Chapter: 649
After using the Authority of Purification, I realized that this authority is heavily influenced by the user’s judgment.
Maybe all authorities are like this.
I think it’s because I’ve been restricting the use of the Authority of Embrace and forcing it through that I’ve managed to handle it so easily.
If I get used to this, I might be able to use it in more diverse ways.
But, there’s not enough time for that.
The time from now until the Pope executes his plan is at most two months. I can’t handle the Authority of God like the Pope does in that time.
Especially to face the Pope, I need to have something clear to hold onto, just like when I started using the Authority of Embrace.
If I fail to achieve this goal, I’ll get blocked by the Pope’s powers just like I failed to awaken the fairies.
With these worries weighing on me, I threw a question to Chunwon. I asked how I could properly handle the Authority of Purification.
While Chunwon was useless in the Pope’s mansion, it started working properly as soon as we got outside.
[Head to Talina.]
Talina.
One of the famous cities in the Magic Empire.
It’s also a place where you can buy various magical tools in the game, and depending on the story’s progression, it becomes a place you can’t visit.
Wait, am I really in the Magic Empire right now? So this is the southern plains of the Magic Empire?
I’m not sure what’s there in Talina that can help me, but one thing is certain.
It’s where my enemies will soon appear.
As the Pope attempts to resurrect the Evil God Agra, changes are gradually occurring in this world.
The divine nature and magic power are getting stronger, blessings easily dwell in the bodies of newly born children, and the difficulty of dungeons is skyrocketing.
There are many other environmental changes, but what’s important for me is that as we get closer to the Age of Myth, the long-sleeping beings are waking up one by one.
And the place that signals the start of this is none other than Talina.
Considering that it was the Pope who dropped me here, this makes you wonder if it was a deliberate prank.
How dare a fanatic try to impose trials upon an Apostle!
Hahaha. Well. Fine. Since the mischievous, disgusting His Holiness the Pope has fed me sh*t, I should serve him some back in return.
[Don't you want to contact your friends? You could reach them using the crystal ball.]
‘That might be true. But then it won’t be dramatic, will it?’
<...What?>
‘I’ll see them again in two days anyway, so I’ll move alone until then.’
Right now, I don’t need to give my friends specific instructions. They already know what they need to do and are preparing for the future.
So I just have to do what I can do.
Although I put a bit of personal feeling into it, it’s definitely for the good of the world.
When I resolutely stated this, Grandpa didn’t feel the need to say anything more.
He probably thinks that the Shoddy God has said something.
But that guy is currently silent.
Having decided what to do, I immediately dashed across the plains.
I had no worries about where to go. As long as I know my position, I already know how to move afterward.
Even if I stumble a little, my instincts will naturally sort it out, so there’s no need to panic over getting a map.
[Are you not tired? You’ve been running all night since yesterday.]
‘Do I look like I’d feel this tired?’
Not particularly. After relentless training at the Allen Family, staying up for several days has become nothing.
[Then that's good. So how long until we reach a populated area?]
‘A few hours and I’ll see some villages. I’ll ignore them and head for the city at the end.’
It’s a fact that I’m faster than whatever means of transportation there is.
There’s no reason to wake people up and cause a commotion.
For the future, I must prevent as much bad reputation from spreading as possible.
I need to carry the goodwill created by the Artisan Guild to ensure that even if I act a little rough later, I can laugh it off.
I should unleash my antics on the Shoddy God who can be silenced even when acting out. I can’t let this Mesugaki lose control of anger.
How long have I been running according to the map in my head?
As the sky painted with sunset colors was cloaked in a black veil, the stars and moon etched upon it sparkled and danced, and just when I shut my eyes on the blue satin bedspread of the sea, the large city walls appeared in the distance.
*
Upon arriving near the city walls, I concealed my appearance with the hero’s cloak and hood.
My looks are too eye-catching to move around openly.
For a dramatic entrance, I need to keep my identity hidden until that time.
[Even so, there’ll be a ruckus when you pass through the city gate, right?]
‘It’s okay. I have excellent negotiation tools.’
Confidently following behind a trader who had already been inspected, the soldiers squinted their eyes and looked around.
“Hey kid, who are you with?”
Who?
“Are you a lost child?”
Who are you calling a kid?! Trying to brush off my feelings with one word so I held back my frustration and pulled out my pockets toward the soldiers.
“Dude. Look at this.”
“…Huh?”
Oh? Why do I feel fear in their eyes instead of greed?
Wasn’t the whole point to offer a suitable bribe and move on smoothly?
[What did you put in there? ]
‘One golden coin’s worth of silver coins.’
[That’s too much! If you wanted to pass quietly, you should’ve just slipped a few silver coins!]
‘Isn’t it good to offer more?’
[Think about it! A random lost kid suddenly offers a large sum of money—who wouldn’t be suspicious? They’d think it’s fake or, even if it isn’t, that you’re caught up in something strange!]
Do I really need to think about these things when offering a bribe!? This is like a reality online game gone wrong!
‘What should I do!?’
[What should you do? Just run away! You know a detour, right?!]
‘I don’t!’
[You don’t know?!]
‘Not everyone knows everything, you know?!’
“Miss!”
While I was urging Grandpa to come up with a plausible plan, I heard a familiar voice from behind.
I flinched at the woman’s voice I heard every morning while in the mansion and subtly turned my head to check under my hood.
She was wearing a simple gray dress she often wore when going out, naturally catching the soldiers’ attention.
“Did our young lady do something?”
“Ah, she wanted to get in.”
Why is she here? How did she find out my movements?
Caw! Was it you!? Did you tell Erin!?
I’m going to return tomorrow anyway, so why are you meddling around and causing a scene?!
Should I expose just how much of a useless pervert you are in front of everyone?
“Can you grant us your understanding?”
Ugh?! Did the Shoddy Dog follow too!?
Just spread the rumors all over the continent, huh!
As I inwardly lamented, Karl approached the guards and whispered something.
Then the guards nodded and cleared their throats, telling me to go on through.
Given the gleeful looks on them looking down at me, I think I know what they’re thinking.
Having gotten into the city, I immediately headed towards an inn with the two of them.
“Miss, what you thought is correct. The Goddess spoke to me.”
The voyeuristic crow couldn’t shed its habits and started stalking as soon as I stepped outside.
At least it was fortunate that I had asked Erin to take only a reliable person with her since she seemed to have caught onto my desire not to be detected by others.
If it weren’t for that, by now, a crowd including Benedict would have been following Erin.
“Sloppy Erin. Was this Shoddy Dog the only one you brought?”
“He’s your escort knight, isn’t he?”
“I regret this. I should’ve brought a person instead of a mixed breed.”
As soon as I entered, I was happy to see the charming faces of the main characters. Karl’s eyes were already red from crying profusely.
This is how you use a face that stands out even among main characters, huh.
It’s no wonder a fairy chose such a guy, but the regret is unavoidable.
– Ugh. Stop it! Stop it already!
Seeing the fairies sleeping in my head and the fairy getting beaten up, I let out a deep sigh and plopped down on the bed.
“I apologize if I was a hindrance. It’s just been some time since our young lady went missing, and I was worried.”
“It’s fine. I was actually pleased to see your pathetic faces for the first time in a while, so I forgive you.”
As long as it doesn’t lead to a big ruckus, it’s no problem.
You could say I’m fortunate to finally have someone who can converse with others in my place.
I felt it keenly also, but I’m a clueless kid who doesn’t know much about the world, so wandering alone could lead to more terrible blunders.
“Miss. I don’t know what you’re planning to do. You don’t need to tell us, but just let us know if there’s any way we can help.”
Shaking my head at Erin’s words that seemed more of a hindrance, I thought otherwise.
I didn’t want to leave her behind after coming this far. There must be a realm where she can be useful, and I just don’t like to leave them alone.
“Then please, use me willingly. We are your tools.”
Wow, Erin is so cool. Much more knightly than Karl, who was crying alongside me.
“Sure, you think you’re cool. But really, there’s not much a useless one like you can do?”
“I’ll do my best, no matter how little it is.”
Watching her smile, I shrugged and gazed out the window.
I was looking at the scenery of a city much more sophisticated than the dungeon cities I had previously visited, so elegant that it couldn’t be compared with cities of adventurers, and it reminded me of the scenes I’d seen beyond the monitor.
The sight of a city being devastated by the monsters spewed from a dungeon that had suddenly appeared.
“For now, I’ll meet a few shoddy folks who think highly of themselves and make them cry.”
“Where are you headed first?”
“You know that a bunch of fools are gathering here, who worship a loser who dares to claim he’s a god even though his city was wrecked, right?”
“Yes. It’s the place that reveres the God of Magic.”
“That idiot loser lent strength to something as useless as him.”
The Apostle of Magic.
Ah, just thinking of that punk makes me infuriated.
Even halfway through, he’s a magician who gets outclassed by Joy’s talent, yet he has such a high nose—that bugs me too much but it’s challenging to mess with him because of his ambiguous significance.
But here, it’s reality and the freedom is top-notch!
Hehehe.
For now, I think I’ll make sure I make a fool of myself for not being able to contain my feelings.
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