Chapter 31
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Harpies and Holy Power
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As always, Luon, who never postponed a job, rose from his seat immediately.
Only then did Marcus notice the beer mugs densely packed on the table and speak with a worried tone.
“You… seem to have had quite a bit to drink. Will you be alright?”
Luon smirked.
“Weren’t you the one who mentioned a deadline? Feeling relaxed?”
“No, no.”
Luon gestured with his chin at Marcus, who sighed and shook his head.
“Then, let’s go.”
The two men left the inn at once, walking away from the docks and toward a shore strewn with gravel.
As they walked along the uneven gravel path, which was clearly not a place frequented by people, Marcus spoke.
“…This is an additional request, but could you possibly look for my ring?”
“A ring?”
“I remembered that harpies like shiny things, so in my haste, I threw the ring I was wearing in the opposite direction and ran. It’s a bit late to be saying this, but that ring… it was a memento from my father.”
Luon looked at Marcus, who was sniffling incessantly, embarrassed by the fact that he had abandoned his father’s keepsake to escape.
“As long as their nest isn’t stuck in the middle of a cliff, I’ll take a look.”
“Thank you.”
The two men forged ahead along the coast, where angry, gray waves crashed against the shore.
For someone who claimed to have fled in a panic, Marcus was doing a decent job as a guide. In truth, it wasn’t particularly difficult, as all they had to do was walk straight along the coastline.
After moving for some time, a small sailboat moored in the distance came into view.
Marcus, who had been walking fine until now, shook his head, his face pale as the moment of his escape resurfaced.
“I… I can’t go any further…”
“I’ll call you when the job is done.”
Luon replied curtly and strode directly toward the sailboat.
As he enhanced his vision, his eyes caught sight of the monsters perched on a rocky hill behind the vessel.
*What bizarre creatures.*
Luon frowned at the sight of the monstrous birds—the body of an eagle with the face of an adult woman—and snatched the bow from his back.
He immediately reached for the quiver attached to his thigh, only to let out a dry laugh when he realized he had only a few arrows left.
*Come to think of it, I’ve been solving most things with the holy sword lately.*
Shaking off the stray thought and reminding himself to visit the blacksmith as soon as he returned, Luon stopped at a position he judged to be within the harpies’ range and immediately nocked an arrow.
A moment of concentration.
As his fingertips released the bowstring, the arrow, taut with tension, instantly sliced through the air.
The arrow arced through the sky and pierced the torso of a harpy sitting in the center.
*Kee-eh-eh-ek!*
Seeing their comrade fall backward, the remaining creatures shrieked and flapped their wings frantically.
In that interval, a succession of arrows flew at a steady pace, claiming the lives of four more harpies.
*Kee-eh-ek!*
The harpies, finally spotting Luon, spread their wings in unison and took to the sky.
Wary of his arrows, they didn’t charge immediately but instead circled above Luon’s head, letting out their characteristically grating shrieks.
“That’s the last of the arrows, monsters.”
Luon demonstratively placed his bow on the ground and beckoned at the sky with his index finger.
In response, one of the harpies shrieked and shot down like a bullet, thrusting its sharp talons forward.
It was a swift attack, as expected of a winged monster, but Luon’s fist was much faster.
*Gack!*
Its face shattered by the brutal punch, the creature sprayed blood as it plummeted ungracefully to the ground.
*Kee-eh-ek!*
Though they had human faces, their intelligence was no better than a bird’s. Agitated by the scent of blood, the harpies forgot their fear and began to swarm Luon.
*Yes, come on.*
Luon drew his holy sword. Without hesitation, he swung his arm.
Each time the holy sword swept through the air, anywhere from two to four harpies tumbled to the ground like autumn leaves.
*Why are they so weak?*
Aside from their sharp raptor talons, the creatures were unremarkable, causing Luon to tilt his head in confusion.
In truth, he just hadn’t noticed it, but the collective shrieks of the harpies overlapped to create a faint curse that could disorient the listener.
It was simply that the target was Luon, who could shrug off even a banshee’s wail, rendering the effect useless.
The one-sided slaughter, which was nothing short of a massacre, ended only when the ground was littered with the corpses of the broken-winged monstrosities.
Thrusting his holy sword deep into the torso of the last twitching harpy, Luon felt a sense of exhilaration that had been rising to his chin finally spread throughout his entire body.
It was his first level-up in a while, since killing the troll that had been blocking Coleman Bridge.
“What’s this?”
As he was about to sink into his inner self to distribute his bonus stats as usual, Luon realized a new entry had appeared and muttered aloud without thinking.
*Holy Power?*
Over the past few years and dozens of level-ups, he had never seen a change like this. Luon took a moment to collect his thoughts.
Holy Power was a kind of miracle manifested through true faith in a deity one served. While it might look similar to magic with its shimmering light, its very foundation was a different concept entirely.
This was the extent of Luon’s superficial knowledge on the subject, which was why, for someone with not even a speck of faith, the concept of Holy Power was more alien than a monstrous bird with a human head on an eagle’s body.
*Is it because I’ve been carrying the holy sword?*
With no other explanation coming to mind, he decided he had nothing to lose and boldly invested a bonus stat point into Holy Power.
At that moment, Luon felt a tingling sensation in his mind, and a new sense imprinted itself upon him—an understanding that he could now utilize the holy sword’s power, which he had only been crudely channeling until now, in various ways.
He immediately wrapped his hand gently around the hilt of the holy sword. A soft light emanated from the pommel, instantly expanding into a translucent silver field that enveloped his body.
*Finally.*
A faint smile touched Luon’s lips at the sight of the first decent defensive barrier he had acquired since being dropped into this game. He shouted loudly toward the rock where Marcus was hiding in the distance.
“You can come out now!”
***
Fortunately, the harpies’ nest was not on a cliff but in a crevice behind the rocky hill.
There, Luon reaped an unexpected benefit. Just as Marcus had said, the nest was filled with all sorts of shiny trinkets.
Most of it was useless junk, but among the pile were some valuable items like thumbnail-sized rubies and emeralds, as well as a pendant with an elegant design. Luon made sure to collect all of them.
In the process, he found a smooth gold ring and immediately presented it to Marcus.
“Is this it?”
Marcus nodded his head vigorously, his face overcome with emotion.
“Oh, yes. Good heavens… Father, I’m so sorry.”
With the nest thoroughly plundered, there was no reason to linger. The two men immediately collected the chests from the boat and headed back along the shore.
Thanks to Luon’s unbelievable display of strength—carrying two chests on each shoulder—Marcus was spared the trouble of making multiple trips. As soon as they arrived in front of the merchant caravan, he thrust a leather pouch at Luon.
“Until yesterday, I thought I was the unluckiest man in the world, but meeting a mercenary like you, I suppose that’s not entirely true.”
The considerable weight of the pouch brought a faint smile to Luon’s face as he replied.
“I’m glad you think so.”
Marcus clapped his hands and said.
“Oh, where is my mind. I haven’t even asked for your name. It’s not a question one usually asks when parting ways, but what is your name?”
“Luon.”
With that short exchange, Luon turned and headed straight for the blacksmith to order arrows and request a check-up on his leather armor, then made his way back to the inn.
The sun was setting beyond the horizon.
***
The turbulent sea calmed two days later.
The docks, once silent, were now bustling with life, filled with ships preparing to set sail.
Among them was a vessel whose prow was adorned with the statue of a woman with a benevolent expression. This was the passenger and cargo ship bound for Ldini, home to the Great Church of Tivela.
As the furled sails unfurled, catching the wind, the ship slowly began to move forward. Igor raised his voice.
“We’re finally setting off!”
Luon gave a slight nod and turned his head to survey the people on deck.
Most were ordinary folk, but among them were a few knights in plate armor with maces fixed at their waists, as well as several priests like Igor.
*Temple knights and priests?*
As if reading the curiosity in Luon’s expression, Igor explained.
“They are likely returning from assignments outside. They’re the ones who resolve unsavory incidents within the church or fulfill their honorable duty by confronting demons.”
As Luon nodded at his words, a knight approached, his armor clanking.
The knight, who had a very sturdy build, stood before Luon, lifted his visor, and spoke.
“I feel the Mother’s power emanating strongly from your sword.”
The knight added.
“If you don’t mind, could you tell me the story of that sword, and of yourself?”
His voice was polite yet carried a certain weight.
*This is a pain in its own way.*
Luon sighed softly.
Come to think of it, quite a few people had recognized the power of the holy sword—Belducias’s minion, the master of the Magic Tower, Igor, and now this knight before him.
Fortunately, until now, the ones who had noticed were either enemies he had to kill or people with little interest in the sword itself, so no lengthy explanations had been necessary. However, it seemed that people like Igor and this knight were naturally curious about a sword that resonated with the power of the god they served.
Luon said.
“I got it by a stroke of luck after killing a demon’s minion.”
“A demon?”
“Belducias.”
At the short reply, the knight’s gaze grew heavy.
“…You’ve been involved with a terrible being.”
The knight seemed to want to ask more, but seeing Luon’s tightly sealed lips, he slowly nodded.
“Forgive my impertinence, warrior. As one who has long carried out the Mother’s will, I must have felt an emotion toward you that I should not have harbored.”
*What was that about?*
As Luon watched the back of the knight, who gave a short bow before returning to his comrades, Igor whispered to him.
“He probably finds it hard to believe that you obtained a holy relic just by killing a demon’s minion. To be honest, I’ve had similar thoughts. I don’t know if I should be saying this, but you, Sir Luon…”
“Look like I don’t have a shred of faith?”
Startled by the direct hit, Igor coughed repeatedly. Luon shrugged.
“No need to be so surprised. It’s the truth.”
“S-Sir Luon!”
Luon let Igor’s shocked cry go in one ear and out the other, murmuring softly to himself.
“They’ll find out soon enough. What Tivela’s will is.”