Capítulo 3: The Ecclesiast in Golan
"I am an ecclesiast. Aric Dayrise."
The man in front stared suspiciously but in the next moment he stopped. And then he bowed in a welcoming gesture.
"Then welcome to Golan. May I ask where have you come from?" he asked.
Salaric had already thought of an answer to this. He tried to smile gently and replied, "Shahri town."
The man suddenly shortened his eyes as though he saw something weird or creepy.
Salaric did not need to be told that he was obviously jealous of his smile... Or so he consoled himself.
An ecclesiast was to say, a wandering preacher in short. They travel from place to place and preach religious teachings. The Shahri Town was known for a school that produced ecclesiasts like this.
And he just happened to be aware of that. So this made a fine excuse.
"I hope you enjoy your stay here." the man moved and left him alone. The people that gathered seemed to have satisfied as well, so everyone moved away.
'Convenient, I guess?' Salaric was naturally happy at the smooth outcome.
He looked at his surroundings twice and kept walking.
The village was not too small, it was rather populpous and had wooden houses serially built in a fine manner. Although for Salaric, who only lived in majestic castles all his life, these were shelters for the lowest of the low...
'Alright, where do we head to now?' he asked himself, and started to ponder. He needed to rent an inn... although he had no money. He had to go to the church... although he had not knowledge of even the most basic etiquettes there.
And he now needed to change his attair!
Moving around as an ecclesiast is more than just troublesome.
'How is a mass murderer like me supposed to preach... I need redemption before that. Maybe I actually can do that, after I receieve that Vitaflora thing...'
In the end, Salaric fixated on renting an inn.
'Okay but I need money for that... these humans make such troublesome systems...'
With another sigh, he happened to notice a large tree near him. He casually leaned on it. Under the tree's shadow, he asked Mahibu, his pet who somehow lived inside his original shadow.
"Mahibu, how do you think I can earn money?"
"Master, can't you steal the whole village if you want?"
"Mahibu, but it's Shadow Sovereign's honest redemption this time." he replied in an almost sarcastic tone.
"Master, its only sacrifice for the greater good."
"Mahibu... are you sure?"
"Master, I am confident."
Salaric was not stupid. But he admitted that harsh times call for harsh decisions.
'I just need money dammit. The Shadow Sovereign's seething in poverty...'
He decided to just walk around for a little more and try to find a job. He just needed some quick money for the day!
Also he had no intention of staying in Golan for more than two days...
---
2 years since the death of Loht.
The Church of Golan.
A promising adventurer was baptised inside the church just a while ago.
Glad, he came out with a newfound motivation. The figure had clean brown hair and greenish eyes, wearing a leather armor, he had to smile seeing his party before him.
"Congrats, Ciral." Seulgi said as she was gently leaning on a bench, smiling.
"Congratulations."
This time it was his mentor, Hall who had decided to leave the party today. With the baptism of Ciral, he could leave without further hesitation.
"I will miss you, Brother Hall." said Ciral, "And you shouldn't take more than a month to receieve your baptism as well."
The latter sentence was directed at Seulgi.
Both of them were almost of the same age. Seulgi being only a year older than him.
"We aren't going anywhere today. Let's just hop around... uh. For one last time I guess." Hall suddenly declared, with his face lampooning.
Naturally, both of them were precious students of him afterall. They went to so many adventures together, and completed... and failed so many quests.
They silently gave their consent to this.
At that moment, right as Seulgi stood up from the bench and Hall was about to lead the way, a broad shouldered figure appeared before them.
He was Davin, the townguard. He said right away,
"An ecclesiast is here, you might like to go see him, Ciral. Oh and congratulations!"
"Hehhe, thanks! Who is he, where?" Ciral replied.
"I am not sure. He is either looking for an inn for the day somewhere or heading to the church behind you. Just got lost or something..."
That was a rational deduction.
"I think we should see him." Hall suggested and they had no objections.
"Okay."
After receieving baptism, an adventurer becomes enabled to do a number of things. For example: open a guild or a party, stand up for the town elections, become a priest or ecclesiast etc.
And not having it also came with many problems. Like being forced to be in a party, and zero freedom in education sectors being two of the common examples.
Usually adventurers that receive baptism try to find an ecclesiast and take up advices and quests from them. Its not obligatory, just a tradition that had been passed down since the ancient times.
They packed up their things and with Davin parting, they walked on their ways as well.
---
"Are you the ecclesiast?" a hooded teenager asked Salaric as she found him in an embarassing position.
To her, Salaric here was talking with himself here. Of course she was unable to see the shadow inside his shadow.
'This news got spread crazy fast...' he sighed internally and thought if an ecclesiast was supposed to have exceptional respect among humans.
"Yes."
To lie or try to get around this question, he would only make matters worse for himself, so he admited.
The girl removed her hoodie, and a rather pretty femimine figure appeard from within. With a determined eyes, she first bowed in show of respect. Then she asked, "I am honored to have the opportunity to talk with you! Please, I am Aysi Joyous. I will receive my baptism next year. I don't know if any ecclesiast would be around that time, so I am wondering if it is alright to get the quest from you now."
Salaric in front of him however, knew not the q of what quest means, or what baptism is, or what even an ecclesiast actually does.
All he knew was that ecclesiasts are just priests that move around.
"Ignorace is not bliss..." he murmered to himself.
"Ignorance is not bliss...?" Aysi repeated that statement to herself. "That's totally against the usual proverb..."
'Come on I am not spitting wisdom here...' Salaric sighed and replied, "Many norms are deceptive."
'This was neither intentional, why did I say that!' he immediately regretted his words.'
"I- I will keep these words to my heart! How should I adress you?" she seemed to be nervous talking with him.
"I don't mind being called by my name. Call me Aric, I am Aric Dayrise." he replied as casually as he could.
If the town guard few minutes ago did not make that face after seeing his smiling face, he would have smiled then as well...
"Now I want you to close your eyes." Salaric ordered Aysi suddenly.
"Alright!" she did not dare to disobey him.
Then, Salaric gave a mental command to the shadow beneath him. "Hey, Mahibu!"
"Yes, Master?"
"What does she expect from me?"
"Master, most adventurers prefer to receieve their first quest from an ecclesiast. It is believed that it enriches their luck in their overall life as an adventurer."
"What is a quest now?"
"Master..."
"Don't mock me! I lived as a demon all this time."
"Master how can I mock you? The quest is basically a mission ordained upon adventurers. For example, eliminating the Demon King Loht might be a quest."
"Th-that is too difficultly for this girl, no?"
"Of course, Master."
"Alright I get it. Go back to the shadows."
"Also Master, adventurers expect advises from ecclesiasts. Farewell."
With that said, Mahibu again faded inside the shadow of him. Then he ordered Aysi to open her eyes again.
"I am ready. What quest do you expect from me?"
"I am willing to take on any sort of challenge?"
"Any sort?"
"..." Aysi remembered a running joke in the village but returned to her sanity and replied, "Anything in my capability."
"Then accompany me till I reach the Mayhem Mountain Range."
"..."
'I would not be surprised if she says its not in her capability right now.
Am I asking for too much?
Was it just rude now?
Holy shit, is it she going to cry?
Did I just make a teenage girl lose her friends, family and everything?
AAAAA'
While Salaric was having an internal war, she replied, "I am... ready."
"Good. That is an adventurer's conviction."
'Damn. I am great at praising I guess.' as Salaric was praising himself leaving the guilt for her aside, a familiar voice lingered in his head. It was Mahibu.
'Master, I sense five more humans approaching at you.'
'Oh? I sense eight.'
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