The God Slayer
The creak of the door opening plunged the guild hall—which had been a whirlwind of flying drink glasses, crumpled papers, and shouted curses only moments before—into sudden, absolute silence. Every pair of eyes snapped toward Thirin standing in the doorway. The gazes that met her were a toxic blend of awe, fear, and something disturbingly close to manic hunger.
The idiot who called himself Flash Lionel finally cracked.
“Th-there she is! The ‘God Slayer’ has arrived!”
His words acted like a spark on dry tinder.
“Oh my god, it’s real! I heard it from the security guys! She wiped out an entire cult den by herself!”
“Not only did she solo the ‘Five Fingers of Blood,’ now she’s demolished a cult stronghold too?!”
“They say the cult had hundreds of vicious vampires!”
Your feat has become known to the world. You have acquired a new title!
Acquired Title: Vampire's Calamity
“They weren’t just any cult! They worshipped a forgotten god! They were using divine powers!”
“That’s not even the best part! An ancient fire dragon sleeping in the Sea of Trees woke up and tried to turn the land into scorched earth with its flames—and she ripped it apart with her bare hands!”
Your feat has become known to the world. You have acquired a new title!
Acquired Title: Dragon Slayer
“No, no, I heard it differently! She ripped the dragon’s heart out, bathed in its blood, then tore apart the god’s incarnation and feasted on its flesh!”
Your feat has become known to the world. You have acquired a new title!
Acquired Title: God Slayer
“......”
Thirin was utterly speechless. She knew adventurers were dramatic idiots who loved exaggeration and bragging, but this was on another level.
The titles Vampire's Calamity, Dragon Slayer, and God Slayer are resonating with the Witch title!
Those with weak minds nearby are overwhelmed by your presence and have fallen into a temporary state of Worshipful Madness!
“......”
Even the system was losing its damn mind. As Thirin stared blankly into space in utter disbelief, the adventurers’ frenzy reached its peak.
“God Slayer! Dragon Slayer! Hundred-Man Butcher!”
“The witch who killed a god! The God-Slaying Witch!”
“God-Slaying Witch! She’s the Goddess of God-Slaying!”
“Lady Witch! Grant me your power too! I’ll offer you everything I have!”
Several adventurers threw themselves at her feet, pressing their foreheads to the floor. Others rolled their eyes back and foamed at the mouth in convulsions. Still others spread their arms wide like fanatics and began chanting incomprehensible spells.
Thirin was beyond speechless. How the hell had things come to this?
Of course she had no way of knowing. What was happening right now wasn’t normal by any standard.
Her current Charm stat was 180, halved to 90 by the mask. But the fresh, fluffy aura from her recent shower still lingered, pushing it up to 120. On top of that, adventurers were the type of people who chose a profession that came with romantic delusions and tall tales. They were also notoriously superstitious.
The combination of adventurers’ romanticism, superstition, Thirin’s overwhelming Charm, the rumors spreading from the imperial army, and the guild’s official confirmation of her quest completion had created a perfect storm of synergy.
“Lady Witch! Please take this worthless life of mine and use it as a sacrifice for your glory!”
“Oh God-Slaying Witch! Please reform this trash body of mine with your whip!”
“Please, just one strand of that silk-like eastern hair of yours!!!”
A new religion was on the verge of being born right here.
Not that Thirin gave a single damn.
“Get lost!”
-CRACK!
“Uwaaaaagh!!!”
“The Pantheon is in danger!!!”
“He got castrated by the whip!!!”
“Kyaaaaaaaagh!!!!!”
The moment Thirin snapped the whip coiled around her thigh against the floor, the idiots scattered in panic. Nothing brought people back to their senses quite like a whip.
Not everyone had fled, though. One tall, lanky fool lingered in front of her, fidgeting awkwardly.
“......Why are you still here?”
“I-I was hoping you might—”
“I said get lost!”
-THUD.
“Gahk!”
The idiot who got kicked in the shin groaned and crawled into a corner of the guild. From the shadows, he watched the whip with gleaming eyes and licked his lips.
“......”
Thirin ignored the degenerates and headed straight for the reception desk. Even though it was only a few steps away, she felt as exhausted as if she’d marched for miles.
“Rina.”
“Lady Thirin! You’re here!”
Rina’s face was glowing with several times more excitement than usual. For some reason, the sight gave Thirin an instant headache—the same kind Klaus and the security chief had probably felt. She was paying the price for her karma.
“What the hell is this ‘God Slayer’ nonsense?”
“Ah… well, you see.”
Rina smiled awkwardly.
“The security soldiers who heard the decurion’s report apparently got a little… creative when they were drinking last night and telling war stories.”
She even kindly filled Thirin in on the part where Klaus had barely managed to stand up to deliver his report before fainting again—a detail Thirin couldn’t care less about.
......Maybe I should buy him some socks as a get-well gift.
Thinking that, Thirin asked, “If they heard the report, they should know most of that is impossible bullshit. So why is the guild just letting these ridiculous rumors spread?”
She jerked her chin toward the adventurers still convulsing in the hall while screaming “Vampire Slayer!” “Dragon Slayer!!!” and “God Slayer!!!!!”
“Isn’t some of it actually true, though?”
Rina’s counter-question left Thirin momentarily speechless.
“You did eliminate a large number of cultists single-handedly, the temple was covered in traces of fire magic, and… while I’m not sure about the fire dragon, well.”
Rina lowered her voice to a whisper only Thirin could hear.
“And… a Divine Core really did appear, didn’t it? We can’t be sure if the cult’s god has completely vanished, but it’s an undeniable fact that you destroyed part of its divinity.”
“......”
“This goes beyond a simple great deed. It’s a genuine feat.”
Rina’s eyes sparkled with something that had long since crossed the line from respect into outright worship.
“I might be witnessing the birth of a new myth. Lady Thirin, if you really do ascend to godhood someday, please don’t forget about me. Actually, I’ll worship you! I swear I will……!”
Why is this woman like this too?
Thirin deliberately looked away from Rina’s burdensome gaze. The moment she turned her head, she felt another set of eyes lock onto her. The other receptionists—and even the guild master peeking through the crack of his office door—were staring at her with desperate, almost pleading expressions.
They look like they want something from me. But what? Is there any benefit to them if these rumors spread?
Your understanding of others has increased!
Increase your understanding to acquire Enlightenment!
Ah. The guild’s reputation.
Thirin finally understood. Having the God Slayer as one of their adventurers was the best advertisement they could possibly ask for.
“......”
She nodded silently. Well, good was good.
“What about the kids?”
“Ah, they’re all healthy with no physical issues… but there is one strange thing.”
“What is it?”
“All of the children have apparently lost their aptitude for magic.”
“......”
Thirin had a pretty good idea why. Her guess back at the temple had been correct.
She said that because they stole the god’s power, they had to give it back. So the thing that disappeared was their magic aptitude… Does that mean the mana in this world originally comes from the gods?
But there was still one part she couldn’t understand.
How the hell did humans manage to steal it in the first place……?
“Lady Thirin?”
Rina’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
“I heard their magic aptitude is gone. Got it. But does that cause any problems with their bodies?”
“They say it won’t affect their daily lives at all. They’ve simply returned to being ordinary children. It’s unfortunate for them, but since their lives aren’t in danger, we should consider it a blessing.”
Rina glanced at her and added, “But… weren’t you looking for a child to teach magic to, Lady Thirin?”
“Hmph.”
Thirin snorted. “What could I possibly learn from kids? How to mix baby formula?”
“I see.”
Rina smiled, her eyes curving beautifully. For some reason, that smile annoyed Thirin all over again.
“Why are you smiling?”
“It’s nothing.”
Thirin entertained a brief fantasy of smacking the woman in front of her before changing the subject.
“Rina. Do you know anything about Divine Cores?”
“Divine Cores, you mean?”
“Yeah. I did take one. It’s still inside me right now.”
“......!”
Light practically exploded from Rina’s eyes. Thirin quickly continued before the conversation could derail again.
“But I have no idea how to use it.”
“If it’s related to the gods, it would be best to ask the priests at the Pantheon…”
“Those guys won’t tell me. I’m unlucky like that.”
Thirin now had a rough grasp of the Pantheon’s attitude. They fundamentally disliked her. The only times they approached her was when one of the gods directly demanded it. Unless one of the gods issued an oracle telling the priests to explain Divine Cores, they would simply click their tongues and kick her out.
Rina thought for a moment.
“Hmm… Could you wait a little? I’ll look into it and get back to you.”
While Rina was away, Thirin wandered over to the guild’s request board and began browsing slowly from the top.
Escort & 'Conversation Partner' Recruitment
Title: Lonely widow Lady Chloe seeks long-term escort to a hot spring resort.
Requirements: Healthy male, 20-30 years old. Decent appearance. Those who listen well at 'night' will be given priority.
Adventurer rank irrelevant. Selection by interview only.
Special Notes: The lady's back is weak and requires hot 'massage' every night. Generous additional compensation.
Inquiries: VIP Consultation Room, 2nd Floor of the Guild.
......This is just an open recruitment post for male escorts.
Thirin was dumbfounded. The nobles of the empire had no class whatsoever. Then again, there was a uniformed officer who stalked people, so what could she expect?
Shaking her head, she looked at the next one. This time her eyes landed on a crudely hand-drawn picture that was almost painful to look at.
'Growing' Magic Staff!
Type: A bizarre magic staff that suddenly becomes hard and enlarges when placed between a female adventurer's thighs.
Damage: Has caused extreme sexual humiliation and mental trauma to numerous female mages and archers.
Requester: Anonymous Female Adventurers' Human Rights Alliance.
Reward: 50 gold coins and the victims' heartfelt gratitude.
“.......”
What kind of world was this? A perverted magic item like this was just wandering around. Who the hell would even create something like this?
Clicking her tongue, Thirin shifted her gaze again.
“.......”
There was something different this time. The countless “Missing Children Search” requests that had once dominated one corner of the board all bore bright red stamps signifying mission completion.
For some reason, Thirin felt a little embarrassed.
Just as she was about to read the next request, the guild door burst open violently. A woman flung the door open as if trying to break it and stormed inside.
“Emily!”
A scream like a tearing shriek echoed through the guild.