Chapter 18: In the Name of God!

In this place, weddings typically require the blessing of a priest, and the commission is paid to the priest in the name of offering to God.

Weddings are usually held in a church, presided over by a priest. In border villages like Gorn Village, which lack church facilities, a patch of grass can suffice, with a simple platform hastily constructed.

Kidopriest had presided over more than one wedding in Gorn Village.

But.

Ashu had never liked Kidopriest—not out of hatred, but because Kidopriest's style reminded him exactly of the sleazy individuals from his past life who were always taking kickbacks.

Marriage is a significant event for both families involved, and if Anna had no objections, Ashu could make the decision on his own.

"Anna, do we need a priest to officiate the wedding?" Ashu asked.

Anna looked up into Ashu's eyes. She could tell from the flicker of disdain that passed through his gaze when he mentioned the priest, so she replied softly, "No, we don't need one. Although I left the Witch's Guild, the Cultivator Guild is unaware of this, so the priest isn't yet qualified to officiate. Also, due to the evil god's mark within me, we cannot call upon a god to witness. Therefore, I think hosting a banquet with family and friends to witness is just fine."

"Then let's do that."

"Let's head back to the village first. We can't have that big snake's corpse showing up at our wedding."

...

As Ashu and Anna returned to the village from the outskirts, they encountered Kidopriest at the village entrance.

This time, he was accompanied by two unfamiliar faces. From their uniforms, they appeared to be newly assigned law enforcers.

"Good day, Lady Saint, Mr. Ashu," Kidopriest greeted them, introducing them one by one. "This is Kyle, a law enforcer, and this is Ratt, an apprentice law enforcer."

Kyle, the law enforcer, was tall and broad-shouldered, his inverted triangle physique and the receding golden hairline clearly indicating the results of long-term physical training.

Ratt, on the other hand, was small and had a face full of freckles.

"Too bad I wasn't the one who came last time. If I had been, I would have made that monster bow down to me! Hello, young man, just call me Kyle. Kido didn't explain it properly, but I'm the ace of the law enforcers, not just an ordinary one," Kyle said as he extended a thick, somewhat misshapen hand.

Ashu shook his hand. "I'm Ashu, welcome to both of you. The monster's corpse has started to stink."

"Don't worry, young man, that's what I'm here for," Kyle replied confidently.

With that. 

Kyle moved past Ashu and strode toward the village. Standing over two meters tall, he easily cleared the obstacles in the cornfield, and from a distance, he spotted the giant snake's carcass that had fallen in the village.

For an ordinary person, facing such a massive corpse would be daunting—not to mention difficult to manage.

But Kyle didn't waste a single word.

As he approached the giant snake's body, his eyes quickly calculated the best point to exert force and where the body should be dragged.

In the end. 

He chose a spot around one-third of the snake's tail. Despite his towering stature, his figure seemed small compared to the snake's massive form.

However, Kidopriest and the apprentice law enforcer showed no intention of helping.

And then. 

The next moment, Kyle's body began to exude a faint blue Magical Essence, like steam rising from him. Ashu, observing from a distance, thought he had activated his spiritual perception.

Fortunately, the apprentice law enforcer, Ratt, immediately exclaimed in admiration, "That's Kyle family's Kaimir Martial Arts! Every time I see it, I think Kyle is so cool! I wish I could learn it!"

Hearing this praise, Ashu figured out what kind of skill it was, but he still quietly distanced himself from the apprentice law enforcer, Ratt.

"Ha—hey—ha—"

At that moment, Kyle finished preparing and let out several low growls. He gripped the scales of the snake and began pulling toward the north with all his strength.

Despite the size difference, with Kyle being over two meters tall, he still appeared small compared to the massive corpse of the snake. Yet, it was this seemingly small Kyle who was dragging the enormous serpent's body, slowly moving it toward the northern valley of Gorn Village.

The villagers who witnessed the scene were all struck with awe.

To drag such a massive creature's corpse with mere human strength—what level of cultivator must he be?

"That law enforcer looks even stronger than Kidopriest!"

"Strong my foot, moving a corpse doesn't mean anything. Why not fight a live snake instead?"

"Anyway, he's stronger than you. I feel like one punch from him could knock out two of you."

"By the way, does he charge a transportation fee? I'd like to move a big rock from my field."

...

Kyle was considerate of the farmland.

Instead of dragging the giant snake's body in the most direct line, which would have been faster and easier. 

He didn't do that.

Instead, he followed the village road, stopping several times at corners to adjust the snake's body, making sure not to crush the farmland with the turns.

Ashu wasn't just standing by and watching. Having become a full-fledged mage, his ability to control Magical Essence and its potency had significantly increased. He followed behind, using remote control to lend a hand.

Kidopriest squinted his eyes, observing Ashu closely. In an instant, he saw through Ashu's advancement.

From an ordinary villager to a cultivator, and in just a few days, becoming a full-fledged mage.

Such speed was probably rare even across the entire world.

But based on his years of observation, Ashu had no special background other than an ordinary knight father. He didn't have spiritual perception, and in fact, he even had a stain on his record—he had never been generous to the Cultivator Guild, giving only the mandatory taxes and not a single drop more.

So, what exactly was the method that allowed an ordinary person without the gift of spiritual perception to become a mage so quickly?

If this method were to spread, it would surely drive the entire empire—no, the whole world—crazy.

After all, not all soldiers were cultivators. Most were common folk. But a method that could turn ordinary people into cultivators could turn every soldier into one. A military force composed entirely of cultivators would need only a single charge to wipe out the enemy.

Kidopriest glanced subtly at Anna.

Anna, with her spiritual perception at level twelve, immediately noticed and hurriedly pretended to look at Ashu.

"The witch truly is extraordinary. The Witch's Guild's foundation is even more terrifying than I thought," Kidopriest silently marveled.

With such a method, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the Witch's Guild could change the world.

"Lady Saint, it seems that Mr. Ashu has already advanced to become a full-fledged cultivator. Please inform him to report to the Cultivator Guild at his convenience. I will personally verify his status to avoid unnecessary paperwork," Kidopriest said, hoping to avoid raising Anna's suspicions by bringing it up first.

He had been in this line of work for many years, and if he had been staring at Ashu for this long without noticing Ashu's advancement, that would have been strange indeed.

Upon hearing this. 

Anna merely responded with a faint acknowledgment, saying nothing more.

Tomorrow, she would accompany Ashu into the city. Who came to greet them didn't matter. Throughout the entire Atras Empire, the Cultivator Guild treated witches as saints, and everyone they met had to show them deference.

"Then, I must go burn this abomination's corpse," Kidopriest said.

With that, he excused himself and quickly caught up to Kyle. The Cultivator Guild's stance was to burn all heretical creatures, and this alchemical giant serpent was certainly considered one of those heretical beings.

Kyle, the law enforcer, had dragged the giant snake near the mountain gorge, still in a barren area.

"Ha!" He clapped his hands. "This monster's no lightweight. Young man, thank you. If all the young folks at the city hall were as kind as you, this district would be living in peace and prosperity."

Kyle had clearly noticed Ashu's assistance with the remote control. After all, the weight on his shoulders wasn't a lie.

"This thing can't stay in front of my door forever," Ashu responded.

"Haha, that's a big mistake from Kido. He doesn't prioritize the safety of the district. Sooner or later, he's going to trip up. Here, it's coming. I won't say more; you understand."

Kyle said, before falling silent.

Kidopriest seemed to have heard but also acted as though he hadn't, merely giving Kyle a glance before gesturing to Ashu. "Mr. Ashu, please step back. I'm going to incinerate this abomination. Be careful not to get any of the alchemical waste on you."

"Ah, okay," Ashu responded.

Both Ashu and Kyle stepped back. Kidopriest silently took out a holy text from his chest. He opened the first page and immediately began to chant.

This wasn't an ordinary spell chant. Ashu kept track, and Kidopriest chanted for at least seventy-five seconds. Suddenly, the tone of his chant shifted, and he concluded the incantation.

"In the name of God!"

As Kidopriest spoke those words with authority, he swung his right hand forward, and instantly, a blazing fire erupted, engulfing the giant snake's corpse.

Though the giant snake had been dead for some time, it writhed once more as it was consumed by the flames.

Before long, the snake's oils began to sizzle and bubble, but unfortunately, it wasn't just the oil—what emerged more prominently were the alchemical toxins.