MAEPG: Episode 30
Episode 30 Heinrich (3)
The sword flew towards me.
I extended the shield in my left hand to deflect the sword, but…
Clang!
‘Too shallow!’
The sword grazed the shield lightly and changed its trajectory, aiming for my lower body.
I hurriedly swung the longsword in my right hand to block the attack, but the opponent’s attack didn’t stop there.
Clang! Clang! Clang—
I blocked the continuous attacks with the sword and shield in both hands.
I was barely able to react thanks to my sharpened instincts, countless training sessions, and my body trained to its limits.
And then, at some point,
‘This is my chance!’
An opening appeared momentarily in the opponent who was swinging his sword.
It wasn’t a perfect opening. If I aimed for that spot, I would have to take more damage.
But it was a chance to cut flesh if I was willing to sacrifice bone!
I swung my sword without hesitation, and…
Thud—
I was pushed back and rolled on the ground from the impact on my shield.
“Ugh…”
“Huff, huff, whew… I was surprised. Are you crazy?”
The opponent, who staggered back, shook his leg and shook his head.
He must have stopped swinging his sword at the last moment and kicked my shield to create distance.
He frowned and shook his body repeatedly, as if he had overexerted himself in the process.
“Hey, let’s stop here. Why are you going all out in a sparring session? Even if we don’t fear injuries, that’s too much.”
The senior holy warrior, who was acting as the instructor and my sparring partner, grumbled.
Then, those who were watching from the surroundings approached and started chattering, reviewing the fight and discussing.
“Heinrich’s recovery ability is amazing. Considering that, isn’t it a good fighting style?”
“Even so, what’s the use of recovery ability if you get hit in one shot and die?”
“If he can just control that part, it seems pretty good? Take some damage, quickly kill the enemy, and then recover…”
“Well, it might be okay if he has enough holy power. And his holy power… everyone acknowledges it. He’ll probably reach a level where we can’t even see him anymore.”
As they said, my holy power was almost approaching the level of a high priest now, two months after the baptism.
A high priest was in charge of a shrine in a small city, so it wasn’t a low position.
‘The rank right above high priest is the bishop in charge of this Talia Temple. Of course, the gap is huge, but…’
It was the same in any field; the higher you went, the wider the gap became.
Rather, I was worried because my holy power growth seemed to be stagnating lately.
‘It feels like I’ve reached some kind of limit. I need to break through this limit to grow further, but I don’t have a clue yet.’
That must be the dividing line between a holy warrior and a holy knight.
For now, I had no choice but to focus on training.
《The individual gains enlightenment through repeated training. You have acquired the skill “Holy Warrior Combat Arts”.》
It was a good time because I was making progress.
-Individual Name: Heinrich
-Common Traits: “Mind Hub”, “Persona”, “Super Recovery”, “Clear Mind”
-Individual Traits: “Holy Baptism”, “Martial Bones”, “Holy Warrior Combat Arts”
-Special Notes: Connected to the ley lines of the Main God of Auterica, mana in the body has been replaced with holy power. Can use holy power for various beneficial effects. Physical abilities are growing significantly due to training beyond limits.
I approached the senior holy warrior who had been my sparring partner, bowed my head, and greeted him.
“Thank you for the sparring session!”
“Oh, yeah. Good job. You’ve improved a lot. At first, you were just a guy who relied on his physical abilities, but to think you’ve grown this much in just a few months. Is this what talent is…”
“That’s right. That guy, he already had superior physical abilities, and now that he’s mastered combat skills, most people can’t even compete with him, so he’s training with the instructors.”
Countless compliments poured in.
I smiled awkwardly and just repeated my thanks.
“You said you were aiming to become a holy knight, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Well, I heard that the holy knights who occasionally come to the training ground have their eye on you. If you keep going like this, you’ll get good news soon.”
“Hahaha, I hope so.”
The holy knights had a separate training ground, but there were times when we had joint training, perhaps to coordinate for real battles.
I had attracted attention from the baptism ceremony, and I received a lot of attention in training as well, so I was able to gain some interest from the so-called ‘higher-ups’.
It was a welcome thing for me, as I had to show exceptional ability among the holy warriors to become a holy knight.
And a few days later, I soon realized that the senior’s words weren’t empty.
“What? To the Roselia Cathedral?”
Roselia Cathedral.
The holy land of the Main God Church, located in the heart of the ‘Ion Continent’ where we were currently located, and the cathedral in the center of it all.
It was the largest of the few cathedrals in Auterica and the heart of the Church, where the Pope and the Saintess resided.
I had received an offer to go there.
“Yeah, if they’re trying to take you to the headquarters, it means the higher-ups really like you. They must be planning to raise you properly.”
The Holy Warrior Captain, who had come to deliver the message, scratched the back of his head.
As he said, this was a great opportunity.
A chance to leave the remote Talia Kingdom and move to a bigger stage.
“They told me to ask for your opinion first. It’s about leaving your birthplace, after all. The distance between the headquarters and here isn’t short, and it’ll be difficult to return to your hometown.”
It didn’t matter to me, as this wasn’t my hometown in the first place.
Of course, I couldn’t say that directly since I had lied about my origin.
“It’s fine. I don’t have any family left here anyway. And the holy land! It’s like a dream for someone who serves the Main God. I definitely want to go!”
“Okay, good thinking. This is a really good opportunity. Then I’ll report it. You get ready too.”
The Holy Warrior Captain then complained about how envious he was that I was going to the holy land, how he also wanted to go someday but couldn’t because of his family, and then left to make his report.
‘The holy land, and the Roselia Cathedral…’
A place far away from this remote western part of the continent.
My heart pounded with anticipation at the thought of seeing the wider world of Auterica.
The sword flew towards me.
I extended the shield in my left hand to deflect the sword, but…
Clang!
‘Too shallow!’
The sword grazed the shield lightly and changed its trajectory, aiming for my lower body.
I hurriedly swung the longsword in my right hand to block the attack, but the opponent’s attack didn’t stop there.
Clang! Clang! Clang—
I blocked the continuous attacks with the sword and shield in both hands.
I was barely able to react thanks to my sharpened instincts, countless training sessions, and my body trained to its limits.
And then, at some point,
‘This is my chance!’
An opening appeared momentarily in the opponent who was swinging his sword.
It wasn’t a perfect opening. If I aimed for that spot, I would have to take more damage.
But it was a chance to cut flesh if I was willing to sacrifice bone!
I swung my sword without hesitation, and…
Thud—
I was pushed back and rolled on the ground from the impact on my shield.
“Ugh…”
“Huff, huff, whew… I was surprised. Are you crazy?”
The opponent, who staggered back, shook his leg and shook his head.
He must have stopped swinging his sword at the last moment and kicked my shield to create distance.
He frowned and shook his body repeatedly, as if he had overexerted himself in the process.
“Hey, let’s stop here. Why are you going all out in a sparring session? Even if we don’t fear injuries, that’s too much.”
The senior holy warrior, who was acting as the instructor and my sparring partner, grumbled.
Then, those who were watching from the surroundings approached and started chattering, reviewing the fight and discussing.
“Heinrich’s recovery ability is amazing. Considering that, isn’t it a good fighting style?”
“Even so, what’s the use of recovery ability if you get hit in one shot and die?”
“If he can just control that part, it seems pretty good? Take some damage, quickly kill the enemy, and then recover…”
“Well, it might be okay if he has enough holy power. And his holy power… everyone acknowledges it. He’ll probably reach a level where we can’t even see him anymore.”
As they said, my holy power was almost approaching the level of a high priest now, two months after the baptism.
A high priest was in charge of a shrine in a small city, so it wasn’t a low position.
‘The rank right above high priest is the bishop in charge of this Talia Temple. Of course, the gap is huge, but…’
It was the same in any field; the higher you went, the wider the gap became.
Rather, I was worried because my holy power growth seemed to be stagnating lately.
‘It feels like I’ve reached some kind of limit. I need to break through this limit to grow further, but I don’t have a clue yet.’
That must be the dividing line between a holy warrior and a holy knight.
For now, I had no choice but to focus on training.
《The individual gains enlightenment through repeated training. You have acquired the skill “Holy Warrior Combat Arts”.》
It was a good time because I was making progress.
-Individual Name: Heinrich
-Common Traits: “Mind Hub”, “Persona”, “Super Recovery”, “Clear Mind”
-Individual Traits: “Holy Baptism”, “Martial Bones”, “Holy Warrior Combat Arts”
-Special Notes: Connected to the ley lines of the Main God of Auterica, mana in the body has been replaced with holy power. Can use holy power for various beneficial effects. Physical abilities are growing significantly due to training beyond limits.
I approached the senior holy warrior who had been my sparring partner, bowed my head, and greeted him.
“Thank you for the sparring session!”
“Oh, yeah. Good job. You’ve improved a lot. At first, you were just a guy who relied on his physical abilities, but to think you’ve grown this much in just a few months. Is this what talent is…”
“That’s right. That guy, he already had superior physical abilities, and now that he’s mastered combat skills, most people can’t even compete with him, so he’s training with the instructors.”
Countless compliments poured in.
I smiled awkwardly and just repeated my thanks.
“You said you were aiming to become a holy knight, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Well, I heard that the holy knights who occasionally come to the training ground have their eye on you. If you keep going like this, you’ll get good news soon.”
“Hahaha, I hope so.”
The holy knights had a separate training ground, but there were times when we had joint training, perhaps to coordinate for real battles.
I had attracted attention from the baptism ceremony, and I received a lot of attention in training as well, so I was able to gain some interest from the so-called ‘higher-ups’.
It was a welcome thing for me, as I had to show exceptional ability among the holy warriors to become a holy knight.
And a few days later, I soon realized that the senior’s words weren’t empty.
“What? To the Roselia Cathedral?”
Roselia Cathedral.
The holy land of the Main God Church, located in the heart of the ‘Ion Continent’ where we were currently located, and the cathedral in the center of it all.
It was the largest of the few cathedrals in Auterica and the heart of the Church, where the Pope and the Saintess resided.
I had received an offer to go there.
“Yeah, if they’re trying to take you to the headquarters, it means the higher-ups really like you. They must be planning to raise you properly.”
The Holy Warrior Captain, who had come to deliver the message, scratched the back of his head.
As he said, this was a great opportunity.
A chance to leave the remote Talia Kingdom and move to a bigger stage.
“They told me to ask for your opinion first. It’s about leaving your birthplace, after all. The distance between the headquarters and here isn’t short, and it’ll be difficult to return to your hometown.”
It didn’t matter to me, as this wasn’t my hometown in the first place.
Of course, I couldn’t say that directly since I had lied about my origin.
“It’s fine. I don’t have any family left here anyway. And the holy land! It’s like a dream for someone who serves the Main God. I definitely want to go!”
“Okay, good thinking. This is a really good opportunity. Then I’ll report it. You get ready too.”
The Holy Warrior Captain then complained about how envious he was that I was going to the holy land, how he also wanted to go someday but couldn’t because of his family, and then left to make his report.
‘The holy land, and the Roselia Cathedral…’
A place far away from this remote western part of the continent.
My heart pounded with anticipation at the thought of seeing the wider world of Auterica.
_____________________
The Immortal King subjugation force was disbanded.
They had fought more against vampires and dark mages than the Immortal King’s descendant, but their efforts for several months couldn’t be ignored.
After a simple farewell party, they returned to their respective positions.
Archbishop Latiaus, the leader, and Paladin Tuskin, his assistant.
Seven battle priests at the high priest level, led by a bishop.
Fifteen members of Tuskin’s Silver Wing Holy Knight Order.
And one holy warrior among them.
Those were the people leaving the Talia Kingdom.
“Oh… You’re that holy warrior Heinrich? Indeed, a devout young man.”
“You’re aiming to become a holy knight? Have you considered the path of a priest?”
“What are you talking about! Not only his holy power, but his physique is also excellent. If he just trains a little more, he can become an excellent holy knight.”
“I heard he has perseverance and talent from the training ground. Perhaps he’s Paladin material.”
I waited with over twenty people in the inner sanctum of the temple, politely responding to those who showed interest in me.
The priests and holy knights here were all high-ranking.
Holy power was given according to one’s faith in God, and only those with strong holy power could rise to high positions.
High-ranking individuals couldn’t help but have strong faith, so there was no room for corruption, and therefore the Church didn’t even worry about things like spies.
That was also the reason why Heinrich was able to easily become a member of the Church.
If you had other ulterior motives or became corrupted and your faith weakened, it would show in your holy power.
That was the reason why the Main God Church became a de facto single religion.
‘I’m an exception. Well, the Main God seems to be aware of it and is letting it slide, so I guess I can consider it permission?’
So, holy knights and battle priests who wanted to were given some freedom.
To spread God’s will throughout the world.
That was also one of the reasons why I wanted to become a holy knight.
As we were talking, the door on one side opened, and Archbishop Latiaus and Sir Tuskin entered.
“Is everyone ready? The transfer preparations are complete, so let’s move.”
At Tuskin’s words, we moved further inside the temple.
I just followed their lead, having packed light as instructed beforehand.
And the place we arrived at was, as I expected to some extent.
‘From the western end of the continent to the center… Considering the transportation situation here, it might take months to travel by land. I expected it from the time they said only a small number of people were being dispatched.’
A large arch-shaped stone gate made of white marble inside a vast space.
The white stone gate was decorated with beautiful gold, and the golden waves starting from the gate spread to the surrounding floor, illuminating the area softly.
-…And the shepherd said, let the servants who believe in the Lord be strengthened in spreading his word, and bestowed his grace. In one step, they crossed mountains, and in two steps, they crossed the sea…
-…Spread his will to all corners of the world, he said, and the earth folded, allowing them to go wherever they wished. Their eyes saw ten thousand li, and their feet walked a thousand li…
No, looking closely, it was a prayer inscribed densely in gold leaf.
They were all about miracles that defied the limitations of distance and space.
“Then let’s begin.”
After exchanging greetings with the priests guarding the place as the group entered, they immediately surrounded the gate and started reciting prayers.
And in response, the golden prayers, starting from the outside where the priests were, flowed towards the stone gate in the center.
‘It’s a spectacle…’
The golden holy light surrounding the stone gate, shining beautifully, and the blue vortex swirling in the center.
It was a phenomenon I couldn’t understand with Heinrich’s limited knowledge of holy magic.
A new power that couldn’t be grasped even with Hans’s “Dark Magic” knowledge or Heinz’s “Blood Magic”.
Wooong—
With a faint vibration, the blue vortex in the center gradually grew larger, filling the inside of the stone gate.
And the golden light that illuminated the surroundings slowly faded.
A quietly vibrating blue gate.
“Then let’s move.”
At the Archbishop’s words, everyone moved towards the gate, as if they were used to it.
‘Well, they must have come here this way too. I’m the only one seeing this for the first time.’
After exchanging final greetings with Bishop Crombil, the head of the Talia Temple, the group disappeared one by one beyond the gate.
It was finally my turn…
I threw myself into the blue vortex without hesitation.
‘Goodbye, Talia Kingdom! I’m off to find new lands!’
Beyond this gate, the holy land in the center of the continent awaited me!
The Immortal King subjugation force was disbanded.
They had fought more against vampires and dark mages than the Immortal King’s descendant, but their efforts for several months couldn’t be ignored.
After a simple farewell party, they returned to their respective positions.
Archbishop Latiaus, the leader, and Paladin Tuskin, his assistant.
Seven battle priests at the high priest level, led by a bishop.
Fifteen members of Tuskin’s Silver Wing Holy Knight Order.
And one holy warrior among them.
Those were the people leaving the Talia Kingdom.
“Oh… You’re that holy warrior Heinrich? Indeed, a devout young man.”
“You’re aiming to become a holy knight? Have you considered the path of a priest?”
“What are you talking about! Not only his holy power, but his physique is also excellent. If he just trains a little more, he can become an excellent holy knight.”
“I heard he has perseverance and talent from the training ground. Perhaps he’s Paladin material.”
I waited with over twenty people in the inner sanctum of the temple, politely responding to those who showed interest in me.
The priests and holy knights here were all high-ranking.
Holy power was given according to one’s faith in God, and only those with strong holy power could rise to high positions.
High-ranking individuals couldn’t help but have strong faith, so there was no room for corruption, and therefore the Church didn’t even worry about things like spies.
That was also the reason why Heinrich was able to easily become a member of the Church.
If you had other ulterior motives or became corrupted and your faith weakened, it would show in your holy power.
That was the reason why the Main God Church became a de facto single religion.
‘I’m an exception. Well, the Main God seems to be aware of it and is letting it slide, so I guess I can consider it permission?’
So, holy knights and battle priests who wanted to were given some freedom.
To spread God’s will throughout the world.
That was also one of the reasons why I wanted to become a holy knight.
As we were talking, the door on one side opened, and Archbishop Latiaus and Sir Tuskin entered.
“Is everyone ready? The transfer preparations are complete, so let’s move.”
At Tuskin’s words, we moved further inside the temple.
I just followed their lead, having packed light as instructed beforehand.
And the place we arrived at was, as I expected to some extent.
‘From the western end of the continent to the center… Considering the transportation situation here, it might take months to travel by land. I expected it from the time they said only a small number of people were being dispatched.’
A large arch-shaped stone gate made of white marble inside a vast space.
The white stone gate was decorated with beautiful gold, and the golden waves starting from the gate spread to the surrounding floor, illuminating the area softly.
-…And the shepherd said, let the servants who believe in the Lord be strengthened in spreading his word, and bestowed his grace. In one step, they crossed mountains, and in two steps, they crossed the sea…
-…Spread his will to all corners of the world, he said, and the earth folded, allowing them to go wherever they wished. Their eyes saw ten thousand li, and their feet walked a thousand li…
No, looking closely, it was a prayer inscribed densely in gold leaf.
They were all about miracles that defied the limitations of distance and space.
“Then let’s begin.”
After exchanging greetings with the priests guarding the place as the group entered, they immediately surrounded the gate and started reciting prayers.
And in response, the golden prayers, starting from the outside where the priests were, flowed towards the stone gate in the center.
‘It’s a spectacle…’
The golden holy light surrounding the stone gate, shining beautifully, and the blue vortex swirling in the center.
It was a phenomenon I couldn’t understand with Heinrich’s limited knowledge of holy magic.
A new power that couldn’t be grasped even with Hans’s “Dark Magic” knowledge or Heinz’s “Blood Magic”.
Wooong—
With a faint vibration, the blue vortex in the center gradually grew larger, filling the inside of the stone gate.
And the golden light that illuminated the surroundings slowly faded.
A quietly vibrating blue gate.
“Then let’s move.”
At the Archbishop’s words, everyone moved towards the gate, as if they were used to it.
‘Well, they must have come here this way too. I’m the only one seeing this for the first time.’
After exchanging final greetings with Bishop Crombil, the head of the Talia Temple, the group disappeared one by one beyond the gate.
It was finally my turn…
I threw myself into the blue vortex without hesitation.
‘Goodbye, Talia Kingdom! I’m off to find new lands!’
Beyond this gate, the holy land in the center of the continent awaited me!
____________________
Despite my bold aspirations, the place that awaited me wasn’t the holy land.
It was the temple in the Sharotti Kingdom, located northeast of the Talia Kingdom.
I heard that it was quite difficult to cross half the continent in one go.
“We don’t have a reason to rush back right now. We’ll move in stages, safely.”
“Ah, I see.”
Thanks to that, we had a day to rest and look around the stopover points, so I was sightseeing in the city with the youngest holy knight in the group.
He volunteered to be my guide, perhaps in consideration of me, who was seeing the outside of Talia for the first time.
A few days passed like that.
“This is the last one. Everyone, get yourselves together before entering the holy land.”
““Yes!””
Wooong—
We passed through the blue vortex.
And finally, we arrived at the Roselia Cathedral in the holy land.
The first thing I saw was a transfer space that was no different from other temples.
And a group of priests gathered on one side.
“Welcome. You’ve all worked hard.”
A girl standing among the priests stepped forward and greeted us with a smile.
Bright silver hair that scattered the surrounding light and sparkling golden eyes.
It felt like the surroundings brightened just by her appearance.
‘No, it’s not just a feeling?! Is that a halo?’
It was my first meeting with ‘Liesta Saint Hatianuss’, the Saintess of the Main God Church.
Despite my bold aspirations, the place that awaited me wasn’t the holy land.
It was the temple in the Sharotti Kingdom, located northeast of the Talia Kingdom.
I heard that it was quite difficult to cross half the continent in one go.
“We don’t have a reason to rush back right now. We’ll move in stages, safely.”
“Ah, I see.”
Thanks to that, we had a day to rest and look around the stopover points, so I was sightseeing in the city with the youngest holy knight in the group.
He volunteered to be my guide, perhaps in consideration of me, who was seeing the outside of Talia for the first time.
A few days passed like that.
“This is the last one. Everyone, get yourselves together before entering the holy land.”
““Yes!””
Wooong—
We passed through the blue vortex.
And finally, we arrived at the Roselia Cathedral in the holy land.
The first thing I saw was a transfer space that was no different from other temples.
And a group of priests gathered on one side.
“Welcome. You’ve all worked hard.”
A girl standing among the priests stepped forward and greeted us with a smile.
Bright silver hair that scattered the surrounding light and sparkling golden eyes.
It felt like the surroundings brightened just by her appearance.
‘No, it’s not just a feeling?! Is that a halo?’
It was my first meeting with ‘Liesta Saint Hatianuss’, the Saintess of the Main God Church.
____________________
“Heinrich has laid a solid foundation for stable growth, now all he needs is time.”
Thinking back, it was fortunate that he was able to go to the holy land.
Thanks to that, we were able to move to the city we passed through on the way.
And once he grew to a certain extent, he would be able to freely travel the continent under the guise of missionary work.
‘As a holy knight respected by everyone!’
How frustrated Hans, who couldn’t even appear in front of people, and Heinz the Second, who had to live in hiding, had been.
Now, goodbye to those days.
“That’s enough, it’s time to dispose of these.”
I looked at the inside of the storage room with satisfaction.
Gold bars and other valuables were piled up in a corner.
It was the reward for my hard work and sweat.
Swoosh—
Heinz, who had appeared without a sound, took some of the valuables and put them in a bracelet-shaped subspace magic tool.
The bracelet was something I found among the treasures I took from the vampire mansion. Its capacity was only about the size of a bag, but I came to use it often because of its convenience.
‘Subspace magic tools are valuable.’
Heinz, who had taken the valuables, headed towards the window.
It was past 10 pm. A perfect time to be active.
Heinz opened the window and disappeared into the darkness of the night.
I had already decided how to dispose of them.
It wasn’t like I had been just playing around while Heinrich was struggling.
“Heinrich has laid a solid foundation for stable growth, now all he needs is time.”
Thinking back, it was fortunate that he was able to go to the holy land.
Thanks to that, we were able to move to the city we passed through on the way.
And once he grew to a certain extent, he would be able to freely travel the continent under the guise of missionary work.
‘As a holy knight respected by everyone!’
How frustrated Hans, who couldn’t even appear in front of people, and Heinz the Second, who had to live in hiding, had been.
Now, goodbye to those days.
“That’s enough, it’s time to dispose of these.”
I looked at the inside of the storage room with satisfaction.
Gold bars and other valuables were piled up in a corner.
It was the reward for my hard work and sweat.
Swoosh—
Heinz, who had appeared without a sound, took some of the valuables and put them in a bracelet-shaped subspace magic tool.
The bracelet was something I found among the treasures I took from the vampire mansion. Its capacity was only about the size of a bag, but I came to use it often because of its convenience.
‘Subspace magic tools are valuable.’
Heinz, who had taken the valuables, headed towards the window.
It was past 10 pm. A perfect time to be active.
Heinz opened the window and disappeared into the darkness of the night.
I had already decided how to dispose of them.
It wasn’t like I had been just playing around while Heinrich was struggling.
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