Chapter 356: First Entry
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 356: First Entry
After stepping through the doorway, Muen’s eyes narrowed slightly, quickly adjusting to the bright light.
An entire world unfolded before him.
Blue sky.
White clouds.
Grassy plains.
Lush forests.
Plump fruits and vibrant flowers.
A breeze blew in from afar, carrying a unique, refreshing fragrance.
In the distance, a river carved through the wilderness. Whether it was due to the light or something else, the water shimmered with a pure, pristine white.
There was no sun, yet the light was perfectly balanced, making everything feel pleasant and comfortable.
"This... is the Lost Homeland, Cantville?"
Muen was somewhat stunned. Before coming here, he had many theories about the interior of the ruins and had researched a fair amount of related data.
The original novel had also described ancient ruins, depicting them as broken lands filled with darkness, traps, and the heavy scars of time—places where only the remnants of civilization spoke of a once-glorious past.
But now...
Muen crouched down, digging his fingers into the soil and scooping up a handful of earth.
The black soil was tangled with plant roots, and the scent of damp earth lingered in his nostrils, emphasizing the vibrant vitality of the place.
Nothing had ended here. Rather than a ruin, this felt more like a prosperous kingdom.
"It’s... it’s beautiful."
Beside him, Liya, who had entered through the same doorway, stood amidst a swaying patch of flowers. Her mouth was slightly agape as she stared at her surroundings in shock.
The breeze caught the hem of her green dress, making her blend into the surrounding foliage and highlighting her face, which looked as delicate as a blooming flower.
"Even though my Saintess teacher told me it was beautiful, I didn't expect it to be this stunning... and the vitality and mana here..."
Liya closed her eyes, a look of joy appearing on her face as she took a deep, appreciative breath.
"It’s so abundant. Even in the outside world, this would be considered a treasure trove where it’s always spring and full of life."
As a Saintess Candidate with an affinity for the Goddess of Life, Liya loved this kind of life-rich environment most. Here, even if she did nothing at all, she felt her spirits lift.
"It is very beautiful."
Muen nodded, the stunning scenery reflected in the depths of his eyes. He suddenly remarked, "A pity we don't know any Image-Recording Magic."
"Image-Recording Magic?"
Liya opened her eyes and looked over curiously. "What would we need that for?"
"With that magic, I could record how beautiful you look right now, Liya."
Muen rubbed his chin, admiring the current Liya. He said with total seriousness, "A beautiful photo of the future Saintess before she became famous—that’s an artwork worthy of being a family heirloom, hung in the most prominent place in the house to be admired every day. I wouldn't sell it for any amount of money."
"Eh... wha... what are you saying? How could my photo be used for something like that? A family heirloom is way too much of an exaggeration..."
Liya was stunned, then stomped her foot in shy annoyance.
But immediately after, she buried her reddening face in her chest, stealing a glance at Muen with her adorable peripheral vision. She twisted her fingers back and forth and whispered:
"But if Muen really wants one... I can give it to you.
Image-Recording Magic... I know how to use it..."
"..."
The leaves rustled in the wind.
Dappled shadows fell across the girl's shoulders, creating a perfect interplay of light and shade.
It was a breathtaking composition—a scene where anyone, from any angle, would surely capture a moving image.
Perhaps it was because the wind had suddenly picked up, but Muen felt his breathing hitch and his heart begin to race.
"Don't you... want to take one?"
Having seemingly overcome her inner bashfulness, Liya looked up and blinked, asking the question.
"Let’s... let’s forget it for now. Business first."
Muen averted his gaze, changing the subject.
"By the way, you mentioned your Saintess teacher... Does that mean you don't know much about this place either, Liya?"
"I know about as much as the rest of you. The Church has always been impartial in this regard; they wouldn't give us special treatment just because we're Saintess Candidates."
Liya pursed her lips and shook her head. "Besides, no one can truly claim to understand this place. The Church has only briefly explored the outer regions to confirm that the danger level isn't high. Otherwise, our primary mission wouldn't be to explore deep into the interior."
"True enough."
Muen turned to look into the distance.
Against the backdrop of the blue sky and white clouds, he could faintly see the phantom image of a massive barrier.
But even an impregnable barrier could not withstand the erosion of time.
For a ruin buried under thick earth for a thousand years to still maintain this level of vitality and integrity—anyone would be curious, even desperate, to uncover its secrets.
Perhaps this was one of the reasons the Church had intentionally dangled so many lures, allowing so many factions to involve themselves directly.
They had even added an extra lure at the very last moment.
Though, in Muen's eyes, that particular lure was nothing more than a mockery from His Holiness the Pope.
"I have one more question."
Muen pulled his thoughts back and turned to ask:
"Since the Church's goal is for us participants to explore the depths and find the truth of Cantville, what exactly are the conditions for you Saintess Candidates to actually become the Saintess?"
It couldn't be as simple as whoever reaches the deepest point first becomes the Saintess, right? That kind of trial didn't seem to fit the identity of a Saintess at all.
"About that..."
Liya scratched her head sheepishly.
"I'm not entirely sure either."
"Huh?"
Muen was stunned. "What do you mean you're not sure?"
"Be... because for every Holy Ceremony, the conditions for becoming the Saintess are different. We have to figure it out ourselves. Bu-but..."
Liya pulled out the crystal the Saintess had given them earlier.
"It should be related to this."
"This?"
Muen looked at the crystal in Liya's hand. It was crystal clear, but he couldn't sense anything special about it.
He recalled the scene from that night when the Saintess had solemnly placed one into the hands of each candidate.
"Yes. According to past records, every Holy Ceremony provides the candidates with different identification tokens, and the condition for becoming the Saintess is always linked to these tokens."
"I see..."
Muen rubbed his chin.
Even the method of becoming the Saintess required them to figure it out on their own?
The Church really didn't leave any loopholes for people to exploit.
However...
There was another special method that the Church hadn't mentioned, but which everyone understood implicitly.
Muen glanced at Liya and thought silently to himself.
—Force the other Saintess Candidates to withdraw.
As long as there were no other choices, the last one remaining would naturally be the true Saintess.
Just like the cruel Saintess Wars of the past.
"Well, that’s fine. At least everyone’s starting point is the same. The rest will depend on our own efforts."
Just like that warm afternoon in the street-side bookstore, Muen clenched his fist and held it out.
"Give it your all for the Saintess's throne."
"...Yeah, I will."
Liya paused for a moment, then smiled, lightly bumping her small fist against his.
"I'll work hard not to be a burden!"
"No, no, no. Liya, you're the main force here. I'm the one who should be worried about being a burden," Muen teased.
"Hmph... is Muen making fun of me?" Liya puffed out her cheeks.
"I'm being completely honest..."
"Liar..."
"I never lie, especially not to beautiful girls."
"Liar..."
...
Chatting as they went, the two explored their way toward the center of the ruins.
Because of the massive barrier, the direction wasn't hard to determine.
So far, they hadn't seen any sign of other people. Although there were over a hundred participants, they were a mere drop in the bucket compared to the vastness of this region.
However, they didn't let their guard down just because the Church said the "danger level isn't high." Muen continued to lead the way while Liya followed behind him, spreading her perception to monitor their surroundings.
It’s just like back then.
Liya looked at Muen’s broad back, her mind drifting back to that forest from their past.
The same unfamiliar environment.
The same unknown path ahead.
The same two people, alone together.
But...
Liya placed her palm, which still seemed to hold a lingering warmth, against her chest. Her gaze drifted slightly downward toward his side.
Could she still do what she did before? Could she use "necessity" as an excuse to calmly... take his hand?
Could she?
"Stop."
The figure in front of her suddenly halted. Caught off guard, Liya bumped her face hard against his back.
"Ow... that hurts!"
"Hmm?"
Muen turned around in confusion and chuckled. "That’s rare. You were actually spacing out at a time like this, Liya?"
"I was... just thinking a bit about the conditions for becoming the Saintess."
Liya rubbed her nose, her cheeks flushing as she made up an excuse.
...At some point, she had become quite skilled at lying.
Merciful Goddess, please forgive Liya once again.
"Wh-why did you stop so suddenly?"
"Look over there."
Muen pointed. "There’s a village."
"A village?"
Liya leaned out and looked in the direction Muen was pointing.
Sure enough, nestled amidst a cluster of lush greenery, she could faintly see a sprawling collection of houses. They were neatly arranged and carried an air of ancient simplicity.
"Does that mean... there are indigenous people?"
Liya’s eyes widened, a spark of excitement flashing in her gaze, which was more beautiful than a clear summer day.
If they wanted to uncover the truth behind Cantville, there was no method more simple or effective than getting information from the locals!
"It’s possible... but I think it’s better not to get your hopes up too high," Muen said, popping Liya’s bubble.
"Eh? Why?"
"The vegetation around the village is a bit too overgrown. There’s no sign of human activity. And... we’ve been walking for so long, yet we haven't seen a single farmland. For a village, that’s very abnormal."
"Oh..."
Liya looked as disappointed as a kitten that had its dried fish stolen.
"Anyway..."
Stealing a glance at the girl, a soft smile played on Muen’s lips.
"Regardless, let’s go take a look. We might find something unexpected."
"Okay!"
...
The two entered the village, and just as Muen had predicted, it was completely desolate.
Weeds as high as a man’s waist smothered everything. Green vines crawled over the walls of half-collapsed houses. In the center of the village stood a windmill, but now only a single broken blade remained, creaking as it swung in the wind.
"The architectural style... it really is different from the outside."
Muen pressed his palm against a rough wall. He couldn't tell what material the wall was made of, but it formed a seamless, cylindrical whole.
The entire village followed this style: cylindrical walls topped with conical roofs. It reminded Muen of building blocks from his previous life.
The ancients were quite whimsical...
Muen made his habitual internal quip, but then...
"This place doesn't look... that ancient."
He picked something up from the ground. It was a piece of clothing featuring complex, incomprehensible patterns.
Though it looked old and was covered in dust, the fact that a fabric product could be preserved so well suggested that the time since this place was abandoned wasn't actually that long.
A hundred years?
No, perhaps less than a few decades. In any case, compared to the thousand-year timescale, it was shockingly short.
Muen casually pushed open a door that had become extremely fragile. As dust swirled into the air, an empty room appeared before him.
After a moment’s thought, Muen tossed the clothing inside. He waited a bit, then threw in a few stones.
There was no light source in the house, making it very dark. It felt as if a beast might be lurking in the shadows, but following the dull echoes... nothing happened.
"Is it just a normal abandoned village?"
Muen rubbed his chin in thought.
"Muen!"
Liya suddenly waved to him from not far away.
"Look at this!"
"This is..."
Muen walked over to Liya’s side. Following her gaze, he looked at the stone creation beneath the windmill, located at the very center of the village.
It was a statue.
With long, flowing hair and a fluttering skirt, its arms were spread wide as if it were about to lovingly embrace all things. It looked just like...
"The Goddess?"
Muen was taken aback. "Why is there a statue of Goddess Emiel here?"
Did Cantville also worship the Goddess of Life?
"Right? It looks very similar, doesn't it?"
Liya pressed her hands together and offered a devout prayer. Then, tilting her head, she said in confusion:
"Except, there’s one thing that’s different."
"This statue has no face."
"No face?"
Muen blinked. He recalled that whether it was the oversized goddess statue in the Holy City or the ones he had seen in various cathedrals, they all possessed a perfect face carved by the world’s finest craftsmen.
Though those faces lacked fine detail, they were filled with compassion and holiness, making one feel a sense of sacrilegious guilt even if they accidentally stared a moment too long.
But the face of the statue before them was completely blank. There was nothing there.
"Could it be... a difference in craftsmanship?" Muen guessed.
Even statues of the same goddess couldn't be exactly identical.
"It’s possible."
Liya nodded, then immediately said huffily:
"But the scriptures say that a goddess statue without a face is a great act of disrespect!"
"Ah... well, maybe the religious customs were different back then."
After all, in his previous life, people who worshipped the same God could end up forming different sects. A difference in scriptures wasn't anything to be shocked about.
Not to mention that Cantville had been buried underground for a thousand years. The Church’s scriptures might have gone through a dozen different versions in that time.
"I know that, it’s just... pfft."
Liya was about to say something, but when she turned to look at Muen, she couldn't help but burst into a giggle.
"Hehe..."
Liya’s laughter was as clear as a silver bell. "Why do you look like an old grandpa?"
"An old grandpa?"
Muen froze. Habitually reaching up to touch his head, his hand came away covered in dust.
"Ah, from just now."
Muen remembered the dust-filled room. He had been so cautious about potential dangers that he had overlooked the mess.
Dammit, my handsome blond hair.
"Wait, I’ll use Holy Light..."
"No need for such a small thing. Save your strength."
Muen declined Liya’s Holy Light and smiled. "I heard the sound of water just now. There should be a river nearby. I’ll just go wash up there."
"...Alright then."
Liya withdrew her hand.
Tsk, I missed my chance to pat his head. What a shame.
"Then should I keep looking around?"
"Be careful."
"Mm-hmm."
...
Muen followed the sound of the water, cutting through the dense vegetation.
When they first entered Cantville, he had seen a river in the distance. At the time, the river had appeared a soft, beautiful white under the light.
"This should be it."
The sound of rushing water grew clearer. As the final bush was sliced away by his blade, Muen finally saw the small river he had been looking forward to.
However, the moment he actually laid eyes on the river, Muen’s footsteps came to a dead halt.
He stared at the river in a daze, his face filled with shock.
Because...
"White?"
Even though it was right in front of him, even though it was flowing through the shadows of the trees where no light could affect it...
The river before Muen was still white.
A milky white.
"No way..."
Muen approached the river, dipped his finger into the water, and hesitated for a moment. A spark of crimson fire ignited in his eyes as he cautiously licked his finger.
Muen felt as if he’d been struck by lightning.
"It actually..."
"It really is milk?"
And it was perfectly normal milk, without a hint of spoilage or strange odor.
There was nothing dangerous about it; it was just normal milk.
But how was that possible?
This was... a river!
Muen’s gaze traveled from the distant horizon where the river began to where it disappeared into the depths of the forest.
This was an entire river of milk!
"Muen!"
Muen heard Liya’s voice, sounding somewhat panicked.
Turning around, he saw Liya standing breathlessly on the path he had just cleared. In her hand, she held a fruit that looked like an apple—succulent and red, but significantly larger than any normal apple.
"Look... look at this."
"What is it?"
"I wanted to see if there was anything to eat, so I picked this fruit. But look..."
Liya took out a small knife and sliced it open.
From the cut made by the blade, a bright red juice flowed out.
No... that wasn't right.
That wasn't juice.
That was... blood.
The metallic scent of blood wafting into his nose told Muen clearly: this was blood.
But how could there be blood inside a fruit?
Then, Liya sliced the fruit in half, showing Muen the red muscle fibers and white marbling beneath the skin.
Then, in a slightly trembling voice, she said:
"What’s growing on the trees... is meat!"