Giving meaning (2)
Indeed, it is a scenery that can be said to be superb.
A coast famous for being the most famous in Margrave Zahur’s territory.
After going through the forest path that had been going on for a while, the open coast was suddenly revealed, and even the workers who had been there several times let out exclamations of exclamation.
The beach, which shines romantically in the midday sun, seems to be studded with jewels.
However, that alone is not much different from the scenery seen along the coast of Aken Island. What caught my eye more than anything was the appearance of the monastery towering high in the middle of the vast sea.
Cleric Monastery.
Even though it is a monastery built with crude bricks, if it is this large and grand, it makes the viewer feel overwhelmed.
The long spiers rise up into the sky without even knowing how high they are, and if you just count them with your eyes, you can easily get over six or seven of them. The high rock wall beneath it naturally functions as a fortress.
It cannot be compared to the largest buildings in Sylvania, such as the Ofilis Building or the Trix Building. It really looks like a castle from a fairy tale floating on the sea.
“You probably can’t go in now.”
Kylie Ecne sitting across from me… In other words, the disguised Saint Clarisse looked at the scene outside the window and said.
“Looking at it, the tide is at its peak… “I guess I can go in only after sunset and the water goes down.”
“okay… ?”
“Probably on foot. “You may have to carry some simple luggage yourself.”
Kylie, who was sitting down and adjusting her school uniform, smiled.
Surprisingly, the travel time was not long. Is it about half a day by carriage? Although it felt like the carriage had picked up some speed, it was still much closer than expected.
In the first place, Aken Island was right next to the County of Zahoor, and Cleric Monastery was also within the territory of the County of Zahoor, so it wasn’t that far away.
“It is significant that no matter who comes, they must first get off the carriage and walk on their own feet. In order to enter the Cleric Monastery, both the royal family of one country and the saints of the Telos Church must all walk in equally. “It is a road that only appears briefly during low tide, so there is no way a horse-drawn carriage can pass through it.”
“This place is more troublesome than I thought.”
“Under the protection of Telos, it contains the teaching that we are all just human beings.”
“… ”
“Well, actually, I think that’s why I added it later.”
Since the saint herself said so, I cannot refute it.
However, the workers sitting nearby burst into laughter.
“Haha, this young lady surprisingly understands the essence of that monastery. “This is my first time seeing you. Are you from the Bachelor’s?”
No matter how much she is disguised, she is still a girl who calls herself a border noble.
However, the workers seemed to have no idea that a girl of that status would be riding in these workers’ carriages, so they joined our conversation in an innocent tone of voice.
“I’m a first-year member of the Ministry of Magic.”
Surprisingly, this girl’s acting is thorough when she moves while hiding her identity as Clarice.
In the first place, I had a strong feeling of killing myself when I moved with my status as a saint.
“I am one of the bachelor’s students who came to assist Saint Clarice.”
“Oh, it’s the same reason as the master here. “Did you come into contact with Saint Clarice at the Bachelor’s?”
“It seems like we must have a special relationship with that saintess to the point where she invites us to sit together. “He wasn’t the type of person to ride in the same carriage as the workers like us who only use their strength.”
The workers chatting with laughter were already gulping down glasses of beer.
It may seem like they were drinking in broad daylight, but in reality, once they had unloaded their luggage at the beach, the work of these workers was almost over.
There is no way these workers could enter the Cleric Monastery, which is strictly prohibited, so it would be the nuns from there who would carry the luggage to the inside of the monastery.
“For ordinary people like us, it is a great honor just to be able to carry the saint’s burden. When I say that I am personally assisting, it makes me feel like I am from a far away country. “I received a great honor even though I was still a student wearing my school uniform.”
“I think the saint will always be grateful to the workers who always work hard.”
“The young lady speaks very beautifully. “It’s a faithful character that looks like something out of a textbook.”
I wonder what kind of expression Kylie would make if she found out that she was the saint she was praising so much, Clarisse.
As for me, there were so many listening ears in the carriage that I couldn’t have a proper conversation with Clarice.
In the first place, it is not easy to have a long and serious conversation with Clarisse alone because she is always accompanied by a guard or several followers.
In my opinion, I may have boarded the workers’ carriage as Kylie in order to have a lot of personal conversations, but this is a difficult situation for me. If I were to speak openly under the assumption that the other person was Clarisse, the workers around me would probably find it strange.
In particular, it is funny to confidently say what Seong Chang-ryong did.
“Anyway, I heard that you are going inside the monastery… “You have such a valuable experience.”
“I see. We only know the grand exterior, but not the interior. Is it possible for you to see with your own eyes what the interior will look like… ”
“Not only that, but there are a lot of nuns inside who don’t know anything about the world, so it must feel like they have the whole world. “Cluck, click, click.”
Aren’t the thoughts of all men the same?
While saying that, the workers gave me happy looks as if they were envious. Since I didn’t have anything to say, I had no choice but to reply that I was just going to do my duty.
The workers soon began to whisper among themselves, probably because they felt that I was sitting politely and not saying more than was necessary.
“It certainly doesn’t seem like he’s someone who enters the sanctuary out of mere curiosity.”
“Well, do we really need to try to understand? “I guess all high-ranking people have a will.”
In fact, even if it were me, I didn’t enter the monastery with a very noble meaning, but it seemed like they were misunderstanding it as they were whispering among themselves.
“It’s not a very grand reason. just… “I just assist the saint in her daily life.”
“If it’s about that saint, how can it be anything other than a big deal? However, I’m a bit curious about the abbot’s reaction.”
“Abbot… Do you mean… ?”
“Ah, well said! “That old lady Austin!”
When the name Austin came up among the workers, Kylie smiled as if she was guessing something.
“Do you know the abbot?”
“I know. When we bring in cargo, they always bring manpower to the shore to receive it. It is said that inside the monastery, they call it Grandma Wang, Grandma Wang, and when you see it in person, you will immediately know why. Did you say she is 109 years old this year? The strangest thing is that they live a long time. “That old lady.”
“Cluck, that old lady really has no intention of dying. Last time she stopped by to pick up groceries, she said she received a lot of cream that she said was good for skin care… “I can’t believe I still have the energy to do that.”
When you think of an abbot, the image that comes to mind is that of a faithful and kind nun.
However, I was also puzzled by the strange reaction of the workers. When I turned my gaze towards Kylie, she was just smiling as if she was having fun.
“As for Abbot Austin… “You probably know to some extent.”
“sure. “Once you meet them, you probably won’t forget them.”
It was impressive to see Kylie smiling so cheerfully that I wondered why she was like this.
*
“Hey, Julen, you’ve been married for 15 years and you’re still acting like a kid! “If you and I had put in half as much effort when working at night, we wouldn’t have hurt each other’s feelings!”
“Did Grandma Austin have a game with the merchant from Cohelton again?”
“I didn’t know that a handful of my Hada oysters would fetch thirty pieces of silver! Did they spread gold on the oyster? “The saint loves oysters, so she said they should be on the dinner menu!”
“Hehehe, if you try to express how urgent you are to Nabulaengi, the merchant in that lawless area, you will only find out your weaknesses. “Grandma Wang has lived so long and doesn’t she know anything?”
“Don’t I know that?! “I’ve seen Julen since he was running around with a runny nose, so I just thought he’d take pity on me for this situation!”
When I heard that I was 109 years old, I thought of an old man who goes back and forth between today and tomorrow… Surprisingly, his voice was incredibly loud and powerful.
“Well, I came here crying and eating mustard! He keeps bowing his head and saying he’s sorry, saying that this is the cheapest item for his ability… I can’t be angry, ugh… !”
“Well, it’s a good deal, so keep it open, Grandmother Wang.”
“I’ve been seeing the workers on that side of mine for a long time, but if it’s been 30 years since I last saw this guy or that guy, they all have their faces confiscated! “I live under the illusion that just because the monastery building is large, the budget will be ample!”
Abbot Austin’s angry voice was echoing along the coast.
Everyone from the monastery was already on the shore. They came out early in the morning at low tide and were preparing to greet the saint at the shore. Since I had already been there for almost half a day, it was a time when I was starting to feel bored.
I tidied up my clothes, pulled down my robe, and got out of the carriage.
A horse-drawn carriage cannot enter the loose sandy beach on the coast. At the very front of the group of carriages lined up in front of it, there is a magnificently large carriage belonging to a saint. Well, there might not be a saint inside.
“Ugh, car!”
Kylie cheerfully got out of the carriage and spoke with a smile.
“Then I guess I’ll just go to the saint’s carriage. “Once the sun sets and the road to the monastery opens, there will be a lot of ‘things to do.’”
“okay. what… “There’s no need to accompany me, right?”
“If anything, you will stand out more if you accompany him. “I plan to transform from now on.”
They talk as if they are going to do something great, but they are just changing the magic engineering supplies they have on their bodies.
I nodded and waved my arm in greeting to Kylie as she walked towards the front of the group.
“Ohh! Would you rather be the nobleman of the Ross Taylor family? “Jungkook has been making a fuss these days, so he must be having a bit of a hard time.”
The Rosstaylor family is currently in crisis, but it was once the most powerful family in the empire and the most famous of the ducal families.
No matter how much he falters, a mere nun is not someone with whom he can talk comfortably.
Nevertheless, Abbot Austin laughs heartily and lets go.
As soon as Ross Taylor’s name came out, the expressions of the workers who were riding in the carriage with him changed completely.
This is a man who casually sits in this shabby carriage. I thought she was the heir of an authorityless frontier nobleman, but it seems she never imagined that she was from Ross Taylor.
He looks as if he is ruminating on the past to see if he made a mistake while leisurely drinking beer.
I tied the hem of my robe tightly and walked towards the abbot, bowing my head and saying hello.
“… ”
“This is Ed Rosstaylor. “I will take care of you for a few days due to the matter of your assistance to the saint.”
“… No, this is it. “I have lived a miserable life for over a hundred years, but this is the first time I have seen Confucius bowing his head and showing respect to an old, old border abbot.”
“It hasn’t been long since I got reinstated, and until then, I lived like a commoner. And we show basic courtesy to someone who has lived for over 100 years.”
“What a person should be is completely different from what I thought?! If you listen to the stories of old friends of the imperial capital, they all say that the members of the Ross Taylor family are mentally unstable… ”
That’s rude.
Above all, this old woman shows no signs of being discouraged even in front of the son of a duke. The workers around him and the nuns who followed the abbot all accepted it as if it were natural.
When a person accumulates an absurdly long amount of experience in a field, that in itself has the power to elicit respect from people around him.
There isn’t even a hint of authority at all. If she had devoted her long life to the Church of Telos, she would be treated as an elder among elders that no one could touch, even within the cult, and her true nature can be seen from the point where she rolls up her sleeves and comes to the field to do such chores. .
It’s a spirit that reminds me of the old women who stayed in a corner of the market and ran their business for decades.
Although she is dressed neatly in a nun’s attire, her hair has already completely turned gray and wrinkles have wrinkles that cannot belie her age.
Eyes as white and lifeless as the hair. It seems that one eye cannot see at all, and there is no reaction in the pupil. His fingers are shaking from time to time, as if he doesn’t have enough strength at the end of his arms.
Since this body has lived almost the lifespan of two people on its own, it is likely that there will be difficulties here and there. Nevertheless, Austin himself displayed the spirit of a general, putting his arms around his waist, stretching out his chest, and saying, ‘It’s gotten a lot colder!’ He was spewing out a useless monologue like,
In front of Grandmother Wang, even the nobles and noblemen of the count family do not particularly force respect.
I seemed to understand the reason behind what the workers said on the way from the carriage. Her dignity, culture, and courtesy are nowhere to be found in the words this old lady throws out. Nevertheless, there is a strange way of behaving that does not offend the feelings of the other person.
A great adult of the Cleric Monastery. An elder among elders who has devoted himself to the Telos Church for over 80 years.
And a lioness who single-handedly controls the young nuns, who are full of all kinds of gossip and troublemakers.
If you stay in a field for 80 years, you will master it just by taking a breath.
She has read and deciphered the Bible more than the Archbishop of Holy Emperor. She said that sometimes her high-ranking bishops come to her and ask her to help them expound the Bible, so in effect, her high-ranking clergy are like big elders in the neighborhood who bow their heads to her.
I handed over the gift Belle had prepared from my leather pouch.
“This is a gift that Belle Maia, the head maid at Sylvania Academy’s Ofilis Building, asked me to give privately.”
“bell?! That little guy took over as the head maid at Ofilis Hall?! Time flies so damned fast! “It seems like only yesterday that when we brought Ellis in, she had dead, empty eyes!”
“Is that so?”
“oh my. That person’s past isn’t something I’m going to talk about. Anyway, I haven’t had a very smooth life, but I feel like I’ve settled in and am doing my part, which makes this old man feel empty! Yeah, he was going to be a good kid. He was going to be a good kid.”
“As for Baron Planzel’s story, I also heard it from him.”
At those words, Abbot Austin was silent for a moment, as if speechless.
With both arms placed on his waist, his appearance as if he were standing like a large man was almost insignificant.
“It looks like noble Nauri is already a grown man! That the little maid who was only trying to gauge her personality would go so far as to confess her past, which she regarded as a vice. “It’s hard to be recognized unless you’re a person who’s quite accomplished.”
“… well. “Bell didn’t seem like the kind of person who would judge others so harshly.”
“You can’t judge just by looking at the surface! The little boy will hate me when I say this, but he has a strong rodent-like temperament that is more wary of people than anyone else! “Appearing to be equally kind to everyone is only possible because we do not treat everyone equally.”
It was another unexpected story.
Belle Maia was known as the most talented person in Ofilis Hall, who was kind to everyone, approached everyone with sincerity, and got things done reliably.
“Well, it looks like you got rid of that temperament a long time ago. Anyway, young people, if the old ones are distracted for a while, grow up… “They show up as a completely different person.”
Abbot Austin laughed heartily a few times and quickly instructed the nuns who followed him to take over the luggage and put it away.
The saint’s carriage is in front of me. Everyone had a solemn atmosphere, knowingly or unknowingly, but only the abbot was concentrating on getting the job done without showing any signs of nervousness.
To her, even this large-scale prayer meeting attended by saints and distinguished guests is nothing more than a simple annual event.
He is said to have served a total of four saints throughout his long life. This is definitely not a talent worth wasting time preparing for an event like this.
“Anyway, it’s a pain in the ass. I am a noble man, but he comes from a noble family, but he looks better than I thought, and even his character seems to be perfect… “I don’t think this visit to the monastery will be easy.”
“… yes?”
“I wish I were just 90 years younger, but it’s rare to find a good man these days! Kahahaha!”
He said that and smiled brightly again, but I couldn’t help but just keep eye contact.
“… Well, I thought it was some witty humor… “This humor has never worked with young people.”
“Honestly, I’m embarrassed.”
“Well, anyway, after you’ve grown this useless, you can quickly gauge a person’s depth with just a quick glance. By all appearances, he is a nobleman and he perfectly meets all the conditions that young women want to find as a husband, so I hope he will be more careful about his behavior inside the monastery.”
After saying that, Abbot Austin glanced around from the corner of his eye. It means speaking using your gaze. Ask me to take a look around.
When I looked around out of the corner of my eye, I saw that all the nuns who had followed Abbot Austin were looking in this direction with a nervous look.
There were about twenty or so nuns, each doing their own thing to take over the luggage, and were glancing in my direction. The tension between them is evident.
An immature red-haired nun who was sticking out the back of the carriage and only peeking her head out popped her face, and a nun who looked sincere with her jet-black hair neatly braided was pricking her ears as if she were embarrassed.
“There was already a rumor going around inside the monastery. A gentle and dignified nobleman, recognized by the saint, would come to the monastery and live there for a few days. What did they say?
With an archaic appearance that would make even the sky jealous, a gentlemanly character that listens to every single song of the birds, magical skills that are so proficient as to be inappropriate for one’s age, and a level of academic excellence that is so high… They say he’s like a prince who flirts with all the ladies from noble families.
”
“… ”
“Isn’t it really scary that rumors are being inflated? The fairytale-like delusions of adolescent girls often make even me, watching right next to them, lose my mind. Well, isn’t it best for girls of that age to behave like they are? Well, it would be a painful experience for the noble Nauri, who is the one receiving the expectations.”
I pressed my temples and showed signs of pain. Abbot Austin then burst into laughter again, as if he found the sight very amusing.
“Kahahak! Still, if you were born with a stick in your crotch, you should know how to enjoy this situation! Where else would you get the experience of receiving the attention of many women at once and becoming the center of gossip? It would be good to put some strength into your shoulders and try to show off a little by saying, “This is who I am!” but… ”
Surprisingly, the mind is open. She was the exact opposite of the image of a monastery hostess who thoroughly emphasized isolation from the world and abstinence.
“… “Be sure to lock the door at night.”
“… Is it possible to invade? ?”
“It’s my personal judgment, but girls of this age are harder to control than the rugged mercenaries in the lawless region of Cohelton.
Even an aging body needs to be properly overworked, and if you forget, something happens once in a while. Having an affair with a man from outside has become an annual event, so now the policy is to rarely let workers in. What’s more, you’re from a noble family. It’s obvious even if you don’t look at it.
”
Abbot Austin crossed his arms over his chest, cleared his throat and continued speaking.
“Well, it’s up to you, noble noble, to enjoy this situation, but… Still, I hope you make a careful decision. I don’t want to explain it in detail, but among the nuns who are indebted to Cleric’s Monastery, there are many friends whose back stories are complicated. There are also a few illegitimate children from noble families whose names cannot be mentioned, or children born with the blood of cursed blood relatives. anyway… There are many people who think that if they borrow the power of God, everything will be solved. “Just because you lock him up in a monastery doesn’t mean he will disappear.”
“… ”
“There are many children born without blessings. I have decided to take responsibility for them and carry them until I die, but noble Naeuri has a bright future ahead of him. This old man fully understands the immoral pleasure that forbidden love gives, but he must also have the wisdom to see his life from afar. Well, it sounds obvious.”
Then, without uncrossing his arms, he sighed heavily.
It’s not a very good story, but it was a story that needed to be told. The person speaking didn’t seem very happy either.
“ha… Anyway, young nobleman Nauri understands. When you get to this age, even though you think you should do it in moderation, the story always ends with obvious old jokes. In the end, all I can say is to look far ahead in life. “I’m an old man who has nothing to boast about other than living a long life.”
“no. “You’ve seen and heard a lot, so you probably have a lot of things to worry about.”
“… Anyway, I am reassured that noble Nauri seems to be more mentally mature than other nobles. I feel proud in many ways because the saint seems to have a clear eye for people. okay. “Then, I wonder if I can rely on that recognition and ask you one more favor.”
“Do you mean a favor?”
Abbot Austin’s generous temperament is probably a trace of his struggle to survive in his old body for a long time.
Nevertheless, there are times when you can feel the sincerity with which Abbot Austin thinks of the monks of the monastery.
For some reason, Abbot Austin lowers his voice a bit. Do you want to talk without people around you hearing?
“Even if they are nuns who came to this monastery because they were not welcome somewhere in the world and lead an ascetic life away from the world… “It’s a person.”
“… ”
“Following God’s will is a truly noble and important thing, but I think that keeping your dreams while you are young is proof of being alive. So, even if it seems like spring will eventually pass, I don’t want to break the nuns’ illusions. In short, I am asking you to remain as a prince if possible.”
Indeed, if it goes that far, I can’t guarantee it.
As for me, I am just one human being struggling to survive.
“During early morning prayers, have you ever seen a nun looking up at the stars at night and imagining a happy dream? “Probably not.”
“… ”
“Even though I live as a servant of God, when I feel like I am still a human being, I feel like I am taking responsibility for these children. “I don’t want to disturb the human side of children by discussing faith.”
Then, he puts his arms around his waist again and smiles.
“They are the daughters born from my heart.”
Then, perhaps embarrassed, he added a joke.
“For someone this age, you must have had some strength. “Because I have about 270 daughters.”
Looking at that, I feel like I can feel the past of Abbot Austin, who truly raised the nuns like his own daughters… I also decided to give up.
“I will try my best.”
The way he raises his eyebrows at those words is more generous than anyone else in the world.
She is an old woman who has been converted to the Telos Church for 80 years and has been in charge of the monastery for almost 50 years. I think I understand why she is called Grandmother Wang.
He is someone who deserves respect. I thought I knew why everyone was saying that, so I agreed with Austin.
“By the way, shall I tell you a story that will please noble Nauri even more?”
Anyway, I have to wait until the sun sets on the beach.
Perhaps because there was no one worth chatting with, the abbot spoke quietly as if he knew everything.
“This is a secret, but I support the benevolent Princess Fenia.”
The Princess of Persica visits. She seemed to already have some sense that my purpose was to have a conversation with her.
No matter how much he was confined to a monastery, he would not be completely ignorant of the news from the emperor.
Abbot Austin smiled quickly, clearly reminding us that we are allies.
*
– Bang!
The box lid flew into the sky.
The wizard girl stuck her head out from inside the wagon and shook her head. Inside her box are several leather pouches that the girl had brought with her.
Inside were simple wands and magic items, and there was also a lot of beef jerky.
Should I call it a deviation? For that matter, I only took a nap, so it was the same as usual.
Rather, the gently shaking luggage compartment of the carriage is a more relaxing and pleasant place to take a nap than expected.
“… ”
Lucy Mayril stretched out her neck in the dark luggage compartment with a dazed and drowsy look on her face.
The traces of drool were clearly visible around the corner of the mouth.
