Blessed By The Goddess (1)
Han-bin and his party first visited the Frelsis mansion.
Was it because it was the residence of the countryside lord?
The building looked pretty rugged and smaller than most mansions.
Looking at the mansion at the front gate, Ryu Han-bin muttered.
“Are you sure they’d invite us in? They’ve never seen us before.”
Artis answered back.
“Don’t worry. This is pretty common.”
The number of Hunters wandering in search of dungeons had increased significantly, and the trade volume of the Latna continent had risen considerably as a result.
Due to that, even villages needed at least one or two inns.
Nevertheless, not all villages or territories had adequate accommodation.
Without a dungeon, there would be no Hunters. Without Hunters, the inns would be forced to close down.
In such events, the travelers had to come up with ways to find shelter.
Ordinary people used to look for temples of the six Goddesses.
There had to be at least one temple in decent villages.
It might be a little inconvenient, but they could avoid sleeping outside.
Hunters who were confident in their skills often visited the castle of the local lord instead.
Lords normally didn’t reject Hunters.
He would be able to gather information through them and use them to solve the land’s problems.
Artis spoke with confidence.
“I’m sure they’ll welcome us, especially this time.”
They were not ordinary Hunters. Their party was composed of two legendary Valtara warriors, a level 72 Magic Swordsman and a level 71 Mage.
The two were not real Valtara warriors, but their skills were remarkable enough to pass as the Sword King’s relatives.
There was no reason to reject such powerful individuals in that time of turmoil where monsters appeared during the night.
Indeed, Artis’s predictions weren’t wrong.
“Huh! I can’t believe you high-ranking Hunters visited our land!”
No, it was beyond their expectations.
Baron Frelsis, the lord of the castle, came to the main gate to personally greet Han-bin’s group.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"}) That wasn’t all.
He even guided them into the mansion himself.
“I’m surprised, Valtara warriors… I’ve only heard about you in stories.”
Baron Frelsis, Tezarn, who led the way, was impressed by Ryu Han-bin and Kibie.
Artis bowed his head with regret.
“We were a little surprised. We didn’t expect you to come out in person…”
Of course, they expected to be welcomed, but it seemed a little too much.
Latna’s custom dictated that the head of the family should greet guests in the reception room.
What he was doing was the job of a deacon.
Tezarn grinned.
“Paul, our Deacon, is still sleeping.”
Ryu Han-bin was bewildered.
‘What are you talking about? The sun is up, and the butler is still sleeping?’
But when he heard the Baron’s next words, he understood.
“If he doesn’t sleep enough during the day, he can’t prepare for the night.”
Frelsis knights and soldiers patrolled the territory every night to combat the monsters’ appearances.
They needed to sleep during the day.
The butler and servants were in the same boat.
Latna’s noble servants also acted as guards.
The servants of Baron Frelsis were well-trained in combat.
In particular, Paul was a Hunter who had a great reputation before retiring. His level was higher than ordinary knights.
‘That’s right, the butlers here are retired Hunters, right?’
All of them were sent out as combatants because of the chaos on the land.
As a result, only a few maids stayed behind in the Frelsis mansion.
Tezarn continued to guide the party to the drawing-room.
“Can you wait here for a moment? I’ll tell my maids to serve tea for you.”
They didn’t come there for a cup of tea.
Artis brought up business.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"}) “Putting that aside, can we see Leon Hart first?”
Fortunately, Tezarn was a quick-witted person.
“I thought that was the case.”
Their team, composed of Hunters over level 70, was an incredible party that hung around in the Four Prohibited Areas.
Why would such a strong group visit rural territories?
Frelsis assumed they came for Leon Hart.
“Please wait for a minute. He’s sleeping, too.”
* * *
A few minutes later, a blond man in a black coat entered the drawing-room.
As soon as he saw the group, he questioned them with a delighted look.
“Are you the Hunters who called me?”
Ryu Han-bin surveyed him with the Guideline.
[Race: Human. Spiritualist. Lv. 112.]
‘Level 112. It’s much higher than expected.’
He heard that Leon Hart was level 104 when he was chosen to be blessed.
‘You weren’t just playing around since then, huh?’
Now that he had regained his youth, his level must’ve advanced pretty fast.
Ryu Han-bin gave Leon Hart a closer look.
He looked slightly tired due to sleep deprivation.
He, too, had to switch to a nocturnal lifestyle to prepare against the monsters.
But he didn’t show any discomfort towards their disturbance.
They were in a situation in which the troops were regrettable.
He couldn’t be offended because so many talented people over level 70 visited him.
Artis and Effir greeted him first.
“My name is Artis Venetian., a level 71 Mage.”
“I’m Effir Venetian, a Level 72 Magic Swordsman.”
Ryu Han-bin and Kibie also introduced themselves bluntly.
“Felard Bean.”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})“Kibie Bierne.”
Leon Hart was inwardly surprised.
He had heard of their levels in advance, but he didn’t expect them to be that young.
‘Isn’t Effir just a teenage girl?’
‘You’re already level 72? I was nowhere near that level when I was your age.’
He responded politely.
“Leon Hart Katel Frelsis. I’m a level 112 Spiritist.”
He then looked back at Ryu Han-bin and Kibie.d.
“It’s an honor to meet the members of a legendary clan. It’s my second time meeting one of you in person.”
Artis asked.
“Have you met a Valtara warrior before?”
“That’s right. I met the Sword King.”
It seemed he had come across Baotolt due to his blessing.
“That’s why I’m fascinated. Isn’t that the Sword King’s favorite sword, Gigant?”
Leon Hart’s eyes shone as he looked at the greatsword on Han-bin’s back.
“I didn’t know the Sword King had a successor.”
Han-bin didn’t answer.
He didn’t intend to pretend to be the Sword King’s heir, but he didn’t have to resolve the misunderstanding either.
It wasn’t a lie that he had mastered the swordsmanship of the Sword King.
The world knew that Valtara warriors were blunt anyway, so Leon Hart didn’t find it strange.
He calmly changed the topic.
“So, why are you looking for me?”
Kibie talked.
“To be exact, I found you, Leon Hart.”
Leon Hart smiled bitterly at the black-haired woman in front of him.
“I look young, but I’m quite old. My position isn’t that long. I know you’re part of the Valtara clan, but I’d like you to address me with honorifics.”
Of course, Leon Hart didn’t expect it.
He knew reason wouldn’t work against the ignorant barbarian.
But Kibie gave him an unexpected answer.
“I’m not a member of the Valtara race.”
For a moment, Leon Hart blinked.
‘No?’
“The truth must be told, O blessed man.”
Pointing at herself, the black-haired woman continued calmly.
“I am the Goddess of Darkness, Kybriel. I have descended onto Latna using my incarnation.”
* * *
For a moment, Leon Hart remained silent.
He seemed embarrassed by the unexpected story.
Soon, his soft expression suddenly changed.
“That’s interesting.”
His eyes grew colder, and his smile became gruesome. His body became paler as well.
“Are you talking about me without knowing who I am?”
Kibie grinned.
“Of course, I know.”
He was the third blessed of the Goddess and the Church of Darkness’s templar leader.
He was one of the highest priests to serve Kybriel.
“How dare you call yourself the incarnation of Kybriel in front of me?”
Leon Hart’s eyes became even more serious.
Ryu Han-bin, Artis, and Effir looked at the situation with tension.
‘Oh, the atmosphere is getting worse.’
‘I had no option. That’s what I expected.’
‘But as you said, I don’t think he will do something right away.’
* * *
Due to the Alien’s Incarnation Disguise case, Leon Hart was unlikely to believe in Kibie.
Therefore, Ryu Han-bin suggested simply kidnapping him.
“We sneak into the mansion at night, and knock the sleeping man out in one shot and drag him with us.”
But Leon Hart was strong enough to be chosen to be blessed by the Goddesses.
If it was a one-on-one match, even Ryu Han-bin didn’t have a high chance of winning.
“If we’re going to kidnap him anyway, why don’t we confiscate his face and surprise him?”
Kibie disagreed for two reasons.
“Leon Hart is the faithful servant of Kybriel and the Church of Darkness’s Templar Lord. He deserves to hear the truth.”
He was the head of the holy warriors.
He was one of the highest priests to support the Church along with the Pope and the Saintess.
He was one of the closest to the Goddesses.
It was not the duty of the faithful not to treat them with sincerity.
Second.
“It’s not very likely to succeed anyway, is it?”
The world could fall, and Kibie still wouldn’t be friendly enough to reason with.
If the possibility was high, she might close her eyes and do it.
The problem was that Ryu Han-bin was not good at stealthy missions.
Although Effir was good with infiltrations, she was no match for Leon Hart.
Han-bin had to do it himself, but then there was a high possibility of being caught.
“It’s going to end up being a one-on-one match regardless.”
From the beginning, approaching using hostility led to irreversible relations.
If they did that, Leon Hart might not believe her even if Kibie showed him evidence of being a Goddess later.
She had to show her sincerity first.
That way, she could still get his trust in the future.
“Though he is not part of the strongest four, he’s still one of Latna’s most powerful beings. He’s confident in his power. He will listen to my story first.”
* * *
Kibie’s judgment was right.
Leon Hart didn’t act rashly.
He showed hostility, but he didn’t act upon it.
“Are you the Goddess’s incarnation?”
He spoke in a distrustful tone as he surveyed Kibie.
“Then can you tell me the reason the Goddess of Darkness found her servant?”
