MAEPG: Episode 28
Episode 28 Heinrich (1)
“Pass.”
“Thank you. Have a good day!”
Heinrich greeted the guard at the outer wall of the capital and entered.
Thanks to Heinz preparing the necessary items in advance, he was able to enter without any problems.
‘To be honest, I’m not sure if it’s really okay to come here…’
After encountering a True Blood vampire so casually near the capital, I couldn’t help but feel doubtful.
‘But this is the only temple of the Main God Church in the Talia Kingdom. There are shrines and prayer rooms everywhere, but…’
If I had wanted to become a priest or a holy warrior, it would have been fine to go to a suitable shrine, but to become a holy knight, which was a special position, I needed to come to the temple.
It would take too long to go to a temple in another country.
I wasn’t sure if the method I had in mind would definitely work.
‘I’ll try it quickly, and if it doesn’t work, I’ll find another way.’
The cooldown for “Avatar”’s death had also ended, and I could create a new individual, so I could leave Earth’s matters to them.
An environment where Heinrich could focus on this side was created.
I asked for directions and went to the temple of the Main God Church.
A large temple located on the outskirts of the capital.
This was where the great first step of Holy Knight Heinrich would begin!
“Pass.”
“Thank you. Have a good day!”
Heinrich greeted the guard at the outer wall of the capital and entered.
Thanks to Heinz preparing the necessary items in advance, he was able to enter without any problems.
‘To be honest, I’m not sure if it’s really okay to come here…’
After encountering a True Blood vampire so casually near the capital, I couldn’t help but feel doubtful.
‘But this is the only temple of the Main God Church in the Talia Kingdom. There are shrines and prayer rooms everywhere, but…’
If I had wanted to become a priest or a holy warrior, it would have been fine to go to a suitable shrine, but to become a holy knight, which was a special position, I needed to come to the temple.
It would take too long to go to a temple in another country.
I wasn’t sure if the method I had in mind would definitely work.
‘I’ll try it quickly, and if it doesn’t work, I’ll find another way.’
The cooldown for “Avatar”’s death had also ended, and I could create a new individual, so I could leave Earth’s matters to them.
An environment where Heinrich could focus on this side was created.
I asked for directions and went to the temple of the Main God Church.
A large temple located on the outskirts of the capital.
This was where the great first step of Holy Knight Heinrich would begin!
__________________
‘I thought so back then…’
Joining the Main God Church wasn’t difficult.
I went to the temple, donated a huge sum of money, saying it was all my possessions, and expressed my ambition to become a holy knight.
A month passed like that.
I became a trainee and was receiving holy warrior training at the training facility outside the temple.
“Hey~ Heinrich! Training is over for today, how about a drink?”
“Ah, Max. Sorry, but I can’t for now. The exam is coming up soon.”
“You’re always working hard. You said you wanted to become a holy knight, right? Good luck. Don’t forget me if you succeed.”
Max chuckled and disappeared, waving his hand.
I looked at his retreating figure and sighed, then headed to the temple library.
From combat training to studying, there were so many things to learn.
‘Well, it’s not like becoming a knight is easy.’
After all, knights were practically a quasi-noble class.
Holy knights weren’t that different.
And it was even more difficult for me, who wasn’t even a believer from the start.
To become a holy knight, I had no choice but to first meet the basic requirements, officially become a holy warrior, and then be recommended and selected as a knight candidate…
From the rituals and doctrines of the Main God Church to history and hymns, everything was unfamiliar, and my head ached from the unexpected studying.
The standards for becoming a holy warrior weren’t that high, but I had to think about what came after.
‘But even if we put aside doctrines and such, it’s beneficial enough to be able to learn combat skills professionally. Once I learn it, it’ll be helpful in the long run.’
I couldn’t always rely on other avatars whenever something happened.
Basic combat skills were essential, at least in case the situation didn’t allow it.
And Heinrich was also advantageous in acquiring combat skills thanks to “Martial Bones”.
‘…But for now, should I study doctrines…’
‘I thought so back then…’
Joining the Main God Church wasn’t difficult.
I went to the temple, donated a huge sum of money, saying it was all my possessions, and expressed my ambition to become a holy knight.
A month passed like that.
I became a trainee and was receiving holy warrior training at the training facility outside the temple.
“Hey~ Heinrich! Training is over for today, how about a drink?”
“Ah, Max. Sorry, but I can’t for now. The exam is coming up soon.”
“You’re always working hard. You said you wanted to become a holy knight, right? Good luck. Don’t forget me if you succeed.”
Max chuckled and disappeared, waving his hand.
I looked at his retreating figure and sighed, then headed to the temple library.
From combat training to studying, there were so many things to learn.
‘Well, it’s not like becoming a knight is easy.’
After all, knights were practically a quasi-noble class.
Holy knights weren’t that different.
And it was even more difficult for me, who wasn’t even a believer from the start.
To become a holy knight, I had no choice but to first meet the basic requirements, officially become a holy warrior, and then be recommended and selected as a knight candidate…
From the rituals and doctrines of the Main God Church to history and hymns, everything was unfamiliar, and my head ached from the unexpected studying.
The standards for becoming a holy warrior weren’t that high, but I had to think about what came after.
‘But even if we put aside doctrines and such, it’s beneficial enough to be able to learn combat skills professionally. Once I learn it, it’ll be helpful in the long run.’
I couldn’t always rely on other avatars whenever something happened.
Basic combat skills were essential, at least in case the situation didn’t allow it.
And Heinrich was also advantageous in acquiring combat skills thanks to “Martial Bones”.
‘…But for now, should I study doctrines…’
___________________
One day, while I was engrossed in training and studying, I felt a commotion in the temple.
“What’s going on all of a sudden?”
As I headed towards the temple entrance after finishing my self-training, I saw Max among the people gathered there, buzzing with excitement.
“Max, it’s unusually noisy today. What’s going on? Do you know anything?”
“Oh, Heinrich! You came at the right time! I heard the Archbishop and the Paladin are here!”
I looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a group of people entering the temple.
And there was a familiar face among them.
He wouldn’t recognize me, though.
‘…Who is that?’
A middle-aged knight in pure white armor with the symbol of the Main God Church.
He was the one who led the holy knights and cornered Hans.
Come to think of it, some of the holy knights following him also looked familiar.
“It’s Archbishop Latiaus and Paladin Tuskin from the headquarters! I heard they’re back after carrying out some mission with our temple’s holy knight order and holy warrior unit.”
‘…I think I know what that mission was.’
It must have been to catch Hans.
But it had been over two months since Hans clashed with the Church, and they were only returning now…
‘Don’t tell me they were chasing Hans all this time?’
Since that day, I had only summoned Hans in Auterica for very short periods of time.
To transfer the treasures from the subspace to Earth.
Once he was dismissed, there would have been no way to track him, but their persistence was terrifying.
“The senior holy warriors who went with them are also back, should we go say hello?”
I followed Max to get some information, but we couldn’t meet them.
They needed time to rest after their long journey, and perhaps for security reasons, we weren’t allowed to meet them.
But my disappointment was short-lived…
The next day, the senior holy warrior gathered the trainees and announced.
“There will be a baptism ceremony for those who meet the standards among the trainees soon.”
Murmur, murmur—
“Quiet, quiet! I know it’s still early, but it’s been decided by the higher-ups. They’re also planning to select novice priests from among the monks, so continue to strive until then.”
As the senior holy warrior, who had announced the dismissal, left, the trainees started buzzing again, talking amongst themselves.
“Isn’t there still a few months left until the baptism period? It’s good for us to become official holy warriors quickly, but this suddenly?”
“It’ll be a burden if they shorten the original schedule this much. Is there a reason?”
“…Like a sudden need to increase their forces…?”
Right, there must be a reason for the sudden change in schedule.
It was probably related to the subjugation force that returned yesterday.
‘Anyway, it’s an opportunity for me to save time.’
At this Talia Temple, new holy warriors were selected every six months through a baptism ceremony.
So originally, I would have had to stay for two more months, but the situation had suddenly changed.
‘Through the baptism ceremony, all the mana in the body is converted into holy power… That’s the first step to becoming a holy warrior.’
If I continued as I had been doing so far, becoming a holy warrior wouldn’t be that difficult.
So I continued my training as I had been doing…
And thanks to my efforts, I was able to proudly take a place in the baptism ceremony.
One day, while I was engrossed in training and studying, I felt a commotion in the temple.
“What’s going on all of a sudden?”
As I headed towards the temple entrance after finishing my self-training, I saw Max among the people gathered there, buzzing with excitement.
“Max, it’s unusually noisy today. What’s going on? Do you know anything?”
“Oh, Heinrich! You came at the right time! I heard the Archbishop and the Paladin are here!”
I looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a group of people entering the temple.
And there was a familiar face among them.
He wouldn’t recognize me, though.
‘…Who is that?’
A middle-aged knight in pure white armor with the symbol of the Main God Church.
He was the one who led the holy knights and cornered Hans.
Come to think of it, some of the holy knights following him also looked familiar.
“It’s Archbishop Latiaus and Paladin Tuskin from the headquarters! I heard they’re back after carrying out some mission with our temple’s holy knight order and holy warrior unit.”
‘…I think I know what that mission was.’
It must have been to catch Hans.
But it had been over two months since Hans clashed with the Church, and they were only returning now…
‘Don’t tell me they were chasing Hans all this time?’
Since that day, I had only summoned Hans in Auterica for very short periods of time.
To transfer the treasures from the subspace to Earth.
Once he was dismissed, there would have been no way to track him, but their persistence was terrifying.
“The senior holy warriors who went with them are also back, should we go say hello?”
I followed Max to get some information, but we couldn’t meet them.
They needed time to rest after their long journey, and perhaps for security reasons, we weren’t allowed to meet them.
But my disappointment was short-lived…
The next day, the senior holy warrior gathered the trainees and announced.
“There will be a baptism ceremony for those who meet the standards among the trainees soon.”
Murmur, murmur—
“Quiet, quiet! I know it’s still early, but it’s been decided by the higher-ups. They’re also planning to select novice priests from among the monks, so continue to strive until then.”
As the senior holy warrior, who had announced the dismissal, left, the trainees started buzzing again, talking amongst themselves.
“Isn’t there still a few months left until the baptism period? It’s good for us to become official holy warriors quickly, but this suddenly?”
“It’ll be a burden if they shorten the original schedule this much. Is there a reason?”
“…Like a sudden need to increase their forces…?”
Right, there must be a reason for the sudden change in schedule.
It was probably related to the subjugation force that returned yesterday.
‘Anyway, it’s an opportunity for me to save time.’
At this Talia Temple, new holy warriors were selected every six months through a baptism ceremony.
So originally, I would have had to stay for two more months, but the situation had suddenly changed.
‘Through the baptism ceremony, all the mana in the body is converted into holy power… That’s the first step to becoming a holy warrior.’
If I continued as I had been doing so far, becoming a holy warrior wouldn’t be that difficult.
So I continued my training as I had been doing…
And thanks to my efforts, I was able to proudly take a place in the baptism ceremony.
___________________
“Thank you for readily accepting my unreasonable request, Bishop Crombil.”
“Not at all, Archbishop Latiaus. This is all necessary for our Church. And it’s a good thing for our Talia diocese as well.”
Right before the baptism ceremony began.
Archbishop Latiaus, the leader of the Immortal King subjugation force, was talking to Bishop Crombil, the head of the diocese that encompassed the entire Talia Kingdom.
“The vampires’ influence is more deeply rooted in the kingdom than I thought. Because of that, the subjugation force suffered heavy losses during the search.”
“…I’m deeply sorry. As the one in charge of the Talia diocese, I should have taken measures beforehand…”
“No, how can this be Bishop Crombil’s fault alone? It’s the headquarters’ responsibility for not paying attention beforehand. I’ll do my best to increase support for the diocese in the future.”
“Thank you for your concern, Archbishop.”
The Main God Church’s influence wasn’t strong in the Talia Kingdom, a small country on the outskirts of the continent.
There was only one temple in the capital, as if the kingdom had reluctantly allowed it.
The number of clergy stationed nationwide barely met the minimum standards.
“To fill the power vacuum, keep the vampires in check, and continue tracking the Immortal King’s descendant, it’s essential to strengthen the Church’s forces. I’ve already spoken to the Talia Kingdom, so things will be easier from now on.”
There was some political pressure involved, but it couldn’t be helped.
The political circles were also influenced by the vampires, so there was strong opposition, but they couldn’t go against the will of the Main God Church, which had a righteous cause.
“Now it’s time to start the baptism ceremony. I’ll help out as planned.”
“…There’s no need for you to personally intervene, Archbishop. With the help of the priests from the subjugation force, there shouldn’t be any major problems with the ceremony.”
The reason why the baptism ceremony was held periodically at set intervals.
A high priest or higher-ranking clergy was needed to smoothly conduct the ceremony, and it was a great burden on them.
If they did it recklessly, all the high-ranking clergy would be exhausted.
“It’s been over two months since we failed to track down the Immortal King’s descendant. I haven’t been able to do much during that time, so I hope this can be of some help.”
“…If you insist, I’ll gladly accept your help. It will be of great help to the ceremony.”
They talked and moved, then arrived at a large chapel.
It was bustling with those who were about to be baptized and priests preparing for the ceremony.
“Ah! Archbishop Latiaus, Bishop Crombil. You’ve arrived. All preparations for the ceremony are complete. We can start at any time.”
One of the high priests in charge of the proceedings approached them and spoke.
Latiaus nodded and went up to the pulpit of the chapel.
There, he received the gazes of hundreds of people and clasped his hands, praying to God.
“Oh, Main God. Those who wish to emulate you have gathered here to follow your will. …Grant your warm touch and grace, and I pray that your blessing will be with your children. [Sanctuary of Blessing]”
After his prayer of about a minute ended, silver radiance erupted from his entire body along with immense holy power, dyeing the entire chapel.
The softly glowing interior created a sacred atmosphere, as if blessing everyone inside.
As everyone was in awe, Bishop Crombil, who had been standing next to the praying Archbishop, stepped forward.
“We will now begin the baptism ceremony. Come forward one by one and proceed with the ceremony.”
Even though he spoke softly, his voice, which spread throughout the space, awakened everyone’s minds, and the real ceremony began.
Dozens of high priests lined up in front of the pulpit.
Those who were guided by the priests assisting the ceremony came forward one by one and knelt before them.
“What is your name?”
“It’s Theron.”
“Oh, Main God. One who wishes to be embraced in your arms and become the light of the world stands here. …Grant him your blessing so that he may follow your will and become a guide for the lost. Theron, do you swear to return to the Main God?”
“I swear.”
“Then pray to the Main God. He will answer your faith.”
The high priests placed their hands on the heads of those kneeling before them and praying, conducting the baptism ceremony.
Holy power, poured in ceaselessly through their hands, dyed the bodies of those praying.
And the Archbishop’s [Sanctuary of Blessing] assisted the process, reducing the burden on those conducting the baptism.
The baptism ceremony, conducted simultaneously with about ten people at a time.
As time passed, those who had been baptized began to emit faint holy power one by one.
The process of offering all their mana to God and becoming unable to handle magic power again, in exchange for creating a path to receive God’s power.
Those who had completed the ceremony staggered, unable to adapt to the sudden change, and were helped to their seats by the priests assisting the ceremony.
After a brief period of adaptation, they would become excellent members of the Church.
Bishop Crombil looked around the chapel where the ceremony was in full swing.
The holy power emitted by those who had just been baptized was mediocre.
Barely at the level of a novice priest.
There were rare cases where people possessed holy power at the level of a priest or higher as soon as they were baptized, but such cases were extremely rare.
‘They will continue to grow through prayer and mental training. The stronger their faith in the Main God and their mental strength, the stronger their holy power will become.’
He watched the ceremony and then looked at Archbishop Latiaus, who was performing holy magic on the pulpit, with reverence, and prayed to God.
He couldn’t help with the sudden ceremony because he was in charge of the diocese, but seeing the Archbishop, it seemed like an unnecessary worry in the first place.
…As the ceremony continued,
“Hmm?”
Bishop Crombil, sensing holy power, turned his gaze to one side.
Archbishop Latiaus, who had been praying with his eyes closed on the pulpit, also opened his eyes and looked in that direction.
Whoosh—
The one who had just been baptized and was emitting holy power.
There was nothing particularly different from the others, but there was one clear difference.
“My goodness, he must have just been baptized… Such holy power. He’s at the level of a high priest.”
The intermediate level between an ordinary priest and a high priest conducting the ceremony.
That was the level of holy power Heinrich possessed after just being baptized.
“Thank you for readily accepting my unreasonable request, Bishop Crombil.”
“Not at all, Archbishop Latiaus. This is all necessary for our Church. And it’s a good thing for our Talia diocese as well.”
Right before the baptism ceremony began.
Archbishop Latiaus, the leader of the Immortal King subjugation force, was talking to Bishop Crombil, the head of the diocese that encompassed the entire Talia Kingdom.
“The vampires’ influence is more deeply rooted in the kingdom than I thought. Because of that, the subjugation force suffered heavy losses during the search.”
“…I’m deeply sorry. As the one in charge of the Talia diocese, I should have taken measures beforehand…”
“No, how can this be Bishop Crombil’s fault alone? It’s the headquarters’ responsibility for not paying attention beforehand. I’ll do my best to increase support for the diocese in the future.”
“Thank you for your concern, Archbishop.”
The Main God Church’s influence wasn’t strong in the Talia Kingdom, a small country on the outskirts of the continent.
There was only one temple in the capital, as if the kingdom had reluctantly allowed it.
The number of clergy stationed nationwide barely met the minimum standards.
“To fill the power vacuum, keep the vampires in check, and continue tracking the Immortal King’s descendant, it’s essential to strengthen the Church’s forces. I’ve already spoken to the Talia Kingdom, so things will be easier from now on.”
There was some political pressure involved, but it couldn’t be helped.
The political circles were also influenced by the vampires, so there was strong opposition, but they couldn’t go against the will of the Main God Church, which had a righteous cause.
“Now it’s time to start the baptism ceremony. I’ll help out as planned.”
“…There’s no need for you to personally intervene, Archbishop. With the help of the priests from the subjugation force, there shouldn’t be any major problems with the ceremony.”
The reason why the baptism ceremony was held periodically at set intervals.
A high priest or higher-ranking clergy was needed to smoothly conduct the ceremony, and it was a great burden on them.
If they did it recklessly, all the high-ranking clergy would be exhausted.
“It’s been over two months since we failed to track down the Immortal King’s descendant. I haven’t been able to do much during that time, so I hope this can be of some help.”
“…If you insist, I’ll gladly accept your help. It will be of great help to the ceremony.”
They talked and moved, then arrived at a large chapel.
It was bustling with those who were about to be baptized and priests preparing for the ceremony.
“Ah! Archbishop Latiaus, Bishop Crombil. You’ve arrived. All preparations for the ceremony are complete. We can start at any time.”
One of the high priests in charge of the proceedings approached them and spoke.
Latiaus nodded and went up to the pulpit of the chapel.
There, he received the gazes of hundreds of people and clasped his hands, praying to God.
“Oh, Main God. Those who wish to emulate you have gathered here to follow your will. …Grant your warm touch and grace, and I pray that your blessing will be with your children. [Sanctuary of Blessing]”
After his prayer of about a minute ended, silver radiance erupted from his entire body along with immense holy power, dyeing the entire chapel.
The softly glowing interior created a sacred atmosphere, as if blessing everyone inside.
As everyone was in awe, Bishop Crombil, who had been standing next to the praying Archbishop, stepped forward.
“We will now begin the baptism ceremony. Come forward one by one and proceed with the ceremony.”
Even though he spoke softly, his voice, which spread throughout the space, awakened everyone’s minds, and the real ceremony began.
Dozens of high priests lined up in front of the pulpit.
Those who were guided by the priests assisting the ceremony came forward one by one and knelt before them.
“What is your name?”
“It’s Theron.”
“Oh, Main God. One who wishes to be embraced in your arms and become the light of the world stands here. …Grant him your blessing so that he may follow your will and become a guide for the lost. Theron, do you swear to return to the Main God?”
“I swear.”
“Then pray to the Main God. He will answer your faith.”
The high priests placed their hands on the heads of those kneeling before them and praying, conducting the baptism ceremony.
Holy power, poured in ceaselessly through their hands, dyed the bodies of those praying.
And the Archbishop’s [Sanctuary of Blessing] assisted the process, reducing the burden on those conducting the baptism.
The baptism ceremony, conducted simultaneously with about ten people at a time.
As time passed, those who had been baptized began to emit faint holy power one by one.
The process of offering all their mana to God and becoming unable to handle magic power again, in exchange for creating a path to receive God’s power.
Those who had completed the ceremony staggered, unable to adapt to the sudden change, and were helped to their seats by the priests assisting the ceremony.
After a brief period of adaptation, they would become excellent members of the Church.
Bishop Crombil looked around the chapel where the ceremony was in full swing.
The holy power emitted by those who had just been baptized was mediocre.
Barely at the level of a novice priest.
There were rare cases where people possessed holy power at the level of a priest or higher as soon as they were baptized, but such cases were extremely rare.
‘They will continue to grow through prayer and mental training. The stronger their faith in the Main God and their mental strength, the stronger their holy power will become.’
He watched the ceremony and then looked at Archbishop Latiaus, who was performing holy magic on the pulpit, with reverence, and prayed to God.
He couldn’t help with the sudden ceremony because he was in charge of the diocese, but seeing the Archbishop, it seemed like an unnecessary worry in the first place.
…As the ceremony continued,
“Hmm?”
Bishop Crombil, sensing holy power, turned his gaze to one side.
Archbishop Latiaus, who had been praying with his eyes closed on the pulpit, also opened his eyes and looked in that direction.
Whoosh—
The one who had just been baptized and was emitting holy power.
There was nothing particularly different from the others, but there was one clear difference.
“My goodness, he must have just been baptized… Such holy power. He’s at the level of a high priest.”
The intermediate level between an ordinary priest and a high priest conducting the ceremony.
That was the level of holy power Heinrich possessed after just being baptized.
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