Sacred Kingdom of Seigul

Shinnosuke and the others arrived at the holy capital of the Sacred Kingdom of Seigul.

Glen and Karen, the consignees, headed to the Seigul Holy Kingdom's Merchant Ship Association to handle the sale of the approximately 1,400 tons of rare metal No. 548 they had transported, but Shinnosuke and his group, who had only taken on the escort and transportation duties, considered their mission complete here.

Still, there was no urgent need to return, and although they hadn’t signed a guard contract for the journey back, they would likely be accompanying Glen’s group, leaving them several days of leeway before departure.

Thus, it was decided, at the request of Seyla and Milena, to visit the Grand Cathedral of the Siegel Church.

The group heading to the site consisted of four people: Shinosuke, Seyla, Milena, and Alisa.

Since Seyla, Milena, and Alisa are followers of the Siegel Church, they're treating this visit as a pilgrimage, combining sightseeing with religious significance. Shinosuke, however, who has no interest in religious matters whatsoever, is purely here for sightseeing purposes.

Interestingly, although Alisa, the twin sister, is a Siegel follower, her sister Merisa seems to share Shinosuke's lack of religious interest and is reportedly heading off with Andy and Ellen for shopping and a food tour.

Incidentally, the four crew members of Big Bear—Randy, Allen, Mickey, and Todd—headed out to the pleasure district (apparently a red-light area catering to tourists, despite the nation's religious nature).

From the window of the orbital train bound for the Great Temple, numerous temples could be seen.

Perhaps because of its status as a tourist destination, audio guides are playing throughout the train, offering sightseeing commentary. According to the narration, there are temples dedicated to religions other than Seigul's within the Holy City.

"Seigul's teachings emphasize acceptance of all beliefs, but still, it's quite remarkable how open-minded the Holy City is to temples of other religions."

"It's that depth of compassion, that openness—probably why Seigul's teachings have spread so widely across the galaxy."

Seyla, impressed by the tour guide's words, and Shinnosuke, replying with a thoughtful nod.

Milina and Alisa are also clearly intrigued, enjoying the view outside.

"That green-roofed temple must be the Star Reading Society's temple, right?"

"I've never heard of the Star Reading Society."

Shinnosuke explains to the two, who tilt their heads in curiosity.

"The Star Reading Society, though small in size, is said to have a history comparable to the three major faiths of Seigul, Torusia, and Ifeir. It appears their divination practices, which interpret various matters based on the flow of the stars, are the foundation of their teachings."

"Master Shinnosuke, you who claim no faith and profess no interest in religion, seem remarkably knowledgeable."

"Yeah, when we had friendly missions, the knights of the Stellar Fleet taught me. Honestly, I wasn't interested at all, but they were so enthusiastic that I ended up remembering it just by listening."

The three of them exchanged glances and chuckled at Shinosuke's words.

In the meantime, the orbital train arrived at the nearest station to the Great Temple.

"Once again... 'solemn' is the only word for it,"

"Yes, I can't think of any other word but 'incredible'..."

The Seegul Church's Great Cathedral, grand and evoking a deep sense of history, yet equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.

Within the grounds, there are souvenir shops and restaurants for tourists, staffed by devout followers wearing the Seegul Church's religious robes.

Not only devotees, but female-type dolls wearing the same robes also serve as guides at the Great Cathedral.

A guided tour by dolls sounds intriguing, but since I'd rather take my time exploring, I'll just wander freely for now.

Though I'm here to sightsee, the three Seegul believers decide to begin with a pilgrimage first, walking down the corridor leading to the main hall—again, an absurdly vast space.

"Given this width, even Fubuki could pass through."

"Wait... Are you serious? That's impossible, isn't it?"

"That's right. Even with Master Shin nosuke's excellent piloting skills, it's impossible."

Seyla and Miliena responding to Shin nosuke's teasing.

"No, not if it's a straight path. From what I can tell, there's roughly ten meters of clearance on either side and twenty meters vertically. If we maintain the ship's speed and position properly, we can make it through. The large door in the distance should be passable too—so we could ride Fubuki all the way to the cathedral."

Sinnozuke says something utterly reckless.

Rather than being scolded by the nearby priest, the priest—happening to be nearby and having overheard Sinnozuke's conversation—goes out of his way to explain the dimensions of the hallway and the cathedral.

If the size of your vessel is as I've heard, it should be possible to enter the cathedral—though, of course, it depends entirely on the pilot's skill. But please, for heaven's sake, don't attempt it. Even the goddess of Seegul would be startled.

The female priest who speaks with laughter is, for all her openness, a bit too indulgent.

Whatever about that joke—aside from that, along both sides of the vast corridor stand various statues, apparently depicting saints and holy women from the history of the Seegul faith.

"Wait... that's the statue of that saint, isn't it..."

Milena noticed the statue standing beside the grand cathedral's main doors.

"What's wrong? Huh, Serah?"

Sinnosuke followed Milena's gaze to the saint's statue, then turned to compare the statue with Serah, who stood behind him.

The saint's statue over there is an exact match for Serah.

"Wait... me?"

Even Serah herself couldn't hide her surprise.

"Um... she looks just like the ancient saint from long ago."

According to the inscription Milena read aloud, she was a saint from a distant era, her very name lost to history.

"Perhaps Serah could be a reincarnation of this very saint."

Cielo shrugs and smiles at Shinosuke's offhand remark.

"If that were true, Goddess Siegel would be disappointed. I'm not even a proper saint, let alone a devoted follower."

As she speaks, glancing at the statue of a saint that looks just like her, she notices another statue nearby—of a holy figure with remarkably muscular, almost unclad, limbs, unlike any priestly image.

Although no detailed records remain about this statue either, it seems the saint was likely contemporaneous with the nearby virgin.

Despite their casual demeanor, once they entered the great cathedral, neither Seyra, Milina, nor Alisa spoke lightly. Each solemnly completed their pilgrimage.

While Shinosuke and the others enjoyed sightseeing, Marks remained at the dock where Fubuki had docked, busy overseeing cargo unloading and conducting system checks on Fubuki. At that moment, a middle-aged woman arrived, escorted by a staff member from the Seigul Holy Kingdom's Merchant Ship Association.

"Is this indeed the vessel belonging to Shinosuke Kashimura?"

"Yes, this is the escort vessel Fubuki, belonging to the Kashimura Trading Company. Unfortunately, Captain Kashimura is currently absent, but may I ask what brings you aboard?"

The woman bowed deeply to Marks, who had responded.

"I apologize for the sudden visit. I am Lakewood—niece of Clara Lakewood, who passed away over seventy years ago. I came here uninvited, knowing it might seem improper, but I wished to personally thank Captain Kashimura and the others regarding my aunt's matter."

The name Clara mentioned by Mrs. Lakewood was clearly recorded in Marks's memory.