How the Cult Saves the World-Chapter 138

That evening, after finishing some work at the temple, I set out to find where my grandmother's class would begin.

Since the Temple of Rovel didn't have a suitable training space, we had no choice but to hold the class behind the building.

'I feel a little sorry towards Grandmother, but...'

Fortunately, neither she nor the senior members seemed to mind. In fact, the senior members preferred training here, as the temple was their home.

-I'm looking forward to seeing how the children will change.

More than anyone, Kyros was thrilled that my grandmother would be teaching them.

-After all, those kids have significant potential.

Since all the senior members had S-rank abilities from the start, his excitement was understandable.

'Yeah, I'm looking forward to it too.'

As I chatted with Kyros and walked, I soon arrived at the training ground. Moving carefully around the back of the building, I spotted an elderly woman illuminated by a lantern.

-Why don't you go closer?

'I'd only be a distraction.'

To avoid disturbing the class, I deliberately settled behind a large tree so I wouldn't be noticed. I sat comfortably on the lawn there and observed.

In front of my grandmother, now dressed in casual clothes, there stood the senior members in line. Among them were Alphius, Chester, Sasha, Zain, Troy, and even Abel.

'Oh.'

I was surprised. I hadn't expected Abel to be here, even if the others were.

'Isn't he busy?'

As the High Priest of Bahano's temple, Abel was constantly occupied. The Kyros religion, now the state religion of the Kingdom of Bahano, drew a huge crowd of believers every day.

'The number of followers keeps steadily increasing, especially in Bahano.'

Yet, here he was.

'...Did he leave everything to Jacob?'

Jacob was reliable---both a cook and a priest---but a high priest's presence was still important.

'Well, at least there are fewer believers at this time of day.'

Since it was a quiet evening, I decided not to dwell on it.

'Good thing I prepared ahead of time.'

The training area had lamps installed in advance for late-night or early-morning classes. Thanks to that, visibility wasn't an issue.

'Still, I'll need to set up a proper training ground or hire someone soon.'

This space wasn't ideal for training. It worked for now, but it felt cramped with how many people there were.

'It must be inconvenient for Grandma too...'

As I considered possible locations near Rovel, my grandmother addressed the trainees. I focused my attention on her.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Helena Holden, your teacher from today onward."

She bowed respectfully, and the trainees responded with applause.

"It's an honor to meet you!"

"Thank you for teaching us."

Alphius and Chester spoke to grandmother. Sasha's eyes sparkled with excitement. Zain and Troy, for some reason, looked tense, while Abel grinned slyly and said,

"You look exactly like Church Leader! You're so cool! No wonder Leader is so handsome! He got his looks from you!"

Grandmother burst into laughter, unfazed by Abel's flattery.

"Alright, alright, calm down, everyone. I'm sure you all know who I am, but just in case, let me introduce myself briefly. I was a Sword Master of the Empire and a commander in the War of Peliope."

Grandma told them a brief background of her own, but it was a truly enormous accomplishment that could not be summed up in one sentence.

'The War of Peliope.'

That war had solidified the Empire's foundation. As a commander, my grandmother had led a small force against overwhelming number of enemies---

'And secured a great victory.'

It was a feat that would have been impossible without her military strategy and the abilities of a Sword Master.

'In other words, she was the one who led the Empire to triumph.'

As her grandson, I couldn't help but feel proud. It seemed Zain felt the same way.

Unlike his usual disinterested demeanor when money wasn't involved, his eyes were now full of anticipation.

'It's adorable.'

Meanwhile, my grandmother wrapped up her introduction.

"First, we need to assess your skills."

The training was about to begin in earnest. I wish I had some popcorn. I rummaged through my inventory for something to snack on.

'I guess this is it.'

I pulled out the jerky I always took on camping trips. Since Jacob had made it himself, it was delicious. I chewed on it as I watched the class unfold.

"Alright, we'll start with one-on-one matches to evaluate your abilities. Show me your best."

Abel immediately raised his hand. When Grandmother nodded, he asked,

"How will the opponents be decided?"

A bright smile spread across Grandmother's lips.

"Ah, I almost forgot to mention the most important part. Your opponent is...me."

The entire group---including me---stared in shock.

'Grandmother is going to fight the senior members?'

No matter how skilled she was, she was up against Chester, an S-rank knight in his prime.

On top of that, she had long since retired and still hadn't fully recovered from her Mana Burn.

As I unconsciously began to worry, Kyros spoke up.

-Don't worry, child. I've given your grandmother some of my power, remember?

'I know, but...'

I couldn't shake my concern. The power Kyros had granted her was meant to suppress her illness.

Then, the first duel began. Grandmother's opponent was Chester.

"I-I'll be under your care."

"Likewise."

With a greeting, the match began. Chester, gripping his wooden sword, moved swiftly. In an instant, he swung at Grandmother with a speed almost too fast to follow.

Whoosh!

But Grandmother effortlessly deflected his attack with the back of her hand.

'Huh...?'

-I told you, child. There's nothing to worry about. Your grandmother is probably just as strong as she was when she was active in her duty.

'Wait...what?!'

She has that much power?! I had assumed Kyros's power was only enough to suppress her Mana Burn, but clearly, it went beyond that.

-I've always been quite fond of your grandmother. Now that she's decided to become my knight, don't you think she should regain her former strength?

My jaw dropped. Kyros... You should have told me that sooner!

Clack, thud--

The duel between Grandmother and Chester was mesmerizing. She effortlessly dodged and subdued him.

Chester was also visibly shocked by her speed and agility. Despite the sweat dripping from his forehead, he didn't lose his fighting spirit.

"Alright, good job."

The match ended of course in an overwhelming victory for Grandmother. Chester looked disappointed but still thanked her politely.

After that, Alphius, Abel, Zain, and Troy each took their turn dueling with Grandma.

None of them stood a chance. If even Chester couldn't defeat her, it was impossible for the others. Troy put up a decent fight, matching Chester's level, but in the end, he was still no match for Grandma.

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'No way... Grandma, she's so strong.'

If there was anyone in Kyros Church who could rival Terdius, it would undoubtedly be her.

'I guess I should probably consider this as a blessing.'

As I thought about that, the final sparring partner stepped forward. Despite having already fought multiple opponents, Grandma showed no signs of fatigue.

That made me feel a little bad for Sasha, who was up last. But the moment I saw the look in her eyes, I couldn't help but change my mind.

'... That's unexpected.'

Sasha had never been particularly motivated outside of her artistic pursuits. Yet here she was, gripping a wooden sword, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

'She even joined the training voluntarily...'

I hadn't forced anyone to participate. I made it clear that only those who wanted to train could join.

That's why Sasha's presence there was surprising. At first, I thought she was just trying out something new.

'I guess everyone wants to explore new things at least once.'

But looking at her now, I saw her determination.

Thud--- Swoosh---

Of course, she was losing miserably. It was as if Grandma easily read all of her movements, almost toying with her.

It was clear she had never held a sword before. And yet, unlike her previous matches, Grandma was smiling. And I thought I knew why.

'Because Sasha's eyes...'

They were full of fighting spirit.

"You remind me of myself when I was younger."

The duel ended as quickly as it had begun. Sasha stumbled, falling to the ground, but Grandma immediately reached out and helped her up.

"You did well, Sasha."

Then, as she ruffled Sasha's hair in praise, Sasha's lips curled into a smile.

'It's the first time I've seen her smile like that.'

Even after spending so much time with Sasha, I was surprised by her smile, which I saw for the first time.

-Looks like Sasha had a lot of fun too.

'Yeah. I didn't expect this. She always seemed uninterested in anything outside of art...'

-Yeah. That's okay too. But my angels can do anything. Like everyone else, they must have hidden talents too.

'You might just be right about that.'

After all, the senior members weren't just randomly chosen NPCs through the lottery. They were people who had lived full lives before.

Maybe they really had talents beyond their designated 'jobs'.

I guess I should start paying closer attention.

"I have a good idea of your skills now."

Grandma finally said, standing in front of the exhausted group after the sparring was over.

"There are some of you who can reach great heights with just a little refinement, while others need to start from the very basics. But before anything else, I want to say this---"

A gentle smile spread across her face.

"Thank you all for your hard work. And I look forward to training with you."

Applause erupted at her words, and without even thinking, I joined in.

Because somehow, Grandma's words made me feel even more determined.