Blessing in Disguise (1)
One could say it was pathetic for a grown man to cry like that. I was thinking the same thing myself.
But after spending so long in the forest, I craved human warmth, and the shattered axe was a real problem. The Usk axe just felt like a waste, but Ragnarok was a catastrophe.
Ragnarok was Hector's signature weapon, an incredibly important artifact to the Tatars as well. It was so vital that Hector had founded Tatar with its legitimacy alone. From time immemorial, religion held immense weight in civilization, and Hector had been chosen by Gulrak himself. Ragnarok was the proof.
It transcended a mere weapon—it was a divine relic, a symbol of kingship. It played a crucial role in the Tatar storyline, so now the future looked bleak.
"Sis. Does this thing break easily?"
"No way. It's a weapon blessed directly by Gulrak himself—breaking it would be the weird part. It just means the Saintess is ridiculously strong."
Kara answered while eyeing the salvaged remnants of the weapon. She claimed she was fine, but her expression screamed headache. And for good reason—the royal symbol had been destroyed. It must have hit her hard.
"Can it be repaired?"
"That's one issue, but the real problem comes after. I don't know if Gulrak's blessing will still be there."
"What does that mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. Equipment with blessings usually turns ordinary the moment it's destroyed."
That was why Kara was so troubled. Blessed weapons lost their effects upon destruction. One might call it unfair, but gear like that was nearly indestructible. Only someone wielding equivalent top-tier equipment could shatter it.
"Of all people, the Saintess hit it with her full power..."
"My body bears Chaos's blessing too. All the conditions aligned perfectly."
The issue was Lize's fist. Her Chaos-blessed body was like a weapon in itself, and with her full-force punch, Ragnarok had been obliterated. If I'd reacted faster, things might have turned out differently.
In the end, it was mostly my fault. If we hadn't sparred at all, none of this would have happened.
"Sorry..."
"I told you, no need to apologize. You're making me feel bad."
Kara ruffled my hair comfortingly as I apologized. But that didn't change the fact that my greed had sparked it all. I wanted to help somehow, but money couldn't fix this. It was a weapon blessed directly by Gulrak. To fully restore it, Gulrak would have to bless it again.
"How long did it take for Gulrak to bestow the blessing last time?"
"Over a year, I think... And with Father gone now, it might take even longer."
But we didn't have that kind of time. Even daily offerings and rituals might not cut it. When Hector first got Ragnarok, it was during the tribal unification wars—desperate times with constant prayers. Whether Gulrak would respond now was questionable.
"What are you planning to do now?"
"First, gather the pieces and head to the altar. If I show enough sincerity, Gulrak might look favorably on it."
Kara scooped up the fragments as she answered Luna's question. I pitched in too, rather than just watching. I was especially careful with the Usk axe—better to avoid any chance of Kara getting hurt and amplifying my guilt.
"Got most of it. Offerings are next... Nah, let's take this to the altar first and figure it out. It's almost noon anyway."
Kara glanced at the sky after roughly packing things up. I followed her gaze. The sun wasn't at its zenith yet—noon hadn't arrived. Noon was prime time for rituals.
"I have separate preparations, so I'll head out first."
"Got it. What time should we meet at the altar?"
"Before noon... Huh? Is the Saintess planning to visit too?"
Kara looked shocked. A Saintess gracing an altar was astonishing. Especially since Lize followed Chaos. Even pursuing disorder had limits, right?
"Yes. I bear responsibility too, so I intend to help."
"Uh... Mind if I ask how? I've never heard of a Chaos follower aiding a Gulrak ritual. Sivar just prayed, so that's different."
"It's nothing much. I plan to sincerely apologize."
That already sounded ominous. Her saintly form delivering those words was utterly unpredictable. Still, her offer to help was genuine. Kara sensed it too and brushed it off casually.
"Whatever. With Sivar having prayed already, Gulrak will probably welcome the Saintess even more."
"Thank you. Gulrak must be pleased. Chaos too, no doubt."
Pleased? He was set on making me bawl. I'd barely controlled my emotions when the faith barrage hit—too much, and the dam broke. He wouldn't stop nagging until I gave in.
"Anyway, I'll head out first. Luna, you coming?"
"Yeah. I've got nothing else to do."
While I grumbled inwardly, Luna replied. From her perspective, she truly had nothing better. But Lize, her mentor figure right there, took it differently.
"Hm. Recovered already, I see. Understood. We'll resume training after the ritual."
"Ah, no, wait. That's not what I—"
Poor Luna—her mouth always got her in trouble, even without misunderstandings. She ended up with extra training but let it slide since it wasn't my issue.
With Kara gathering the shards and leaving, things settled. Next up: head to the altar at noon. Lunch after.
Do I really have to pray for a whole year?
I'd do anything to restore Ragnarok. Hector had lent it to protect Kara. Accidents aside, I had to return it someday.
Monsters from Chaos Forest as offerings? Should've held onto those blade-tusk sales...
A sigh escaped me. Hopefully, it'd be fixed soon. Just my wish, but with Lize helping, maybe.
With those complicated thoughts, we returned to my dorm—
"Sivar!"
"?"
A familiar voice called my name. Warm and bright. I turned to see Ellie running toward us, beaming with joy, her chest bouncing dramatically. Nothing else registered.
"Where've you been... Huh? Were you crying?"
Ellie skipped the greeting pleasantries, spotting traces on my face. Her eyes widened.
I turned away shyly. "No. Wasn't crying."
"Liar. Your pale skin makes the marks so obvious."
Damn my skin. The ghostly pallor gave me away.
"Ellie, let me explain. What happened was..."
Luna took over. She gave a quick rundown. Ellie listened with her usual sparkling eyes until the weapon's destruction—then she gasped softly. She eyed my face worriedly, grabbed it with both hands, and asked:
My lips puffed out like a crucian carp from her grip.
"You didn't get hurt, right? A scar on that face would be a tragedy!"
"Not hurt."
"Not hurt, but you cried. Kara comforted you."
Never fails. She even spilled the unnecessary bits. I shot Luna a sharp glare, but Ellie spoke first, sensing something off.
"What? Kara comforted him?"
"Yup. He was sniffling, so she hugged him and said it was okay."
"...Really?"
Her response lagged half a beat. Blank expression—unsettling. But it was baseless worry; she smiled brightly, shrugging it off.
"Kara's fine. Anyway, want a hug from me too?"
She spread her arms wide. A vast embrace unfolded before me. Like a fox spell, I stepped in meekly. A different comfort from Kara's enveloped me.
"See? Sivar's just a big baby. Loves being held like this."
"...Not a baby."
"Sure you are. Then why cry?"
"......"
No good answer, so I clamped my mouth shut. Time to savor the coziness.
We hugged awhile before business. Ellie's decision first.
"Can I come too? Ratatosk worships Gulrak, so it's fine once in a while."
"It'll be tough. You sure?"
"Totally. Don't let appearances fool you—I've conquered every mountain near home."
Ellie had surprising stamina. Not superhuman like Luna or Kara, but top-tier for normals. Even beat mage Grace. Fat concentrated in her chest helped maintain her figure.
"When did Kara say?"
"Before noon. Saintess is coming too."
"Wanna play cards at your dorm till then? Nothing else to do."
"Sounds good."
Perfect time-killer. Lize approved too. We piled into my dorm and started.
Rules were simple enough for me.
"Luna."
"Yeah?"
"You're terrible."
"...Hey. Rematch. Rematch!"
Luna really sucked. Her face gave everything away—easy pickings.
Card games filled the intermission. We headed to the altar on time. Ellie kept up effortlessly—no exaggeration. Even gathered herbs en route. Lize climbed in saintess form; probably switching to Kwonseong at the top.
"Kara's probably there early?"
"Likely. Said she'd wait."
"What prep kept her from coming with us?"
I wondered too, like Ellie. An hour to noon when we parted—plenty for group prep. Odd she'd go ahead.
The mystery solved at the summit altar.
"Early bird? Could've taken your time."
"Uh..."
Kara greeted us warmly. But I couldn't respond normally. No one could—except Lize. The rest gawked at Kara, dumbfounded.
"Tatar traditional attire. Dancer's outfit?"
"Yes. This calls for showing sincerity."
White clothes highlighting her healthy bronze skin. Gold accents framed it. But it barely covered essentials—finding clothed spots was harder. Her toned abs and figure shone vividly. Even the bottoms fluttered loosely. A spin would flash thighs and embarrassing areas. Pure male temptation.
"I-Is that really Tatar traditional wear?"
"Yup."
"Isn't the exposure too much? Looks like scraps of cloth..."
Ellie called it out bluntly. Luna spaced out beside her. Kara shrugged like it was routine.
"I know. But Tatar's scorching—can't be helped. Visit my country, and you'll get it."
"Do all Tatar women wear that?"
"No, just dancers. Still, we favor airy clothes."
As explained before, Tatar drew from ancient Egypt motifs—very exposure-tolerant. Heat demanded it. Their bronzed skin showed perfect adaptation. Outsiders would burn in such outfits, so they covered up.
"Note: Not all dancers are the same. See this on my middle finger? Means ritual dancer."
Flutter—
Kara twirled her arms. The green fabric danced beautifully, matching her emerald eyes. The circlet on her head suited her perfectly too.
"Pretty."
"Huh? What?"
"Beautiful."
"...This kid. Saying stuff you don't mean."
Kara blushed at my sincere praise. No flattery—it was genuinely stunning. Soul World had her dancer skin, but less revealing. Top covered breasts fully; bottoms were pants. Seemed banquet vs. ritual variants.
"Anyway, ritual starts now. Offerings ready—just need a response."
"Understood."
"Sivar, join me. Praying together might get a good reply from Gulrak."
Kara offered her hand, smiling radiantly. Stunning. I took it wordlessly.
She flashed her signature refreshing grin, leading me to the altar. Her exposed back filled my view. Muscles honed by training, but the lines were artistic. Broad shoulders tapering to slim waist, flaring to wide hips—no safe gaze spot.
Especially eye-catching:
How the hell...
Her glutes twitching per step. Thin fabric molded to the shape. I tried averting eyes, but her hand held mine.
Rumble—
Excuses. Her back was too perfect; eyes gravitated. Thunder boomed—I hastily corrected, feeling wronged. Any guy would get it.
Kara's look was irresistible to non-sages. Men glance at beauties even with girlfriend or wife nearby.
Wait. Did thunder affirm it?
No way. A pervert god dressing his cherished shaman like that...
Rumble!
Existed, fuck. Respect the taste, though. Men gonna men.
Up close, it's nice too...
Kaboom!!
Lightning struck my head the instant I thought it. Spared Kara, thankfully.
"Wh-What? Why would Gulrak..."
"...Cough."
A god playing favorites—unbelievable.
