The Second Son of The Marquis Runs Away from Home ~ Lacking Talent, He Abandons Everything and Becomes an Adventurer ~ - 50

Chapter 50: The Land of Faith

One week had passed since leaving Mildrea…

“Whoa there…”

Pulling the reins to slow down, they had covered a journey that would normally take ten days in just three, thanks to Gharma’s exceptional speed and stamina.

“Good job, Gharma.”

Dismounting from the saddle, Aria stroked Gharma, who responded with a friendly snort. It seemed that Gharma didn’t mind being touched by strangers.

“Thank you.”

Offering her gratitude, Gharma’s form dissolved and vanished. After confirming this, Aria shifted her gaze to the scenery before her.

Nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains was a city enclosed by an octagonal white defensive wall. Inside the wall, houses and churches built from white stone stood, and at the center, a grand cathedral that could rival the Imperial Castle itself loomed.

“That’s the headquarters of the Launas Orthodox Church, Heinlberie, right?”

At first glance, it seemed like a beautiful city worthy of being called a holy place. However, the rumors that had been circulating about it, both from Aria and their time in the kingdom, hinted at something more.

“…Let’s go.”

Aria urged with strong determination in her eyes, and he nodded as they made their way toward Heinlberie.

—

“Halt.”

They were stopped by a guard at the gate. Both he and Aria were dressed as ordinary travelers, their faces concealed beneath hoods, making them appear like any other travelers to an outsider.

“This place is the holy land of the Launas Orthodox Church. You cannot enter without showing your faith.”

“Faith?”

“For each person, it’s one gold coin… or something of equivalent value as an offering.”

“Extortion…” Aria muttered under her breath, just loud enough for him to hear. He wanted to agree, but there was no use arguing here, so he handed over two gold coins.

“Is this enough?”

“Not yet. I need to check your belongings.”

“Isn’t showing our faith enough?”

“It’s for security. We can’t allow individuals with uncertain identities to pass through.”

“…What about this?”

To avoid getting stripped of everything, he showed the short sword Victoria had given him in advance.

“This is… the emblem of the Mildrea Empire!? And it’s a golden emblem, a title knight’s short sword!?”

“I came here for my personal pilgrimage this time. I didn’t use horses or carriages to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.”

He explained the prearranged reasons. He wanted to avoid mentioning Aria’s name as much as possible, so she wouldn’t be linked to their true purpose – protecting Serena.

“I apologize! Please proceed!”

The guard, who had been intimidating earlier, suddenly lowered his head and pointed to the path beyond the gate. It seemed that, as Victoria had mentioned, the Launas Theocracy was lenient with individuals of high status.

As they passed through the gate, he examined the fortified wall. Up close, it was apparent that it possessed not only an impressive appearance but also remarkable strength and magical resistance. Even he would have trouble breaking through it if he attempted.

Once inside, they found a well-maintained road lined with multi-story buildings. Among them, the structures related to the church were noticeably better constructed in terms of both design and height.

“First, let’s find an inn and then explore. It seems more complex than I thought.”

“Yes, we need to understand the terrain to plan properly… and since we can’t be seen making maps, it might be better for just the two of us not to arouse suspicion.”

As they walked down the road, they spotted a building with an inn sign and entered. The room was simple but clean, with small crosses, symbols of the Orthodox Church, decorating the walls.

“Berg, this is the map we received at the reception…”

“…Still, it doesn’t include the area around the Grand Cathedral, right?”

Heinlberie was surrounded by two walls – the outer one and another enclosing the vicinity of the Grand Cathedral.

“That’s right…”

For their mission, they needed to get close to the Grand Cathedral, where Serena was held. But they couldn’t show their true intentions or be seen mapping the area.

“…Let’s take a look around.”

Aria nodded in agreement, and they left the room together. As they ventured out, they noticed the presence of Orthodox knights patrolling.

“…What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he replied to Aria, touching the Chaos Crusader at his waist. When he did, it seemed to pulse slightly.

The souls within the Chaos Crusader, assimilated into it, seemed to stir, like the Orthodox knights and faithful within it were becoming restless…