A week had passed since they had departed from the barony.
Their first night was lucky, since they had found the barony to stay the night at.
But the next six weren't so lucky for Raven.
They had spent the last six nights in some woods, alone with nothing but crawling insects and unseasoned, hunted food.
They deterred large animals and monsters, but insects were another story.
Neither the original Raven nor he had any experience with camping.
And it was, by far, the worst experience they ever had, combined.
The only saving grace of this entire journey was the make-shift suspensions he added to the carriage, and the mana training he was doing.
That was his only source of entertainment in the dreadful last week.
He wondered how Eve was managing herself while barely doing anything.
She only talked when he initiated the conversation.
"Raven," She called him out.
"Hmm!?" He responded with his dead voice.
"You are in charge of the hunt tonight." She ordered him without changing her tone.
"Like the last six days?" He grumbled at her words.
"It's your fault for only catching small animals," She clapped back.
"Do you even blame me?" He asked, "Your presence alone wards off most of the large animals."
"And the remaining ones just run away."
"Excuses won't get you anywhere, Rae."
Ugh!
It wasn't evident back at home, but for the last few days, he realized why she was still single.
Bam!
Ow!
A punch landed on his head.
Nuzzling his head, he complained, "What was that for?"
"Your eyes told me you were badmouthing me."
How does that even work?
But since it was true, he decided to let it go.
"Your grace," A shout arrived from outside. "Some people are blocking our path."
It was the coachman.
'Was it even more bandits?' He wondered.
Eve stepped down from the carriage to see what was happening.
Raven followed her suit.
"Pilgrims?"
Eve muttered.
A large group of people in simple white robes was traveling down the road, the crest of the Church of Solis etched onto their robes.
But something was off about them.
They had a fearful expression on their face, as they tiptoe'd around the carriage with their heads down.
"Hey," Eve held one of the pilgrims' arms, and asked, "Where is the banner of the Church of Solis?"
According to the traditions of the Church of Solis, at least one person in front of the pilgrimage must hold a banner of the Church of Solis.
If they get tired, another person must take their spot.
But the banner must be held at all times.
The person whom Eve grabbed slowly raised his head to see who stopped him.
His eyes widened as he immediately recognized the person.
How could he not?
A devout believer of the Church of Solis could recognize her from miles away.
After all, a cardinal was one of the most revered figures of the entire Church.
"Card-" But before he could say anything, Eve put her finger on her lips, signalling him not to reveal her identity right now.
She didn't want the bothersome attention from a horde of people.
"Mind stepping inside and answering some of my questions?" She asked, signaling Raven to head inside, too.
"Of course not," He said, immediately following Raven inside.
Eve stepped back in and closed the door.
"So, mind telling me what's going on?" She inquired.
His excitement about meeting a Cardinal died down instantly, and fear took over.
"Your grace," He started, "We are a pilgrimage group that headed out of Vividale Kingdom, 48 days ago."
"It was all going well until a few hours ago."
His hands shivered, and his words got stuck in his throat.
"Go ahead." Eve prompted him to go ahead and complete his sentence.
"The last village we stayed at… There was nobody there." His eyes contained a dim light of sheer horror.
It was evident he was forcing him to speak currently, as something was haunting his entire being.
"A slumbering Accursed-"
A mountainous pressure descended on him.
Every single being in the surrounding fell flat on the ground, including Raven and the coachman.
Urgh! Kugh!
"Oh, Lord!"
"Oh, Lord!"
"Oh, Solis!"
The pilgrims started frantically yelling, praying to Solis, while struggling to even move.
Some started crying, while some thought their end was near.
They thought the accursed caught up to them.
"Calm… down, sister." Raven gritted his teeth while tugging on the hem of her clothes.
Whoosh!
Eve realized her mistake and immediately retracted her mana.
But no one outside the carriage even dared to get up.
They already looked defeated before, and this sudden, unknown pressure had broken most of their wills.
"Accursed, in the Holy State, you say?" Eve asked, her voice chilling.
They had crossed the border of the Holy State on the third day.
And this was the ground of their Gods.
The pilgrim who was inside yelped, seeing her angry expression this up close.
He nearly pissed his pants from the pressure that dawned on him.
"..."
"Answer!" She repeated herself.
"Sister," Raven grabbed her by the shoulders and said, "Let me handle this."
He was the only one who was least affected by this sudden presentation of strength.
"Answer her already, mister." He reached out to him, "Do you not realize how serious this is?"
The pilgrim, who was scared out of his wits, nodded hesitantly.
"Y-y-yeah! It was a dormant accursed," He answered, "We personally felt the disgusting energy it was emitting."
"We all ran away instantly, and merely staying in the vicinity broke our wills."
"Guide us there," Eve ordered from behind, but Raven immediately blocked her.
"Can you tell us the directions to the village?" Raven asked him as quietly as he could.
The pilgrim nodded.
His entire body was shivering nonstop, but he barely lifted his arms and pointed in the direction they came from.
"It's right down this path, half a day away…"
"Thank you," Raven said, grabbing his shoulders gently, patting his back. "My sister has something for the bravery you have shown here."
"Huh!?" Eve was confused.
But Raven immediately turned around and raised his eyebrows.
Eve thought for a bit and then took out something from her pouch lying in a corner of the carriage.
"May the mighty Solis bless you and your pilgrimage." She sounded calmer now, handing him something.
A platinum plaque, with the symbol of the Church of Solis etched in it.
The pilgrim's eyes widened as he accepted the plaque with utter reverence, overshadowing his fear in his eyes.
The official plaque of being recognized by a Cardinal.
An honour that was almost unprecedented for a commoner like him.
He felt that his pilgrimage had already paid off.
He left soon after getting permission from her.
"What are we going to do now?" He asked, finally sitting back on seat.
"Not us, only me." She sounded full of rage, "I am going to crush it."