Divine Weapons (1)
A rumor had begun to circulate among the adventurers. Recently, the rate of dungeon accidents had risen to a suspiciously high degree. The accident rate itself was a problem, but what made it peculiar was that every single survivor of those mishaps claimed to have seen an inn.
They had seen an inn inside the dungeon, and within it, they had received a weapon accompanied by the voice of a god!
If only one or two people said such a thing, people would laugh it off as madness or a hallucination. But when dozens of people all said the same thing, it was no longer a joke.
"Haaah—damn it all..."
Aaron, the master of the Adventurer Guild, had seen a sharp increase in his gray hairs. As if the rising dungeon accident rates weren't enough of a headache, these idiot adventurers had gone around spreading rumors that they had received divine weapons.
As a result, everyone from the nobles who quietly pulled strings for him to the bottom-feeding beggars looking for a big score was now tearing through the dungeons in search of those divine weapons.
Haaah—
Aaron felt a desperate craving for the tobacco he had quit more than ten years ago as he looked at the rumored "divine weapon." Purchased for a hefty sum from a debt-ridden adventurer under the pretext of examining the sword, the "divine weapon" hung proudly on the wall.
Its form was indeed that of a masterpiece among masterpieces. Before becoming Guild Master, Aaron himself had been a veteran adventurer who had spent decades grinding it out in the field. His eyes accurately assessed the sword's worth.
It's a fine blade that would fetch the price of one or two mansions at the very least. Anyone would covet a weapon this good, but it's not so extraordinary that people should be making a fuss about it being a divine weapon.
So had the adventurers collectively gotten high and started seeing things?
But the witnesses' statements are all consistent, with no major discrepancies...
The weapon was a bit underwhelming to call a divine miracle, yet the witnesses and evidence were far too clear to dismiss as the ramblings of drug addicts. Had some bored nouveau riche pulled a stunt like this? Just to mess with him?
Ugh—
The more he thought about it, the deeper he sank into a labyrinth of confusion, and Aaron clutched his aching head.
Knock, knock—
"Master Aaron? May I come in?"
His thoughts were interrupted by the knock.
"Come in."
The door opened, and his secretary entered holding a single letter.
Oh, damn it.
Aaron's expression crumpled the moment he saw the emblem engraved on the luxurious stationery. It was the mark of the Pantheon.
Those lunatics who stuck their noses into everything the moment the word "god" was mentioned had finally caught the scent.
"Master Aaron, a letter from the Pantheon."
"Haa... Those god-obsessed bastards sure have sharp ears for rumors."
He wanted nothing more than to toss it straight into the fireplace and piss on it, but Aaron knew the infamous reputation of the Pantheon's mad dogs all too well. He let out a deep sigh.
"All this nonsense because of that damn god."
"I-I'll go brew some tea."
Sensing his foul mood, the secretary fled under the excuse of making tea.
Rip—
He tore open the letter and examined its contents. True to form for those god-fondling, ass-kissing types, the page was stuffed with every flowery turn of phrase imaginable.
Skimming past the useless fluff, he read the actual message:
We have heard the rumors of divine weapons emerging from the dungeons. Upon examining said weapons, we have detected traces of holy power. We intend to investigate the rumored inn as well. Failure to cooperate will have unpleasant consequences. Ah, and since the surrounding dungeons must also be investigated, restrict adventurer access for the time being.
They had beautifully packaged a threat to brand him a heretic if he did not cooperate with the investigation.
"This fucking... seriously..."
The other demands were unpleasant, but he could live with them. But restricting access to the dungeons? Controlling every dungeon in the region—the lifeline of the local adventurers—would inevitably provoke massive backlash.
He wanted nothing more than to draw his sword and raise hell over this bullshit, but the Pantheon's own military might was nothing to scoff at, and more than a few of the nobles backing Aaron were themselves devout followers of the Pantheon.
Aaron felt his head throb with stress as he lifted his gaze to the empty sky beyond the window.
The sky was damnably clear.
I could really go for a smoke...
Whoever the god that forged those weapons was, it was clearly not a god looking out for him.
The five gods who created this world.
Their temples could be found anywhere on the continent, but Civitas, where the Pantheon stood, was universally acknowledged as the heart and center of the continent's faith.
Civitas—the holiest of holy sites, a place every follower of the five gods was expected to make a pilgrimage to at least once before they died.
The Pantheon, located at the very center of Civitas, the spiritual capital of the continent's faith. On ordinary days, an atmosphere of quiet solemnity and strict discipline filled the halls, with only the soft sounds of the faithful offering prayers. Today, however, the low murmur of conversation among devotees and priests filled the floor.
Wherever one went, hushed voices could be heard chattering among themselves.
What's going on here?
Kenis, an apprentice paladin who had just returned to Civitas after two years away suppressing monsters in the north, was bewildered by the state of the Pantheon.
Did something happen at the Pantheon?
In her memory, the Pantheon had always maintained an air of quiet dignity and solemnity. Curiosity welled up, but she first needed to report her return, so she walked down the corridor, ears open to the surrounding talk.
"...the dungeon... god... adventurers... chaos..."
"So... the weapons... we should..."
What on earth were they talking about?
Eavesdropping so poorly only stoked her curiosity further. Thinking she should hurry and finish her return report so she could find out more, she quickened her pace.
"Ah! Ruel!"
Rounding a corner of the marble corridor, she spotted a familiar face and quickly approached. Short stature, long pink hair cascading down her back, and a somewhat modest chest—it was her friend, Priest Ruel.
"Waaah, Sister Kenis! It's been so long! When did you get back? It's been forever!"
Spotting her, Ruel scurried over with quick little steps, eyes sparkling. Kenis resisted the urge to pinch the cheeks of the girl looking up at her and spoke.
"I just arrived. I was on my way to report my return. But can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
Kenis glanced around, then leaned in to whisper near Ruel's ear.
"Um... has something happened at the Pantheon? Everyone seems to be talking about something."
Shiver—
Ruel trembled for a moment, as if Kenis's hair tickled her, then answered.
"Ah, that? It's not exactly an accident... more like an incident? They say traces of another god have been discovered."
"What?! Really?!"
Gasp—
Kenis let out a loud cry before she could stop herself, then clapped a hand over her mouth and looked around. Fortunately, the spot was secluded, and no one was nearby.
If any of the senior paladins had seen her, they would have given her an earful about maintaining a paladin's dignity.
Huuu—
Suddenly recalling the harsh training she had endured from the senior paladins in the north, Kenis wiped away a cold sweat.
"Are you okay? Why are you suddenly sweating like that? Are you feeling unwell?"
Ruel looked at Kenis with concern.
"You just got back from the north—you must be exhausted. You should rest right away."
"It's nothing. I'm fine."
Kenis brushed it off casually.
"More importantly—traces of another god? You mean a god other than the five has appeared?"
"Yes, that's why the Pantheon is in such an uproar. Everyone's saying this time it might really be traces of a true god."
The five gods were real. They had created the world, ascended to the heavens, and watched over the earth from above.
But aside from delivering an oracle to the first Saintess centuries ago, the gods had not shown themselves.
Lately, those of weak faith had been murmuring that the gods had abandoned them, and even among ordinary believers, whispers that the gods had forsaken the earth had begun to spread.
At last—traces of a god...!
And now, traces of a god had appeared. Proof that the gods had not yet abandoned the earth!
Kenis clenched her fists tightly, unable to contain her excitement.
"But they still don't know for sure. The higher-ups are saying we need to investigate carefully, since it could be heresy or a scam."
"Right. We can't rule out the possibility of heretics who worship demons as gods."
Kenis frowned, thinking of the mad heretics who offered human sacrifices while worshipping soul-devouring demons as deities.
"That's why our headquarters is currently recruiting a dispatch unit to investigate those rumored traces."
"What? Really?"
Kenis's ears perked up. She had only just returned from deployment, but a dispatch unit setting out to find traces of a god? She found herself wanting to join them.
If I volunteer myself, maybe I can get on the dispatch unit?
It was possible. She was only an apprentice paladin, so there would surely be room. As Kenis sank into thought, Ruel suddenly startled and spoke.
"Ah! I was on my way to the cafeteria for an errand! I have to go, Sister Kenis! See you later!"
"Ah. Right, take care, Ruel. Sorry for holding you up when you're busy."
Ruel's pink hair fluttered as her short legs carried her out of sight. Kenis resumed the steps she had briefly halted.
Her mind filled with thoughts of the divine traces as she walked the long corridor.
Step—
Step—
Her footsteps alone echoed quietly along the marble hallway. At last she stopped before a door. Kenis carefully examined the nameplate hanging on it.
Pantheon Strike Force Commander, Evan
Reporting directly to a commander-rank paladin was always nerve-wracking, no matter how many times she did it.
Huuu—
Kenis exhaled a long breath and knocked on the door.
Knock! Knock!
Two short raps. Then she opened the door and entered.
The moment she stepped inside, she began a loud, crisp salute—
"Enough, enough. That's fine."
—only to be stopped mid-motion.
"Y-Yes! Understood!"
A massive frame of muscle sat behind the desk with its back to the window. Though covered by his uniform, the muscles that still showed through, along with the long scar running vertically across his face and eye, made it clear what kind of life Evan had lived—and how devotedly he had spent it smashing the heads of heretics and demons.
Gulp—
When Evan's scar twitched, Kenis grew even more nervous for no reason and swallowed dryly.
"So, Apprentice Paladin Kenis. You've returned from a two-year deployment suppressing monsters in the north. You've done well."
"Not at all! It was simply my duty!"
"Hardship is still hardship."
"Thank you!"
"Mm. You must be tired, so go rest. You'll have seven days of deployment leave—make sure you recover properly."
Having issued his dismissal, Evan put on the reading glasses he had set aside and resumed moving his hand, as if he had been writing documents.
But Kenis did not move. She remained standing right where she was.
Inhale—exhale
Inhale—exhale
After taking several deep breaths, Kenis squeezed her eyes shut and spoke.
"Commander Evan! I wish to volunteer for the dispatch unit investigating the traces of the god!!"
"...What?"
Crunch—
Evan's scar twisted violently, and the sound of the fountain pen in his hand shattering nearly made Kenis lose consciousness on the spot.