But as long as she was part of the Church of Lobelia, she had no choice other than to accept its teachings as the one and only truth. 

But that was quite troublesome and irritating for Myullias. It was also especially true as of late. 

Maybe it was a thing most inappropriate for a priestess-saint to say, but was the Church of Lobelia really correct? Was the Goddess Lobelia, the very same that blessed her, the one and only God, even really Lobelia at all? 

The Church of Lobelia believed Lobelia herself took on many forms, and that the blessings other individuals across the lands received were all part of her work. For example, Vansurt, the Wind God, who was worshiped in other religions, was thought of as Lobelia, albeit in disguise. The Goddess with hundreds and thousands of faces, she who is all and all who is one: the Goddess Lobelia. 

The blessings that each individual received were tailor-made to their personality and character, all so they might better receive the power of the great Goddess Lobelia. At least, that was the official explanation. 

Was this truly a blessing of the gods? After all, it was all but impossible for one to trace where a certain individual’s divine blessing had come from, other than certain relatively special circumstances. 

Said circumstances were somewhat simple, like praying directly at a certain altar then being blessed, or situations similar to that. Or perhaps one had done something worthy of receiving a blessing, and, after a short while, felt a spring of divinity awaken in them—circumstantial evidence and the like. 

Other than those few methods, most individuals couldn’t trace the origins of their power, and that was the norm. This was also the case for Myullias, who one day just so happened to stare at an injured person, and had felt she could do something about their injury. 

That was really all there was to it. 

But a priest had suddenly showed up at her abode one day, claiming she had received the blessings of the One True Goddess Lobelia. Even she thought what the priest said was suspicious. However, the priests and priestess-saints of the Church of Lobelia all believed in the Goddess without question. Some might even say their belief bordered on the edge of madness and obsession, which was definitely a possibility. 

It didn’t take very long at all for them to realize Myullias had heretical thoughts. It wasn’t too much a stretch to assume her thoughts had somehow influenced her external behaviors. This was also most likely why she had been put under surveillance as of late, and why there was a supervisory priest seated opposite to her in that very same carriage. He had a name, of course: Gilly. 

He was a young man with sharp eyes and an even sharper gaze. More of an assassin than a priest, if his movements and facial expressions were anything to go by. Then there was the issue of his sharp, bladed instrument, tucked away neatly on one side of his waist. Not exactly fitting for a priest, hence the initial observations. It was as if to say a certain series of actions would be done if she so much as misbehaved. This much was obvious to Myullias, as was the fact this was all probably the will of the powers that be from headquarters. 

“What exactly are we here for, again...? The visit, I mean.” 

Despite her best efforts, Myullias couldn’t exactly slice through the intensely heavy atmosphere within the carriage. She only muttered on, seemingly to herself, just like how she’d been doing this entire time. She seemed to be speaking to Gilly, but was she really? It was all very...vague... 

While Myullias had been mumbling to herself for some time, her most recent statement seemed to have elicited a response. 

“You are to declare you are healing and cleansing this town, in the name of the Church of Lobelia. You are also to gather up the citizens of Maalt and, with a sermon, offer guidance.” 

Gilly shook his head at Myullias’s decidedly disrespectful attitude. 

“Please take care not to speak of such things after we enter town. You are a priestess-saint of the Church of Lobelia; it wouldn’t be in your best interests to suggest anything that would breed...suspicion, of the church’s noble intentions. You would do well to think about the directions you were given back at headquarters. It’s for your own sake.” 

A stiff man; stuffy, too. 

Myullias reacted with surprise at the modicum of gentleness she felt from Gilly’s otherwise threatening words. 

“Is that a bit of worry I sense in your voice...?” 

“Your words are far too blatant. I am beside myself with worry that you would someday end up like Fourostoroa.” 

Fourostoroa was the name of a hero who had slain a great and evil dragon long, long ago. The dragon had tormented the people, and Fourostoroa summarily got rid of it. He also ended up drinking too much at the festivities that very night, and had ended up humiliating the king before all the king’s subjects—and right in the front of the king. For his transgressions, Fourostoroa was executed. A tale of a foolish hero. 

An old fable of sorts, although one would be hard-pressed to say if he really existed. 

Although it wouldn’t normally be a humorous comparison by any means, Myullias found mirth in her current situation, which wasn’t too far from the illustration she had been presented with. 

“Heh... Well. I’ll make sure to be careful...” 

Gilly nodded stoically at the faintly smiling Myullias. “I pray that you would do as such.” 

His voice rang with no shred of emotion.