Holy City.
Before I arrived at this place, my imagination ran wild, imagining what it looked like. I imagined it to be filled with tall buildings and golden colors. No one could blame me for thinking that way.
With Alesia's <Space Magic>, the three of us appeared on a platform, seemingly built to be used for a teleportation point of the Archbishops and the Pope. I heard about this from Sana.
After the teleportation was finished, I couldn't help but mutter in awe.
"Woah…"
The city unfolded before my eyes. The landscape was totally different from the Academy and the Capital City.
Light from sunrise bathed the low-rise buildings that lined in rows, facing the street. A warm glow was reflected from the pool of the water canal. The architecture that put importance to simplicity made this city look beautiful.
The streets, meticulously tended, were made from cobblestone. It was lined perfectly as if the Goddess had placed each stone there. Unfortunately, the flowers along the streets had begun to wither due to the summer heat.
In the distance, far away to the west, a grand church stood tall. While grand, it bore a humility and holiness that reflected the two virtues. Stained glass windows reflected the figure of the Goddess with purple hair, spreading her arms as if she was hugging us and enveloping us in her giant assets.
'Well, she looks exactly like what I imagined.' I smiled.
"How do you like this place, Sir Arthur?" Pope Juriel asked as she smiled softly. Her hair cascaded down as she turned to me.
"This place is beautiful," I said.
Many people looked at me in awe. They didn't hide their respect and bowed respectfully toward me, the Paladin. All of those people either wore priests or nun clothes, the one with a deep slit on the side and an open chest area.
The nuns, especially, had hungry expressions, more than the ones in the other cities. Their faiths were on different levels. Thus, they took all those written in the holy book seriously, most probably including the virtue of carrying the Paladin's child.
I felt a chill run down my spine when I noticed an especially hungry gaze from the church. A woman with short pink hair and white clothes, with an open stomach area, was looking at me while licking her lips.
She shook her body seductively when she noticed my gaze and turned around, entering the church. Her large breasts, which didn't match her short height, bounced slightly. Her back was adorned with a long white cape, but I noticed that her back was open to the slit of her butt.
"But I feel like I am in danger." I continued and chuckled dryly.
"Isn't this essentially heaven for you?" Alesia commented from the side. She wore her black dress with a short skirt and open shoulders. "With just a word, everyone here will bid on every order you give them to. No matter how strange they are."
This elf truly wasn't friendly. Her tongue was also as sharp as a sword, not mincing her words when she was speaking to me.
So, I decided to tease her a little.
"Does that mean you will also follow my command? I remembered that you were a former Cardinal. If we trace back the history, that means you are also a proud church member and are under me."
"Don't push your luck, student Arthur." She narrowed her eyes dangerously. Her mana crackled in the air, creating a short electric current visible to the naked eye. "We already have that deal."
I shrugged my shoulders, "It was just a joke."
At that moment, I suddenly felt softness pushed behind my back. I knew this sensation. And the voice that followed suit just confirmed the identity of those soft mounds.
"Fufufu, both of you are getting along pretty well. I am kind of jealous." Pope Juriel spoke a softer and lighter tone than usual, surprising me.
Not only that, she also hugged me from behind. This had never happened before. At least, she looked really dignified, in my opinion.
Alesia didn't seem to react differently. She only sighed and made her staff disappear.
"Your bad habit is showing up, Juriel." The older elf said, shaking her head.
"It's fine," Juriel responded. She circled her arms around my neck and rested her chin on my shoulder. I could feel her hot breath as she whispered into my ears, "My body feels really heavy in this city. So please carry me to the church, Sir Arthur."
"Heavy?" I asked as I looked at her. Indeed, she looked paler than before, and the hug was actually just her falling on my back.
"She spent a lot of MP the moment we arrived to fortify the barrier."
Alesia was the one who answered my question. She looked at the grand church direction. No, way past that in the distance.
"That was a foolish habit."
There was a kaleidoscope of color, stretching endlessly from one side to another.
"That's the barrier that keeps the monster from the west border away, huh?" I said as I carried Juriel in my arms.
"Fufufu, yes." The Pope giggled playfully even in her situation, "Well, Alesia. My bad habit resulted in me being carried by Sir Paladin. I claim this as a reward for my hard work."
"It's no hard work if you do it to the point you almost fainted, Juriel." I retorted and cast healing magic on her. It slightly cured her, but she still looked a bit sluggish, "I guess healing magic won't work? How about an MP potion?"
"That won't work on me," Juriel shook her head softly, "I am an Angel, albeit on this land. My body's constitution is different from that of normal people. I doubt the MP potion will have an effect on me."
I didn't know anything about Angel or their constitution. But if she, herself, was the one who said that, I also couldn't do anything about it.
"So, what should I do to help you?"
Juriel only smiled at me without saying anything. Her hand caressed my cheek with precision even when she couldn't see the world due to the blindfold.
"I will say this again, Sir Arthur. You're so kind." She said, "Also, just put me in the church. That whole place is similar to a Holy Room to help me recover my MP faster. Fufufu, I shall introduce you to the three Cardinals too."
"Alright." I nodded at her and began to walk.
The three Cardinals, huh? What kind of people were they?
