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Translator: Kazumi
Editor: Kabur & Silavin
The construction of the Arcis Temple was no different from that of a typical temple.
There was a main gate and entrance to receive worshipers at the front of the temple.
The chapel was located just inside the entrance.
As Arcis was a clergy-centered town, the chapel was a place where the clergy, who were always in ascetic practice, prayed to God on a daily basis.
Entering the building through the entrance, Kousuke approached one of the priestesses who was working in the chapel.
“Um, excuse me.”
“Yes?”
The priestess looked at Kousuke in surprise.
In this temple, there may be few people who wish to speak to a shrine maiden.
Basically, most people come to the chapel to pray to the Gods.
“Is there a place where you keep a book about the history of this town?”
“Oh, that would be upstairs, up those stairs.”
“Oh, I see. Thank you very much.”
After confirming that there was a staircase in the direction indicated by the miko, Kousuke bowed and headed in that direction.
On the way there, he remembered something and asked the miko again.
“There is no such thing as a general prohibition of entry, is there?”
“Yes. It’s fine.”
Kousuke bowed again to the shrine maiden, who replied with a smile, and this time he headed for the stairs.
The shrine maiden watched him go up the stairs, but then she suddenly seemed to remember something and walked out of the chapel into the corridor leading further back.
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“So this is it.”
As Kousuke ascended the stairs, he easily found a reasonable-looking bookshelf.
To Kousuke’s senses, it was just a library in the home of a well-read person, but in this world, it should have been a good amount of books.
It would be a lot of work for one person to read it all.
He had only glanced at some of the books, but it seemed that some of them were written in old languages.
Since Kousuke himself could not read such an ancient language, he decided to leave them to Mitsuki and Shrein and started reading from the ones that caught his attention.
Just as Kousuke was about to suggest that it was time to take a break.
A visitor came to the room where Kousuke and his friends were.
From the clothes he was wearing, it was immediately clear that he was a high-ranking priest in this temple.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your eagerness, but may I ask you a question?”
Kousuke replied with a smile to the priest who approached him as if he was concerned about Kousuke and the others who were reading a book.
“Yes. No problem. We were just about to take a break.”
When Kousuke said this, the priest clearly looked relieved.
In fact, he had been watching for the right moment to appear so as not to interrupt their reading.
“I am the temple director of this temple and my name is Adrienne Manakin.”
After saying this, Adrienne came over to bow, and Kousuke also stood up and returned the bow.
“Thank you for this politeness. I am an adventurer and my name is Kou. May I help you?”
He returned the greeting firmly, although he expressed surprise at the sudden arrival of the temple director.
Since he did not know what the purpose of his visit was, he did not identify himself here as Kousuke.
Hearing Kousuke’s name, the temple director nodded.
“So it is as I thought. What you seek is not here. Will you follow me?”
Kousuke’s eyes flashed at the sudden offer.
“Excuse me? What do you mean?”
Before coming here, Kousuke and the others had only told him they were ordinary adventurers.
Nevertheless, the temple director seemed to know what Kousuke and the others were looking for.
“Oh, I did not explain this well enough. In fact, we knew in advance that you would be coming here. In fact, I received an oracle earlier this morning.”
Kousuke and the others were the only ones in the room, but the temple director said this with a deep fear in his voice.
Hearing this, Kousuke also widened his eyes.
The temple director who saw his reaction nodded his head in understanding.
Kousuke was not surprised that there was an oracle, but was surprised that the temple director did not question the oracle given to one adventurer and went along with it.
He may have thought that the oracle could not be ignored, since it had not been long since the descent of the Goddesses had occurred.
Unaware that Kousuke was thinking such a thing, Adrienne continued his story.
“We were surprised too. It’s not normal for an oracle to be sent down specifying a single adventurer.”
“I’m afraid it would be considered strange.”
Kousuke dared to leave it at that for the temple director, who was nicely misinterpreting Kousuke’s surprise.
Apparently, the oracle had not informed him that Kousuke was a living god.
“Since that is the case, could you please come to the place where I will show you?”
“Yes. If that’s the case, I’d appreciate it.”
It was an offer that Kousuke could not have wished for, so he gratefully accepted.
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The temple director had not come to Kousuke and the others alone, and there were priests who appeared to be his bodyguards.
Some of them looked at Kousuke and the others with resentment, but Kousuke and the others politely ignored them.
On the way to the temple, Kousuke asked a small question.
“Is it Lady Kurara who was enshrined in this temple?”
“Yes, it is. You know it well.”
“I have read about it in the book we were reading earlier.”
Kousuke replied safely.
In fact, Kousuke was not only familiar with her from the books, but had talked with her several times at the Sanctuary.
Kousuke’s impression of her was that of an older woman who always had a gentle smile on her face.
At the same time, Kousuke thought that she would be a good choice to deliver such an oracle.
Kousuke’s impression of her was that she was somehow a caring older sister.
With this Goddess in mind, Kousuke and the others headed for the basement as guided by the temple director.
“Underground?”
“Yes. The most important books, which cannot be lost, are kept in the basement. Of course, we dry them out in the sun once in a while.”
Most of the books that have access to an unspecified number of people were basically manuscripts that were made by priests for study.
The original or similar items were kept in the basement, the temple director explained.
“I see.”
Kousuke nodded in agreement.
“Here it is.”
The temple director indicated a door.
The temple director opened the door and entered, followed by the guards.
Kousuke and the others followed.
When Kousuke entered the room, he saw a much larger collection of books than in the room he had just been in.
Even to Kousuke’s senses, it looked to be about the size of a public elementary or middle school.
“This is amazing.”
The temple director smiled at Kousuke, who showed his honest admiration.
“This temple is in the right location. Because it was less likely to be involved in warfare, there were fewer books lost.”
“I see, so that’s how it is. So we are free to look around?”
“Yes. Of course, you are free to look.”
At the moment the temple director said that, some of the guards tried to say something, but were stopped by the others.
Incidentally, those who tried to say something were the same members who were staring at Kousuke and the others earlier.
“I think we will be visiting a few times, is that alright?”
“Then take this.”
The temple director then produced a small item from his pocket.
“If you are ever asked for proof when visiting this place, please show it. It will indicate that you have my approval.”
“Thank you.”
Kousuke thanked him honestly for this unparalleled treatment.
He did not know what kind of oracle had been given to them, but this would be enough to proceed with the investigation.
The stares of some of the guards were bothering him, but if he was bothered by this, Kousuke would not be able to walk around the town.
Mainly because of the jealous stares of the men.
Even though there was an oracle, Kousuke and the others decided to take advantage of the goodwill of the temple director and started to investigate further.
