Chapter 116: Priests of the God of Lies and Deception (1)

“Is Arkemis doing all right?” Milayna asked Ketal. “She seemed fine when I saw her,” Ketal replied casually. Several days had passed, and Arkemis was gradually recovering. Although not entirely back to normal, she was at least well enough to move around without difficulty. Milayna let out a relieved sigh. “That’s good to hear.” “Although, she’s been acting a bit strange lately,” Ketal said. “What do you mean?” “Her attitude changed somehow.” Recently, Arkemis had grown noticeably friendlier toward Ketal, as if barriers had suddenly vanished. Moreover, she repeatedly praised the virtues of the elves’ sacred land. Ketal found the sudden shift in her behavior puzzling but didn’t dwell on it too much. Whatever it is, at least she’s recovering well, Ketal thought. He assumed Arkemis had opened up to him, meaning their friendship had grown deeper. For Ketal, becoming closer with someone from a fantasy world was satisfying enough. Turning his attention back to Milayna, Ketal observed. “You still seem incredibly busy, Milayna.” A week had passed since the demons’ attack, yet Milayna remained as busy as ever. She had bags under her eyes, and her hair was unkempt and greasy, clearly unwashed for days. Even as she spoke to Ketal, her attention remained focused on processing the paperwork. “Thanks to you, the damage wasn’t as severe as it could have been, but that doesn’t mean it was small either,” Milayna explained wearily. The demons had wreaked havoc on the capital, causing extensive damage and numerous deaths. As head of the Akasha family—the largest merchant house in the kingdom—Milayna’s responsibilities were immense. Buildings had collapsed, employees had died, and countless people were left homeless. Countless documents requiring her approval piled up endlessly. “The immediate problems are tough enough, but now we’re short on supplies. Merchants from outside refuse to come here,” Milayna added tiredly. A city attacked by demons was obviously dangerous, and people had begun fleeing to the countryside. The kingdom was in turmoil, and restoring stability required money. To stabilize things, they needed money. Barbosa had demanded cooperation from the nobles—though it was essentially extortion. Such demands would have caused outrage in the modern world back on Earth, but this was a medieval fantasy world ruled almost entirely by absolute monarchy. Force was a common solution. Naturally, Milayna had received a similar demand and had to manage this on top of everything else. “I see,” Ketal said as he looked intrigued. Demon invasions that shook the world were common in fictional stories, but their aftermath was rarely described in detail. Usually, the heroes would triumph and swiftly restore order. However, this was reality. Recovery wouldn’t be quick or simple. The kingdom was in ruins, as if they were in a major war with another nation. Ketal found observing this reality quite interesting. “That sounds exhausting,” Ketal commented. Though interesting to Ketal, the situation was undoubtedly difficult for Milayna. She offered a weary smile. “It’s exhausting... but I have to manage.” It wasn’t beyond her capacity. In fact, turbulent times offered merchants like herself unique opportunities. She quickly returned her focus to the paperwork. Ketal observed her quietly before speaking again. “Do you need any help?” “What?” “It seems too much for one person. And I don’t see anyone else here to assist you.” Milayna looked hesitant. “I appreciate your offer, but paperwork can be quite complicated. Are you sure you can handle it?” “Of course. I’ve actually had extensive education.” “Well, in that case, I’d appreciate it if you could organize these documents.” Milayna handed him a pile of documents. “These are about logistical losses from the recent events. I’d like you to sort through them.” “Understood.“ Ketal took the documents, and Milayna watched him curiously. Seeing a barbarian picking up a pen to organize paperwork was something she never thought she’d witness. But that was as far as her curiosity went. He’ll give up soon enough, she thought. Reading and organizing paperwork were entirely different tasks. Even newly hired employees often struggled with such tasks for hours. She expected him to give up soon enough due to boredom or frustration. Milayna returned to her own work, and an hour passed in silence. The mountain of papers in front of her was finally starting to diminish when Ketal suddenly spoke. “I’m done.” “What? You’re done?” Milayna replied, surprised. She looked up abruptly. “Yes. You might want to double-check them in case of errors,” Ketal said as he was tidying up the documents. “Oh... right, okay.” Flustered, Milayna took the stack from him. As she reviewed them, her eyes widened. “Huh?” She was astonished. The documents were meticulously organized. There wasn’t a single mistake, and in fact, it seemed even more precise than her own work. How is this possible? she thought. She had deliberately given him a large volume of documents, assuming he would quit. Even a skilled employee would take half a day to process this much paperwork, yet Ketal had flawlessly completed it within just one hour. “Ketal... How did you...?” Milayna stumbled for words. “The numbers weren’t particularly large, and the content was straightforward. It wasn’t difficult,” Ketal answered casually, biting into a fruit. Milayna stared blankly at him. “Is there something wrong?” Ketal asked her. “No, it’s nothing.” She quickly looked away. Thanks to Ketal, Milayna finished her day’s work before midnight for the first time in a week. She relaxed with a cup of tea, finally able to breathe. Who exactly is this person? Milayna thought as she watched Ketal curiously. The more she learned about him, the less she understood. Being a barbarian from the White Snowfield didn’t fully explain everything. As she opened her mouth to ask something, Ketal spoke first. “I’ve heard this kingdom isn’t the only place facing problems right now. Is that correct?” “Yes, you’re right,” Milayna replied. The world itself was becoming unstable. The demons’ descent wasn’t limited to the Denian Kingdom. Though two named demons appearing simultaneously was unusual, minor disturbances continued elsewhere. “Apparently, dark mage groups that had been hiding are now openly roaming about. Various religious orders are preparing to take action,” Milayna explained. “Are there many religious orders?” Ketal asked her. “Quite a few.” “Interesting.” Milayna found Ketal’s interest surprising. Barbarians typically held little respect for gods. They worshipped only strength and considered faith in external beings contemptible. That was why barbarians from the north didn’t believe in any gods. She knew Ketal was different, but fundamentally, he was still a barbarian. Considering his overwhelming strength, she assumed he didn’t have any interest in gods. Yet, Ketal showed genuine curiosity and even a degree of respect, surprising her further. Remembering something, she spoke again. “Speaking of which, I heard one of those orders came here asking the kingdom for help.” “Help?” Ketal appeared puzzled. “A religious order needs assistance from a kingdom?” “Not every religious order is large.” Churches dedicated to major gods like the Sun God or Earth Goddess wielded immense influence, nearly equal to kingdoms. However, countless smaller orders had negligible influence and often relied on nearby kingdoms for assistance. “I see.” Ketal thought for a moment before tilting his head curiously. “I have a question—it might sound rude. Is that okay?” “Oh, yes. Please ask. I won’t take any offense.” “You mentioned there are numerous religious orders, meaning there must also be many gods.” “Yes.” “In that case, what exactly are gods?” Ketal asked her. Milayna remained silent momentarily before cautiously speaking. “Do you mean their fundamental nature?” ‘As you know, I’m from the White Snowfield. There are no gods there, so I was just curious.” “Well...” Milayna hesitated before answering. “To be honest, we don’t really know either.” “Hmm?” Ketal looked puzzled by the unexpected response. “You don’t know? Aren’t these the beings you worship?” “Yes, but they’re fundamentally shrouded in mystery.” Gods existed long before humans appeared. They watched over the world until they could no longer tolerate the rampage of evil. Thus, they descended to drive the evil away. Since then, those who worshipped the gods established themselves upon the land. This was the extent of humanity’s knowledge regarding the gods. “Since the ancient Divine-Demonic War, they haven’t directly intervened in worldly matters. At most, they send revelations or bestow divine power upon their followers. But they never descended personally,” Milayna explained. Even if their religious orders faced extinction, the gods did nothing more than provide revelations or designate a saint. This did not change, even when churches truly fell into ruin. Ketal stroked his chin thoughtfully, intrigued. “How curious.” “The gods’ actions are beyond human comprehension,” Milayna quickly replied, clearly uncomfortable discussing this further. She swiftly changed the topic. “In any case, a religious order has recently arrived here, seeking assistance.” “But it doesn’t seem like this kingdom is in any position to help anyone right now,” Ketal said. Damage from the demons’ attack still lingered within the capital. Many soldiers and knights had died, making even protecting the borders a challenging task. “They must be truly desperate. It seems they’ve been visiting multiple places, not just here,” Milayna said. She was a merchant, so numerous rumors naturally reached her ears. Tracking the movements of an order within the capital was trivial for her. “Which god do they worship?” Ketal asked her. Milayna hesitated to answer, her expression uncertain. “It’s the church of Kalosia—the God of Lies and Deception.” “Oh?” Ketal’s expression grew deeply interested. *** “Oh, my back!” An old man groaned as he stepped from a carriage. “Ugh, couldn’t you help an old man?” “You’re healthier than I am,” a black-haired girl scoffed. “My child has become so rough from mercenary work. It makes me so sad.” “You know I’ve always been like this,” she muttered, stepping down herself. She glanced around. “So, this is the Denian Kingdom.” “Yes. It looks surprisingly intact. With two demons descending, I expected it to be in ruins.” “I know,” the girl muttered. After a moment, she spoke anxiously. “What if they refuse us here too?” ‘We might all die, then. Perhaps we’ll be recorded as Kalosia’s last followers.” “Can you stop saying things like that?” she snapped nervously. “Why me? I just want to go back to Barcan Estate and resume mercenary work.” The old man smiled gently. “Whatever happens, we must try. Let’s go, Hayes.”