Read Novel Full Chapter 180: Luminous Mountain Monastery
Chapter 180: Luminous Mountain Monastery
My words put a dent in the man's confidence. And it wasn't only something I figured out would happen. From how the heavy armored man's eyes twitched from behind the slits of his helmet, I could tell that I hit the jackpot.
"Sir, if I may ask, what seems to be your mission?" Backing off a single step, the man asked.
"Didn't I already tell? I need to go to the main altar of the former cathedral and check one thing about it." Shaking my head to the sides before lowering it down, I muttered. "If you really think I have any clue about why I need to do this…" Shrugging my shoulders, I raised my chin and looked back again at the man in plate armor.
"So that's how it is…" Taking yet another step back, the man finally lowered his weapon from the still-ready-to-use position. Putting his sword back in its scabbard, he then pointed at the city. "I will take the responsibility for your actions in the city… sir." Reaching with his hands to a strap below his chin, the man undid the seal before taking his helmet down.
"I'm Longinus Martel, a high mercenary of the free capital of Republic." Tensing up in what was most likely some sort of salute, the surprisingly young man looked questioningly at me at Teria behind.
"I'm… Marius. An adventurer in the service of the Master." It wasn't the first time for me to be in another world and deal with the problem of backstory that would justify my presence. That's why I had no problem coming up with yet another heroical tale of my exploits basically on the spot.
"Sir… Master? What Master?" Catching the bait right down the two jingly balls that hung below it, the young adventurer asked.
"Just Master. He has no name, as he is the true master of this world." Raising my head a bit and smiling gently, I continued. "You might not recognize him to be one, and I don't blame you. He wishes not to rule nor to govern, just for this world to maintain a course towards prosperity." Almost bowing down in half while I spoke great praises about a persona that never existed, I suddenly realized how much I grew.
And this realization came from something as simple, as the fact that I no longer had any troubles keeping a straight face despite how much my soul was giggling inside. Now that I thought about this, I was more of a con artist doing in entire worlds rather than an explorer learning about new lands and ways of thought.
"Either way, all I can say is that I hope I won't regret my decision later." Shaking his head in defeat, Longinus turned around, gesturing at his people to stand down. From there, the events finally started to move at a pace more considerate of how hurried we were.
With the young mercenary vouching for the two of us, we managed to get to the city without any major problem. While Teria's wings initially caused a small commotion, from how the guards instantly calmed down when Longinus spoke up on our behalf, I could tell that despite being so young, he certainly wielded some kind of high position in the local society and military.
"Isn't everything going… a bit too easy?" Walking right bedsides me according to one of Longinus' strange wishes, Teria muttered.
"It doesn't matter. We are getting closer to solving my puzzle with each step. Even if we are walking into a trap…" Sending a confident look forward, I smiled a bit. "I'm quite sure I will still be able to deal with the danger. So for now, nearing the cathedral is all that matters."
While I understood Teria's worries, they hardly appeared in my mind in the same manner they were bound to appear in her thoughts. While the fact that I didn't have wings certainly made things easier on my end, it was plainly obvious that out of the two of us, I was the one who everyone would be wary of.
Not because of some kind of aura that my body would ooze out. I had no such thing. But the sheer fact that I was able to walk side by side with the wingwoman, the sheer quality of my clothes and equipment that hanged from every nook and cranny of my outfit, made me look like a human, but also as a being from another world at the same time.
"For now, we will wait the next few hours here." Suddenly calling for a stop, Longinus pointed his hand at a nearby tavern. Even though there were no markings or outward hints about what the building was all about, the merry singing and rhythmic clapping sound made it easy to confirm the young mercenary's words.
"Weren't we going to go to the cathedral right away?" Turning my head to my temporary guide, I asked.
"Well, it will be inconvenient to rush. Or to put it in simply…" Taking a few steps to the side, Longinus looked towards the center of the town, before taking a few steps to the side again. "Come here."
Stretching out his hand towards something in the distance, Longinus gestured at me to get closer. Unsure what the man had in mind, I ended up falling right into his trap. Feeling his left arm embracing my shoulder, I instantly hint of repulsion, aimed at throwing the man away was his intentions to turn hostile.
Then, I directed my eyes where Longinus invited me to look.
"What you know as the cathedral, is now a parliament of the republic. It currently houses the representatives of all the free states and free cities that the republic is made of." Describing what was the actual usage of the grandiose building he was pointing at, Longinus pretended not to be aware of the shock I received.
Because I already saw this construction before!
While I couldn't be sure about the details as medieval cathedrals and religious buildings overall never were a point of any particular interest of mine, I was quite sure that the general shape and outline of the building was the same as one of the most well-known monasteries in the world!
Surrounded by a low yet thick wall, it stood atop a small hill. The main complex consisted of the enormous chapel at the far north of the build, with a secondary building connecting directly to the main body. And after just a few moments of gazing at the marvelous sight before my eyes, I could say with all certainty.
This cathedral, this new parliament of the republic of free states and cities as Longinus called it, was nearly an exact copy of the Luminous Mountain monastery located in the center of my home nation. Its extensive ramparts were of exactly the same shape as the ones I used to run around during one of the school trips. Its main bell tower even had the exact same color!
"I understand." As shocked as I was, I still had to reply to my guide. Nodding my head, I silently followed him into the inn, with Teria obediently trodding behind me.
What started as a clash and a potential battle back at the outskirts outside the city, now quickly turned calm and peaceful. Or rather, happy and joyful.
I wasn't as insensitive to expect the other party to introduce me to the most important building in their entire country right as it was populated by the most important figures from said country. Given the situation, waiting a few hours or even a few days wouldn't be a problem. I still had more than enough leeway on my time-freeze to deal with everything before Ayda would even be able to blink outside!
Soon, my thoughts turned more relaxed as the two huge mugs of beer ended up empty after challenging the bandwidth of my throat. From a single look to the side, I could see Tertia challenging some locals to a drinking fight. And from the looks of things, she wasn't going to lose!
What started as a potential conflict, turned into no less than a widespread drinking party. Yet, no one acted as if anything was out of place. Rather than bitching about the jolly atmosphere and noise, people would happily join the dances and singing. Even the owner of the place seemed to be happy with all the orders for food and drinks that continued to come to the counter.
In the end, I didn't even realize how much time has passed when Longinus suddenly placed his palm on my shoulder.
"Sir, the debate is over. I should be able to bring you in to the parliament in about an hour, but we need to hurry." Instantly fighting off the slight haziness from all the drinks I had by this moment, I focused my eyes on the young mercenary's face. "Getting to the former cathedral will take us a while, and another debate is scheduled to start soon!"