Volume 6, Chapter 4 – The Surprisingly Easygoing Priestess

“Shalu Ymir?” Glancing at the Omniscient Map, Yisi raised an eyebrow slightly. “Are all who join the church given the surname ‘Ymir’?”

Shalu nodded.

“Yes. And it’s not just the clergy who join the church. Anyone who believes in the goddess Ymir can add the Ymir surname after their name.”

Since the knight beside her showed no strange expression, the priestess girl in front of her was probably not lying. Yisi smiled.

“I thought the church would use the ‘Ymir’ surname to distinguish status. Your church is truly strange.”

Normally, a church would proclaim itself as God’s representative in the human world. The leader would either call themselves the child of God or someone who had received a divine revelation. After confirming their leadership position, the most convenient way to distinguish themselves from ordinary people would be through surnames. For example, only the representative of God could add a special character to their name, or they would simply divide everyone in society into classes according to a caste system. Similar things were not uncommon on Earth.

Yisi’s words made one of the guards beside her look troubled.

“My lady… if your words were heard by the believers, they would surely arrest you for interrogation. What you just said could already be considered disrespectful to the church.”

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“Such strict rules.”

“No, the church has never stipulated this. It’s just a misinterpretation forced upon it by the common people,” the priestess girl who called herself Shalu shook her head, “The Goddess’s original words were only ‘Faith and surnames are free’. It didn’t say that everyone must believe in and respect the Goddess. So the church doesn’t force everyone to believe in the Goddess Ymir. However, since six hundred years ago, the various human nations have been at war with each other. Suffering has led to an increasing number of people with a fanatical faith in the Goddess. Over the long term, the doctrine has slowly transformed into something else.”

“You seem to know a lot.”

Yisi cast a meaningful smile at Shalu, who was fiddling with the ends of her light-green hair. Shalu lowered her hand, her gaze dropping, looking quite dejected.

“Are you trying to say I don’t look like a novice priestess?”

“No.”

“Your eyes have already told me the answer.”

Shalu lifted her face with its long, narrow eyes, resuming her previous pitiful appearance—but this appearance only made Yisi more vigilant, because when Tiffany made such an expression, it usually meant she had thought of some bad idea.

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“Many people have said that about me, but the only difference between me and other believers is that I’ve read a few more books…” Shalu began to size up Yisi and Camilla. “You and this young lady didn’t bring any luggage? Although the Hels Kingdom is close, it still takes several days to get here.”

“Actually, our third young lady and other family members are behind us. Miss Camilla and I just saw that there was a situation over here, so we came to take a look first.”

“A very bold move. But to have all three young ladies of the house move to Mitters Bayer at once, it’s no longer a matter of the family having fallen on hard times…”

Three?

She must have mistaken me for a noble as well. But it’s better not to go out of my way to explain. I have no intention of having a long-term conversation with this girl who calls herself Shalu.

“May I ask which noble’s house in Mitters Bayer you will be staying at, benefactor? Although I am just a novice priestess, I have some connections in the church and may be able to help you.”

“This…”

“Baronet Milviser.”

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As Yisi was in a bind, Camilla stepped forward to help.

When their group was discussing their excuse, they hadn’t specified the name of the noble they were seeking refuge with. Milviser must have been a name Camilla made up on the spot. As for Shalu, she would surely find out later that no such noble existed. By then, their group would have no more contact with her, so even if she knew they were lying, it would have no effect.

Compared to Camilla, I worry too much.

While muttering to herself inwardly, Yisi echoed Camilla’s words. At the same time, the four guards had already marked the location of the ball of flesh on the map and had put a slice of it into a small bottle. By now, anyone could see that these guards were not ordinary mercenaries or adventurers, but paladins directly under the church’s command.

“Well then, benefactor, it is almost noon. We must report the encounter with the monster to the patrol and hurry back to Mitters Bayer. For some reason, I don’t have any gold coins on me and cannot directly offer you a monetary reward. However, I promise that once we get to Mitters Bayer, I will report your deed of eliminating the mutated monster to the church. At that time, the church will reward you for your merit in subjugating the monster and saving a priestess from it. At the same time, I will also personally host you.”

“No, no, that’s too much trouble. Subjugating monsters is what we should do.” If they were to meet Shalu again, she would definitely know that their group was deceiving her. Yisi quickly changed the subject. “If Miss Shalu insists on thanking us, you only need to answer one question for me.”

“Lady Shalu, the carriage is ready. We can leave at any time.”

“Mm, I know.” Waving her hand at the paladin to indicate she understood, Shalu clasped her hands at her waist. Her impeccable smile, coupled with her blindingly white priestess’s habit, made for a rather good appearance—although it always reminded Yisi of Tiffany. “I apologize for my companion interrupting you. Please do not blame him, benefactor.”

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After organizing the speech she had prepared in her mind, Yisi slowly began to speak.

“Although the people around me only say that the church is not—you know, the nobles in the Hels Kingdom have never liked the church, but because of a friend, I have always been in awe of the deeds of the current Pope. She is a follower of the Ymir Church and loves to praise the greatness and nobility of the current Pope in my ear. So I have long admired the current Pope. If possible, I would like to see the Pope up close. May I ask if Miss Shalu knows of a way for an ordinary person to meet the Pope?”

“The Pope…”

As expected, Shalu looked very troubled.

“It’s alright if there isn’t a way. I know that the Pope holds a high position and does not casually meet with ordinary people.”

The reason she had specifically asked Shalu was only because Mary had said she wanted to see what the Pope looked like with her own eyes. As for the matter of the Fallen medicine, her plan was to change her clothes and force her way into the temple to ask for the Pope’s opinion one-on-one. Yisi could not forget the principle of ‘a man’s wealth is his own ruin’. She was not alone now. If the Pope coveted her Fallen medicine and intended to force her to hand it over, she might not be afraid of assassination or poisoning, but her companions were not.

Just as Yisi was about to give up, Shalu suddenly spoke.

“It’s not that there isn’t a way. It’s just that I can’t let you meet the current Pope directly. You should know, benefactor, that besides the current Pope, the Ymir Church also has a person who was established as the Pope’s successor five years ago.”