Chapter 139 – Trademark Rights

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Translated by Pratt

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Elbridge’s mind grew complicated.

‘Why is a temple of our order here…?’

Of course, the temples of the Order of the Rusty Shield were not only in Solenion. The one in Solenion was merely the headquarters of the Order of the Rusty Shield.

Like any other religious order, the temples of the Order of the Rusty Shield were scattered here and there.

However, Elbridge knew the locations of all the temples.

Although that knowledge was from two hundred years ago, Elbridge thought that no new temples he was unaware of would have been established. After all, after Elbridge was sealed, the order gradually declined until its lineage was severed.

And as Elbridge remembered, there was no temple of the Order of the Rusty Shield in the Royal Capital Leodel.

Although he wanted to inspect the temple right away, the current situation was not one where he could act alone. Were there not about twenty companions who were exhausted from the long journey?

‘I should come back and visit later.’

After committing the location of the temple to memory, Elbridge started walking again as if nothing had happened.

Because the moment he paused was brief, Marcus was the only one who noticed that Elbridge had stopped his steps.

Marcus subtly approached and asked.

“Is the Goddess asking for another snack offering?”

Elbridge made up a vague excuse.

“Yes. However, it is not that the Goddess of the Rusty Shield wants it, but rather the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss requested it through her…”

“Ah, of course she did.”

Elbridge looked around.

Since the temple was not very large and the surroundings were so crowded, Elbridge was the only one who discovered the temple.

Sonya’s prediction that Murbach would be a high-ranking noble was exactly right.

Bypassing the smaller mansions, Murbach headed toward a residence large enough to be counted among the top five even within the Royal Capital Leodel. With a bit of exaggeration, the garden of that mansion was as large as the Riverford Barony.

‘Even if we sold the Riverford Barony, we would not be able to buy this mansion.’

The group consisted of more than twenty armed men.

The guards tried to block the group, but upon recognizing Murbach’s face, they naturally made way.

Murbach spoke.

“It is the Hagenroth Marquisate. My younger brother, Garmon Hagenroth, leads the family. You will probably be able to meet him soon.”

“Do you not have a separate external estate?”

“Of course there is an estate. But since the estate borders the Royal Capital Leodel, he spends a lot of time staying here instead of the estate.”

Before long, a man with paler skin and a slenderer face than Murbach appeared.

He was a person with an impression completely opposite to the rugged, sun-tanned Murbach.

However, since his features subtly resembled Murbach’s, it was not difficult to recognize that he was Murbach’s younger brother, Garmon Hagenroth.

Marquis Garmon Hagenroth spoke to Murbach.

“It has been a long time.”

“I dropped by briefly because of some business.”

“Understood. Please rest comfortably before you leave.”

The relationship between Garmon Hagenroth and Murbach seemed somewhat distant.

However, that was also a natural situation. Had Murbach not said that the last time he visited the mansion was twenty years ago?

The group scattered here and there, guided by the servants belonging to the family. Since it was an extremely large mansion, there was more than enough room for about twenty people to stay.

A servant asked Elbridge.

“Shall I bring your meal to your room? Or would you prefer to dine in the dining hall?”

“Thank you. But I will skip the meal, as I am not hungry.”

To say he was not hungry was a lie. However, a matter far more important than a meal was filling his head, so Elbridge changed into casual clothes and immediately left the Hagenroth estate.

How the Goddess of the Rusty Shield regarded this action, she sent down an oracle.

– You are indeed faithful, Elbridge. The Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss will be extremely pleased.

Elbridge wove through the crowd and moved along the unfamiliar streets.

– Since your Goddess has memorized the path, you need not fear getting lost. Elbridge, it is to the left!

Elbridge merely nodded his head and walked.

And after a moment, Elbridge reached the street where numerous vendors were gathered. The Goddess’s voice grew a bit more excited.

– Elbridge. It would be desirable to offer newly grilled skewers instead of skewers grilled long ago and dried up. The Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss does not like cold food.

The Goddess of the Rusty Shield pointed out the foods to be bought immediately. However, Elbridge slipped past the food stalls and stood in front of the aforementioned temple.

As expected, the emblem of the Order of the Rusty Shield was carved on the temple. He could also catch a glimpse of the statue of the Goddess of the Rusty Shield standing inside the temple.

And there were a few priests belonging to the temple, and several believers wandering inside the temple.

The Goddess’s oracle ceased. However, judging from her felt presence, the Goddess of the Rusty Shield was clearly watching this situation unfold.

Elbridge spoke in a slightly low voice.

“Goddess. Did you not tell me on the day I was released from the seal? That I was the only remaining believer in the order…”

Elbridge was the Archbishop, Cardinal, and Chief Paladin, who should wish for the revival of the order.

If he unexpectedly discovered a temple of the order and its believers wherever his steps took him, it would only be right for him to rejoice.

However, right now, Elbridge felt an inexplicable sense of disappointment.

“Goddess. Just as you took care of me when I was young and immature, I have consistently dedicated myself to the order and to you. Even if you had not lied to me by saying that I was the only believer left, I would have done my absolute best for the order.”

People often think that pouring out their thoughts will ease their minds and calm their emotions, even if only a little.

Indeed, that was mostly how it went. But the human heart was fickle, so sometimes it moved in the opposite direction. As Elbridge vented, he strangely felt his chest grow more stuffy.

“Why did you not speak honestly? For me, there was only you, Goddess, but you had others besides…”

The confused Elbridge blurted out the thoughts that came to his mind without filtering them, thinking that the flustered Goddess would offer some excuse. Sure enough, the Goddess of the Rusty Shield was flustered and sent down an oracle.

However, the Goddess’s panic was directed in a slightly different direction from what Elbridge had imagined.

– Uh… What is that?

“…?”

– Elbridge. Your Goddess is seeing this temple for the first time too. I will check what is going on, so please wait a moment.

Growing awkward, Elbridge stared at the temple for a moment, then fell back into thought.

Did the Goddess of the Rusty Shield lie to escape a crisis?

No.

As far as Elbridge knew, the Goddess of the Rusty Shield was not a deity skilled at lying.

The Goddess of the Rusty Shield did not beat around the bush when sending down oracles like other gods did, nor did she send down euphemistic oracles.

Unlike the oracles of other gods, there was no need to rack one’s brain trying to guess the hidden true meaning behind the oracles sent down by the Goddess of the Rusty Shield.

Although it was a somewhat impious thought, in Elbridge’s view, the Goddess of the Rusty Shield was not a smart enough deity to do that. It would have been a different story if it were the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss, the God of the Golden Platter, or the God of the Sunshower.

“…”

Feeling awkward, Elbridge stood hesitantly and looked around the surroundings.

He looked once at the temple whose presence here was a mystery, and checked if there were any snacks sold at the stalls that would suit the Goddess’s taste.

After a short while passed in that manner, an oracle descended.

– Elbridge. It is true that starting this year, people offering prayers have appeared in the West little by little.

Thanks to the strong showing in the year-end vote last year, the name of the order was publicized again, so people offering prayers to the Goddess of the Rusty Shield could appear sporadically. Up to this point, it was a natural flow.

– However, the number of people offering prayers is extremely small, and they are not concentrated in the Royal Capital Leodel.

If that temple were a normal temple, the few believers should at least be concentrated in this city. Since it was a somewhat strange situation, Elbridge offered a prayer to the Goddess of the Rusty Shield.

“…Goddess. I offered an impious prayer.”

– No. I was also flustered, so it would rather be strange if you did not panic. And my feelings were not hurt much either. Rather, a little… Hmph.

The Goddess of the Rusty Shield snorted and cut off the conversation, then sent down an oracle once again.

– Anyway, what is important right now is finding out how that temple came to be. Elbridge.

“I shall obey your oracle.”

The fastest way to find out the situation was to clash with it directly.

Elbridge took a deep breath to calm his mind, and then moved his steps toward the temple.

Since Elbridge was dressed in casual clothes, no one regarded him as strange.

‘There are at least four priests that are visible…’

Even in the headquarters in Solenion, Matilda was the only full-time priest.

Matilda, who was suffering from heavy workload, might have hired a few more priests by now, but as far as Elbridge knew, the number of priests was greater here.

Elbridge looked at the statue of the Goddess of the Rusty Shield in the very center of the temple.

It was a stone statue depicting the Goddess of the Rusty Shield wearing armor and raising a sword, and the features of the statue were identical to the Goddess Elbridge knew.

However, just because the shape was similar did not mean they were all genuine statues of the Goddess.

– The form is plausible, but it seems it has never been wiped with fragrant oil.

If one wants a statue to possess divinity and become the god’s eyes to watch over the believers, procedures beyond simple sculpting are required.

Among them, the most important procedure was to meticulously wipe the statue with fragrant oil.

If one is a priest rather than an ordinary person, they cannot be ignorant of the existence of such procedures.

In other words, that they completed the statue but did not wipe it with fragrant oil meant they wished for that statue not to become the god’s eyes.

‘This is…’

While Elbridge was looking at the statue, a priest approached and spoke to him.

“I see you for the first time. Is this your first visit?”

“Uh… Yes.”

“For what reason did you visit the temple, if I may ask?”

Elbridge blurted out whatever came to his mind.

“While passing by, the statue caught my eye, so I came in.”

“Indeed, it is a statue beautiful enough to capture one’s attention.”

– He does not seem to be as bad of a person as I thought, Elbridge.

The Goddess of the Rusty Shield suddenly gave a generous evaluation, but Elbridge let those words go in one ear and out the other.

“Since this is also a fated meeting, would you like a cup of tea?”

Offering tea to a stranger at a temple was asking if they had any intention of joining the order. Elbridge nodded his head for now.

“If you would offer some, I will receive it gratefully.”

“Alright. Please wait over there for a moment.”

Elbridge sat down. The priest brought a teapot containing warm tea, a simple teacup, and some documents, then sat across from Elbridge.

The priest poured tea for Elbridge and handed him the documents.

As Elbridge sipped the tea, the priest began his explanation.

“You know that the Order of the Rusty Shield did not have a single seat until last year, and that they seized four seats all at once this year, right?”

“Ah, yes. I have heard of it.”

“Even two hundred years ago, the Order of the Rusty Shield was one of the largest combat orders. While the West is relatively quiet, I heard that other regions are currently a mess. In chaotic times like now, it is only natural for people to rely on the Order of the Rusty Shield.”

“…I see.”

The priest’s words flowed smoothly.

“If there is no believer of the Order of the Rusty Shield in your family, I would like to recommend that at least one of you join the order. That way, you can receive help in moments of emergency. Oh, and you only need to fill in the parts of the admission documents that I have marked.”

Elbridge held the quill, filled in the blanks bit by bit, and asked back.

“If you say help…?”

“The brave paladins of the Order of the Rusty Shield are active all across the continent. Of course they dedicate themselves selflessly, but there is a saying that the arm bends inward, is there not? They also have no choice but to look after their own believers first.”

The expression ‘brave paladins’ particularly caught his attention.

Hiding his flustered heart, Elbridge asked back.

“It seems the Order of the Rusty Shield has many paladins.”

“Of course. Even though it is a combat order, it holds four seats, right? There is no choice but to have many paladins. For instance, Sir Elbridge…”

The priest said so, then checked the name on the document Elbridge was filling out.

“…It happens to be the same name as yours, believer. Anyway, Sir Elbridge’s fame is widespread in the East. Before long, people in the West will know of him too.”

Whether it was a misfortune or a blessing, the priest did not seem to have the slightest clue that this Elbridge was that Elbridge.

Elbridge answered awkwardly.

“Since you say it is the same name as a famous knight, I feel a sense of closeness for some reason…”

“It is what they call fate, and probably the Goddess’s arrangement. Anyway, if you have finished filling out the document, you can pay the admission fee over there.”

…An admission fee?

Since it was a word he was hearing for the first time in his life, Elbridge looked to the side.

At the spot the priest pointed out, there were three large locked boxes.

The first box was labeled [Admission Fee], the second box [Autumn Offering], and the third box [Voluntary Offering].

The words ‘Autumn Offering’ implied that offerings had been collected in spring and summer as well, and surely a winter offering would exist too.

Similarly, the words ‘Voluntary Offering’ implied that the admission fee and seasonal offerings were not very voluntary.

There were numerous problems in this situation, but among them, the most important problem was one.

The fact that Elbridge was only now learning of the existence of such offerings.

Where could all the silver coins filling those large offering boxes have disappeared to?

Elbridge’s eyes narrowed.

“…I see.”