Chapter 229

“Let’s share the results of our inquiries. Did you two manage to gather any information?”

In the port town of Ruby Jam, the three of us had decided to gather information about the new religion.

If Selene—the form I currently possessed—had become an object of worship, we had to put a stop to it. There was no immediate danger, but in the future, when Selene was finally free to go outside, it could interfere with her life.

“Should I change into a different form, or stay like this in disguise?”

I asked.

“Your glasses and hairstyle suit you, you know?”

Since the statue resembled me quite closely, I had quickly done a simple disguise: tying my hair in a ponytail, putting on glasses, and draping a robe over my clothes. Surprisingly, no one had noticed.

Still, I thought it might be safer to revert to my original Shizuma form, but—

“No, the founder of this religion is probably someone you saved as Serin. To persuade that person, you need to remain in that form,”

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Sheele explained.

“I see… So, have you two gathered any information?”

“Yes! About the origin of the religion? Apparently, along the road toward the next border, there used to be a very strong and terrifying monster! No one could defeat it; it was a phantom-like creature. Then the ‘Spear Saint’ defeated it! Since then, there have been no sightings or incidents involving that monster.”

“I heard a similar story. The monster had been difficult to track and defeat for many years. The kingdom had even withdrawn its extermination orders. Then the Saint defeated it. Afterward, she healed people with her powers, and once her work was done, she suddenly vanished, as if her purpose was complete. The religion arose to show gratitude and to tell people of her great deeds.”

“I see… That makes sense. Because she disappeared suddenly, the mystique around her grew… I need to somehow convey that ‘I’m not a saint or anything; the magic item I carried just activated and teleported me.’ Is there a headquarters for this religion?”

“Regarding the headquarters… About a month ago, there were plans to build a new village along the road ahead. Previously, the kingdom avoided building villages along the route due to monster attacks. But recently, thanks to the rise of this religion and the disappearance of the so-called Boundary Breaker, the kingdom wanted a place for trade and travel to be established.”

“Hmm… Then let’s go see the place where they’re building this village. We’ve confirmed the people we helped are safe, and it seems to be connected to the information I was looking for.”

“Yes. We should continue in the guise of Serin while we go there.”

“So we’re leaving today, huh? I need to eat some shrimp dishes first!”

“They’ll be brought shortly. I’m looking forward to it.”

We were reporting to each other at a café in the port town. Apparently, the ‘Shrimp Potato Toast’ that the traveling merchant mentioned was a local specialty, served at most eateries.

Soon, a very appetizing dish arrived: baguette slices toasted to a crisp, resembling rusk. A shrimp paste was spread on the surface, with a fragrant, golden-brown crust.

It looked delicious. The sweet, savory aroma of shrimp mixed with the baked scent of bread made my stomach growl.

“Such a fancy dish! Looks delicious!”

“Hmm… It’s like shrimp bread without frying. This would pair nicely with wine…”

“It’s still lunchtime, so no wine yet. Let’s order a few more and store them in the item box.”

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“Right. Excuse me, could we get two more plates of the same thing?”

Quick and decisive.

I had never expected Melt to be so fond of shrimp. Usually, she went for fried things, like inari sushi, but in this case, she liked the shrimp because it was shrimp.

…I wonder how the home shrimp ponds are doing now. Is Seim managing them properly?

Watching her happily munch on the shrimp toast, I pondered such trivial things.

“Hash, next, play the music with this flute!”

“I feel a bit bad making Hash do this…”

While heading toward the site of the village construction from the port town, I summoned Hash and had him perform music in the carriage, feeling slightly guilty as if using him like a car audio system.

“Sheele, is it too loud?”

“No, it’s fine. Listening to top-quality music while enjoying the scenery outside feels luxurious.”

“Wow, that’s beautiful! That flute looks really cool too!”

I watched Hash play the flute and looked outside. To the right, the forest continued endlessly. This forest was likely the natural dungeon called Exhaust, a Forbidden Dungeon.

The monster hiding in that forest must have been the so-called Boundary Breaker. A dungeon with such a powerful monster approaching the roadside… it truly deserved the name ‘Forbidden.’

“…I wonder if clearing this dungeon would yield a powerful dungeon core.”

I thought about the core obtained from the dungeon Eternal Autumn Sorrow in that forest. Although large, it was weak, allowing only the less-developed characters to be summoned additionally.

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Perhaps clearing this Forbidden Dungeon would give a stronger core and enable summoning more developed characters.

“…Who should I send out first…”

Listening to Hash’s music, I pondered the choices in my mind. It felt almost unfair that the one currently performing wouldn’t be prioritized. Sorry, Hash. If freedom were to be given, your priority is a little lower…

I was counting my chickens before they hatched. The dungeon seemed protected by the Empire, so clearing it wouldn’t be easy.

…Wait. Fluerika had gone into this dungeon before, and the pursuers sent to eliminate her were here too. Maybe the Empire isn’t strictly managing this dungeon, overconfident in its difficulty and scale.

“Then maybe we can clear it…”

I gazed at the forest of the notorious dungeon as the carriage rolled along. Despite being high-performance, the carriage barely shook.

“Anyway, I hope we can at least avoid becoming an object of worship.”

I wouldn’t tell them to stop the religion entirely, but at the very least, I’d need to prevent another statue like that…

After about two more hours of travel, Sheele, seated at the driver’s spot, called out.

Apparently, ahead, a place was visible—not quite a village yet, but a small settlement with several houses under construction.

Looking out the window, it was late afternoon, though not quite evening. The carpenters building the houses appeared to be resting, sitting in the nearby grass.

We slowed the carriage and passed through a gate that seemed to mark the entrance to the partially completed village.

“Travelers, are you passing through? Is there something you need?”

“No, it’s not that we’re in trouble. We just heard an interesting story in the port town we left earlier. Apparently, a new religion has emerged, and I heard this village might be connected to it. I wanted to come and hear the story in more detail.”

From outside the carriage, I could hear the conversation between a man who seemed to be a villager and Sheele. She spoke as if testing him a little, saying she’d been told the village was connected to the religion, but the villager didn’t seem to respond with anything unusual.

“I see… Travelers might indeed take an interest. Yes, the founder herself is directing the construction of this village. She’s resting at the moment, so this might be a good opportunity. I’ll show you a place where you can stop your carriage.”

The conversation seemed to go smoothly.

I thought it was a little surprising that the founder was personally leading the village construction on-site.

I had this preconceived image—probably from fiction—that religious founders sit somewhere in the depths of a religious facility doing nothing, maybe indulging in wealth or their desires. Perhaps I had let the fictional idea of corrupt religions influence my perception too much.

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As the carriage came to a stop, I recalled Hash back to me. Melt and I stepped down, and I pulled my robe’s hood deep over my head to conceal my appearance, just in case.

From what I could see, this village under construction seemed normal. It didn’t have an overly religious, secretive, or exclusive feel.

Above the large gate, an arched sign read: “Welcome to the Village of the Holy Spear.”

The fence surrounding the village wasn’t tall or oppressive—it was simply enough to keep out wild animals. Nothing intimidating.

Truly, it looked like a peaceful village, open to new settlers, brimming with hope.

“The founder is currently praying in the chapel over there. She said it’s fine to bring guests, so don’t hesitate.”

“Alright, then, please excuse us—”

Inside the village, Sheele knocked on the door of the slightly larger building, likely the first one completed.

From inside, a man’s voice called out in a surprisingly casual tone: “Please, come in.”

“Excuse me.”

“Excuse us!”

“Excuse… me.”

Inside the chapel, as expected, a statue was enshrined. It was a Selene statue that looked exactly like me. The man praying before it turned to face us. His identity was—

“Ah! Uncle! You’re Bern, right? The former adventurer! You’re the founder!?”

It was the same adventurer from the shared carriage who had fought the monsters with us.