229 - - Art. 229 Return
Thousands of Klimianas gathered in the village of Agartha under a blue summer sky. On this day, they finally departed for their homeland. Linos and the others had come to see them off.
In front of him is Vieille. Her health had returned to normal, her body was plump, and she had regained her former beauty. She had begun to wear a slightly matured look, and it was hard not to feel that she had become more beautiful than before.
She was saying goodbye to Linos with a beautiful smile on her face. She had been persistently talking with the believers who had taken refuge in the forest for the past few months, as well as with those who had been infected by Leroyance and had stubbornly refused to be cured, and had finally succeeded in persuading them.
When the congregation in the forest, led by Cassel, learned that the soldiers had been turned into berserkers by him, that they had died a cruel death, and that, after all, he had abandoned them and the inhabitants of this village and fled, they were easily persuaded by Vieille and the others. On the other hand, the most difficult group was the congregation that had been infected by Leroyance. They considered Vieille a traitor and did not listen to him, nor did they want to see him in his room.
It was May who communicated with these believers. She, together with the staff of the medical institute in Agartha, brought them food and clean clothes every day and healed them of their lulawance. At first, they were subjected to obstructions and abusive language, but they did not let these obstructions stand in their way and continued to support them every day. They also worked to improve the soil of the village and, together with Soleil, with the help of the spirits, to improve the forest environment.
The initially stubborn members of the congregation were amazed at the magical power of the forest as they saw the mold caused by condensation disappear and the environment improve with each visit by Mei. They gradually opened their hearts to the beautiful laboratory staff who came to visit them day after day and took good care of them. This was the result of Linos\' idea to have the institute staff wear uniforms, and it worked effectively.
They wore a navy blue one-piece dress with a white apron and hat, and the one-piece dress had a mini-skirt, which would be overwhelmingly popular among men of the Japanese "Osama" generation. Naturally, Soleil was in charge of designing this costume, and her excellent sense of taste made it both neat and erotic.
In addition, for the female believers, a caring and charming male doctor was dispatched instead of a handsome man. It did not take long for this kind of attention to the itch to open the hearts of the female believers.
It was noticed that the doctors and nurses, as well as May, who gave them proper instructions, gained a lot of trust, and those who were infected with Leroyance began to call her "the return of Lady Climiana" or "a saint". Finally, the congregation began to accept Vieille\'s persuasion.
When the believers began to unite, Vieille decided to return to the Church. Linos had no objection to this, and promised to provide enough food for the believers to return to their homeland.
The believers from the Duchy of Niza had already departed, leaving only those who would return to Aphrodite, the capital of Vieille\'s home country. Vieille bowed and thanked Linos, Mei and the others who came to see him off, and glanced at them. There were several female members of the congregation surrounding Lafayence, weeping as they bid farewell to the old general.
"I don\'t want to leave. ...... I don\'t want to leave."
"Me too, Liese, Akri, Simensah ....... I would be cut to pieces if I had to leave you all. But as I told you yesterday, you are on a mission to help Vieille. It is my wish. Take care of her."
"It\'s a favor from your uncle. I\'d be happy to do it. But ...... also ......"
"Lise ....... We will see each other again. Those who love each other will naturally be drawn to each other."
"Uncle ......"
"......What the hell is that thing doing? But still, the general is very energetic."
Linos watches the scene with a wry smile. Vieille also smiles and replies to Linos.
"Well, since this is a love affair, I can\'t get involved, can I? They are helping me in many ways, so I am grateful for that.
"Well, yeah."
Again Linos chuckles. They, too, will follow Vieille back to the Church. They are secret agents from Agartha, so to speak, and Vieille knows this and keeps them close to her. In other words, the women who are bidding farewell to Lafayence are the liaison between Vieille and Linos.
"Thank you very much for everything you have done for us. Thank you very much for everything you have done for me and I look forward to working with you again in the future.
With these words, Vieille said her farewells and departed.
The water level of the Irbezi River had already dropped, and the girls headed for Garbee, taking advantage of the water transportation. On their way, they saw the road they had made on their way to Agartha. Despite the river had been swollen, the road was undamaged and in good condition, and the goods from Garbee were being carried one after another.
"The technology of the Klimiana is still very impressive."
Vieille mutters to herself on the raft. But there was a light in his eyes, as if he was sure of something.
Aphrodite, the capital of the Crimiana cult, is lined with white buildings. When the sun\'s strong rays shine down, the city generates a harsh heat. In the midst of such a situation, a ship carrying thousands of believers arrives at the port of the city.
In the glare of the sun, the people who get off the ship seem to emerge from the light. The people of the city who saw this scene felt a kind of mystical sensation. At the head of the crowd is Vieille, who has just returned from her trip to Japan and is heading for the Papal Temple.
The Pope, Jouvencel Sein, who was meeting Vieille for the first time in almost a year, looked at her with the same soft expression on his face.
Have you returned, Vieille? I have read the letter you gave me about the events in Agartha. It was a very difficult time. I\'m sorry ...... about Cassel, but I\'m glad you\'re back safe and sound. Yes, I\'m glad."
Looking at Vieille, the Pope nodded slowly. The situation in Agartha was unknown even with the help of Crimiana\'s excellent information network. The Pope observes Vieille and wonders what has happened there. She has lost some of her innocence and is becoming an adult woman. Above all, her eyes were not the same as those of Vieille whom the Pope had known.
"It has been several months since we received the report that most of the believers we were going to send were not able to land because of the flash floods in Garbee. ....... We tried everything to find a way to save them, but it did not work. We survived the winter in Agartha under difficult conditions. And despite the outbreak of the epidemic called Leroyance, you have returned home well. Thank you. Thank you very much. Now ...... you are back home, can you tell us more about what happened in Agartha?"
At the sound of his voice, Vieille looks up and stares at the Pope.
"Before that, I would like to ask the Pope a few questions.
"What?"
Vieille\'s unexpected reaction made the Pope look at him with a puzzled look on his face.
There is a passage in the Crimiana doctrine that says, "Help those who benefit us and eliminate those who harm us. Could you please tell me what this means?"
The Pope\'s eyes widen a bit. He had not expected such a question from Vieille. He opens his mouth, a little doubtful that this girl, who has taught him over and over again since childhood and who has never doubted it, would be so ...... now.
"I believe in the teachings of our Lord Goddess Krimeana, and I will do my best to help those who do their best for our religion and our country, while I will do my best to eliminate those who do not accept the teachings of our Lord Goddess and who harm our country. In the first place, our religion of Klimiana is ......"
"Thank you."
Vieille interrupts the Pope. This has never happened before. The Pope is frozen by this unexpected turn of events.
"As I thought, you are the Pope I expected. I am relieved.
Vieille looks at the Pope with a big smile. Then he continues his words with the same face.
"Pope, I have a favor to ask you. Please send me to Clepharis.
"The country of Clepharis?"
Yes. I have failed to accomplish anything in Agartha. Furthermore, I lost Cassel and other important people for the Church. Despite this, I could not die, and I have been saved by the King of Agartha to prolong my life. I have done nothing. Therefore, I would like to put myself in a more difficult situation. Therefore, I would like to spread the teachings of the Lord God and improve myself.
"What a ....... I know it\'s a wonderful thing to do, but ....... Vieille, Crepharis is a country against the Way of Heaven. Rather, it is a country that the Church has targeted for defeat. ....... It is a country where you will face a lot of difficulties and you may even put your own life in danger."
"Yes. Yes, I am aware of that. I\'m prepared for that.
"......I see, I see. ...... understand. Let me think about it. I\'ll let you know what I find out.
With these words, the Pope left the room.
Later, Vieille was ordered by the Pope to go to Crepharis, as he had hoped. Moreover, those who returned from Agartha with Vieille were eager to work with her, and most of them went to Crepharais.
Under normal circumstances, Vieille would have been disinherited and banished from the capital, Aphrodite. She had failed to make any progress in the papal gymnastics. However, she did not cry and apologize, nor did she cling to the Pope\'s mercy, but rather followed the precedent and volunteered to be sent to a remote place by those who did not make it at the Zimoke. Moreover, he was going to be assigned to a dangerous area in defiance of the Church.
This offer was honestly unexpected by the Pope, but he recognized through this conversation that Vieille was still of use to him.
This way, he would not have to go to the trouble of punishing his grandson, he could just accept her wishes and make her a candidate for Pope again when she had achieved something there. The bishops and the people would agree. Moreover, those who have returned from Agartha are the best of the Church. If we take them, Vieille will not die so easily. At the very least, it will weaken the Crefalaise nation. The Pope thought so and ordered her to go to Clepharis.
A few days later, the Pope watched with tears in his eyes as the ship with Vieille and the others left the port of Aphrodite again. Now he would be recognized by his people as a more merciful Pope. With these thoughts in his mind, he was thinking about the future of the Church and the future of the unknown country of Agartha.
He did not realize it. He was unaware of the dreadful plan hidden in Vieille\'s smile. He missed the changes in Vieille that he would have probably detected in the past. He had already ...... become an old man.
Before the Pope appeared Cassel, who had been missing.