NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Visiting
In the end, Ryan didn't go to see the lord. Instead, he ran into Oliver and ended up staying with him for the night. Ryan was surprised to discover the size of Oliver's caravan, with over a dozen wagons and dozens of people. The Imperial merchant prepared a clean room for him, and Ryan managed to rest there for the night.
Early the next morning, as previously agreed, Ryan and Teresa met at the inn entrance and headed to the Church of Justice.
The wind and snow swept through the streets, which were bustling with people. Vendors shouted their wares, and travelers haggled. Every household had someone sweeping the snow from their doorsteps. People wore fur hats and heavy cloth garments. Nords, accustomed to the cold, had developed a certain resistance to it. However, some out-of-town merchants, wrapped in thick cotton coats, shivered and were inevitably ridiculed by the locals, who mocked them for not being able to handle the northern weather.
The roads in Karlzenhaven weren't particularly well-made; they were mostly dirt roads. The snow had been cleared, revealing the black, frozen ground beneath, which was quite firm to walk on. Ryan walked ahead, causing the townsfolk and travelers to step aside.
In this era, nobles still held a ruling position in society. Even wealthy merchants were seen as useful pawns by the nobles. They could be killed or replaced at the nobles' whim, as they controlled the military. Only in places like Marienburg did merchants hold higher status, but that was because the Grand Duke of Marienburg was the wealthiest merchant himself.
Today, Teresa Trovik wore a red fox fur coat, with a white wool knit sweater and tight pants underneath, and black suede boots. Her black, shiny hair was tied up in a ponytail, making her look gentler than usual. However, the light in her eyes still conveyed her unchanged pride.
Ryan had also changed his clothes. Since they were in town, there was no need to wear full chainmail. He wore a loose blue Nord noble's outfit, with a large silk cravat at his chest, a suit jacket, a vest, a white shirt, and blue trousers. Unlike the tight-fitting trousers popular at court, Ryan's trousers were relatively loose and tucked into his boots.
Since Ludwig was crowned the new Emperor of the Empire, tight trousers had fallen out of fashion. Ludwig preferred wearing hunting clothes or loose-fitting garments to banquets, much to the dismay of some old Empire nobles, who felt he was bringing countryside habits into the prestigious imperial court. However, the new military nobles quickly followed his lead.
The young man, already handsome, carried a golden warhammer. The hammerhead was a curved triangular prism, designed to look like a griffon's claw grasping the hammer, giving the impression of soaring wings. Combined with his impressive bearing and steady demeanor, he embodied the young, heroic kingdom knight Teresa had always imagined.
However, his attitude was less than ideal: "Good morning, Teresa."
With that, Ryan turned and headed towards the Church of Justice.
Teresa hurried to catch up. "Last night you..."
"Slept in a doghouse, haha. I even made friends with a big yellow dog... But that's none of your concern. Once the business at the Church of Justice is done, I'll notify you before we leave," Ryan replied coolly. With his extraordinary constitution, he wasn't afraid of the cold, so his clothing was more about etiquette and decorum rather than warmth.
"..." A subtle distance seemed to grow between them. For Teresa, speaking up was already pushing her limits, so she wouldn't press further. Thus, they walked in silence to the Church of Justice.
The white-painted, towering building of the Church of Justice had doors over two meters high. The doors bore the emblem of the God of Justice—a giant blue shield with a balance placed on a warhammer. Two fully armored paladins stood guard, their swords drawn, vigilantly watching the surroundings. One paladin noticed Ryan and was slightly surprised: "Oh? Isn't that 'Hammer' Ryan? Here to collect a bounty again?"
"How many bounties are there to collect?" Ryan joked, indicating he was there to pick something up.
The paladins opened the church doors. "Ryan is a staunch enemy of evil and a good friend of our church. No need to stand on ceremony. Please come in."
Frequenting the Church of Justice for bounties had made Ryan well-known among the paladins. Many paladins, often mobile, recognized him. Though Ryan didn't know these two by name, their faces were familiar.
"Since I'm such a good friend, do you have my holy feast ready?" Ryan joked, and the paladins laughed heartily. "If Ryan wants to eat, it's easily arranged. But I fear our humble fare might not suit your taste."
"That's probably true." Ryan followed a paladin into the Church of Justice.
"You know these people well," Teresa noted as they entered. The paladins noticed the beautiful and dangerous woman but hesitated and did not stop her.
"Very well, as they are my benefactors. The annual stipend barely keeps me alive. Look, I don't even have a retainer. I'm quite poor." Ryan spread his hands, and Teresa gave him a sidelong glance, saying nothing. From known information, Ryan had always been a lone wolf.
Few knights traveled alone like Ryan. Typically, knights would have at least two squires—a stable squire and a weapons squire. For instance, Ryan never used a lance because it required a squire to protect and replace it after a charge.
In fact, Teresa knew many knights traveled with more than two retainers, often with over a dozen followers, and sometimes even their lovers, which increased costs. Ryan's claim of a meager stipend was plausible.
However, the bounty from the Church of Justice or the Kingdom's treasury was several times his stipend. He should be able to afford a few retainers.
So, he chose not to, rather than couldn't, Teresa thought.
Inside the Church of Justice, the clean and simple courtyard housed young paladins practicing swordsmanship, others praying. Passing through the courtyard to the main hall, the statue of the God of Justice shone warmly in the cold air. The stone statue exuded majesty and benevolence, symbolizing justice and sacrifice with its scars and wounds. Despite this, the statue's empty eye sockets and missing left hand evoked a sense of melancholy. The God of Justice's eyes were gouged out by a Chaos god during the First Chaos Invasion, and his left hand injured during the Second Chaos Invasion. He was always at the forefront of the battle against evil, symbolizing unwavering justice and sacrifice.
Ryan always felt profound respect for the God of Justice upon entering this hall. The God of Justice wasn't a native deity but an outsider, much like the Lady of the Lake, who arrived about 1,800 years ago. Seven predecessors had fallen before him, making this the eighth God of Justice.
Being the God of Justice was a high-risk job.
With the overseeing priest busy, Ryan and Teresa sat in the church's courtyard, a stone table and chairs. A priest served two cups of water, indicating they should drink. Ryan downed his in one gulp, while Teresa hesitated, unaccustomed to drinking plain water.
In this world, finding clean water was challenging for commoners, so most consumed water through porridge, soups, or low-quality fruit and malt beverages. Teresa, from a wealthy background, usually drank fruit juices, soups, and occasionally wine, rarely drinking plain water.
"Drink it; it's holy water," Ryan urged when he saw her hesitation. "Small churches like this don't have high-level detection like Archbishop Innozenz. The only way to gain their trust is by drinking the holy water."
Teresa stared at Ryan for a moment before drinking. The holy water burned her throat like something spicy.
Ryan noticed Teresa's discomfort and grabbed her arm, pressing down on her wrist without warning.
"What are you doing?!" Teresa yelled, but Ryan's strength was overwhelming. Her wrist was pinned to the stone table, exposing her slender, purple-painted fingers. Ryan ignored the details, focusing on her wrist.
"Let go, you brute!" Teresa struggled, her eyes filled with humiliation. Realizing she misunderstood, Ryan quickly explained, "Drinking holy water feels uncomfortable because you're tainted by chaos! I'm checking you."
Teresa stopped struggling.
Blue energy flowed from Ryan's hand into Teresa's wrist. The black chaos energy recoiled from Ryan's blue energy, quickly dissipating.
Ryan released her wrist and sighed. "Teresa, never let your magical power deplete completely. In such a state, you're a feast for the evil gods. If you don't want to end up like those crazed sorcerers, be careful."
"Understood." Teresa acknowledged, aware of the dangers of becoming a crazed sorcerer.
Most sorcerers relied on the Weave created by the Goddess of Magic. Without it, even a legendary sorcerer might struggle with simple spells. Crazed sorcerers rejected the Weave, relying on raw elemental power, becoming more volatile and chaotic. They often absorbed chaos energy, leading to their downfall.
From Ryan's perspective, if human souls were school cafeterias, sorcerers' souls were faculty dining halls, and elf souls were Michelin-starred feasts.
"Do you treat everyone like this?" Teresa asked, annoyed as she donned her lace gloves. She accepted Ryan's explanation but was still somewhat displeased.
"No, only you. You're an important ally. I need a sorcerer to help fight powerful monsters. With a sorcerer, many problems are easily solved, right?" Ryan's words initially pleased Teresa but soon shattered her mood.
"Oh? Haha, I think you just need to hold off the enemy long enough for me to cast my spells. No need for your slow, clumsy hammer swinging. Isn't that foolish?" Teresa retorted, slapping Ryan's hand away, her face disdainful.
Teresa shifted her attention to the blue energy in Ryan's hand, curiosity overcoming her. "Can you tell me, Ryan?"
"Go ahead."
"What exactly is your profession?"
The protagonist's profession is unique, very unique. You'll see as the story progresses.