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The exchange meeting unfolded in a smooth flow.

Even though the monastery in Caledonia was considered remote on the continent, it was still part of the Dominican Order. They, too, had walked the path of contemplative practice, pursuing universal knowledge, and as a result, their intellectual level and aspirations were not inferior to other monasteries on the continent.

This was the unique advantage of those who inherited the lineage of contemplative practice. They sought universal knowledge that anyone could understand and empathize with, rather than personal, specialized knowledge. Thanks to this, the monks of the Dominican Order, regardless of regional differences, were generally intellectuals who had achieved a certain level of knowledge.

However, this contemplative practice, despite its strengths, had its weaknesses. While it was excellent for raising the basic level of all members, it was somewhat lacking in supporting individuals to glimpse higher realms based on their personal talents. Because it pursued universal and general knowledge, it was difficult to focus on exceptions and special cases.

Ultimately, it was a matter of where the emphasis was placed, but for monks seeking higher intellectual realms, the option of being satisfied and giving up was never acceptable.

In the midst of this, the exchange with a monk from the Ignatian Order, who had built his realm through experiential and empirical knowledge, was like finding a spring of fresh water in the midst of thirst.

They sought branches from the context of universal knowledge to specialized knowledge and traced the causality from specialized knowledge back to another form of universal knowledge. In this way, the two different perspectives intersected in one place, providing significant intellectual and spiritual stimulation. The exchange between the Dominican and Ignatian Orders often created such a virtuous cycle.

The flow reached its peak when Esiocles himself mentioned the “Theory of Physical and Spiritual Unity” he had realized.

“Through repetitive and isolated physical training, and the process of meticulously building up the body and mind, our souls can awaken the creative power of the beginning, the Light Power that the Grand Master pursued.”

“Of course, you may have felt it through your own practice, but if there were decisive evidence that could be presented to everyone, what would it be?”

Esiocles’ theory was quite plausible.

The practice of Light Power was ultimately about connecting inner virtue with the positive aspects of the world through sensory communion and practical expression. By receiving sensory “impressions” from the positive aspects of the world, inner virtue is stimulated, and by expressing this practically, the positive aspects of the world are further strengthened, improving the world itself.

In this interaction, Light Power finally blossoms, according to the mainstream theory of the Church Order.

In this context, imposing asceticism on the body through repetitive and isolated training, and then removing inner impurities, resulting in a healthy body and sound mind, did not conflict at all with the mainstream theory of Light Power practice.

However, fundamentally, “universal knowledge” had to be something that could first be “proven” and “empathized” with by anyone. Therefore, for Esiocles’ “Theory of Physical and Spiritual Unity” to be elevated to a “Theory of Physical Contemplation,” there needed to be clear evidence.

Esiocles readily offered to show the evidence.

“Let me introduce you! The spirit who made a contract with me, Saraswati!”

With his shout, a brilliant light gathered and exploded, revealing a silhouette within.

Her appearance, like other spirits, was enveloped in a milky halo, but the revealed silhouette was enough to estimate her form.

The figure of a woman with a healthy, toned, muscular body, sensual yet beautiful. The atmosphere was holy yet elegant, with overflowing vitality and energy surrounding her.

“Oh, ohhh!”

“A spirit!”

“This is the ‘spirit’ who has ‘resonated’ through ‘physical training’…!”

The reaction of the monks who witnessed Saraswati’s appearance was, needless to say, one of awe. They all opened their eyes wide and exclaimed in admiration at the spiritual guide from the golden age, the great harmonizer of light.

Some were even moved to tears, showing just how much influence and motivation the existence of the spirit had on the monks.

Then, as a monk, one must naturally experience what one has come to know. Even if it starts as subjective experience, through contemplation, it can surely be elevated to universal knowledge. The monks, sharing this belief, began to burn with an unstoppable passion.

“If this is the case, then as a monk, one must naturally experience it! Priest Esiocles, could you teach us about the Physical and Spiritual Unity? We definitely want to establish it as Physical Contemplation!”

As one monk excitedly pleaded, Esiocles, as if waiting for this, curled his lips and replied.

“Of course. That’s what this exchange meeting is for.”

And so, the flow of the exchange meeting turned the discussion hall into a gym (health club).

“Whoosh!”

“Gahhh!”

“Not yet! Brother, your muscles still have strength left! Burn it all!”

“Ugh, aaaah!!!”

An indescribable, sweaty camaraderie and passion rose like bonfire smoke, and the steam-filled space, filled with shirtless men, became a reality.

+++++

Meanwhile, regardless of what was happening inside the monastery’s meeting hall, Hildegard was deeply immersed in her own joy.

“Mmm~, this deep oak aroma. It feels incredibly profound, beyond words.”

Taking deep breaths, she smiled happily, smelling the unique aroma of the large and small oak barrels stored in the gin warehouse.

“Is this Petra oak? There seems to be a hint of another scent mixed in.”

“Sharp as ever, ma’am. The other scent you’re noticing might be from the Mazur oak.”

“What, really!? Mazur oak is quite expensive and rare, isn’t it?”

“As you know, gin generally tends to pursue a more affordable model, doesn’t it?”

Brother Brianil, the brewmaster monk who had guided Hildegard to the Plymouth gin distillery, answered her questions in a very friendly manner.

As Brother Brianil said, gin was basically a drink aimed at an affordable model that anyone could enjoy without burden. It was made from cheap grains that the wealthy generally didn’t consume.

“However, the process isn’t that simple, so by tweaking it, there’s a prospect of developing a partially premium product.”

“Oh, so that’s where the Mazur oak barrels come in?”

“Exactly. Besides that, we’re also researching the types of yeast used in brewing, the flavorings added during distillation, the delicate craftsmanship in the final distillation process, and what solvent to use during the rectification process to improve various factors.”

Brother Brianil’s proud and excited explanation made him seem more like a brewmaster than a monk. To be precise, he was practicing “brewing contemplation,” a type of contemplative practice where one awakens the principles of Light Power through honing brewing skills.

He showed as much pride in Plymouth gin as he did in his passion for advancing brewing techniques. Even Hildegard, who prided herself on her love and interest in all aspects of alcohol production and distribution, found his passion dazzling.

Hildegard couldn’t suppress her rising interest in the premium gin this monk was producing.

“When is the product expected to be released?”

At this point, Brother Brianil could guess what Hildegard was getting at. She probably wanted to be the first to get her hands on the new Plymouth gin as soon as it was released.

Noticing this, he curled his lips and said, “Actually, it’s just about the right time to open the first batch. I was thinking of holding a tasting session during dinner tonight.”

“Oh, ohhh. A tasting session…!”

Hildegard’s voice trembled with anticipation. Coincidentally, Esiocles and Hildegard had been invited to dinner at the monastery that evening, so she might get a taste during the tasting session.

While a full-blown drinking spree in Hildegard’s style might be too much for the monastery, slowly savoring a glass to appreciate its flavor and aroma would be possible.

‘Drinking to the point of drunkenness is good, but calmly enjoying the finer points of good liquor isn’t bad either.’

Suddenly feeling a fierce anticipation for the evening, Hildegard clenched her fist.

While receiving a tour of the brewing and distillation facilities from Brother Brianil, along with the history and facilities of the Plymouth Dominican Monastery, Hildegard noticed something.

Generally, a monastery building consists of nine essential components: a square garden, cloisters surrounding the garden, a chapel for various pious ceremonies, an office space also known as the “Tiferet,” a chapter room for reading doctrine and monastic rules, dormitories for monks, a dining hall and workrooms, and finally, a reliquary for storing holy relics.

The brewing and distillation facilities of the Plymouth Monastery were part of the workrooms. Not far from these workrooms was the reliquary.

Suddenly, Brother Brianil and Hildegard noticed a faint shadow passing near the reliquary.

“Just out of curiosity, is it common for outsiders to enter the monastery?”

“Haha… How could that be?”

Brother Brianil shook his head with a bitter smile at Hildegard’s question. Moments later, both their faces stiffened as if by agreement. And the next moment, Hildegard’s body shot forward like a cannonball. Her target was a suspicious silhouette trying to sneak out of the monastery, hiding in the shadows of the reliquary.

“Stop right there!”

“Tch, caught!”

With a thunderous warning, Hildegard’s halberd flashed, its sharp blade drawing an arc, aiming to restrict the intruder’s path. But the next moment, Hildegard realized her oversight.

“What!?”

The sound of flesh being cut and the splatter of an alien green fluid.

Amazingly, the intruder had thrown themselves into the path of Hildegard’s halberd.

But what surprised her wasn’t the intruder’s sudden action. It was that the intruder’s upper and lower body, cleanly split by the halberd’s trajectory, began to flee in opposite directions as if they were separate entities.

Of course, the cross-section of the intruder’s body, the alien green muscle fibers, clearly showed that it had been one entity before being split. But then, there was an even stranger problem.

‘I clearly cut through the torso, but where did the internal organs go?’

The cross-section showed only muscle fibers clinging to the bone, twitching, with no sign of the internal organs that should have been in the torso. Moreover, the split upper and lower bodies were frantically moving their arms or legs to escape Hildegard’s pursuit.

To make matters worse, the upper and lower bodies were fleeing in completely opposite directions. Their swift escape speed was more than enough to create distance while Hildegard hesitated for a moment about which one to chase.

‘Damn it, no time to hesitate!’

Honestly, working as a nun knight, you encounter all sorts of bizarre creatures. Complaining inwardly, Hildegard decided to chase one of the fleeing halves.

+++++

Meanwhile, Sophia, who was assigning training to Conra and Maria as usual, suddenly fixed her gaze in one direction.

“What’s this?”

The insight of someone who had reached the realm of a superhuman, that mystical intuition, was warning her of something.

“This direction is where Esiocles and Hildegard went earlier. Is something about to happen again?”

Given the heavy rain and storm they had just endured, which had already caused enough damage, Sophia sighed, thinking that they were about to be overwhelmed by another incident.

 

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