A Powerful Martial Artist Reincarnates as a Nun Knight

Church or monastic bell towers typically used their bells to signal the time under normal circumstances. To indicate the time, there was no need to ring the bells urgently, so the bells naturally resounded with a leisurely tempo, emanating a melodious and refreshing peal of “dong, dong.”

However, there were instances when the bell towers would ring outside the designated times – specifically, to warn of emergencies such as the presence of thieves or intruders. In such cases, the bells would rapidly peal with an urgent, hollow metallic clangor: “clang clang clang clang clang—”

At this very moment, the sound reverberating from the monastery’s bell tower carried that urgent warning tone. Alerted by the emergency bells, the monks abruptly interrupted their vigorous exchange session and rushed outside.

“What is the meaning of this!”
As the priests gathered, with Brother Jack, the day’s bell ringer, and Brother Brownell, who had requested the emergency ringing, descending from the tower, Brother Deacon Bevin stepped forward to inquire.

“What is going on here?”
“An intruder! A suspicious entity escaped from the sacristy!”
“What!? Explain in more detail!”

Upon hearing that an intruder had infiltrated the sacristy housing the sacred relics, Bevin and the surrounding monks were aghast. Trying to compose himself, Bevin asked for the full account as Brownell meticulously described how he and Hildegard had discovered the intruder attempting to flee from the sacristy’s shadows and its bizarre manner of escape after being bisected.

“An abomination whose severed upper and lower halves fled separately? Unbelievable…”
Bevin’s expression was one of utter bewilderment, though Brownell himself was equally dumbfounded, almost questioning whether he had truly witnessed such a sight. However, with Hildegard immediately giving chase, there was no time for idle disbelief.

Bevin found himself in a similar position. Regardless of how outrageous the situation seemed, an intruder had infiltrated the sacristy, leaving him no choice but to act as the monastery’s chief administrator. He immediately issued instructions to the gathered monks.

“Brothers! It seems we must take action without delay. From this point, we shall divide into two groups. One group will need to ascertain if any items have been stolen from the sacristy, and if so, identify what the intruder has taken. The other group shall assist Lady Wolfstein in pursuing the intruder. As for the leaders to head each group…”

Bevin’s words trailed off momentarily. Among those currently at the monastery, he was undoubtedly the one most familiar with the inventory housed in the sacristy. As such, he would have been the optimal choice to lead the inspection team.

However, that would leave only one authoritative figure suitable for commanding the pursuit of the unknown entity – Father Owain.

Yet Owain was somewhat elderly. Certainly, as a monk, he possessed a solid physical foundation, but it would be unreasonable to expect the non-combative priest to engage in the rough demands of pursuit like a battle monk. From the outset, developing martial prowess akin to Ezio would have been an anomaly.

In that light, was it appropriate to entrust the strenuous outdoor pursuit of an intruder of unknown danger to the aged, potentially unfit Owain? Such concerns clouded Bevin’s judgment like a dense fog.

Seemingly perceiving Bevin’s dilemma, Owain approached with a gentle smile, patting his shoulder as he spoke, “Have no worries. Though I may be old, I am not as decrepit as you might think.”

Flexing his biceps to demonstrate his sturdy physique uncharacteristic of his age, Owain’s tenacious, solid build was clearly too formidable to succumb easily to the ravages of aging.

Moreover, he had not neglected cultivating inverse muscle techniques throughout the process of forging his body, attaining a respectable level if not a profound realm. One who had already completed the firstbanding of astral muscles could hardly be deemed frail.

“But Father…!”
Yet that was beside the point. Owain was the spiritual pillar of the Plymouth Dominican monastery. If any harm befell him while commanding the pursuit, Bevin could never forgive himself.

Keenly aware of Bevin’s concerns, Owain proposed a compromise to alleviate his worries.

“Besides, am I not the only priest-monk present here?”
“You mean… Ah!”

Bevin’s gaze finally turned toward the muscular barefoot priest-monk who had been observing them – the formidable, imposing aura emanating from his highly trained astral muscles enveloping his robust physique. Faced with that majestic, reassuring presence, Bevin found himself unconsciously swallowing and nodding his head.

Instinctively, he understood there would be no issue – a natural reaction stemming from primal biological intuition.

Stepping forward with impeccable timing, the extraordinary muscular barefoot priest-monk, ‘Ezio Ecclesius Emmanuele,’ inquired, “Is there a role for me to assist?”

Confronted by his composed yet valiant dignity, which instilled both tranquility and courage in those around him, Bevin made his request with an unprecedented sense of peace.

“Father Emmanuele, I humbly ask that you lead the search for the sacristy intruder alongside Father Powell.”
“A simple task.”
The majestic Ezio smiled.
“You need not worry, brother.”

+++++

The search proceeded swiftly. While Hildegard pursued the intruder’s upper half and Ezio with some monks tracked the lower half, Bevin led the remaining monks in a thorough inventory inspection of the sacristy.

Not long after, as Bevin cross-checked the items against the inventory list, he realized the identity of the stolen relic and furrowed his brow in perplexity – the stolen item was quite unexpected.

“Ancient beans?”
Though a modest, mid-sized frontier monastery, the Plymouth Dominican sacristy housed relics of considerable significance and value, diligently preserved.

Amidst these treasures, the sole item disturbed – the only opened and emptied container – had held ancient beans, leaving Bevin utterly bewildered.

Certainly, as a relic originating from a dungeon, these ancient beans were no ordinary item, even if their innocuous appearance as mere beans failed to convey their true nature.

A young monk assisting with the inventory check inquired, “Could the intruder have mistaken the item?”

“Impossible. Such a bizarre creature must have infiltrated with clear intent. We should assume it deliberately took those beans, perhaps unaware of their true purpose.”

‘So there must have been some unknown use we’re unfamiliar with,’ Bevin muttered gravely.

“In any case, we must promptly relay this information to the pursuit teams.”
“I shall move at once.”
“Please do. And I should check the archives for any additional records related to the stolen item.”
“Then I shall summon the monks from the archives to assist you.”

After issuing those instructions, Sister Iseult Railach, who had been overseeing the operation, swiftly departed. Seeing her off, Bevin pressed his palm against his brow and let out a short sigh.

‘Hopefully, there will be no further incidents…’

As Bevin prepared to leave the sacristy for the archives, hoping for a peaceful resolution, something peculiar suddenly caught his eye.

“What… is that?”
Southwest of the monastery, in Plymouth’s main square…

An unfamiliar, colossal form had appeared – its outward appearance resembling the stem of a leafy plant. Yet its sheer scale was not merely large but utterly gargantuan.

So thick that over a hundred burly adults would need to join hands to encircle its circumference. Stretching endlessly skyward, it had grown so tall that it entwined the clouds as if using them as a trellis. Moreover, as if defiantly asserting its vegetal nature, the coiling tendrils continued to grow even as Bevin watched.

Its immense, reality-defying scale was enough to shatter one’s sense of perspective and challenge Bevin’s self-assuredly robust mental fortitude.

Bevin was not alone in witnessing this spectacle.
At that very moment, the monks tracking the intruder, the commanding Ezio and Owain, the citizens of Plymouth and visitors, the clergy of the Plymouth Church, and even Sophia, Conra, and Maria, who had been residing there – all who dwelled in the vicinity beheld this incredible scene.

Closest to the sight, Hildegard, having just vaporized the intruder’s trail with an applied sacred ritual, gazed up at the towering coiled stem with a despondent expression. From her agape lips, an unconscious, vulgar utterance emerged:

“Mother……”

Indeed, it seemed not a single matter had resolved easily in recent times. A stinging sensation welled in the corners of her eyes as she steadfastly ignored the divine spirit Ariel, who had manifested beside her with a sympathetic expression. Hildegard could only let out a feeble, hollow chuckle.