## Chapter 833 – Winter in the Capital

“Still, it would be best not to go around telling people you have seven wives. I’ve already accepted it, but getting others to understand is another matter. This concerns the reputation of the Brass Celestial Knights, so please be careful.”

I wouldn’t worry about that. I hardly ever talk about my family.

The only ones I’ve told are Copson, Elise, and Lady Isvant, I think? I’m aware of the issue, so I don’t go around broadcasting it.

What, am I just going to suddenly shout, “I have seven wives!”? I would never do something so inhuman. This time, I just happened to have the opportunity to tell the Saintess.

“Yes, I understand. It’s not something I should be talking about.”
“That’s why I didn’t know at all. Just keep it that way.”
“Understood.”

I nodded.

“By the way… did you enjoy the holy water you received as a prize from the martial arts tournament?”

I haven’t drunk it yet.
I’m planning to keep it for now and drink it slowly later.

“Ah, that? I haven’t drunk it yet, I’m keeping it. It feels a bit too precious to drink. I think it could ward off evil spirits if I keep it at home.”
“Well… is that so? It’s true that the contents won’t deteriorate even with long-term storage, but you should definitely drink it when you have the chance. It’s not only good for your health, but it also purifies toxins in your body.”
“Really? It’s that good?”
“Didn’t I say it was good? I drink it from time to time when I have the chance.”

So that’s how she maintains her beauty. Honestly, this older sister seems to be quite old, but she looks like she’s in her twenties.

“I see. So that’s the reason you maintain your beauty…!”
“It’s not just that. My beauty is innate.”
“Hehe, I agree.”
“…”

The Saintess stared at me for a moment after my words.

“Yes?”
“No, it’s nothing. By the way… about that paladin from the Shurdic Great Desert and his wife.”
“Yes.”

About Claudia.

“I don’t know much about their religion. There are no Brass Celestial Knight churches in Shurdic. I could probably find some information by looking through documents, but it would be better to hear directly from a local. If you have the chance, could you ask about the desert religion?”

Is it religious curiosity?

“Yes, of course. That’s nothing.”
“Thank you.”

I haven’t really asked Claudia about her religion. Well, she’d probably tell me everything if I asked. I can’t refuse the Saintess’s request.

“But is it true that the paladin’s wife doesn’t mind polygamy? I wonder if that’s a religious doctrine.”
“Probably… something like that. They’ve lived with that religion in the desert for a long time, so that’s how they think.”
“For a long time? You speak as if she’s been alive for a very long time.”
“She has lived a long time.”

Claudia’s estimated age is over a hundred.

“What? What are you talking about? Is there a big age difference?”

The Saintess tilted her head in confusion. Ah, I haven’t told her that Claudia is a half-elf yet.

“Ah, it’s not so much an age difference as a difference in race.”
“Wh-what? Ra, race? What does that…?”
“She’s a half-elf, a half-elf. A mixed-blood of a dark elf and a human.”
“…Ah.”

The Saintess suddenly grabbed the back of her neck.

“A half-elf, you say.”

—Thud.

And then she collapsed into her seat.

“Saintess!!!! Are you alright!!!!!!”

Could it be that half-elves are against the teachings!!!

Is that why she’s so shocked!!

No, that can’t be…! I’ve seen people with long ears walking around here in the capital. The elves’ forest is quite far from the Karga Kingdom on the map, but somehow they still make their way into this human kingdom. Just like Claudia came from the desert.

I’ve seen them quite a bit in Krasheim and Isvant too.
Their existence shouldn’t be a problem.

“…I’m fine. I was just surprised by an unexpected answer. Now it’s not even a human, but a half-elf? Goodness. I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“A-are you alright, Saintess…?”
“Yes.”
“It’s not against the teachings, is it? I was surprised when you collapsed.”
“Of course it’s not against the teachings. Elves are active in the kingdom right now… Haa. Still…”
“Is it a problem as a paladin?”
“If that was the problem, having seven wives would be a bigger issue… Haa. Paladin. Do you know the meaning of the word ‘normal’? Paladins are never normal.”
“It’s my strength and my weakness.”
“…”

The Saintess picked up the pack of cigarettes on her desk, took one out, and started smoking silently. I see… a half-elf.

Even from a general perspective, that’s not very pleasant.

Didn’t they say that half-elves are discriminated against and despised in the desert? Claudia once said that in that region, humans, dark elves, and desert orcs are fighting for survival, so mixed-bloods with hostile races are frowned upon.

—Whoosh…

The cigarette smoke spread wide.

The Saintess must have been thinking about that unusual perspective for a moment.

“I see… a half-elf… Anyway, Paladin. Winter is coming to an end.”
“Yes, it is.”

Winter is almost over.

The martial arts tournament was around the time of the first snowfall.

“I don’t know if this winter is… warm or cold. Personally, I want it to be warm… Whoosh.”
“Saintess. It will definitely get warmer. Someone like you should spend the winter warmly. Aren’t you the light and hope of the kingdom?”
“…I hope so.”

The Saintess, who was smoking leisurely, opened a drawer and took out a few stacks of documents, handing them to me.

“There are a few documents that came in during the winter. Please take a look.”
“Documents?”
“I’d like to explain them myself, but I’ve been swamped with work lately. So I don’t have time. Go and review them, and come back in two days to tell me about them.”
“Ah, yes. I understand.”

I immediately took the documents and bowed.

“Alright… Paladin, take care. Always take good care of your body. Nothing is more precious than the paladin’s health and body.”
“Saintess, you must have a lot of hard work… I don’t know what to say to you. I’m really sorry that I can’t help you when I know you’re suffering. But I’ll pray that your winter will be warmer.”
“You’re good with words. Now go.”
“Okay.”

And so, I took the documents and returned home. It seems there’s still work to be done during the winter. Let’s go home and check them out. I’ll ask Claudia too.

* * *

“The Saintess asked you that?”

Lying down with my head on Claudia’s lap made me feel sleepy. And since she was gently touching my ears and face with her slender fingers, my body felt so relaxed.

Ah.

Life.

“It seems there isn’t much information about the religion of the Great Desert… She’s curious about it.”

I answered with my eyes closed.

As soon as I got back, I told Claudia what the Saintess had said. I’m currently lying on the sofa with my head on Claudia’s lap.

“Hmph… She asked about me too?”
“Yeah. When I said my wife is a half-elf, she was shocked for a moment. Well, it’s not normal. If you hear that after hearing I have seven wives, you can’t help but be surprised.”
“Hehehe, do you think so?”

Claudia brought her mouth close to my ear and said in a gentle tone.

“Maybe she’s just worried because she thinks highly of Katt. Karin said that.”
“Of course. I’m her direct subordinate. Well, it seems like that story is over now.”
“Yeah.”

Now there’s no problem. I can never tell her that Hilde and Ari are demons and monsters. Well, we won’t be seeing each other, so I can just keep it a secret.

“Katt. What kind of woman is the Saintess? I’ve heard from Karin, but I think I need to hear it directly from Katt.”
“Well… she’s the same person I’ve been telling you about. We just understand each other. She gives generous rewards. She’s competent.”
“And beautiful?”
“She is pretty. She’s one of the three beauties of the kingdom. But if Claudia joined that contest, it would destroy the ecosystem, you know? Claudia would win for sure.”

Facts.

“Hehehe, really. Hearing those words makes me shy.”
“I’m telling you the truth.”

I turned my head towards Claudia’s abdomen and rubbed my face against it. Claudia pushed my head away, saying it tickled, but I hugged her waist and breathed in deeply.

“Ah, Katt! It tickles…!”
“Hehehe, stay still.”

It smells good.
The unique fragrant scent of a half-elf.

I enjoyed it for a moment and calmed down.

“Haa… Anyway, if she’s a beautiful woman with such a high position… Katt. Why don’t you just make her your wife?”
“Hey now. Claudia. You can’t say things like that to the Saintess.”

Claudia stroked my hair as she said that.

What on earth is she talking about?

But somehow, I expected this. She’s like a greedy woman who tells me to make any good woman my wife.

“And what are the chances of something like that happening with the Saintess?”

I’m quite close to the Saintess, but there’s a huge difference in status. Being the second-in-command of the Brass Celestial Knights is higher than most lords. It’s comparable to a great noble.

In the first place, is that even possible?

I can’t even imagine it.

“Hehehe, no. Katt, you’re so charming that you can have any woman you want if you set your mind to it.”

When I looked up at Claudia’s face, she was saying that with an extremely benevolent and loving expression.

“Claudia Mama… Still, that’s impossible.”
“You never know. You already have seven wives.”
“That’s true.”

Logically, it’s impossible.
Claudia is saying that because she doesn’t know.

Anyway, after talking about that for a while, I heard about the religion of the Shurdic Great Desert from her.

“The religion of Shurdic, there’s nothing special about it. There are temple cities, holy sites, and ancient ruins scattered here and there, but they’re not as obsessed with religion as the human kingdoms here. There are no professional religious organizations or popes, and believers occasionally go on pilgrimages to those places.”
“Really?”

In other words, there are no professional orders that worship Izermart or Verde.

“Claudia, have you ever been there?”
“Hmm… I’ve been to the Hel-Kan holy site once. As expected, there was nothing special. Anyway, he’s not a god who gives blessings to his followers.”
“Are there many pilgrims who visit the holy sites of such a god?”
“Not many. It’s dangerous to go and come back. The holy sites aren’t managed, so only those who can protect themselves can go.”

In other words, a certain level of killing ability is required to make a pilgrimage.

“Religion in Shurdic is simply a matter of mindset, I guess. Religion there is like a milestone in each individual’s life.”
“Hmm…”
“It’s so vast and wide. Rather than believing in someone, you have to pioneer yourself. Would you say it’s that kind of lifestyle? Mama lived believing in Hel-Kan, the god of warriors, but it was just a way of life, not putting religion as the top priority. She did hold services sometimes, but would you say it was just a habit?”
“It’s a bit different from the fanatics here.”
“That’s right.”

There are also various other gods.

Even though holy sites are buried, lost, and disappear, religion somehow continues to exist. There are gods that humans believe in, gods that dark elves believe in, and gods that they commonly believe in. But the gods of the desert orcs are hardly known.

As an aside, there are also evil cults in this Great Desert, and they’re quite dangerous. After all, people are the same everywhere. Assholes are everywhere.

“There are also those who are working to revive some ancient god or kingdom… but I don’t know the details.”

I want to go to Shurdic someday.

Maybe I can go later on a religious research or ancient ruins exploration quest.