Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: The Beginning of Change (5)
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While continuing my train of thought, I relaxed my slightly stiffened expression and turned to look at her.
“I heard that while I was away, priests from other denominations kept coming by…….”
“Ah.”
I wondered what she was about to say.
‘Looks like it wasn’t something we could just brush off lightly after all.’
Recalling the conversation I’d had with Chentler, I asked,
“We’ve decided to officially contact each denomination first and then restrict the priests’ access…… But if it puts you in a tough spot, just let me know.”
Chentler had said Rashar had a pretext, but her personal position might be different.
So if Rashar found it uncomfortable, I planned to understand.
“I can just move to different lodgings.”
“What do you mean…… Protecting you is also my duty! How could it be a problem?!”
In a situation where I couldn’t control others’ actions, I thought leaving would be the right way to avoid causing her trouble.
That’s why I’d brought it up, but Rashar’s reaction was surprisingly intense.
“I didn’t bring this up because it’s a problem for me!”
“…….”
“I don’t know exactly why they keep coming to see you, so there’s only so much I can do, and I worried I might be prying unnecessarily…….”
I listened quietly to her rambling words for a bit before tilting my head.
“W-What I mean is, if I knew the reason, I could step in more proactively to mediate…… something like that.”
Rashar really seemed to have no idea why the other denominations’ priests were seeking me out.
‘What could it be? Not because of the alliance token?’
If that was the reason, there was no way Rashar wouldn’t know……
‘There’s no god here to pass on the news.’
The Pallao side had no clue I possessed the alliance token.
“Hmm…… Well, my guess is……”
Those in the know already knew, and there was no reason to hide it from Rashar, who was in the same boat.
“There’s this thing called the alliance token—the reward from Senoa?”
So I explained it casually.
“It’s like a qualification that lets you use the powers of all seven gods regardless of your affiliated denomination, and it’s pretty amazing…….”
But I couldn’t finish my sentence.
There was no need to ask if it was indeed amazing.
Her eyes, now twice their usual size, and her gaping mouth.
Rashar showed a reaction bordering on shock.
Seeing that, I knew without asking.
“So it really is a big deal.”
That confirmed why the other denominations kept coming to me.
Now I couldn’t tell if what Senoa gave me was a gift or a curse.
‘No way she gave it to me on purpose just to make other denominations harass me?’
It seemed possible if someone wanted to maliciously complicate things.
‘But that feels like too much of a stretch.’
Clicking my tongue inwardly, I glanced back at Rashar, who had gone silent again.
She was frozen in place, mouth still agape.
“Hey, you!”
I snapped my fingers right in front of her eyes.
Startled, Rashar snapped out of it.
But she still looked flustered, so I nailed it down first.
“I have no intention of defecting.”
I had no interest in being used by someone until I died.
I’d do my utmost not to die, but if it was unavoidable, I wanted to meet my end on my own terms.
If that tragic outcome was my responsibility, at least it wouldn’t feel unfair.
Of course, I didn’t say any of that to Rashar.
We had a friendly relationship, but not to the point where I’d share all my thoughts and rely on her completely.
“Anyway, why’d you come all the way to the training grounds at this hour? Because of those priests?”
So instead of revealing my inner thoughts, I brought up something else.
“Ah! I got so flustered that I forgot…… I came to give you this.”
Fumbling around, Rashar pulled something from her bosom.
It was a small gold ornament about the size of a finger joint.
‘Pallao…….’
A decoration shaped like the Pallao crest, which I’d grown quite familiar with.
As I took it, a message appeared.
「You have acquired the Pallao Denomination’s insignia.」
「Affiliation added.」
The gold ornament in my hand vanished, and another symbol appeared above my head.
‘This should’ve happened right after the entry exam, originally.’
But the Pallao side hadn’t been fully prepared then, so it was only possible now.
I glanced up at the symbol above my head and frowned slightly.
Having to walk around with the Pallao crest on my head.
‘Talk about an attention whore item.’
The thought of stepping outside the mansion made it feel daunting.
‘It’s way too conspicuous.’
That symbol didn’t disappear even when I used transparency.
It looked like I’d have to self-quarantine for a while, regardless of my wishes.
Clicking my tongue inwardly, I asked about the strange situation from moments ago.
“By the way, that thing earlier—you called it a core? What’s good about having one?”
Rashar nodded and began explaining.
“It makes it easier to shape mana. Since you’re using mana that’s already been shaped and accumulated once.”
The blue mana now enveloping her hand looked as solid as transparent glass.
It was a stark contrast to the haze or mist form of mana I used.
“When the form is this clear, the interference power gets stronger.”
“Interference power?”
“Hmm…… Normally, a tree branch can’t pierce a rock. That’s the natural order. But by borrowing mana’s power, you can defy causality and achieve what you desire.”
It becomes possible to cut a rock with a tree branch.
“We call that interference power.”
“Ah.”
It was an explanation that brought to mind the system’s talk of causality and Ahel’s definition of mana.
Defying causality within the scope of gods and the system came at the cost of divinity.
And to defy natural causality within its lesser scope required paying with mana.
The basic framework was the same; only the type of power used as payment differed.
“How long does it usually take to form a core on average?”
“It varies depending on skill with mana.”
“What’s the fastest case?”
“There’s a lot of personal variation…… It took me about two weeks.”
“Two weeks…….”
Reflecting on my recent experience, it didn’t seem like I could succeed that quickly.
So I set a goal aligned with the difficulty I’d felt.
‘Two months. Three at the latest.’
If it took longer, I’d have to give up too much.
“K, there’s no need to be so anxious.”
In the meantime, Rashar was comforting me with a worried look.
She must’ve misinterpreted my hardened expression.
‘I’m not anxious.’
I was just pondering how to shorten the time more efficiently.
Rashar, wanting to cheer me up, mumbled hesitantly.
“Is there anything else you need? Whatever it is, just tell me—I’d be happy to help. You can think of it as repayment for saving my subordinates last time…….”
“Help?”
Something came to mind the moment she offered.
But it didn’t come out easily.
No matter how I thought about it, it felt like too much.
‘A person’s gotta have some shame.’
I was already relying on her for food, clothing, and shelter.
Sure, it was the efficient choice, so I’d taken it, but that didn’t mean I felt zero debt.
Asking for more on top of that? Honestly, it didn’t sit right.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t in a position to turn down something offered right away.
If I could get initial support to grow faster, I should take it.
My sense of burden wouldn’t save my life.
Fortunately, since Rashar was in the same denomination, there were clear ways to repay her.
‘Denomination points.’
If I worked hard to earn them and contribute to the operations, I could help her.
‘So I’ll take it.’
Even though I wasn’t thrilled about the new debt, the words from my mouth were decided.
“Then, could you get me a teacher?”
“A teacher?”
“I want proper training.”
Against monsters at the level that chased Rashar’s group, I’d be a one-bite snack.
I’d get stronger with each rank-up, but physical abilities and weapon skills were separate matters.
The training hall on Earth wasn’t satisfying enough.
Even though I’d learned spear arts, their practical utility was lacking in many ways.
Modern martial arts had long been neglected knowledge in the first place.
What isn’t used fades bit by bit.
‘That’s why preserving the old ways is so hard.’
Moreover, the spear and dagger arts on Earth hadn’t evolved under mana’s influence.
‘But here, mana users wield swords and spears directly.’
Their practicality would far surpass modern martial arts.
“I can’t afford to die. So I have to get stronger, no matter what it takes.”
Rashar nodded immediately.
Uttering embarrassing words about it being an honor if she could repay the favor.
Then she asked a few questions.
“Do you mainly use a sword?”
“By usage frequency, yeah, but what I want to learn systematically is spear arts.”
“Hmm…… Understood. Can you give me a few days? The denomination affairs aren’t wrapped up yet…….”
“If you’re getting me one, of course I’ll wait.”
“Thanks for understanding. It might not be much in return, but…… how about sparring with me while you wait?”
Exchanging with someone rich in real combat experience would only help, not hinder.
“Sounds good to me.”
The light back-and-forth continued all the way to dinner together.
We discussed the denomination’s operations and set rules for managing incoming players.
It was a pretty meaningful conversation.
At that point, I was fairly expectant.
Excited, even, depending on how you looked at it.
Sparring with someone far superior was a first for me.
‘The instructors were skilled when I learned daggers and hand-to-hand too.’
But by then, my mana was already over 1,000.
I never felt challenged or outmatched against them.
Even if my skill was lacking, the physical gap more than compensated.
But Rashar was different.
She might even have superior physical abilities to mine.
Sparring with her would undoubtedly boost my skills.
* * *
With the priests who’d been clocking in at Rashar’s mansion excluded, my daily life became truly peaceful.
But the spars with Rashar, which began amid that peace, brought me new troubles.
Slap.
“Whew.”
I rubbed the nape of my neck where Rashar’s sword had grazed and let out a sigh.
Already the third bout.
Every time Rashar swung her sword, it hit my body without fail.
‘I thought I’d built up some experience.’
What a massive delusion.
Spear for me, sword for Rashar.
Our spar began with different weapons, and it was one-sided.
Rashar’s sword had already struck my vitals dozens of times.
If this were real combat, I’d have died long ago.
‘Dizzying.’
I’d definitely trained at a dojo and knew spear forms—how to swing, strike, thrust accordingly.
But that was it. I knew how to use them, but not how to utilize them.
‘I can swing and thrust in line with the spear’s purpose, but it doesn’t prove useful.’
The same would hold for a sword, probably.
A sword has a shorter range than a spear, so fewer variables, but I still wouldn’t call it well-handled.
Even with a sword against Rashar, I doubt I’d touch her.
‘We’re not even at a comparable level to begin with.’
According to our initial chat before starting these spars, there was a massive gap between Rashar and me.
And the gap I meant was in terms of physical time—pure experience.
- When did you start learning the sword?
- I think it was around three years old……
- I’ve never hated it. Becoming a knight is like the fate of those born with vast mana.
In this world, mana dictates your future.
The rare few born with attribute mana become mages; those born with vast 1st-grade mana become knights.
Rashar fell into the latter, so even before becoming an apostle, she’d lived as a knight.
She’d gripped that sword before she could properly walk, talk, or think.
Comparing myself to her felt almost rude.
‘Of course our skills differ.’
I understood that, but it didn’t feel good.
‘I really hate falling behind anyone from the start.’
Right as I clicked my tongue inwardly at the stark skill gap,
“Don’t you get it yet?”
Rashar asked a strange question with a strange smile.
Damn System