A Powerful Martial Artist Reincarnates as a Nun Knight

The name ‘Caledonia’ originally referred to the western island of Erin, northern Albion, southern Brittany and Wessex, and eastern Northumbria. Plymouth was a naval town in the Duchy of Cornwall, part of the Brittany region.

Since the era when the Duchy of Cornwall was known as the petty kingdom of Dumnonia, this area had been historically valued as a gateway connecting the continent via the sea. This tradition persisted to the present day, with Plymouth established as a prosperous port city and Royal fortress, serving as the home port for Caledonian merchant vessels and a base for the Breton navy.

“Indeed, the atmosphere here feels closer to Brest than Bordeaux.”

As they disembarked at the Plymouth port after the morning fog had lifted, Conra spoke while his eyes wandered, taking in the sights of their new surroundings. Having spent considerable time voyaging and visiting various nations’ ports, the youth found each harbor exuding its own distinctive character, never lacking in novel scenery.

“Well, it can’t be helped since this doubles as a naval port, though like Brest, the civilian and military ports are separated here as well.”

Of course, for harbors serving both naval and civilian purposes, it was rare for a single port to simultaneously handle both functions.

From the outset, this was unavoidable. A civilian port’s purpose was to facilitate economic flow, while a naval port aimed to militarily utilize and protect maritime regions and routes. Allowing a single port to handle both roles risked bottlenecks that could impede both objectives.

Thus, so-called dual-purpose naval and civilian ports simply meant having separate dedicated military and civilian facilities – as was the case with Brest in Frankia, and now Plymouth where the group had disembarked.

After disembarking, the group headed for the Church of Plymouth, as always intending to rent rooms at the attached dormitory. Since the ship bound for the lowland central city of Stravenor would not depart for three days, they would have to stay in Plymouth for that duration.

On their way to the church, they passed through a series of interconnected plazas landscaped like parks, seamlessly blending into a vast open space.

Upon reaching the Church of Plymouth and planning their three-day schedule, the group’s plans inevitably changed due to unforeseen circumstances, as was often the case.

“What in the… ”

Hildegard’s expression grew troubled as fierce winds, heavy torrential rain, flashes of lightning, and thunderous roars battered the windows. After staring bewilderedly outside for a while, she asked a young acolyte who had entered to clean the room, “Is the weather here normally like this?”

The acolyte gave Hildegard an incredulous look before replying, “Of course not? Though I’m young, I’ve never witnessed such an erratic downpour in my life.”

Indeed, the intensity of the rainfall that day was tremendous. The deluge, pouring as if from buckets or troughs, lasted less than half a day but left a devastating aftermath that could not be ignored.

“Good heavens… it’s become a veritable sea.”
“I can’t even tell if that’s a road or a canal. Quite a large area seems to be flooded…”

Hildegard and Ezio fell silent, surveying the scene left by the rainstorm.

“The local populace will suffer for some time.”
“Putting aside the property damage to businesses, the immediate concern is the farms. If they’ve lost this year’s crops without preparations, a famine of no small scale could ensue.”

“Disease is another issue. After such heavy rains, waterborne plagues will likely spread more easily.”

And if disease and famine were to compound…

The group’s minds conjured images of southern Caledonia becoming a worldly hell.

“There’s no use in us worrying. Ultimately, this is a problem the region’s rulers and diocesan authorities must grapple with, not us who are only passing through for a few days. Though perhaps there are still some small ways we could provide assistance during our brief stay…”

Sophia’s gaze flickered toward Conra as she spoke.

“If the druids of Erin were to lend their aid, it would undoubtedly be of considerable help. The recovery efforts after the floods would proceed much more smoothly.”

“Indeed, the druids specialized in communing with flora and fauna would be well-suited…”
“Well, if there are capable individuals here, they’ve likely already taken action. This is not a matter we need involve ourselves in.”

Even as she said this, Sophia had slightly different thoughts.

‘I had understood this region’s climate to be relatively temperate throughout the year. This downpour was rather sudden.’

She could not shake the suspicion of artificial interference. As with their previous stopovers, Sophia sensed some incident might occur here as well, prompting her to observe the situation more closely for the time being.

Coincidentally, news from the port forced the group to extend their stay in Plymouth. Due to the morning’s storms and heavy rains, numerous port facilities and ships had sustained damage requiring inspections. Fortunately, the scheduled liner bound for Stravenor that the group would board did not appear seriously affected, requiring only a brief inspection and repairs.

Nonetheless, the group had to extend their initial three-day stay to seven days to accommodate the delay.

Faced with this sudden extension, they could not help but drastically revise their individual schedules. Otherwise, the extra four days would be wasted – something this group was unaccustomed to allowing.

In this context, Ezio decided to visit the nearby Dominican monastery. Having previously hired a messenger to request permission, which was granted, Ezio informed the group the following morning of his plans to visit the monastery that day.

“Hmm, the monasteries in this region would undoubtedly belong to the Dominican Order. But are you not of the Jesuit Order, Father?”
“You are correct.”
“Is there a particular reason you wish to visit a monastery of a different order?”
“It is precisely because I belong to the Jesuit Order.”

Ezio began explaining in response to Sophia’s inquiry. Traditionally, the Dominican and Jesuit Orders had maintained a longstanding competitive relationship regarding the preservation and research of scholarship, as well as the interpretation of Church doctrine, occupying positions as the Church’s twin intellectual pillars.

Despite this commonality, the two orders differed significantly in their academic and ascetic methodologies, epitomized by the Dominican ‘Contemplative Practice’ and the Jesuit ‘Spiritual Exercise.’

The Contemplative Practice pursued universal knowledge and truth, while the Spiritual Exercise emphasized personal experience and realization. This fundamental difference in their pursuits necessitated interaction between the two orders.

For intellectuals, becoming too immersed in a single perspective could narrow their vision, hindering their grasp of reality. As ascetics aiming to avoid such pitfalls, interaction between the orders was a natural choice.

Hence, once deemed sufficiently advanced in their respective practices, monks from both orders would visit the other, attempting to interact and exchange insights. Such interaction not only enriched the intellectual and spiritual assets of both orders but also provided opportunities for individual monks to consolidate their personal realizations, broaden their perspectives and worldviews, and prevent intellectual biases – offering numerous benefits.

“So, since the opportunity has presented itself, I’d rather not let it pass.”
“Well, how one spends their time is their own prerogative, not my concern. Don’t worry about it and enjoy your visit.”
“Thank you.”

As the conversation seemed to conclude, Hildegard suddenly interjected, “Hold on. In that case, may I join you as well?”

“Hmm? What’s this about?”
Ezio furrowed his brow, as if spotting an unexpected blemish.

“Well, you mentioned the Dominican monastery in Plymouth, right? That infamous producer of Plymouth Gin.”
“That may be so, but…”

While monasteries often engaged in agriculture or operated workshops to sustain themselves and fund their orders, Ezio nodded in acknowledgment. However, being well aware of Hildegard’s affinity for alcoholic beverages, her abrupt mention of the monastery’s distilled spirits prompted a disgruntled reaction from him.

“I’ve always wanted to visit. Plymouth Gin has a truly unique and excellent allure. Of course, premium spirits like whiskey or brandy are fine, but the distinct aroma of inexpensive liquors like rum or gin holds a separate appeal.”

Ezio openly displayed his displeasure at Hildegard’s motivation.

“I have no intention of bringing a drunken lout into a place of purity. More importantly, are you not a nun knight? How can you seek to enter a monastery, a sanctuary for maidens?”

Undeterred by Ezio’s disapproval, Hildegard cheerfully countered, “I wish to see the distillery, not the ascetic quarters, so it shouldn’t matter. Moreover, I’ve never seen any monastic or conventual rules prohibiting visits from external guests of different genders.”

“Nggh…”
Unable to refute her valid point, Ezio furrowed his brow in anguish before finally nodding in reluctant acceptance.

“Very well. If you have no intention of disrupting the monastic decorum, I have no reason to stop you.”
“I’d rather not hear that from a living embodiment of indecency…”

Having such a remark on propriety directed at her by a walking avatar of impropriety, Hildegard’s expression soured.

The next morning, Ezio and Hildegard set out for the monastery situated on a hillside outside Plymouth.