“So that happened. Indeed, even though it’s just a doppelgänger, Vervaria is said to be a highly lethal demon with each of its heads mentioned in the scriptures. To send such a demon retreating… is quite an accomplishment in itself, even if we didn’t manage to eliminate it.”
Yona’s explanation went on for quite a bit.
Though she tried to explain coherently, she still rammed on and meandered a bit, which prompted Ceres to jump in with additional explanations before the Pope was fully convinced.
“Right, you want to entrust that child to the orphanage at the Cathedral in this Church Region?”
“Yes, if possible.”
“It is certainly possible. I will give direct orders to ensure that they do not treat her with any negligence.”
“Th-thank you!”
Yona, without realizing it, shot up and bowed her waist 90 degrees in thanks.
Rubina, Rubina.
It was wonderful that they had saved her and even made it all the way to Kapatia Port together.
However, the poor child had to witness things she couldn’t bear to see and endure tough experiences.
Just the thought of the Pope personally ensuring her well-being made life seem so much easier.
At least, she would grow up in a much more comfortable environment, receiving good education compared to trailing after Yona.
“What thanks? It’s us who should be more grateful. We would like to give you a modest reward, but… is there anything you need?”
“Um…”
That thought had crossed her mind.
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It was only natural that adventurers who had made significant contributions in repelling the demon’s doppelgänger would receive monetary rewards, but Yona had something else in mind.
“Um, perhaps…?”
“Perhaps? Do you need gold coins?”
“Ah, no. Not that.”
Yona shook her head.
Sure, she needed gold coins, especially since she had no idea how much it would cost to receive treatment from the Mage Community, so the more, the merrier. But she had something else on her mind first.
“Is there a shield… and a hammer available?”
“A hammer?”
The Pope’s eyes widened.
Having been a general, he had met many adventurers in his time. From trivial requests to very significant affairs, he had encountered them all, and they were all greedy, seeking excessive rewards for minimal effort.
So, curious about what Yona, being an adventurer for a few years, would ask, he was quite surprised by her unexpected request.
“My companion uses a shield and a hammer…”
Alex’s hammer was so old that the head was about to fall off.
The shield, of course, was his basic equipment, but after years of use and constant repairs every time it got damaged, it was hardly performing anywhere near its original capacity.
The performance didn’t come through.
“Your companions? Of course, all four of you will receive rewards, so he will get one as well, but for non-gold items, we’ll provide one per person.”
Pope Akzel IV casually hinted at something.
There were guidelines in place regarding what kind of rewards were to be given for such matters.
Being a cathedral that aims to combat demons, there must be some rules about rewards.
For defeating such a demon spawn, the bounty was set at a hundred gold coins or one item of your choice.
So, while Yona mentioned the shield and hammer, one of them would have to be sacrificed.
“Then…”
Yona fell into thought for a moment.
The essence of being an adventurer is that there’s no sense of camaraderie.
As usual, she would end up choosing either the shield or the hammer in the end.
“I’ll take the shield for myself, and the hammer for my companion. That’s possible, right?”
“The shield, you say. So be it. However, it is quite surprising that a non-knight from the cathedral like yourself is taking the shield. The priest’s shield may not have much of a practical use.”
“Oh, that’s fine. I’ll be using a knight’s shield anyway.”
Yona chuckled.
After all, she wouldn’t be using the shield herself.
“My companion will be using both.”
“Wow.”
That was unexpected.
*
“There’s nothing better than the Sacred Barrier I gave you, not at this moment.”
Though Pope Akzel IV would greatly regret hearing that, as Ceres stated, the Sacred Barrier wrapped around Yona was indeed the best equipment she could have right now.
Even if they rummaged through the main armory, there wouldn’t be a better Sacred Barrier available.
The Sacred Barrier was a weapon designated for healers, and since no priests used it, there was no need to stock a good one.
In a way, this Sacred Barrier being in Ceres’s hands made complete sense for that reason.
“That’s true. Heh.”
Yona felt uplifted and kept smiling brightly.
Both Alex’s shield and hammer were in such shambles that even if they could be repaired, who knew how long that would last? It felt precarious because Alex’s gear was a matter of her life too, so it was nice to bask in a little glory during this time.
“Alex will be really happy.”
“He should be. No, he definitely must be.”
“I think so too. I’ll let James and Kaiyak know separately. But…”
Ceres stopped in the middle of the corridor.
Thus, Yona found herself stopping as well.
“Is it really okay to decline the ceremony for the rewards?”
After all, Pope Akzel IV wanted to bless those who defeated the Vervaria spawn with a grand event and offer them rewards. However, the moment she heard that, Yona had declined and wanted to wrap up quietly by just picking whatever items she desired from the armory.
“Adventurers absolutely hate that kind of stuff. They’re probably twisting and turning in agony just by stepping into the Cathedral’s main hall right now.”
“…Really?”
Is there someone who would refuse such an honor?
Ceres couldn’t quite understand.
But since that was the case, she decided to just roll with it.
*
That night.
Yona stood in front of Ceres’s door.
Tomorrow is the day.
She had already decided to leave Rubina at the orphanage in the morning, and all the paperwork was done.
Besides, tomorrow was also the day of the hero Ludvik and Priest Vigrind’s ordination ceremony.
And it was also the day Yona and her party were setting off.
Now, at Ceres’s request to stop by her room tonight, Yona found herself standing in front of Ceres’s door, unable to refuse.
She thought she had gotten close to Ceres during their journey, but standing here in front of the door made her nervous.
It couldn’t be helped; Ceres had occasionally watched Yona with a gaze that felt far from ordinary, sending chills down Yona’s arms every time she caught that look.
And being asked to come to her room at night left Yona feeling hesitant.
“…Huh.”
Taking a deep breath, Yona raised her hand to knock.
Just then, as if waiting for that exact moment, the door slid open, revealing Ceres’s smiling face.
“I figured you would do that, so I’m not really surprised.”
“Really? What a pity. Anyway, come in.”
Pulled in by Ceres’s hand, Yona stepped into her room.
It was neat, not much different from the room where Yona’s party was staying.
The size wasn’t vastly different, and the furnishings were simply arranged.
“What do you think of the Church Region now that you’re here?”
As soon as Yona sat down in a chair, Ceres sat across from her with a sparkle in her eyes, looking quite excited.
Her face radiated enthusiasm, and Yona awkwardly smiled back at her.
“It’s just a place where people live… What’s so different about it?”
“My goodness. To think a Priest would come to the Church Region and have such simple thoughts. Someone might think that’s a bit… well, strange?”
“I’m just a half-wit. Not a real Priest or anything. A real Priest would be, I don’t know… Vigrind, I guess.”
“You don’t even refer to her as a Saint.”
At that remark, Yona shut her mouth.
The profile of Vigrind suddenly popped into her mind. She wondered if the Saint was really a good fit for her, that cocky little brat who always seemed annoying.
She never thought that little brat, always spouting irritating comments, was carrying such burdens.
She kind of expected her to go, “Now do you understand? We are in a complete master-servant relationship—”
But that wasn’t the case.
Yet, she didn’t want to call Vigrind a Saint.
I didn’t want to call Vigrind a saint.
The Vigrind who had become a saint felt like a completely different person from the Vigrind I grew up with at the orphanage.
“Still, the ceremony for the hero and the saint is in four days, so wouldn’t it be better to at least stick around until then?”
I had been thinking that already. But ceremonies are usually quite the spectacle, and the thought of witnessing it made me feel weird.
I just had this gut feeling that Yona shouldn’t be there.
Just that feeling.
So Yona decided without any regrets that she would leave tomorrow.
When Yona made that decision, everyone else readily agreed, so there was no issue.
As Yona sat in silence for a while, Ceres lightly smacked her lips.
“…Anyway, that’s fine. The reason I asked you to come today is that I have an offer I’d like to make.”
“An offer?”
Yona snapped out of her memories of Vigrind and looked at Ceres.
Ceres was still smiling at Yona, but that expression was so strange that Yona found herself lowering her gaze unconsciously.
“It’s not an offer that will put you at a loss. In fact, it’s quite a tempting one.”
“What is it?”
Nothing is more expensive than free,
there’s no such thing as unconditional goodwill,
and if you say it’s not a loss, then you should go first—
that was Yona’s motto, and right now, Ceres was clearly violating that third motto.
But Yona wasn’t bold enough to actually say, “Why are you making an offer to me instead of doing it yourself?”
“Anyway, after the hero and the saint get ordained, they’ll be leaving for hero duty right away. Their first mission will likely be tracking down the clone of Vervaria and the culprit behind the Semek incident.”
“Well, that makes sense.”
But why should I care about that?
They’ll figure it out on their own.
Whether it’s the hero or that tin can.
“So the proposal I’m making is for you to accompany the hero on his journey.”
“Declined.”
Yona shot down the offer without even wanting to hear more.
No matter how surprised Ceres might be, Yona firmly closed her mouth.
Who cares?
The gold coins in my bag are close to a hundred, and no matter how expensive the mage community’s treatment is, I can afford it.
I started my journey with seven gold coins, and now I have over a hundred—plenty to spare.
There’s no need for any more requests, and more than anything, I have a grand ambition to pursue.
To receive treatment at the mage community.
So that I can return as a man.
Nothing else is more urgent than that.
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