Chapter 66 : Chapter 66
Chapter 66. Holy City Moirai (1)
“For a mercenary, a scar is like a kill mark for knights! Getting a wound means you fought fiercely, and having a scar remaining means you survived!”
The mercenary captain, whose hair was frosted with gray, laughed heartily and patted Blanc’s shoulder, which had a large scar on his face.
“Why not make a nickname related to the scar? It is good for mercenaries to have something to imprint themselves with.”
The mercenary captain thought deeply, then smiled brightly as if he had a good idea and said to Blanc.
“Blanc Scar! Let’s just use Scar as your last name.”
“Ha……”
Blanc sighed and stood up.
“Captain, by any chance, what was the name of the dog you used to raise?”
“Dog’s name? It was Doggy!”
“Did you raise a cat too?”
“How did you know?”
“That cat’s name was Kitty, right?”
“What, did I tell you?”
The mercenary captain scratched the back of his head with a surprised expression.
Blanc made a sour face, rummaged through the corpses around him, and muttered to himself.
“I knew it.”
***
The Cadmus Knights, having parted ways with Tolome, were heading toward the Holy City Moirai.
Moirai, where the legend that Goddesses personally descended to bless humans was handed down, was a holy land irreplaceable by anything else for the believers of the Goddess Religion.
“We have arrived.”
A city surrounded by pure white walls, though not high, entered the party’s view.
The pure white city reflecting the rising morning sunlight made anyone looking at it feel a majestic and holy energy.
“They say it is a city one must visit at least once before dying, and I finally get to come.”
Hansen, being of age, looked at Moirai with moist eyes, perhaps feeling deeply moved.
As Hansen said, believers of the Goddess Religion wanted to come to Moirai at least once before dying to feel the breath of the Goddesses.
Therefore, Moirai was a city where people from the three kingdoms frequented inevitably.
The religious symbolism of being a holy land, the locational specificity of being the center of the Goddess Order, and the people of other nations who inevitably had to visit constantly due to that.
With these reasons intertwined, Holy City Moirai was a place recognized for its autonomy as a city-state by the Kingdom of Anton, despite being within it.
“Let’s move. We will be able to have a proper meal today.”
At Blanc’s instruction, the knights pulled their reins and began to descend the hill.
“Unusually, there is no city gate.”
“Because the Goddesses accept anyone with love.”
According to the doctrine of the Goddess Order, the entrance of Moirai, which had no gate, boasted an entrance as large and wide as the Goddesses’ love.
Instead, a large number of inspection personnel, unseen in other cities or territories, were stationed in front of it.
Since Moirai was a city with religious symbolism and political neutrality, it was also a city impossible to enter unless one’s identity was clearly guaranteed.
“The Goddesses’ love is like a wide ocean, but the hearts of humans accepting it are not so.”
Simon seemed to have a bitter taste in his mouth seeing the scene where ideal and reality strangely diverged.
The party, who came down the hill admiring the massive entrance, was appalled seeing the long line stretching behind the entrance.
They were all people who came for a pilgrimage.
“Follow me.”
Blanc led the party and skillfully rode his horse through the crowd. Then he showed a paper taken from his bosom to the guards.
“I am Baron Blanc Cadmus of the Kingdom of Felix! I have received a guarantee from Cardinal Julio, so please check it!”
Hearing that he was a noble and had received a guarantee from none other than a Cardinal, the guards quickly ran to Blanc.
“We welcome the visit of Baron Blanc Cadmus and the knights!”
The party, having received permission to pass from the guards, sighed in relief inwardly.
“There really are a great many people here for the pilgrimage.”
“If we waited blindly, it would have taken three days just to enter.”
“It is truly fortunate that we have the recommendation letter received from Cardinal Julio. As expected, your insight is extraordinary, Baron.”
Blanc smiled faintly looking at Simon, who was sweeping his chest at the words that it would take three days.
As Blanc said, without citizenship issued by Moirai, it would take that much time every time they entered and exited.
“By the way…… it seems people are gathered outside the walls……”
As Simon said, people were gathered under the white walls of Moirai.
Looking at their dirty attire, they looked like beggars, but seeing they had tents and household goods set up, they looked more like refugees than beggars.
Blanc smiled seeing that sight.
Because as he intended, they were still here.
“They are refugees.”
“Pardon?”
“We should regard them as remnants of the Kingdom of Gartaria.”
With those words, Blanc entered the entrance of Moirai.
Simon wanted to ask more, but he suppressed that feeling and walked in following Blanc.
The party was busy examining the panoramic view of Moirai, but Blanc took the lead, handling his horse unhesitatingly as if he knew the way.
Moving like that, Blanc stopped in front of an inn without an inch of hesitation.
It was a neat three-story building.
Like the buildings of Moirai usually were, this building was also neatly painted white, and the ivy growing between it suited it quite well.
Seeing the inn much cleaner than in his memory, Blanc felt something rising in his chest.
“We stay here.”
The party entered the inn wondering if Blanc had received a recommendation in advance.
The party, having booked rooms under Blanc’s lead, unpacked and gathered again in the inn’s lobby.
“Here, I will receive the title of a pilgrim following the holy path. However, to have an audience with the Cardinal or the Pope, it will take some time even after applying.”
No matter how much of a rising star Blanc was in the Kingdom of Felix, he could not cross the limit of being a mere Baron.
Here, Cardinal Julio’s recommendation letter would do its job.
“Duven.”
“Yes! Baron!”
Duven, the Dwarf master of mechanical devices, had been crouching without being able to hold his head high within the knight order, although unintentionally.
He was also adept at adapting to new environments or people through years of mercenary life, but the problem was that these were knights pursuing honor, not mercenaries rolling on the ground together.
Moreover, the Cadmus Knights were knights who had engraved the kill mark of an Ogre Slayer.
Since Duven was a person standing at the scene establishing that historic achievement, he couldn’t help but feel awe toward the knights naturally.
“This place isn’t exactly a logistics hub, but it is a place where people flock from various places.”
Blanc looked at Duven with deeply sunken eyes.
Duven found it especially difficult to deal with Blanc.
Because the strong charisma, unbelievable for a fifteen-year-old age, always made Duven feel small.
“It is a city unsuitable for buying large quantities of goods, but a good place to obtain various items.”
Blanc opened a pouch and handed it to Duven.
“Ten…… Ten gold!”
Duven’s eyes widened looking at the ten gold coins Blanc held out.
“Use it to purchase necessary items or equipment. If it is insufficient, tell Billy later.”
Blanc made eye contact with Duven and said.
“I have high expectations for your flashing wit. Please create things that will be a strength to Cadmus.”
Duven stood blankly, unable to easily pick up the gold coins due to overwhelming emotions.
Until now, there was not a single person who acknowledged him this much.
Furthermore, since Duven was developing things related to weapons that kill people among mechanical devices, he used to be shunned by Dwarves.
Even fellow Dwarves ignored his inventions as useless things and pointed fingers at him calling him a person without honor.
But didn’t Baron Blanc Cadmus hand over ten gold coins under the name of development costs to him, who had no particular results, saying he believed in him?
Duven answered Blanc with a tearful voice.
“I will do my best. Baron!”
Blanc nodded hearing Duven’s answer.
“Duven will move independently from now on. Simon, escort him.”
“Yes.”
Simon would escort Duven, who was holding ten gold coins from now on, and simultaneously monitor for any possible betrayal.
Though looking at Duven picking up the gold coins while teary-eyed now, that possibility seemed low.
Blanc turned his head and looked at Rakshar.
Rakshar was one who possessed the blood of a Werewolf belonging to Evil.
This was Holy City Moirai.
It wouldn’t be good for Rakshar to move in broad daylight.
“Rakshar guards the luggage at the inn.”
“Yes……”
Rakshar nodded as if he knew it would be like this.
Though his ears drooped a bit.
“Sir Hansen, I would like you to find mercenary corps.”
“As expected. It was mercenary corps.”
Holy City Moirai gave up the right to recruit an army in exchange for having its autonomy recognized in the Kingdom of Anton.
It was a natural story.
Because the Kingdom of Anton didn’t want a military organization moving independently within their territory.
Instead of recruiting an army, Moirai attracted many mercenary corps.
They induced mercenary corps to establish headquarters in Moirai so that they could draw and use insufficient military force at any time.
From the perspective of mercenary corps, it wasn’t bad either; Moirai paid great attention to tax parts, and geographically, it had the advantage of being located in the middle of the three human kingdoms, making it easy to move to calls from anywhere.
Plus, the fact that roads heading to the holy land were well maintained in any kingdom was a bonus.
“I want to hire about 500 mercenaries. It must be at least that much to create an army with the help of Tolome and Neudorf.”
“That is correct. Baron.”
Blanc planned to organize an army of about 1,000 to retake Norington.
To challenge the three families of Langketa, Vicious, and Kamora, this much military force would be necessary.
In the case of an ordinary Baron family, they would have about 100 standing soldiers, and when a situation like war occurred, they could easily swell their size up to 500 through conscripts.
Calculating only numerically, Blanc was in a situation where he had to deal with 1,500 to 2,000 soldiers prepared by the three families of Gartaria.
He was greatly inferior in numbers, but Blanc intended to overcome this inferiority with the quality of soldiers.
That was why he came all the way to Moirai. To hire those boasting the best skills among mercenaries rather than filling the headcount with ragtag mercenaries.
The problem was money, but Blanc was already holding 10,000 gold in his hand through Ulrich’s arrangement.
Although Hansen didn’t know those circumstances, he just thought Tolome and Neudorf were helping greatly.
“I do not want to complicate the command system unnecessarily by hiring several trivial mercenary corps. If possible, I want to meet a mercenary corps that can hire more than 100 personnel at once.”
Blanc decided to trust Hansen’s experience and the insight arising from it.
“I must stop by the Goddess Order and the Torch Knights. First, make a list of mercenary corps we can contact and report back.”
“Understood. Baron.”
Blanc placed his subordinates in the right places and assigned missions.
“Billy, follow me.”
“Yes. Baron.”
The remaining tasks were things he had to solve personally.
***
Rakshar saw the party off with a sullen expression.
That appearance reminded them of a dog guarding the house, giving the knights a big laugh.
“It will take about three days.”
Blanc requested an audience with the Pope along with Cardinal Julio’s recommendation letter, but that meeting couldn’t happen immediately.
The Pope was a busy person and a person with a set schedule.
Even with a Cardinal’s recommendation letter, if it wasn’t an urgent matter, he would have to wait his turn.
“Let’s go to the Torch Knights.”
“Yes.”
Blanc had already informed the Torch Knights through Billy that he had arrived in Moirai.
Blanc, the sixth knight of Aselheit, was a figure to receive VIP treatment in the Torch Knights, unlike in the Goddess Order.
“Welcome! Knight of Aselheit!”
There was a person waiting for Blanc at the entrance of the Torch Knights’ building.
“I am Gaspar, the Butler of the Torch Knights.”
He was a man with long tied hair.
His smile, looking as if he would be smiling anytime and anywhere, was so natural that it created a good impression, and the glasses he wore highlighted his intellectual aspect.
“My, I didn’t know the Butler would come out personally.”
The person in front of him was the very person who attached the Demon-breaking Knight named Tarania to him and was a person who could be called the second-in-command of the Torch Knights.
Blanc had expected they would welcome him, but he didn’t think the Butler would come out personally to greet him.
The Butler laughed heartily and opened his arms wide to welcome Blanc.
“Aren’t you our young torch newly lit after 20 years! I had to come out personally to see the torch that might be the last!”
The Butler welcomed Blanc enthusiastically, his face flushing red as if truly happy.
As the Butler said, the knights of Aselheit were people occupying a special position within the Torch Knights.
They were people treated importantly within the Torch Knights, but since they only acted as symbols and were not in a relationship exercising direct influence within the same organization, they weren’t exactly fighting over power within the organization.
It was truly a relationship where they supported each other.
Moreover, like the Butler said, Blanc was a person with a high probability of becoming Aselheit’s last knight.
Aselheit’s age was now nearing one hundred.
Even if he was Aselheit, evaluated as having transcended human limits, he wouldn’t be able to transcend the limit of lifespan.
Therefore, Gaspar had no reason not to welcome the Knight of Aselheit who was the last and would become unique after a long time passed.
“Please come in! Sir Blanc! I welcome you in the name of the Torch Knights!”