The Gate of Divinity was safely passed. But there were still inspection procedures remaining. While the Gate of Divinity could detect impure beings, items prohibited by the Federation, such as narcotics or forbidden books, had to be checked by people directly. Naturally, inspectors would come to search the wagon, but they had already devised a way to escape before that. *Flap!* Simon felt the broker cover the wagon with a blue cloth. Soon, he tapped the carriage twice, signaling that no one was around. This blue cloth had the effect of blocking the flow of mana. The plan was to cover themselves with the blue cloth and activate the teleportation magic circle drawn on the bottom of the box to escape to another location. 'As long as we get inside the Divine Federation.' At the border of the Divine Federation, white magic was deployed to prevent unauthorized teleportation. But once inside the Federation, using teleportation was not an issue. "Alright, let's get ready." The two squeezed their bodies as much as possible into the teleportation magic circle. In the process, they inevitably had to embrace each other tightly. Simon was startled, but Lete, maintaining a poker face, placed her hand on the magic circle and said, "Random teleportation within the radius of our destination. If we're unlucky, we could fall into water or land in the middle of a monastery. Ready?" "Huh? Oh. Ready." She muttered 'Here we go' softly and activated the teleportation magic circle. *Whoosh!* Simon's body lifted as the magic circle activated. 'Ugh!' His entire body was hurtling at an incredible speed, making it impossible to distinguish anything. It felt like moving at super high speed through a narrow pipe in an abstract space where all sorts of colors were mixed together. Experiencing it again, he missed Kizen's teleportation, which was handled by experts. The world spun, and a terrible motion sickness surged. Just when he thought he couldn't bear it anymore. *Whoosh!* The nausea stopped, and he finally felt the ground. He covered his forehead, taking a moment to collect himself, then slowly raised his head and looked around. "......?" The surroundings were entirely golden, and looking up, he saw a cloudless blue sky. Simon had landed in the middle of a wheat field. "Oh Goddess." But then, Lete's voice came from below. "Grant me patience so that I may not murder him while atoning for my sins, and bestow upon me endurance so that I may not bathe in his blood." "?" He looked down to see that Simon was pinning her to the ground. Startled, he quickly apologized and moved aside. "Just now." She sat up, speaking coldly. "You died 500 times in my head, in various colorful ways. Thank the Goddess who granted me patience." "......We were hugging like that when we teleported, there was nothing I could do." "Shut up." The two slowly got to their feet. The wheat was incredibly tall. Wheat usually only grows to about 1 meter, but in Simon's case, only his head was visible, and Lete could barely see the top of her head. "It seems to be wheat grown with Divine Farming," she said, dusting off her clothes. She particularly focused on the parts that had touched Simon. "Divine Farming?" "Yes. Before farming, Priests are called to hold a service and infuse divinity into the ground, which makes the crops grow well. It's the grace of the Goddess." "There's all sorts of things." She crossed her arms, a superior smile on her face. "All sorts of things? It's more than that. The harvest yield of crops, which is the foundation of national operation, changes, you know? What does the Dark Alliance do?" "......They just spread manure to improve soil fertility, sometimes leave fields fallow, and occasionally my father goes to the city to buy fertilizer and spread it." Lete clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Spraying smelly dung like that on fields is barbaric. How is it any different from putting the poop we made back into our mouths?" "No, that's completely different. You don't know what fertilizer is......" "Anyway! Be prepared, I'll show you the superiority of the Divine Federation often from now on." She spun around and strode away. Was she feeling mentally stable now that she was in her home territory? She seemed to be in a good mood. "Wheat thieves!" That lasted only a few minutes. Someone's shout was heard, and farmers wielding weapons—no, farming tools—began to gather from all directions with a murderous aura. "We wondered when you'd show up, and finally you're here!" "Everyone out!" The atmosphere wasn't just unusual; it turned murderous. Lete yanked Simon's sleeve. "Why are you just standing there! Run!" A chase suddenly unfolded. Farmers swarmed into the wheat field. The sight of sharp farming tools approaching as the wheat field parted in all directions was quite terrifying. Since they seemed ready to swing their weapons without warning, it was best to avoid them for now. Lete and Simon ran frantically through the wheat field and entered a small shed nearby. It was a place where various farming tools and straw were piled up. As soon as Lete locked the door, *Bang! Bang!* sounds of kicking the door were heard. "They're here!" "Ah, open the door! Aren't you going to open it?" The hinges rattled as if they would break at any moment. Simon, holding the door shut with his entire body, said, "What now?" "We can't say we just teleported here. There's no need to expose our route." Lete had already pulled out her Efnel uniform from her bag. She quickly kicked off her shoes and put on her stockings. "It'll take 5 minutes to change into my Efnel uniform. Hold them off." "No, 5 minutes? What are you talking about! Do it in 2 minutes! Forget the stockings, just put on the clothes first!" "Alright, now turn your eyes away, you crazy bastard! Let me put on my clothes!" *Crash!* The small windows on both sides shattered, and rake-like farming tools came in, sweeping around. Simon crouched down to avoid being scratched. *Crunch!* At the same time, a shovel burst through the door above Simon's head. Simon, startled, placed his left hand on the door and drew a magic circle. <Guardian's Shield> A pure white wall of divinity unfolded, blocking the door. The door was shattered by the concentrated attacks of the enraged farmers, and now they began to directly pound on the Guardian's Shield. "Lete! Hurry!" Simon shouted, bracing the shield with his back. "If you even glance, I'll kill you and go to heaven." "I won't look!" *Click!* Finally, having put on her top and buttoned it, she drew a magic circle in the air. Then she snapped her fingers. *Whoooooosh!* "Ugh!" A dazzling light erupted, engulfing Simon and Lete. It instantly shattered the shed and scattered in all directions. "Gasp!" "What in the...!" The farmers, startled by the massive flow of divinity, recoiled. After the flash of light, beyond the collapsed shed building, a boy lying on the ground and a girl in a white uniform were visible. As Lete untied the ribbon in her hair, her pure white hair swayed and fluttered in the wind. The farmers' eyes widened. That was unmistakably Efnel's uniform, made from holy cloth. "Still." Lete's cold voice echoed. "Can't you grasp the situation?" *Clang! Thud!* The farmers simultaneously dropped their farming tools and prostrated themselves on the ground. "We greet the Priest of Efnel!" Simon was dumbfounded by the sudden change in atmosphere. Lete, on the other hand, snorted as if accustomed to the situation, looking down at the prostrate farmers. "I came down, admiring the beautiful wheat grains bestowed by the great Goddess, yet you immediately brandished blades and threatened my life. Are you ready to die?" ""We have committed a sin worthy of death!!"" The farmers cried out, bowing their heads. Simon blinked, seeing them all trembling in fear. Indeed, it was the Divine Federation, where the class system was clear. "If you have committed a sin worthy of death, as you say, then you must, of course, be punished, right?" Lete spread her fingers with a cold voice. "All of you......" "Priestess." At that moment, Simon stood up and bowed with a solemn expression. His skillful hand gestures, making the sign of the cross, were truly those of a Priest. Simon put his palms together and said, "The sin of the faithful not recognizing the Priestess is great. However, I humbly ask for their absolution, taking pity on them for being so intent on catching the thieves who damaged the wheat field." The farmers, prostrate in fear, looked up at Simon with wide eyes. They hadn't expected him to take their side. Lete also wore an incredulous expression. '......Wow, this bastard.' Lete let out a silent scoff. Was he really this good at talking? Lete had intended to punish the farmers who had threatened her safety. But Simon's logic was that it was a mistake that occurred while trying to fulfill a mission given by the Goddess, so a Priest, who serves the Goddess's will, should forgive them. When weighing the Goddess's will against a Priest's personal safety, the Goddess's will would always be higher. Furthermore, she had just explained Divine Farming, and his ability to apply that knowledge so fluently with his glib tongue, without the locals even noticing, was commendable. "That's true. Raise your heads." Lete said she would let it slide just this once. Seeing the farmers bowing and expressing gratitude, Simon once again realized how immense the power of Priests and Efnel was in the Divine Federation. The city, their original destination, was a bit far, but the farmers immediately offered to prepare a carriage. While the two sat and waited, all sorts of food were laid out on the table. '......It feels like I'm at home.' They were only staying for about 30 minutes until the carriage arrived, but the farmers kept bringing food, making it awkward. Simon felt self-conscious about the free meal, but Lete began eating as if it were natural. "Don't be shy, eat," Lete said. "It's a common custom to serve food when Acolytes or Priests visit. There's even a saying that if you don't feed Acolytes undergoing the 19 Ordeals until they're full, the Goddess's curse will fall upon your house." "There are all sorts of customs." "And well, it's not really a free meal, so eat your fill. I'll be going to pay the price in a bit." Indeed, refusing food that had been prepared was a bit rude. Simon also tasted a mouthful of the Divine Federation's unique wheat noodles. "Delicious!" "Hmph, of course." Compared to the food of the Dark Alliance, it had a milder, blander taste. Still, it was quite palatable. And Lete went with the farmers for a moment, then returned after sprinkling divinity on the fields they were preparing for farming. The farmers bowed their heads and rejoiced as if a goddess had descended. She trudged back to her seat, sat next to Simon, and began eating the wheat noodles again. "It must be nice to be a Priest; you never have to starve." "If you're jealous, become a Priest then." Lete said that, then grinned. "By the way, have you ever ridden a train?" "A train?" *** *Whoooooosh!* As soon as the two arrived in the city by carriage, they stopped at the station. Simon, who had been a country boy even in the Dark Alliance, his eyes widened as if they would pop out. "W-what is this?" A mass of iron with wheels, emitting white steam mixed with divinity, was approaching the station. Moreover, the tracks were laid on the ground but also floated in the air in some sections. *Clank! Clank! Clank!* It seemed this train wasn't stopping at this station. The train left the station as it was, and Simon watched its retreating form with wide eyes. "Five days." Lete placed both hands on her hips and smiled. "We'll be taking this Divine Train that crosses the Divine Federation. Be prepared, it's swarming with Inquisitors." "......Haha." Simon himself thought it was a dynamic summer vacation.
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