Chapter 157
Chapter 157
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Ansgar's Dream (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The lord of Dihid, Heynes, was dead.
Fortunately, his daughter Adena was on her way back from the capital of the Barak Empire. She sent word asking me to please stay in Dihid until she arrived in two days.
To be precise, I was the one who killed Heynes. In a pseudo-medieval land like this, even if it was to save the city, the fact that a lowly druid killed the lord would mean my life was over if it got out.
However, people only said, "The lord is dead," and not, "The druid killed the lord." All the beastkin who witnessed it in the castle at the time had coordinated their stories perfectly.
'They sure know loyalty.'
It was a stroke of immense luck. If even one of them had whispered it to Adena, I wouldn't have gotten any reward—my head would have rolled instead.
While Adena was on her way, Lloyd, El, Isla, and I decided to look after the castle. Perhaps because we were the main players in sealing the demon Barbason and driving out the "Black Rain," no one objected to us staying in the castle.
The castle wasn't anything special. In fact, far from it—the place was in an insanely filthy state. Rat droppings everywhere, curtains and furniture gnawed by rats, and mold carpeting every corner because they'd blocked out the sunlight...
"What a disaster."
At this rate, we'd catch some disease and die before Adena even arrived. I gathered the castle servants and started with a "cleanup." Cleaning—that's the most basic element of health!
While the servants tore down the moth-eaten curtains and scrubbed every nook and cranny, I checked my rewards.
[Quest: Make Our Dihid Green Green—Completed!]
[Reward: Starfish Leather Gloves]
I slipped the shimmering starfish gloves onto both hands. Before equipping them, they'd felt loose, but now they clung tightly to my fingers, the back of my hands, palms, and wrists like living skin, fitting perfectly. They were light, comfortable, and not restrictive.
For a test, I slid an iron ring over the leather gloves. Without them, my skin would have burned red and hurt like hell, but thanks to the gloves, my hand was fine.
'With these, I can use metal accessory items too.'
I'd been passing metal items to Lloyd and El until now, but now I could use them myself.
'How fire-resistant are they?'
I deliberately reached toward a candle flame. The gloves shrank away from the fire as if alive.
"Afraid of fire, huh?"
I chuckled, then blew out the candle with a puff.
Gotta protect this valuable item from flames. Especially be careful around Legion's fire.
Most importantly, these gloves came with hallucination immunity. Up until now, my [Bane of Evil] title protected me from fear, confusion, and stun effects, but not hallucinations. With the Starfish Leather Gloves, dealing with high-level illusion magic users would be easier!
After inspecting the Starfish Leather Gloves thoroughly, I headed to the Donar Temple. I'd heard Connie had woken up.
"Connie. Feeling better?"
"Ah, Sir Theodor!"
Connie, lying in bed, sat up, his tail wagging happily behind him. He seemed genuinely pleased. The hunting dog brothers were the same—dog beastkin were so straightforward.
"Thanks to you, I'm much better. I think I could run now... but Lord 'Donar' is so worried he's making me rest."
"'Donar' is 'worried'?"
"Yes, haha. He's such a kind soul, isn't he?"
"..."
Indeed. After defeating Barbason and reclaiming the underground temple, Connie had become Donar's complete "dog." No bad meaning. (And not wrong either.) It just meant Donar cherished and favored him that much. Once he fully recovered, Connie would become a high priest guarding Donar's underground temple.
"Did you hear what happened while you were out?"
"Yes, Sir Draven explained everything. That after I collapsed, you drove off the demon..."
"No, not drove off exactly... sealed him. And it was only possible because of you, Connie."
"I didn't do anything."
Connie scratched the back of his head bashfully.
"Don't say that. Filling that massive underground temple with holy water? Impossible without you."
"Hahaha."
"You did great, Connie."
"Thank you, Sir Theodor."
"You know this, but Barbason might as well be dead. He just... isn't."
"..."
Connie's expression darkened gradually. His wagging tail drooped suddenly.
"You understand why I didn't kill him, right?"
"...Yes. Sending him back to hell would let him recover and attempt another descent."
"We don't know how long it'd take, but if that happened, it would've been a nightmare."
"Right."
Connie shuddered, as if he didn't even want to imagine it.
"But as long as my moonflowers and your holy water are there, he'll keep weakening. It's as good as annihilation..."
"...Really, you think so?"
"Unless you sell out the sanctuary to the demon like past priests."
I grinned playfully and patted Connie's shoulder.
I said it lightly, but the weight and importance of this were anything but.
Still, Connie could handle it.
'...Donar liking him is a good thing too.'
I'd reclaimed his underground temple and shown a "true faith" rare in this era. Of course Donar approved.
With all these miracles, Donar's standing in Dihid would only grow stronger.
'But I can't just do all this for someone else's benefit.'
Fair, right?
You give something, you get something.
The bear does the trick, Donar gets the faith. That's unfair, isn't it?
'Can't forget our goddess.'
The underground temple's holy power wasn't supplied solely by Donar's "holy water."
The sea gemstone regained its holy power thanks to the moonflowers bloomed by Rinshaka's strength.
So.
Reclaiming the underground temple nearly lost to Barbason and bringing peace to Dihid—our goddess has a "tiny" share in that.
I have a conscience; I won't claim it all.
I just want Rinshaka's three letters to echo a bit in Dihid, where her standing is lacking.
The higher Rinshaka's fame, the more benefits I get as her follower.
Like the port city Rabata, river city Dihid had strong Donar influence due to its location. With heavy traffic like Rabata, once Rinshaka's name takes root...
'Her fame will spread farther and wider.'
I'm not planning anything grandiose like building a temple.
-The god of rivers and seas, Donar, suspects your true intentions.
-The goddess of forests and earth, Rinshaka, admires you greatly.
The favor from Donar gained through the [Make Our Dihid Green Green] quest? Farewell. But no matter. The one I need to impress is Rinshaka anyway.
"Connie."
"Yes?"
"Just out of courtesy."
"Y-Yes?"
I grabbed Connie's shoulders and smiled gently.
"Remember the Cat Tree?"
"Ah, yes. Sir Draven told me. People ate its fruits and returned to normal..."
"All thanks to Goddess Rinshaka's mercy. Quite fortunate, isn't it?"
"Y-Yes, very fortunate."
"So, here's the thing."
I spoke in the most impartial tone possible.
"I'm thinking of planting purification trees around the Cat Tree and erecting a statue to honor Goddess Rinshaka. Oh, the statue's coming from Rabata's Rinshaka Temple, so no worries for the Donar Temple."
"Ah, a-ah... I see!"
"The next lord, Lady Adena, approved readily. She was deeply grateful for the goddess's mercy in helping a city with no ties to her."
"Ah, th-that... Wait, Lord Donar?"
It had begun. Connie clutched his temples like he had a massive headache, squeezing his eyes shut and groaning. Donar was probably yelling directly into his head. Well, I couldn't hear it anyway. I waited leisurely, smiling, for Connie to regain his senses.
"L-L-Lord Donar..."
Connie, finally freed from the pain, stammered.
"He says... a Rinshaka temple in Dihid? Y-Yes. I'll relay it properly, Lord Donar. So, a Rinshaka temple in Dihid..."
"Oh, no misunderstanding. I have zero plans for a Rinshaka 'temple.' I just want to commemorate how Rinshaka sealed Barbason and protected this city."
"H-He says that's fine... Y-Yes."
Seriously, sometimes you wonder if he's a god or a six-year-old kindergartener. Childish and greedy.
After sweating buckets and negotiating with Donar in his head for a while, Connie sighed wearily and nodded.
"Y-Yes. He permits it."
"Good. Two gods saving Dihid together—what a beautiful story, right?"
"...Urk!"
At my words, Donar's ears twitched—probably yelling again.
"Anyway, great. I'll head back. Gotta think about decorating around the Cat Tree."
"Y-Yes..."
"Planting moonflowers would be best, right? The underground temple's full of them."
"U-Ugh... Please leave now."
Donar must be tormenting him good.
"Got it, Connie. Take care of your health. Say hi to Lord Donar for me."
"Yes, farewell..."
"The statue for Goddess Rinshaka—oak wood would be perfect, right?"
"Ah, aaaah!"
Holding back laughter, I waved at the screaming Connie.
"Alright, rest well!"
-The goddess of forests and earth, Rinshaka, is delighted.
-The goddess of forests and earth, Rinshaka, bestows her blessing upon you.
-[One Loved by the Forest] trait evolves into [One Trusted by the Forest] trait.
Gods are so simple, really.