chapter 70

[Ability] [Level] 25

[Stamina] 1

[Mana] 1

[Faith] 1

[Endurance] 1

[Skill] 1

[Strength] 1

[horsepower] 10

[Divine Power] 10

[Endurance] 7

'This is enough.'

After raising the stat points to 7 for endurance, I took my hand off the ability check orb. As the blue light faded, the letters and numbers that had appeared in the air like a status screen disappeared.

It was worthwhile to clear out the mobs here and there. Compared to the dire abilities of the Forsaken, who were a feast of 1 when I first arrived at the Knights of the Silver Dawn, I could truly say that I had made great strides.

From now on, I'll just raise my faith to 3 or 4 and increase my strength and mana in appropriate proportions. Or, depending on the situation, I'll increase my endurance a bit to replenish my stamina. It was up to me to decide.

Stamina is a completely meaningless stat in the Bella mode, and Faith is enough to cast a spell once or twice. Proficiency is also not a necessary stat unless you are a magic or faith character.

To be exact, even for melee characters, there are differences in required stats depending on the weapon group and build used, but in the build I chose, there was no particular reason to put proficiency aside and focus on strength.

'Now all that remains is how to obtain that weapon.'

I left the room, lost in thought. Although the conditions were perfectly met, there was still a blind spot of how to obtain a weapon to use after the bloody sword.

This was because the quest you had to complete to get it was notorious for being a really frustrating quest.

It's not that it's hard, but it's because it takes up so much time and is so boring. It's similar to the rock civet that gets cursed at for taking so long and being boring, but it's also different.

If the rock raccoon was the type that said, "Why did you make it like this?", then that quest was the type that said, "They made it like this to screw us over!" It was a case where the purpose was obvious to anyone, so it actually received less criticism.

Even in the game, it was a quest that took more than 10 hours in real time to completely clear. Now, if you're not careful, it could take months.

"Are you ready?"

As I turned the corner of the hallway, lost in thought, Lize, clad in silver armor and with a helmet tucked under her arm, greeted me. The armor seemed to have been maintained much more carefully than usual, its surface being shiny.

"I already did it a long time ago. You, Lize? No. There's no need to ask. I can tell just by looking at your armor."

"I'm glad the effort paid off. Our Delta even noticed it right away."

"It's noticeable even at a glance. You could even use it as a mirror. Why did you clean it to this extent?"

"It can't be helped since we're going to meet someone as high as the Pope. In a holy country, the Pope is no different from the Emperor to them by our standards, so we can't prepare carelessly."

'Emperor... ... .'

Hearing those words, a bitter taste lingered in my mouth. Two days ago, when I heard the shocking statement from Selene that the Emperor was very concerned about me, I stayed up all night.

Now that some time has passed, my feelings have calmed down a bit, but I still don't understand what it was that made her so interested in me, even though we'd only met once.

"Are you really going to go like that? Without even wearing armor? Aren't you nervous?"

Lize looked me up and down. I was wearing my usual cotton clothes, leather pants, and appropriate sneakers, with a bloody sword tucked into my waistband.

We didn't need anything else. We didn't have to take care of food, clothing, and shelter ourselves in the Holy Land.

Armor? You can't roll if you wear that. Tension? Even though it's a game, I've already met the Pope hundreds of times. All I had to do was pray that his personality wouldn't change drastically.

"I told you, armor is a hindrance."

"...That's not the problem."

Lize looked at me with squinty eyes.

"Delta, you must tell me that secret later. No matter what."

It was a more persistent reaction than before, but there was a reason for it.

After Selene returned, I told her about the things I experienced while subduing Arachnainera, and I confessed that my abilities had increased. Perhaps that was why the Inquisitor sensed my divine power.

I had already thought of an excuse. As I gradually regained my past memories, my physical abilities would also gradually return accordingly.

But I didn't want to lie again, so I gave up on making excuses and just brushed it off by saying it was a secret. Then, Aurora and the Knight Commanders glared at me as if they were going to kill me.

'I can't help it, I absolutely can't let the Emperor find out.'

To be honest, I've thought that maybe it's time to tell those five the truth. The Knight Commanders are allies that I can trust unconditionally, and Aurore is the type of person who wouldn't betray.

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But after hearing Selene's words, I decided to keep quiet for a little longer. It was because I thought that they might be watching me at any moment or place.

Even if the Emperor had not taken an interest in me, the secret would have been revealed sooner or later.

None of my secrets should reach the Emperor's ears until I am sure I can handle the attention. I can't handle it now, and if I give him another excuse, I will be in real trouble.

"Of course. I'll tell you someday."

"...I will continue to watch."

I stroked Lize's hair, which was sticking out its lips. I could guess what more meaning there was to the words, "I'll watch over you." Lize quietly closed her eyes and accepted my touch.

As I headed toward the castle gate, I saw the knight commanders in shiny silver armor. Iris, who was standing at the very front, opened her mouth when she saw me.

"You're not wearing armor this time either. Aren't you nervous?"

"Not really? Lize asked that earlier, but is there really a connection between armor and tension?"

"...The only one who can be so calm while going to meet the Pope of the Holy Nation, aside from His Majesty the Emperor, is you, Delta."

The answer came back filled with absurd emotions. I thought Iris would maintain her composure, but it seemed that wasn't the case.

"Is everyone here?"

Pot, Selene appeared right next to us, with her robe pulled all the way over her head just like when we first met. The knight commanders instinctively placed their hands on their weapons at her sudden appearance, then relaxed their posture after confirming her identity.

"Is that… magic?"

"I would appreciate it if you would call it a miracle. This is not magic at all."

Selene answered indifferently, pulling out the Divine Catalyst from the sleeve of her robe. It was a deep silver color overall, with a full moon drawn on its center.

"Gather around me. I will move."

At the same time, the sacred catalyst glowed brightly. Darkness seemed to be falling nearby, but bright moonlight broke through the darkness and shone through. A white light that seemed to be half silver and half white spread out in all directions.

The clear and pure sound of the sacred catalyst rang out. Light enveloped the surroundings.

When the surrounding light disappeared, we were standing in the garden of the manor house, and Aurora was waiting for us with her arms folded in front of her.

"Your Majesty?"

Iris, who confirmed the lord's appearance, let out a bewildered voice.

"I asked the Inquisitor to stop by here for a moment before leaving for the Holy Land. He's not just going to subdue demons, he's going to meet the Pope. I can't just tell him to go and come back on his own, right?"

Aurora uncrossed her arms and strode towards me, holding out a heavy pouch in her hand. Iris accepted it and opened it.

Inside was a treasure trove of imperial gold coins.

"This is...?"

"I put in a moderate amount. Since it's the same as the Holy Nation currency and the Imperial currency, you won't lose anything by having it. You probably won't need it, but I'm just taking it just in case."

"Yes, I will gladly accept it. Can I return the remaining money later?"

"What? Why are you giving it back? I'm just giving it to you guys to take. You can divide the rest up or use it as the Knights Templar's common property, whatever you want. The old piglet ate so much that I only have a little bit of money left, so don't worry about it."

"Understood. Thank you, my lord."

"...."

Aurora, who had finished speaking, looked at me with her characteristic golden pupils. It was a gaze that was a bit burdensome. The emperor with the same black hair and golden eyes came to mind.

"...Why are you doing that?"

"It's strange. What on earth could possibly be that makes His Majesty the Emperor, and even the Pope of the Holy Nation, take such great interest in you… I wondered. After all, there are a lot of secrets here and there."

"If I had known that, I would have avoided it a long time ago."

It was unexpected that the Emperor and the Pope would be interested in me when the main story had not progressed much. If I had known this would happen, I would have re-planned from the beginning.

Aurora chuckled after hearing my answer.

"Well, I'm not in a position to say something like that."

"yes?"

"It means have a safe trip. Don't roll around recklessly and die."

Aurora turned around after saying those words. Then she walked into the mansion, her buttocks swaying. The knight commanders beside her were all looking at me.

Although I couldn't see his expression because it was obscured by his helmet, I felt like I knew what it was about.

"Have you finished your greetings?"

Only Selene was preparing to use teleportation once again, breathing faith into the Divine Catalyst as if nothing had happened.

The knight commanders turned their heads towards Selene again, and Lize looked at me for a little longer before turning her head away one last time.

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"I guess so."

"Understood. We will now move to the Holy Land, but there will be a limit to how far you can move at one time. So we will move in several parts, with some time to rest in between. Do you have any comments on this matter?"

"Everyone, do you have anything to say?"

No one opened their mouths. Selene, who confirmed the fact, picked up the Divine Catalyst.

"Okay, let's get started. We're going to have to travel a lot further than before, so be careful, you might feel a little dizzy."

The clear sound of bells rang out again, and the silvery moonlight enveloped our bodies. Then, my body floated up and I felt like I was being sucked into somewhere.

The whole place was spinning. They said it could be dizzying, and it wasn't an empty promise. I lost my sense of direction, and I couldn't tell up from down. I didn't even know if I was standing upright.

"We have arrived."

After struggling for what felt like almost ten seconds, Selene's emotionless voice came and my feet touched the ground again. After staggering for a moment in that state, I regained my balance.

I looked around. If I was only slightly dizzy, wouldn't the knight commanders be completely fine?

"T, this… isn't it a little dizzying?"

"I guess so, ha-ha...."

"Oh, wait a minute. My legs are weak...."

"...Me too, Sister."

But contrary to my expectations, the knight commanders were all lying on the floor, shaking and staggering. I was frozen in place, wondering what was going on.

"You are less affected by the divine power you possess. They are not, so it is natural that they have a much harder time. This has nothing to do with physical strength, so there is nothing they can do about it."

Selene, who had quietly approached me without me noticing, answered my question. It meant that I was able to be fine thanks to the divine power stat that I had previously recorded.

This was definitely not what I was aiming for though.

"Mr. Inquisitor, can you tell me how many more times I have to do this to reach the Pope…?"

Erica raised her trembling hand and asked.

"If you move the same distance as before, it's eight times."

"...ah."

A single word spoken by someone unknown echoed quietly through the forest.