Chapter 712 – Nun and Action Automata

000

Life forms called humans were originally created so that they could not function in water.

Not only are they restricted from breathing, but their vision is also limited, and swimming, a method of moving underwater, is simply an imitation of a fish for them.

Therefore, there were great restrictions on behavior in environments that were originally not allowed for humans, and it consumed a lot of physical strength.

Overcoming it is also the subject of long-term research for humans.

The leading achievement among them is the magic of underwater breathing.

This magic, which temporarily allows the subject to breathe underwater, was very useful in exploring the water.

The problem is that the principle of the magic is to create a barrier around the subject’s nose and mouth to prevent water from entering, and to connect the ground and space to enable breathing, so the barrier magic and the magic that connects space are used on both sides. It is a highly difficult magic that only a skilled magician can use.

Since it consumes a lot of magical power, the time spent underwater is also limited.

This is the most common method of underwater activity, but it is still too early for humanity to explore the sea and water.

This was also the reason why Aine and Arnia were unable to move easily even after learning that the base of the Exiled Church was located right below – on the bottom of the sea.

In response to Cleon’s question whether Arnia, which is a machine and not a human, would be able to move underwater since it does not breathe anyway, Arnia herself is not an automaton created with the assumption of underwater activity, so she would normally be damaged if seawater enters her body. It was about learning unexpected weaknesses of high-performance automata.

What they were waiting for was the return of Laila’s familiar, who had gone into the sea to look under the water for a while.

Of course, her familiar is not expected to go into the water, so her magic power is consumed faster than on land.

Therefore, Cleon’s familiar is prepared on the ground in case Lila’s familiar does not return.

In any case, what Lila’s familiar sees can be conveyed verbally to Cleon, who is right next to her, so there was no problem as long as only one of them remained.

How many minutes had passed since I waited like that?

Wow! And when the butterfly-shaped familiar that jumped out of the seawater and returned to her boat, Aine could not wait still and went closer to her.

Then, she asks a question as she pushes herself towards the butterfly familiar that has landed on the ship’s railing.

“You’re back, Laila. What was the bottom of the sea like?”

[It’s just as Arnia and Gogok pointed out. I think it’s true that there is a building related to the Exiled Church down here. However…]

＂But… What is it?＂

When Aine questions her words again, something about her being reserved for her words, Lila closes her mouth as if to gather her thoughts a little, and then slowly explains to her what she saw.

[First, it was impossible to accurately determine what existed under the sea with the naked eye. Since it wasn’t that far from the dock, the distance between the sea level and the bottom of the sea wasn’t that wide.]

So, jumping in without a plan is definitely prohibited, he added.

But then, what does her story mean when she says that there seems to be an exiled church building underneath?

[Instead, she felt a powerful yet cleverly hidden barrier. Probably a barrier that hinders perception and blocks entry and exit from the outside. It’s quite a thing, it’s probably been around for over 50 years. At this level, they must be using a fairly powerful barrier stone.]

“Is it impossible to destroy the barrier with an attack from the outside?”

[I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s impossible, but I wouldn’t recommend it. If we launch an attack, the other side will also notice, and the infiltration strategy itself will become meaningless. That doesn’t mean I can’t slam you into the barrier, Arnia, and it doesn’t mean Aine can move freely in the water. This is giving me a headache.]

To summarize Laila’s words simply, the conclusion was that it was difficult to enter their building from the front.

When there was silence on the ship for a moment, a voice came from Cleon’s bird-shaped familiar.

[First… I knew it would be difficult to get in here. Let’s go back to the dock.]

Certainly, it seemed unlikely that any new clues would come out even if they stayed here, so Aine nodded her head and Arnia, of course, followed the judgment of Cleon, the highest commanding authority, and used the wind spirit stone to move the ship.

Even as they walked away from there, Aine’s gaze was fixed on the sea where they had stopped a moment ago.

001

The dockside of Eratus was surrounded by a noisy atmosphere due to the crowds, just as it was when we left.

In particular, perhaps because a new large ship had recently arrived at the port, Aine noticed an increase in the number of people unloading goods from the ship and looking around the dock, so Aine returned the wind spirit stone dedicated to that ship to the person who had lent her the ship.

The time spent was less than an hour, but what was borrowed anyway, and after properly settling the fee, the remaining military funds in hand were less than before they were called at the illegal gambling house.

＂What should we do now…?＂

The difficulty of reaching the place where the quartz was told after going to the beach in person was enough to put a lot of psychological pressure on Aine.

When her sense of duty to go even a little faster tried to arouse her impatience, she said that Lila would think of her own way, and went to her own workshop to gather her books. Headed

Looking at Layla’s familiar, who had become silent as if dead, Arnia stood quietly as she had been ordered to wait and then-

Suddenly, I turned my head towards a place near the dock where people were unnaturally gathered.

There, someone was raising his voice and giving a sermon, and it seemed like people were gathered to listen to him.

“Master, what is that?”

Since it was not in her own database, when Arnia called Cleon as if asking a question, Cleon’s familiar also turned her head in that direction.

[Speech…? No, is it a sermon? You won’t know anything here unless you get close. Stay here for a moment.]

“No. I will go too. Because we can’t give trouble to the Master.”

Arnia flapped her wings and caught Cleon’s familiar with her hands as he tried to go to a place where people were gathered.

With her hood up, she carefully moves her feet as she approaches the crowd.

Then, the contents of the sermon, which were unclear when they were far away, begin to reach Cleon and Arnia.

“Our human history has been preserved for a long time by a few humans who were guided by light. Sometimes it is the devil who brought fear to the world, and at other times it is the plague and curse that spread throughout the world. By the protection of the Holy Sword, the Hero, and the Holy Trinity…”

Then, when he remembers that what he is hearing is something that Cleon himself has heard to the point where he is sick of it, he tells Arnia exactly what he is saying.

[Ah, that’s a sermon from a religion called the Church of God’s Protection. We are active from the kingdom.]

And now that I know that the religion itself, the Church of the Protection of the Saints, is somewhat connected to the Expulsion Church, I couldn’t help but react as if I was even more tired of the sermon.

“Indeed. It’s a religious sermon. It has the meaning of a story that teaches people. What kind of teaching are you giving with those words?”

[They are probably evangelizing while explaining the ideology of their religion. Since the influence of the Saint’s Protection Church is small in the eastern countries, they will want to increase the number of believers even a little. I think they were targeting a lot of people during the festival period.]

That in itself might not be that rare, but why not in Asteris but in Eratus, away from the capital?

＂Huh…?＂

However, when Arnia checked the face of the woman preaching among the crowd, her expression changed as she narrowed her eyes.

[What’s wrong?]

＂The person who is currently preaching… Is registered in my database. This is a person I have seen several times when I was back at the base.”

[──.]

Cleon is silent for a moment at Arnia’s words, and then she looks at the person who is preaching.

She was a nun who appeared to be in her 60s, dressed in the attire of a priest from the Church of the Protection of Saints, which could be found anywhere, with a veil on her head and a benevolent appearance.

Does that mean she is a member of the Exiled Church?

Somehow, it’s a bit unimaginable, but Cleon tells Arnia that she’s hoping for that kind of recognition.

[… If she has been in the Exiled Church facility you were in, she may know how to enter and exit that facility. But since you have made her face known to you, she is to Aine…]

“No. I will speak directly. For Aine, I was able to raise military funds, which I was unable to do before. If I don’t do something on my own for the Master, I will lose my pride as an automaton serving the Master.”

[No, nothing like that…]

Perhaps because she knew that she was being given an order, before Cleon finished speaking, she placed him on the box next to him and went straight through the crowd.

Cleon stared blankly at her as she began to act before she could stop him.

Soon, when she and the woman who was preaching met her, at first she said, ‘Oh, I’m interested in the church after hearing the sermon…’ And thought she was a new believer.

When he saw Arnia’s face under the hood, his expression became astonished, and he told the people gathered around him that today’s sermon would end and dispersed the crowd.

After the people disperse, Cleon flies above their heads and overhears the conversation between the women of the church and Arnia.

“I’m surprised, Arnia. I heard she was destroyed during a mission, but I never thought she would return safely like this. I’m happy.”

A woman from the exiled church who seems to think Arnia is still a member of them and is happy for her return.

Then Arnia speaks to her without changing her expression.

“During self-repair, the damage to the device returning to her base could not be repaired. I returned here by following the remaining coordinate data, but I need a way to return to the base.”

“You were always transferred directly to the mission location or used a device inside your body to return. All right. Please follow me.”

As she said this, she tried to guide Arnia towards the large ship anchored at the dock, where her kingdom’s flag was displayed.

“… Wait a minute. Before that, I would like to accompany the human who helped me. She also sympathized with the teachings of the church and said she wanted to join us.”

“Oh. Until we bring in new believers. As expected, you are an excellent automaton, Arnia. Where is he?”

“I’m waiting over there. I will bring it to you, so please wait here for a moment.”

Cleon was speechless for a moment at the boldness of trying to naturally accompany Aine.

Anyway, when we return to where Aine is, Arnia speaks briefly to her who is looking at her.

“I found a way to enter the facility, so follow me.”

＂Eh…＂

[What!? How? I was just looking through the grimoire, looking for a way to travel beyond the cutoff area on the ocean floor!?]

If Lila says she doesn’t mind, Cleon comes down and briefly explains the situation to the two.

“… Oh, indeed. You came into contact with someone from the Exiled Church. So, I guided that person to the facility…”

“You were lucky to have me, Master. And Lila.”

Lyla sighs at Arnia, who seems to be showing off, but Cleon flies up to her head and pecks her on the head.

[It’s good to have confidence, but I was too reckless. What would you do if you were someone who knew that you were on our side?]

“I was confident that wouldn’t happen. Even if a problem arises in the Exiled Church, it does not share the details with general church members. This is because they are perceived as servants working for the religious order.”

Cleon and Laila fell silent for a moment at Arnia’s words, but Aine only frowned slightly.

“Then. Let’s go. If you delay for a long time, you may be suspected.”

＂… Yes.＂

And when, at Arnia’s urging, they returned to where the nun of the Exiled Order was waiting, she greeted them with a smile.

For reference, Lila was hiding her body inside Aine’s hat, and Cleon was hiding her body under Arnia’s cloak.

“You are the one who helped Arnia. Thank you very much.”

“Oh, no… I just did what I had to do.”

As she took Aine’s hand to show her gratitude, Aine looked at her as if she was embarrassed, but responded appropriately to the situation.

“You seem to be from an eastern country, and I heard that you sympathized with our teachings. That’s a smart idea. The Father will establish a new order and create an eternal paradise in this world. There, there will be no pain, death, or separation. Let’s create such a world together with us.”

＂…＂

Aine froze for a moment at the nun’s words, but she soon caught Arnia’s gaze and nodded.

With that, the nun seems to have recognized her as one of their companions, so she turns around and guides the two of them to the kingdom’s ship as before.

[Are you okay Aine? The complexion looks bad somewhere…]

Lila speaks in a voice that only she can hear, and Aine answers her with an uncomfortable face.

＂… When I first saw her, she seemed like a benevolent woman no matter where I looked, so I was a little doubtful whether I could deceive her, but… When she talked about her goal of the Expulsion Church, her eyes looked somewhere. It was empty. There was no light, and the eyes only blindly clung to the teachings… Even more than Arnia next to her, she was even more like a machine.”

“I heard that most of the rank-and-file members of the Exiled Church were people who despaired of this world. That’s why I’m obsessed with creating a new world. There is a high possibility that she, too, became absorbed in her cult after losing something of her own.”

When Arnia answers like that, Cleon speaks while sighing.

[Religion is something that people can rely on, but is it having a negative impact on the world by deliberately digging into their hearts…]

Aine clenched her fists as if she could not forgive such a religious order, but first she suppressed her anger and followed the nun who guided her into the kingdom’s ship.

Well, as it was a huge ship, there were quite a few people inside the ship, and some of them stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads when they saw the nun guiding Arnia.

It seemed like she was quite a high-ranking person on this ship.

“Are they also members of the religious order?”

“No. They are just people working on this ship. This ship, prepared by someone who supports our church, is the church’s base in Eratus, and at the same time, it is connected to our facilities on the ocean floor.”

[You mean a sponsor? If you say you support the denomination…]

Lila was silent for a moment, but Cleon remembered what Fleur had told her and nodded.

[Is this her grandfather, who is currently detained by Fleur?]

And, as we entered the huge ship and went down the stairs one by one, a powerful transfer magic circle was clearly visible in the space at the bottom of the ship.

“If you use this magic circle, you will be able to travel to the church’s facilities. I’m sure the executives will be happy for your return. Now then-“

＂The guidance ends here. Thank you, Madam.”

The next moment, an electric wire extends from Arnia’s wrist at high speed and wraps around her wrist.

And, the current goes fast! And then the nun lost her mind and fell down on the spot.

“Now, wait a minute…!”

When Aine felt the pulse of the nun who had collapsed in panic due to Arnia’s sudden attack, she breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that although she had lost consciousness, her life was not in danger.

＂It’s amazing performance. Shock wire made by Lila.”

[Because it contains magic that imitates Cleon’s Mana Shock, you can suppress anyone with magical powers without any problem… No, say something before you act!]

“There was no time for that. Besides, if you say something, won’t your actions be noticed?”

[You really don’t say a word!? Ah, if I don’t erase the memories…!]

Lila flew towards the head of the fallen nun, and she used her amnesia magic on her, erasing her memories of meeting Arnia and Aine.

[Arnia. I’m sorry, but I’d like to ask you a favor too. I’m not doubting your judgment, but we need to adjust to that as well.]

“The master’s order has been received. From now on, I will report to the master right before taking action.”

Arnia obediently accepts Cleon’s orders.

Lila was glaring at Arnia, but Aine was talking while looking around her magic circle.

“… Anyway, you can move into the base with this. Lila, can you ask me a favor?”

[Of course, at this rate, you can use the familiar to operate remotely from here as well. … Before that, let me make a copy of the magic circle. Cleon, paper.]

[Ah, I’m better at tracing things like this, so I’ll do it.]

When the sound of Cleon and Lila’s conversation is heard, the two familiars climb up to the height of the ceiling and look at the magic circle for a moment.

And, after a while, the familiars returned to Aine and Arnia’s shoulders and Lila opened her mouth.

[Good. Then I’ll activate the magic circle. You don’t know what’s on the other side, so be careful.]

＂I understand…!＂

Aine places her hand on her own sword, waiting for Laila’s magic to activate so that she can act immediately.

Soon, her magic flows out and activates the magic circle on the ground, and the surroundings are slowly filled with light from magic, blinding the two people.

After a while, when the light faded, the two people were no longer there.

The group jumped over the barrier that created the cutoff area and moved to their base located on the bottom of the sea.