“‘Can’t defy the Pope’—doesn’t that cause problems?”

“Of course, problems arise, but they either crush them with force or resolve them through cunning.”

That didn’t sound resolved at all… but it was probably best not to dig too deep.

During my time as an adventurer in the town of Akoup, I learned that meddling or showing unnecessary concern often just invites trouble.

“The current Pope is Radgrion VII. He has a gentle disposition and rarely makes unreasonable demands, which is honestly a relief. As the Coronation of the Canopy hasn’t been conducted yet, he should still be in office. Although, we don’t get much detailed information about the situation, so it’s a bit unclear…”

“Canopy, you say?”

“Yes, a crown adorned with gold and jewels symbolizes wealth. The first Pope chose to wear a crown created by believers, as a mark of his position. To put it simply, it’s a crown signifying the Pope’s authority.”

“I see.”

“Though nowadays, the Pope is wealthier than any king, so I’m not sure if the Canopy still holds any real meaning.”

“I-I see…”

I half-listened to the precarious details as we continued on.

“Meep, meep meep meep meep!”

“Bruno, what is Ivy saying?”

“Well… Ivy is asking, ‘What happens if the Pope grows old and can no longer make sound decisions, or if he succumbs to mental illness from stress?’”

“Ah, as expected of Ivy, she has a keen grasp of the religious state of Célie’s issues. That is precisely why the Saint exists.”

When I hear the term “Saint,” I’m reminded of Lady Christella, the Saint of our kingdom.

But apparently, there isn’t just one Saint.

Célie has its own Saint as well.

Unlike our Saint, who primarily receives divine revelations and heals people, the Saint of Célie also has political responsibilities.

In simple terms, the Saint is the only person capable of admonishing and stopping the Pope if he begins to act recklessly.

The reasoning is that if the Saint is acknowledged by the gods, they have the authority to speak out against the Pope, who otherwise possesses absolute power granted by the divine.

Additionally, Saints are generally known for their beauty and are not excessively authoritative as figures of power. Because of this, they also serve as hosts to foreign dignitaries.

Katya mentioned that she would likely encounter the Saint at some point.

If so, perhaps it’s worth paying attention to the Saint rather than the Pope, whose face I don’t even know.

As I mulled over such thoughts, we made it through the forest without any issues.

The three from the religious state of Célie had dealt with the monsters ahead, so we hadn’t faced any battles ourselves.

After crossing the forest and walking further, a fortified structure came into view.

It seemed to be a fortress designed to prevent monsters from the forest from invading. The moat had been dug quite deep, though there was no water in it, likely because the monster threat had significantly diminished.

We crossed the bridge and entered the structure.

“So this is what a foreign town looks like…”

My world had always been small.

Until recently, I had only traveled between my home village and the town of Akoup.

Even when Rey took me to another region, it had felt like quite the adventure for me.

What kind of country is the religious state of Célie, and what kind of people live here?

I had heard stories from Katya, the Frontier Marquis Endlord, and the Guildmaster.

But seeing it with my own eyes made it clear that those secondhand accounts didn’t even convey one percent of the reality.

The foreign land beyond the forest felt like an entirely different world to me.