WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Order
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Chapter 159: Season of Abundance
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When Elbridge arrived at the Temple of the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss, a priest sweeping in front of it bowed deeply.
Elbridge recognized the priest by sight. The Order of Spring Rain and Moss was one they dealt with frequently. He approached the priest and asked,
"Hello, Priest. Is Archbishop Abina inside?"
Archbishop Abina had helped Elbridge before.
When the Goddess of the Rusted Shield had been unable to wake from her long sleep, it was Archbishop Abina who had conveyed the solution the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss came up with.
The priest nodded.
"The Archbishop said a distinguished guest might be arriving soon... So that guest was Sir Elbridge. I'll show you in."
Elbridge was led to the Archbishop's office without any troublesome formalities.
When the door opened, he saw Archbishop Abina. Her brown hair looked exactly like that of her daughter, Bibeka.
As Elbridge entered, Abina calmly said,
"Welcome, Sir Elbridge. What brings you here?"
As she spoke, Abina subtly glanced upward. She was asking whether the Goddess of the Rusted Shield was watching.
"Please don't worry. She's still sound asleep."
Only then did Archbishop Abina relax.
"Good. I knew you'd have the sense to leave the Goddess behind. Have you come because of the money issue?"
"That's right."
"The Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss issued an oracle. Any money personally spent by the Goddess of the Rusted Shield is to be covered by our order. Don't concern yourself with such matters. Focus on your duties, Sir Elbridge."
The practical problem had been resolved as soon as he met Archbishop Abina.
Still, people whose debts were forgiven tended to react in one of two ways. They were either purely happy, or they couldn't shake their sense of obligation and became restless. If he had to choose, Elbridge was the latter.
Besides, he hadn't come because he had no way to find thirty gold coins.
It felt strange that the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss had lent him the money as though she had been waiting for him.
"I'll repay the thirty gold coins. I didn't come because I had no way to repay the debt, but to ask the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss for advice..."
Archbishop Abina shook her head.
"No. You won't be able to repay it."
"Pardon?"
"Do you think thirty gold coins are all you owe?"
Abina pulled a dark, worn booklet from her desk drawer. It was so old that it looked as though it would crumble at a touch.
"This is a ledger the Head Administrative Priest found recently."
Elbridge felt more pressure from that old ledger than from most demons. His breathing grew a little hurried.
His instincts whispered to him. He might somehow defeat a fierce, dreadful demon, but he would never defeat the numbers written in that ledger, no matter how long he fought them.
"According to the records, the debts have been piling up for at least four hundred years."
That was right. This wasn't the first time the Order of the Rusted Shield had gone into debt.
That was likely why the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss had been able to respond so quickly.
"...Archbishop, how much is it?"
"Would you like to hear the exact amount, or would you rather know how many digits it has?"
It was such a terrifying statement that Elbridge unconsciously took half a step back.
Elbridge was someone who felt responsible for unfinished duties. At the same time, he wasn't foolish enough to think he could solve every problem on his own.
Some problems were better left undisturbed.
"...I think I'd be better off not knowing. I'll decline."
"Yes. A wise decision. I have no intention of relentlessly collecting it either. The entire sum was written off as bad debt over a hundred years ago."
Archbishop Abina smiled leisurely.
The Order of Spring Rain and Moss had always been one of the wealthiest orders because its divine power was useful in everyday life. It was wealthy enough that there was no need to drag up an old debt.
Still, Elbridge spoke seriously.
"I may not be able to repay old debts, but continuing to add to them would not be a good choice. From now on, I'll make sure not to incur any more debt. This is not a matter of ability, but of principle."
"A good attitude. But will that be possible? Even for you, it won't be easy to oppose the Goddess's decisions. When the Goddess of the Rusted Shield promises performance bonuses, can you make her withdraw that decision?"
"The Goddess listens carefully to what I say. If I earnestly ask her..."
At that moment, a heavy presence filled the Archbishop's office, like dark clouds gathering on a summer day.
Elbridge knew exactly what it was. The Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss had joined their conversation.
- Elbridge.
The Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss issued a public oracle.
He had relied on her countless times before, but this was the first time he had heard her voice.
"Yes, Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss. I'm listening."
- Do not interfere with your Goddess's spending. Also, your Goddess has had a terrible sense for money since long ago, so it will benefit both you and your Goddess not to bring up anything related to money.
Coming from the one footing the bill, it was highly persuasive.
Still, Elbridge had a small question.
"...A terrible sense for money? As far as I know, the Goddess of the Rusted Shield doesn't enjoy extravagance, aside from occasionally asking me to buy her oil..."
- Elbridge. Extravagance and financial sense are separate matters. Your Goddess does not enjoy extravagance, but she has no sense for money. To be precise, she is not only poor with money, but with anything involving numbers. She lived a life where she had no need to calculate money.
He had expected to hear about a hidden habit of wasteful spending, but this was a more fundamental matter.
'A life where she had no need to calculate money?'
The sight of House Hagenlot, where he had stayed not long ago, and the royal palace of Leodel flashed through his mind.
This might be his chance to hear about the Goddess's past. Elbridge cautiously asked,
"Was the Goddess of the Rusted Shield born into an incredibly wealthy family?"
If so, it explained everything.
Her generous spending and poor financial sense.
Unfortunately, Elbridge's guess was wrong.
- The opposite. She was born into a poor family and fated from childhood to fight until she died, so she could learn nothing except how to fight. She only learned arithmetic and reading and writing from me after her Ascension, and she's still clumsy at them... No, why am I telling you this?
The Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss cleared her throat a couple of times before issuing another oracle.
- In any case, pretend you heard nothing when you are before your Goddess. She will be embarrassed.
"I will."
To some extent, he had already suspected it.
The Goddess of the Rusted Shield sometimes displayed flashes of brilliant wisdom, but she was not a goddess with extensive knowledge.
There had been many people like that around Elbridge in the past.
People driven onto the battlefield after learning only how to fight because they were fated to do so.
The attitude of that time had been that people who learned too much might seek a new life away from the battlefield, so there was no need to teach unnecessary knowledge to someone who would die fighting.
The Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss issued another oracle.
- Also, do not be displeased if your Goddess occasionally spends freely. Your Goddess does not hand out performance bonuses without cause.
"Was there a reason?"
- Of course, Elbridge. Do you know on what days your Goddess gives out performance bonuses?
"That... I don't know."
- They are the days when you accomplish something. The day you drove the Silver-Gray Knight from the northern fortress, the day you sealed Starwave with the elves, the day you subdued a demon in the west. Your Goddess was so pleased by what she saw that she wanted others to share in her joy, and so she handed out performance bonuses. I do not know why she gives them out under that name, though...
It was uncommon for one god to speak about another.
Yet the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss told him quite a lot about the Goddess of the Rusted Shield, like an older sister looking after a much younger one. Elbridge took in every word.
- In any case, I am not covering your Goddess's expenses because our order has money to burn. I worry that your Goddess may be unable to share her happy moments with others. You, too, should help your Goddess rejoice to her heart's content.
"...Thank you for your thoughtful consideration."
Elbridge pressed his hands together in gratitude.
The Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss spoke generously.
- Of course, I only mean that I will cover your Goddess's personal expenses. Do not misunderstand and think I mean I will pay the order's operating expenses as I did in the past. Truthfully, our order struggled a little in those days as well... Mm? Sister! Wait a moment! I'll be right there!
"..."
A rather strange remark had slipped into the warm oracle.
Still, neither Elbridge nor Archbishop Abina acted as though they had heard anything. They both had that much sense.
The Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss hurriedly issued another oracle.
- Elbridge. Your Goddess has awakened, so leave at once. Keep it a secret from your Goddess that you came here today, and if she questions you, make up a good excuse. I trust you have that much tact.
"I will."
Elbridge gave a slight bow, then hurried out of the Order of Spring Rain and Moss.
* * *
By the time the sun had risen and the surroundings had grown fully bright, Elbridge arrived at the temple above the Hillside Slums.
"You're here, Archbishop."
The priests who had come to work greeted Elbridge. He gave a slight nod and looked around.
Marcus was idling in one corner of the temple. When he saw Elbridge, he tilted his head in greeting.
A warm cup of tea sat before Marcus, which the temple customarily served to guests.
Marcus knew he would receive a warm welcome if he went to the Order of the God of Fox Rain, yet he rarely visited its temple. Instead, he often came to spend time at the temple of the Order of the Rusted Shield.
While Elbridge and Marcus exchanged silent greetings, Matilda approached. She seemed curious about what had been discussed at the Order of Spring Rain and Moss.
After making sure the Goddess of the Rusted Shield was not watching him, Elbridge said to Matilda,
"You don't need to worry even if the performance bonuses become excessive. The Order of Spring Rain and Moss said they would cover all of them."
"Ooh!"
The priests' enthusiastic roar filled the quiet morning temple.
Their reaction showed just how substantial the performance bonuses had been so far, and how enormous a source of motivation the bonuses they expected in the future would be.
Matilda had been right.
The fervent roar drawn out by the performance bonuses was not much different from that of the most devout believers.
Marcus was the only person in the temple who did not roar. Elbridge approached him.
He then told Marcus a slightly more detailed version of the story than the one he had shared with Matilda and the other priests, including how the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss had been startled when the Goddess of the Rusted Shield woke up.
Marcus listened quietly.
Elbridge finished with a grin.
"So in the end, we no longer need to worry about performance bonuses. Are you jealous?"
Marcus shrugged.
"It's not like I'm the one getting them... I was thinking about something else."
"What were you thinking about?"
"You know how the gods have things they won't tell us, saying they're secrets of heaven. They say it would be overstepping their authority if they told us."
"There are many things like that."
Information about heaven was often fragmented.
Yet, strangely enough, remarkable information sometimes made its way down to earth.
"Sometimes I think not everything the gods refuse to tell us as secrets of heaven is truly secret. It feels like there are plenty of things they simply choose not to tell us, even when it wouldn't be overstepping their authority."
Elbridge nodded. He had thought the same thing.
"Why do you think they keep those things secret?"
"At first, I thought it was because earth and heaven are so different, and they worried people on earth would be shocked if they heard about heaven... Something like that. But I've changed my mind lately. I put together what I've heard and learned about why the gods hold back their oracles, and there seem to be three main reasons."
Marcus held up his fingers as he spoke.
"First, they are afraid of becoming too close to the humans on earth."
Closeness became attachment, and attachment shook one's standards. The God of Flowing Water had, in fact, lost their divine throne because their attachment had gone too far.
"Second, they don't want to waste the divine power it takes to issue oracles."
It was almost irrelevant to orders with seats, but for gods with too few believers, even the divine power needed to issue an oracle was burdensome. Just as the Goddess's oracles had repeatedly cut off when Elbridge had been the only believer in the order not long ago.
"Third, maintaining an air of mystery."
Elbridge had heard about that before. Gods needed to maintain a suitable distance from believers to preserve their mystique, and believers would follow them better because of it.
"I used to think this need to maintain an air of mystery was just a joke. But lately, since you and I have been receiving oracles so often, I've changed my mind."
Elbridge tilted his head, signaling him to continue.
"I started thinking it might not be a joke after all. So when I thought about it again... I feel like I understand why the gods don't tell us much about heaven."
"Why do you think that is?"
Marcus rubbed his rough, bristly chin.
"Maybe the gods don't hold back because heaven and earth are too different... Maybe they hide stories of heaven because heaven and earth are too alike. That's what I started thinking."
"Hmm."
It was a strange thought. It seemed possible, yet hard to believe. Still, it sounded convincing enough that he couldn't dismiss it.
"So, what are you trying to say?"
"I wasn't trying to say anything in particular. I just became curious about what heaven is like."
After saying that, Marcus drained the rest of his tea in one gulp and left the temple.
Elbridge quietly watched Marcus's retreating back.
Then the Goddess of the Rusted Shield issued an oracle.
- Elbridge. Would you like some pocket money?
Elbridge answered reverently.
"Please give me plenty."
Footnotes:
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