Chapter 56
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: 13. Festival of the Black Mages. (1)
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Ding, ding, ding.
The holy kingdom's city, which had yet to regain its color, faded gradually into the distance, just like the faint tolling of those bells echoing softly behind them.
The Blind Saintess clasped her hands tightly together, sensing the receding outline of the city. She had never once left the holy kingdom's borders in all her life, and this strange cocktail of excitement and anxiety was proving hard to manage. …It wasn't just because it was her first time—it was because of her youth.
She laid her clasped hands upon her ample bosom and offered a prayer to the Holy Spirit.
May this journey be blessed by the Holy Spirit…
Allen, seated across from the Blind Saintess, couldn't hold back his admiration as he gazed at her status window. As expected from that master—same with the disciple!
…No wonder those perverts love 'em…!
The combined total of her Strength, Agility, and Stamina came to 165. It hadn't quite surpassed the A-rank threshold of 180 yet, but considering she was only in her early twenties, those were insanely impressive stats.
And on top of that, she had the pinnacle of talent traits, [Genius]. There was no way he couldn't look forward to her future growth. If she kept developing like this, she'd hit A-rank in just two or three years, easy.
Not only that, but her other traits were nearly perfect too, making her a character he could carry all the way to the late game without any burden. The only minor issue was her somewhat suboptimal class positioning, but that was a late-game concern anyway—nothing to nitpick now.
……Still, what a waste.
It was a huge shame that he'd have to let her go after Chapter 1 ended, but even the god of time couldn't do anything about that. She was essentially an event helper for newbies. With the game's sky-high entry barrier causing fresh noobs to drop like flies before even finishing Chapter 1, tossing in a solid character like her was a merciful lifeline to keep the playerbase alive. …Of course, the difficulty was still brutally hardcore even with that.
"You seem pretty tense."
The Blind Saintess, who had been praying with her head slightly bowed, lifted it. Even with her eyepatch, she spoke and acted as if she could see him perfectly.
It was undoubtedly a fascinating phenomenon, but mercenaries who had seen every freakish wonder the world had to offer just shrugged it off with a "Yeah, that tracks." In a world where magic went poof-poof, seeing with eyes closed was no big deal!
"…Yes, a little."
"Everyone's like that at first. And no amount of experience stops the nerves entirely. You feel it every time you head out on a job. It just fades a bit with time."
"I see."
At that, Captain Aiden, who had been listening quietly from the side, let out a chuckle that turned wistful, as if old memories were surfacing.
"Hits me with some nostalgia too… It's been over ten years now, probably…."
His words plunged everyone into reminiscence, the air growing thick with a musty scent of bygone days. …Even Allen faintly recalled his own first steps into the game.
The pious Christopher bowed deeply to the Blind Saintess with boundless reverence and asked politely.
"If it's not too much, could you perhaps bless this mission with divine grace, Saintess?"
Oh—.
"Of course."
She had hoped someone would ask for a blessing! The Blind Saintess felt profoundly moved. So she put on an act, playing the role of a pure, aloof sage utterly free of selfish desires. After all, the public image of a saintess was one of chastity, mystery, and purity.
…Yes, this is my chance to truly become a saintess worthy of the title. Master… I'll prove that a saintess can redeem foes with mercy, not fists!
The odd-eyed one harbored such lofty dreams as she showered the mercenaries with fervent blessings, piling on every flowery phrase she knew.
……And her true colors showed through in exactly one week.
It took a full month and a half to leave the holy kingdom, pass through one mid-sized city and a metropolis, cross the Borremang Cliffs, and finally reach the western region.
From the moment they entered the west, the landscape shifted dramatically from the central regions. The lush green grass thinned out on the ground, giving way to soil increasingly mixed with sand.
And not far from where they emerged from the cliff path, the first city of the western region came into view.
Ah—.
Unlike those in other regions, its walls bore a faint reddish hue. Western cities in particular were studded with an unusual number of spires atop their battlements.
Metropolis Norton—. The city hugged a broad, mighty river. The scenery on either bank was polar opposites: the city side was sandy wasteland, while the opposite was endless fertile fields of tawny crops.
The west definitely had that resort vibe oozing from it. If the south's peace was laid-back and monotonous, the west's was free-spirited and vibrant.
Anyway.
Upon arriving at Metropolis Norton, Allen's Mercenary Corps spent two days there before following the river upstream. Passing through mid-sized Oderlsa, they finally reached their destination: mid-sized Hegel.
It had taken another half-month since entering the western region.
The moment Allen's Mercenary Corps arrived in mid-sized Hegel, they collected their escort fee and headed straight for an inn. The mercenaries flopped down at tables in the first-floor hall, tossing their packs aside and groaning about how dead they were.
"Fuckin' hell, never thought I'd see the day I'd actually want to work…."
Aside from smashing a few amateur bandits' skulls, they hadn't really exerted themselves, leaving the mercenaries' limbs itching for action.
"Don't worry. I'll work you bastards to the bone soon enough."
"…Now you're scaring me, Boss."
With their previous mission's exploits so flashy, the captain's words carried an ominous ring of truth rather than exaggeration.
"Who do you think black mages are? House pets? …You might actually drop dead, so brace yourselves."
At that, Znisya—the northern female warrior who was starting to tan under the western heat—activated [Recklessness] and [Narcissism], pounding the table with her fist and ranting without a clue.
"I've got your back—! I'll show this shithole west what northern terror looks like!"
"Please do, you bitch. And ease up on the water-guzzling and wash up. You wanna stop the wagon every time you piss?"
"Fuck, then I'll melt from the heat—what am I supposed to do?"
Bald one-eyed Billy and warrior Znisya bickered as usual. When their food arrived, they glared at each other and started shoveling it into their mouths like it was a speed-eating contest.
Western cuisine was mostly dried jerky or bubbling stews. It wasn't to Allen's taste, but hey, gotta eat to live.
"Rest up, everyone. Until we find work."
Rooms: three triples and one single. Naturally, the single went to the boss.
Allen dumped his pack in his room and returned to the first-floor hall, approaching the innkeeper. The portly middle-aged man exuded the laid-back vibe common to westerners.
"Grain brew, one."
The innkeeper plunked down a mug brimming with lukewarm grain alcohol in front of Allen.
"Got a question…."
"Shoot."
Thankfully, true to the friendly western stereotype, there was no greedy glint in his eye.
"Heard any rumors about black mages lately? Word is, shit's hit the fan around here."
"Ahh—."
The innkeeper nodded knowingly, as if he'd been expecting it.
"Yeah, the territories down south are total chaos. Even a few villages in our lord's domain got torched. …The city lord sent a request to the Mage Tower for countermeasures, but those fuckers ain't the type to jump."
"Figures. Or not."
"Anyway, gotta put out the fire on your doorstep first, so he's been mustering mercenary corps lately. That why you lot came?"
"Something like that."
The innkeeper leaned in close, whispering in a advisory tone.
"If I may overstep, those bastards use corpses as firewood—. Best watch your back. Honestly, I'd look for other work… Black mages ain't your average thugs."
"What good's a mercenary who picks and chooses jobs over coin?"
Allen chuckled coarsely, and the innkeeper laughed along, as if he'd seen it coming.
"Fair enough. Just a shame to see talent go to waste by dying. Good luck out there."
Allen drained the rest of his mug. The single drink hit him with a pleasant buzz, and he stumbled back to his room, collapsing onto the fluffy bed for the first time in ages. A puff of sand rose briefly before settling.
"Shiiit, finally…."
His work-cluttered mind soon sank into darkness.
Mercenary corps, black mages, caravans, goods, deals, money, money, money….
The jumbled words swirled chaotically before fading into silence.
He plunged into deep sleep in an instant.