Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 96

I thought this before, but the churches in Lord Polydoro’s territory are modest in construction.

They are not made of stone but of wood, and they are so cramped that they could hardly fit 30 people, let alone 300 residents.

Therefore, the Sabbath worship is conducted outside the church.

—

“Let us now proceed with the worship.”

I look towards the Virgin Mary.

Beside the Virgin are a demented deacon and a few church servants.

They are called church servants because they aren’t quite nuns.

Several residents of Lord Polydoro’s territory belong to the church and till the lands affiliated with the Cologne Sect.

The fields that generations of the Virgin Mary herself had farmed are recognized by the House of Polydoro as church-affiliated lands, exempt from all taxation.

In exchange, the church takes in part of the population from each family starting from the third daughter, employing them as church-affiliated farmhands.

In return for tilling the fields, they share the harvest and money.

Essentially, both the House of Polydoro and the Cologne Sect are keen to provide sustenance to all their residents.

—

“My faithful, open your mouths. I will now give you the communion bread.”

This ritual of the worship may be influenced by such matters.

After all, a typical worship involves various procedures.

There is no playing of instruments to deepen the prayer—such things are absent in the modest churches of the Cologne Sect.

All they have are muskets.

They produce sound and smoke, but even the bold Cologne Sect wouldn’t dare claim them as a type of flute.

There is no singing.

There is no reading of the Bible.

Instead, they conduct this communion bread ceremony.

Once a week, this ritual involves the Virgin Mary personally placing the communion bread into the mouths of the faithful.

Food over music.

—

“Faithful Faust von Polydoro, please start.”

Lord Faust, a towering figure over 2 meters tall, stoops down.

He bends at the waist, finally reaching a position where the Virgin can place it in his mouth.

Lord Faust’s face changes into an indescribable expression.

Yes, the communion bread is salty.

As I recently heard, it originates from combat rations, which makes the saltiness somewhat unavoidable, but still, it feels off.

In Cologne Sect’s theological view, the flesh of the saints is salty?

—

“Faithful Martina, open your mouth.”

Reluctantly, I open my mouth.

The communion bread is given, and it is terribly salty.

Although salt doesn’t expire, I’ve heard that there’s always a room for storing salt in the churches of the Cologne Sect.

They use far too much salt.

The Cologne Sect’s diocese governs a factory town along a river, and it must be near the sea or perhaps owns a mountain rich in rock salt.

As I get lost in these irrelevant thoughts, the Virgin reproaches me.

—

“Cherish the holy sacrament as you chew.”

I’m telling you it’s salty.

I produce a lot of saliva to mitigate the taste.

Next to me, Lord Faust somehow manages to chew, his cheeks moving in an indescribable expression as he eats the communion bread.

—

“Isn’t it too salty?”

I ask.

Lord Faust replies.

“Let’s dilute the taste.”

Watching him eat, he takes out a flask hanging from his waist.

It probably contains wine.

I also imitate him, taking out my flask filled with boiled water.

Having experienced this worship many times in Lord Faust’s absence, I’m used to it.

Actually, all the residents do the same.

Someone really should just speak up about reducing the salt.

Ignoring such circumstances, the Virgin cheerfully places the communion bread into the mouths of all the residents.

Finally, the distribution ceremony is completed.

—

“The communion bread ceremony is now concluded. Next, we move on to the sermon.”

In other denominations, there would typically be a reading of the Bible—of course, uneducated peasants can’t read the Bible, and the book itself is precious.

I’ve heard that with the advent of printing press technology, including paper mills powered by waterwheels, printed materials like the Bible are being produced in large quantities.

But certainly, in a remote area like Lord Polydoro’s territory, not everyone is distributed a Bible.

Usually, the clergy would read from the Bible, and the uneducated would simply listen.

I digress.

In the Cologne Sect, instead of Bible reading, there is an extended time for sermons.

—

“We will discuss God’s words and messages.”

Naturally, the content is primarily based on quotations from the Bible.

—

“Then, regarding Saint George—where did we leave off?

For some reason, there are many stories in the Cologne Sect that are certainly about saints but somehow off.

Why does it turn to Saint George’s story?

That’s unclear.

Perhaps the residents of Lord Polydoro’s territory mistakenly believe that these are standard biblical stories.

I want to shout that this is all wrong.

Moreover, Saint George is not part of the Cologne Sect.

Since I was a child, my mother, Caroline, took me to the church library where I read books every day.

I have never once come across such a story.

And seriously, Saint George is not normally mentioned in the Bible.

—

“Lady Virgin, there is something I want to say.”

Lord Faust begins to speak as if to express my thoughts, but I knew it would be different from what I wanted to say.

“During my absence, it seems the story has progressed considerably. Until now, the story went that Saint George said to everyone, ‘Promise to convert to the Cologne Sect, and then I will slay this dragon,’ as he brought the dragon before everyone with a rope tied around its neck like livestock.”

What Lord Faust was concerned about wasn’t the appearance of Saint George but that the story had progressed significantly in his absence.

Ah, yes. Lord Faust has been completely deceived as well.

“Ah, that was indeed the case.”

The Virgin smiles warmly.

Everyone in Lord Polydoro’s territory, including Lord Faust, has been deceived.

Think about it; the Cologne Sect has a long history, but it doesn’t make sense that the well-known Saint George would belong to a minor sect like theirs.

I want to tell them to realize this, but it’s hard to call out clergy for lying in their presence.

What’s even harder is that even Lord Faust has been thoroughly deceived.

He’s not usually so gullible.

Apparently, he hasn’t been reading the Bible properly.

—

“I may be rude to ask during the sermon, but I must inquire. Why did Saint George bring a dragon before the people? I understand that slaying the dragon would bring fame and honor. But, would it not have been enough to bring just its head?” Lord Faust asks somewhat reluctantly.

His question is typical of his overly analytical nature.

With his strangely developed intelligence, I wish he’d notice that something is off with the Cologne Sect.

“Certainly, you might think so,” the Virgin answers confidently, without a hint of guilt for deceiving the people.

“You might think that it would have been better to kill it first and bring its head. One could see it as Saint George coercing the people into converting by threatening them.”

Exactly, that’s what I think.

“The Cologne Sect interprets it differently. It would have been easy for Saint George to slay the dragon and bring back its head. Calmly thinking about it, it would have been much easier than dragging it around by a rope like livestock. However, Saint George deliberately did not do that.”

The Virgin boasts a somewhat proud expression.

I brace myself to receive whatever bizarre thing she’s going to say next.

“Think about it. The dragon came once. It might come a second or even a third time. Who can say that the threat is only once? Who can promise that?”

The Cologne Sect always manages to make a little sense, which is the worst part.

“If there were a second time, could Saint George help? Unfortunately, no. Saint George is merely a passerby; he cannot stay there forever.”

The Virgin’s sermon heats up and grows louder.

So far, it makes sense.

“So, what should be done? There is only one answer. Everyone present must embrace the Cologne Sect and arm themselves!”

Why does it lead to that? That’s what I don’t understand.

“The people, they themselves, will face the second threat. Relying solely on a passerby is foolish. To protect oneself from threats, there is no other way to be saved in this world but to become strong themselves. Saint George, a saint of the Cologne Sect, knew this.”

The Virgin’s sermon reaches its climax.

“The people converting to the Cologne Sect and arming themselves is the only way to resolve this issue. They can face the second dragon. That’s what Saint George thought, and he went so far as to threaten the people, even at the risk of being despised, to convert everyone to the Cologne Sect.”

As much as I repeat it, there is no fact supporting that Saint George was part of the Cologne Sect. It’s vexing how they almost make you believe it.

—

“Faithful Faust von Polydoro, has this answered your question?”

Lord Faust seems to think the explanation makes sense, but if you think about it more carefully, it’s riddled with errors. I wish he would realize this. I look at him, sending these thoughts his way, but…

“…It seems I was mistaken. Indeed, that is correct.”

No, this won’t do, he’s also deceived. As I mentioned at the beginning, he’s been completely fooled. Lord Faust, who hasn’t properly read the Bible, cannot refute this.

“I am pleased you understand,” the Virgin murmured with a smile.

Since the explanation seems coherent, Faust von Polydoro, a devout follower, has no intention of denying it. Indeed, it is common in this world for clergy to outwit the unlearned in debate. But this is egregious.

Again, I must emphasize, Saint George does not appear in the Bible. Perhaps he is mentioned in the Cologne Sect’s version of the Bible.

—

“Now, Lord Faust. I apologize, but even as a lord, I cannot treat you specially. We will resume the sermon from the scene of martyrdom. The scene where the prince was so struck by George’s conviction that he tried to convert to the Cologne Sect, causing the queen, wounded in her pride, to become enraged.”

The Virgin begins her sermon enthusiastically.

“Where George remained unbending even as he was boiled in molten lead. Even when demanded to renounce his faith in a temple of pagans, George did not falter. Witnessing this, the prince was finally moved and converted to the Cologne Sect. However, the queen would not allow it and attempted to kill the prince. The prince, prepared to die, finally asked George, ‘I have not been baptized.'”

I’m starting to lose interest in this distorted story of a saint altered by the Cologne Sect.

“George answered, ‘My brother, fight. You must kill the queen with your own hands. The blood of your enemies that you spill will serve as your baptism.'”

Saint George definitely never said such a thing.

“Then, the prince killed the queen with a holy mace thrown to him by George. Watching the queen’s death, George, wounded from the battle, lay down on the ground and passed away contentedly. The Cologne Sect regards this as his martyrdom.”

Saint George definitely did not meet such an end.

“He is now welcomed as an Einherjar, active in the plains of Vígríðr, fighting against the giants.”

The only accurate portrayal is the last part. Even now, Saint George, as one of the dead warriors, the Einherjar, is leading the charge across the plains of Vígríðr. That part is undoubtedly true.

“From the last words left by Saint George, what can we, the followers of the Cologne Sect, learn? It is the same conviction that Faithful Faust inquired about earlier. My faithful, it is wrong to always seek help from others. Take up the mace yourself, stand up, and strike down your own enemies. This is the true spirit of the Cologne Sect. As long as the faithful do not forget this spirit, God will bless us.”

The Cologne Sect’s argument is consistent. They promise to lend all their strength to protect the community from threats, but it is also imperative that each individual must fight their own battles. Only then will God truly bestow His blessings.

—

This was a harsh reality for Martina von Bösel. I am now merely an apprentice knight under Lord Faust, bound to accept this treatment. If I were to fight on my own, what could I possibly do? I wanted to ask God this question, but likely, even God would not respond.

This reality alone, I clenched tightly to myself.