Arc 4 Intermission : Temple New Policy

[Brian POV]

Several months had passed since Ariel had officially been appointed as a Saint.

Although we often met in the Holy City of Notredame because I had to undergo training here as the Hero of Humanity, Ariel and I still hadn't spoken to each other directly even once.

It was because of my bet with that man.

It seemed I had been right.

Princess Elena must have been the one who told Ariel about our whereabouts back then and witnessed me being defeated by him.

All of this happened because I was still too weak...

Baammm!

My face suddenly erupted in pain.

That was because Sister Lunaria's wooden sword had slammed hard against my right cheek.

That's right.

I was currently training with her so that I could become more mature and capable when carrying out missions as the Hero of Humanity in the future.

"Ughhh... That really hurt, Sister Lunaria," I complained as I pushed myself back to my feet.

"That's your fault, Brian," Sister Lunaria replied, staring at me with a flat expression. "Listen to me. No matter what you're thinking, no matter what kind of mood you're in, never lose focus during a battle. Understand?"

I simply nodded in response.

My gaze fell upon the yellow sword in my hand.

The sword of the Heroes—Excalibur.

A weapon that could only be wielded by the Hero of Humanity.

Looking at how weak I still was, I couldn't help but wonder whether I truly deserved to wield this sacred sword.

"Look at yourself, Brian. You look pathetic. Insecure. Weak."

Sister Lunaria's words snapped me out of my thoughts.

For some reason, they hurt like a knife stabbing straight into my chest.

"It seems you really aren't worthy of wielding that sword. You're disappointing everyone who placed such high hopes in you."

No.

I'm not a loser.

I didn't want the people who knew me to look down on me.

I didn't want to feel this pathetic ever again!

I would prove that I was worthy of wielding the Holy Sword.

And I would make Ariel admire me again, just like she used to.

Activating Accel, I shot toward Sister Lunaria and unleashed a combination of attacks.

But every slash and thrust I threw at her was effortlessly avoided with the smallest possible movements.

Buk!

My body suddenly toppled forward.

Sister Lunaria had kicked the back of my heel with tremendous force.

I fell flat onto the ground, and the clear blue sky filled my vision.

I heard footsteps approaching.

Then Sister Lunaria's face appeared above me, blocking my view of the sky I had been enjoying only moments ago.

Her eyes were completely emotionless.

"Didn't I tell you?" Sister Lunaria said. "Never lose focus during a battle."

She looked down at me.

"You allowed your emotions to control you, making your movements and attacks incredibly easy to read."

So that's what this was?

She had insulted me earlier simply to provoke my emotions?

I really did have a lot more to learn.

"Never give your enemy any information about your true condition, Brian," Sister Lunaria continued. "They will always exploit whatever information they can obtain—your emotions, your weaknesses, even the way you think—and use it to gain an advantage in battle. Do you understand now?"

"This time, I understand, Sister Lunaria," I answered firmly.

"Good. We'll end today's training here."

Sister Lunaria lowered the wooden sword in her hand.

"In a little while, there will be a meeting to discuss the problems occurring in various parts of the world. Brian, come with me."

I got back to my feet and followed Sister Lunaria as we walked side by side.

Although she was only three or four years older than me, her swordsmanship was already approaching perfection in my eyes.

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I said approaching perfection because I had never seen her fight with her full strength.

Thinking about that somehow reminded me of the black-haired man.

Perhaps now was the right time to ask Sister Lunaria about him.

Of all the people I knew, I considered her someone with a deep understanding of the path of a Knight.

"Sister Lunaria, when carrying out our duty to protect peace throughout the world, must we always do so through honorable means?" I asked her. "We know that a Knight must preserve their honor in the eyes of society so that they don't lose the people's trust, right?"

Hearing my question, Sister Lunaria fell silent for a moment.

"You're right, Brian. A Knight must preserve their honor wherever and whenever they can."

She paused briefly.

"However, a Knight's oath remains even after they have lost all their honor. Our foremost priority is the oath we swore when we became Knights. Honor is simply the way we demonstrate to the subject of that oath that the path we have chosen is the correct one."

Although I still didn't completely understand every word she had said, I believed I understood the point she was trying to make.

Not long afterward, we entered the conference chamber where the high-ranking officials of the Temple Authority regularly gathered to discuss important matters.

All the Cardinals were already present, along with several Priests who held positions in important departments.

Several Holy Knights who were currently without assignments were also in attendance.

Sister Lunaria took a seat while I remained standing beside her, waiting for the meeting to begin.

A short while later, the doors opened once again.

Vicar Lorentius entered, accompanied by Ariel—the Saint.

Everyone in the room immediately stood and paid their respects to Ariel.

Only after she took her seat did they sit down again.

Ariel then gestured for everyone to take their seats and began the meeting.

Ever since she had become a Saint, the Charisma and Presence she possessed had become even more pronounced.

She was no longer merely an ordinary woman who followed the teachings of the Goddess.

She was now the leader of the most influential organization on the continent.

"Let us begin today's meeting," Ariel said before turning her attention toward the Vicar. "Lord Lorentius, what is the first matter we will be discussing?"

Vicar Lorentius bowed his head toward Ariel before taking out a sheet of paper.

"Very well, Saint Ariel. We have gathered here to discuss the various problems occurring throughout our beloved world. Some of these matters require immediate action from us, lest the stability of all the nations whose people follow the teachings of the Goddess be disrupted."

He was right.

Recently, numerous major conflicts had erupted across different nations.

One of them was the war between the Empire and the Republic of Venetia Alliance, a conflict involving four different nations.

"The first matter concerns the war between the Empire and the Republic of Venetia Alliance," the Vicar said. "The Temple Authority has sworn to remain neutral in the conflicts between the nations whose people follow the Goddess throughout this continent. That is why we have forbidden Priests from participating in the current war."

He continued.

"However, quite a few Priests have ignored this prohibition because of their love for their homeland or for the people they care about who have gone to the battlefield."

I... still don't understand.

Why did the Temple Authority forbid its Priests from saving people on the battlefield?

If we didn't help them, wouldn't the number of casualties caused by this conflict only become far greater?

"We must decide what punishment should be given to Priests who disregard the Temple Authority's prohibition," the Vicar said, looking at everyone present.

"We should revoke the licenses of those who disregard the prohibition and label them Wicked Priests," Cardinal Zeno said firmly. "To preserve our influence across the continent, we must remain as neutral as possible in the conflict between these four nations. If they see even the slightest sign that we cannot control our own people, those nations may become increasingly unwilling to follow our demands in the future."

So that's the reason.

Was this why the higher-ups had created the prohibition preventing registered Priests from participating in the war?

But weren't they supposed to heal everyone?

Wasn't this essentially the same as a Knight's oath?

And wasn't fulfilling that oath a form of honor for a Priest—carrying out their duty according to the teachings of the Temple Authority, which represented the Goddess in upholding Her teachings in this world?

"We cannot label them Wicked Priests like the Magic Council does to Warlocks who pursue black magic by committing taboo acts," Cardinal Markus said. "The actions of these Priests are purely motivated by their concern for the lives being lost in this war, not by any malicious intent."

Cardinal Markus has a point...

We couldn't call someone evil simply because they wanted to do something good, even if their actions went against the policies of the Temple, could we?

"Saint Ariel, what is your opinion on this matter?" Cardinal Nicholas asked.

Everyone in the room turned their attention toward the platinum-haired woman.

"We cannot punish people for upholding their oath to the Goddess, even if doing so means violating our policies," Ariel said gently.

"But, Great Saint—"

"Silence, Cardinal Zeno! Saint Ariel has not finished speaking!" Vicar Lorentius interrupted him.

"My apologies for my insolence, Great Saint," Cardinal Zeno said, lowering his head.

"It's all right, Cardinal Zeno. I understand that you simply want this matter resolved without causing harm to the Temple Authority, correct?" Ariel said with a smile.

"Y-Yes, Great Saint. Exactly. Thank you for understanding."

Everyone in this room respected Ariel.

The greatest Knights and the most devout Priests alike.

In their eyes, she was the sacred woman chosen by the Goddess to lead them along the path She desired.

"Returning to the matter at hand, I have said that we will not punish the Priests who disregard our prohibition."

Ariel spoke calmly.

"However, I want the Temple Authority to establish a new policy for those who enter the battlefield."

"What kind of policy do you have in mind, Great Saint?" Vicar Lorentius asked.

"We will create a new unit called the Hospitaller."

Ariel looked toward the five Cardinals present.

"This unit will only be deployed when conflicts break out between nations that follow the teachings of the Temple."

Hmm... a new unit?

Why had Ariel thought of this?

Wouldn't this essentially be the same as allowing Priests to defy the policies of the Temple Authority?

"Once this unit has been established, the Hospitallers will be deployed to each nation involved in a conflict, with their numbers determined through an agreement between the nations across this continent," Ariel explained further.

"However, Priests who join the Hospitaller unit will not be permitted to hold any position within the organization of the Temple Authority. They will remain in this unit for the rest of their lives."

She paused.

"They will also swear a new oath: they will never marry anyone, nor will they become fathers or mothers to any children in this world."

At Ariel's final statement, the faces of the Cardinals, Holy Knights, and all the important officials present visibly changed.

They were stunned.

"By prohibiting the Hospitallers from marrying and having families, I assume this is Saint Ariel's attempt to protect the credibility of the Hospitaller unit. Am I correct in my understanding, Great Saint?" Vicar Lorentius asked.

"Exactly. Thank you for understanding my intentions, Vicar Lorentius," Ariel replied. "What do all of you think of my proposal?"

Everyone fell silent.

No one seemed willing to add anything to what I thought was an excellent proposal.

"I believe your proposal is acceptable, Saint Ariel," Vicar Lorentius finally said after seeing that no one else wished to object or add anything.

"Very well. I will leave the details and the negotiations with the representatives of all the nations currently in this city to you."

"As you wish, Great Saint."

Everyone lowered their heads, accepting the task Ariel had assigned to them.

"VLet us move on to another matter—the invasion of the Kingdom of Britonia and the Novragad Federation by the Kingdom of Nordica."

The meeting continued.

They discussed the other problems currently occurring across the continent until late into the night.