Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Awakening at the Temple
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Murmurs.
'Noisy... Who's making all this racket while someone's trying to sleep?'
Adelian's notoriety had died down a lot. The maids were chattering in front of my room.
'...As if.'
I snapped my eyes open.
My eyes felt dry and sore, so I rubbed them and looked around. It was an unfamiliar room.
It was neat, but there were beds scattered around, each big enough for one person. It almost looked like a hospital ward.
"A temple."
But where were Luna and Kane?
I stopped scanning the room and slowly checked my body.
My leg was bandaged but still severed, and I'd been changed into a white patient gown.
'And my small subspace ring is gone.'
Just in case, maybe Luna or Kane, whom I'd registered as users, had it.
Temples probably charge a fortune for treatments.
'But why hasn't my leg been reattached yet?'
My brain still felt sluggish, probably from blood loss, so I tapped my head and turned my gaze toward the murmurs outside.
"...I can't wait any...!"
"But... the priests... all dispatched..."
"...It's a disaster."
It was Luna and Kane's voices. Yeah, I could hear them clearly.
"I'm awake."
My low, hoarse mutter made the door fly open as if it might break, and Luna rushed in.
"Young master! You're awake? Are you okay? Does your head hurt?"
Luna cupped my cheeks and turned my head this way and that. Behind her, I saw Kane dragging a squirming priest by the scruff of his neck.
Hah... He really looks like a perfect villain...
"Let go of me! Violence against priests is forbidden!"
"I've never used violence. Isn't violence defined as rough and savage force? I'm merely holding your collar."
Kane coldly shoved the wriggling priest in front of me.
I forced a gentle, kind smile at the fuming priest and opened my mouth.
"Ah, let's talk first—just you and me."
Ah, was that gentle or arrogant?
Judging by his terrified expression.
* * *
"So, all the priests capable of properly healing your leg have been dispatched. We're not refusing to reattach it because we don't want to—it's just not possible right now."
Luna and Kane glared sharply at the priest, who grumbled indignantly while straightening his robes.
Maybe because of that, the priest, facing only me with his back to them, looked pale.
"But that other guy got treated earlier."
"Right. He had severe burns over half his body—should be worse than a leg amputation, if anything."
Oh, they're giving him a death glare.
I smiled gently again at the priest, who stammered, 'That's... that's...', as if to say not to worry.
"Um... are you perhaps a noble?"
My smile made him start to kneel hesitantly, and somehow, it gave me a headache.
"Was that guy a noble?"
The priest nodded cautiously at my words.
"He covered the full gate fee, as far as I know."
Yeah, I get the picture. The high priests got dispatched elsewhere, so they couldn't treat me. But that other guy paid the gate fee, so he got treated after returning from there.
"But since you're here, can't you at least take a look at me?"
The priest hemmed and hawed as I grinned.
Kane and Luna taking my ring to cover treatment costs was thoughtful, but they still had a long way to go.
They should've factored in lobbying money too, not just treatment.
Well, I know. It's a joint temple of multiple faiths, so factions and politics are intense—and it all costs money.
Not all priests are like that, but the one who was just here briefly definitely worships the god called cash.
"Call someone."
"Pardon?"
"I said call one."
Charr—
The priest froze as I spun Krueger's ring and spoke.
I waved my hand through the air, opening the subspace, and gold coins poured out with a clatter onto my bed.
They filled the bed and spilled onto the floor.
"I'll cover the gate fee, plus a donation on top. Call them now."
Ah, not that guy from earlier, though.
* * *
The priest fled the room, and silence fell.
Actually, it hit me properly when I saw Aish.
As a last resort, a prosthetic leg... wouldn't that be fine?
If I commission an alchemist or mage, they could make a decent mechanical one.
Add some functions, enchant it with magic, and it'd make a pretty good weapon or armor.
'But if I say that now, Kane and Luna would ship me back home first.'
I let out a slight sigh at the rising regret, and both their faces whipped toward me at the sound.
"Is it pain?"
"Should I call the priest back?"
"No... no need. A high priest will be here by tonight."
Whatever they fed me instead of potions at the temple—I'm not even hungry. Now that I had some breathing room, it was time to check my trait window for the first time in ages.
I think I heard Luna's berserk rising...
'Might as well check everything at once.'
[Adelian Guardian Krueger—Possessor of Endless Gold]
Main Traits: [Wealth (SS+)] [Arrogance (S-)]
Hidden Traits: [Affluence (A-)] [User's Eye (SSS)]
'Last time I checked mine, Wealth was A rank, but it's gone up again.'
This cursed body of Adelian's.
I've done so much, but nothing new attached.
And with Wealth fluctuating like this, Kaiman must be dumping money somewhere.
Wealth is literally the power of money, so it's fluid, but for the Krueger family's to swing that much...
'He's up to something huge. Is that why it was like that in the game...'
[Kane Reyners—He Who Advances]
Main Traits: [Tenacity (SS)] [Genius (S)] [Appearance (S)] [Physique (S+)]
Hidden Traits: [Resilience (S)] [Versatility (B)] [Aspiration (C)]
No, is this protagonist guy insane?
Even a quick glance shows changes, but zooming in reveals even more.
Appearance, Resilience, and Versatility went up, and Aspiration appeared.
'No... He's hogging all the good stuff.'
In the game, Versatility boosted skill proficiency, Aspiration boosted EXP.
This isn't a game—no EXP here— so why does he get Aspiration? Protagonist buff is too much.
'But he's my ally. Pure gold.'
A flicker of jealousy, but thinking it over, Kane's my invested coin. Good is good.
And the important part...
'Please, Luna. Pretty please!'
[Luna Index—Novice Adventurer]
Main Traits: [Timidity (B-)] [Cuteness (A+)] [Leg Power (A+)]
Hidden Traits: [Berserk (C+)] [Lust (E)] [Devotion (E)]
Oh. Leg Power moved from hidden to main trait, so Luna must think she has some talent for kicking arts herself.
But the moment my eyes hit Berserk, I sighed involuntarily.
'Ah, no!'
Timidity dropping is good, but Berserk jumping a step and a half? No, ah...
I shuddered, recalling game Luna ignoring commands, chugging potions on her own, skipping turns, and charging full-health monsters instead of the designated adds.
Maybe my face paled further, because Luna hurriedly fluffed up the pillow behind me and propped me up before I slowly opened my mouth.
"You need to rest more..."
"No, I'm fine—no pain or anything. You two, stop standing and sit. Let's talk."
Can't do anything about the upgrade now...
I nodded for them to tell me what happened while I was out, and they slowly started explaining.
"Well, not even a full day passed. By the way, dispatched south?"
"Yeah... People are dying a lot near the border lately. Especially along the water sources."
Hmm, the plague is really spreading now. Even if they contain it, it'll keep popping up sporadically.
The priests were probably dispatched short-handed for relief efforts, water purification, and source tracing.
"And the chest? Mostly junk when we opened it."
Kane slipped the ring off his finger and handed it back. Probably everything's inside.
I slid the ring on and, like reminiscing childhood, scanned the subspace contents in my mind.
'Money's up nicely, attribute stones, magic cores. As expected. Found it—Siren prototype. But what's this?'
I pulled out two squishy, dumpling-like slimes and one hard egg from the subspace.
These soft ones with beady black eyes like beans were the Siren prototypes.
"What's... this?"
The egg, about head-sized, was smooth milky white, slightly soft, wrapped in a leather-like shell.
It didn't look as hard as a snake egg; pressing it, my finger wouldn't sink too deep, nor did the shell tear.
"Regular knives couldn't cut it. Thought about trying aura, but figured you'd want to see it first, so I left it."
No, you were gonna destroy it not knowing what it was...
As I examined it, I spotted a faint bloodstain on one side.
My blood? But they should've opened the chest after dropping me at the temple.
"That's Kane's blood."
As I eyed Luna suspiciously, she snitched right away, and my gaze shifted to Kane.
"...Just a minor slip-up rushing out."
You look a bit humiliated?
"When going from mid to upper floors, we got caught in someone's mob pull..."
Luna defended him, but humiliation lingered on Kane's face.
Somehow, feeling like Kane took a hit, I smirked and decided to keep the egg as a souvenir for now.
"Anyway, I know what this is. Luna, step back."
Then I handed one Siren prototype—no, Siren No. 1—to Luna, held the other, and whispered softly.
"Ah, can you hear me, Luna? Luna, if you hear me, respond. Over."
"Eek! Eek? O... Over?"
[Eek! Eek? O... Over?]
Since we were close, the voices overlapped. Her real voice in my ears, the Siren one like faint telepathy.
Kane looked baffled, so I passed him the Siren next.
"Fascinating."
[Fascinating.]
"Alright, now we'll let Aria hear this and send it to Halon."
Kane and Luna muttered 'Another victim...', but I pretended not to hear, pulling out paper and a quill to write Aria's letter of recommendation, rolling it up, stamping Krueger's seal at the bottom.
I wrote several more: instructions for Alkaido to research the Siren, usage guide for Halon, all sealed with wax stamps, then reached out my hand.
"Got any spare coin pouches? The Siren and... ah, calling this squishy thing a Siren. Sending it to Halon together. Needs to get there ASAP, right?"
I stuffed gate fees and pocket money for Aria into a pouch with the letters, tied it, and handed it to Luna.
"Make sure to hook her properly and send her off. Got it?"
"If it's what you want, young master... I can do it too."
With her anger and excitement faded, Luna whispered in her old hesitant tone, beaming just a bit.
I stroked her head and ears, sending her off, then turned to Kane sitting in front.
"You go rest too."
I could read a hint of fatigue on his face.
The dungeon I wrecked was between low and mid floors, so carrying me out took time. Plus, per Luna, he got injured.
Temple healed the body, but mental fatigue lingers.
"No, I'll stay here."
"It's a temple. Worried about an attack? They said non-patients must leave, so go home, sleep, come back tomorrow."
He subtly shook his head, about to refuse, so I cut him off first.
"It's an order. Tell Luna to rest after sending Aria too."
What're you gonna do, glare at me?
I waved him off, then sprawled out starfish-style, waiting for the priest.