Chapter 306 – 30. Marguerite of Jealousy (6)
If you catch any passer-by from the west of the continent and ask where the center of the Church of the Celestials is, nine out of ten will mention the Holy Land of Etruria. However, if one were to ask why, among all religions of the Heavenly Father system, including the main religion, the apostolic religion, and the earthly religion, only the Celestial Church could boast of the current religious status, everyone would mention Gaul.
“It is cold in the northern frozen land.”
“Yeah, I only heard about it, but I didn’t expect it to be to this extent.”
“It is natural for the abbess to have difficulties with missionary work. Those who are strong enough to endure the barren environment cannot accept the grace of the Lord easily. You won’t be able to easily abandon long-learned habits under the banner of survival.”
A group of women passed the Saint-Buch Gate along the Northern Great Road and trudged along the snow-covered road with her moderation. Even though the weather was not suitable for marching to the extent that even a few soldiers shook their heads.
Leading by five pedestrians, no less than a hundred women walked through the misty snowstorm. The attire was black like the general uniforms of the nuns of the Celestial Church, but there were features such as side slits on the skirt to highlight the mysteriously sensual charm.
“Your sister is right, but the originally foolish people need someone to guide them. It is not an exaggeration to say that Gaul has been in the domain of the Lord since the time of Joseph, the previous king.”
“Certainly, both the Witch Hunt and the Crusade Proclamation will make me a compliant believer.”
“Romuald, Baron of Ardennes, was surely the illegitimate son of the Dior family, right? I heard that the abbess greatly appreciates his talent. But considering the promiscuity of proclaiming the duchess as a concubine externally, he doesn’t seem to be a very innocent and religious person.”
“Many nobles are like that. But what kind of person is Sister Marguerite Dior? He ate, slept, and prayed in the same monastery as we do, even though he was able to lead the life of a wealthy and powerful man. You all know that the archbishop did not appoint our sister as abbess because of her position.”
“Umm, hey, Sister Marguerite is more than zealous enough to preach the word of the Lord to Baron Ardennes. He’s frankly very reluctant to call us when he’s like the other church members. On the other hand, he treats us without prejudice.”
“He deserves to be imitated. It should be your strength. It is a call and launch for that purpose. Besides, isn’t it the first time since all five of us got together like this?”
“It has been a long time since all members of Le Verrier gathered together. But according to the archbishop, there will be one more outsider on this expedition.”
The nuns took turns pulling the wagon without the usual wagon. They were smooth in appearance and delicate, and they seemed to be immersed in small talk while repeating things that were no different from asceticism.
“Oh, you mean Sister Olivia. I received a lot of help when I beheaded the pagans in Hellas the year before last. Thanks to that, I was able to save a lot of students.”
“Could it be the guillotine at Bruenhild Abbey? If she were that woman, she’d be acting as the Inquisitor these days. You’re not good friends with Sister Marguerite.”
“Concentration of power is always a law that deserves vigilance. She was also a mercenary who was quite famous when she was in the world. There is no one more qualified than her to deal with hostile forces that have not yet been identified in an environment as barren as the frozen soil.”
The blizzard and bone-deep cold were so fierce that even those born and raised in the north frowned. Moreover, the sparkling sun in the early morning interlocked with it and diffused the light all over, creating an environment where one could not see an inch ahead.
“… Everyone, look ahead over there.”
Nonetheless, the women in thin nuns’ uniforms were chattering without caring the slightest, then suddenly stopped, pointing to a place they couldn’t see well. Some of them seemed to have narrowed their eyes, then they stepped forward and encountered a woman sitting on a suitable rock.
“You are late, sisters.”
As if to prove that she came from the order of knights, she was guillotined in her ironclad. She was a notorious mercenary in the city union, and a woman who also held the position of Abbot of Bruenhild in that area.
“This is Olivia, who briefly served as the abbot of Brunnhild.”
Heretic Questioner Olivia!
“On this day in the month of Waves, Archbishop Monet entrusted me with the role of leadership and supervision of the Sisters of the Battle of Le Verrier. In the future, under the direction of Abbot Marguerite Dior, we will work hard so that the grace of the Lord can spread far and wide here in the northern frozen land.”
The beautiful woman, who had fluttering white sandalwood hair, stood up with a grin. She stretched out her slender stature while making the sound of her iron armor engaging. Just looking at the silver armor that fit the curves of her body, she was a woman overflowing with her voluptuous charm.
Moreover, unlike a nun, the battle hammer she was carrying was used by almost only one person.
“Old Lemoang Fortress, the current city of Ardennes is right here. It’s hard to see today due to a blizzard, but originally the checkpoint could be seen from this street.”
“Has Sister Olivia ever been to the frozen land?”
“No, I came up from the west, so I passed through the relatively uninhabited northwest. Contrary to the praises of the baron’s rule in the world, it seems that bandits are still haunting there.”
“The thieves, they always act the same when they see our sisters. All the villains who can’t be saved have to be eliminated with fire.”
Olivia raised her heavy hammer in her one hand as she rounded it, showing her blood smeared on the tip of her head. Her bloodstained, bloodstained hammer, frozen in the cold, boasted a reddish color, even though it was originally silver, just like her armor.
“Of course.”
These were traces of the thieves mentioned earlier.
“I’m going to cut down on the left and right and start the roll call. I will go to the city of Ardennes in the morning and meet and talk with Sister Marguerite.”
“It’s still morning, isn’t there a lot of time in the morning?”
“There were several drivers standing at the checkpoint. It is absurd that a pagan knight guards the entrance to a city that will become the domain of the Lord in the future. Also, how sincere will they be if they maintain peace? It’s good if you don’t take the back money.”
In short, Olivia was expressing her intention to request cooperation as a paladin of the church. In order for her to entrust security work and the like to me and the Sisters of the Battle of Le Verrier.
“Of course, it would be a different story if they were brothers and sisters watched over by the Heavenly God. I heard that there are only a few church members who believe in the Lord in this cold land. Naturally, armed engagement with them is expected, and time will be quite tight to conduct the morning service as well as the morning prayer.”
“Hmm, that makes sense.”
“Sister Olivia is as faithful as I heard, right?”
“Hey guys, let’s get started quickly.”
Of course, not the soldiers of Ardennes City, but soldiers of any faction or region would not easily accept such a request. Who on earth would accept the words of a mere religious person to give up military authority and be subjugated or subjugated?
“Sister Mireille?”
“Here, long time no see.”
A blonde nun with long hair that reached her knees waved her hand gently. With her alluring eyes and aura, she was the head of the intelligence department of the Battle Sisters of Le Verrier. Unlike a religious person, she has a body that even the beauty world often uses, and she boasts a fatal charm that matches that.
“Sister Charlotte.”
“There is.”
The nun, with her bobbed hair that reached her neck, red eyes, and a dot on her mouth, shrugged her shoulders. Standing out because of her glasses, she was the secretary of the Battle Sisters of Le Verrier. When she was in the world, she boasted of her intelligence to the extent that rumors circulated that she was quite a promising person in the business.
“Japanese nun.”
“Yes, Inquisitor.”
She nodded her head in moderation, a nun with curly hair like an Aragonese vagabond. Unlike her other comrades, with her white kerchief on her head, she was, ironically, the only non-combat member of the Combat Sisters. It was because her nurse, herself, and her subordinates were all medical personnel specializing in her treatment.
“Sister Roxanne.”
“Guillotine, are you happy?”
Next was a nun with racial features that can only be found in the Far East. An Asian from Sarhu who was sold to the West Continent after twists and turns and converted to her religion, she wore her hairpin in her pigtails and, like a chief archer, held a Near Eastern crossbow in her hand, which is rare in this area.
“Sister Melissa.”
“Excluding the five of us, the total number of members is eighty-eight, nothing more.”
She was last a nun with rings of jewelry all over her face. She was like everyone else, but she had an unconventional appearance that made you think she was a decadent Changgwan woman if it wasn’t for the outfit she was wearing.
“Great. Then, can we all know that we are ready?”
The nuns of Le Verrier nodded in unison. Not only the five commanding officers, but all the other eighty-eight nuns showed off their faith toward the Heretic Questioner, Olivia, like a silent yet frightening fire.
“I will depart.”
“What are the orders?”
According to the first tenets of the Inquisition and the Battle Sisters.
“If they do not cooperate, subdue them. Even so, if there are people who resist, you can kill them.”
“But this is to propagate heretics in a weak place, not to incinerate them, right?”
“Why are you doing this, Sister Mireille?”
Yes, kill as many cultists as you can.
“… Shouldn’t you repent of your sins?”
Leave the judgment to the Lord!
* * *
“Gee, Sir Jiro! Sir Henri! Sorry for taking a break!”
“What is it?”
“Well, unknown nuns suddenly infiltrated the checkpoint…”
“What bullshit? Why is the nun raiding our checkpoint?”
“I do not know! However, the bottom of the nun’s uniform was open to the side and the traces of lingerie were clearly visible even behind the black fabric! Also, the garter belt that looks subtly through the hem of the skirt! I thought it must have been a costume play somewhere in Changgwan!”
“Did you? Anyway, why did you observe this bastard so closely?”
“It doesn’t matter now! All of them have been suppressed, and now they are being burned at the stake!”
“… Were you weak?”
