While giving the horses a break, I took the opportunity to sit down and massage my aching legs.

I swear, once I reach the capital, I’m never traveling again.

Insects skittering beneath the skin, a priest holding a dark stone knife, slicing into human flesh and drenching it with his own blood.

Isn’t this the makings of a crazy cult no matter how you look at it?

It’s said that peasants in the medieval era typically never ventured farther than 30km from where they were born throughout their entire lives.

Moving was rare and long journeys even rarer. The pinnacle of a peasant’s adventure might be strolling to the neighboring village to peddle wares.

“Long time no see, Antonio.”

“Sent by Casimir, I presume?”

“You arrived earlier than I expected. I was informed it would take three days.” Antonio set his knitting aside.

“So, did you meet Fabio?”

“All this time, and not even a ‘how have you been’ from you.”

“Indeed, Antonio is truly a generous person.”

I roughly grasped what had happened.

Antonio must have known that I received a blessing not in accordance with the Order. Fearing that if I wandered near the Order’s altar without knowing anything, I might be branded as a heretic and face challenges.

A jolt of surprise ran through me upon seeing the system message.

What? Hypnosis?

“You seem surprised.”

“Huh?”

“What startled you?”

My mind raced to find a plausible excuse.

The day I first entered Antonio’s house, I realized something:

There are subtly expensive items everywhere.

Though Antonio lived modestly and it wasn’t immediately obvious, there were several items that a lower-class clergyman like him shouldn’t typically possess.

Bell-ringer Antonio was the only literate person in our village.

As a result, whenever the villagers were puzzled about something, they first turned to him for answers.