I Quit Being a Priest

The Central Church.
The most influential place in the Central City after the Academy, and where the current generation’s Saint is protected.
It’s a place where public access is strictly limited, but I’ve been there once. When I belonged to the Order of the Sun God, I was recognized as qualified and visited once.
The Saint really liked me back then.
Anyway, we were now there. Though it’s restricted to the general public, there was no problem entering with our current status.
The Knight Order and the Central Church were, strictly speaking, part of the same organization.
Since my hometown wasn’t the Central City, I didn’t know much about this place, but I at least knew that the Central Academy, Church, and Knight Order all belonged to the greater Central Empire.
Well, of course, not just anyone with Knight Order credentials could enter, but even if I couldn’t, Elly had quite a high rank within the Order.
“What business do you have?”
The guard at the entrance to the Central Church blocked our path and asked.
Since I had no rank whatsoever here, it would seem presumptuous if I answered. I nudged Elly beside me with my elbow.
Elly then showed the guard the emblem on the left side of her chest and spoke.
“I’m Elly, Captain of the 16th Unit of the Imperial Knight Order. I wish to enter for investigation purposes.”
With the atrocious incidents currently targeting holy spellcasters, every church, especially the Central Church, would have strengthened their security.
However, since both the Church and Knight Order belonged to the Central Empire, someone of Elly’s rank could move freely.
She was in a position to exercise that authority.
“Captain? Well… do as you please.”
“Hehe, thank you for your cooperation!”
Having received permission, Elly happily took the lead. I followed her inside, and the holy power that filled this space greeted us as we entered the church.
Elly’s expression immediately distorted. Outside, mana floated in the air, but here, holy power had taken its place.
“Ugh, I hate this place.”
“…I like it though.”
Conversely, I felt like I could breathe freely for the first time in ages. Just standing here gave me the luxurious feeling of holy power accumulating in my body.
It’s been a while since I felt this. I thought I’d never feel it again after leaving the Order.
“Um… it might be rude to ask, but are all churches like this?”
“Not really, but the Central Church has the Saint, so they create the optimal environment for her activities.”
The Saint only appears once every hundred years, so she deserves this treatment. Honestly, this might not even be enough.
As someone who once belonged to the Sun God’s Order, I knew too well what influence the Saint had on this world.
She heals those she touches and endlessly amplifies that ability. And that’s not all. The town where she resides regains lost vitality.
It’s no exaggeration to say that her existence alone breathes life into the entire Central City.
“Um… could you walk a little quieter? You’re drawing unnecessary attention.”
I shouldn’t be the one to say this, but churches have their own distinct atmosphere. Just like how everyone stays quiet in a library without being told, there were unspoken rules to follow even if they weren’t officially established.
That’s why Elly’s footsteps were loud enough to draw the attention of the current priests.
“What brings the knights here…?”
And sure enough, the head priest of the Central Church noticed us and approached.
I gently pushed aside Elly, who seemed likely to disrupt the church’s atmosphere, and stood before the mild-mannered head priest.
“I’m Illia from the Imperial Knight Order. There have been many kidnappings of holy spellcasters in this area, and we’re here to investigate.”
I summoned a small amount of holy power at my fingertips. Seeing this, the wariness on the head priest’s face subsided.
People naturally feel a sense of kinship when facing their own kind.
Besides, showing that I could handle holy power made it easier to explain more specifically that we were here to investigate those incidents.
“Ah, I see.”
I nodded. Elly seemed eager to say something beside me, but the silence spell I’d cast on her made it futile.
“So, if it’s not too presumptuous, may we look around inside the church? If we notice anything unusual, we’ll report it to you.”
“For that purpose, we would be grateful. Lately, I’ve had an ominous feeling.”
The head priest said, firmly grasping my hand. They too were on high alert.
With several churches already attacked, they had to live in fear of an attack that could come from anywhere, at any time.
Naturally, the head priest holding my hand was also a holy spellcaster. That’s why they felt a slight fear about this incident.
“Don’t worry. Despite appearances, I’m quite skilled at finding things that don’t belong.”
“Thank you… May the Sun God’s blessing be with you…”
Having obtained formal permission without much difficulty, I turned to Elly and gave her a thumbs up.
I had felt something strangely off since the moment we entered. If we could investigate properly, we’d find something.
Finally, I bowed briefly to the head priest before heading deeper into the corridor with Elly.

As soon as we entered the corridor, I lifted the silence spell I had cast on Elly.
“What was that for! Shutting me up like that!”
“It worked out well, didn’t it? And why should I just stand by while you mess things up?”
Sure enough, as soon as I lifted the spell, Elly started complaining about something that apparently bothered her, and I sighed.
Her only contribution was being the key to get us inside, yet she had an irritating amount to say.
“And keep it down, please. I need to concentrate now.”
“Concentrate? Oh, is this some kind of detection thing?”
I quietly nodded. My fingertips pointed at the empty space. Using a staff here would draw too much attention, so I drew the circuit directly with my hand.
It was a fairly complex circuit arrangement, but it didn’t take long to draw the spell formula.
Perhaps it was easier to draw the circuit because this space itself was filled with holy power.
“Subject: Connection.”
There was no type of holy magic specifically for finding or detecting things. That’s probably why it wouldn’t catch the eye of priests studying holy magic.
However,
If it doesn’t exist, I just need to create it. I modified an intermediate holy spell that connects other things to myself by layering multiple circuits.
“Ohhh… What is it? What are you doing?”
“Shhh.”
I silenced Elly as this spell required concentration.
I placed my hand on the corridor wall. I connected my senses to the entire church. The layered spell formulas helped my senses spread wider.
At first glance, this place seemed filled only with holy power, but there was something impure mixed in. The large lump of mana right next to me is…
Ah, that’s just Elly.
“Haaa…”
Having wasted concentration unnecessarily, I engraved a few more circuits and focused my mind.
The Central Church is vast in size. Its vastness makes it perfect for someone to hide something, and conversely, a nightmare for those trying to find it.
And when I expanded my detection range a bit more…
“Ah…haha.”
“Illia unni?”
I let out a dry laugh. It felt like I had discovered something I shouldn’t know.
“Honestly, it’s so shocking I don’t know what to say.”
“What is it? Tell me.”
Elly asked, narrowing her brow.
“I’ll tell you later, just follow me now without asking questions. It’s fortunate we came here in time.”
After scanning the entire church, I found many issues, but the closest one was in the prayer room.
The most sacred place that should be filled with holy power had been tainted by dark magic.
A black substance with an ominous energy.
“What, what is it… Don’t keep it to yourself, tell me too.”
Elly seemed to be saying something behind me, but I didn’t have the mental capacity to answer her right now.
Walking quickly through the corridors, we finally reached the prayer room.
“…Ah.”
We encountered someone who had arrived before us.
Golden hair that shone brilliantly, as if monopolizing all the blessings of the Sun God, swayed gently.
Kneeling with closed eyes in a spot where sunlight poured in, offering prayers to God.
This must be what they mean by an overwhelming presence.
Anyone standing before her would seem as small as a lamp beneath the stars.
Bathed in the incoming sunlight with a visibly sacred atmosphere, she stopped her prayer and rose when we entered the prayer room.
“…Rare to have visitors.”
A soft yet enchanting voice echoed through the prayer room.
Saint Frea turned to face us with neat, dignified movements.
She looked no different from when I had seen her in the past. She still faced her visitors with her eyes closed and a gentle smile.
And she would bow her head politely in greeting.
I brought my hand to my chest, ready to return her greeting with equal courtesy.
But the chance to greet her never came.
“It’s been a long time, Illis.”
The Saint extended her greeting, and…
“…Pardon?”
I doubted my ears.