Chapter 52
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Northern Expedition - 1
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The expedition members were as follows.
The protagonist, me, recipient of the goddess's oracle.
Sylvia, for interpreting with the northern tribespeople.
Clara, capable of long-range attacks with her exceptional archery skills.
Vivian, well-versed in the northern lands and snowy mountain geography.
And then Helen, the apostle who could receive the goddess's oracle, along with five knights including her attendant Camilla.
A total of ten people.
Helen usually traveled with ten knights, but only half of them had come along.
"You're not bringing all of them?"
"No. The number of blessings I can bestow is limited to ten, including myself, so there's no choice. Besides, they have duties to attend to."
The cold in the snowy mountains was more severe than expected. Even with the medieval-style padding Chloe had made, a bone-chilling chill permeated the air. At this rate, we wouldn't even make it to the expedition—we'd freeze to death first.
"Warmest goddess, please watch over these souls."
As expected, in a fantasy world like this, we had to rely on magic at times like these.
'But isn't this a miracle, not magic?'
In any case, Helen's prayer made the cold somewhat bearable.
However, traversing snowfields up to our waists seemed impossible.
"Can't even prayers and the goddess's miracles handle this?"
"I'm sorry."
In response to my question, Helen looked apologetic as she fiddled with the golden disk floating above her head.
"The mana of foreign gods is strong in this region, disrupting my full communion with Lady Hestia."
"I see."
I hadn't expected much anyway. A hunter could only trust himself and his partner. That said, something else piqued my interest more than the goddess's miracles.
'Was that an antenna?'
I wasn't sure if only I could see it or if it was so normal they ignored it, but that eye-catching golden disk hovered blatantly above her head, unnoticed by the others.
Helen shook the golden disk above her like a communications officer trying to catch a faulty radio signal.
"Ha... Hey, Helen, just one question."
"Yes, Sian."
Unable to hold back my curiosity, I finally asked her.
"What's that disk above your head?"
"Pardon? Y-You can see this?"
"Of course I can. Why else would I ask?"
She seemed utterly flustered—Helen, who always carried such dignity, showed a disheveled side for the first time.
"Sian... it seems your divine power is even greater than I thought. There must be a reason Lady Hestia chose you."
"Divine power? Different from mana?"
"It's distinct from mana—a higher concept altogether."
Helen explained kindly.
"Mana is merely the smallest remnant scattered from divinity. The magic wizards use and the auras of knights are all powers derived from divinity."
That didn't click right away.
"So, mana is the basic unit of divinity, and magic and auras are human imitations of divine miracles?"
"Yes! You grasped it immediately!"
"Then what's divine power?"
"It's your affinity with the gods—the capacity of the vessel that receives divinity."
"No idea what that means."
"In short, it's the aptitude to become a priest!"
"???"
A moment of silence followed Helen's words. Then Clara, who had been eavesdropping, broke it with laughter.
"Sian as a priest? Pfft!"
"Clara, that's no good. Though, yeah, it doesn't suit Sian at all."
"......"
I wanted to retort to Sylvia's words, but nothing came out. Even I thought priests didn't suit me.
'My path so far has been more like a barbaric warrior than a priest.'
Suddenly, the qualities of a demure, pure priest? Had I taken the wrong tech tree?
"Wait... Is this why I can't handle mana?"
"Exactly. Those with high divine power can't sense mana, the smallest unit of divinity. It's like trying to quench your thirst with the tiny droplets inside a full vessel!"
"Damn it all!"
Not being able to wield mana or auras because of an unwanted talent!
"Still, it's amazing. Human divine power has weakened since the gods' last war. Yours is on par with humans from the mythic era."
"Humans? Sounds like you're saying you're not one."
"Yes, it's a secret, but I'm a nymph."
Nymph?
It didn't match what I knew... but that wasn't the point.
"More importantly, Helen. Can I use the goddess's miracles like you?"
"It's possible. But you need the goddess's selection."
"Becoming a priest involves so much scrutiny?"
"Serving the gods was never easy."
For the first time, I agreed with Helen.
Brown-nosing superiors was tough, after all.
"But you can surely handle it, Sian."
"I have to."
I'd already received two miracles from Goddess Hestia and even heard her voice.
That meant she thought highly of me.
'Which is why I'm in this mess now.'
Anyway, this was a good chance to learn about miracles through Helen.
A hunter who was also a priest, though.
Totally mismatched multiclass.
...
Five days had passed since climbing the snowy mountains.
"It's getting better now."
"Impressive."
Helen was a skilled teacher, so Sian quickly picked up miracles. To him, learning them wasn't particularly hard. Unlike magic or auras, which required mastering techniques, miracles were accessible to anyone with the aptitude.
That said, Sian couldn't wield grand miracles right away. Goddess Hestia, deity of love and family, wasn't suited for combat to begin with.
'Still, this flame's pretty good.'
Thanks to the orange flames reminiscent of a campfire, they could slowly melt the snow ahead and press on.
"Thanks to you, Sian, the path is much easier."
"That's because you taught me well."
After five days of sticking close during daily life, Sian had grown somewhat friendly with Helen, putting their rocky first meeting behind them. He'd initially disliked her due to enlistment PTSD, but now he'd mostly let go of his suspicions.
That seemed to irk my Clara and Sylvia, though.
"Already charming another woman."
"Ugh, and a nymph at that... You shouldn't touch nymphs."
Sian got a headache from the women's chatter at home. He wondered what image they had of him to worry like that.
'I'm not into every woman I see.'
Of course, even Sian could see Helen was goddess-tier beautiful—it wouldn't be odd for a man to be drawn to her. But she wasn't his type.
'Too short.'
Sorry, Helen, but her petite frame made her look young. If Clia or Elin were beside her, he'd mistake them for same-age friends. And Sian didn't go for kids.
"Hehe, Sian, you monopolize your family's love."
"Sorry if it's uncomfortable."
"Not at all. It's heartwarming to see such deep family bonds."
Helen didn't mind seeing Sian share love with his mother-in-law and sister-in-law.
That puzzled Sian. As a priest of Hestia, goddess of love and family, shouldn't she condemn him for laying hands on them?
'Does loving and protecting the family make it all okay?'
Perhaps Hestia's domain of "family" was more inclusive than he'd thought.
"Still, I'd appreciate some restraint in front of our girls. They're inexperienced with men and might be shocked."
"Got it... I'll be careful."
For the record, all the holy knights accompanying Helen, including Knight Commander Camilla, were women. Sian was the only man in the expedition.
"I've been wondering, but you call them 'our girls'? They look older than you."
"I've raised them in the church since they were little, so to them, I'm like a mother."
"Helen, how old are you really?"
"A gentleman doesn't ask a lady's age."
Helen seemed much older than she appeared.
As they neared the end of the snowy mountain region, Vivian, scouting ahead, shouted something to Sylvia, who immediately translated.
"Sian, Vivian says we're almost at the north."
"Phew... Finally saying goodbye to this damn snowfield."
"We'll have to come back anyway to hunt that problem troll."
"Ah..."
Clara's expression hardened at Sian's words. She clearly hated returning to the mountains.
And Sian felt the same.
'Fighting here, we'd barely muster half our strength.'
As a hunter, he naturally hated places where monsters could strike anytime.
"Hm?"
Then Sian sensed a group approaching.
At that moment, Vivian, leading the way, spotted something and yelled to everyone.
"Tribesmen! Trolls!"
"Damn it! Everyone, battle positions!"
Monsters were attacking a group that looked like northern tribespeople.
"Kekekeke!"
Trolls of the snowy mountains, with skin as blue as ice.