Chapter 338: The Welcome
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 338: The Welcome
"Is this the Holy City?"
Muen pulled back the carriage curtain and looked up at the towering, majestic city in the distance.
The first things to catch his eye were two imposing, massive gates. They looked as if they were cast from solid gold, carved with lifelike angels wielding swords. It felt as though they might spread their wings at any moment and bring divine judgment upon sinners with their holy blades.
Then there were the soaring walls extending from the gates. Though high, they didn't feel oppressive. Over the tops of the walls, one could see various exquisite yet grand residences and churches winding their way upward.
Finally, at the very center of the Holy City—visible from any vantage point just by looking up—stood the statue of the Goddess.
Unlike the worn-out statue Muen had seen in that dilapidated old church, this one radiated a visible sacred aura. It seemed adorned with countless specks of starlight. Her face was filled with compassion as she looked down upon all living things, her slender, outstretched hands seemingly scattering hope and the gospel.
The believers faced the statue, heading up the roads in a display of pious worship.
The Holy City.
Yelanska.
It was said that in the ancient language, the name meant "The God-Chosen Land under the Goddess's Gaze."
Even if it couldn't match the imperial capital, Belland, in terms of prosperity or population, the omnipresent solemnity and sanctity still delivered a profound spiritual shock.
Except...
Muen rubbed his chin, staring at the statue of the Goddess, and couldn't help but wonder:
With a statue that big, if I stood directly underneath it... would I be able to see what's under the Goddess's skirt?
No, no, no.
This is literally under the Goddess's gaze.
Can't think like that. Can't think like that.
Muen shuddered and quickly pressed his hands together, muttering a prayer toward the statue, asking for forgiveness for his unintentional offense.
"Ha! My dearest, dearest, dearest, dearest Muen boy! You've finally arrived!"
Suddenly, a voice rang out, so enthusiastic it sounded like every sunflower in the world had bloomed at once. It caused many believers performing their morning prayers along the road to instinctively look over.
Muen opened his eyes in shock, only to see a familiar pink bear suit wiggling its rear as it came sprinting toward him.
"Ha! Good lad, good lad!"
The Pink Bear didn't even sound winded. He opened his wide arms, lunging toward Muen for a hug.
And then he hugged empty air...
Maintaining his hugging posture, the Pink Bear’s expression suddenly turned incredibly resentful. He looked at Muen and asked, "Are you serious with that 'half-step back' move?"
"Sor... sorry."
Muen smoothed down his bristling arm hairs and twitched the corner of his mouth.
"I just felt a sudden, inexplicable wave of nausea."
"Don't tell the truth at a time like this, you bastard!"
The Pink Bear cursed, but in the next moment, that ridiculous bear face broke into a brilliant smile like an old daisy blooming in autumn. He slapped Muen heavily on the shoulder, praising him like an elder whose child had just aced an exam.
"Well done, well done! As expected of Celicia's fiancé, to actually escape that forest successfully. I heard it was even while a Calamity was waking up and passing through. I admit it, I underestimated you, kid!
"It's decided! When you and Celicia have your wedding, I'll definitely add an extra two hundred to the gift money!"
"Only two hundred?"
"You should be satisfied, kid! When that brat Audrich got married, I went there to freeload for free. You're the first person I'm actually willing to pay for!"
"..."
Strange, why do I feel a bizarre sense of honor?
Muen expressionlessly crushed that strange feeling immediately.
"So, I heard that little girl Liya was injured. Are all three of you okay?"
The Pink Bear poked his head into the carriage, snooping around.
"I'm fine. Liya's injuries are quite heavy, but the Holy City should have ways to treat her, so I don't need to worry for now. As for... huh?"
Muen suddenly froze and looked at the Pink Bear.
"Three? What do you mean, three?"
"..."
The Pink Bear’s wiggling body suddenly stiffened. He pulled his head—which had almost filled the entire carriage window—out of the carriage and turned stiffly toward Muen. He asked in shock:
"Weren't there three of you?"
"Where did the third come from? Only Liya and I were teleported into the forest."
"What about that flat-chested brat?!"
"What does a flat-chested brat have to do with me? I'm a member of the Big-Chest Faction... Wait, by 'flat-chested brat,' you don't mean Ariel, do you?"
Muen rubbed his chin. He remembered what he had forgotten.
When they were facing the Indra King and those other enemies, focusing entirely on their escape, they seemed to have... left Ariel behind.
She had gone out into the night to kill magical beasts for money.
But...
"She wasn't with you at the end?" Muen asked with a strange expression.
"I should be the one asking that!"
The Pink Bear grabbed Muen by the collar and shook him, his eyes wide. "That flat-chested brat wasn't with you at the end?"
"No... wait, that doesn't make sense. Ariel didn't enter the forest, how could she possibly—"
"She did! She went in!"
The Pink Bear’s tone grew frantic.
"She went in to find you guys!"
"..."
Muen blanked.
He blanked again.
Then, finally, he snapped out of it.
Given Ariel's personality, if she knew Liya was in danger, she would jump in to save her without a second thought. That was normal for her.
But the problem was...
"Even if she entered the forest, it's almost impossible that she would have found us. That forest is huge."
Muen asked in confusion, "Why did you think she would be able to come out with us?"
"..."
The Pink Bear opened his mouth, and the pink of his bear face seemed to fade at a visible rate.
Of course he knew it was impossible.
He was just...
Tentatively clinging to a sliver of hope.
"Repent now!"
But now, that hope was shattered.
A cold, ruthless voice came from behind him.
A voice transmission stone emitting a strange magical power floated up slowly. From it came Professor Prang's voice, sounding like a doomsday sentence.
"You lost a student, Pink Bear. Those things of yours... I don't think you'll be needing them anymore!"
"No, no—!"
The Pink Bear lunged forward frantically, hugging the voice transmission stone. He said urgently, "Old man... no, Prang, respected Professor Prang, listen to me, please listen to me! This was an accident! I'll go look for her! I'll definitely find her! And I'm already thinking of ways to fix this! Please, stay your hand, please..."
"Hmph! Talk to me after you've found her!!"
With a crack, the connection cut off.
Listening to the static that sounded like an electric current after the line went dead, the Pink Bear looked as if he had been struck by lightning himself. His body gradually went limp, and he slumped to the ground.
"No, no—"
He suddenly punched the ground, kneeling as he let out a wail toward the sky that would make anyone who heard it weep and anyone who saw it grieve.
"My photo books—!"
"Snowflakes fluttering~ The north wind howling~"
"What are you singing?!"
"Ahem, instinct. Just instinct."
Muen coughed a few times and secretly took a few more steps back.
Looking at the Pink Bear throwing a fit in the middle of the road right in front of the Holy City's gates, and seeing the strange looks from the people around them, Muen scratched his cheek, feeling a bit hot.
I'll just pretend I don't know him. Otherwise, it's a bit embarrassing...
"In the middle of the day, could you please not pollute the environment here like a piece of non-combustible trash, Mr. Pink Bear?"
At that moment, an extremely gentle and warm voice rang out nearby, like a spring breeze.