Then Luke, led by the Holy Spirit, went into the wilderness to hear the words of Deus, and after fasting for forty days and nights, he became hungry. The tester came to Luke and said, “If you are the Son of Deus, command these stones to become bread.” Luke replied…
Gospel of Aurelia, Chapter 14, Verses 1-4
While my main body was holding off the invasion of Cronia and seeing the memories of Lilith, my avatar was active in the wilderness of Valenos, on the outskirts of the Nova Empire.
A few days ago.
“Teacher! We are also ready to give our lives for you!”
“I know. That’s why I cherish you.”
“But you’re only taking Maria! Why are you leaving us behind?”
In the Valenos wilderness.
In a small village at the entrance, I told everyone that only Maria and I would head into the wilderness.
Then the disciples rebelled.
It’s only natural.
“Simon.”
“Yes, Teacher.”
“You are the rock upon which I will build my nation, Petros.”
“W-What, Teacher?”
“That’s why I trust you and leave you in charge. Furthermore, it’s because I believe you all can do well that I leave you here.”
“Teacher!”
Simon’s eyes glistened with emotion.
The truth is, if word got out that Maria, the Princess Aurelia, was here, the Emperor Dominic’s assassins would target my disciples, so it’s really just her I’m taking along.
Plus, they need Aurelia’s blood for ‘that’ place.
I flattered the other disciples a bit after Simon.
Thanks to the image I had built as ‘Son of Deus’, everyone became a puddle of emotions.
“I believe in you all. I’ll leave everything until the day I return.”
“……Yes. We will wait.”
Somehow, I managed to persuade them.
Honestly, just taking one Maria seemed too flimsy of an excuse.
I didn’t want to go to the wilderness alone at such a critical time either.
No matter how strong our current power is, it’s still not enough.
The best way to defeat the tyrant emperor Dominic of the Nova Empire was ‘this’.
So here I am, currently in the wilderness, alone with Aurelia.
Time is running out, so I need to finish this quickly.
The reason I came to this wilderness so sparsely is not for any other reason.
It’s to obtain a hidden piece from a dungeon hidden in this wasteland.
I’ve been building up as ‘Son of Deus’, but if I said I was going to enter a dungeon in the wilderness for a hidden piece, it’d look odd.
Of course, I could say it’s a provision left by Deus for his son, but… it feels a bit forced.
For that reason, I brought only Aurelia into the wilderness, leaving the other disciples and followers behind.
The wilderness may be an extreme land devoid of life, but that’s another story for me.
Anyway, I can get my meals from my main body, which shares this space.
With various ancient artifacts and my superior stats, this climate poses no problem for me.
The only concern is… it feels a bit unsettling leaving them behind like this….
But I trust them.
I trust those who trust me.
I told them to believe in me, so how could I not trust them?
But.
Where the heck is this?
There’s definitely a huge difference between the game’s map and reality.
The game couldn’t implement every map after all.
Who would have thought that a seasoned player like me would be unable to find this?
My previous exploration of the dungeon in the Rashdun Desert was definitely a stroke of luck, even if it involved encountering a strange Dark Elf.
At this rate, my schedule is going to be delayed more than I expected.
If I get delayed and miss the execution date of the tyrant Dominic’s plans, it’ll be quite troublesome.
I’ve already told Aurelia that we might take some time.
I told her that Deus is guiding us.
For now, she seems to believe me….
But what if I can’t find it continuously?
I need to find it quickly.
After wandering the wilderness for several days, I finally located the dungeon I was searching for.
A cliff in the wilderness.
A little hole hidden inside.
On the outside, it looks like a small cave, but there’s a hidden space inside.
“Aurelia. Bring your hand here.”
“…Huh? My hand?”
I held Aurelia’s hand and placed it against a wall in the cave, overlapping my hand with hers.
“Wh-What, Teacher?”
Aurelia’s face flushed bright red.
I guess it’s natural for a noble princess raised without ever interacting with men to feel shy in such a deserted place.
However, the reason I’m holding her hand like this is not because of that.
While keeping our hands together, I infused mana into the wall.
The type of mana that can only be generated through Aurelia’s ancient imperial bloodline.
Grumble…
“…Eeek!”
As I infused the specific type of mana, the cave’s wall opened, revealing a massive chamber inside.
Kuung…
As the door opened, the hidden underground space came into view.
It’s a tomb for the survivors of the fallen ancient empire, Celestia.
Celes.
“Welcome. We have been waiting for you, heir.”
A brown-skinned woman wrapped in cloth offered her greeting.
“I am Zolga, the chief of the Clan of Tomb Guardians of Celes.”
Here, leading the Clan of Tomb Guardians, who protect the dungeon Celes.
They carried the feeling of the country from my past life, Egypt.
“I never imagined that someone from our generation would come, the prophesied one. It is an honor to fulfill my duty as a Clan Guardian.”
The Clan of Tomb Guardians.
They are a clan that serves the fallen royal family of the ancient Celestia Empire.
They exist to conceal and protect the legacies of the Celestia Empire, waiting to pass them on to the future descendants of the royal family.
They’ve lived hidden here in the heart of this desert for that one purpose.
“Duty… I take it you know who I am.”
“Yes. You are the rightful heir of the Celestia Empire, the royal lineage. You have come to the entrance that only the heirs may enter.”
In [Deus Ex Machina], Celes was known as an incredible farming ground.
In the dungeon one could find ancient artifacts of the Celestia Empire.
According to the artifact, it included the location of the treasures kept for the royal family, which is to say, the location of Celes and how to enter.
The method is to infuse mana with the trait that can only be produced by those with the Celestian bloodline at the exact location.
Aurelia happens to possess the Celestian royal blood.
By overlapping her hand with mine, I activated the trigger for this place by infusing my mana.
In [Deus Ex Machina], many users included Aurelia in their party to gain entry as well.
“Yes, I know there are three trials.”
“Yes, indeed. The heir must pass the three trials to receive the legacies of the great Celestia Empire.”
In [Deus Ex Machina], one could only be acknowledged as the true bloodline of Celestia after passing the three trials and receive the legacies.
And my purpose in finding this dungeon is also to pass the three trials and gain the legacies to enhance my strength with my companions.
To defeat the tyrant Dominic.
“Well then, let’s begin immediately.”
“Understood. I shall commence the first trial. Kelbec!”
At Zolga’s call, a muscular man wrapped in cloth approached me.
“Please follow me, heir. I will guide you to the first trial location.”
……Huh? To the first trial location?
Not here?
Wait a minute.
This… is different from [Deus Ex Machina]?
*
After Luke and Aurelia departed, Zolga, left alone, whispered as if reporting to someone.
“The great one has arrived. The heir has come.”
– Yes. I am watching.
“What will you do?”
– For now, let’s test him.
The Son of Deus…
Perhaps he might just be suitable as my proxy.
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