#010

There was one thing I realized the first day I entered Antonio’s house.

‘He has surprisingly many expensive things.’

Because he was frugal, it wasn’t immediately obvious, but Antonio possessed several items that a truly impoverished lower-ranking priest could never own.

A silver penknife, or a wax tablet made of ebony.

They didn’t have delicate engravings, so they didn’t look expensive at first glance, but the materials and finishing were superb, and such items were scattered about casually.

‘These all look like things he would have received as gifts.’

Moreover, I got the feeling they were gifts forced upon him by someone who truly loved and cherished him. This was because they were all practical items that even the frugal Antonio wouldn’t refuse. Furthermore, they seemed to be custom-made specifically to not look expensive.

‘Who gave them? A daughter? A sibling? A disciple?’

Either way, it was evidence that Antonio had good connections.

And in Medieval-land, nothing was as essential as connections.

‘I need to get on his good side.’

So, from the day I started learning to read and write, I began doing things without being asked.

I swept with a broom, chopped firewood, kept the water filled, and washed clothes.

Antonio tried to stop me, saying there was no need, but I persisted.

‘I have to pay just to learn how to weave a basket; how could I learn to read and write without giving anything in return? I do not wish to be a person devoid of shame.’

‘Fabio, I am not teaching you expecting a reward. How could I seek profit from teaching the Word of the Lord?’

‘Then please think of it as me simply returning the time you spend teaching me, Master Antonio. Then it is neither a profit nor a loss, is it?’

In the end, Antonio could not break my stubbornness.

‘If you become too busy or if it becomes too taxing, stop at any time.’

He even added that if it seemed like I lacked study time because of the chores, he would forbid me from doing them.

But that never happened.

‘I can’t let my affinity farming be hindered by my studies.’

I did my best to breeze through my studies quickly and helped with the housework.

My sincere efforts in affinity farming were proceeding smoothly.

‘I’ve even been told I could keep any books I wanted.’

In the Middle Ages, where printing was not developed, books were incredibly expensive.

A book made of parchment cost more than five cows, and even a paper book cost as much as one cow.

‘With this level of affinity, I think he’ll write me a recommendation letter and even provide some extra travel funds.’

So, when there were three months left until Christmas, I slowly started dropping hints.

Of course, I didn’t make it obvious that I wanted something.

‘Showing that you want something to get what you want is a low-tier strategy.’

The moment I showed that I wanted a recommendation letter or money, my hard work would become an act performed in expectation of a reward.

While some people like those who are shrewd and know how to take their share, Antonio was absolutely not that type of person.

‘I have to make him want to give me things because I seem to want nothing at all.’

The so-called ‘Where are you going with nothing’ strategy.

I didn’t covet anything and slowly began organizing my belongings.

I chopped more firewood than usual and said things like, ‘It’s better to prepare for winter as early as possible.’

I looked at the night sky and asked about how to find directions and the surrounding geography.

I pushed myself to advance my studies faster.

When Antonio asked if something was wrong, I gave vague excuses.

If I gave off a strong vibe that I might leave without a word…

“Fabio. I heard you haven’t done the winter preparation sowing.”

“You, being so diligent, surely haven’t forgotten something so important,” Antonio said.

“Are you thinking of leaving this place?”

Antonio’s silver-gray eyes stared intently at me.

A total fastball!

In times like this, one must not give a clumsy excuse.

“Yes, Master Antonio.”

I smiled as if I hadn’t really intended to make it obvious, but felt as though I had been read completely.

“I intend to leave before this winter ends.”

At my words, worry clouded Antonio’s eyes.

“…Merchant caravans do not cross the mountains in winter. Would it not be better to wait until next summer before leaving?”

“Then I will follow the last northbound caravan before winter arrives.”

Antonio looked at me in silence for a long time.

I looked back at him with a gaze that said, ‘I’ve already decided and I have no intention of being persuaded.’

Antonio let out a small sigh and asked.

“What is the reason it must be this winter?”

Because that’s when the game starts.

But I couldn’t explain it that way.

In such cases, one can use the “unblockable move” limited to the Middle Ages.

“…I had a dream.”

I spoke in a low voice.

“It was a dream where I was listening to the sound of bells in a great cathedral I had never seen before, on a winter’s day. Hearing that sound, I was thinking, ‘I’m so glad I came here before winter.’”

I had a dream, and I feel like I must follow it…!

A reason that would be absurd in modern times, but works perfectly in the primitive Middle Ages.

“A dream. Tell me more in detail.”

“There isn’t much more to say. I was looking up at a high, beautiful bell tower on a snowy day, and the sound of the bells was so beautiful that I felt like I might cry. Other than that, I remember nothing.”

I shouldn’t be too detailed, or it would feel like I was predicting the future through a dream.

A vague feeling of “I just felt that way” or “I feel I should” was enough.

Ambiguous enough that it was unclear whether it was a true revelation or just a random dream.

“…I understand.”

Antonio stopped trying to persuade me.

After all, one cannot logically refute a dream.

“Then promise me one thing. Even if you suddenly feel you must leave immediately, come and say your final goodbyes to me before you go.”

Hearing Antonio’s words, I cheered inwardly.

‘Success!’

Now, Antonio would secretly prepare a bundle of items packed to the brim so that his disciple, who would suddenly leave in winter, wouldn’t suffer.

Then, even if a day comes when a [???] trait suddenly activates and I have to bolt in the middle of the night, I’ll be able to take the items with me.

“How could I leave without saying goodbye? I will certainly stop by.”

‘I can’t leave without taking the rewards I got from successful affinity farming.’

Of course, I planned to act as if I were only visiting to say goodbye, and since I “had no idea” about the bundle of items, I would refuse about twice, saying it was too much, before reluctantly accepting.

‘I wonder what’s in the ‘Teacher’s Grace’ set that Antonio prepares?’

Gold coins? Winter boots? A wool blanket?

Just imagining it made my heart flutter.

‘No, actually, just a single recommendation letter guaranteeing my identity would be enough.’

If I expect too much and show a hint of disappointment, it’ll all be for nothing.

I tried my best to cast aside greed.

‘No matter what comes out, let’s not be disappointed!’

* * *

However, as if to prove he was a resident of the God-World Genre, Anto-mon prepared something far more incredible than anything I had anticipated.

“Fabio. A priest belonging to the Capital Church is scheduled to come here.”

“…What?”

“I asked him to take you to the Capital Church.”

“Me?”

I blinked in surprise.

This wasn’t acting; it was 100% genuine surprise.

“No, I mean, who am I to…”

“Fabio. Have I not told you repeatedly? You are special.”

“I am only ever grateful that you see me in such a positive light. But I wonder if someone from the Capital Church would see me that way…”

“Unless they are blind, it would be impossible not to notice.”

Isn’t that because you’re someone who should have been born in a God-World Genre?

I grew worried for Antonio, who seemed to be losing his objective standards.

“Then when are they coming? They’re coming from far away, so although it’s nothing much, I should prepare…”

“They will arrive within three days.”

Three days?

I was flustered by the tighter timeline than expected.

Transportation wasn’t developed like in modern times, and it would take two weeks even on horseback to get here from the capital.

‘If someone was coming, he would have known long ago. Why tell me so close to the date?’

“That’s a problem. The peddlers aren’t coming for another five days…”

I hadn’t organized my belongings yet, nor had I bought the things needed for travel.

As I looked distressed, Antonio spoke.

“That person will have everything you need. You only need to bring yourself.”

To that extent?

‘No matter how good the affinity farming effect is, isn’t this a bit excessive?’

A question arose in my mind.

To send someone all the way to this remote frontier village for a single serf.

Unless everyone else in the Order Sect also had the mindset of a God-World Genre resident, there must be a reason to persuade someone to waste that much time.

‘Did he recommend me as a promising candidate for a priest or something?’

Surely they wouldn’t come to pick up a candidate for a chore boy.

‘No, but my divine power must be at rock bottom.’

“…Fabio. Do you have any guess as to why I am only telling you this now?”

At Antonio’s words, I pondered.

“If you told me in advance, you were worried I’d get too excited and wouldn’t study hard…?”

“That is not the reason.”

“Then, to prevent me from preparing a gift for you in advance…?”

“Were you thinking that?”

If it’s neither, then what is it?

I was curious, but Antonio only smiled faintly and didn’t answer.

‘Well, it’s probably nothing.’

I didn’t think too deeply about it.

Because I didn’t believe Antonio would do anything bad to me.

If he really wanted to surprise me, he could have told me after the person arrived.

‘More importantly, if they’re coming thinking I’m a priest candidate, what happens to the atmosphere when my divine power is revealed to be bottom-tier.’

Faith doesn’t appear as a numerical value in the Status Window, but it was obvious it would converge toward zero.

If faith is high, one becomes devout, but being devout doesn’t necessarily mean faith is high.

‘Faith is like… a talent for becoming a fanatic.’

Units with high faith are greatly influenced by Divinity.

If faith is high, the moment they receive Baptism, the voice of the Lord echoes in their head, and they immediately know what the Lord wants. Furthermore, they can draw upon divine power as if it were their own original strength.

Therefore, generally, divine power was high if faith was high.

Conversely, since I possessed ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ I would be almost entirely unaffected by Divinity, so it was certain that both my divine power and faith would hit rock bottom.

‘Well, Antonio probably stayed a bell ringer because his divine power was low too.’

He wouldn’t be disappointed even if my divine power was at the bottom.

And I’ve never said I wanted to be a priest.

‘If I become a priest, it only increases the chance of meeting Athanas, the protagonist of ‘Die Heretic!’’

By all accounts, being a Chanter is much better.

‘Surely they won’t leave me behind just because I have no divine power.’

I’ll just have to endure a moment of embarrassment when the people arrive.

I was thinking quite optimistically.

Until the evening I encountered a knight of the Order at the edge of the village.

* * *

‘Weren’t they coming in three days?’

The knight, wearing a helmet that completely covered his face, wore a surcoat emblazoned with the emblem of the Order Sect over plate armor.

It didn’t seem likely that another knight with different business would visit such a small village with only a three-day difference.

‘He came alone without a party?’

I thought it was strange, but soon a plausible reason occurred to me.

‘Maybe that knight is one of Antonio’s disciples.’

If he had separate business with Antonio, it made sense that he would visit first.

Because if he arrived with another party in three days, there was a high probability he would just say hello and leave immediately.

People belonging to the Order Sect had a rule that if the party exceeded two people, they had to eat and sleep only in a chapel; thus, they couldn’t stay long in a frontier village that lacked a chapel.

I think the rule was created because places without chapels were seen as lacking the capacity to feed and house many people.

‘That’s a very convenient excuse.’

[A horse with black fur and a white mark on its forehead.]

‘No, I can see that.’

[It looks neat, but it eats twice as much as a pack horse.]

‘…How do you know that? Physiognomy?’

[It must be smart; if it’s not satisfied after eating everything, it stamps its feet to call me. If we had stayed just one more day, all the fodder would have run out.]

‘Wait. Is this a horse I’ve seen before?’

I soon recalled a narration I had seen previously.

I had seen a narration stating that a knight in the procession that brought the consecrated bell had been riding a horse like this.

I couldn’t be certain if it was the same horse or if it just looked similar, triggering the memory, but the probability of it being the same horse seemed high.

‘If the knight is also the same person, did he come specifically to see Antonio back then too?’

To volunteer to come this far for someone who was merely a bell ringer, they must be more than just casually acquainted.

Perhaps the person who sent the gifts was that knight.

‘If I remembered more about the knight, affinity farming would be easier…’

If I said, “You’ve visited before, right?” and I was wrong, how embarrassing would that be?

Unfortunately, while the fellow Fabio remembered the horse in detail, he left no comments about the knight.

Useless guy.

I should just prepare some horse fodder.

The moment I thought that, the knight leaped off the horse and strode toward me.

“Are you Fabio?”

The mid-to-low toned voice echoing from inside the helmet was estimated to be a man in his 30s or 40s.

Nice voice. It’s not a voice I’ve heard while playing Heretic Slayer…

‘Is he a named character from the game?’

I wanted to examine his attire more closely, but since rolling my eyes in front of a knight would be obvious, I cast my gaze downward.

“Yes, that is correct.”

“I have heard. I am told you have received a special Blessing.”

“No, Master Antonio must have exaggerated; I am just an ordinary serf.”

I wondered what Antonio had said about me…

If expectations are too high, the disappointment is also great. I bowed my head deeply, acting flustered.

“Raise your head.”

‘If he lifts the visor, I’ll be able to tell for sure if he’s a character I know.’

As I raised my head with that thought, I suddenly felt something flash beyond the visor of the helmet.

‘A blue light?’

[

SYSTEM:

Due to the effect of ‘Heaven Above, Earth Below, I Alone Reign Supreme,’ the status ailment ‘Hypnosis’ is nullified.]

…Eh?

11 – Chapter 11