p>

The youth bowed his head politely and introduced himself as Ertol Maik. Supposedly he worked directly for Berett.

“I’ve been instructed by Berett-sama. I hear that you want more information about the church.”

“Yes, it can be anything you know.”

“Let me begin then.”

It was not disclosed that Shin was a High Human.

According to Ertol, a saint called the “Soothsaying Holy Woman” was sick and being treated by the church. While it might not be a direct cause, the upper echelon of the church was quite active here.

Furthermore, within the church confines there was an area that only those appointed could walk freely. Security was quite extreme, so it was impossible to see the insides. It was a safe bet that anything hidden would be within this exclusive area.

“There’s quite a lot of misinformation floating about regarding the church. Many outsiders have attempted to infiltrate it, so the rumor mill must be generated by those who work for the church. We’ve had a branch here for quite some time now, but the church is still a great mystery..”

Anything fishy regarding the church could basically be traced back to a drunk blabbering on about it, or another, even less credible source.

“Do you know anything about who’s going to take over the Bayreuth churches?”

“No, we have no information on that. I’m terribly sorry, but I’m afraid that this is it.”

There were probably 10, maybe even 20 upper class Chosen Ones working with the church. Even if you wanted to break in, several upper class Chosen Ones guarded the church at different locations. They needed to be careful.

It was tricky to attack this fortress.

Despite the Golden Company that had been built by the “Golden Merchant” Reed, it wasn’t as if it housed only upper class Chosen Ones. It’s a matter of what’s more valuable: quantity or quality.

(We’re on our own, huh?)

There was only so much action you could take in stealth as an upper class Chosen Ones.

However, that wasn’t necessarily the case for Shin or his party. If Shin and Schnee in particular were to move stealthily, very few could catch them in this universe.

“I understand. We’ll be on our own then.”

“Again, I’m terribly sorry for my inadequacies.”

“”No. Everything you’re saying alludes to how this is a difficult task, even if we had time. With so many upper class Chosen Ones guarding, it’s not simple.”

There was no point in blaming Ertol over this matter. What little information he provided was useful. Shin continued to ask more general questions about the church.

They would require further assistance from the Golden Company. For now, they headed towards the inn.

The party looked for an inn that would also take their wagon. They walked around the city for 20 or so minutes and found a promising one.

“Welcome! Welcome to the Silver Desert!”

They were certainly enthusiastic.

Since Sigurd is a city where travelers come and go, many of the inns were restaurants on the first floor and rooms on the second.

The one that Shin and the party stepped into fit the stereotype. Waitresses wearing frilly uniforms bustled in between busy tables.

Of the many waitresses, one with semi-long hair approached Shin and the party.

“Welcome. Will you be dining or spending the night?”

“We’ll be staying. We also have a wagon in the front.”

“I’ll have someone tend to it. How many are in your party?”

“Five. We also have a few contract beasts. Is that alright?”

“Several of our guests are travelers with contract beasts. However, there’ll be a separate fee for them. Is that alright?”

They agreed, and took a room. The room was one big one for the whole party.

They held a brief meeting in the room and left the inn.

“Alright. Like we planned, we’ll be back before the sun sets. If anything happens, send a message card.”

Shin, Schnee and Yuzuha went to see the church. Tiera, Kagerou and Shibaid went around the church to get more information. Wilhelm was on his own, doing his own bid.

“Let’s go Schnee.”

“Yes.”

Shin, Schnee and Yuzuha disappeared into a crowd.

“Tiera, shall we then?”

“S..sure.”

Shibaid headed in the opposite direction from Shin. However, his unique appearance was well-known. He needed to change the color of his scales to red, and wear a fake horn.

Tiera was a bit nervous, following Shibaid. Kagerou was as usual, hidden inside Tiera’s shadows.

“I should be off then.”

Wilhelm didn’t even see the four of them off and went solo. He was cautious as to not walk too fast, and dipped into an alleyway.