High Priest of the God of Light (Continued)

"But..."

The youth gently tugged on the reins, bringing the white horse to a stop.

"The attack range of [Heart Blade] would catch innocent birds in it too." As he spoke, the youth removed the long object hanging from his back and deftly untied the straps around it.

It was a bow—a black longbow. Its body reflected the sunlight, gleaming with a clear, sharp sheen.

Rather than a bow, it looked more like a curved blade put together, with a silver string stretched between its edges.

The youth took a white-feathered arrow from the quiver hanging on the saddle, nocked it onto the bowstring, then raised the bow toward the sky.

He drew the bow and loosed the arrow. With only a sharp whoosh, a bird fell from the distance.

"Bullseye." The youth whistled casually.

"Lord Ling, thank you very much for coming. I have been awaiting you here for quite some time."

An elderly man clad in yellow priestly robes stood before the city gates and spoke warmly to the youth.

Ling, the adamantite-ranked adventurer known as the [Azure Bow], was an identity Aya Tiamat had disguised herself as through a special outfit.

Aya jumped down from her horse and walked up to the old man.

"Hello. I am Ling, an adamantite-ranked adventurer." Aya waved the identification plate symbolizing her adventurer status before the old man.

"My name is Ivon Jasna Draclaw. I am the Cardinal of the Temple of Light in the Slane Theocracy."

The old man's words gave Ling—or rather, Aya—a somewhat surprised expression.

"I never expected the Cardinal of Light himself to come receive me."

Then the two men behind him should be members of the Sunlight Scripture, one of the "Five-Colored Scriptures."

The Slane Theocracy, a nation where religion and government were one, had