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Chapter 237: To Federica’s Sanctuary. (4).

They didn\'t encounter bandits or thieves.

They didn’t come across any troubled villages, and without much difficulty, they arrived near Federica\'s Sanctuary.

“It was easier than I thought.”

“It’s almost over.”

By tomorrow, they would arrive at the sanctuary.

Then this temptation would end as well.

While Liltara felt relieved, there was a part of her that felt a strange sense of loss.

She tried her best to ignore the latter feeling.

Ketal smiled and asked,

“So, how was it?”

When asked about how the temptations had been, Liltara responded,

“I am a follower of Lady Federica. Your temptations are undoubtedly powerful, but they cannot corrupt me.”

From now on, she would have to drink foul water and eat rancid jerky.

But that was her life.

She was prepared to accept it.

Ketal admired the determination in her stance.

“You must have been greatly shaken, yet you endured well. Impressive.”

To realize the sweetness of the fruit yet not fall into it and to uphold one’s will—Ketal was purely impressed by Liltara\'s resolve.

His attitude made Liltara happy.

This sinner had acknowledged her!

He was saying that her faith was genuine!

She couldn’t help but feel elated.

Liltara’s spirits soared, but Ketal muttered sadly,

“It’s a pity, though. That your faith was wrong from the beginning.”

Liltara’s joyful expression froze.

“…What do you mean by that? Are you denying my faith?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

As anger tinged her words, Ketal calmly replied,

“You, who grew up in the sanctuary, believed yourself to be deprived and lacking. Of all the things I’ve shown you, was there anything you knew before?”

“……”

Liltara couldn’t respond.

Because she knew nothing.

Not the quality jerky, nor the oil pasta, nor the comfort of a bed, nor the sensation of cleanliness, nor any of the games.

She knew absolutely nothing.

“It’s not just you; the same goes for the Holy Knights. Deprivation is something only those who have once been fulfilled can speak of. None of you have ever been fulfilled, so you can’t truly say you’re following Federica’s values.”

Liltara\'s face twisted in discomfort.

But she couldn’t argue back.

Ketal\'s words were undeniably true.

She believed herself to be deprived without knowing anything.

“Do you enjoy mocking and criticizing our faith and values?”

In the end, she could only utter this in a tone of resignation.

Ketal shook his head.

“It seems you misunderstand. I’m not insulting you.”

“What?”

“No matter how deprived you might have been, it must have been a painful experience. You’ve endured it well.”

Even if one doesn’t know what it’s like to be full, hunger is still painful.

Filth is still unclean, and poor sleep is still distressing.

The faith of those who endured such conditions was indeed admirable.

Startled by this sudden praise, Liltara was once again confused.

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“You are excellent followers.”

Ketal smiled.

“If there’s a problem, it lies with the higher-ups who instilled you with the wrong values.”

“…What? What do you mean by that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You grew up in Federica’s sanctuary. You received all your education there, and the direction of that education was decided by the leaders of the Church.”

Even looking at the example of the Kalosia Church, it was clear.

The direction of the Church wasn’t set by the divine but by the judgment of the leaders, including the Saintess.

“If all of you are wrong, then it’s likely that the leaders are the ones committing a sin.”

“Rubbish!”

Liltara shouted angrily.

“How dare you! How dare you insult them! Do you know how devoutly they serve and follow Lady Federica?”

“That may be true. After all, I know nothing about them.”

Perhaps, like the Kalosia Church, Federica’s Church had also misunderstood the will of the divine.

Ketal smirked, a smile as poisonous as a serpent’s.

“So, Liltara. I’ll plant a seed in you. When I first met you, your skin was very dry.”

It was only natural, given that she hadn’t been receiving proper nutrition.

Liltara’s skin was dry and rough.

Her hair was brittle, and her nails were cracked at the tips.

The same was true for the Holy Knights.

“But now, you’re different.”

As a result of Ketal’s forced nourishment, Liltara had become a completely different person.

Her cheeks had filled out, her skin was smooth, and her hair had become silky.

“That is the result of abandoning deprivation. It’s proof that you’re enjoying abundance.”

“And what of it? You gave me food, so naturally, I changed.”

“I told you, it’s a seed. When you meet the higher-ups, take a closer look at them.”

“……”

Liltara bit her lip and didn’t respond.

And the next day.

They arrived at the sanctuary.

“There it is.”

Ketal looked at Federica’s sanctuary with curiosity.

It was surrounded by plain gray walls without any emblems.

Because of this, nothing could be seen inside.

It looked more like a prison than a sanctuary.

“Let’s go.”

“…Yes.”

Ketal, the sinner of the Revelation, took the lead.

The followers who were supposed to be leading him followed behind.

They reached the entrance of the sanctuary.

“Who goes there?”

“It’s me.”

Liltara stepped forward.

The eyes of the Holy Knights guarding the entrance widened.

“Lady Liltara?”

“If you’ve come, then surely…”

“Yes. I succeeded in following Lady Federica’s will. This is the one.”

Liltara pointed at Ketal.

The Holy Knights gasped at the sight of the barbarian.

Liltara spoke quietly.

“I’ve brought the sinner of the Revelation. Please open the gate.”

* * *

They entered the sanctuary of Federica.

Upon hearing the news, the people of the sanctuary gathered to watch.

They gasped at the sight of Ketal and praised Liltara’s achievement.

“That’s the sinner of the Revelation…”

“He’s twice as big as me.”

People gathered around to get a look at Ketal.

Countless eyes were fixed on him.

‘Feels like being a zoo monkey.’

Well, he wasn’t much different from them in that he was also observing.

Ketal looked around the inside of the sanctuary.

The ground was uneven and bumpy, as if it hadn’t been maintained.

The buildings looked as though their exterior didn’t matter; they were constructed from wooden planks.

It resembled a slum more than a holy site.

The people’s appearances matched this setting.

Their clothes were dirty, and their skin was cracked.

Malnutrition had left them with small, frail bodies.

They all looked like Liltara before she met him.

Ketal, who had successfully predicted this, smiled pleasantly.

He glanced up at the sky.

He could feel a presence watching from the heavens.

Liltara continued to push through the crowd, moving forward.

At the center of the holy site, a man and some elders were waiting for them.

The man spoke calmly,

"Welcome, Liltara."

"Saint. And the priests,"

Liltara said, kneeling.

The saint of Federica looked at Ketal and groaned.

"This is the sinner of the prophecy?"

"Nice to meet you. You’ve caused quite a stir, truly."

"...I don’t know why Lady Federica summoned you, but that’s not for us to question. Everything is according to the great one’s will. Take this man to the deepest prison."

"Yes."

The holy knights grabbed Ketal and began dragging him away.

Just before being taken, Ketal whispered quietly to Liltara,

"Then, I’ll see you later."

"..."

The saint looked down at Liltara and said,

"Liltara, you’ve worked hard. You’ve carried out the will of the divine very well. Rest for now. I’ll call you in a few hours."

"...Understood,"

Liltara replied quietly.

And so, Ketal was taken by the holy knights and locked in a deep prison.

"Filthy."

It was a place that seemed to gather all the filth of the world.

The stench alone was enough to kill a person.

Yet, Ketal leaned against the wall and sat down with a smile.

"I always wanted to experience a typical prison like this."

To him, all of this was just a pleasant experience.

"The start was quite unpleasant... but now it’s not so bad. Alright then, do your worst."

He wondered what would become of the seeds he had sown.

"I’ll wait patiently. For now, at least."

Ketal’s face held an expectant expression.

* * *

After resting, Liltara moved to meet the saint.

She entered the reception room, where the saint was seated in a chair.

"You’ve arrived. Please, have a drink."

The saint smiled and offered her a glass of water.

As she reached for the glass while sitting down, Liltara hesitated.

The water in the glass had a foul smell, as if it was on the verge of rotting.

It was the water she had been drinking in the holy site her whole life.

And there was only one glass.

"Aren’t you going to drink, Saint?"

"This moment is for you. I’m fine."

The saint smiled gently.

Liltara stared at the glass for a moment, then grabbed it and drank it all in one go.

The nauseating taste lingered in her mouth.

"Now, can you tell me what happened?"

"...Yes."

Liltara slowly began to explain.

She talked about wandering outside and eventually finding Ketal in the Kingdom of Denian.

She told how she pressured a family that was protecting him and forcibly took him away.

The saint expressed his admiration.

"Impressive. You’ve done very well. Truly, you are a model follower of Lady Federica."

Praise directly from the saint.

In the past, she would have been overjoyed.

It would have felt like she had the whole world.

But now, it wasn’t the same.

"Thank you," she said without emotion.

Her restrained demeanor puzzled the saint, but he didn’t dwell on it.

"It seems your time outside has made you stronger. Well done."

At that moment, Ketal’s words flashed through Liltara’s mind.

\'...Just the ramblings of a sinner.\'

But what if...

She looked at the saint quietly.

She had met him several times before, but she never noticed his skin condition.

However, now she could see clearly.

The saint’s skin was remarkably smooth and firm.

His hair was beautifully shiny, and even the tips of his nails were perfectly intact.

His clothes, though dirty, had no lingering stench.

It was as if clean clothes had been deliberately stained.

Things she hadn’t noticed before were now visible.

Liltara’s eyes grew dim with sadness as the conversation came to an end.

"Then please rest. You’ve done exceptionally well. Someday, Lady Federica herself will personally commend you."

"Yes. Thank you."

Liltara stood and prepared to leave.

The saint, as if suddenly remembering, asked Liltara belatedly,

"Ah. Was there any trouble while bringing the sinner of the prophecy?"

There was trouble.

Ketal had tempted her.

He had shown her many values of the world.

Normally, she would have reported this immediately.

She opened her mouth.

"No. There was no trouble at all."

"Really? I didn’t expect the sinner to come along so quietly. You’ve worked hard. You may go now."

"Yes. Then."

"May Lady Federica’s blessing be upon you."

"...May Lady Federica’s blessing be upon you."

She turned and left the room.

Liltara’s eyes were endlessly clouded as she walked away.