The next morning.
"How can this be... I can't believe it, even though I see it with my own eyes."
"Lord Jared must be the designated representative from Lord Radius. Otherwise, he could not have found the Holy Grail alone!"
"It is the blessing of the gods. Lord Radius must have personally bestowed his blessing upon the lord of the Kribia territory! Ah, am I witnessing the radiance of the divine representative?"
"...Let's just call me the discoverer. The term 'representative' feels a bit embarrassing."
Jared scratched the back of his head at the clerics' ecstatic reactions that began and ended with admiration. He understood that as a believer who had returned to the faith, encountering a holy relic felt special. However, it all felt a bit exaggerated to him.
"This Holy Grail was buried deep in Lake Margarita, and you, my lord, found it."
"Indeed. We brought it up temporarily for verification, and it won't be difficult to return it to its original place."
"Do you know the exact location of where it was?"
"Of course."
"I hope only you, my lord, know its location. No one else, including myself, should know where the Holy Grail was."
"I understand perfectly why. I comprehend your intentions clearly."
"This is a holy relic of unparalleled perfection, without a shred of doubt. It is indeed the great holy relic left by Lord Radius for the children of the light."
"Ahhhh...!"
As the archbishop Neod declared this confirmation, the clerics around him erupted into cheers, some even shedding tears. Among them was Saint Luna, who was so moved she had fallen to her knees in despair. Although Jared had never lived a life of faith, he could grasp the emotions swirling in the air. With an awkward smile, he navigated the tearful atmosphere.
"My lord, please, over here for a moment."
At that moment, Neod called Jared to a place away from the others.
"Let's use a more comfortable method."
Realizing why Neod had summoned him, Jared activated the Triple Mute spell. It was a soundproof shield amplified by Triple Transcendence, ensuring that their conversation would not leak out.
"Oh, I had forgotten that you are the lord of the Kribia territory as well as a Class 5 magician."
"Many tend to forget that. In truth, I rarely use magic unless it's absolutely necessary."
"First, thank you for your efforts."
"Efforts? It was merely luck that I happened upon this while strolling by the lakeshore. Had I not sensed the healing properties in the lake's water, I would have remained forever unaware."
Jared smiled, spinning a plausible tale about the Holy Grail, which had actually been transported from Tatar Island.
"I received official approval this morning from the Radiance City of the Transilia Empire. If I can discern the truth of the Holy Grail through my emotions, then we can immediately declare the area a Great Holy Land and the surrounding regions as holy sites."
"I believe you already made that judgment some time ago."
"That is correct. So from this moment, Lake Margarita and its vicinity will be designated as the Great Holy Land."
"Then, how extensive will this Holy Land be?"
"Just in time, the lord has begun aiding the refugees, and he named this area the Sanare District."
"Indeed."
"The Sanare District will become the Holy Land. The Sanare Holy Land, that is."
"Oh...!"
Jared exclaimed in surprise. He had been worried they would only recognize half of the Sanare District or something less. Given that the Pope of the Radiance City was also honoring the site of the first discovery, it seemed he was indeed generous enough to designate the entire region as a holy land.
"The Holy One is overjoyed and has asked me to convey that the praise and glory he gives to you, Lord Jared, will forever be with you."
"Just hearing those words fills me with blessings."
As Jared nodded with a smile, the words became a reality.
[Through Archbishop Neod, you have received a heartfelt blessing from Pope Armonia XVII!]
[Your Divine Power increases by 50!]
'Divine Power is a stat that can never be increased through distribution points. To gain 50 points is a windfall!'
Jared cheered internally. Was this truly the power of the Pope? To be able to convey genuine divine energy with just a few words was remarkable. He felt the strength of faith anew.
"The Holy One will personally visit this Holy Land shortly. Its location bears great significance, being not far from the Dark Church."
"That is right. It is also an area that pokes at the side of the Umbra Church."
Jared nodded. This had been part of his plan. It's necessary to set this up so that the Radiance Church would pay more attention to the holy land. Of course, he wouldn’t express these thoughts in front of Neod, as they were blind to the strategic plans that lacked any means or methods.
"If you sign this pledge, under the Holy One's approval, the Sanare Holy Land will become the primary holy site for the followers of the Radiance Church across the continent."
"Are there any points to watch out for?"
Jared asked for confirmation. He was already familiar with the process of designating holy lands from his experience in <Paradiso>, but he wanted to block any potential variables in advance.
"If you try to replace the influence of the holy land with another church, oppress the shrine, or attempt to cunningly seize the Holy Grail...,"
"I must be ready to go to war with all nations that have made the Radiance Church their state religion, including the church itself, am I right?"
"Exactly."
"If I am diligent in fostering the faith of the territory's inhabitants without straying into those three cases, there should be no issues, correct?"
"If that’s the case, we will do our utmost at our shrine to assist you greatly, my lord. We will prepare for any outside invasions as well."
"Very well. Let’s do that."
Jared took out a fountain pen he had prepared in advance and signed the pledge. Neod, with tears welling in his eyes, spoke with heartfelt emotion.
"This pledge is, in fact, the one every archbishop carries when they go to the shrine, hoping for a miracle of discovering a holy relic where they go..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Neod broke into tears. Though Jared was not one to relish hugging men, he still embraced him warmly. Neod, who was said to be fifty this year, was twenty-four years older than Jared, but his weeping face looked as innocent as a child’s.
"I will make the Sanare Holy Land a place where blessings, praise, and hymns towards the gods will overflow endlessly across Nas continent."
"I look forward to it. And once again, thank you, my lord."
Neod gave a deep bow of gratitude towards Jared. For someone of his status, expressing such reverence was quite extraordinary. It showed just how immense his gratitude to Jared was. Without directly saying it, rumors were circulating in the city that they might declare Jared a saint! This was a testament to how delighted Pope Armonia XVII was for Jared’s discovery.
"Shortly, I will establish a department dedicated to the construction of the shrine and assign the relevant people. You can discuss the practical arrangements with Chief Administrator Julian. Don't worry about the costs. I will have a magnificent shrine built that can rival any on the continent."
"..."
Neod could only cry silently once more. Indeed, his emotions seemed to run deep.
After parting with Neod, I quietly walked along the shore of Lake Margarita, reaffirming the state of the changed territory.
[As the effect of the pledge activates, Sanare District is transformed into Sanare Holy Land!]
[Sanare Holy Land will be managed separately from the Kribia territory as a holy site window, which we shall call a "holy site window."]
[Do you wish to check its details?]
While the holy site window didn’t differ much from the previous territory window, it merely added a section for Divine Power. However, the term "holy site window" seemed special enough to make my heart race.
'Check.'
[Holy Site Information – Sanare Holy Land]
[Rating / Affiliated Territory: D / Affiliated with the Kribia Great Territory]
[Internal Affairs - Agriculture: 087 / 500]
[Internal Affairs - Commerce: 113 / 500]
[Internal Affairs - Security: 399 / 500]
[Internal Affairs - Science: 132 / 500]
[Internal Affairs - Loyalty: 255 / 500]
[Holy Site - Divinity: 0129 / 1000]
[Military - Total: Currently 2019 people]
[Special Condition 1: After receiving the Pope's approval, it has become the primary holy site of the Radiance Church. It will receive high interest from certain gods who support the Radiance Church, and they will strive to positively influence the holy site.]
'The road for the holy site is still long. Internal affairs are essentially at the starting level, beginning from the bottom. The only positive factor is the interest from the gods.' Many gods are observing this world with interest.
It was certainly not just by coincidence that I worked myself to death in my previous life and started anew in this one; I believe it must have been influenced by some god. Whether that god belongs to the lower, middle, upper, or transcendental category, I don't know.
I hope it’s the transcendental god, but with no clues, there’s no way of knowing.
'Wow! To think I have the primary holy site of the Radiance Church, the strongest church on Nas continent! If I develop it well, it will yield tremendous wealth. With this, I might be able to prepare even larger projects!'
A smile formed on my face. Was it not said that one’s misfortune can turn into fortune? Indeed, the crisis had transformed into an opportunity. Of course, it was a crisis I had anticipated, which I skillfully dealt with to turn it into a greater opportunity.
If there’s just one thing gnawing at my mind, it would be that certain someone who probably wouldn’t let go easily.
I tried to fill my head with rosy thoughts, but I soon regained my senses and faced reality. The number one person who would find my holy land's designation most irksome would undoubtedly be Cluse.
If I were him, even with a small-sized organized group, there was a significant chance he would target the holy site with an act of terrorism.
"Should I... try to gather this title now?"
I looked at the list of titles in my title window which I had yet to fulfill.
[Title: Thousand Man Hunter – Night Hunter]
"Collect the souls of the followers of the Dark Church— from the standard members to the higher-ups, and accumulate their soul fragments. The first goal is one thousand."
[Achievement Effect: Obtain the artifact 'Demon's Play.']
'Demon's Play.' I mulled over the name of the artifact again. Demon’s Play. A 7-star artifact that grants a certain amount of stat points for every demon killed— including those with evil alignments.