A Powerful Martial Artist Reincarnates as a Nun Knight

The Port of Bordeaux was not the only port in the Bordeaux region.
Was it because the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers converged there? In addition to the Port of Bordeaux located along the Garonne, another port was situated along the Dordogne River in the Bordeaux region.

This port, in the town of Cavernes, was connected to the Dordogne region via the river.
Traditionally developed in agriculture and cuisine, unlike the Garonne River serving as a logistics hub diagonally crossing Aquitaine from Toulouse through Montauban and Agen to reach the Mediterranean coastal regions and the Atlantic Ocean, the Dordogne River primarily functioned as a culinary road traversing southern Frankia from east to west, transporting the region’s abundant agricultural produce and ingredients.

Located at the convergence of these two rivers, Bordeaux not only became a confluence of the Garonne’s goods and the Dordogne’s culinary culture but also served as a hub for oceanic trade via the Gironde Estuary connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. Bordeaux was truly a prosperous land blessed by nature.

The location of the human trafficking organization’s base indicated by Priestess Clermant was in Centulari, situated between the ports of Cavernes and Bordeaux.

“For an organization defying the laws of the land and the Church’s precepts to be based in a region named after Saint Eulalia.”

Shaking her head at the ironic mismatch between the name’s origin and the organization’s activities, Sophia sighed.

Admittedly, it was understandable. Centulari’s proximity to both the Cavernes and Bordeaux ports made it an advantageous location, allowing the organization to benefit from the waterways of both sides.

As an illegal trafficking group, the waterways not only facilitated their operations but also provided a means of quickly destroying evidence and retreating if their illicit activities were discovered. Centulari suited their needs perfectly.

According to the innkeeper Hildemar Hiltmann, whom they had previously encountered running the inn, these criminals posed as a legitimate company and devout churchgoers, cultivating a positive local reputation through minor charitable acts.

“How appalling, Master.”
“That’s just how these criminal undergrounds operate, Sister.”

As Conra expressed his exasperation trailing behind Sophia, Maria, who had also accompanied them, replied as if it were an unremarkable matter.

The simple reason Maria had been brought along to confront the criminal organization was for field experience. However, she had only begun her training under Sophia a little over a month ago, so this “field experience” was not a culmination of her training but rather an opportunity for exposure.

In truth, after witnessing Maria’s resourceful escape and her perceptive improvisation against Kernunnos Tibicena, Sophia had assessed, ‘You seem to be the type well-suited for actual combat experience. It would likely accelerate your progress to gain such experience periodically,’ and had simply brought her along.

In that sense, Conra’s role was akin to a security detail, following behind to safeguard the still relatively inexperienced and immature Maria.

“Let me explain the plan once more before we proceed. The building the criminals use as their hideout has three floors above ground and two basement levels. The first floor operates as a tavern, while the second and third floors function as inns. Their hideout is in the basement, with the first basement level disguised as an inn’s storage area and the second basement level as a wine cellar. However, according to Innkeeper Hiltmann, there are separate hidden spaces on all five floors, likely serving as their actual hideout.”

Mentioning even the dubious details she had uncovered, Sophia continued her operational briefing.

“The hidden space on the first floor is likely behind the bar’s back wall. Ordinarily, that area should have a kitchen and staff room, but conveniently, this tavern has an open kitchen layout, fully exposing the cooking area. So the space behind that wall must be vacant. I plan to immediately breach that wall upon entry.”

Starting with such a bold statement, Sophia turned her gaze toward Maria and Conra.

“Once I breach the wall and expose the hidden space, the criminals will swarm out like hornets. Maria and Conra, you’ll need to find the staircase there and successively secure the second and third floors.”

“Yes, Master.”
“Conra, ensure Maria gains diverse experience, but respond appropriately if the situation becomes too dangerous. Understood?”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Master.”

After addressing Maria and Conra, Sophia turned to Priestess Clermant and Sister Agnès.

“Priestess, junior, you’ll come with me to the basement.”
“Understood. I’m counting on you.”
“I shall follow your lead, Senior.”

As Clermant and Agnès responded, Sophia fixed her gaze on the building before them.

“Then…”
Taking a step forward, Sophia declared, “Let’s go.”

No verbal reply followed. Clermant, Agnès, Maria, and Conra simply nodded silently in acknowledgment. At last, the operation commenced.

+++++

It was an ordinary day, like any other. Though late winter, Bordeaux was a land unfamiliar with biting winds. Like the western coastal regions of this continent, Bordeaux maintained its mild climate as always.

The tavern’s patrons were diverse. Some were day laborers from the nearby docks who had come for a drink after their strenuous work as porters, while others were guests from the second and third-floor inns. Their common ground was the desire to unwind with a drink, whether alone or in small groups creating a lively atmosphere, to relieve the physical and mental fatigue accumulated during the day.

It was the late afternoon, close to dusk, when the daytime lull gave way to the gradual arrival of patrons. At that very moment, a group entered through the tavern’s doors.

The creaking friction was not enough to draw the attention of those who had already had a drink or two. Nevertheless, the patrons’ gazes were naturally drawn to the newcomers, whose attire and demeanor clashed with the tavern’s atmosphere.

A nun knight, a nun priestess, a nun who appeared to be in her early to mid-teens at most, and an even younger boy-girl pair.

It was not merely their appearances that stood out. Even without speaking, their inherently pure and virtuous aura was a rarity in such a tavern setting.

Their appearances and atmosphere conveyed such a sense of displacement that it instilled an unfounded certainty: ‘People like them would have no reason to come to a place like this without purpose.’

However, when had the patrons ever cared about such things? They quickly lost interest in the new arrivals and resumed their lively conversations over their drinks.

Yet there were inevitably those who could not remain so indifferent. Some individuals among the patrons and staff reacted instinctively with tension at the suspicious group’s presence, subtly furrowing their brows as they began to move cautiously.

A few individuals mingled among the patrons, as well as some of the staff members, carefully reached for their waists, slowly closing the distance around the suspicious group.

Sophia, leading the group, could not have failed to notice these movements. Abruptly stopping in her tracks, she spoke in a solemn tone without changing her expression.

“””Stop right there. You would be wise not to move any further.”””

Her voice resonated simultaneously in multiple directions and dialects, clearly conveying the meaning: ‘The disparity in our strengths is evident, so obediently stand down.’

Of course, the ordinary patrons who had long since lost interest in Sophia’s group remained unaware of these developments. However, those who had comprehended Sophia’s feat and the intent behind her words did not heed her warning, continuing their movements undeterred.

“Tch, refusing to heed the warning? Then you must be prepared for the consequences. Very well, I shall not hold back.”

Accompanying her words, Sophia raised one foot and stomped it down. At that instant:

Boom! Rumble――.

The trembling ground felt like an earthquake had struck. Startled by the sudden tremors, the patrons began murmuring in confusion.

“What, what was that?”
“An earthquake?”
“An earthquake? So suddenly?”

As baseless rumors emerged – some attributing it to an angered spirit, others to a monster’s doing – Sophia took another step forward and stomped her foot again.

In that moment, some present felt as if the ceiling, or rather, the sky beyond, had descended toward the ground. Others found it difficult to breathe, an unprecedented weight and pressure emanating from the surrounding air. Through this, some realized that this place had been entirely subjugated by someone.

And then, the sound of another stomping footfall reverberated. With her third stomp, Sophia thrust her clenched fist forward.

“Hum!”

A short kiai accompanied her punch into the empty space, the resulting shockwave propagating outward. The force impacting the void instantly reached the back wall behind the bar. Soon after, with a cracking sound, the wall disintegrated, reduced to swirling dust and debris where it had once stood.

Sophia’s shockwave had severed the structural integrity of the wall behind the bar.

In the momentary blankness that ensued from these sudden phenomena, Maria, Conra, Clermant, and Agnès did not let the opportunity slip.

“Sister, let’s go!”
“Uwah, don’t be too hasty! It’s dangerous!”
“Priestess, I’ll take the lead!”
“Please do, Agnès!”
“Leave it to me!”

Like shooting stars, Sophia’s group charged over the counter. Only then did the dazed group finally regain their senses, glaring at Sophia’s party as they rushed to confront them. Ordinarily, they might have taken the time for a cautious approach, but the rapidly unfolding situation allowed no one the luxury of careful deliberation.

Amid the commotion, the startled patrons reacted in disarray – some freezing, others wandering aimlessly, while others hid in corners or fled, further exacerbating the chaos.

Surveying the scene she had created with a dispassionate gaze, Sophia clapped three soulless claps of appreciation before quickening her pace once more.