Chapter 5
A cure-all medicine that treats any illness and heals any wound.
The Holy Water of Valterus.
"I don't understand..."
Why would the main ingredient for making the holy water called God's Tears be growing near a local mine?
Callias couldn't understand it at all. Even when he entered the mine based on Leone's guidance, he hadn't felt much interest.
Because on the surface, it was nothing more than an ordinary copper mine.
Not an iron mine or a gold mine, just copper—nothing particularly special.
Still, since he had already come, he looked around the mine and discovered flowers blooming that didn't suit a mine.
"How absurd."
For good reason—the flower before his eyes was an exquisite harmony of white and black.
Valterus's Tears were originally an essential ingredient for the Order's holy water production, but decades ago, they were completely lost when they all burned down due to a heretic attack.
Thus, the Valterus Order became unable to produce holy water, which became the starting point for the Order's power and reputation to plummet.
Unable to heal the injured, the Order couldn't draw forth the people's faith, and without holy water, they couldn't seize the upper hand in war, so the kingdom grew increasingly impoverished.
The Valterus Order and the Carpe Kingdom, which originally held great power even on the continent.
However, due to the lack of holy water, their power gradually weakened, and now they had taken on a passive stance.
"But this is here."
A curve formed at the corners of Callias's mouth as he stroked his chin.
The medicinal herb that serves as the main ingredient for holy water.
Valterus's Tears are right before his eyes.
And Callias knows the method to produce holy water.
In other words.
'It means I can carry holy water with me.'
Of course, to make proper holy water, other core ingredients and production facilities to mix them together are needed.
But does Callias need such holy water right now?
'No. It might be useful for unexpected situations, but I don't need it to be that perfect.'
In a world where potions are extremely precious, what if he could freely make a potion that can heal wounds even if the quality is somewhat lower?
"That's enough."
Half of half of the original Valterus Holy Water.
Even that much is sufficient.
Even with just that level of medicinal efficacy, it would become a wound medicine that could heal most wounds as if they were washed away.
"Leone."
"Yes?"
"Who holds ownership of the mine?"
"Of course, it belongs to me, the lord of the Toret Territory."
"Then these flowers are also yours?"
"Of course. Would you like to take them?"
Grin.
"Leone. You really are a good child."
Callias patted Leone's head.
"T-this is nothing. Hehe."
After thoroughly patting Leone, Callias carefully dug up the blooming Valterus's Tears.
"But what are you going to use that for?"
"It's a secret."
"Ah, I see. The Order's secret..."
"Something like that. If the Order were to find out that the secret about this flower got out..."
Callias drew his hand across his throat.
At that chilling sight, Leone nodded and answered as if making a desperate resolution.
"Of course!"
"Good. May God watch over you as well."
Callias patted Leone's shoulders, grabbed a handful of the medicinal herbs, and brought them to the back of his hand where the holy mark was engraved.
Then.
The holy mark glowed softly, and whoosh.
Valterus's Tears disappeared.
'It worked.'
The medicinal herbs were sucked into the holy mark.
He can't put in things that are too large, but something like medicinal herbs can be stored inside the holy mark like using an inventory.
'With this, Valterus's Tears won't spoil either.'
If there's a suitable place, replanting and cultivating them wouldn't be a bad idea.
"Alright. Let's go."
Toret.
At first, it felt rather off-putting, but coming here was fortunate.
Not only did his divine power rank increase, but he also obtained a famous sword and even Valterus's Tears, the main ingredient of holy water. It was a benefit beyond monetary value.
"But Lord Callias."
"What is it, Leone."
"Are you leaving?"
"You ask the obvious. I'm a pilgrim."
A pilgrim wanders.
A wanderer with no place to stay.
Isn't the reason also clear?
The end of the pilgrimage is only when he finds his sword.
And when he turns the rosary around his neck into a sheath and places the sword within.
Only then.
"But why do you ask?"
"Ah, actually I heard it then."
During the duel with Arsando.
He called out Callias's surname.
"Callias von Zervan."
Leone repeated his name as if proud.
"Do you know Zervan?"
"Of course! Zervan, the hegemon of the North renowned as a swordsmanship noble house! Among kids my age, there probably isn't anyone who doesn't know Zervan of the North!"
Zervan, Ruler of the North.
Zervan, Shield of Carpe.
Zervan, Swordsmanship Noble House.
There are more than enough titles that reveal the illustrious name of the Zervan Earldom.
Zervan, which has protected the northern part of the Carpe Kingdom for hundreds of years.
Among those residing in the Carpe Kingdom, there is no one who doesn't know that name.
"Are you heading North?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Well, that's because..."
Leone looked puzzled as if asking something obvious.
"One who left the house and devoted themselves to God."
I don't want to hear about the house.
'If possible, I don't want to go there until I die.'
If he goes to the Zervan house, the corresponding traits will manifest, which is troublesome.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I meddled out of place... Right. Lord Callias is now a son of God."
Muttering something about God's revelation, Leone fell into his own delusion and bowed his head repeatedly.
"Let's go. I've seen everything I needed to see."
"Yes."
Excluding Valterus's Tears, the mine here is ordinary.
However, there seems to be quite a lot of copper, so if they trade with a suitable merchant guild and export, the territory will gradually become prosperous.
"Lord Callias. This mine has become Toret's hope."
"Copper is a mineral used in many places, so it will improve."
"Will I be able to do well...?"
"..."
Leone's eyes looking up at him were filled with anxiety.
His height was about chest-level to Callias.
His youthful face was no different from a child's.
'He's really young.'
If the rumor spreads that the copper mine in Toret can be profitable, the vassals who disappeared will show their faces to take a bite. Then they'll grow increasingly greedy, and eventually might try to kill Leone.
"...I'll write you a letter of introduction."
He has connections with a merchant house suitable for entrusting copper distribution.
It's a fairly famous merchant house even in the Carpe Kingdom, so distributing Toret's copper won't be difficult.
'Helena de Bolivian.'
If it's her from the Bolivian Viscounty.
She'll handle things well so there's no need to worry about Toret anymore.
"Don't worry. You'll do well."
Stroking Leone's head, Callias walked ahead.
'That woman, she'll try to kill me, won't she?'
Callias recalled two years ago.
A relationship that could be called a bad connection.
He let out a slight smirk.
A few days later.
Jingle, jingle.
Callias tossed the gold coin pouch Leone handed him a few times and tucked it into his clothes.
"You didn't need to give me something like this."
"No. I'm sorry I could only do this much for you."
"Lord Callias. I don't know where you're going, but be careful on the way to Oliorlo."
"Why?"
"There's been a rebellion in Oliorlo recently, so you never know what might happen in that area."
"Oliorlo...!?"
"Yes, do you know about it?"
The rebellion in Oliorlo.
In reality, it was one of the peasant uprisings caused by the heretics' machinations.
'But it's too early.'
It should have happened at least 3 years later.
'The timing has been brought forward.'
If so, that means there's no time to be idling like this.
As the shadow of the heretics grows darker, he can't just stay still either.
'I need to go to the North.'
To the owner of the Spirit Sword who will be there.
* * *
A few days later.
Inside the Toret mine.
The spot where Valterus's Tears had been was as clean as if nothing had ever been there.
The man staring at that spot with sharp eyes was wearing neat, luxurious clothes that didn't suit a mine.
Click.
"Lord Raiven. Callias reportedly left Toret a few days ago."
"Is that so. We're one step too late. Where was he headed?"
"Neither the lord of Toret nor even the residents know his destination."
"All of Toret is protecting him... Is it acceptable to interpret it that way?"
"We can't go that far yet..."
Tap, tap.
The Inquisitor Raiven, arms crossed and tapping his index finger, soon swept his hair back and sighed.
Tap, tap.
"If you're not certain, it would be better not to speak."
His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were sharp as frost.
He was Raiven, Inquisitor of Yecheol.
A powerful paladin possessing 3rd-class divine power and a Spirit Sword.
An Inquisitor so ruthless that no one could help but spit out only the truth before his interrogation.
"I-I'm sorry! I'll correct myself!"
Raiven passed him with emotionless eyes and exited the mine.
Inquisitor Raiven pushed up his glasses and muttered.
"Bishop Milliman said there might be a holy relic of the Order hidden here."
The Order's possibility.
However, Inquisitor Raiven confirmed there was no holy relic here.
'Was Bishop Milliman wrong?'
Or did someone take it?
Inquisitor Raiven placed more weight on the latter.
'Callias von Zervan.'
The trash of the swordsmanship noble house.
A talentless good-for-nothing.
That good-for-nothing won the duel against Arsando Mirinae, who possessed outstanding swordsmanship, and disappeared calmly.
"Did he perhaps take the power of the holy relic?"
He didn't know what kind of holy relic it was or what power it possessed, but the Order's holy relics were mysteries themselves.
It's not an impossible thing.
It was something that could fully happen.
Even Callias, with that trash-like talent, if he monopolized the miracle of the holy relic.
"What about traces of heretics?"
"We're searching the area, but so far..."
There are no traces of heretics.
Arsando, who discovered the Order's possibility, died.
The possibility is highly likely to be a holy relic.
The talentless Callias killed Arsando?
Callias took the power of the holy relic?
He killed Arsando and disappeared.
Even after taking the power of the holy relic, he didn't report to the Order.
Why didn't he?
Because he's hiding something.
Then, is he?
"A heretic."
Raiven, Inquisitor of Yecheol.
A faint smile spread across his lips.
"Heretics, in the name of God."
Shall be purged.
Raiven's emotionless eyes gleamed with ecstatic delight.
"Callias von Zervan is a heretic."
And the Toret residents who protected them and the lord of this place are also heretics!
"Interrogate them thoroughly."