Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Pluto's Black Star
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In an instant, all eyes turned to me, leaving me more than a little flustered.
It was because I had this slightly timid side where my face would burn and I'd feel intensely embarrassed if a situation like this arose, as if the stage had been perfectly set for me.
"W-What about me?"
As I asked in confusion, Cassandra lightly stepped through the muddy water with a patter-patter and approached me. She placed a hand on my shoulder and addressed the people around us.
"Hassan of Samaria is someone who has received the grace of light more profoundly than anyone here. His prayers might even reach the silent heights of Hyphos."
At Cassandra's words, a murmur spread like spilled ink.
"That guy has the grace?"
"The God of Light is famous for not granting grace."
"But the priestess from Delphi's Sun Temple wouldn't lie..."
"Quiet."
The one who silenced the rowdy crowd with a single calm word was Hippolyte.
Hippolyte pushed through the adventurers and Sword Maidens, coming right up to my face.
Whoosh, people in this world had no concept of personal space and would just close in like this, which sometimes left me utterly flustered.
"Can you do it?"
"Th-That is..."
How could anyone stare straight into someone's eyes like that?
As I looked down into those eyes, I suddenly recalled the events by the spring the day before, and blood rushed to my lower body.
"If you succeed this time, I'll suggest to Guildmaster Baltma that you be promoted to Bronze Tier."
Shit, promotion?
"Fine, let's give it a shot."
Promotion to Bronze Tier!? At those words, fireworks and fanfare exploded in my head.
I'd thought I'd have to toil in Iron Tier for another half year to a year. Things were going better than expected, which actually made the back of my neck prickle with chill.
"Then go ahead. Offer your prayer."
And so, I ended up performing a bizarre prayer ritual, surrounded by the adventurers in a circle.
Everyone watched with half expectation, half curiosity, and half suspicion, which made my mouth go dry and my palms sweat profusely.
"A prayer from a graced Samaritan. I'm a bit intrigued myself."
Hippolyte urged me on. But as I'd mentioned before, I had virtually no experience with religious activities.
Even if told to pray suddenly, I had no idea how or where to start. The only things that came to mind were the four annual ancestral rites and bows. Shit, should I do that?
"Um, could you spread out some food here? Just lay out a few of what you have."
At my request, Hippolyte nodded curtly. Soon, the Sword Maidens popped out from here and there, reluctantly placing their bundled foods in front of me.
It felt wrong to put them directly on the wet ground, so I pulled out my crocodile leather and piled on some dried fruits, hardtack, and chunks of the freshly acquired crocodile meat.
It could be called an offering table, but it was so slapdash that my strict father would have spat in fury if he saw it.
My father had been the eldest son in a large family, after all. He was always intense about rituals like this.
Anyway, there I stood before the makeshift offering. I positioned myself neatly and bowed twice toward the wet ground with a splat-splat.
Twice? For a god, maybe three times? Shit, one more for good measure.
Splat-.
"What is he doing?"
"No idea. Must be the Samaritan prayer style."
"It has a primitive feel to it."
"An ancient method."
Amid the murmuring adventurers, Cassandra's quiet voice stood out like a needle in a pocket.
"Before temples were built in ancient times, they offered food and goods like that and prayed. Burning offerings was commonplace for the ancients."
"Indeed, an old ritual."
"So, let's watch and see what happens next."
....
I bowed three times toward the simple offering table, and the surrounding crowd fell into a quiet, awkward silence.
Only the thick fog around us and the cries of birds from somewhere echoed in our ears.
Some time passed like that, but there was no sign of the fog lifting.
Of course, that made sense.
I'd been ignoring it lately, buoyed by recent events giving me confidence, but I didn't believe in the gods of this world and had never prayed once!
Shit, this is embarrassing. If nothing happens, I'll get beaten to a pulp, right?
As I worried about that.
"Hassan of Samaria. Brother. How about offering some praise or hymns?"
Cassandra called from behind, and I felt like a lifeline had been thrown into my pit.
"Praise?"
"Yes, even a simple hymn would do. Do as much as you can. Or chant a spell. In Samaritan dialect, perhaps-"
Praise the god? Nothing specific came to mind. I wasn't the type to spout flowery compliments anyway. Hallelujah...? Shit, wrong religion.
The only chant-like thing I'd ever done was that ridiculous "Chaos Eternal" or whatever.
Fuck it, nothing to lose. Embarrassment doesn't cost money.
"L-Long live the sun-!"
It was right after I shouted that quite ridiculous and awkward praise.
Ding-.
『You can borrow divine power by consuming 200 Karma Value.』
『Hassan's current Karma Value: 217.』
『Yes.』
『No.』
Holy shit! Text appeared! And in a new format I'd never seen. It even had Yes and No options.
Consuming 200 Karma Value to borrow power? I felt a strange mix of hope and déjà vu. But 200 points? No clue if that's a lot or little.
"Nothing's happening?"
"It's a scam after all, huh?"
But with people starting to eye me suspiciously, I couldn't hesitate anymore. I moved my hand.
Bronze Tier if it works. Fuck, I want that promotion too! More money! Better life!
Ding-.
I selected 『Yes』, and like pressing a mobile game button, a contrived sound played as the text fizzled away.
What happens now?-Just as I tensed up.
Whoosh-, boom-!
Something tore through the fog, grazed my face, and slammed into the ground. At the same moment, the fog enveloping us evaporated in an instant, revealing the bright sky.
Shit, what flew in?
Was "flew and embedded" even right? The speed and weight were beyond imagination—like a meteor or missile crashing.
The ground right beside me was deeply cratered, as if struck by something massive. And in the center, flickering and blazing was-.
"An arrow...?"
Who said that? Probably Luna. As she said, it was an arrow.
Flames flickered instead of fletching, and it gleamed with dazzling golden light. Utterly surreal.
But soon, with a whoosh, it vanished like embers after burning all fuel, scattering into the air.
"Whoa, shit, the fog lifted in a flash!"
"Not just the fog. Look at the ground. The mud's completely dry!"
"What!? What just happened? I couldn't see! There was a huge boom!"
The adventurers gawked at each other, mouths agape, chattering about the bizarre phenomenon. Amid them, Hippolyte peered into the crater and spoke.
"The food and leather laid out are gone. The God of Light must have accepted the offering. In exchange, the ground here cratered. And this heat-"
She knelt where the arrow had struck, running her palm over the ground.
The priestess kneeling beside her, also examining the spot, added a few words.
"Even with burnt offerings, He remains silent. To grant a miracle so swiftly.... Uh, ugh, urgh...."
Cassandra, mid-sentence, suddenly shuddered violently and began convulsing.
"Ugh, grrgh, hah, hrrgh!"
Shit, what? Seizure?
In this world full of weird illnesses, it wouldn't be strange even for a refined-looking priestess in fancy clothes who seemed to eat well.
"Delphi's priestess. W-What's wrong? What's happening!?"
Hippolyte couldn't stay composed seeing her tremble like she was in agony.
She grabbed Cassandra's slender shoulders, who looked ready to foam at the mouth, and shook her back and forth.
"Snap out of it!"
"Th, ughhh! O-Oracle-!"
"Oracle?"
"...Grr... The sun rising from beneath the earth soars high for three days and nights, illuminating the high mountains and deep seas, leaving no darkness in the world.... But the sun sinks back into the earth, breaking its own light and blazing crown by ancient covenant...."
* * *
Cassandra, who had spouted incomprehensible words and lost consciousness, regained awareness about a half hour later.
"U, ugh-."
The woman woke behind my back, groaning like she had a hangover. She soon realized she was inexplicably piggybacked on a dark-skinned man and cried out in surprise.
"Wh-What's going on?"
"You passed out, so I carried you. If you're awake, get down. You're heavy."
It was like losing rock-paper-scissors and getting extra luggage—far from comfortable.
I'd been secretly pleased at first about carrying a soft-looking woman. But under the blazing sun, hauling gear for kilometers, joy was impossible.
"I passed out...? More importantly, to show such impropriety—my apologies."
Cassandra hopped off my back and patted herself down. Then she quietly addressed me.
"Hassan of Samaria. Once this commission ends, if you have time, visit Delphi. It seems the God of Light has some intent toward you."
"Delphi?"
Where even was that? From what people said, it was the central city of the sun god's church.
In this world without cars or buses, traveling between cities required steeling oneself. Journeys and expeditions weren't named lightly.
"As a mere mortal, that's all I can say."
With that, Cassandra distanced herself from me. No chance to ask more.
"Hah, ugh, ugh-."
Then Luna beside me halted abruptly.
"What's up?"
"I, I think I twisted my ankle. There's a rock."
This girl who splashed through mud fine before was now spraining on dry ground.
Like after bouncing wildly on a trampoline—walking feels off on solid earth.
Her mud-accustomed feet might not adapt to dry land.
"Ow, it hurts-."
"Tch. Let me see. Looks fine on the outside."
My hands healed weird ailments, so a sprain should be easy. I placed a hand on her wrist first.
"Th-The foot hurts, why the wrist...?"
"Just hold still."
Ding-.
『Luna Noxdoty Lv. 8
Status: Nox's Curse | Erebus's Curse | Mild Growing Pains』
No ankle sprain listed. Did statuses show some ailments but not others? Needs more research.
"Want me to massage it better?"
Even without the ability, I knew basic sprain rubs.
As I reached for Luna's seated ankle, she blocked my hand swish-.
"In front of people, touching my ankle is a bit embarrassing...."
"Oh."
Right, feet were off-limits for casual touch. Doing it amid crowds would spark more whispers.
Whisper-whisper.
"The Samaritan prayer worked...."
"Laying food and prostrating repeatedly...."
Since that weird ritual, they'd kept distance, muttering among themselves.
"What's going on back there?"
Hippolyte, sensing the stop, halted the march and looked back.
"Problem?"
"No, nothing."
"Schedule's delayed. Fog's gone, ground's dry—smooth sailing now."
Then we marched on. Her pace at the front was merciless, almost a jog—tough to keep up.
"Luna, wanna rest here? Tell 'em?"
"N-No. I need Bronze Tier promotion...."
And she limped along again. Looking pitiful, I offered.
"Want a piggyback?"
"I-Is that okay? Th-Then I'll impose, Hassan."
As I bent, Luna wrapped her arms around my neck like she'd waited. Her bag added weight, making it hefty.
But my strength had grown lately, so not too bad. Luna was slim and light, barely eating anyway.
Squish-.
Her front pressed against my back due to bag weight—warm and soft.
My hands on her hips for the carry felt her smooth, tender skin directly.
"Not too heavy...?"
"Nah, fine."
"But it's hot. I'll fan you."
Phew-. Fwoo- on my neck. Cute, but why was my body heating up more?
[Author's Note] Thanks to sponsors: soto!!!! Kadeom!!!!! M.F!!!!! GullDan!!!! And honor7!!!!! honor7 gave multiples!!! I'll thank you multiples too..!!!!
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Thanks always for recs and comments before moving on...!!!!
Holding breath again.. Hoo!!