An Old Man from the Countryside Becomes a Swords Saint: I Was Just a Rural Sword Teacher, But My Successful Students Won’t Leave Me Alone! - Chapter 59

“Hmm-hmm,” Ibroix chuckled, “do you perhaps hate religion?”

“Ooh, no, that’s not it…” I said.

Now I’ve done it. It seems that my desire to go home seems to have appeared on my face. I don’t know how Ibroix perceived it but at the very least it wouldn’t have been anything positive. As his devotion seemed to be questioned, he had a slight grin.

I don’t believe in any particular faith. In short, I’m non-religious.

That said, I’m not going to make fun of religious people. Faith has brought about some of the finest pieces of culture and it is in the hearts of so many people.

However, for me, the sword was more worthy of your faith than the uncertain elements of divine beings.

“Do you know about the Suphine Faith, Beryl?” Lucy asked.

“Well, I know its name,” I said.

Unless it’s a very minor religion, I know the names of the major faiths as part of general education. Especially so when it came to the Suphine Faith, which had a certain amount of power and influence on the world stage.

The Suphine Faith.

I don’t know the finer details but I remember it was the only religion that worships the god Suphine.

The birthplace wasn’t the kingdom of Rebelis but the neighboring country, Supheniardvania 1.

Rebelis has vast territories in the north part of the Galean continent, but it borders two countries.

One is Supheniardvania, a small country located southeast of Rebelis.

Although their territory was small and their state’s power wasn’t that high compared to Rebelis, it was a theocracy centered around the Suphine Faith. Most of its citizens seem to be Suphines. I also have only one acquaintance who was a believer. I wonder what they were doing now?

The other is the Salua Xalc 2 Empire, which extends to the southwest.

Their territory was larger than Rebelis, but about half of it was desert compared to them.

As the name suggests, the Salua Xalc Empire was an imperial nation, and it seems they’ve had a history of conflict with Rebelis in the past. However, I hear that they’ve got relatively peaceful relations now. Of course, I don’t know the details.

Well, those two are the countries neighboring the kingdom of Rebelis.

Of course, there were lands and countries further to the south of those two, but I don’t know about them. I probably won’t leave the kingdom of Rebelis for the rest of my life, but I can live without knowing it.

Adventurers like Selena may know more about the continent. I wonder if I’ll have to ask her the next time we have time for it.

“What? Yu don’t have to be so wary,” Ibroix said as I was in my thoughts, “I didn’t come to solicit you today.”

“… If that’s true, that would be appreciated,” I said.

Well, I don’t want to be solicited so I’ll take him as his word here.

I don’t know if it was a good or a bad man sitting in front of me but at the very least he’s not just shallow friends with Lucy. He’s probably not a bad man.

But then, it’s another matter entirely whether he’s a credible person. Sitting down to talk like this isn’t just a quick discussion.

As long as I didn’t know what was to be discussed, I couldn’t just listen to him. That said, I couldn’t do anything else. I can’t cause trouble here and Ibroix isn’t even trying to hurt me.

“He was part of the team that caught Twilight,” Lucy said. “We had a hard time getting him to talk but we got some pertinent information out of him.”

Twilight is the man that Lucy took down because he was a criminal who was taking advantage of Miu. I knew he was being detained in the basement level of the Knight Order’s HQ, but it seems he was still being interrogated there.

I don’t know what they did to make him talk and I don’t want to hear about it. I don’t think I need to listen to that. I want to live independently of such a world.

“Pertinent information, huh?” I said. “When you say that… would it happen to involve Mr. Ibroix…?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what it is,” Lucy said.

If you thought about it reasonably, that would be the case.

However, I can’t see why a mere criminal would be connected to Suphinism. If Twilight was a devout Suphinist, I had to ask whether or not that was a matter that a priest should be involved with.

I don’t know the specifics but even now I can see signs of trouble. I don’t like it.

“Let me speak about us for a little,” Ibroix said, taking the previous exchange as his cue.

I think it’d be fine if I didn’t ask about the origins of his religion but I can’t help it if he brings it up now. I’ll listen to him quietly.

“I don’t know how much you know, Mr. Beryl, but we Suphines are the only ones who believe in our deity, Suphine,” Ibroix started. “The ‘miracle’ that Suphine is said to have brought about is the origin of our beliefs.”

“… Miracle?” I asked.

“It’s a spell that heals injuries and restores physical damage,” Ibroix replied.

“Is that alright, Ibroix?” Lucy asked. “Calling it just spells?”

“Haha, that would be easier to explain,” Ibroix countered. “I’m not going to preach about the scriptures to non-believers.”

Hmm. It seems that Suphinism was based on a magician who restored the body. I don’t know if that was just a person or if they really were divine.

But was it a miracle? If you ask for its essence, you should say it was a “spell”, but the world calls it all manner of things.

However, in that respect, my swordsmanship may be the same. If you go by definition, it’s all swordsmanship, but the world is full of all manner of styles.

“Do you mean that magic and miracles are distinct in Suphinism?” I asked.

“That’s right,” Ibroix said. “I believe that at their core, they are the same. Though, I can’t say that in front of other believers,” he continues, chuckling.

No, I don’t think it’s a laughing matter. I think that scriptures should be the most important thing for the servants of a god. He’s a mischievous man of a priest.

“Among them, there is the highest level of a miracle that Suphine is said to have brought about,” Ibroix said. His tone changes slightly as he says, “A miracle that can revive the dead.”

Oooh, there’s something fishy about this in an instant.

By the way, both Miu and Twilight mentioned Revival Magic. Is this a factor in the case?

It’s little wonder that, as a legend, a miracle that could revive the dead has been passed through the generations. Myths are like that. There are also various surviving anecdotes in swordsmanship.

However, there are all manner of problems trying to enact such unrealistic things in this era. Legends are legendary because no one can recreate them.

“I’ll ask you just in case, but can miracles be reproduced…?” I asked.

“They cannot,” Ibroix said. “They are legendary acts… that is my view.”

“I see,” I said.

Well, if they could do that, we wouldn’t be having such a hard time.

However, what Ibroix speaks of is also a matter mentioned in the Suphinic Scriptures. That means that there’s a not-insignificant amount of people who believe it.

“Hmm, so you could say it was a dramatization,” Lucy sniffed.

“Lucy,” Ibroix said. “I’m not saying you should have faith but please, choose the time and place for those words.”

I feel that the interaction between these two is of familiar friends. I can sense they’ve probably known each other a long time. But that doesn’t mean the matter will go any further.

The crux of this story was a little further down the road.

“I can understand now that the Suphinic Scriptures mention it, but I still don’t see why I was called,” I said.

Right.

Someone like Ibroix wouldn’t come down here just to talk about the scriptures. If he became a Suphinic Priest, I don’t think he has too much free time on his hands.

There must be a reason to set up a meeting and even summon me personally. I’m certain there’s no direct causal relationship between that and what the Suphine Faith is about.

“… We learned the name of the man who fences and launders the magical equipment that Twilight’s operation steals,” Lucy said.

Her tone is heavier than before.

“Lebios Salleon. The Bishop of the Suphine Faith.”

That’s also a religious man. And more so, a bishop.

Well, I’ll just take that as a fact.

I’m not sure what that has to do with me?

“I’ll get straight to the point,” Ibroix said. “I want to ask you to arrest him, Mr. Beryl.”

Why me?