11 - Vince, the church, and Lévant

Vince was a normal guy. He grew up on a little farm, and he went to the city when he got older to try and do well for himself.

Later on, he became a coachman, aka a medieval taxi.

And life was going swimmingly.

Until he met that man.

He was too scared to make up excuses on why he had to go halfway through the journey, so Vince brought Merca all the way to Damerel before running off.

He decided to go to the theocracy after that and live a stable life there. There were even people with blessings, so maybe they could help protect him in this scary world.

And that would've been fine, until one day in March, 3 years after he had last seen Merca.

At first, Vince doubted his eyes. Rubbing them over and over, he finally stared straight ahead at the other party.

Sensing a gaze, Merca turned to look.

Seeing it was the coachman from back then, he started walking towards him.

Vince, seeing Merca coming towards him, started to panic. He wondered if Merca would be mad and kill him for staring.

"Vince, how are you? It's been years, still remember me? We did spend a month traveling together after all, surely you didn't forget that easily. I sure didn't, haha."

The man spoke in a light-hearted and casual tone, but Vince was far from happy. He wanted to run away again, as far as he could.

He had thought he'd be safe here, but after seeing the other party again face to face, he realized he had been too naive.

Next time, he would run to the edge of the continent, a seaside town in the middle of nowhere.

'Yes', he thought, 'I should've done that from the start.'

Realizing he hadn't answered, he hurriedly spoke.

"Ah, M-Merca, right? Your clothes are different, so I didn't recognize you. Yeah, that's all. Of course I remember you! Do you need anything?"

Vince said the last line as a matter of habit, but the moment he did, he realized he messed up.

Merca smiled, and it was an innocent smile, but to Vince it looked like the smile of a devil.

"Actually, I just got here, I was wondering if you could show me around?"

They were in a fairly large city managing imports and exports along the road to the capital of the theocracy, and there was much to do and see.

"Ah, actually, Merca, I'm quite busy these days, so I might not be able to help. Why don't you ask someone else?"

"Really? What's got you so busy?"

Vince panicked again for a moment, before forcing himself to calm down and said, "I-I-I actually am running a stall here, you see? So, I have work to do. I can't join you in sightseeing. My apologies."

Well, it was no lie, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough.

"Vince, my old friend, what work? Don't you know? I'm rich. Just ask me if you need money, I can get you loaded for the rest of your life! Come on, close your stall early, I'll pay you well."

Vince saw no way out, and so he decided that he had to concede.

'This is all, though, it's just sightseeing. The moment we're done today, I'll think up a good excuse before sleeping and brush him off tomorrow onwards. I'll have nothing to do with this demon.'

So Vince closed his stall, but when he did, Merca suddenly took out an entire pouch of gold coins from somewhere, and handed it to him.

"Th-this...i-is for...me?"

Astonished, Vince thought about it for a moment and thought it made sense.

'With that strength, he could rob anyone he pleases.'

Well...he wasn't exactly right, but he wasn't exactly wrong either.

Merca tried to make conversation, and Vince half-heartedly responded.

Merca utterly failed to sense Vince's lack of enthusiasm.

By the end of the day, Merca said to Vince while at a good spot to see the sunset:

"Vince. Do you not like me?"

"?!...Wha-what? What makes you say that? Why would I dislike you?..."

"....Alright. Then that's good. I still have a ways to go to reach the capital, would you mind bring me there? It'll be like back then. I'll pay you enough to last a lifetime."

"..."

Vunce's first impulse was to say no, but he stopped himself and went deep into thought.

Based on the gold pouch today, he was sure Merca would give him no small amount of money. It might really be enough to last a lifetime.

Although hanging around a monster like him was dangerous, if it was just for a while, and he could ensure Merca wouldn't come to dislike him, which would be a disaster, then...maybe it was ok?

Once that thought formed, it took root and sprouted out wildly until Vince finally decided to agree.

"Sure, Merca. I'll bring you to the capital. I really expect you to pay me a ton though, ok?"

Merca's eyes lit up.

"Really?! That's great. That's just wonderful. You made the right choice. I'll definitely pay up, don't worry. When the earliest you can set off?"

Merca had been adventuring alone, with noone but Tom and later Ixtra to accompany him. One was an eccentric old man, and the other was a demon.

Comparitively, Vince was like an angel.

So he was understandably excited.

Merca quite liked talking with Vince, even though Vince didn't talk much himself.

***

Vince said it'd take him a few days to sort out his affairs, so I took the time to relax for a while.

Of course, I had never gotten lazy with my practicing of the knight breathing technique.

I had attained liquid mana halfway through my 3 year journey, but it would take another 3 or 4 years to reach solid crystal mana.

As always, I practiced in the treasury.

I had gotten a lot more comfortable with spending long amounts of time im the treasury now that Ixtra was there to watch my body.

He could be completely trusted due to his contract, and he was plenty strong and capable.

Moreover, I was wearing defensive earrings.

Haha, defensive earrings, that sounds kind of funny.

Ahem.

So, the next few days passed by, and it was time to go to the capital.

I had discovered a problem recently, a very big one.

Among the books I had obtained over the years, plenty spoke at length of the many different worlds and realms in the cosmos, but currently I had no way to get to them.

I really wanted to go.

Plus, I was a mortal here. I was no longer the ignorant man I once was. I knew there were ways to achieve immortality, ways to become a god, ways to create universes, and much more.

I didn't need it all. But I really wanted to see this whole treasury business through till the end.

Although there were no books on spells so far, I had found a book on runes.

I could forcefully build a structure using rune stones that could open a portal to another realm, and the book detailed how to make it, but there was one problem.

The runes had to be etched onto a certain level of material.

Otherwise the rupturing of space needed to forcefully create the portal would destroy the rune stones unless they were of high enough quality.

I could use defense runes to reinforce the material, but it wasn't enough at my level.

The only material I had that could work was the one mythril piece I had used to summon and contract Ixtra.

The dragon scales could work, but somehow none of the weapons that I had, plus buffs from my equipment, and the cultivation realm I had reached of liquid mana, none of them were enough, even together.

I was still too weak to damage dragon scales. At least, these ones.

So I couldn't inscribe anything on them.

I could only hope to come across better material in the theocracy, but I hadn't so far. So, all my hopes were on the capital.

The compass upgrade also required around 850 more treasures which, unless the theocracy's capital was really that awesome, I wouldn't be able to get in this continent.

One thing I had considered up until now were the mountains to the east.

'I suppose if it comes down to it, I'll try and cross them.'

Me and Vince, with Ixtra hidden in my shadow, traveled for a couple weeks, before finally arriving.

Looking in front, I saw a large cathedral with a tall tower near the center of it, visible despite the buildings in the way.

It was almost meant to catch attention.

Looking at the compass map, there were indeed quite a few treasures in the capital, but nothing crazy.

I looked for an inn together with Vince, and told him to come back there before the end of the day while I went out to get the money for him.

Of course, that was a lie, or rather, a half-lie.

It was true I'd be going out to collect wealth, just not the wealth I'd be giving to him.

I was gonna rob all the places not affiliated with the church immediately, as fast as I could.

I was already a veteran at this.

I suspected that even without the cultivation and mana, equipment, or treasury, I could probably still be a pretty good thief by now all by myself.

Although it was still midday, as long as I stayed in the shade, the cloak and cloth armor somehow hid my presence quite well. It was like when people looked oved, they'd only see a slightly darker region of the shade.

Only if they stared or looked closely, ir if I moved a lot, would they see me.

Of course, infiltration required movement.

Nonetheless, it still made it harder to pinpoint me down, and I had no problems sneaking in to many places in the city to steal treasures. A few hours later, I had 13 more.

As expected, the church had the most.

There were still 10 treasures left that were all in the churches hands.

Now, here I had to make a choice.

Was I going to go against the church by stealing, or would I just try and cooperate with them?

Well, no harm in trying the peaceful way first.

I prepared a carriage and loaded it with gold from the treasury, and took it to the inn before handing it over to Vince.

From there on, what he did with it was none of my concern.

Walking to the cathedral at the center of the city, I noticed that the surroundings looked better the closer I got.

The cathedral itself even had a gold-studded gate.

Walking up to it, the guards at the front blocked me.

"Halt! State your name and business!"

I was surprised somewhat. I got that it was an important building, but at the end of the day, surely normal people were allowed to come in to pray and such, right?

Wrong.

"Umm, my apologies, it's my first time in this city. Am I not allowed to go in casually?"

"Hmph. What would you know? This is the central grand cathedral of the theocracy. The 5 apostles all live here, and many important figues from across the lands visit regularly. If you want to go in, you'll have to prove you have an identity worth allowing entry. Then, one of the apostles will make the decision to let you in."

Jeez. That seemed like a cumbersome system.

Such a large cathedral, but it was a shame. With a system like that, it would probably never be full on any given day.

I wasn't going to get stopped here, so I told them I was a wealthy merchant from one of the empires.

They looked skeptical.

I didn't look like a merchant, and although I spoke well, I was strong and well built. It'd be easier to believe I was a knight than a merchant.

They asked me for proof, so I pretended to reach into a pocket and took out a medallion I had stolen once from the Xaya empire. It signified allegiance to one of the largest merchant guilds in the Xaya empire, and the guard might not recognize it, but I hoped the apostle he reported to would.

The guard, looking skeptical still, ran off.

Indeed, the apostle was an apostle for a reason. He was well studied in political matters.

The guard came back and said I was permitted entry.

'Well, that was easier than I thought.'

They had acted like only the highest og the high could get in here, but I guess it was just a tertiary measure to stop commoners from getting in. Who knows, maybe the apostles disliked when the church was full or something, so they limited entry.

Stepping in, there was a beautiful garden out front, well maintained and gorgeous. The cathedral itself was huge, and the architecture was beautiful.

Walking in through the double doors at the front, there was a large room for prayer, with seats and a path to walk down the middle.

The sides and closer-to-the-entrance side of the room had a several meter wide empty space with pillars at the edge, a few steps of stairs leading down a small ampunt of elevation to the seats, and steps up again at the front.

At the front platform, there was a stand without anyone attending to it right now, and to the left and right of the platform were open overhangs that seemed to lead to halls deeper inside. There were guards guarding these halls.

There were a few people in the prayer room, and some looked over when I entered before going back to what they were doing.

Walking up to the guards, I told them I wished to speak to an apostle.

With vigilance, they asked what for.

"I have something important to discuss with them. It's not something I can tell anyone but an apostle about. It can wait if they're busy, but I absolutely must get this matter settled, whether now or later."

The guards once again, like the guards before, looked skeptical, but went to inform an apostle.

There happened to only be one in, the ine who had approved my entry before, and hearing about this now, he was curious.

A merchant, from Xaya, dressed unlike a merchant and built unlike one too, who suddenly came and said he had to talk to an apostle.

Lévant, the apostle, wasn't busy at that moment, so he decided to hear me out.

The guard led me through the left side hall, which suddenly turned 90 degrees to the front and went deep into the territory, before finally coming to an odd contraption.

"Come on, get in."

Get...in?

Complying, the guard turned a lever and we suddenly started moving up rapidly.

I was startled.

"Wha-what is this?"

"An elevator. It goes up and down very fast. Saves us the hassle of stairs."

An elevator! What a marvelous thing. If there was an elevator god, I'd like to thank him for existing.

Reaching the top, we suddenly decelerated, which was disorienting.

Stepping out, I saw that we were at the top of the cathedral's tower.

The light shone into here very well, and it was a small, enclosed space.

There were stairs in the square room leading up.

Following the guard up them, we arrived before a door.

Opening the door, we came to a room at the top of the tower. There was a large floor to ceiling window with the window panes following a concentric circle pattern. In front of the large window was a desk, with a man seated at the helm.

The apostle. One of the 5 highest people in the theocracy.

It had been easier to meet him than I'd thought, but I also forged myself an at least somewhat important identity, so that certainly played a part.

The apostle told the guard to go outside.

The guard grunted and saluted before walking out.

"So, what is this matter that you had to speak to me about? My name's Lévant by the way."

He didn't stand up from his chair as he said this. He didn't even move forward or sit up. He was relaxed and dismissive.

Yeah, that was more like the picture I had in mind.

Perhaps it had been too easy up till here, I felt weirded out, but this made me feel like things were normal again.

Without saying anything, I walked up to him and took off a spare ring of strength I had worn before coming.

I placed it before him on his desk and said:

"Do you know what this is?"

"Hmm? Isn't it just a ring?"

Despite saying this, he looked curious so he picked it up to inspect it.

"Put it on."

He seemed annoyed by the commanding tone, which I hadn't meant to use but just came out anyways. Nonetheless, he put it on his finger.

"!!"

His eyes widened in shock.

"This-this...where did you get this?"

It had to be said that even the church only had 10 treasures.

These were accumulated over many years, centuries even.

Of course, most of them were obtained near the start of the empires and the theocracy, a time which has no records of it remaining.

"Looks like you know what it is. The reason I came to you today is to ask to have a look at your treasures. I'm looking for something. Just to have a look, I'll give this ring as a token of my sincerity."

'Token of sincerity my ass. Who gives something like this away just to show sincerity? Well, it's true that anything less would not have been enough to view the vault.'

"This isn't something I can decide upon on my own. Could you wait until I round up the remaining apostles?"

"How long will that take?"

"That's...a few months..."

"..."

Sighing, I said, "Alright. Nothing else to be done about it."

I told him the inn I was staying at and promptly turned to leave.

"Please wait. What exactly is it you are looking for? Perhaps I can find a substitute."

"Although I doubt it, I'm looking for strong material, something like....well, if you know of it, something like mythril."

"Mythril...I've never heard of it. Is it something like steel?"

I laughed and whispered:

"Pfft...steel, he says."

"Sorry, did you say something?"

"Ah, yes. Umm, no. It's not like steel, it's something much, much stronger. Perhaps dozens of times stronger, maybe more. I'm not sure exactly, but it's at least that much."

The apostle looked bewildered before sinking deep into thought.

After a short silence, he said:

"Alright, I'll inform you if we find something. Enjoy you stay in the capital, Sir...what was your name again, I don't think I caught it?"

"Merca. Merca Godrich."

"Alright, Sir Merca."

I was about to tell him just Merca was ok, but I decided being called a Sir wasn't so bad, so I said nothing.

As I walked out, the apostle's face became solemn. He immediately decided to have someone look into this Merca Godrich, and also sent people to assemble the other apostles back to the capital.