Paladin of a Fallen Order (Novel) - Chapter 21 - Stern Protest

Chapter 21 – Stern Protest

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Translated by Pratt

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“Viveca. The Archbishop is calling for you.”

Immediately after returning to the Order with Elbridge, Viveca received a summons from the Archbishop.

There was no burden in Viveca’s steps as she headed to the Archbishop’s office. This was because she had grown up considering the Archbishop as a father since childhood. The two had a rather close relationship, too close to be called a mere archbishop and an apprentice paladin.

But today, the Archbishop asked Viveca with a serious expression he did not often show.

“Viveca.”

“Yes, Archbishop.”

“You did not bring the wrong person, did you? Like bringing some random paladin instead of the most skilled one…”

“That is not the case. Sir Elbridge said that he is the only paladin in the Order of the Rusty Shield.”

“Surely he is not lying?”

“I do not think so. If he were to lie, he would have hesitated at least a little, but he readily accepted as soon as I brought up the topic.”

“If it is not a lie, he must be the paladin designated by the oracle…”

The Archbishop scratched the back of his head with a frown.

“Is it because he is too young?”

“Yes. It will take another ten or fifteen years for his capability to fully blossom.”

The period when a human’s physical abilities peak is around twenty to thirty years of age.

However, many believed that a paladin’s or knight’s capability peaks after their mid-thirties or forties. This happened because experience was far more crucial than a paladin’s mere physical ability.

Although there were occasional orders that started training at a young age, there was no crazy order that had them gain real combat experience at a young age.

Seen in that context, the paladin Viveca had brought back was excessively young.

‘I would have been less anxious if it had been an old knight instead… Did the Goddess truly point out that young man? If she was going to deliver an oracle anyway, she should have given a slightly more precise one…’

As was the case with most oracles, the oracle the Archbishop received last night was very concise.

– Seek help from the paladin of the Order of the Rusty Shield.

That was all.

There was no brief description of his appearance, nor a name. The only information the Archbishop possessed was the religious order.

The Archbishop could not bring himself to shake off his anxiety.

“Could it be that some random person came, coveting the promised reward? No. Surely that is not the case. Even if I am anxious, it is the Goddess’s oracle, so I have no choice but to trust it for now…”

Viveca chimed in and spoke to the Archbishop.

“It is definitely not because of the reward. Sir Elbridge said he would not receive any compensation.”

“Is it not just that you did not mention the reward?”

“What do you take me for… Sir Elbridge said he had received the Goddess’s grace in the past. It seems he was treated at our Order free of charge.”

However, the Archbishop’s expression was quite dubious.

“That cannot be, Viveca. You know that reports come to me whenever we treat someone from another order. Since I became the Archbishop some twenty years ago, I have never heard of us treating anyone from the Order of the Rusty Shield.”

“If that is so, then his claim of having received the Goddess’s grace is a lie… Just why on earth would he lie to refuse the reward?”

The Archbishop, pondering deeply, clapped his hands.

“It seems that paladin has taken a liking to you, Viveca.”

Viveca was startled.

“Me?”

“He probably fabricated a connection with our Order to look good to you. Refusing the reward would be in a similar vein…”

“But that is a bit out of the blue.”

“No, it makes sense. You have been quite popular since you were young.”

Viveca was not an eye-catching beauty, but she was reasonably pretty, and with her active personality, she was popular regardless of age or gender.

Although it was a popularity somewhat distant from a serious romantic relationship, it was not strange for a man to appear and show interest.

Viveca recalled Elbridge’s face.

Dark brown hair and blue eyes. A neat and kind impression.

For some reason, Viveca felt pleased.

“…Could that be it?”

“There is no other possibility. It is not a bad situation either. Sir Elbridge will fight even harder just to look good to you, and if things go well, he might even transfer to our Order… Anyway, you did well. Go back and rest, Viveca.”

“Yes.”

Viveca stepped out of the Archbishop’s office.

However, the Archbishop still could not shake off that faint sense of anxiety.

Even a god cannot see the future, and oracles are not omnipotent.

Many were the religious orders that had stumbled and collapsed by blindly following nothing but oracles, ignorant of that fact.

In other words, even if they had properly brought in the paladin of the oracle, there was no guarantee that the desired outcome awaited them.

‘…Even if a disappointing result comes out of the Grand Festival, if Viveca meets a good partner, that would also be a good thing.’

The Archbishop let out a deep sigh, then buried his body deep inside the plush chair.

*

Since the very next day was the start of the Grand Festival, Elbridge had no opportunity to duel with the other paladins or coordinate their cooperation.

Of course, Elbridge eagerly wished to check the other paladins’ skills right away, but the other paladins rejected his proposal.

The reason was that if they were to get injured by any chance, lingering effects would remain even if they were treated with divine authority. Though, those lingering effects merely amounted to some minor remaining pain.

‘…The paladins of the Order of Spring Rain and Moss do not change even after two hundred years.’

In the end, all Elbridge had done with the other paladins the previous day was introduce themselves.

‘No. Rather, this might actually be better.’

Elbridge had two objectives in participating in this Grand Festival.

First: to repay the debt owed to the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss.

Second: to imprint the name of the Order of the Rusty Shield upon the countless spectators to recruit followers.

Since merely participating in the Grand Festival would be enough to repay the debt, the focus now had to be on the second objective.

And as Elbridge thought, for the second objective to be achieved, it was actually better if the paladins of the Order of Spring Rain and Moss fought reasonably poorly.

Would it not stand out even more if there was one clearly outstanding person among people of lagging skills?

*

Elbridge headed to the venue where the Grand Festival was being held, along with the other paladins.

“It is quiet.”

“…Your thoughts will change very soon.”

At first, the streets were so quiet that one wondered where everyone had gone, but from a certain point, the crowd began to swell explosively.

And going a bit further, it became so packed that there was not even space to step.

“Passing through. Please make way.”

Elbridge and the paladins squirmed through the crowd and arrived at the massive arena where the goodwill matches of each order were to be held.

The arena was structured with countless tiered seats overlooking a central stage, and its scale was truly gargantuan.

‘I think this place used to be just an empty field in the past.’

Elbridge was guided to a hidden space beneath the spectator seats.

It was a waiting area for the paladins participating in the matches.

As Elbridge looked around his surroundings, Viveca spoke in a tone that was slightly gentler than the previous day.

“Sir Elbridge. You can wait here.”

“Do I not need to register to participate in the match?”

“I have already done it. Since it was just a matter of reflecting your information onto the already registered details, it took no time at all.”

“I see. Thank you.”

Elbridge strolled around and looked at the waiting room.

However, the number of paladins intending to participate in the Grand Festival was beyond imagination.

‘Well, since paladins are only selected and do not die… Even if they have degraded in quality, there is no way their head count would have decreased.’

While Elbridge was fully occupied with watching people, the Goddess’s oracle reached him.

– Elbridge. My most precious child. I never dreamed you would participate in the Grand Festival.

Elbridge lowered his head reflexively and whispered softly.

“Neither did I. By the way… did you know about the Grand Festival?”

– Of course. For the past hundred years, I had to support the paladins of the Order of Spring Rain and Moss semi-forcefully. Supporting a match that I cannot even watch directly is quite a troublesome task.

“Goddess. If you knew there was such an opportunity, how about giving me a hint in advance? Is it not a golden opportunity to gather followers?”

Although Elbridge’s manner of speaking could have been felt as slightly disrespectful, the Goddess of the Rusty Shield was not angry in the least.

– Elbridge. Your Goddess did not want you to be hurt, so I could not tell you about the Grand Festival.

“Hurt?”

– You have no friends, do you not? Marcus and Walter are a mercenary and a knight, not paladins, and Felix, who is the only paladin you are acquainted with, will probably compete on behalf of the Order of the Bloody Spear. I thought it would be a distant prospect for you to gather four more paladins.

“…”

It was not exactly wrong, and he could also feel the Goddess’s warm consideration.

Yet for some reason, he felt as if a wound had indeed remained.

Just then, Viveca called Elbridge.

“Sir Elbridge! Come this way. They say the group drawing is starting!”

The goodwill matches of the Grand Festival are formed by teams of five paladins for each order.

Essentially it was a five-on-five confrontation, but starting all matches in a tournament format from the beginning would surely prolong the schedule too much, so Viveca explained that the preliminaries would be conducted as a free-for-all brawl with multiple teams gathered together.

“Approximately seven to nine teams are placed in one group, and only two teams advance to the main tournament. Naturally, all other teams are eliminated.”

“What is the criterion for elimination?”

“At least two paladins must remain in a state capable of continuing the fight to avoid elimination. Ah, stepping out of bounds is considered incapacitated.”

Elbridge examined the faces of the paladins grouped together with him.

One female paladin with red hair. One short, chubby, middle-aged male paladin. One tall and slender male paladin.

He had heard their names yesterday, but did not remember them well. However, since their appearances had clear characteristics, distinguishing them was not difficult.

‘Red hair. One pseudo-dwarf. One pseudo-elf. And Viveca.’

The Order of Spring Rain and Moss was also a combat order in its own right.

However, from what Elbridge had observed since yesterday, no traces of serious training could be seen on the three. He suspected they had never trained diligently, or had quit their training a long time ago.

Rather, the one on whom traces of diligent training remained in her hand and body movements was Viveca, the apprentice paladin.

‘It does not matter if the other three drop out. As long as Viveca is not eliminated, we can pass the preliminaries.’

Elbridge quickly completed his judgment, then spoke to Viveca.

“Sir Viveca. When the match begins, remain by my side.”

At that, the red-haired paladin made a meaningful expression and poked Viveca’s side with her elbow. Viveca’s attitude grew strangely smug.

‘—Why are they acting like that?’

Viveca puffed out her chest, then stared at Elbridge with her large brown eyes.

“Sir Elbridge. I am not so powerless as to need that kind of protection. Although I am an apprentice paladin, I have confidence in my skills as well.”

“…Then do as you please. You other three. Watch your surroundings well, and if you think you are left alone, run to my side quickly. Understood?”

“Understood.”

Viveca gave Elbridge a slight glare.

However, Elbridge felt no need to show a reaction.

Just then,

“It has started.”

The drawing began. One person from each team went out to draw a number, and the Order of Spring Rain and Moss was assigned to Group 4.

Elbridge checked the members of the teams assigned to Group 4.

The only places that could be considered orders of reasonable scale were the Order of the Brass Cup, the Order of Vines and Knots, and the Order of the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss.

‘The Order of the Brass Cup is not a combat order. And the Order of Vines and Knots is also ambiguous to be called a combat order.’

Rather, the problem was the teams formed by paladins of small-scale orders, not the giant orders.

The red-haired paladin spoke to Elbridge.

“In my experience, rather than large orders, alliances of those small orders were the dark horses.”

“It seems so.”

Unlike the paladins of giant orders who seemed to have purchased their positions with money, in the teams formed by the alliance of small orders, there were quite a few paladins on whom traces of diligent training could be seen.

What was even more impressive was the insignia of the orders engraved on their armors.

‘That person is of the Order of the Chain and Axe. And that side is of the Order of the Echoes of War.’

The insignia of combat orders that had been quite prosperous in the past were numerous.

Seeing such people gather one or two at a time to form a five-member team, Elbridge felt a sort of kinship.

‘Our Order was not the only one that went ruined…’

While Elbridge was lost in memories while looking at the insignia engraved on people’s armors, the announcer shouted.

“Order of the Flowing Water. Group 3!”

The paladin who drew the number could be seen returning to his spot triumphantly.

However, Elbridge discovered something strange. The insignia engraved on the armor of the paladin who drew the number was not the insignia symbolizing the Flowing Water Order.

In fact, the other four paladins’ armors did not have the insignia of the Flowing Water Order either.

The only person wearing clothes engraved with the Flowing Water Order’s insignia was one elderly priest who was together with them.

“…What is that situation about?”

At Elbridge’s question, Viveca stammered in extreme excitement.

“Those, those cowardly scoundrels! They claim to be the Order of the Flowing Water, yet not a single paladin is from the Flowing Water Order! All five of them were scraped together from other combat orders to form the team!”

While this side had used a trick, that side had used an even more blatant trick.

“They are daring. It is not a violation of the regulations, is it?”

“What is the point of just keeping the regulations? That is crossing the line! They should not even put forward the name of the Order of the Flowing Water!”

It meant it was not a violation of the regulations.

With her face flushed red, Viveca marched over to the priest of the Flowing Water Order. No one had time to stop her.

Viveca protested vehemently.

“Order of the Flowing Water! You confidently boasted about facing us properly in the Grand Festival and determining who is superior, yet do you have no pride?”

The five paladins chuckled and turned their heads away.

On their behalf, the elderly priest of the Flowing Water Order replied slickly.

“Well, now. Is it important whose sword it is? Ultimately, the capability to protect the believers is what matters!”

“How do you think people will accept such sophistry?”

“They will think that the Flowing Water Order is prepared to protect its believers even by requesting help from other orders. That is what they will think. And… is not connection also a skill?”

“Are you not even planning to observe minimum decency? I will formally protest to the Flowing Water Order!”

“A protest? Do it if you wish. Do as you please.”

The paladins laughed boisterously, and Viveca’s face turned so red that it seemed she might collapse at any moment.

Finally, at the moment Viveca was about to overcome the age difference of nearly forty years and spit out harsh words,

The elderly priest stiffened as if struck by lightning.

And the smile completely vanished from his slickly laughing face.

The elderly priest asked Viveca.

“…Wait. Order of the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss. Did you people violate the regulations?”

It was not an attitude of anger or sarcasm. Rather, it was close to the reaction of a flustered person.

However, Viveca could not hold back and shouted.

“What kind of bullsh—”

“An oracle has been delivered. The God of Flowing Water says he will sternly protest to the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss.”

Even while conveying the oracle, the elderly priest looked as if he did not understand what he was saying.

Was this not a case where the subject and the object were reversed…

The priest’s words continued haltingly.

“Asking if this is not a bit too much, and telling us to do it in moderation… is what he says.”

The priest waited for the oracle to continue in confusion, but there was no further oracle.

Finally, the elderly priest looked at Viveca and asked in an extremely serious voice.

“…You guys, just what kind of scheme have you plotted?”