Rise of the OtherGod Apostle: Not a Cult Leader, but a Serf?!

#010Reader Mode

T/N: (¬‿¬)

#010

The first day I entered Antonio’s house, something caught my attention:

This place is filled with subtly expensive items.

Although Antonio lived a modest life and it wasn’t immediately apparent, he owned several things that a lower-class clergyman like him wouldn’t typically possess. Take, for example, his silver penknife and the ebony wax board. At first glance, their simple design made them seem ordinary. However, the quality of the materials and craftsmanship revealed their true value.

These were likely gifts from someone who genuinely cared for Antonio, probably insisting that he accept them. The items were practical and carefully chosen to suit Antonio’s minimalist taste while discreetly hinting at their worth.

I wonder who gifted these. His daughter? A sibling? Maybe a disciple?

Whoever it was, one thing was clear: Antonio had valuable connections. And in this medieval world, connections were everything.

Making a good impression is key.

So, from the day I started learning to write, I took it upon myself to help out around the house. I swept the floors, chopped wood for the fire, ensured there was always water available, and even tackled the laundry. Though Antonio insisted it wasn’t necessary, I persisted.

“If I would pay to learn basket-weaving, why wouldn’t I repay you for teaching me to read and write? I don’t want to be someone who takes without giving.”

“Fabio,” he said, “I don’t teach expecting something in return. How can I seek personal gain from teaching the Lord’s word?”

“Then consider it compensation for your time, Mr. Antonio. That way, neither of us has an advantage or disadvantage, right?”

He couldn’t argue with my determination.

“If you ever feel tired or burdened, feel free to stop at any time,” he advised, emphasizing that he never wanted chores to interfere with my studies.

But that never happened.

I can’t let chores interfere with my studies.

I did my best to finish studying quickly so I could help around the house. My sincere efforts were progressing smoothly.

He even told me I could borrow any book.

In an era before printing, books were incredibly valuable. A parchment book cost more than five cows, and even a paper book was worth the price of a cow.

With our growing bond, he might even write me a recommendation letter or cover my travel expenses.

Christmas was still three months away, but I started dropping subtle hints. It wasn’t that I wanted anything specific.

Openly expressing desires cheapens the value of your actions.

The instant I openly express my desire for a recommendation or financial support, my efforts become reduced to mere transactions. While some might respect a pragmatic, self-serving approach, Antonio wasn’t one of them.

The key is to radiate contentment, inspiring him to offer assistance of his own accord.

This encapsulates the essence of the “You can’t leave empty-handed” strategy.

Conceal your yearning, and methodically showcase what you’ve already accomplished. Bring extra firewood, casually mentioning, “Better to be prepared for winter early, right?”

While gazing at the starry night sky above, ask about using celestial navigation to traverse the surrounding terrain.

Approach your studies with an insatiable, ambitious drive, as if impatient to progress.

If Antonio ever asks about what’s going on, respond with cryptic ambiguity.

And when the hints crescendo, signaling an imminent departure…

“Fabio, I’ve heard you haven’t prepared the seeds for winter. I don’t believe someone as diligent as you would forget something so important. Are you planning to leave soon?” Antonio questioned, his silver-grey eyes scrutinizing me.

A direct, point-blank question!

No room for evasion in a situation like this.

“Yes, Mr. Antonio.”

I hadn’t planned to reveal my hand so early, but it seemed he had me figured out. With a wry smile, I conceded,

“I plan to leave before the winter ends.”

Worry clouded Antonio’s eyes upon hearing this. “…Even traders avoid crossing the mountains in winter. Wouldn’t it be wiser to wait until summer?”

“In that case, I’ll tag along with the last caravan before winter arrives.”

Antonio studied me in silence, his gaze brimming with hard-earned wisdom.

I met his stare, my eyes conveying the finality of my decision.

With a soft sigh, Antonio finally asked, “Why must it be this winter?”

Because that’s when the game begins.

But I couldn’t explain it that way.

In times like these, the medieval art of speaking in riddles is the way to go.

“…I had a dream,” I began softly. “On a cold winter’s day, I heard the tolling of bells from an unfamiliar cathedral. The sound filled me with gratitude, and I thought, ‘It’s fortunate I arrived here before winter.’ It was a dream I felt compelled to chase…!”

In our modern era, such reasoning might seem far-fetched, but in the brutal, medieval world, it possesses an intriguing allure.

“A dream? Tell me more about it.”

“There’s not much more to say. I was gazing up at a towering, majestic bell tower on a snowy day. The melody ringing out from the bell was so beautiful as it resonated around me, it nearly brought me to tears. That’s all I remember.”

Offer just enough tantalizing tidbits to pique interest, but not so much that it’s construed as a prophetic vision.

Just a vague inkling. A gut feeling that this path was the right one.

Ambiguous enough to leave you wondering if it was truly a divine message or merely a nonsensical dream.

“…I understand.”

Antonio refrained from further attempts to sway me.

After all, you can’t logically argue against a dream.

“Then promise me this,” he said, a note of concern in his voice. “If the urge to depart strikes you suddenly, at least come bid me a final farewell.”

Upon hearing Antonio’s words, a silent cheer erupted within me.

Mission accomplished!

Now, Antonio was more likely to secretly prepare a care package of essential items for his disciple, anticipating a sudden departure before winter’s arrival.

That way, even if the [???] trait gets triggered and I have to make a run for it in the dead of night, I’d still have the bare necessities.

“Why would I ever leave without saying goodbye? You have my word, I’ll come see you.”

How could I possibly take off without claiming the reward for winning his favor?

Of course, I was only planning to say goodbye, not expecting Antonio’s bundle. If Antonio offered something, I would modestly decline a couple of times before reluctantly accepting.

I wonder what goodies Antonio’s ⟨Master’s Gratitude⟩ set contains?

Gold coins? Sturdy winter boots? A cozy wool blanket?

Just imagining the possibilities filled me with warmth.

Actually, on second thought, a simple letter of recommendation confirming my identity would suffice.

If I get my hopes up too high and then let even a hint of disappointment show, all my hard work would be for naught.

I tried my best to banish any traces of greed.

No matter what happens, don’t you dare be disappointed!

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

However, Antonio, perhaps viewing me as a newcomer to city life, had prepared something far more extraordinary than I could have imagined.

“Fabio, a clergyman from the Cathedral is on his way here.”

“…Pardon?”

“I requested that he escort you to the Cathedral.”

“Me?”

I blinked, completely taken aback.

This wasn’t an act. I was genuinely 100% floored.

“But why? I’m just…”

“You’re special, Fabio. Haven’t I always told you that?”

“I appreciate your kind words, but I’m not sure if the clergy at the Cathedral would see me in the same way…”

“They will, unless they lack insight.”

Maybe it’s because of your origins in this otherworldly place.

I started to worry, sensing that Antonio’s bias towards me was growing.

“So, when will they arrive? It might not be much, but I should make some preparations if they’re traveling from a great distance…”

“They’ll be here in three days.”

Three days?

Given the lack of modern transportation, even by horse, it would take two weeks from the capital.

If a guest of such importance was coming for a visit, shouldn’t I have been notified well in advance? Why the short notice?

“I’m in a bit of trouble then. The merchants are coming in 5 days…”

I hadn’t finalized any preparations yet, let alone purchased the essentials for the journey.

Seeing my predicament, Antonio reassured me, “Everything you need will be provided there. Just focus on taking care of yourself.”

Is it really that simple?

No matter how fond he is of me, isn’t this a bit excessive?

Skepticism crept in.

Sending someone this far, to this isolated region, just for a common laborer like me…

Unless the others in the Order think differently from the usual inhabitants of this world, there has to be a compelling reason.

Did he recommend me as a promising candidate for the priesthood?

Surely, they wouldn’t go to such lengths for a mere laborer.

But my divine power is rather lackluster…

“…Fabio, do you have an idea why I’m only telling you this now?”

I mulled over Antonio’s question.

“If you had told me earlier, I might’ve gotten too excited and neglected my studies?”

“That’s not the reason.”

“Then, to stop me from preparing a gift for you ahead of time…?”

“You considered that?”

If not those reasons, then what?

I was curious, but Antonio just gave a cryptic smile, leaving me hanging.

Eh, there’s probably no special reason behind it.

I didn’t dwell on it.

I never doubted Antonio’s intentions.

If his goal was to catch me off guard, he could’ve just waited until they showed up.

If they think I’m priest material, won’t things get pretty awkward when they realize my divine power is basically nonexistent?

My status window didn’t display a numerical value for devotion, but I had a hunch it was scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Having a high level of devotion can make one zealous, but being zealous doesn’t mean your devotion automatically increases.

Devotion can become zealousness…it’s all the same thing.

Units with high devotion are deeply influenced by the divine. They can hear the voice of the Lord during sacred rituals and understand his desires, even channel his power as if it were their own.

So, it’s no surprise that high devotion usually means high divine power.

On the other hand, someone like me with the ‘The Whole World Is Beneath One’s Self’ trait would surely have the opposite—very low divine power.

Well, even Antonio’s divine power is low, remaining at a novice level.

So, even if my divine power is lacking, he probably won’t be too disappointed.

I never said I wanted to be a priest, anyway.

Becoming a priest might just mean I’ll run into Athanas, the protagonist, more often.

All things considered, I’m better off on my own.

Let’s hope they won’t leave me behind just because I’m not divine-power-material.

When the entourage arrives, I’ll just have to suffer through a quick moment of embarrassment.

That’s what I was carelessly thinking, or so I thought…

Until that evening, when I ran into a knight from the Order at the village entrance.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

Weren’t they supposed to show up in three days?

The knight, his face hidden behind a helmet, wore a surcoat with the Order of Discipline’s emblem over his plate armor. It was unlikely that another knight on a separate mission would just happen to pass through this tiny village so soon.

What’s he doing here alone, without the group?

The whole situation felt off, but then a reason quickly came to mind.

Maybe this knight is one of Antonio’s disciples.

If he had some personal business to discuss with Antonio, showing up early would make sense. When the main group arrives in three days, they’ll probably just exchange some pleasantries and take off.

Members of the Order have a strict rule: whenever there are more than two of them, they have to eat and rest in a chapel. In remote villages without chapels, they can’t stick around for long.

Perhaps that rule came from the assumption that places without chapels can’t accommodate that many due to lack of resources.

That’s quite a large horse.

[It’s a warhorse with black fur and a white marking on its forehead.]

Yeah, I can see that.

[It must eat twice as much as a regular horse, considering its size.]

…How did you know that? Do you have some kind of farmer’s intuition?

[Not only is it smart, but it stomps its feet and expects more food if it’s not satisfied. If it had stayed one more day, all the feed would’ve been gone.]

Wait, has Fabio seen this horse before?

I remembered a narration I’d read earlier, where a knight rode a similar horse in a procession carrying a sanctified bell.

Whether it’s the same horse or just my memory playing tricks on me, the odds seem to favor it being the same one.

If it’s the same knight, did he specifically come to see Antonio?

Anyone willing to travel this far for Antonio, who’s just a bell ringer, can’t be just a casual acquaintance.

Maybe this knight is the one who sent those gifts.

It’d be easier to make a good impression if I could remember more about him…

Starting a conversation with, “Haven’t you been here before?” and being wrong would be super awkward.

But ‘Fabio’ didn’t have any comments about the knight, so I was on my own.

Useless guy.

I should get some horse feed ready.

As I thought that, the knight, now off his horse, walked over.

“Are you Fabio?”

A deep, manly voice echoed from within the helmet, sounding like someone in his 30s or 40s.

He’s got a great voice. Doesn’t ring any bells from when I played Heretic Slayer, though…

Is he a named character from the game?

I wanted to take a closer look at his gear, but staring too hard would draw too much attention. So, I looked down instead.

“Yes, that’s me.”

“I’ve heard about you. They say you’ve received a special blessing.”

“Not at all. Antonio might have been a bit generous with his praise. I’m just an ordinary serf.”

Whatever Antonio said about me…

High expectations can lead to bigger disappointments, so I bowed my head deeply.

“Raise your head.”

Maybe I’ll recognize him if he lifts his faceplate.

As I looked up, I noticed a flash of light coming from behind his faceplate.

Did I just see a blue flicker?

[SYSTEM: Due to the effect of ‘The Whole World Is Beneath One’s Self,’ the status effect ‘Hypnosis’ has been nullified.]

…What?