Chapter 32: "Why Is a Demigod Riding in a Carriage?"

Inside the crowded carriage, Yulia's graceful body swayed with the bumps in the road, landing squarely on Rod. She threw him a casual glance, her curvaceous form pressing against him. Annoyed, she clenched her teeth in frustration. If she could overpower him, she would have burned this shameless man's soul to ashes by now. But alas, this wasn't just anyone—this was her, Yulia, the legendary archmage known as the Flame Queen.

Back in the imperial capital, those who dared ogle her with lustful eyes would often meet a fiery end.

"When embarking on a journey, it's not just the destination that matters, but the scenery you enjoy along the way."

Rod, seemingly unbothered by the tension, leaned back lazily, his eyes glancing outside at the shifting landscape. With his power, if he were truly in a hurry, he could have reached his destination in just a day or two.

But there was no rush.

"What's the strength of the Holy Church?" he asked suddenly, his curiosity piqued.

As the dominant religious institution in the northern kingdoms, Rhodes figured the Holy Church must be formidable. But he had no clear idea of just how powerful it was.

"The twelve cardinals are all legendary-level powerhouses," Yulia responded nonchalantly. "And the heads of the three main branches of the church are all at saint-level strength."

"As for the Pope? It's said he's reached the level of a demigod. If the God of Glory blesses him, he may ascend to true godhood. And that's just what's known publicly."

The Holy Church had a stronghold in the Northern Kingdoms for over a thousand years, with statues of the God of Glory in every corner and millions of followers. Among them, countless powerful figures had emerged, though only a few had risen to legendary status.

"Just one demigod?" Rod scoffed. He had expected more, maybe three or five demigods at least. It seemed he had overestimated their strength.

Yulia shot him a glare, exasperated. Did he really think demigods grew like weeds by the roadside? You couldn't just stumble upon them. Each one had earned their place by surviving mountains of corpses and oceans of blood. To become a demigod meant achieving a level of power that only a few could even dream of.

In the Northern Kingdoms, decades—or even centuries—would pass before a new demigod emerged. And in the entire history of the Holy Church, only a handful of Popes had ever reached that level.

The current Pope was hailed as the strongest in the entire Northern Territory, even earning the title of the most powerful man in the Shinra Empire.

"The strongest in the Northern Territory? Did I agree to that?" Rod chuckled. "That title might've been true once. Now that I'm here, that old Pope can't even make the list."

"If you're so displeased, why not challenge him?" Yulia goaded, her eyes alight with mischief. "I've been fed up with that hypocritical old man for ages. Always pretending to be so kind and gentle when everyone knows he used to be the head of the Church's Discipline Office."

"Not just hundreds—thousands of heretics died under his orders. Now, as Pope, he's trying to wash his hands of it all? Not a chance."

Though her words were meant to stir trouble, Yulia wasn't entirely joking. She genuinely believed that Rod might be stronger than the Pope. After all, anyone who could defeat an evil god wasn't someone to be trifled with. But she wasn't blind to the Pope's advantages. With divine artifacts and blessings from the God of Glory, the Pope's strength rivaled that of a true god. A battle between the two would be too close to call.

"One more word, and I'll throw you off this carriage," Rod warned, his voice low and cold.

He had no interest in proving himself by challenging weaker foes. If anything, it was the Pope who should seek him out, not the other way around. Glancing up at the sky, Rod mused that while toppling gods was out of his reach for now, he was confident he could dominate anyone beneath the gods.

"The strongest beneath the stars, huh?" Rod murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. It had a nice ring to it. But to claim such a title, he would have to defeat all the renowned powerhouses. Only then could he be recognized as invincible.

The day dimmed, and the carriage—no, it was better described as a dog-drawn cart—continued its bumpy journey along the muddy road.

"If we keep going, we'll reach the Forest of Tranquility soon," Yulia remarked from outside the carriage. She pointed ahead at a sprawling, dense forest.

Even from a distance, the towering trees and endless greenery were visible.

"The forest is home to powerful monsters. There are even rumors of elves living there, though it's unclear if that's true. But every time I've passed through, I've sensed magic as strong as a sanctuary-tier warrior."

Yulia's tone grew serious.

"The terrain in the Forest of Tranquility is tricky. It's nearly impossible for carriages to pass through. If you're not in a rush, we could take a detour."

Rod frowned. He'd already been delayed by two days dealing with the Earl Haman issue. If they took a long detour, they might not make it in time.

"How much longer would a detour take?"

"A week at least."

That was far too long.

Rod dismissed the idea. "We'll go straight through the forest. I'll clear the path."

He saw no reason to complicate things. If any obstacles arose, he would deal with them directly.

Yulia could only shake her head in disbelief. When you were as strong as a demigod, you could afford to ignore such inconveniences. To someone like Rod, the Forest of Tranquility might as well have been his own backyard.

Ten minutes later, a massive castle came into view, separated from the forest by a small plain and a swift-moving moat.

"This is the territory of Earl Francis, the Kingdom of Francis," Yulia explained with a sigh, noticing Rod's inquisitive look.

"Earl Francis? Isn't he a commoner-turned-noble?" Rod asked, intrigued.

Yulia nodded. "Yes, a commoner who completed an impossible task set by the previous earl and won the hand of the princess. After the old earl's death, he inherited the title."

The classic rags-to-riches story.

In a world where social mobility was nearly impossible, Earl Francis had defied all odds. His story was almost more legendary than any fairy tale.

"In the past, the Forest of Tranquility wasn't always dangerous or hostile to outsiders," Yulia continued. "But after Earl Francis took power, something happened. He angered the guardian of the forest, and a powerful barrier of magic was cast over it. That was more than ten years ago. Now, even getting close to the forest invites attacks from monsters."

Because of this, the residents of the nearby castle had to travel miles just to gather firewood.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

Support the Translation! 🌐✨

20 Advanced Chapters are currently available in Patreon, make sure to visit and support our team.

patreon.com/Immortal_author

https://ko-fi.com/immortalauthor

https://discord.gg/KscfBegBPT