Chapter 184 – The Temple
“Is the dagger still far away?”
“Yumma, you came to check on me the other day, are you coming back today?”
Marton, who was working the bellows, looked at me with a tired face.
“It’s been a month since you left it, hasn’t it? But, let alone the news that it has been completed, you keep repeating the bellows. Wouldn’t it upset me?”
I grumbled at the silver that Marton was melting and re-hardening. That silver was the silver dagger I entrusted to you.
The Orichalcum I have is only enough to fill a glass bottle, and even that is less than a hand’s span. With this alone, a pure Orichalcum dagger could not be made.
Then Marton suggested that I mix Orichalcon with my silver dagger.
He said that it would be better to mix Orichalcum with silver to enhance the anti-magic properties of silver than to make an ambiguous dagger by mixing Orichalcon with ordinary metal.
I agreed with that opinion and handed over the silver dagger. Since then, as I said before, nothing has progressed for a month. My complaint was a legitimate consumer complaint.
“Do you know how easy it is to carve that much magic circuit into a dagger? At least I can imitate it after seeing it once. Wait. I’m almost done, so I should be able to get it within a few days.”
After answering that, Marlton began to focus on blacksmithing again.
I watched the smithing for a while, then came out of the smithy. It wasn’t that the dagger was completed quickly just by looking at it.
When I came out, the bright sunlight warmed my body.
‘What shall I do now?’
After thinking about it with arms folded, I decided to just go to the adventurer’s guild. When you can’t think of anything to do, it’s best to search for a request.
Just as there is a saying that gathering dust is a great mountain, if you steadily collect karma, you will have something to write about.
After entering the Adventurer’s Guild, I looked for Orr as usual.
“Hello Mr. Orr.”
“Ah, Mr. Han Yuseong! Welcome! Did you come today to look for a request?”
“Yes, it is. By the way, did you change the color of the nameplate?”
Originally, the color of the name tag on her chest was yellow. But when I came today, it turned green.
“I got a promotion! I am now in the same rank as my seniors.”
Orga shrugged her shoulders proudly.
“Congratulations. I wish you well in the future.”
“Thank you! This is all thanks to Han Yoo-sung’s party.”
Orla smiled brightly.
It was no exaggeration to say that the promotion was due to our party.
A while ago, Seris and Kara were promoted to Bronze rank, and I became one of the few in the city to be Silver rank.
Orr, who was in charge of us, had no choice but to be promoted.
“By the way, are there any good requests?”
I brought out the purpose of coming to the guild.
If you ask me like this, I will go through the list of quests and find something suitable for me.
But today the reaction was a little different.
She nodded her head right away without looking under her desk.
“You are welcome. I was thinking that a nomination request would come and send someone to Yuseong Han.”
Ordering to follow him, he came out of the reception desk and walked along the hallway inside the guild.
I followed.
It’s been a long time since I received a nomination request.
This is the first time since I was asked to escort by Sister Nella before.
‘Well, now that I’m at the silver level, it’s time to get it.’
Who is the request from?
What kind of commission are you trying to entrust?
Just as her curiosity peaked, she arrived at the guest room. When I open the door and enter, I see a client sitting in a chair.
A baggy nun’s uniform and a long veil.
It was Sister Nella.
Hmm…
Yeah, well… Actually, this was most likely.
Apart from my regret, Sister Nella greeted me with a wide smile.
“Brother, long time no see!”
“It doesn’t seem like it’s been a while since we met a week ago… Is it the nun who nominated me?”
“Yes, it is.”
Sister Nella nodding her head.
I sat across from her, ready to listen.
Orga drove her car and Sister Nella calmly explained her request to me over her tea.
“…Did I hear it right? A temple?”
“Yes, you heard it right.”
Sister Nella nodded her head again. Her face is serious without a smile.
It seems sincere.
I took a sip of tea and collected my thoughts.
‘I thought it would be a light request like the last time, but it’s no way a holy war.’
Sanctuary.
Short for Holy War, it is a war that is fought in the name of God. The word temple was quite familiar to me too.
Because it was a war that happened a lot in the world where I lived.
A prime example is the Crusades.
A holy war initiated by Catholic forces in the name of recapturing the Holy Land of Jerusalem.
It was a noble cause to follow the will of God, but the reality was devastating. The blood shed during the war filled the dry river, and the cries of widows who lost their husbands filled the castle.
Even if it has a sublime meaning, in the end, war means war.
Sister Nella asked to be her escort in such a war.
“Ah, even if you participate in the temple, you will not be in great danger. The paladin brothers will be in charge of the front line, and a nun like me will be her rearguard.”
Sister Nella, restless as if I was about to say no, hastily added her words.
“Can I ask you one thing, Sister?”
“Yes, ask me anything..!”
“Why is an adventurer like me being mobilized to escort Sister? Wouldn’t the Paladins you mentioned earlier be more suitable than me?”
Wouldn’t that be safer and cheaper?
“Ah… That’s…”
As if reluctant to speak, Sister Nella hesitated. When I stared at her, as if she couldn’t help it, she revealed what was going on inside.
“It was a crusade that happened in a hurry, so we couldn’t bring in troops from the main parish in the empire… So they said there were no paladin brothers who could escort the nuns…”
“Is that so…”
I put down the teacup and waited for a while before opening my mouth.
“Give me time to think about it.”
* * *
“Receive.”
Roxy answered without hesitation. Did this bastard really listen to my explanation? Maybe it was just a word that I wanted to go and search for.
It seems that he has not yet realized the ups and downs.
“…It’s not something I said without thinking. So could you please take your hand off the dagger?”
Roxy said, frowning at him. I obediently let go of the dagger. Instead, he looked at me asking me to explain.
“He’ll try to pull out his dagger every now and then… That’s a bad habit.”
After a brief grumble, Roxy began to explain.
“As the nun said, it is true that there were strange signs in Crommore. I’m sure one of my men heard it from a farmer who ran away from that area.”
“What happened inside?”
“I don’t know. The farmer who ran away had run away because of a gambling debt. I just knew something strange was going to happen, but I didn’t know exactly what. And whatever is inside, wouldn’t that denomination declare a holy war?”
“Then isn’t it dangerous to participate?”
“You said your job was to escort a nun from the rear? The dangerous tasks will be taken by the Paladins from the front, so what are you worried about? Well, it’s not like we’re at war with each other, so we won’t be wasting our time… Just go and make friends.”
Roxy said, resting her chin on his desk.
‘Roxy’s thoughts are similar to mine.’
I came to see if there was something different, but there was nothing different from me.
I tapped the table with my index finger.
Knock knock.
To do, not to do, to do.
The more I thought about it, the more my will inclined toward participation.
You never know what will happen on such a big day. You can lose money, but you can also make gains. Also, this may affect the journey to the main quest.
Also, killing the demon king in the first place is a huge risk in itself. If you crouch in the danger that has come now, you will only die in pain.
‘Good. Let’s get it.’
It was time to make that decision and leave Roxy’s office.
Roxy, who had been still, spoke as if she remembered something.
“Right. How long ago did you get a silver rating? Show me your adventure certificate.”
“Adventurous? Why?”
“Becoming silver is a condition of the contract between you and me. So I’ll have to check it myself.”
“Rumors must have already spread throughout the Adventurer’s Guild, but why…”
While mumbling, I took out my adventure card and threw it. Roxy caught it brilliantly, and he began to examine it with a pleased expression.
“If anyone sees it, they’ll think it’s a silver grade.”
Roxy shrugged when I said something astonishing.
“Did you forget our contract? Instead of me giving you the information you need, you’re looking after us. You’ll help me if I ask, then it’s the same as if I got a silver rank.”
After spitting out such shameless words, Roxy looked back at the silver-grade adventure certificate with a satisfied look.
I smiled and sat back in my seat.
* * *
While Yuseong was sharing her thoughts with Roxy, Celis was heading to her library.
In this world where there is no other entertainment, books were a pleasant pastime.
Also useful
Thinking she did well on learning the new letter, Seris went inside the library.
She bowed to the librarian, whose face had become more or less familiar, and moved between the bookshelves.
‘What should I read this time…’
As she looked around the bookshelves, Ceris felt that a book caught her eye. When she read the title, it was obvious that it was a dirty book.
She stopped her hand from reaching out on her reflex.
‘How long has it been since you were caught by Yoosung again..!’
Also, Yoo-seong, who was caught by her, might see her as her lewd woman. I just read it because I was bored..!
She looked at the book for a while, as if regretting it, then sighed and turned her head away. If you stay here, you will see only that. I have to go to another bookshelf.
As she moved between the bookshelves, she tilted her head as she saw a woman reading in front of another bookshelf.
‘Is that Mr. Orca?’
Seris, who reached the same rank, joined the Red Heart Adventure Corps and went under the command of Meteor. At that time, the person Yoosung introduced was Orca.
She was well remembered for her frown when introduced.
‘Should I say hello?’
She is a person who makes an impression even when I first met her. Chances are high that her personality is a bitch. Why wouldn’t someone like you be sarcastic about saying hello?
After she pondered for a moment, Ceris decided that she’d better just say hello.
First of all, it’s because it’s my lover’s co-worker.
“Hello Orca?”
“Huh?! Uh, uh… Hello..?”
Orca looked back in surprise.
She closed the book she was looking at in haste, but she couldn’t bear to hide it behind her back.
“She didn’t expect to meet her at the library. Do you like books?”
“Eww. Huh? Uh… I like it.”
“I see. I also like books, so I come here often. By the way, what book were you reading?”
Seris glanced at the cover of the book Orca was holding. Startled, Orca then hid her book behind her back, but she was already late.
“The secret to excite a purebred man…?”
Because Celis had already read the title of the book.
“..Ah, no, that’s why…”
Orca, whose complexion turned white, shook her head and began to make excuses. But Ceris listened to her ears, which made her orca’s excuse. All she was interested in now was the contents of the book Orca was holding.
“Um… Orca-sama?”
“Yes?”
“If you don’t mind, could you please give me the book? Oh, if you’re having trouble, just tell me after you’ve read it all. I’ll come right over and take out the loan.”
Orca’s pale complexion returned to him. What she was imagining, her face hardened, and then she put on a displeased expression.
“I’ll think about it.”
Orca walked past Seris, exuding her energy that she didn’t want to talk to her anymore.
“Why are you doing that all of a sudden?”
Seris, who didn’t know the reason, was just curious.
“I guess he’s also a bad-tempered person.”
She came to that conclusion.
