“…To whom?”
Egru muttered weakly. At this, the vice guildmaster, who had been maintaining an arrogant attitude, momentarily faltered.
“How, how should I know?”
The vice guildmaster cleared his throat and avoided eye contact. As he pulled back his turtle-like neck, his wrinkled cheeks quivered.
“It’s a direct order from the guildmaster. How dare you question it, you ungrateful wretch.”
“Levian?”
“That’s what I said. I guess he got sick of seeing an insignificant goblin like you being so expensive.”
“……”
Egru no longer had the strength to retort. He now truly believed it could be possible.
‘Well, I am a half-breed without a single trace of magical power…’
They say non-human races are innately excellent in physical arts and magic abilities. A blessing from the Supreme God, wasn’t it?
Egru looked down at his arms, like dry twigs.
But no such blessing had been bestowed upon him. He had neither overflowing mana nor tremendous physical strength. He’d heard that orcs were a born warrior race.
Just in case, he had tried training whenever he had the chance, but muscles didn’t seem to develop well, perhaps due to his constitution. It might be because half of his blood was human.
‘Ah, but still…’
If nothing else, he did have good endurance. Once, he even won two figs at a slap-taking contest held in a tavern.
‘But with just endurance alone…’
It was far from enough to get by in this world. After all, slap-taking contests weren’t held every day.
His only joy in life was his younger brother, who made him proud just by looking at him from afar.
“Anyway, bring the remaining payment. If you can’t repay by today, know that we’ll go directly to your brother.”
He felt he might lose even that soon. Egru left the guild with uncertain steps.
***
“Wow.”
So this is how high it is. As if he had never been depressed, Egru unconsciously let out an exclamation. Anyone who saw him would have clicked their tongue at his simplicity.
But he couldn’t help it. The Papal Headquarters he was visiting for the first time in his life was shockingly magnificent. It felt like being hit on the back of the head with a horseshoe. It was incomparable even to the grand mansions of nobles he had occasionally visited. He had always only been able to look from afar, beyond stone walls.
“Ah!”
Egru, who had been looking up at the splendid spire, ended up falling on his behind. Fortunately, he had hidden in a secluded alley. He could have become a laughing stock.
Even though his buttocks ached, his shining eyes didn’t leave the spire. He simply couldn’t see the top of it.
It was the masterpiece of a master who had served the doctrine all his life. They say the Papal Headquarters was designed with the intention that one should never dare to look down on the Lord God.
‘D’Élysée…’
His little brother had grown into such a splendid knight and was now recognized in this incredible workplace.
The tip of his nose tingled. He deserved to be loved, being such a tender-hearted child. Moreover, hadn’t he shown extraordinary talent in swordsmanship from the moment he took his first steps?
Egru couldn’t forget the memory of that time.
It was a day when he returned home late in the evening as usual after finishing his grueling work. He almost fainted. The interior of the shabby house was pitch black, to the point where he couldn’t see an inch in front of him.
At first, he thought it was a fire. Egru searched frantically for his young brother, choking on his sobs. But after some time, he realized something was strange. If there was a fire, why wasn’t it hot? His vision was just blocked.
“Brother.”
Following the baby-like call slowly, he finally found his brother. The black curtain had been cleanly lifted only around D’Élysée. Egru finally wiped away his tears.
“Look at this. Isn’t it pretty?”
D’Élysée smiled brightly. A jet-black radiance was blooming from his palm, soft as a young leaf. It was only days later that he learned it was called an “aura.” It was the quality of none other than a great Sword Master. The black aura gradually changed to blue as he grew, but that didn’t matter.
He was just endlessly happy. Egru hugged D’Élysée tightly. Unlike himself, he was now certain that his brother would never go hungry wherever he went.
‘But…’
Egru slowly got up. He pulled his patched robe down low. It was to cover his fungus-like skin color as much as possible.
Hidden in the shadows, he recalled once again. That the Papal Headquarters before him was his destination.
‘I wanted to avoid this situation at all costs…’
He had worked until his bones ached.
His eyes burned. He didn’t want to believe the reality he faced.
Unable to congratulate his successful brother, he was here merely to borrow money.
The square in front of the Papal Headquarters was filled with the laughter of the gathered crowd. White petals celebrating the inauguration of the new Holy Knight Commander fluttered. The wind, dyed in brilliant colors, rippled.
“You beggar orphan. Where else can you borrow from besides here?”
It was sad that he couldn’t deny the vice guildmaster’s words. Before reaching the Papal Headquarters, there were only two people he could pour out his desperate feelings to.
One was his friend Levian, but he had left for a business trip to the south the night before. He heard he went to look at some land. Even if he sent a letter right away, it wouldn’t reach him today, and using an expensive magic crystal ball was out of the question.
He was afraid to even bring up the topic of money to the other person. Moreover, they weren’t even that close.
It was the kind baker who let Egru into his shop when everyone else avoided him. Still, Egru mustered up the courage to carefully ask if he could lend him money. In fact, he had no expectations at all. He just asked hesitantly, grasping at straws.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not well off either. No, how did you end up needing 300,000 gold coins…”
The baker spoke with a troubled expression. Egru jumped up, saying there was no need to be sorry to him at all. Instead, he apologized several times before leaving the bakery.
His amber eyes looked up at the Papal Headquarters again. His last chance was inside that grand religious order.
‘Will D’Élysée even remember me?’
It had been 6 years since they last met.
A bright sunset rippled behind the slender spire. Egru’s mud-like hair was dyed even darker.
‘Maybe it would be better to just be sold off.’
Goodness, that can’t be. Egru tried hard to shake off the sudden feeling of resignation. With trembling hands, he smoothed out his clothes.
‘But, but I came to meet him after so long.’
He had put on the nicest clothes he had been saving. He wanted to bring a large congratulatory bouquet, but even if he emptied his pockets, he couldn’t afford it. When he asked, just in case, they said they didn’t accept goods.
“What, you don’t have money?”
At the florist’s glare that seemed ready to chase him away at any moment, Egru hurriedly bought a single yellow flower. It was a dainty and delicate lily of the valley. It perfectly resembled D’Élysée’s platinum blonde hair. Although he spent his next day’s dinner money on the flower, he felt like he could fly with happiness.
Even after finishing all preparations, Egru lingered in the alley for a long time. Only after the sunset faded did the sound of footsteps echo. Small steps headed towards the main gate of the Papal Headquarters.
***
The Papal Headquarters was truly a different world. Passing through the entrance of unimaginable height, the quiet interior of the chapel appeared.
“My goodness…”
Everything that met the eye sparkled.
The massive chandelier illuminating the central ceiling, the stained glass windows letting in bright moonlight, even the clusters of candles imbued with floating magic.
Egru’s irises dilated helplessly. The lights like the Milky Way in the night sky seeped into his melting pupils.
Egru looked up as if entranced. The ceiling painting vividly recording the history of the religious order created a mystical atmosphere in itself. The main themes were the execution of order, the punishment of evil, and the salvation of ordinary people. He seemed to be utterly overwhelmed by the solemn air.
Suddenly, he remembered Levian’s warning not to even look at the religious order. How untrustworthy must he have thought it was to force a vow in the name of the Supreme God.
‘As of today…’
He had no choice but to break that vow. Hadn’t he said that if even a low-ranking priest stroked his head once, he would end up bringing everything he earned to the religious order?
‘I vehemently denied it then.’
Now he understood a little. Why the believers praised the religious order so much. In this holy place, his mind and body were strangely at peace. Even more so than in his own home. Perhaps it was because the space was purified with immense divine power.
‘But…’
Egru suddenly looked around. Where was D’Élysée? There were hardly any people in the chapel. There were a few people offering prayers, but most were enjoying the festival in the square.
‘They wouldn’t have all gone home, would they?’
He had heard that a grand reception would be held after the inauguration ceremony.
The Papal Headquarters was structured with major facilities connected in a rectangular shape. The Grand Temple, Holy Knight Headquarters, Weapons Workshop, and so on. Unlike the main office which focused on political affairs, the chapel where masses were held was a place open to the general public. But there was no way Egru could have known this.
“For the glory of the Lord God―!”
Suddenly, Egru’s heels twitched. A resonant toast had pierced through like lightning. It came from outside the stained glass window, opposite to the entrance. The air in the chapel reverberated with the laughter that followed. Even though the sound came from beyond the stone walls, its intensity didn’t diminish at all.
‘Ah, it must be that way.’
The reception atmosphere was in full swing in the main courtyard. Egru tried hard to calm his heart, which was racing like a racehorse. He couldn’t tell if he was startled by the sudden loud voice or if he was nervous about meeting his brother.
Egru carefully raised his head. He saw a door with particularly strict security. It seemed that this door led to the reception hall.
When he met D’Élysée, he would give him the flower first. He should sincerely congratulate him.
‘And then…’
His already small shoulders slumped even more. 300,000 gold coins. He had never even seen a gold coin in his life.
After checking that the lily of the valley was still there, Egru pulled down his robe hood as far as it would go. With each step towards the central door, his heart grew heavier like a lump of lead.