Chapter 166
Chapter 166
Anaye Traditional Liquor (3)
I glanced at Aro. It was a relief that Aro’s liquor seemed to be popular. But then Aro suddenly lowered her head with a determined expression.
Then she took Winter aside and began whispering with her before opening a portal and disappearing into the kitchen. I stared at Aro with a dumbfounded expression.
What had she read from my gaze to make her act like that?
“Haha. I’ve truly been treated well.”
“Ah. Not at all.”
I came to my senses at the High Priest’s words. Worden poured liquor into another cup and handed it to the Guestbook Priest who had accompanied him.
“Ah, th-thank you!”
The Guestbook Priest looked thoroughly frightened at the sight of the massive Worden. Worden didn’t stop there and even brought over the bottle the liquor had been made in.
“How about another cup?”
“Oh my! If you’re offering.”
The High Priest didn’t refuse my offer. When he extended one hand, I respectfully poured him another drink.
The status of a High Priest was by no means insignificant. I slowly recalled what Winter had taught me.
At the highest, Cult Leader-class rank were Cult Leaders, Saints, and Saintesses. Directly below them were cardinals and bishops. High Priests were those who assisted such cardinals and bishops.
‘They could’ve just sent some low-ranking grunt.’
I subtly glanced at the Guestbook Priest. In modern terms, the High Priest was roughly equivalent to a vice minister assisting a minister. On top of that, this man was a famous figure who had appeared in the game as well.
Why was someone like him personally overseeing a tax audit?
“Haha! The Goddess must truly feel reassured. After all, she has a Cult Leader like you, doesn’t she?”
“Not at all. I, too, have been deeply moved by The Goddess’s mercy and teachings. Rather, it is an honor for me to meet a High Priest of the Lofty Order.”
The flattery I had grown accustomed to while dealing with the Imperial Princess flowed effortlessly from my mouth. The High Priest waved his hand dismissively, his face slightly flushed.
His expression overflowed with delight. I sank into thought, recalling information I had seen in the game.
“Weren’t you present at the battle in the Demonic Realm twelve years ago? I believe it was the Seventh Demonic Realm Subjugation.”
“Ooh? That was quite a long time ago. You know about it?”
“Of course. Wasn’t it the largest battle in the Demonic Realm in nearly a hundred years? I know of your achievements there, High Priest. I heard you protected countless lives with your formidable protection magic?”
“Wahaha! Not at all! Everyone there was a battle-hardened warrior!”
In the game, this High Priest appeared during the Astral subjugation episode. He was an NPC who appeared alongside the Saintess of the Lofty Order and provided the player with a great deal of help.
The lines the High Priest had spoken back then remained in my head. The High Priest liked showing off, and he had the ability to justify it.
“I’ve never been to a Demonic Realm like that, so I worry whether I’d be able to keep myself from getting frightened in battle. Of course, I can’t use powerful divine magic like you can either, High Priest.”
“Haha! You flatter me. I merely carried out my duty under Lofty-nim’s command. The Cult Leader of the Anaye Order also has such a robust physique that you are undoubtedly destined for greatness. Haha!”
We were licking each other’s faces with golden tongues. Only the Guestbook Priest beside us was staring in astonishment with his mouth hanging open.
“If it wouldn’t be too presumptuous, could you tell me about that battle? I’d love to hear about those valiant and merciful deeds.”
“Ah, of course! Haha. Goodness, I hardly know what to do with myself when a junior shows this much interest.”
“But of course. You’re my role model. Isn’t it only natural to want to hear stories about someone you admire?”
Surprisingly, we got along well. Spending time with the Imperial Princess had naturally sharpened my skill at flattery, while the High Priest was someone who gave exactly the reaction you wanted when you flattered him.
How should I put it? His reactions were so satisfying that even flattering him felt rewarding. And so, the High Priest continued telling stories of his past.
Surprisingly, he had a talent for storytelling, so Worden and I listened with genuine interest.
“And that’s what happened! I truly thought I was going to die back then.”
“That’s truly remarkable. Do you still have the scars from the injuries you suffered then?”
“Of course. Aren’t scars medals in their own right?”
“They are truly Stigmata(聖痕).”
“Stigmata? Wahahaha! Goodness, you’re gilding my face far too much.”
As he said that, the High Priest rolled up his left sleeve. His arm was thick and muscular enough to rival Worden’s.
“You see these two holes? One came from Agulla twelve years ago, and the other from Aktul eleven years ago. And this one beside my heart was from six months before that battle ended. They are proof that countless young warriors and noble priests fought together.”
“Truly sacred. Come to think of it, didn’t you also distinguish yourself greatly in the battle against the heretical terrorists of the Karata Order?”
“What? You know about that too?”
“There is no falsehood in my respect.”
In truth, that was a lie. I didn’t respect the High Priest. But when I even brought up the incident involving the Karata Order, the High Priest’s face filled with emotion.
What was with him? He was much easier to sway than I had expected. It wasn’t exactly the sort of demeanor one would expect from a High Priest of the Lofty Order.
“To hear you say all this, I hardly know what to do with myself! For a man, spending his time on the battlefield is the path forward.”
“Ah, indeed. That is what battle means to a warrior, and I feel the same way.”
I understood why.
Judging by the High Priest’s disposition, he was simply a warrior. More precisely, a holy warrior, a Paladin. Yet he was serving as a priest.
That was due to the nature of the Lofty Order, which wasn’t particularly fond of combat. If there was a problem, it was that the Goddess Lofty had brought such a dyed-in-the-wool warrior of a High Priest into her Religious Order.
“Hmm? We’ve already finished it all. Goodness, I completely lost track of time. Hoho.”
“It was also a precious experience for me, High Priest. Simply hearing about such noble and magnificent experiences brings great enlightenment.”
“Wahaha!”
The High Priest once again laughed heartily. If Zhang Fei from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms were here, would he feel like this? I let out a hollow laugh.
At that exact moment, Aro opened a portal and appeared. In her hand was a sleek, luxurious bottle.
Aro gave me a meaningful glance and immediately headed toward the cabinet. She placed the bottle inside and infused it with her own magic.
“Shall I bring out a little more liquor? If it wouldn’t be too presumptuous, I’d like to hear more of your heroic tales.”
“Haha! I’m simply grateful that you would say so. However, this was meant to be a brief first meeting. Far more time has passed than I realized.”
Only then did a pleased smile spread across my face. He was finally leaving. The ones startled by this were Aro and Winter. The two hurriedly began preparing something.
“This has truly been a meaningful occasion.”
“Not at all. I was the one who enjoyed myself more.”
As the High Priest rose, I got up from my seat as well. The Guestbook Priest, whose face had turned bright red from a single cup of liquor, also stood up.
“Ahem. Please don’t worry too much about the tax audit. It’s a routine procedure. We’ll provide additional instructions in writing, so if you follow them, you should pass without issue.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
“Um, well.”
As I escorted him all the way to the door, the High Priest finally brought up the actual purpose of his visit. Seeing him clear his throat awkwardly as though embarrassed, I snickered.
At that moment, Aro quietly approached and handed something to the High Priest. It was a neatly wrapped box.
“Hmm? What is this?”
“Anaye Traditional Liquor. I thought you might be disappointed to leave without more, so we prepared this for you. The members of my Religious Order are fond of hearty men like you, High Priest, so it seems they prepared this despite the possible discourtesy.”
“My! I can hardly disregard the sincerity of a gift, can I? I shall gratefully accept it.”
The High Priest left with emotion practically plastered all over his face. Once the High Priest and Guestbook Priest disappeared, the chapel fell silent.
“Ha.”
I slumped back into the rocking chair. Aro, who had expended a considerable amount of magic, sprawled out on the sofa, as did Winter, who had needed to assist her.
“Wow. He seemed more like a warrior than a priest.”
“He practically is. He’s someone who can tear monsters apart with his bare hands.”
“That’s insane.”
The High Priest was highly skilled in buffs and defensive magic. During battles in the game, he had used powerful buff magic as well.
On top of that, he had displayed the astonishing sight of simply ripping charging monsters apart with his bare hands. In terms of pure unarmed combat ability, perhaps he was comparable to Knight Commander Ethan.
“What was that thing you gave him at the end?”
“Ah. That? Don’t worry. It was top quality. Not the three-year-aged stuff we were drinking, but a full nine years old. He’ll probably go crazy just from smelling it.”
I chuckled at Aro’s confident words. I had been bewildered when she suddenly disappeared, but I hadn’t expected her to return after preparing something like this.
I had almost felt disappointed, thinking she had run away from an uncomfortable situation.
“So, how was it? Your relationship.”
“If we’d gone just a little further, we might’ve ended up calling each other brothers.”
That was how I answered Aro. It wasn’t an exaggeration. The High Priest’s face had been overflowing with goodwill.
Bringing up battles he wouldn’t expect me to know about had played a big part. The incident in the Demonic Realm was famous, but the Imperial Knight Order’s achievements had been more prominent than those of the priests.
And nothing about the Karata Order incident had been publicly disclosed.
“If things go well, we might be able to breeze through the tax audit.”
“It does seem that way.”
I agreed with Aro. The High Priest was upright, but he wasn’t particularly fussy. I hadn’t expected the liquor made for Anaye to help us this much.
“Let’s rest for a bit and make one more. We have to offer it as a tribute to The Goddess.”
“How many years should we make it? Thirty?”
“That sounds good. Please put in a little extra effort.”
“Ah, don’t worry. I’m sturdy!”
Aro transformed into a Silver Fox and leaped toward me. I caught the fox as she sprang through the air and seated her on my lap.
The cabinet consumed a considerable amount of magic. Even Aro couldn’t afford to pour magic into it recklessly. Slowly but thoroughly, I stroked her fur.
She was working hard for us, so this much was the least I could do.
“Phew. I was nervous since it was my first time meeting a High Priest.”
Winter, who had been extremely tense as though she had never expected to meet someone of such high status as a High Priest, let out a sigh.
“You worked hard.”
“No. You had it harder, Senior. With your personality, it must’ve been difficult to humor him like that.”
As soon as Winter finished speaking, everyone else’s gazes gathered on me. Every one of them looked at me with eyes full of sympathy.
I shrugged. That was true, but perhaps because of his hearty demeanor and my connection to him through the game, I hadn’t felt particularly uncomfortable.
Rather, as someone who liked the story, I had found the time fairly enjoyable in its own way.
“Anaye Traditional Liquor? Anyway, what are you going to do with this? We went through all that trouble to borrow it.”
“I didn’t borrow it. I bought it outright.”
“Huh?”
Thanks for the cute reaction. I burst out laughing at Winter, who stood there stupidly with her mouth hanging open.
“Th-that thing looked anything but ordinary?”
“Ah, I didn’t spend any money, so don’t worry. I just agreed to do one job for them.”
“Ahh.”
Winter’s face fell at my words. I snorted and continued.
“I’m planning to produce and sell Anaye Traditional Liquor. We can mainly use it for gifts or bribes.”
“Using something bearing The Goddess’s name as a bribe…….”
Winter pouted and grumbled at my words.
“Ah, don’t worry. I’ll get The Goddess’s permission beforehand.”
I closed my eyes as I said that. A smile spread across my face as I thought about the Random Skill Enhancement Ticket I would receive after offering her the liquor.