Chapter 157: The Inquisitor of the Sun God and the Mage from the Mage Tower (4)

Ketal told Shadranes that he would be leaving the holy land soon. Her eyes widened in shock. “You’re leaving?” “I will stay a few more days to help you with the restoration, but once everything is done, I plan to move on.” “I see...” “Why do you look so surprised? You seem caught off guard,” Ketal said. “Honestly, I didn’t think you would leave.” Shadranes had truly believed Ketal would remain at Kalosia’s holy land. It wasn’t just wishful thinking—it had been a reasonable assumption. After all, Ketal had saved the sanctuary of Kalosia. His accomplishment would be remembered and honored until the day the entire Kalosia’s order crumbled. However, that wasn’t all. He had also spoken with Kalosia directly and was granted a holy relic. Right now, Ketal’s standing within the church was just one step below that of the Saintess herself. And that wasn’t an exaggeration. Even if he did nothing else from now on and simply chose to live within the sanctuary, he would be able to enjoy a life of luxury and respect for the rest of his days. There would be no restrictions placed on him as he would be revered by all. Strong individuals often sought power and recognition, fitting their strength. While someone like Ketal would receive respect anywhere he went, there was no guarantee that respect would be as genuine as it was here. After all, Ketal was a foreigner—a barbarian. And barbarians were usually shunned by society. .bg-container-63276437b6{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } This was why Shadranes had assumed Ketal would remain here. But now that he was talking about leaving, she couldn’t help but feel flustered. “We may be struggling now, but it won’t be long before we recover. When that time comes, you will be able to achieve whatever you desire. You’ll be respected not only here but also beyond these walls,” Shadranes said. It was an offer—an enticing one at that. Most people would have been tempted. However, Ketal shook his head. “That does sound appealing. But the world is in chaos, and a close friend of mine needs help. So helping my friend is what I must do.” “I see.” Shadranes realized the truth then. Ketal had come to Kalosia’s holy land to help Hayes in the first place. The great reward he received had been a result—not the goal. He hadn’t helped them out of the expectation for anything. He had helped because someone he cared about needed it. I guess that’s just who he is, Shadranes thought. He wasn’t someone who sought power or admiration. The way Shadranes looked at him now carried a quiet reverence, as though she were gazing upon a true saint. “I understand. It’s a shame, but I have no right to stop you,” Shadranes admitted. Had Ketal chosen to stay, the Church of Kalosia would have benefited greatly. Having someone that powerful within their ranks would have significantly expanded their influence. However, they couldn’t force him to stay. Shadranes let out a bitter smile, her thoughts heavy. There was a way to make him stay—she could lie. She could tell him that the church was still in danger and that they desperately needed his help. And if she did, she knew that Ketal would stay—he was that kind of person. However, just as Ketal was that kind of man, she was not the type to hold someone back with lies and manipulation. Which makes me a failure as a follower of the God of Lies and Deception, doesn’t it? Shadranes thought. She silently apologized to Kalosia in her heart for not living up to those ideals, but she didn’t act against her conscience. “Then please wait just a moment. I’d like to prepare something to see you off properly,” Shadranes said. Ketal nodded. Time passed, marking his final days within the sanctuary. Word of his impending departure spread, and the people expressed their sorrow. Some even shed tears. Yet, under Shadranes’s orders, no one tried to stop him. The mage from the Mage Tower still looked disgruntled about Ketal joining their journey, but perhaps fearing Aquaz’s reaction, he didn’t voice his complaints openly anymore. And then, a week later, the restoration of the sanctuary was finally complete. Ketal prepared to leave. Seeing him off were the Saintess, Rakuza, Hayes, and Naflas. Shadranes stepped forward. “Ketal, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. The Church of Kalosia will never forget what you have done for us. Please accept this.” She handed Ketal the layered divine emblem of Kalosia, the traditional token of honor for the Church of Kalosia. “If you look closely, you will notice the layers,” Shadranes explained. “Oh? I see,” Ketal replied. Extremely thin layers of the emblem had been stacked upon one another to form a single sigil. There were about a hundred layers in total. “This is something we grant to those our Church wishes to honor. The more layers it has, the higher the standing of the recipient,” Shadranes continued explaining. And until now, no one had ever received one with over a hundred layers. “We stand by you, Ketal,” Rakuza said firmly. “You are an honorary member of our Church. If you ever need help, we will give everything we have to support you. Even if we stand on the brink of destruction.” “That’s... a little overwhelming. But thank you,” Ketal replied, genuinely grateful. Naflas also stepped up to speak. “Thank you. If not for you, our holy land would have been destroyed. And even when we said we had nothing to give you in return... you still helped us. I mean it—thank you.” And finally, it was Hayes’s turn. She lowered her head respectfully. “Thank you... As I said before, I have doubted your values.” Ketal’s values were so foreign to her. He didn’t distinguish between good and evil the way most did. That had frightened Hayes. She feared what someone like that would do once inside the sanctuary. That was why she rejected him from coming with them at first. However, she had been wrong. Ketal hadn’t expected anything. He had helped them simply because they needed it. He was different—but he wasn’t evil. Now, Hayes felt ashamed of her former self. “If you’ll have me, I will remain your friend. And if ever you’re in danger, I will be there. I will risk my life to help you,” Hayes said. “Thank you. You will always be my good friend, Hayes.” Ketal smiled warmly. With the last of the farewells exchanged, he finally stepped out of the sanctuary. Outside, Aquaz and Baker were waiting for him. “Have you finished saying your goodbyes?” Aquaz asked him. “Yeah.” Ketal glanced back at the sanctuary. It had been the first divine sanctuary he’d ever visited in this fantastical world. And it had been a truly enjoyable time—enough that he felt a twinge of regret about leaving. However, all meetings come with partings. That was simply the nature of things. Just as Ketal was about to turn his back and leave, something caught his attention. “Hm?” Aquaz’s eyes widened. A song—soft and melodic—was rising from within the sanctuary. “That song...” Aquaz immediately recognized it. She knew exactly what it meant. It was a hymn sung by the Church of Kalosia to honor outsiders. However, even knowing that, she couldn’t help but be shocked. That particular hymn was almost never sung. Even the Church of the Sun God had a song reserved for extraordinary outsiders who had saved them, but it hadn’t been sung in hundreds of years. It wasn’t used in normal situations—only in the rarest and most meaningful cases. .bg-ssp-10081{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} And now, that very hymn was being sung—for Ketal. It wasn’t just a few voices. Baker murmured in disbelief, “It’s so loud... is the entire sanctuary singing?” “It seems that way,” Aquaz replied. The voices layered together in harmony, overlapping and amplifying one another. The entire sanctuary was singing for Ketal, as if they were offering a hymn not to a man but to a god. And then, Aquaz suddenly froze. “A gaze...,” she whispered. Something—immense and divine—was watching over them. They could feel it descending from the highest reaches of the sky, heavy and absolute. There was no mistaking what it was—Kalosia was watching them. The god’s gaze seemed to follow Ketal as he walked away, like a divine farewell. “Hm.” Ketal didn’t understand the full implications like Aquaz did, but he could sense the feeling behind it. “I guess this is goodbye, then.” Ketal turned away from the god’s sanctuary and began walking forward. *** Maybe I should’ve stayed a little longer, Ketal thought. Now that the Church of Kalosia had learned the truth about lies and deceptions and their god’s values, it might have been interesting to see how they chose to move forward. Leaving now left him feeling just a little wistful. However, Ketal shook his head. It’s best to leave while things still feel good. It was better to end with a bit of lingering regret than to overstay and dull the experience. Perhaps returning someday would be even more enjoyable that way. He pushed those thoughts aside since he had something else to look forward to now. “How long does it take to reach the coastal city from here?” Ketal asked Aquaz. Meeting the merfolk was his next destination. Still recovering from her emotions, Aquaz fumbled slightly as she replied, “Ah, it’s quite far. For a normal person, it would take about three months.” “Then we’d better hurry,” Ketal replied. “Yes, I suppose we should.” All of them were beings who had surpassed ordinary limits. Even the roughest terrain posed no obstacle. They could move in a straight line if they wanted to. Pushing through the brush, Ketal asked her, “So, what’s the issue with the City of Merfolk?” “Wait... you don’t know?” Aquaz said. “I never got to hear the details.” “I see...” Only then did Aquaz realize that she had never actually explained the situation to Ketal. Wait a second, Aquaz thought. Does this mean this barbarian agreed to help us without even knowing what the problem was? “Something wrong?” Ketal asked her. “N-no, it’s nothing,” she said quickly, trying to cover her surprise. “Is it related to evil? Are the forces of evil targeting the merfolk?” “No, not exactly.” Aquaz took a deep breath and continued, “My pilgrimage is meant to help those suffering in a world shaken by chaos. It’s not always about confronting evil. “Then what is it?” “Evil isn’t the only thing threatening the world. Have you ever heard of the Demon Realms?” Ketal’s expression suddenly changed. “Yes. They’re the anomalous zones scattered across the continent, right?” “So you’ve heard. That’s right. Strange, distorted places that don’t belong in this world.” She glanced at him and added, “The White Snowfield you came from—that’s one of them too.” “Yes, I know.” “Do you know anything about the other Demon Realms?” Aquaz asked him. He knew the White Snowfield well, but as for the rest, he had no idea. So even the Demon Realms themselves are isolated from one another, Aquaz thought, before continuing, “It would have been nice if the other beings from those realms were like you... willing to help us. But unfortunately, that’s not the case. Recently, a being from another Demon Realm attacked the Lutein Kingdom.” The Anomaly from the Demon Realm had consumed the kingdom in an instant. The entire nation collapsed, and every person within its borders was wiped out. In the span of a single day, a kingdom was brought to the edge of extinction. “But the Tower Master was able to predict it in advance and acted accordingly. While not all the damage could be prevented, he managed to rescue one surviving member of the Lutein royal family,” Aquaz continued explaining. “I see,” Ketal said, his expression indifferent. So that’s how the rumor ended up spreading, Ketal thought. The details about Nano hadn’t been made public either. Well, I guess that’s for the best, Ketal thought. Telling the world about a being that could replace all matter would only throw the continent into confusion. “They’re incredibly dangerous beings,” Aquaz said, gulping hard. An entire royal capital had collapsed overnight. The continent was thrown into a state of emergency. The kings of other nations, terrified that the same fate might befall them, began preparing in every way imaginable. It was a threat completely unlike the evils they had known. Aquaz sighed as she continued, “It’s already overwhelming to face just one grotesque evil, and now these beings from the Demon Realms are starting to appear across the continent... The world is in complete disarray.” She voiced her growing anxiety about the rise of the entities from the Demon Realms. “I see. That really is a serious threat,” Ketal agreed without hesitation. Aquaz paused for a moment. There was something strangely ironic—uncanny, even—about a being from the Demon Realm calling other Demon Realm entities dangerous. However, she shook off the thought. “Yes. The City of Merfolk is said to be under threat from one of those beings,” she continued with a steady voice. “I’ve heard that an intelligent primate species—something that lives and breathes deep within the sea—has surrounded their city.” Just as she finished speaking, a translucent window opened before Ketal’s eyes. He stared at the message with a peculiar look. [Quest #787] [Respond to the Anomaly.]