Chapter 22

Although there were unexpected encounters, the purpose of coming to this western village was to find a way to counter the boss.

The fairies might have been an undiscovered event in this village, but I couldn’t really think that this would help me counter the boss.

After all, discovering invisible fairies is far too difficult as an event. It’s hard to imagine this being a condition to defeat the boss.

Having concluded this, we proceeded to the village’s chapel as originally planned.

“Ha… They’re really cute, aren’t they?”

“Sir, aren’t you a bit out of character?”

The one most interested in Lumina, who was perched on my head, was surprisingly Rino.

Despite her rather mature appearance, her expression when looking at Lumina was completely relaxed.

It seems she has a fondness for cute things. Well, there are people with such preferences in our dojo too, so I can understand.

Incidentally, the Lumina being stared at didn’t seem to mind the attention and was happily sitting on my head.

She occasionally played with my tied-up hair, but it threw off my balance, so I’d like her to stop.

“If you’re that interested, why don’t you try getting the ‘Tame’ skill? Though, you can’t tame Lumina.”

“Yes, I am a bit interested… but the ‘Tame’ skill requires using a party slot.”

“Experience points are distributed like a regular player, but in a random party, it often leads to conflicts over item distribution.”

“They want two shares of items, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. Tamer players have to bear the cost of items for their tamed monsters, so it’s quite challenging.”

I placed my hand on my chin and looked down at Mica Jellyfish’s words.

That does sound like a source of conflict. Both sides have valid points.

If I were to bring Lumina along, I’d have to consider these things too.

But, I don’t really have much interest in item collection. Getting what I need should be enough.

Besides—

“Well, I can handle things on my own. That shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Ahaha… Not many people can say that so easily. But, there are people like Shepherd, so maybe it’s not that rare.”

“Shepherd?”

“A famous solo player who makes a living with just the ‘Tame’ skill. His party is entirely made up of tamed monsters.”

“Hmm…”

I was impressed by the existence of such a person.

The ‘Tame’ skill has a low success rate, so if he can fill his party with tamed monsters, he must have considerable skill.

Since I’ve become a tamer too, I’d like to talk to that player someday.

He probably has a lot of tamer expertise.

—While thinking about this, we arrived in front of the chapel.

“Have we come here before? Has anything changed?”

“I don’t know… Let’s just hear what they have to say.”

With slightly skeptical expressions, Mica Jellyfish and Rino opened the door.

The chapel, which was grander than one would expect for such a small village, had neatly arranged seats and a stage at the back, with a stained glass window above it.

The stained glass depicted a divine woman—likely a revered goddess.

On the stage, in front of the stained glass, a man with glasses was looking at us with a gentle smile.

A middle-aged man with some white hair, dressed in a black priest’s robe, he called out to us upon seeing us.

“Oh, visitors. Please, come in.”

“Yes, thank you for having us.”

Mica Jellyfish, slightly overwhelmed by the atmosphere, nodded and stepped into the chapel.

As I followed, I scanned the surroundings.

The building is far too large for the village’s size. It’s not surprising that it might have some secrets.

However, we haven’t found anything yet. Perhaps there are certain conditions that need to be met.

For now, let’s hear what the priest has to say.

“Welcome to the house of the goddess, visitors. I believe you’ve been here before?”

“You remember us? Sorry for the repeated visits.”

“No, it’s fine. Oh, you’re a new face—”

The priest turned his gaze to me and opened his eyes wide.

Of course, he was looking at Lumina on my head.

It’s understandable to be surprised when someone suddenly brings a fairy.

“This is… surprising. I didn’t expect someone to be recognized by a fairy.”

“Is it that rare?”

“Certainly. Fairies are very cautious and only approach people with pure hearts. You seem to be a very pure person.”

“Being called pure is a bit too much. I’m just a swordsman.”

I shrugged in response to the priest’s evaluation.

I’m aware of my unusual background, but I’m not someone to be praised.

However, the priest responded with a wry smile.

“If so, you must have been steadfast on your path. It’s because you are serious that the fairies have chosen you.”

“…That’s a bit too dramatic.”

“Receiving the blessing of a fairy is a significant event. Let’s leave the small talk for now.”

The priest, still with a gentle smile, changed the topic.

His ability to smoothly engage with people is exemplary.

However, this makes me wary.

I don’t sense any malice from him, but being controlled by someone’s rhythm can be fatal for a swordsman.

I need to remain vigilant.

“So, what brings you here today?”

“Ah, yes. Well… we’d like to hear about demons.”

“Demons? I believe I’ve spoken about them before?”

“That’s—”

“I only know what I’ve heard. I wanted to hear from an expert.”

I spoke over Mica Jellyfish’s hesitation, and the priest nodded in understanding.

I’m not lying. I genuinely wanted to hear from an expert.

However, the game’s AI is impressively flexible in its responses.

It’s hard not to wonder if it’s really just a program.

Regardless, the priest began to speak about demons.

“First, demons are enemies to all living beings in this world and reside in a realm beyond this one.”

“Are they different from monsters?”

“Yes, while many monsters are hostile to humans, they have their own ecosystems and lives. Demons, however, are enemies even to these monsters.”

A third force, different from monsters. From a player’s perspective, both are enemies to be defeated, but this is an interesting setting.

Monsters can be understood as part of the ecosystem.

But what are the highly intelligent demons? What is their purpose in being enemies to the living beings in this world?

Based on the current information, I can’t understand at all.

“Well, I’ve heard that demons sometimes command the undead, but they are not living beings and are an exception among monsters.”

“The undead….”

I recalled that the demon blocking the road was said to command the undead.

Having minions makes things complicated. I’ve heard that the undead are quite tough, so I need to prepare.

While simulating how to deal with them, I listened to the priest.

“Demons have several ranks.”

“Ranks? Like a measure of strength?”

“Yes, that’s a correct understanding. Demons with a certain level of power have titles.”

“So, strong demons are nobles?”

“It’s unclear if demons have a class system like humans, but it seems that higher-ranking demons command lower-ranking ones.”

The priest spoke with a clear dislike of demons.

It’s understandable, but he seems to really dislike them.

Indeed, based on what I’ve heard, there’s nothing to like about them.

“Also, there are ranks within each title, and the lower the number, the stronger the demon.”

“Are there that many?”

“Yes, there are said to be 128 barons, 64 viscounts, 32 counts… and the numbers decrease for marquises, dukes, and grand dukes.”

“…More than I thought.”

There are over 250 titled demons.

Given the large number of players in this game, the number isn’t surprising.

But, based on this, what level is the demon blocking the road?

It’s probably not too strong, being the first one, but the knights were defeated by it, so I shouldn’t underestimate it.

By the way—

“Can I ask a question?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“I heard from the Riblum that knights visited this village before.”

“Yes, they did. They also asked about demons.”

It seems the soldier’s story was true.

The four of us looked at each other in surprise as I continued.

“Did they plan to challenge the demon?”

“Yes, it seems so… but since the demon hasn’t been defeated, it’s clear what happened.”

The priest looked down with a heavy heart.

The knights were defeated by the demon.

This means the undead might be the remains of those knights.

After a moment of thought, I spoke again.

“As a warrior, I want to clear their grudge. But I’ve heard that demons use powerful curses. Is there a way to defend against them?”

“Kwon… Isn’t that a bit direct?”

“There’s no point in beating around the bush. Is there anything?”

The priest fell silent for a moment, his gaze meeting mine and then moving to Lumina on my head.

Lumina reacted to the gaze, and the priest continued to think, eventually nodding.

“I understand. Normally, I wouldn’t give this out easily.”

The priest took something from his desk and brought it to me.

In his hand was a pendant with a medal adorned with mysterious patterns.

A single vertical line, intersecting spirals, and a pair of wing-like symbols.

It’s not finely crafted, but it’s a well-made piece if it’s handmade.

“What is this?”

“This is a holy seal, a charm to ward off evil. It won’t protect you from everything, but it will surely help.”

“…Is it okay to give it to me?”

“Yes. You are a pure person recognized by a fairy and want to clear the knights’ grudge. I can trust you. This holy seal is not that rare, either.”

The priest handed me the holy seal with a slightly playful smile.

If that’s the case, I should accept it properly.

I nodded and took the holy seal.

“Kwon of the Kyuukonshinryu, I promise to defeat the demon.”

“…Thank you, Kwon.”

A solemn vow.

The priest bowed deeply in response.

■Avatar Name: Kwon

■Gender: Male

■Race: Human

■Level: 11

■Status (Remaining Status Points: 0)

STR: 16

VIT: 13

INT: 16

MND: 13

AGI: 11

DEX: 11

■Skills

Weapon Skill: 《Sword: Lv.11》

Magic Skill: 《Enhancement Magic: Lv.8》

Set Skills: 《Dead Point Strike: Lv.10》

《MP Auto Recovery: Lv.4》

《Plundering Sword: Lv.6》

《Identification: Lv.8》

《Life Sword: Lv.7》

《Demon Slaying Sword: Lv.2》

《Tame: Lv.1》

Sub Skills: 《HP Auto Recovery: Lv.4》

《Mining: Lv.1》

Title Skill: 《Fairy’s Blessing》

■Current SP: 4

■Monster Name: Lumina

■Gender: Female

■Race: Fairy

■Level: 1

■Status (Remaining Status Points: 0)

STR: 3

VIT: 6

INT: 17

MND: 14

AGI: 12

DEX: 8

■Skills

Weapon Skill: None

Magic Skill: 《Light Magic》

Skills: 《Light Attribute Enhancement》

《Flight》

《Magic Resistance: Medium》

《MP Auto Recovery》

Title Skill: 《Fairy Queen’s Follower》