Chapter 156: The Inquisitor of the Sun God and the Mage from the Mage Tower (3)

To think someone would find conversing with a god enjoyable—even expressing a desire to do it again—was absurd enough. But hearing such words coming from a barbarian, not even a believer, was beyond Aquaz’s comprehension. “What’s the matter?” Ketal asked her, noticing her strange silence. “Oh, nothing,” Aquaz replied, hurriedly shaking her head. Ketal was puzzled by her reaction, though he decided not to dwell on it. It seemed conversations with gods weren’t something people had every day. Even Shadranes had reacted with shock, so it wasn’t surprising that Aquaz would react similarly. Ketal felt quite pleased that he’d experienced something so special and spoke cheerfully again. “You should have a chat with your god too someday. It’s surprisingly fun.” Aquaz remained silent, uncertain how to respond. “Anyway, it seems you’ve made a wasted trip,” Ketal remarked lightly, changing the topic. Aquaz had traveled here urgently to assist Kalosia’s holy land, but the crisis had ended before her arrival. “Not at all,” she replied calmly. “I’m relieved everything was resolved without serious harm.” “So does this mean your pilgrimage is finished?” Ketal asked her curiously. “No,” Aquaz quickly clarified. “The world remains chaotic.” Evil continued to spread across the world. Kalosia’s holy land had merely been the first major target, but countless smaller incidents still occurred. .bg-container-63276437b6{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } “Where are you headed next?” Ketal asked her casually, with no real expectation behind his question. Following Aquaz’s pilgrimage might indeed be interesting, but Ketal was ready for something new. He had already experienced enough of evil forces and religious battles. Now, he was intrigued by other things—perhaps the elves’ sacred ground might be worth exploring. He wondered how different their sanctuary would be compared to the gods’ holy land. It was just an idle question, asked without much thought. However, Aquaz’s reply stopped Ketal cold. “The City of Merfolk.” *** “merfolk...?” Ketal repeated slowly after a moment of stunned silence, his voice shaking slightly with excitement. “They... exist?” “Yes, they certainly do,” Aquaz answered, surprised by Ketal’s sudden intensity. “Creatures living in the sea, right?” Ketal asked her. “Of course. Where else would merfolk live?” Aquaz looked puzzled, as if Ketal had asked whether birds flew in the sky or fish swam in water. Her matter-of-fact attitude only made Ketal’s heart beat faster. He took a moment to calm himself before asking cautiously, “Have the merfolk requested help?” “I don’t know the exact details, but something seems to have happened. There’s a coastal city that has maintained good relations with the merfolk’s underwater city for decades. Recently, all communication ceased abruptly.” When ships were sent to investigate, none returned. Even sending skilled mercenaries made no difference. Something unknown had completely blocked access to the underwater city. “I see.” Ketal nodded thoughtfully. “So it’s an unknown danger.” “Yes,” Aquaz replied. “That sounds extremely dangerous, even for you.” “I understand the risks, but I am prepared,” Aquaz replied resolutely. “No, this is far too risky,” Ketal objected firmly, concern evident in his voice. “You might genuinely be in danger.” “I appreciate your concern, but—” “Perfect! I will go with you and help,” Ketal suddenly declared enthusiastically. Aquaz’s eyes widened in surprise. “You... will come along and help me?” “Of course. Is there a problem?” “No, it’s not that,” Aquaz stammered, caught completely off guard. “But it’s going to be an arduous journey. We will need to travel by sea and face unknown threats. The distance alone will make the trip extremely long and exhausting.” She hesitated, adding in embarrassment, “More importantly, I’m afraid I have no means to repay you.” Her pilgrimage was entirely personal, independent of her church’s backing. There was no support, no budget, barely even enough money to cover her own basic expenses. Ketal laughed heartily. “That doesn’t matter at all. Even here at Kalosia’s holy land, I didn’t come expecting compensation. Hayes simply asked for help, so I came willingly.” Of course, Hayes had initially rejected his help vehemently, but somehow the story had evolved in Ketal’s mind to Hayes eagerly requesting his aid. “You’re a friend just like Hayes,” Ketal explained warmly. “How could I just sit back and cheer from afar when my friend undertakes such a dangerous pilgrimage? I need no reward; I’d simply appreciate the chance to join you.” “I see...” Aquaz’s voice trembled faintly, overcome with deep emotion. Ketal’s willingness to risk danger purely out of friendship, without expecting any reward, moved her deeply. Such genuine kindness filled her with gratitude and also a pang of shame. How could I have misjudged someone like him? Aquaz silently reprimanded herself. “If you truly mean it, thank you deeply. If it ever becomes burdensome, please don’t hesitate to tell me,” Aquaz said. “It won’t be a burden at all. In fact, I had nothing else planned anyway.” Ketal grinned brightly, thrilled beyond words. I get to see actual merfolk! Ketal thought. Half-human, half-fish beings from fantasy stories he’d heard as a child—merfolk had always fascinated him. Are they mammals or fish? Perhaps even amphibians? Do they breathe air like whales or through gills underwater? If they have gills, where exactly were those located? Ketal wondered. Myths usually portrayed merfolk as beautiful and mermen as ugly. Ketal wondered if that was really true. They lived in deep oceans, half human and half fish—a paradoxical existence that defied normal logic. Back on Earth, those questions were meaningless; merfolk were mythical beings, and people could imagine them however they pleased. However, in this fantasy world, merfolk were real. .bg-ssp-10081{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} How exactly do they survive beneath the sea? Ketal would finally discover the answer to childhood mysteries. His heart raced with excitement, clearly reflected on his face. “Then, shall we head there immediately? I think the sooner we move, the better,” Ketal insisted. “No, not quite yet,” Aquaz quickly corrected, a bit startled by Ketal’s sudden urgency. “Since we’re already here, I would prefer to help with restoring the sanctuary first.” “Ah, that’s true.” Ketal calmed himself down, realizing there was still unfinished work here he should attend to as well. “Then I suppose we will leave in a few days,” he decided. “Yes, probably. You can finish any tasks you have here in the meantime.” “Perfect.” With everything settled, Aquaz expressed her sincere gratitude once more. “Thank you again, Ketal. I truly won’t forget your kindness, especially knowing there’s nothing I can offer you in return.” “It’s fine. I’m doing it because I genuinely want to.” Ketal paused briefly, thoughtful. “Speaking of which, perhaps I should introduce myself properly to your companion, too.” Aquaz had not traveled alone. Beside her was a mage from the Mage Tower. Aquaz suddenly remembered, making a faint sound of realization. “Oh, right, I almost forgot about him.” “Is there something wrong?” Ketal asked her, noticing Aquaz’s strange expression. “No, it’s nothing.” She shook her head quickly. “I will go speak with him now. I’ll introduce you both tomorrow.” Her voice sounded slightly hesitant, as though unsure of how her companion would react to meeting Ketal. *** The following morning, Ketal and Aquaz met again—this time with the mage from the Mage Tower standing between them. Aquaz handled the introductions. “This is Ketal, the friend I mentioned yesterday,” she said to the mage. “He’s strong enough to face a demon head-on, so he will be a great asset to our journey.” Aquaz turned to Ketal and continued, “And Ketal, this is Baker, a mage from the Mage Tower. He belongs to the Startail School, the ones who gaze upon the stars. He’s reached the Transcendent level and has been an immense help to me.” “I see,” Ketal said, his eyes lit up with curiosity. It was the first time he had ever seen an ordinary mage from the Mage Tower up close. While he had met the Tower Master before, that man was no ordinary mage. And during his time in the capital of the Denian Kingdom, he never had the chance to sit down for a real conversation with the alchemist. With a friendly smile, Ketal stepped forward. “Nice to meet you. I’m Ketal.” Since they would be traveling together for some time, Ketal intended to get along well with him. However, Baker didn’t look the least bit pleased. “I’ve been traveling with Aquaz for months now,” Baker said, emphasizing his words with deliberate weight. His tone made it clear—he was trying to assert just how close he was to Aquaz, especially in comparison to Ketal. Ketal didn’t bat an eye. “I see. You must be very close. I look forward to working with you.” His calm and indifferent reply made Baker frown. “You must not understand plain speech, being a barbarian and all. Let me make myself clear. I have no intention of becoming friends with the likes of you.” Baker’s face twisted in disgust and contempt. “A barbarian trying to befriend a mage from the Mage Tower? Know your place.” “Is that so? Then I suppose I’ll just have to try a little harder,” Ketal replied. Despite the outright hostility, Ketal remained completely unfazed. In fact, he looked rather amused, his smile widening as though he found the whole situation entertaining. Baker was caught off guard by Ketal’s reaction. Just as he was about to throw out another insult, Aquaz let out a weary sigh. “Baker, this isn’t what we talked about,” Aquaz said. “A-Aquaz,” Baker stammered. His body flinched, and his expression quickly shifted to one of panic. “You agreed yesterday, didn’t you? Ketal is a close friend of mine. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t behave that way.” “I’m sorry...” Baker’s voice shrank as he apologized. Clearly, he was watching Aquaz’s reaction carefully. “Well then, I’ll be going.” Baker left in a hurry, clearly flustered. As he left, Ketal spoke up. “It seems like he doesn’t like me very much.” “Baker wasn’t exactly pleased with your inclusion. He did eventually agree, but... I didn’t expect him to act that way in front of you. I’m sorry you had to experience that.” Aquaz bowed her head slightly, her expression full of genuine remorse. “I really am sorry. If you’re uncomfortable, you’re free to decline joining us even now.” “It doesn’t bother me. Is it because I’m a barbarian?” “No, that’s not it.” Aquaz hesitated for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. “It’s just... he has an unhealthy amount of interest in me. Somewhat obsessive, actually. I think he simply doesn’t like the idea of anyone else joining us on the journey.” “I see.” Ketal raised a brow and smiled playfully. “So it’s love.” “That’s probably it...,” Aquaz admitted. “A love story, huh? I like those.” “Well, I don’t.” Aquaz shook her head, clearly unamused. “Judging from his reaction, I imagine there will be more conflict in the future. I’m sorry in advance. If this makes you uncomfortable, you really can still say no.” “Say no?” Ketal let out a chuckle, as if the suggestion was absurd. “Why would I do that?” A mage from the Mage Tower hopelessly in love with an inquisitor of the Sun God was just a thing Ketal wanted to experience in this fantasy world. If anything, he found himself even more intrigued. Romance is just another kind of fantasy, after all, Ketal thought. He grinned ear to ear. Aquaz gave him a curious look. “You really look like you’re enjoying this.” “That’s a misunderstanding,” Ketal said. “Is it really?” “Of course.” Ketal nodded vigorously. Aquaz stared at him with a dubious expression.