How a Former Pastor Lives in Another World

9

Relics

Rei is born with the constitution of a medium.

The spiritual eye that sees souls, a medium constitution capable of channeling spirits.

A keen sensitivity to spiritual power, something innate since a past life.

And this was fully manifested in front of the bundle of relics.

‘This energy feels familiar.’

Rei’s spiritual mentor, Father Johan, had a similar aura.

A comforting energy that soothes people just by being near.

If this is the unique power of divine energy, then it explains the similar feeling emanating from the relics.

‘The strongest energy I feel is from that sword.’

Rei instantly discerned that the holy sword Ashurad held the most potent power among the relics.

He may not know much about swordsmanship, but he could choose to learn gradually and select this fine-looking sword.

However, Rei hesitated over the warm energy he had been feeling for a while now.

‘What’s this?’

Being naturally gifted, Rei could tell.

The holy sword Ashurad contained an immense divine power, incomparable to anything else, housed within that storage.

“I will choose this.”

“…What?”

When Rei pointed to something that was neither relic nor artifact but the storage itself, everyone looked puzzled.

“Brother Rei. You must point precisely. What do you wish to choose?”

“Your Grace, the Archbishop. I desire the storage itself.”

“Huh… The storage box?”

Archbishop Dunwell momentarily widened his eyes in surprise at Ray’s choice before asking again.

“Brother Ray. The storage box is not a relic.”

“I like this one.”

“Haha…”

Archbishop Dunwell tilted his head, seemingly puzzled.

“Let me ask you once more. Are you truly choosing the storage box? Over all these relics here?”

“Yes.”

As Ray firmly bowed his head, Archbishop Dunwell did not press any further.

“So be it.”

“Thank you, Your Excellency.”

Following Ray’s selection of the relic, the runner-up and other outstanding candidates also chose their relics.

The guards spoke as they set aside the remaining relics and the leftover storage box.

“Accommodations will be prepared. We will carry it there for you.”

The iron storage box, which held dozens of relics, was so heavy that it took four sturdy men to barely lift it.

It was not a weight that Ray, who was just sixteen, could handle alone.

“No, it’s alright. I cannot impose on those who are so busy. I will carry it myself.”

“What? That’s impossible…!”

Ray effortlessly lifted the storage box.

The priests opened their mouths in astonishment at the sight.

“Could it be… the Sun’s blessing?”

“Has our young brother, only sixteen, already acquired such power?”

“Considering the devotion Brother Ray showed at the prayer meeting… it’s not impossible.”

The priests couldn’t hide their amazement.

And rightly so. Power is a blessing from the Sun God Soltera, a testament to deep faith.

Isn’t the acquisition of power a condition to receive the priesthood in the armed forces?

If Ray had been anything but an uninitiated candidate, it wouldn’t be strange to consider him for immediate priesthood.

“If he has already spoken in tongues and received power from the Holy Spirit… he will surely become a pillar of the church nation.”

“Director Isabella. Perhaps we should invite him to join the choir?”

At the words of the Solarion Choir nun, the knight present bristled.

“If you’ve been blessed by the sun, it’s only right that you join the Order of Paladins.”

“Ah, Sir Velvet. Brother Ray has just joined as a new recruit. There’s no need to decide his future just yet.”

“But if one has the sun’s blessing and the power of praise, shouldn’t they become the sword and shield that protect our Holy Nation?”

“Our Eclipse inquisitors are also swords that annihilate the enemies of the Holy Nation.”

“Enough.”

It was Archbishop Dunwell who quieted everyone’s clamor.

“He’s still young blood. His future can be decided in due time.”

Though he quelled the noise for the moment, he anticipated the events to come, watching the heated priests of the Holy Nation.

The Holy Nation would be noisy for a while, he thought.

***

Days passed since the relic awarding ceremony and the initiation.

The lodgings where the prospective members stayed were indeed luxurious, befitting the Solarion Holy Nation.

There were various sports facilities, segregated baths for men and women, a prayer hall, and classrooms for religious life.

The amenities were no different from those of a university.

“Brother Ray! How about we practice together?”

“So early in the morning? Hmm… Sure.”

Ray followed Henry to the training ground.

In this life, Ray had not neglected physical exercise.

A healthy body houses a healthy mind and spirit, forming the last barrier against the approach of evil spirits.

But the reason he had been joining Henry in exercise these past few days was simple.

It was because of the sun’s blessing.

“The abbot told me that the sun’s blessing is a power that multiplies one’s strength and healing several times over, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

“Then if we increase the strength to be amplified, the effect would be greater, right?”

Henry’s words made sense.

The power wasn’t a fixed absolute value.

It’s a power that multiplies several times over, proportional to the strength one already possesses.

It’s no wonder those blessed by the sun join the Order of Paladins to engage in strength training.

In any case, as it was a military institution, there were several other members at the training ground.

“Brother Aaron, you’re here today too? Your diligence is admirable~”

Among the members who marked their presence at the practice hall daily was Aaron as well.

Swinging a wooden sword from morning and repeating movements, Aaron paused for a moment and called out to Ray.

“Ray Anderson.”

“Why?”

Ray’s response made Aaron frown.

“Though we are both trainees, I am of nobility. It’s not a position for a commoner believer to take lightly.”

“Oh~”

I see.

‘If he’s a noble, that’s possible.’

This world is, after all, medieval.

A time when one cannot overturn the hierarchy of status, and even the color of blood is considered different.

Aaron, who had grown up with the Bible and trained in swordsmanship with the support of his family.

It must have been a blow to his pride, having been bested by a mere commoner like Ray, right from the start.

“Young master~ There’s no nanny here~”

“What did you say?”

Aaron’s gaze snapped around.

There stood a girl with striking red hair, smirking at Aaron with a sly smile.

‘Was her name Jenny, the one who joined as the fourth seat?’

“Are you talking to me, young master?”

“Well, is there another noble young master here with such noble blood?”

Her words were polite, but the criticism was almost provocative.

Aaron was at a loss for words.

A commoner girl dares to speak to me in such a manner?

Aaron exaggeratedly clicked his tongue upon seeing the emblem engraved on the girl’s shoulder strap.

“Huh! Doesn’t the Axe Sisterhood teach basic manners?”

“Ah. Are you insulting our saint now? Are you looking down on our saint because she’s of commoner origin?”

“Me, when have I ever disrespected Saint Elizabeth!”

Aaron, taken aback by the skillful counter-argument.

Indeed, Saint Elizabeth of the Axe Sisterhood was of commoner origin.

To question the lineage of a saint was almost blasphemous, so it was no wonder Aaron was shocked.

But Aaron, too, was a noble raised in a prestigious family.

He quickly gathered his wits and retorted.

“I am the second son of the Earl of Graham, and the son of His Eminence Mueller, the Archbishop of the Order, and Sir Paladin Amanda. Show some respect.”

“Um, sorry. I come from a humble and lowly commoner background, much like Saint Elizabeth, so I’m not quite familiar with the noble etiquette that’s even greater than the saints.”

“Ugh…! You, you now!”

“Oh…”

Ray genuinely marveled. There was a pure malice in Jenny’s blatantly mocking tone.

A fierce intent to push back the haughty young noble who flaunted his status without any hesitation.

“Shouldn’t we stop them?”

“Usually, they grow up fighting like this.”

Aaron was the same age as himself. Jenny was a year older, perhaps.

The tempestuous teenagers often got into scuffles even at church.

As a former youth pastor, my opinion is that it’s all part of growing up.

“Are you using your status to pressure a brother of the same faith now? Wow, that’s scary. At this rate, you’ll even dismiss our Saint Elizabeth as a mere commoner.”

“Don’t twist my words! I never said such a thing!”

‘Well, it seems like a one-sided beating.’

In the Order, social status isn’t all that important.

Of course, that’s only in name. When it comes to advancement within the Order or future positions, being of noble birth is certainly an advantage.

Jenny seemed aware of this, yet she chose to go her own way.

“Alright, both of you, that’s enough. Have you both practiced swordsmanship and axemanship?”

Bringing up a topic conducive to conversation, both answered honestly.

“I learned from my mother, a paladin.”

“Oh, prestigious. There’s nothing like swordsmanship for killing people. I’ve also had some basic training, but it’s tough.”

“Hmm?”

Aaron’s reaction was odd, but Ray didn’t mind and asked Jenny as well.

“Axemanship passed down by the saint herself?”

“That’s right. The Saint Elizabeth style of axemanship that can cleanly slice through even the thick hide of an orc.”

“Hmm, axes are great. I know a vampire hunter family that uses them. A president even came from that friend’s family.”

“What are you talking about?”

Jenny tilted her head, but it was a fact unknown to the people of this world.

“But what did Henry learn?”

“A man’s strength is in his fists! The iron fist that suppresses evil! That’s the spirit of our Granville Monastery!”

What exactly are monasteries and convents in this world?

Anyway, as armed clergy who joined the armed institution, there was nothing easier to talk about than weapons and martial arts.

Ray, an exorcist who used to balance between the Orthodox Ruski and the Anglican Protestants, and even the Roman inquisitors during his time as Pastor Kim.

He’s performing the duty of a sane person among these fanatics who know nothing but their faith.

“But Ray, brother, what kind of weapon do you use? I don’t see any special weapon.”

Henry, who had sparred with Ray in martial arts, asked with curiosity, and Jenny continued with her question.

“Now that you mention it, brother Ray, you only took a huge storage box at the relic presentation ceremony, right? Was that also a relic?”

Jenny’s question piqued Aaron’s curiosity as well.

At the relic presentation ceremony, Ray only took the storage box that held the relics, without receiving any particular weapon.

Aaron, who was the second seat, received the holy sword Ashurad, and Jenny, the fourth seat, took a halberd-shaped holy axe.

In contrast, Ray just took a large solid iron storage box, without any specific weapon.

‘Didn’t he find a weapon he wanted among the relics?’

‘Even choosing something like a necklace would have been good enough, wouldn’t it?’

They each recalled the storage box Ray had taken.

It couldn’t be used as a weapon, and since he had applied to join the armed institution, he must have had a weapon he usually used.

“Ah! I wondered when you’d ask. I just received the finished products last night.”

“Finished products?”

As everyone leaned in with curiosity, Ray pulled something out of his coat.

“A dagger?”

The dagger, about 15cm in length, seemed to be designed for throwing, with a short handle.

There were five of them.

“Do you use hidden weapons?”

“I use those too.”

Ray then pulled out something else. This time, it was an axe.

Unlike the halberd that Jenny wielded with both hands, it was a hand axe that was also easy to throw.

There were two of them.

“So, the dagger is just a secondary tool? Indeed, for crushing bones, an axe is the best.”

Jenny looked satisfied with the response, but Ray gave an unexpected answer.

“Write that down too.”

“Huh?”

A whip falls from the embrace. Not an ordinary leather whip, but a piece of iron with a blade sharpened to a deadly edge.

There’s more.

Two combat daggers, longer than throwing knives and with handles that seem easier to grip.

And more still.

A hidden knife springs from the wrist.

A concealed weapon that can be stored in the sleeve through a mechanical device.

And yet more.

A collapsible spear that folds into three sections for easy carrying, with bolts to secure it at the joints.

A buckler, a round shield that can also be mounted on the wrist.

Iron caltrops scattered on the ground to block the enemies’ movements.

“The crossbow and the longsword will come out later. Oh, and the light armor will be drawn later too.”

“……”

“……”

“……”

The three of them lost their words at the sight of all the weapons laid out by the merchant as if he were setting up a stall.

Above all, they wore puzzled expressions at the aura emanating from the many weapons.

“Um… Brother Ray. Are all these weapons…”

“Yeah?”

“All relics?”

“Aren’t they cool?”

“……”

How on earth?

A relic is a sacred object completed through immense holy power and a blessing ceremony in the religious state.

There are those who possess several relics, but only those with considerable standing within the religious state.

How did Ray come to possess so many relics when there are countless clergy who go their whole lives without touching a single one?

“You… don’t tell me?”

Aaron asked with an expression of disbelief, as if realizing something.

“Did you… melt the storage to make these weapons?”

“Agreed!”

“Blasphemy!”

The Solarion Sect of the Sun Worship Congregation, Papacy.

The first cry denouncing heresy echoed.