"Proceed."
"Thank you. Take care then!"
Heinrich greeted the guards outside the capital and entered.
Thanks to Heinz, who had prepared everything Heinrich needed in advance, he was able to enter smoothly.
'Actually, I feel a bit hesitant about entering here...'
Given that encountering vampires with Noble blood around the capital is not uncommon, trust naturally tends to be low.
'But there's no temple of the Order given to the Talia Kingdom outside of here. While there are shrines and prayer rooms scattered everywhere...'
If I aspired to be a priest or a paladin, it would be fine to visit an appropriate shrine. However, to become a knight belonging to a specialized profession, a visit to the temple was necessary.
It would take too much time to go to temples in other countries.
There was no absolute certainty that the method I had thought of would work.
'Let's try it quickly and find another way if it doesn't work.'
At that moment, the death cooldown of "Avatar" had also ended, allowing the creation of a new entity.
The affairs of Earth could be left to that side.
The environment for Heinrich to dedicate himself to this side had been created.
I went to the temple of the Order that had been kindly indicated.
A large temple on the outskirts of the capital.
It was the place where Heinrich, the paladin, would take his first great step!
***
'There were times when I thought like that...'
It wasn't difficult to join the Order.
I went to the temple, donated a huge sum of money as my entire fortune, and expressed my ambition to become a knight.
One month later.
I, now a trainee, was receiving paladin training at the training facility outside the temple.
"Hey, Heinrich! Training is over today. How about a drink?"
"Oh, Max. I'm sorry, but it won't be possible for a while. The exam is coming up."
"Always working hard. After all, you said you wanted to be a knight, right? Do your best. Don't forget me if it goes well."
With that, Max laughed and disappeared, waving his hand.
I sighed while watching his back and headed to the temple library.
Along with combat training, there were many things to learn, including studying.
'Well, becoming a knight isn't that easy.'
After all, knights were not from common noble classes.
Paladins were no different.
There, I wasn't even a believer from the beginning, so it was even more challenging.
To become a paladin, I had to first acquire the basics, formally become a templar, and then be recommended to be selected as a knight candidate.
The rituals and doctrines of the Order were completely unfamiliar to me, not to mention history and hymns.
It was enough to give me a headache from studying at inappropriate times.
The criteria to become a templar weren't that high, but I had to think about what came after that.
'Still, setting aside doctrines, just being able to learn specialized combat skills is advantageous enough. Once learned, it will be useful in the long run.'
I couldn't always rely on different avatars whenever something happened.
Basic combat skills were essential, even if the situation didn't favor it.
Fortunately, Heinrich had an advantage in acquiring combat skills thanks to "Martial Prowess."
'...But maybe for now, I should focus on studying doctrines...'
***
One day, while immersed in training and studying, the temple suddenly became noisy.
"What's happening all of a sudden?"
After finishing autonomous training and heading towards the entrance, I found Max squeezed in among the crowd gathered there.
"Max, it's unusually noisy today. Why is this happening all of a sudden? Do you know anything?"
"Oh, Heinrich! You came at the right time! The Archbishop and the Paladin Tooskin are here right now!"
As I looked in the direction he pointed, I saw people entering the temple.
However, among the crowd, there was a person with a visage I didn't recognize.
'...Who is that person?'
A middle-aged knight in pristine armor adorned with the emblem of the Order.
He was the one who led the paladins and pushed Hans.
Come to think of it, some of the paladins following him looked familiar.
"Archbishop Latius and Paladin Tooskin, who lead our temple's order of paladins and templars, have returned after performing some mission."
'...I have a feeling I know what that mission is.'
It must have been to apprehend Hans.
But it had been over two months since the clash with the Order.
The fact that they were returning only now...
'Did they keep chasing Hans during all that time?'
Summoning Hans in Outerica that day was only for a brief moment.
It was to transfer valuables from the subspace to Earth.
After the summoning was released, no matter what measures were taken, it couldn't be traced.
Their determination was truly formidable.
"They say some of the senior templars who were following have also returned. Shall we go greet them?"
Upon Max's suggestion, I followed him to gather information, but we couldn't meet them.
After a long journey, they needed time to rest, or perhaps it wasn't allowed due to security reasons.
But the disappointment was short-lived...
The next day, a senior templar gathered the trainees and made an announcement.
"There will soon be a baptism ceremony for those who meet the criteria among the trainees."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
"Quiet, quiet! I know it's a bit early, but it's a decision from above. Not only among you but also among the monks, they plan to select novices. Keep working hard during the remaining time."
As the senior templar who declared this dispersed, the trainees started buzzing again, engaging in conversations among themselves.
"Isn't there only a few months left until the baptism period? It would be great if we could become official templars quickly, but why all of a sudden?"
"If they shorten the original schedule this much, it's going to be burdensome. Is there some reason for it?"
"...Maybe they need to increase their strength suddenly?"
Yeah, the schedule probably didn't change without any reason.
It might be related to the extermination unit that returned yesterday.
'Anyway, it's an opportunity for me to save time.'
In the Temple of Talia, they select new templars through a baptism ceremony once every six months.
Originally, there should have been two more months, but the situation changed suddenly.
'Through the baptism ceremony, all mana in the body is converted into divine power... That's the first step as a templar.'
If I continue as I have done so far, becoming a templar shouldn't be too difficult.
So, I continued training as before.
Thanks to the efforts during that time, I confidently secured a place for the baptism ceremony.
***
"It must have been an unreasonable request, but I appreciate you accepting it so willingly, Bishop Cromville."
"No, Archbishop Latius. This is not just something our Order needs. It's also good for our Talia diocese."
Just before the baptism ceremony began, Archbishop Latius, who led the Immortal King Extermination Unit, responsible for the entire Talia Kingdom's diocese, was having a conversation with Bishop Cromville.
"The influence of vampires was deeply rooted throughout the kingdom, beyond what we initially thought. That's why the damage to the Extermination Unit increased during the search process."
"...I apologize. From the position of overseeing the Talia diocese, we should have taken precautions in advance."
"No, it's not just Bishop Cromville's fault. It's the responsibility of the main branch that didn't pay attention in advance. I will do my best to increase support to the diocese in the future."
"Thank you for your consideration, Archbishop."
In the small country of Talia Kingdom on the border, the influence of the Order of the Divine wasn't significant from the beginning.
There was only one temple reluctantly permitted in the capital.
The minimum criteria for the clergy deployed nationwide were just enough to pass.
"To fill the void created by the recent power gap, restrain the vampires, and continue tracking the Immortal King's descendant, enhancing the power of the Order is essential. Now that the talks with the Talia Kingdom are concluded, things should be more comfortable moving forward."
In the process, there was some political pressure, but it was an unavoidable task.
Even in the political arena, there was resistance to the influence of vampires, but they couldn't defy the intentions of the Order, backed by a just cause.
"Now it's time to start the baptism ceremony. As planned, I will also participate."
"...Archbishop, there's no need for you to personally participate. If there's assistance from the priests of the Extermination Unit, there shouldn't be any significant issues with conducting the ceremony."
The reason for scheduling the baptism ceremony periodically with set durations was to make it easier to proceed.
To facilitate the ceremony, clerics above the rank of high priest were needed, and it was burdensome for them as well.
Haphazardly conducting it would result in the depletion of higher-ranking clerics.
"It's embarrassing, but it's been over two months since we failed to track the Immortal King's descendant. We haven't had much to do during that time, so if this can be of even a small help..."
"If you put it that way, please, I'll be grateful for your assistance. It will greatly aid the ceremony."
While conversing, they soon arrived at a massive cathedral.
There, individuals awaiting baptism and priests preparing for the ceremony were bustling about.
"Ah! Archbishop Latius, Bishop Cromville. Have you arrived? All preparations for the ceremony are complete. You can start anytime."
One of the leading priests in charge of the ceremony spotted them, approached, and spoke.
Latius nodded and ascended the pulpit of the cathedral.
There, in front of hundreds of people, he joined his hands and offered a prayer to the deity.
"Lord, here are the children who have gathered in this place to follow your will. ...May your warm touch and grace be bestowed upon them, and may your favor accompany your children. [Sanctuary of Blessing]"
As the prayer, lasting about a minute, concluded, a radiant glow of divine power emanated from him, filling the entire cathedral and casting a sacred atmosphere that seemed to bless everyone inside.
While everyone marveled, Bishop Cromville, who stood beside the praying archbishop, stepped forward.
"Now, let's begin the baptism ceremony. Come forward one by one, and we'll proceed with the ceremony."
Even though he spoke in a low voice, his voice permeated the entire space, awakening everyone's senses.
Soon, the formal ceremony commenced.
Ten or so chief priests lined up in front of the pulpit, and those guided by assisting priests kneeled one by one in front of them.
"What is your name?"
"I am Theron."
"Oh, Lord. Here stands one who seeks to be embraced in your arms and become a light in this world. ...Thus, following your will, I request permission to guide those who have lost their way. Theron, do you swear to heed the Lord's call?"
"I swear."
"Then, pray to the Lord. He will respond to your faith."
The chief priests knelt and placed their hands on the heads of those praying, conducting the baptism ceremony.
The constant outpouring of divine power through their hands infused the bodies of the praying individuals with sanctity.
The Archbishop's [Sanctuary of Blessing] supported the process, alleviating the burden on those conducting the ceremony.
The baptism ceremony proceeded simultaneously for groups of about ten.
As time passed, those baptized began emitting faint divine power.
The process involved dedicating all their mana to the deity, rendering them unable to manipulate mana anymore, but creating a conduit to receive the power of the divine.
After the ceremony, those baptized struggled to adapt to the sudden changes, but with the assistance of priests, they moved on.
After a brief adjustment period, they would become valued members of the Order.
Bishop Cromville surveyed the cathedral where the ceremony was in full swing.
The emitted divine power from the freshly baptized individuals was modest, barely reaching the level of apprentice priests.
Occasionally, individuals gained power surpassing that of a novice priest immediately after baptism, but such cases were extremely rare.
'They will continue to grow through prayer and spiritual cultivation. The more faith and mental strength they build, the stronger their divine power will become.'
Observing the ceremony, he then reverently looked at Archbishop Latius, who was unfolding sacred scriptures on the pulpit, and offered a prayer.
Although he, as the head of the diocese, couldn't assist in the sudden ceremony, seeing the Archbishop made him feel that his concerns were unnecessary.
As the ceremony continued, Cromville suddenly felt a surge of divine power.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly feeling a divine presence, Bishop Cromville turned his gaze to one side.
Archbishop Latius, who had been closing his eyes on the pulpit while maintaining the sacred rites, had also opened his eyes and was now looking in that direction.
Hwaeak—
Now emitting divine power, the one who had just received baptism.
His appearance was no different from the others before him, but there was one clear difference.
"Huh, having just received baptism... That level of divine power. It seems he's reached the rank of a priest."
An intermediate level between a regular priest and a high priest conducting the ceremony.
It was the divine power Heinrich had gained just after receiving baptism.