Silvia was welcoming guests at Razek Amamiya’s residence. Ririka was also present.
“It has been a while. Temple Head.”
“I’m glad to hear you’re doing well, Shrine Maiden.”
Laurel, one of Mikusen’s Temple Heads, replied with a gentle smile to Silvia’s greeting.
While there was some turmoil around the founding of Razek Amamiya, they currently have a reasonably good relationship. They began to interact with appropriate distance after Mikusen’s three temples decided to enshrine Kousuke within their temples. They no longer make requests for priests or shrine maidens to be kept within their temples.
The reason for such a smooth improvement in their relationship stems from the increased recognition of Kousuke as an Avatar across the continent. Being a new god, the temples accepted that there could be new ways of worship.
Now, priests and shrine maidens from Mikusen’s three temples, as well as other temples on the continent, even come to the temple on the Fifth Floor to clean. This is because Kousuke’s faith has gradually taken root among adventurers. More importantly, it is a common rumor among clerics that Kousuke’s divine power can be felt at the temple on the Fifth Floor, which is a divine gift. Laurel himself has visited the temple several times and felt a stronger divine power than at Mikusen’s three temples. Therefore, it has become an excellent training ground for clerics who consider sensing divine power as part of their training.
Among them, the one who has grown the most is Ririka, who is standing beside Silvia now. Considering she was just an adventurer before becoming Silvia’s right-hand person, her rise is incredible. When she was first discovered by Silvia, there were even rumors close to slander, but those rumors have already disappeared. Her abilities as a shrine maiden are also recognized. Not only Silvia, the shrine maiden of Kousuke, but Ririka is also gaining recognition on the Central Continent.
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“So? What brings you here today?” Silvia cut to the chase after exchanging pleasantries. It was rare for Laurel to request a direct meeting with Silvia, even though he occasionally visited the temple. Silvia chuckled at that.
“You probably wouldn’t believe me if I said I just came to check on things, would you?”
“I’ve learned the hard way not to meddle carelessly, so I doubt you’d take such a risk.”
“Well, that’s true.” Laurel let out a single sigh before stating his reason. “…Recently, activity from the North seems to have become more active.”
Upon hearing his words, Silvia sighed in exasperation, just like Laurel. “Haven’t they learned yet?”
The “North” Laurel refers to is the church on the northern continent. They have been trying to gain influence since the founding of Razek Amamiya, causing various disturbances. While one of the churches was completely weakened by the commotion they caused before the founding, it is still just one faction. In the Northern Continent, where faith holds greater power than on other continents, there are other church factions. These factions are trying to gain leadership and are bringing various proposals. Of course, these are not as blatant as in the case of the Kingdom of Gates; they are merely seeking to send priests and shrine maidens to the temple on the Fifth Floor to exert influence. This is all within the scope of ordinary church activities, so it’s nothing that would draw the wrath of the gods like before.
“For them, it’s probably about wanting to make up for their losses from that time.”
“Wouldn’t they have understood by now, from past experiences, that it’s pointless to expect normalcy from Kousuke?”
“I suppose that doesn’t get through to them.”
Both of them sighed again. “It’s like they have their heads stuck in the sand. I think they should be more flexible in their approach.”
“That’s a painful thing to hear.” The Mikusen temples have changed their stance now, but they had a similar approach in the past. Hearing Laurel’s words, Silvia shook her head. “It’s better with Mikusen, or rather, the temples on this continent. They are properly adapting to Kousuke. But other continents don’t seem to be able to do that.”
“Is it not just the North?”
Silvia nodded at Laurel’s question. “Other continents are similar. They just aren’t as blatant as the North.” Unlike the churches on the Northern Continent, on other continents, they try to push their demands through the country, which makes things even more troublesome. Some of these situations require Silvia to respond directly.
“That is… I want you to listen to this as a proposal, not a demand, is that alright?”
“…What is it?”
“How about increasing your staff with other talented individuals soon?”
Silvia raised one of her eyebrows at Laurel’s proposal. Seeing her expression, Laurel waved his hands. “I’m not saying you should accept priests or shrine maidens from my temple. You could even bring in clerics from common society, like Ririka here?”
Silvia understood what Laurel meant, but she still shook her head. Accepting Ririka was a special circumstance due to her having Kousuke’s blessing. Laurel, not knowing this, made such a proposal. “That is difficult at the moment. It’s not just about my convenience; it’s about Kousuke’s convenience as well.”
“Is that so? If it’s the god’s convenience, then there’s nothing to be done.” It’s perfectly normal for gods not to act according to human desires. Trying to force them to move or distort the facts could lead to the same fate as the Kingdom of Gates.
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Regarding the Northern Continent, Laurel left with the understanding that they would continue to observe the situation. There had been signs of major movements several times before, but they had all fizzled out. He thought this time would be no different.
“Are you sure it’s really alright?” Ririka asked after Laurel had left.
“Not really. And it’s not like things can stay this way forever for you, Ririka.” Ririka was also approaching the end of her prime marrying age. Silvia, of course, wanted her to prioritize a good match if one came along. Since Ririka had started working as Silvia’s assistant, she had become more composed compared to her previous tomboyish image. As a result, men now notice her when she walks down the street.
“Ah, well, I… I’m not particularly…”
“Oh, really?” Silvia smiled slyly at the flustered Ririka.
“Let me tell you, there are quite difficult hurdles to overcome to get close to Kousuke. However, if you absolutely must, I will support you.”
“Lady Silvia!!” Ririka’s scream-like cry echoed in response to Silvia’s teasing declaration.
Although she’s ended with Ririka as a punchline, I’m not currently considering her for membership. I hope she finds a good partner. w
