Chapter 178: Prophecy(1)
The blissful rest at the castle was over.
Though it was a place where delicious food and comfortable beds were provided for free, we had no choice but to leave.
Lina’s party boarded a carriage and headed toward the location of the third Black Monolith. Well, at least we weren’t running.
Having woken up in a hurry early in the morning, the party dozed off inside the carriage.
Natasha was asleep, leaning on Kerry’s shoulder. The other side was occupied by Arwen.
Our group had grown quite large, so we had to rent a bigger carriage.
The Saintess sat in front of Kerry, flinching and trembling every time their eyes met.
It seemed to be the result of the pleasant time we’d spent together all night.
Her face was as gaunt as the figure in The Scream. It was no wonder, considering that on top of getting fucked by a huge dick, she’d had her breasts sucked dry of milk.
Thanks to the Saintess, my Divine Power had risen by five points in a single day, but I had to restrain myself from now on.
If the Saintess gets too weak, she won’t be able to fulfill her role as a healer. I have to hold back from now on. Unless the Goddess is going to stick by her side and keep recharging her, that is.
No. Even if the Divine Power was great, that was a terrible idea.
It would mean having to travel with that bitch Elena. Absolutely not.
Yesterday, I had asked the Saintess about the ‘Awakening of Divine Power.’
The information was fucking useless.
[Mother said… Hah… Hngh… that the Awakening of Divine Power… is a power that always holds superiority over any other. That’s all I was told. I swear! Haaah! Don’t put it in so deep!]
To think she held out when that was all she knew. I was so pissed I’d pounded her all night long.
The location of the third Black Monolith was far, far away.
Since the monoliths were embedded across the entire continent, the distance was considerable even when taking the shortest route.
Those bastards must know we’re approaching the third monolith.
They were the ones who practiced human sacrifice and, in the world before the regression, started a Holy War.
It didn’t seem likely they would back down so easily.
But I was prepared for it.
I just had to trust Lina. Then peace would come to the continent, and I could start building a happy life in this new world.
Several days passed as we traveled by carriage.
They were unusually smooth, eventless days. I was worried we’d be attacked or something, but there was nothing.
Quiet was good, but this utter silence was making me anxious.
It felt like the calm before the storm.
But perhaps my worries were excessive, as we arrived at a village without incident.
Even so, Lina urged us to leave as soon as we finished the bare minimum of resupplying.
This is killing me. I thought I’d get to lie down in a village inn today. Are we sleeping outdoors again?
But knowing the fate of the continent was at stake, I couldn’t whine about being tired like the others.
“I’ll go buy some food from the market. Let’s plan to leave as soon as I get back.”
“I want to go too, Husband!”
“Me too! Me too!”
Natasha and Arwen whined, insisting on coming along. Victoria seemed to be gauging the situation as well.
But they couldn’t come with me.
If I went grocery shopping with those three, a task that should take thirty minutes would stretch into several hours.
“I’m just going to buy food and come right back. Wait here.”
“That’s so mean, Husband! I thought we could have a market date for the first time in a while.”
Arwen chimed in.
“A market date? I want to try that too!”
“A date is something only my husband and I can do. Princess Arwen, you should stay out of it.”
“…I don’t want to!”
“!”
While Natasha and Arwen were fighting, Kerry slipped away.
Lina would take care of the rest.
Damn, it’s hard to get some time alone.
I saw a bustling market, a sight I hadn’t seen in a long time.
I bought plenty of high-quality meat and vegetables I couldn’t have even dreamed of back in my days as an F-rank adventurer.
The women worked their bodies hard in more ways than one, so I had to feed them well.
I was walking with groceries in both hands.
Just then, I heard a familiar voice. A secretive voice, whispering very softly.
Was she hiding her form because the market was so crowded?
“Benefactor! It’s me, Nabi.”
Kerry answered while walking naturally.
“Good to hear from you. It’s been a while.”
I greeted her warmly, but for some reason, Nabi’s voice was grave.
“Benefactor. Keep walking and listen.”
“Why do you sound so serious?”
“There’s a tracker on you.”
“…”
A tracker. Right. No wonder it had been too quiet.
This was actually for the best. It was more unsettling when they did nothing.
Who sent them? Was it The Organization? Or the Imperial family? If not, then Astria?
There are too many suspects.
Then, Nabi’s voice came again.
“That person has been following you since you crossed the border. I wanted to catch them and bring them to you, but they were too cautious, so I couldn’t.”
Nabi’s voice drooped.
Kerry knew why she was like this.
Nabi felt guilty about the incident where she’d been captured by Arwen.
I want to be helpful to Benefactor, too. But I’m… I’m always just getting in the way…
The other women around Kerry were helpful with their respective skills, making her feel like she was the only one falling behind.
But right now, those amazing heroes weren’t here.
Right now, I’m the only one by Benefactor’s side. I have to protect him!
That was why Nabi, who was afraid of revealing herself in front of people, had spoken to him in the market.
In truth, Kerry had more than enough means to protect himself.
“Do you think we can catch this tracker?”
“It’s-it’s dangerous, Benefactor! If we’re going to catch them, it’s better to do it with the heroes…”
“No. That person probably got close because I’m the easiest target. The hero and the others are all masters and are very sensitive to presences. They’ll probably hide far away again once I rejoin the party.”
“…”
“So, the two of us have to catch them. You… understand what I mean, right?”
“!”
Nabi wiped her tears with her sleeve.
She was a useless fool who couldn’t help, yet Kerry still trusted and relied on her.
“Yes! I’ll do my best!”
Succubi were a race that always repaid their debts.
She couldn’t keep being indebted to him without ever repaying his kindness.
I will be the one to catch this tracker. Nabi resolved.
“First, let’s lure them somewhere with fewer people.”
It might be a dangerous method that gave the tracker an opening to attack.
But conversely, the tracker would only feel safe enough to reveal themselves in a deserted place.
Most importantly, Kerry had a way to keep himself safe.
The Dimensional Veil.
With the legendary-grade Dimensional Veil the witch had made for him, he could guarantee his life was in no danger.
Of course, he could hide Nabi with the Dimensional Veil as well.
Kerry kept walking, pretending to shop, though he had already bought everything he needed.
He feigned interest in this and that, gradually making his way toward a less crowded street.
Fortunately, there weren’t many people outside the market.
“The tracker is still following.”
Nabi occasionally updated him on the situation. Kerry scanned for a suitable alley, then turned into one.
The moment he rounded the corner, he used the Dimensional Veil.
Kerry’s form vanished in an instant.
The rest was simple. All he had to do was stop and wait for the tracker to follow him into the alley.
Sure enough, not long after, a figure in a white hood approached the alley.
The figure cautiously silenced their footsteps at the corner of the alley and peered inside.
But Kerry was nowhere to be found in the dead-end alley.
The sight of the hooded tracker’s confusion was quite amusing.
They’d probably jump out of their skin if I surprised them from behind, right?
Kerry deactivated the Dimensional Veil behind the tracker and tapped them on the shoulder.
The tracker instinctively turned around and shrieked in terror.
“Kyaaah!”
“A woman?”
Now that I looked, her build was small for a man. I hadn’t noticed because of the baggy hood she was wearing.
“Who are you? Why are you following me?”
The tracker didn’t answer.
The hooded woman just looked around, searching for an escape route.
Useless. I didn’t come here for nothing.
The tracker was surrounded by walls on all sides.
If she could climb those walls like Spider-Man, there would be nothing Kerry could do, but it seemed wall-climbing wasn't as easy as it looked in the movies.
The tracker stood awkwardly in the alley.
“I asked who you are.”
“…”
“You have a pretty voice. Why don’t you say something?”
The tracker simply drew a weapon. Did she intend to fight?
Just then, Nabi stepped in front of Kerry.
“I will protect you, Benefactor!”
“…”
Would she be okay?
Honestly, I’d hoped Nabi wouldn’t get involved, but knowing how she’d been feeling lately, I decided to watch for now.
Besides, her opponent was a novice, too. The way she held the short dagger was completely clumsy.
“Surrender and drop your weapon peacefully! Tracker!”
“…”
Nabi spread her wings and charged.
The woman in the white hood was clumsy, but she somehow managed to parry Nabi’s sharp claws.
Looks like Nabi has the initial momentum.
The tracker was far more pathetic than I’d expected. She was so busy just blocking Nabi’s claws that she couldn’t do anything else.
Clang— Clang— The sharp sound of metal echoed through the alley.
It wasn’t long before it happened.
The dagger the tracker was holding flew high into the air.
“Got you!”
Nabi, certain of her victory, thrust her claws forward.
At that moment, a bright light shone down on the alley.
“Goddess’s Protection!”
Nabi’s claws were blocked by a transparent golden barrier. Divine power?
What the hell, she was a priestess? No, this isn’t the time to be thinking.
For Nabi, who was still a low-class succubus, divine power was a fatal weakness.
As expected, the tracker was about to extend her hand to use divine power on Nabi.
Kerry kicked off the ground in that instant.
Just as Kerry moved to block Nabi, a bright light exploded from behind him.
“Phew. I made it in time.”
Divine power was a deadly poison to other races like succubi, but to humans, it was a healing force.
Kerry was unharmed.
A Saintess-level user would have holy skills that could attack humans, but the tracker before me was not one of them.
Nabi looked up from within Kerry’s arms.
“Benefactor… you protected me again.”
Nabi watched him with a look of deep emotion.
But the feeling was fleeting.
Nabi soon realized that her resolve to protect Kerry had crumbled, and she had ended up being saved once again.
Why am I so weak…
Nabi wanted to be a source of strength for Kerry.
She wanted to be helpful. She didn’t want to be a fool who was always being protected.
She had never known that being powerless could be so frustrating.
Kerry was the benefactor who had saved her life. On top of that, he was a man who always gave her the highest quality life essence.
A single tear streamed down Nabi’s cheek. She didn’t want to remain a burden.
“…Please let me… catch that woman. Benefactor.”
“…”
A succubus and divine power were polar opposites. To think she’d be so stubborn against a priestess of all people.
But seeing Nabi grit her teeth, the word ‘no’ wouldn’t leave my lips.
“You have to be careful. I’ll jump in immediately if it looks dangerous. Just so you know.”
“…Yes, Benefactor.”
Nabi and the mysterious tracker faced each other again.
But as if to trample on Nabi’s resolve, the tracker immediately unleashed her divine power.
A golden light burst from the tracker’s fingertips.
“Ughhh!”
That alone was enough to render Nabi completely immobile.
She had to get closer to fight, but she couldn’t even take a single step forward.
She was, quite literally, powerless.
It’s so frustrating. So damn frustrating! I want to be helpful to Benefactor, too!
Nabi’s pained groans could be heard.
Was this fight impossible after all?
Just as Kerry was contemplating whether to pull Nabi back, it happened.
Suddenly, Nabi’s body began to glow.
Her body started to shine even more intensely than the golden light of the divine power.
Amidst the brilliant light, Nabi screamed.
“I want to be helpful toooo!!”
As a powerful shockwave erupted, the tracker, flustered, withdrew her divine power.
Through the swirling sandstorm, Kerry saw it clearly.
Her single pair of wings had grown into two pairs.
And her already lewd figure and breasts transformed into a body even more suited to seducing men.
Her cute face is still the same, though.
Kerry wasn’t surprised. He had thought this might happen.
Nabi had already shown signs of evolving before. She had also received more than enough life essence.
The only thing she had been lacking until now was a ‘trigger.’
After finishing her evolution, Nabi looked bewildered for a moment before shouting.
“Benefactor! Benefactor! I… I evolved! I’m an intermediate-class succubus!”
Of course, evolution happens amidst trials and tribulations.
“Now I can be a source of strength for you, Benefactor. That’s what makes me happiest of all!”
For Kerry, that sentiment alone was enough.
Just then.
The tracker, who had been staring blankly at the absurd situation of a succubus evolving, began to move.
She extended her hand as before, intending to unleash her divine power.
In that instant, Nabi’s form vanished from the tracker’s sight.
When she reappeared, Nabi had her claws aimed at the tracker’s neck.
“Don’t move. Not unless you want your throat pierced.”
An intermediate-class succubus was vastly stronger than a low-class one.
“Impressive. Taking her down in one move.”
“What should I do with this woman, Benefactor?”
“Well. First, we should see her face, right?”
Kerry pulled off the tracker’s hood. As the hood slowly came off, Kerry couldn’t believe his eyes.
The face under the hood was one he knew well. It was a woman he had met just a short while ago.
“Kerry-nim…”
“Priestess Tina? What are you doing here…?”
Tina was the priestess who always came whenever Elena summoned them. Tina squeezed her eyes shut and spoke.
“Well… L-Lady Elena wishes to see the Hero in person.”
What kind of motherless bullshit is this now?