Chapter 97
Sanctuary (1)
We were all entranced by the beautiful sight. Sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone solely upon the Sanctuary.
“That must be the entrance.”
Where Aro pointed, there stood a massive gate of an unfamiliar design.
The arch-shaped structure had no doors, yet it was obvious at a glance that it was connected to the Sanctuary.
“Religion really is sothing.”
Winter was the first to move. She steadied her staggering body and slowly walked forward.
Tears of overwhelming emotion stread down her face, carving paths along her cheeks. Aro quietly admired her tenacity.
“Watch your step.”
I added as I followed behind Winter. Perhaps she didn’t even have the strength to reply, as she only gave a small nod.
I turned my gaze toward the Sanctuary. Seeing that beautiful and magnificent sight, the idea of spiritual elevation didn’t seem like a lie at all.
“The gate’s huge too.”
As I got closer, the archway appeared even larger. The towering gate, roughly 3 ters tall, stood in stillness.
“Do you know how to use it?”
At Aro’s question, I shrugged. It was my first ti coming to a Sanctuary. I hadn’t experienced it even in the ga.
I had only seen it a few tis in trailer videos, so even I didn’t know everything. The only thing I knew was that it allowed those with Divine Power to ascend.
“Hmm.”
But the gate didn’t budge at all. No matter how much I touched it or looked around, there was no sign of any reaction. Just in case, I took out the Holy Scripture of the Anaye Faith.
“Hm?”
The scripture emitted a much brighter light than usual as it appeared. Along with it, the Holy Brush wrapped around Winter’s body peeked its head out.
Suddenly, the Holy Brush shot forward toward the gate. Floating through the air like a snake, it began writing sothing on the gate.
“Oh my. What is that? A snake? I like snakes.”
“It’s a brush.”
“…A brush? A writing tool? In the Empire, brushes move on their own, I see.”
Ignoring Aro’s absurd nonsense, I watched the Holy Brush. I couldn’t quite understand the principle behind its actions, but it had never led to anything bad whenever it stepped in.
Except for when it smacked with the scripture. We patiently waited as it finished writing.
“Oh. It’s a path.”
The change ca suddenly. From the Sanctuary floating between two mountain ranges, sunlight descended.
It fell precisely onto the arch-shaped gate. The inscriptions decorating the gate began to glow, and sothing flickered within it.
“You’re right. It’s a path.”
The shimring light extended back toward the Sanctuary. It ford a single path. The first thing it reminded of was an escalator.
“Let’s go.”
I stepped forward confidently. After hesitating for a mont, Winter followed behind . Sitting on my shoulder, Aro looked around continuously, marveling at everything.
“The Empire’s religion is this beautiful.”
“Isn’t it the sa in the Far East?”
“We have quite a lot of gods. So we don’t build things this grand and massive. Instead, they’re very mystical and radiant.”
When I responded to Aro’s muttering, she seed delighted and continued talking.
“Then, how about returning to your original form for the first ti in a while?”
“How should I put it? It’s very comfortable. Honestly, walking on two legs in human form is—…how did you know?”
Aro, who had been answering unconsciously, suddenly stiffened with a hardened expression. I let out a small chuckle and shrugged.
Aro, perched on my shoulder, bounced along with the motion and began pressing my face with her small front paws.
“How did you know?”
“How would I know? I just did.”
“Oh, you little—.”
Thinking she had been caught off guard, Aro seed flustered and kept pressing my face repeatedly.
Without paw pads, the sensation wasn’t particularly distinct, but her thick fur made it feel soft and fluffy.
“So this is… the Sanctuary.”
The path of light created by the gate was impervious even to strong winds. Thanks to that, we could wait at ease.
After slowly ascending for about ten minutes, the magnificent city began to co into view. Winter couldn’t take her eyes off it, her gaze filled with emotion.
“We’ve finally arrived. Good work.”
“…Yes.”
Winter’s tendency to cry hadn’t gone anywhere. She had seed a bit stronger recently, but today she was especially tearful.
Aro looked at her with a pleased expression, then suddenly tapped my head.
“Is she your younger sister or your daughter?”
“Are you joking?”
That question wasn’t particularly welco. Even I didn’t have the ability to have a child at the age of one.
“Then she’s simply lovable. If even you are chard, that’s quite sothing.”
“That’s just nonsense, senior.”
I cautioned Aro, who was rambling with a blissfully slack expression.
“Senior.”
“Hm?”
“No. Davide sunbae-nim.”
Winter spoke up for the first ti in a while. Realizing she wasn’t being addressed, Aro pouted.
Though with her long snout, it wasn’t very noticeable. I turned my gaze to Winter.
“Aro sunbae-nim isn’t a believer, so will she be okay? As far as I know, you need Divine Power to enter the Sanctuary.”
Winter’s concern was valid. The Sanctuary was an ancient structure, and just as much mystery surrounded it.
It had its own way of blocking external intruders, and that was by allowing only those who possessed Divine Power to enter.
“We can just give it to her now.”
I took out the Holy Scripture and brought it up to my face.
“Magical holy—”
At the unexpected words, the scripture recoiled in disgust and smacked my cheek. Watching this up close, Aro’s jaw dropped.
“…Anaye-nim. A new believer.”
I muttered quietly, slightly furrowing my brow. The scripture remained still, and I gave a small nod.
“Since you’re already spiritually connected with Winter, it’d be odd to ignore it. Please hold out your hand. I’ll give you the mark.”
“Whoa.”
“And you’ll have to teach Blood Magic as well.”
Even with the added condition, Aro nodded vigorously. I imdiately granted Aro the Emblem of Anaye on her hand.
“Ohh. So this is Divine Power.”
Aro instantly noticed the presence of Divine Power. A strange sense of exhilaration filled her body—an unfamiliar force distinct from mana.
It was my first ti granting the mark to a mage-type individual, but nothing seed out of the ordinary.
“We’re here. Let’s get ready.”
Before we knew it, we had reached the beginning of the Sanctuary. A gate identical in shape to the arch below stood before us.
“You’ve arrived.”
The one who greeted us was a young priest dressed in pure white robes.
On his chest was a badge symbolizing the Lofty Order, and his overall deanor was gentle.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had visitors. Welco. I am the Gatekeeper in charge of the entrance to this ‘Sanctuary.’ Please, call whatever is comfortable.”
We nodded at the Gatekeeper’s words. Simply put, he was soone who managed the escalator.
“You must be tired from your long journey. I’m sure you need rest. I’ll let you in after a brief identity check.”
As he spoke, the Gatekeeper took out a fist-sized crystal orb from his robes.
“I will confirm your identification badges representing your Order, as well as your Divine Power.”
I took out the identification badge of the Anaye Order from my pocket. It had been specially issued for this Sanctuary visit.
“So there are two pilgrims. I wasn’t inford about a… companion animal, however.”
“She possesses Divine Power.”
The Gatekeeper looked aningfully at Aro, who sat proudly on my shoulder.
Aro smiled faintly and waved her front paw. Seeing the charm of a Silver Fox for the first ti, the Gatekeeper’s mouth fell open.
“…It’s true. Divine Power is a noble force. Those who possess it are all individuals walking the path of religion. All three of you have been verified.”
The crystal orb the Gatekeeper used was a magitech device that confird Divine Power.
When brought close to soone’s face, it indicated whether they possessed Divine Power or not. The Gatekeeper treated Aro as a full-fledged mber of the faith without hesitation.
“Then I’ll briefly explain the Sanctuary and guide you to your lodging. Is that alright?”
“Yes, please.”
The Gatekeeper smiled warmly and began leading the way. Neatly structured, smooth stone buildings stretched out before us.
It was hard to fathom how such a massive city could float in the air.
“A city wall…”
The Sanctuary was a city in itself. Despite having only this single entrance, sturdy-looking walls surrounded the entire area.
Even from beyond the walls, massive structures could occasionally be seen, drawing the eye.
“How long did it take you to reach the Sanctuary?”
“About three days? Including today, it’s our third day.”
“That’s incredibly fast.”
The Gatekeeper looked surprised. At his words, I tilted my head.
“Is it?”
“Of course. Most people take about a week. There’s a massive pit on the direct path from the city of Nineprio to here, so most people go around it.”
“……”
Now I understood why we were so fast. While others avoided the terrain, we had crossed straight over it.
“Why does that pit exist?”
“It happened as far back as six years ago, so I don’t know the details either. I wasn’t here at the ti. However, the ‘Sanctuary Keeper’ does know.”
At the Gatekeeper’s words, the three of us exchanged glances. That terrifying pit had apparently been created six years ago.
Aro hurriedly took out the map. There wasn’t a single ntion of the pit on it.
“Hmm? That’s quite an old map. Where did you get sothing like that?”
“In Nineprio.”
“…Don’t tell you ca here relying on that?”
The Gatekeeper’s expression stiffened instantly. He looked genuinely serious.
“The route must have been wrong. As you can see, pilgrimages to the Sanctuary involve many incidents and accidents, so we issue updated maps every two years.”
“……”
In other words, we had been scamd. We had bought this map from an old general store in Nineprio.
“You—”
“Senior. Senior.”
The curse that almost slipped out from my rising anger was stopped by Winter. She broke into a cold sweat as she tried to calm down.
“…You must have had a hard ti. Truly. It is all thanks to the providence of the gods.”
If there had really been divine providence, this wouldn’t have happened. I swallowed the words rising in my throat.
“The security is quite strict.”
“There are few personnel, but all are devoted believers. Every three months, forces from the seven religions rotate to manage the Sanctuary.”
So that was the system. I nodded. Before we knew it, we were passing through the city gates.
A soldier clad in silver armor checked the silver badge shown by the Gatekeeper and allowed us inside.
“Welco. This is the Sanctuary, a dreamlike place for all believers. I sincerely welco you to the city closest to the gods.”
As we stepped inside, a warm breeze brushed against us. The cold wind we had felt below was gone.
Massive stone buildings, slightly worn with age, stood in harmonious arrangent.
“It seems self-sufficient.”
“That’s right. Though you won’t be able to eat at.”
A smile ford on the Gatekeeper’s lips. Fresh plants grew naturally throughout the city.
On one side, there was a vast cluster of vegetation, all bearing abundant, ripe fruit.
“That tall structure in the center of the Sanctuary is where the Sanctuary Keeper resides.”
“I see.”
“All who visit the Sanctuary are required to et the Sanctuary Keeper. The mark proving completion of the pilgrimage is also granted by them.”
Where the Gatekeeper pointed stood the tallest structure in the city.
At a glance, it resembled a clock tower, but it was shaped like an obelisk, with a massive clock at its peak.
“Normally, it would be proper to et them imdiately, but a pilgrimage is ant to test one’s patience and limits. You must be exhausted, so you may rest at the inn for today and visit tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
After giving us the location of the inn, the Gatekeeper bowed and left.
We saw him off and looked around. Intense Divine Power could be felt from all directions.
“Let’s go to the inn.”
Though we were all equally moved, we were just as eager to rest. Without complaint, the group followed behind toward the inn.
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