Volume 2, Chapter 11 – Welcome! The Saint and Her Party (Part 1)

“Welcome, Saint-sama and Your Party”

A huge banner was hung across the town walls of the first post town we saw upon entering the Blue Star Republic.

“Um, what’s going on here?”

“I-I’m not sure.”

“Looks like Onee-sama is really loved!”

“No, but this is my first time coming here…”

No matter how you look at it, this level of welcome is strange, isn’t it?

“Um, according to this book, ‘This post town is named Huttenhorn. As there are many dairy farmers here, the milk and cheese are delicious, as are the wild vegetables and meats. Points of interest include the fountain and large pioneer statue in the central square. The sculptures and stained glass of Huttenhorn Central Church are also well worth seeing from an artistic standpoint. There is also a local history museum where you can learn about the town’s development. For enjoying gourmet food, head to Central Plaza connecting the central square and the town hall. For buying souvenirs, go to East-West Street connecting to the museum.'”

Wow, impressive. A proper tourist guidebook.

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“Huh? It says ‘church’ instead of ‘Temple’… does the Blue Star Republic have a different religion?”

“No, it’s the same as our country. In our country, we call the places where you receive your Class, Oracle, and Divine Artifacts ‘Temples,’ and other locations ‘Branch Temples.’ In the Blue Star Republic, places equivalent to Temples are called ‘Grand Cathedrals,’ and places equivalent to Branch Temples are called ‘churches.'”

“Is it okay for the names to be different?”

“The Gods are merciful, so they won’t get angry over something like that. I’ve heard that about two thousand years ago, a war broke out over the naming, but an Oracle descended saying, ‘I don’t care. Call them whatever you like,’ which brought the war to an end.”

“I-I see.”

That’s a very specific and detailed Oracle. Well, something must have happened. Besides, if the Gods got angry over every little thing, the world would probably be destroyed by Divine Punishments, so this level of tolerance is probably just right.

Huh? Come to think of it, when I borrowed a tablet and messed with the settings without permission, he got really angry, didn’t he?

I wonder if that short-tempered bald old man is doing alright…

◇ ◇ ◇

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As I got off the carriage escorted by Chris-san, a fanfare sounded. A red carpet was laid out before us, and a luxurious carriage was parked nearby.

“Saint-sama and esteemed attendants. Welcome to Huttenhorn. I am the town mayor, Elmar.”

A slightly portly man in formal attire who introduced himself as the mayor came to greet us.

“I am Fiene Argentata. This is Christina and Lumia. Thank you for your welcome.”

“We are grateful to the Gods for guiding us to welcome the renowned Saint-sama to our town.”

Oh, a Jumping Dogeza from the Boon.

Pretty sharp for a portly guy. I’ll give that an 8.

“As God wills it.”

I said that with a bright, professional smile.

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“Saint-sama and esteemed attendants, we have prepared rooms for you at Huttenhorn’s finest hotel. Please, right this way to the carriage.”

“Thank you.”

We headed to the hotel in the waiting carriage and were shown to an excessively spacious suite room.

The town was footing the bill, so we didn’t have to pay anything.

“This hotel is called the Haslan Grand Hotel, a five-star hotel and the top brand of the Haslan Hotel Group. According to this book, ‘If you want to experience luxury, Haslan Grand Hotel is the best. Note that if royalty, high-ranking nobles, or heads of major trading companys from other countries are staying, lodging may be refused. In particular, the Grand Suite requires at least 20 gold coins, but it’s worth the price. Definitely try it for special trips like honeymoons.'”

“After doing all this, what do they want from us, I wonder?”

“To kidnap Onee-sama?”

“If the whole town is rolling out a welcome like this, that’d be kind of impossible, wouldn’t it…?”

“Hmm…”

Rеαԁ oո КаtRеadіոgCafе

Afterwards, we had dinner at the hotel restaurant.

The mayor, the church priest, and several heads of trading companys joined, but nothing particularly strange happened, and the dinner party ended in a pleasant atmosphere.

No one tried to pry into anything, and no one came asking for help with their problems, either.

On the contrary, we even received an offer to provide a sightseeing guide for tomorrow.

We accepted due to security concerns, but their intentions are unclear. I did mention the slave incident.

Using the Enslavement Curse Mark for slave trading is apparently a capital offense in the Blue Star Republic as well, and they thanked me for the information.

Also, when I asked them to let me know immediately if there were any Elf slaves, they readily agreed and even requested cooperation with Dispel Curse.

Hmm… I don’t really understand what’s going on, but somehow it all feels a little surreal.