Another World Metal Factory

Chapter 23

An elderly priest, still wearing his worn-out clothes, walked down the street. However, people didn’t pay much attention to him.

“Greetings, Father.”

“Yes, may the blessings of God be with you.”

Occasionally, elderly women with devout faith greeted the priest, and he returned their greetings with a bright smile and words of blessing.

The priest, continuing his walk, arrived at the Bishop’s Residence, located near the cathedral in the central part of the city.

The Bishop’s Residence was a grand mansion, comparable to the Lord’s Mansion, where the bishop, the priests who assisted him, and other personnel resided.

The priest in his worn-out clothes seemed out of place in such a grand residence. However, no one stopped him as he walked towards the main gate.

On the contrary, the gatekeepers, seeing the priest, straightened their posture and welcomed him.

“Welcome!”

“Ah, you’re working hard.”

“Not at all!”

The priest responded to the gatekeepers’ greetings with a smile and entered the residence, heading towards the bishop’s office. The bishop’s office was located quite deep inside the residence, requiring a long walk down the hallway.

The priest, acknowledging greetings from other priests he encountered, stopped in front of a room. It was the bishop’s office. The priest, as if familiar, opened the door and entered.

As the door opened, a middle-aged priest in a neat black cassock stood inside. The priest, with his neatly combed hair tucked under a small hat, squinted at the elderly priest.

“Bishop! You went out in those clothes again!”

The man addressed the priest as Bishop. The Bishop was the head of the diocese, responsible for the entire city’s parish. However, the bishop was wearing a tattered, worn-out cassock.

The man, frowning at the bishop’s attire, pushed up his glasses. Seeing the man’s expression, the bishop chuckled and walked into the room.

“Hahaha! Karnel. For those who receive God’s calling, there is no armor as valuable and dignified as rags.”

“I understand your profound meaning, Bishop, but it doesn’t look good for you, the head of the diocese, to be walking around in rags that even an ordinary priest wouldn’t wear.”

“Hahaha! What’s the difference between a bishop and an ordinary priest? We are all humble before God. And these clothes are the ones I wore when I was first ordained, so aren’t they the most fitting for a priest?”

At the words of the middle-aged priest named Karnel, the bishop chuckled, untied the string that held his ragged robe together, and took it off.

Putting on a dark navy blue Bishop’s Robe that was hanging on a clothes hanger, the bishop sat down on the chair in front of the desk. Karnel approached the bishop and spoke.

“So, where did you go today? You suddenly disappeared in those rags the day before yesterday as well.”

“Ah, I have a gift for you.”

The bishop took out some items from an old bag on the desk. It was a stainless steel cup and spoon. Karnel looked at the items the bishop had taken out.

“A gift? That’s sudden. Besides, isn’t it just an ordinary cup and spoon? It’s not fancy, and it doesn’t look particularly special…”

“You can’t tell its true value by looking at just one.”

At Karnel’s words, the bishop reached into the bag again and took out another cup and spoon.

“But… even with two…”

“Not yet.”

The bishop took out yet another cup and spoon. Finally, Karnel recognized the true value of the cup and spoon.

“They are… completely… the same… shape…”

“Yes. Isn’t this amazing? They’re cups and spoons made of metal, but they’re all the same shape. Hahaha!”

At the bishop’s laughter, Karnel picked up two cups and examined them carefully.

Even items made by skilled artisans inevitably had slight differences in shape due to being handmade.

It was said that there were dwarven artisans who could create items of completely identical shape, but Karnel was a man with a keen eye that could spot differences even in those.

However, the cups Karnel held in his hands were all the same size and shape. It was truly amazing. Karnel looked at the bishop and spoke.

“Truly… these are amazing items. They are amazing, but did you go out just to buy these?”

“Well, I just bought these on a whim, and it’s true that I went to the workshop that made them because I had some business there.”

The bishop smiled and took out something else from the bag and placed it on the desk.

A golden relic with a red bead embedded in it began to sparkle brilliantly, reflecting the light coming in from the window. Karnel, startled by the sight of the brilliantly shining relic, stepped back in surprise.

“Is that…?”

“It’s an old relic I inherited from my teacher. You remember it, don’t you? That black relic that was always on my desk.”

“Yes… I remember. It was a very old item. It bore the marks of time. It wasn’t new like this.”

“That’s this.”

At the bishop’s words, Karnel was startled and approached to look at the relic closely.

Karnel also remembered the old relic. The black, tarnished relic that always guarded the frugal bishop’s desk.

The relic, which the bishop sometimes used as a paperweight, was not this brilliant golden object.

Karnel carefully spoke.

“It… it’s turned into gold, isn’t it?”

“It’s plating, they said.”

“That’s impossible. I used to manage the cathedral’s decorations and assets, so I know a lot about plated items. How can plating be so clean and shiny! And this amazingly transparent and red, perfectly round bead embedded in the center! Ah… what kind of jewel is this?”

Karnel reached out to touch the relic but hesitated, surprised, and the bishop chuckled and lifted the relic.

“I was surprised too. Especially this gem in the center. It’s not a gem, they said. The artisan explained that it’s a bead made of glass, and I was astonished. To think that they could create such a beautiful red, transparent, and perfectly spherical glass that you can see through. I was incredibly surprised.”

“Are you saying this is glass? Such clean plating and a glass bead that looks like a jewel. It’s like the devil’s work.”

At Karnel’s words, the bishop frowned slightly.

“I don’t think the devil could repair a holy relic so perfectly and beautifully. But it was a bit strange. There were all sorts of tools I’d never seen before, and the black-haired workshop owner didn’t resemble any race I’d ever seen. But he was definitely human.”

“Did you go there to confirm that?”

“I heard rumors of an amazing blacksmith who creates amazing things with techniques I’ve never seen before and repairs things that no one else can. So I went to check. With this holy relic that the devil would never be able to touch.”

The bishop asked,”Do you know what this is?”

Karnel looked closely at the relic but shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

“This is a decoration from the staff of St. Marnix, who defeated the demon summoned by the Mazoku in the ancient war against them.”

Upon hearing this, Karnel stared at the relic with a shocked expression. Then, he spoke with difficulty.

“The… the staff of St. Marnix! Isn’t that a precious item kept in the Central Office’s underground vault! Was that old relic that was always on your desk that? No! More importantly, did you just hand it over to a blacksmith of an unknown race you’ve never seen before? No! And they just went ahead and gilded it and embedded a jewel in it, is that okay?”

Seeing Karnel suddenly bombard him with questions, the bishop chuckled and replied.

“Hahaha. Calm down, Karnel.”

“How can I calm down! They just went ahead and repaired that great artifact!”

“They didn’t just repair it. They restored it to its original form. And because of that, the power of the staff has become stronger. Can’t you feel the energy emanating from it?”

“I apologize, Bishop. I haven’t reached that level of enlightenment.”

At Karnel’s slightly sharp response, the bishop chuckled again and waved his hand.

“There’s no need to be so upset, Karnel. I’m not doubting your faith. But this is what I think. This relic was a truly powerful object. And he repaired it without any hesitation. That proves that he’s not a being opposed to God.”

“If you think so, Bishop, then I suppose that’s the case. I also believe that if it were a demon or something similar, they wouldn’t have been able to repair this object so beautifully. However, that doesn’t mean we can just blindly trust him.”

Karnel spoke logically in response to the bishop’s words. The bishop thought for a moment and nodded.

“Is that so… Hmm… Yes. You’re right. Whatever it may be, I agree that we need to keep a close eye on that workshop. Especially since a talking sword hangs on the wall to greet people.”

Karnel’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then he looked at the relic and nodded slightly. Seeing this, the bishop continued.

“However, I wonder if that workshop might be some kind of blessing from the God of Light, Sviet. It’s a miracle that might have been created by Sviet’s plan to help this city, or perhaps even our world.”

“Bishop, such words are dangerous.”

“Haha. That’s true. It’s a dangerous time to speak of miracles. Alright, Karnel. For now, we don’t need to spread the rumors ourselves, so let’s just observe for the time being.”

Karnel carefully nodded.

“Understood. However, if it is determined that this is the work of a demon or some evil being, I will use my authority to resolve it.”

“Ha! Are you thinking of calling someone from the Holy City’s Central Office?”

“If necessary, I might.”

“Karnel, how long have we known each other?”

Karnel thought for a moment and spoke.

“I started serving you when I was just 14 years old and became a Deacon, so it’s been over 30 years.”

“Yes. It’s been that long. A lot has happened during that time. One thing comes to mind. Do you remember the time we exorcised the ghost in the village in the northern mountains? The lambs were disappearing, and the shepherd was attacked and injured, causing fear among the villagers.”

Karnel nodded. He remembered the incident.

The bishop and Karnel, who were a priest and a deacon at the time, had been dispatched to the city below the mountain and, upon hearing the story, went up to the mountain village. After a few days, they discovered that the culprit was a wolf and, together with a hunter, hunted it down, putting an end to the ghost rumors.

“It wasn’t a ghost, but a wolf. I remember almost dying then.”

The bishop chuckled and continued.

“Yes. Everyone was terrified, thinking it was a ghost, but in reality, it was a wolf. In the end, it’s all a matter of perspective. If you think it’s God’s will, then it is, and if you believe it’s the devil’s doing, then everything becomes the devil’s doing. That’s how I’ve lived my life.”

Karnel couldn’t say anything in response to the bishop’s quiet but resonant words. He bowed slightly to the bishop.

“I apologize, Bishop. I didn’t fully understand your intentions.”

The bishop smiled again, raised his hand to make the sign of the cross, and said,

“Isn’t that also the will of the God of Light, Sviet?”

Karnel smiled and made the sign of the cross as well.