Chapter 529

529 The Temple of Pandora

Immediately after the successful negotiation for the enslavement of Sariel, the three of us went to the Pandora Temple together.

By the way, Will and I separated at the royal castle. Surely, theyd like to have a family talk without any interruptions.

The Pandora Temple itself wasnt that far away from the royal castle. We pa.s.sed the first defensive wall that protected the castle and headed for the upper section. After making our way through the main street, the temple was within sight.

The fact that it was set up on a prime location and faced the main street suggested that it was an important facility along with the Adventurers Guild.

By the way, every time we went to the guild, wed sneak a glance at the magnificent temple, but today wed be visiting it for the first time.

It looks amazing.

I felt like Id become accustomed to the streets of Sparda, but when I saw the temple where the miracles and mysteries of G.o.d were still being performed, I felt like a j.a.panese tourist once again.

The Adventurers Guild HQto which Id been indebted to since I reached Rank 5was also designed like a temple.

However, this one was an actual temple. Even the details of its construction and designs were completely exceptional. Looking at the architecture, I wouldnt doubt it one could switch their occupations hereor plain use it as a resurrection point.

But of course, the Pandora Temple had no such game-like functions.

Its quite huge for a temple, but Im not really an expert at architecture, so I really cant say much.

But Fiona seems to recognize it?

Yes, its structurally different, but there are many more great temples and cathedrals in Sinclair than you can find.

After having a bland conversation with Fiona, we confidently boarded to the entrance of Pandora Temple.

As a side note, several knights were escorting us. After all, the ceremony itself was a direct order from the king. Therefore, they had to clarify Sariels protection. Hence why explaining the situation and applying for the ceremony were all the knights duties, while we were just guests who followed the instructions.

Even though it wors.h.i.+ped the black G.o.ds, the color of the temple was based on white instead of black. Overall, it felt like a Greek temple, and despite my j.a.panese origin, I could sense the divine atmosphere.

For that reason, when I started walking in the dungeon-like temple, I was driven by the desire to explore here and there.

But for now, Id have to bear it.

After all, I could visit that place anytime.

With that in mind, we proceeded through the white corridor of the temple without wasting our time looking around, before stopping in front of some huge double doors.

Weve arrived, Kurono. From now on, only the parties involved in the master-slave contract may proceed. The archpriest is already waiting inside.

Understood.

Since I already had Sariel in my arms, all I had to do now was to open the door and enter.

Good luck, Kurono.

Yeah.

Leaving Fiona, who kindly sent me off, I walked past the double doors that were opened by the knight.

Despite what the double doors suggested, the room wasnt all that s.p.a.cious. At most, it was the size of a cla.s.sroom. I used a cla.s.sroom as a comparison because the room also consisted of a teachers desk and a blackboard.

On the wall behind the doors, jet-black lithographs were embedded akin to a blackboard. Judging from its color and l.u.s.ter, the material resembled that of the Obelisk standing in the plaza. It seemed to contain the Zero Chronicle.

Then, on a simple altar that resembled a teachers desk, stood a rotund man who seemed to be the archpriest.

A white vestment similar to the healer robe that Nell once wore, paired with a conspicuous golden necklace bearing some kind of crest. Other than that, he wore no extravagant accessories. Compared to the Crusader priests, his appearance could be said to be simple.

However, his stern, middle-aged face, along with a black stream of tattoos drawn on his skinhead that resembled a magic circle, I didnt know what to say other than that he seemed menacing.

Welcome to the Pandora Temple, Adventurer Kurono. Ive already heard the story. Lets cut to the case and begin the ritual.

The archpriest had this no-nonsense atmosphere to him. Well, not like I wanted to engage in idle chatter with him.

First of all, we shall confirm the existence of divine protection. Subject, you may stand in the center of the roompardon me, Ill prepare a pedestal.

After turning a sharp glance at Sariel, who was in my arms, the archpriest recited in a small voice. I only realized he was chanting after seeing a white, square-shaped, bed-like pedestal protruding from the floor with a gurgling noise as if two stones were grinding against each other.

Hey, doesnt this look similar?

Certainly, it is. The bed in the experimental facility is very similar in shape and material.

My fellow lab rat agreed.

To be honest, I didnt want her to lie down on this white pedestal because it was triggering. But refusing wouldnt lead to anything.

Im sorry, Sariel. Please bear with it.

Bear with what?

Am I the only one whos concerned?

Amidst my confusion, I found myself apologizing as I placed Sariel on the white pedestal that I loathed to see.

Either way, it seemed that the preparation was complete. As instructed, I moved to the corner of the room so as to not get in the way.

Now then, lets begin the ceremony. I, the archpriestOliver Herodotusswears to the Lawful G.o.ddess, Amadeus

If I wasnt mistaken, the Lawful G.o.ddess, Amadeus, was involved in all kinds of trials. With her divine protection, there should be an absolute guarantee that there were no falsehoods.

I had no doubt that Sariel received Freesias divine protection, even more so after she used magic similar to the pseudo-thunder attribute.

Considering Sariels background as an apostle, if there was even a single black G.o.d who was biased against the white G.o.ds and slandered her, shed be sent to the Gap of Cocytus to join Ai without further questions.

It should be okay, right?

Despite the smoke of anxiety in my chest, I had no choice but to silently watch the progression.

Even though it was a rite that borrowed the power of a G.o.d, it wasnt all that flashy. On the blackboard behind the priest, several faint inscriptions flashed, while the altar glowed dimly. There was no epiphany from G.o.d; nor did Sariels body fly or s.h.i.+ne.

Just like that, before I could start praying to my own G.o.ddess, Mia, the ceremony was over.

As requested, Ive confirmed the existence of the divine protection of [Dark Knight Freesia]. This is the certificate.

Ignoring my anxiety, the archpriest announced the result in a business tone.

The certificate itself was an ordinary piece of parchment, but it had a winged helmet, a trident, and a crest with a thunder motif seared onto it. Looking at the faint smoke, it felt like itd been branded just now.

This is probably what was s.h.i.+ning on the altar.

Have you confirmed it? Ill submit this certificate to the Sparda Army right away. As for Kurono, hell receive a certificate of protection from the temple at a later date.

Usually, one would receive a certificate with the G.o.ds crest engraved on it, but this time it was an exception since he had to report it to Sparda.

Well, not like I wanted it or anything, and its already enough if I can prove it to them.

Then, we shall proceed to the Master-Slave Contract ceremony based on the protection of [Dark Knight Freesia], is that alright?

As long as the person herself was there, no special preparations were necessary, so I readily obliged.

Then, Kurono, please go to the center of the room and stand right next to the pedestal.

I did as I was told and approached Sariel on the pedestal. Sariel was as silent and expressionless as ever. But when I got close, her red eyes s.h.i.+fted towards me.

Hey, while it may be too late for this, are you alright with this?

Id never asked her that question. Id intended to, but when I saw Fiona standing next to her, I just couldnt.

I knew it was a foolish question. Even if she expressed her discontentment, it wouldnt change anything.

No, more than that, I just wanted to a.s.suage my own guilt. Since Id finally asked that question, it meant that my mental fort.i.tude only amounted to that extent.

No matter how much I wanted to save her, to let her become a slave? Moreover, s.h.i.+rasaki was also j.a.panese. I couldnt imagine how much shed hate it to become a slave.

How do you feel about this?

Dont worry, this is what I want.

What would ask her to do?

To Sariel, her own feelings were probably the hardest thing to understand.

Excuse me, please start the ritual.

No, its important to confirm the person feelings. Otherwise, [Dark Knight Freesia] is unlikely to let you sign the contract.

If so, the ritual would end in failure. Well, considering that I had fought and defeated her, it may be considered a success either way.

After all, despite being a contact, the magnitude wouldnt compare to that of receiving divine protection. If anything, it only served as G.o.ds approval. In the worst-case scenario, where the ritual failed, I only needed Spardas acknowledgement to enslave her.

Since it was a magical world where slaves existed, I expected there to be a spell that subject the slaves to absolute obedience, but in reality, there wasnt. The master couldnt electrocute the slave, or put her under a mental constraint just by thinking about it.

Nevertheless, there were abominable magic items that could produce similar effects. At the very least, in Sparda, something like Angel Ring wasnt popular.

Slaves were merely treated like slaves, and werent restrained by advanced magic that stripped them of free will.

Or rather, if there was, itd cost far more than just buying a slave.

For that reason, even if the contract ritual was concluded, Sariel wouldnt be put under any kind of restrictions. Hence why, in the worst-case scenario, Id be required to have the ability to suppress Sariel in the case of a rebellion. It was my responsibility as her master. Of course, I was also fully aware of the fact that Sariel had no intention of rebelling.

We shall proceed with the ceremony. I, the archpriest by the name of Oliver Herodotus, swears to the [Lawful G.o.ddess Amadeus] under the name of [Dark Knight Freesia] to witness the rite of covenant where Knight Sariel swears her fealty to her lord

After giving a slightly different introduction than before, the archpriest chanted once again. Since the chant itself was done in the language native to this world, I couldnt comprehend it. Or rather, the chant of the ritual, which was much longer than a normal spell, had an unique intonation akin to that of a sutra. Therefore, it sounded unfamiliar.

I understood the chant as something similar to the fire spell that often flew at me, or the earth spell that often s.h.i.+elded me But well, that was the extent of it. As expected, the language of another world was still beyond me.

Knight Sariel, do you pledge eternal loyalty to your lord, Kurono?

Yes, I swear.

At first, it sounded like a wedding vow to me, but that changed when I heard Sariels mechanical response.

Since the contract itself was part of a necessary measure, it shouldnt have any special meanings. After this, Id probably be asked if I accept Sariel as my knight, and Id just answer yes for business purpose

Kurono, you may accept Knight Sariels loyalty with a kiss of oath.

Huh?

A kiss of oath.

Looking at the archpriests stern expression, he didnt seem to be joking.

Hold on a minute.

Isnt that just strange!?

Its a master-slave contract, so why the need to kiss!?

What if its two men!?

Wait, maybe, just maybe

Can I use the back of my hand?

What are you talking about? Of course its on the lips.

He stared at me as if I was the one who lacked common sense.

Am I?

Please do it right away. If we wait too long, itd be considered a refusal.

I understand.

Thatd be a problem.

I know, I know, a kiss, right? Ill do it as much as you wantthis b.a.s.t.a.r.d

At the same time, I felt so pathetic for being relieved at the notion that Fiona wasnt there.

I made up my mind and approached Sariel, who stared at me as if nothing had happened.

Both of us were silent.

After all, I couldnt help but recall the deplorable memory of that night.

Briefly, it felt as if I was about to bestow a kiss upon the slumbering Snow White, but when I was only an inch away, I halted.

a tremendous sense of reluctance.

Is this really okay?

Such a meaningless thought swirled.

Aah, dammit. What is wrong with me? I need to do it. Theres nothing else to it!

Alright, time to prepare myself

Mmn

Sariel moved first. Without a doubt, our lips brushed against each other.

For the first time in three months, wed kissed.

Congratulations, the contract is now complete. From now on, Knight Sariel will devote her life to serving her lord, Kurono.

By the time the archpriests words reached my ears, shed already withdrew.

Thank you.

Although my heart was still in a mess, I managed to conceal it and muster some words of grat.i.tude.

Anyway, I was glad that everything went off without a hitch.

Yes, lets leave it at that.

***

(The archpriests POV)

Afterwards, despite their terrifying appearances, the adventurer, Kurono, departed with his newly-appointed knight, Sariel.

Thus, the archpriestOliverwho was in charge of the Pandora Temple in Sparda, exhaled deeply.

What in the name of?

On top of the altar that could be found anywhere in the temple, within his hands, was a piece of parchment. It was none other than the certificate with the crest of [Dark Knight Freesia].

If it was only that one, then there was nothing to be surprised about. There were many people in Sparda who received the protection of the same G.o.ddess. Thinking about it, when he performed his first ceremony as a priest, the name Freesia also appeared.

Indeed, the problem wasnt the first sheet that showed Sariels divine protection, but the second sheet underneath.

As a loyal follower of the [Lawful G.o.ddess Amadeus], Oliver was against cheating or deceiving his surroundings. Nevertheless, he was also aware that the world wasnt so sweet for that kind of ideal.

In order to carry out that ceremony, Oliver had also undertaken a request to secretly investigate the divine protection of the adventurer, Kurono. Upon seeing the wax seal bearing the Spardas flag on the letter, signifying the kings decree, he couldnt possibly object.

The leader of the Rank 5 adventurer party, [Element Master], Kurono. Surely, everyone in Sparda recognized that name. In the battle against the monster army in Ischia half a year ago, he rescued the trapped students of the seminary and received an award. Just three months ago, the Fifth Galahad War broke out. There, Kurono achieved such remarkable success that it wouldnt be strange for him to be hailed as a hero.

However, the source of his power was unknown.

He didnt belong to any school of swordsmans.h.i.+p, nor did he was enlisted in the Mage Society.

Above all, no one could put a name to his divine protection.

Despite his tremendous power, it was only natural for the country to be wary of someone of unknown origins.

Thus, it fell on Olivers lap to shed light to Kuronos ident.i.ty once and for all.

It was deemed as necessarynot for himself, but for Sparda.

In the end, despite his reluctance, Oliver demonstrated his ability as an archpriest. Along with a.s.sessing Sariels divine protection, he secretly appraised Kurono during the ritual.

Such was the result

No way, Ive never seen anything like this before.

The parchment that appraised Kurono was blackened and scorched on one side, as if it had just survived a fire.

In this ritual, the crests that represented each G.o.dthe so-called stigmatawere engraved into the parchment. It was the simplest but surest way to prove it. Nevertheless, if the bearer was inexperienced, the stigmata would be faint, if not segmentedmaking it difficult to distinguish.

As a matter of course, if someone who hadnt received any protections were subjected to the ritual, the parchment would be left blank.

Hence why, it was inconceivable that one side of the parchment would be completely charred like that.

Regardless, does this prove that you indeed have divine protection?

After all, as long as there was a change in the parchment, it also meant that the stigmata was engraved on it. However, even Oliverwhod perfectly memorized all the existing stigmatacouldnt come up with anything.

In other words, that pitch-black parchmentwhich seemed to be engraved with darknessrepresented an unidentified blessing that had never been recorded in history.

No way

Wont you shut up already, Archpriest of Sparda?

Suddenly, a voice reached his ears. A voice of a small childyet one that filled him with a sense of intimidation nonetheless.

In fact, even the battle-hardened Oliver, whod banished countless undead back to h.e.l.l, couldnt even afford to shout, Who the h.e.l.l are you!?

He couldnt even moveit was as if he was frozen solid.

Behind him, there was a tremendous presence that he had never encountered in his long life.

There was no mistaking itsomeone was behind him, and they were neither humans nor monsters, but something even more horrifying.

Im still on time, right? Ill have a talk with Ama. As for you, I dont understand shall be your report to them.

Who are you? What are you talking about?

Even if he tried to express it in words, only painful sighs leaked out of his mouth. It was as if hed forgotten how to breathe. No, it was as if the very laws of the world prevented him from conversing with that inhumane being.

When the time comes, Im sure youll be able to figure it out. Whose blessing did that Adventurer, Kurono, receive.

Ughuoooooooorgh!!

Unity of mindfocus.

Unleas.h.i.+ng his solid mental fort.i.tude, honed through rigorous training and intense combat training, Oliver freed himself of the paralysis, and turned around.

Well then, may Sparda be protected by the black G.o.ds.

All Oliver saw was an ancient magic lithograph commonly known as the blackboard, on which a magic circle drawn with crimson lines and consisting of small characters floated faintly.

Of course, he couldnt recognize it, since hed never seen it before.

It was as if the mysterious child that once stood behind him had returned to another world from that very blackboard

Still, to think that it disappeared in the blink of an eye.

I, just now

It felt as if he was daydreaming. Nevertheless, merely remembering that overwhelming presence and pressure sent s.h.i.+vers down his spine.

With the abnormality gone for the time being, he took one or two deep breaths to calm himself. Before he knew it, his face was covered in cold sweat, as if hed just purified a powerful undead.

From his pocket, he fished out a nice, floral handkerchief that didnt at all befit his appearance, and wiped his face. Only then did he regain his sense of safety.

After taking the last, deep breath, Oliver lowered his head reverently towards the blackboard and said

Your wish is my command, Your Majesty the Emperor, Mia Elrod.