Page 36

"Sir, allow me to remind you. You're getting on in years too; being so lively isn't good for you." When Elufiel said this, she never considered that, as the older elder, she was far more high-spirited than the mage in many ways.

Eugene had silently watched the interactions between the mage and the elf. Sometimes, he wondered whether they could have traveled together if Gwendolyn had not been a member of the Lionheart Guild, but instead a lone divine caster. Then she would not have had to worry about dragging her friends and family into danger. But there was no such if. Gwendolyn was Kanado's divine caster. The fact that she had cast aside the Holy See's centuries of preaching to choose him was already his good fortune.

Then that was enough, wasn't it? Through the cloth bag, Eugene clenched the rose ring Darren had given his wife. No matter what Odovish was plotting, he hoped there would never again be something like Darren and Susan between Arcane casters and divine casters, nor another fallen Emerald City.

Some earthen-yellow buildings gradually appeared in view. Elufiel tugged at the mage's sleeve and asked, "Is that it?" Odovish nodded at the elf. "We're almost there."

A town with delicious apple jam lay right before them. The thought made Elufiel walk a little faster. She could not wait to change out of her mud-spattered clothes.

The three of them quickened their pace, and in less than fifteen minutes, they stepped onto the stone-paved road at the town entrance. Standing on the clean, hard flagstones, Elufiel stomped her feet twice, as if she could shake the mud off that way. Odovish noticed the elf's little movements. No matter how much Elufiel stressed her age, certain gestures always revealed the childlike innocence she had never lost—or, more bluntly, her childishness.

The three walked into town along the stone road. The town seemed to be preparing for some sort of festival, with decorations being put up everywhere. Shopkeepers along the streets had made full use of cheap yet festive-looking ribbons, while small decorative flower balls made of colored paper hung from colorful strings stretched across the road. Everywhere, people eagerly discussed how to make the decorations look even prettier.

"Is there some festival here?" Elufiel looked at the mage, but this time Odovish could not provide an answer. "I don't recall any festival lately worth such grand celebration."

"Sir, madam, you must be mercenaries who decided to come to Aikalan on short notice, right?" A plump old man suddenly joined the conversation. He tossed the colored ball in his hand to his grandson, and the little boy happily carried it off into the street to look for playmates.

"Yes. We want to gather some Ice Crystal Grass on the northern shore of Lake Inoma. You know, this is the season when it grows like mad." Odovish answered smoothly.

The plump old man nodded repeatedly. "Oh yes, Ice Crystal Grass. Several groups of mercenaries have already passed through, arriving earlier than you. They even caught some snow rabbits while they were at it. Unfortunately, we hadn't received definite notice at the time. This year, the Holy See's archbishop is coming to Alanka to preach, and our town is the first stop. That's wonderful news, isn't it? I've never seen an archbishop before."

"Preaching?" Elufiel asked curiously.

"Yes. We've already built a platform in the center of town. If you aren't catching snow rabbits, you can stay for a few days. Hearing an archbishop preach in person is a rare opportunity." The plump old man warmly invited them to attend the Holy See's preaching event.

Elufiel looked at Odovish, then Eugene, and finally at the broadly smiling plump old man. Inviting two mages to listen to the Holy See preach—this is too interesting.

"An archbishop?" Odovish said. "That really is very rare." His voice was somewhat cold, with none of the delight one might expect. However, the plump old man did not notice the mage's indifference at all. Pointing behind himself, he said, "It certainly is very rare. So, have you decided to stay and witness the archbishop's magnificence? My inn has the best facilities in town."

Only then did Elufiel carefully look at the name of his establishment: Old Pan's Inn. So it was an inn. The elf seemed to understand why the plump old innkeeper had been so eager to recommend that they attend the preaching.

Eugene looked at Odovish. He was somewhat worried that the Holy See had caught wind of something. Otherwise, why would they suddenly come here to preach? And even send an archbishop? "Sir? We—"

Odovish guessed what Eugene wanted to say. "Of course we should stay and see what this archbishop looks like. I wonder which cardinal has come in person."

"Oh, wonderful. Then you must stay at our inn. We're having a promotion lately—stay the night and get a roasted apple pie for free. It's the kind little girls all love."

Thus, for the apple pie—at least, the elf really was there for the apple pie—the three of them took rooms at Old Pan's Inn.

The room was not large, but the bed was clean. A cloth apple doll sat atop the wooden bedside cabinet, stuffed with some unknown spices that filled the entire room with a faint fragrance.

Elufiel finally changed out of her dirty clothes and put on clean new ones. While she leisurely combed through her freshly washed hair, Odovish and Eugene were already seated in the lobby, listening to the excited innkeeper recount the "latest news."

"Just now, the priest received a report from the Temple Knights. They said the archbishop will arrive the morning after tomorrow. That's two days earlier than expected. The mayor must be worried sick now—the town's decorations aren't even finished yet."

"Has there been any word on which archbishop it is?" someone asked. He seemed to be a local resident and still held a decorative ribbon in his hand. "I hope it's Archbishop Humphrey. I hear he's the divine caster most likely to enter the Saint tier before turning one hundred and fifty."

The innkeeper burst out laughing. "I think you just want to see the female divine caster at Archbishop Humphrey's side. I hear that esteemed man's female disciple is very beautiful, and her divine arts are superb."

"Old Pan, shut up," the man said. "I just want to bask in the radiance of the gods. I hear that after an archbishop personally finishes preaching, a sacred halo appears. My daughter is about to be married, so I want to borrow a bit of good luck. Archbishop Humphrey's divine arts seem to be the most powerful."