Chapter: 370
Gundo was basically some extra content in the game called Soul Academy.
The 14 dungeons scattered across the islands of Gundo weren’t related to the main storyline at all, yet they boasted such high quality that once players cleared all the dungeons in the main game, they’d flock here searching for even more challenges.
I mean, the dungeons were so well-designed that people claimed they should have just hidden them away, enlarged the scope, and released them as DLC.
At first, I thought that if the main game had delivered this level of content, the DLC would surely blow our minds. But it didn’t take long for me to realize how naive I was.
Who would have thought that years would pass without even a hint of DLC?
How was I to know back then that the Soul Academy dev team’s last spark had been extinguished? I figured they would’ve reinvested the money they made!
How could I have known that the guy who constantly wrote on the Soul Academy forums would vanish before we heard any news!
Back then, there were all sorts of urban legends, like the CEO absconding with the money, employees quitting en masse due to excessive workloads, or that the office burned down. But reflecting on it now, it feels oddly significant.
This wasn’t just any regular game, and so its creators couldn’t have been ordinary people either.
Perhaps one of them still existed in this world. If I ever met the developer, I’d have to ask them why they didn’t release any DLC. I would demand answers on why, after consuming all the game content, I was left with nothing to do while they remained silent on updates!
“Excuse me, Lady Alrn, do you have a moment?”
Lost in thoughts of imprisoning developers and feeding them dumplings while forcing them to create new works, I shrugged at the sight of Isabel Artea, who was walking through the sea breeze.
As the name Gundo suggests, it’s a location inaccessible by land. Plus, the earth here has this weird magical resistance, making teleportation spells pretty much useless.
Unless you’re some grand archmage like the Duke of Partran, you wouldn’t dare approach this place; you absolutely need a boat to get there.
There are countless routes to take, but the one I chose was the Artea family’s ship.
Why? Because it was the only boat I could grab!
With the notorious young lady of the Alrn family, Lady Alrn of the Partran family, and the kingdom’s third prince on board, who else could handle that?
If anything went wrong, not only would I be risking my life, but my entire family’s too—who would take on that liability?
Of course, some folks would want to get closer to us, but we don’t need those lowlifes.
In the end, after filtering through everyone, Isabel was my only option left. Just mentioning I’d pray for her would guarantee that she’d facilitate the sailing.
“I wanted to ask for a blessing for you before we set sail—if it’s not too much trouble.”
‘Blessing for this ship…’
“Are you really asking to bless this shabby old boat that could sink at any moment? Feels pointless, but I guess I can’t refuse.”
Thanks to all the daily prayers I’d offered to the pathetic god, I had no qualms about making such requests anymore.
Standing at the bow, I folded my hands and closed my eyes, feeling the expectant gazes of the crew upon me. As I did, the divine energy from within me began to flow outward.
“Oh, great lord…”
“Creepy, voyeuristic pathetic god.”
As soon as the first words escaped my lips, murmurs broke out around me, but I smiled and ignored them.
There was no point in explaining that this wasn’t strange since it would only deepen the misunderstanding caused by my Mesugaki tendencies. By the time the prayer was finished, everyone would naturally realize the blessing had been successful.
“May peace dwell in the path we tread today.”
“Please make sure the cowards on this flashy ship don’t wet themselves, and keep this rickety vessel safe from the useless crew!”
…Ah, maybe I should have just snuck off to the captain’s cabin to pray without anyone noticing. The murmurs had grown louder, so I took a deep breath and continued my prayer.
I just hoped that by the end of it, the atmosphere would shift.
*
Lucy Alrn announced our departure to Gundo the day after she returned to her family.
There wasn’t anything to prepare; aside from the belongings our group brought, Lucy had everything else set up in advance.
After nearly two weeks of only sleeping for a few hours, the rest were up early and followed Lucy to the Artea estate.
At that point, Arthur had no clue that Lucy had any ties to the Artea family. Given that the Artea estate was located on the coast, it was bustling with skilled sailors, so he figured she’d just find a decent ship there.
So, when he saw Isabel Artea personally come to welcome Lucy, he was genuinely surprised.
The way Isabel treated Lucy was not one that could simply be attributed to friendship.
What on earth had happened for the head of the Artea family to fawn over Lucy Alrn like this?
Arthur slightly turned his gaze to Joy, who, being familiar with noble power dynamics, he thought might have insights into the situation.
“U-uh? Uh?”
The moment Arthur noticed Joy had lost track of the conversation, he shook his head. If Joy didn’t understand what was happening, it implied something significant had gone down recently.
It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. If Isabel Artea willingly offered up her ship, the journey to Gundo would be much more comfortable.
Once they arrived in Gundo, Lucy Alrn expected them to conquer two medium dungeons a day, so any chance to relax before that would be welcomed.
Thus, boarding the Artea family’s ship, Arthur smiled warmly as he watched Frey, who was exploring the ship like it was his first time aboard.
Meanwhile, right next to him was Joy, looking a bit green around the gills.
“Are you seasick?”
“…Yes, very much so.”
“That’s not good. We won’t have any time to rest after we reach Gundo.”
“Do you think Lady Alrn really intends to clear all the dungeons within a week?”
“Joy, more than anyone, you should know Lucy Alrn doesn’t talk about the impossible lightly.”
“True…”
She probably set the plan to clear two dungeons a day out of consideration for them. After all, Lucy’s grasp of reason was quite different from others.
Even as Arthur thought this, he didn’t share his thoughts with Joy. If she realized she was tumbling from hell into another hell, she would certainly break down.
Just as he was about to suggest he enter their room to avoid motion sickness, something warm brushing past them caught his attention.
This energy felt similar to when the Saint blessed him.
But it was different—warmer and cozier. As if entranced, he got up from his seat, and the other two quickly followed suit.
What greeted them on the deck was a scene of fellow crew members lost in thought, staring vacantly at the bow of the ship, even forgetting to clean up after the launch.
Rather than reprimanding the underlings, they had joined in on the staring.
At the bow, the head of the Artea family was kneeled, tears streaming down her face.
And amidst all this, there was Lucy Alrn, unwaveringly continuing her prayer.
“…Hah.”
Arthur looked up at her and let out a laugh. It’s not that he didn’t have anything to say; he was just overwhelmed with too many thoughts to put into words.
The warm divine energy spreading around, the robust yet humble stance, even the Apostle of the Art Guild looked captivated. Her tiny lips kept moving endlessly, flowing with a voice like the spring breeze.
“May these useless people here not wet themselves as they weep, hoping to keep their lives intact.”
And that oratory was not at all fitting for such a reverent scene.
Arthur gawked at Lucy Alrn, who had broken the spell. If it weren’t for that voice, she could have easily become a symbol of the church following the Saint.
As Arthur pondered this with a slight grimace, Lucy’s prayer finally came to an end.
Then, the divine energy that filled the ship permeated through its sides, distributing warmth throughout. The blessing from Lucy had taken root in the vessel.
That such an irreverent prayer could yield proper results—truly, the great lord must be merciful enough to embrace even such a cheeky girl.
Or perhaps the god prefers such irreverence. As Arthur chuckled at the thought of facing countless criticism for his blasphemy, he suddenly remembered the countless discomforts he felt around Lucy Alrn and froze.
What if, just perhaps, the tone that escaped Lucy Alrn’s lips was completely unrelated to her own will?
What if the god knew that she was being irreverent yet still chose to grant her the power?
Though this sudden idea seemed outrageous, Arthur couldn’t help but entertain it.
If her tone was removed from her temperament, it would explain so much.
Whether speaking to anyone, her tone was always cheeky, and her playful demeanor starkly contrasted with her sanctity.
Moreover, various antics Lucy had pulled could all be wrapped under this idea of compulsion.
Realizing this mind-boggling concept, Arthur stared blankly at Lucy, who had become the focus of gratitude from the crew and their leader.
“Excuse me,”
Turning at the sudden voice from behind, he was taken aback. He hadn’t sensed anyone approaching.
Despite enduring hellish training in the Alrn Order that sharpened his senses, he was still unable to catch this presence.
“Pardon me, Your Highness, the Third Prince.”
The man who spoke embodied a fierce presence. Anyone would assume he was a sailor, given his rough frame, yet his voice was low and respectful.
While Arthur carefully chose his words amidst the impossibility of comprehension, the man politely continued.
“Please don’t mention what you just realized. The young lady is yet to find anyone who understands her.”
“…What?”
“It won’t take long, so please bear with it until this endeavor concludes.”
“That’s some nonsense…”
Arthur tried to respond, but his words never reached the sailor. The moment he lost his strength, the sailor crumpled to the ground.
When the sailor regained consciousness, Arthur questioned him, but he genuinely knew nothing—not even about Lady Alrn’s blessing over the ship.
As the ship blessed by Lucy Alrn steered towards Gundo, Arthur bit his lips within the gently swaying cabin.
Somehow, the days spent on the islands didn’t seem like they would be easy.
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