Chapter 34:Paladin(7/?)

Simon tried to calm his rapidly beating heart as he drove the carriage. Though his eyes ached from exhaustion, the tension in his mind kept him alert.

They were at least 500 meters away from the castle. As the carriage sped along, the heavy rain was gradually subsiding.

Simon anxiously thought about the future, his wife, his children...

He had risked everything, not knowing what lay ahead. As a former devout believer—one who had betrayed the Goddess—Simon felt extremely torn and fearful.

"Why did you save me?" Simon turned his head upon hearing Urien's voice. Frankly, he was still figuring out how to explain it. As he controlled the carriage, Simon replied, "Someone asked me to save you."

Urien raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "Who could that be?"

Simon averted his gaze. "You won't believe it, but it was a god. They offered me a deal in exchange for saving you."

Urien's eyebrows furrowed deeply. Had this man, Simon, made a deal with demons? Instinctively recalling the demonic cult that had kidnapped his sister and destroyed his village, Urien's eyes flashed with hatred.

Simon quickly shook his head, denying it. "No, no! I didn't make a deal with a demon!"

Seeing the suspicion in Urien's eyes, Simon panicked. "Why would a demon want to save you anyway?"

Urien's eyes widened in understanding for a moment—why indeed would a demon want to save him?

"What did you trade in the deal?" After a brief silence, Urien asked curiously. Simon's eyes narrowed with sorrow and regret. "I agreed in exchange for my wife's recovery."

"Even though you worship the Goddess of Light, why did you ask for help from another god?" Urien's question made Simon sigh. He focused on the road as he drove. "I was desperate; the offer seemed too tempting to refuse at the time."

He then looked at Urien. "No matter how much I searched for work in the capital or begged for help, it was all in vain. In the end, I took a job as a contracted mercenary in that cursed castle."

"Did you know they were trading slaves there?"

Simon shook his head, his eyes filled with disgust. "I didn't. They promised me 2 gold coins a month and good living conditions. That was a great deal for these times."

Urien frowned. "Did you not question what the castle was like?"

Simon scratched his head in shame. "The money they offered was too dazzling."

Simon then lifted his head and looked at Urien with sharp eyes. "Even so, I don't regret my decision. I'd make the same choice again."

For a moment, Urien was intrigued, and he looked at Simon with admiration. "I understand you. I'd sell my soul to a demon to save my sister."

Simon nodded. "Sometimes sacrificing ourselves for our loved ones is the most honorable thing we can do."

A moment of silence followed, which was broken by Urien.

"Why didn't you ask the priests in the capital for help?" Urien asked. Then, continuing, "Aren't they supposed to be charitable?"

Simon let out a dry laugh. Urien frowned. "What's so funny?"

Simon looked at Urien. "I don't know how they described the capital to you, but it's not the perfect place you imagine..."

"In the slums, the Goddess knows what happens at night. Corrupt priests, nobles exploiting the people, slave traders..."

Hearing the word "slave trader," Urien immediately thought of a man named Conrad. "Is the castle commander a slave trader?"

Simon nodded, a thin smile unintentionally appearing on his lips. "If I had been any later, I can't imagine what he would have done to you."

Urien felt his body shudder, his skin crawling. Simon continued, "While the Reformist Party and the Royalist Party constantly argue in the council, no decisions ever get made."

"Doesn't the King say anything?"

Simon's eyes narrowed in anger. "That pig is nothing but a decoration!"

"Why do you hate the King so much?" Urien asked curiously, wondering why the King was so disliked. "What kind of person is he?"

"A complete idiot, a puppet!" Simon said with contempt. "While people live in misery, he resides in a palace with a thousand rooms! How is that justice?"

Simon's eyes narrowed, and he clenched his fists. "While I work myself to death to save my wife, those in the palace live in luxury and splendor! If that's justice, damn such justice!"

Urien, moved by Simon's words, nodded.

Then there was a silence. Just as Simon was about to break the silence, a small black shadow suddenly passed in front of them, and Simon let out a girlish scream and released the reins of the horses.

The shadows emerging behind Simon grabbed the reins and calmed the frightened horses. Once the horses settled down again, the carriage sped up.

"What happened!?" Urien shouted in shock, looking at the crow sitting on Simon's head. "And what's with this crow!?"

Simon quickly calmed his racing heart, opened his eyes, and shouted in fear. "P-please, God, give a warning next time!"

Out of fear of angering the god, Simon almost whispered.

"{No.}"

Urien, not understanding whom Simon was talking to, asked curiously, "Who are you talking to?"

Simon raised his hand and pointed with his index finger at the crow. "With the god who saved you."

Urien's eyes widened. "Are you saying this crow is a god?"

"{Do you have a problem with crows?}"

Simon quickly interrupted Urien with concern. "Let's not dwell on it."

Taking the reins again, Simon resumed driving the carriage.

"Are you a demon?"

"{No, I am not.}"

Urien looked at the crow curiously. He didn't know why this crow had protected him, but for now, he didn't bother to think about it.

"Let's get out of here," Simon's eyes turned serious, a small worry settling in them. "The New Camelot regional command might already be searching for us."

"The New Camelot regional command?" Urien, being a young man from the countryside, didn't know much about it. Simon nodded. "In short, it's a military organization that commands the three garrison forts surrounding the capital, and answers only to the Royal Family and the Chief of General Staff."

Urien's eyes lit up with understanding. "Sounds dangerous."

Simon nodded anxiously. "If they take us seriously, things will get even more difficult. We'll not only have to deal with the General Staff but also the Wizard Tower."

"This sounds bad," Urien said. "We better hurry up."

"Easier said than done. The horses don't have infinite stamina; we need to rest," Simon said calmly. "They can last at most six hours."

They would already be taking breaks every 10 minutes, but even then, the horses could only go on for six hours at most. This was Simon's concern.

After the six-hour journey, Simon yawned with joy when he saw the rising sun in the sky and steered the horses to a pasture.

Looking at Urien, who was sleeping beside him, Simon shook him to wake him up. "Wake up, kid, we're here."

"Huh?" Urien raised himself and yawned, his eyes squinting tiredly. The sunlight irritated his eyes as the horses began grazing.

Seth got up from Simon's head and flew off, then observed the surroundings for a while. Everything seemed calm until he sensed the presence of two people.

Meanwhile, Simon lay down on the ground, closed his eyes, and wanted to rest. "I'm going to take a nap. Do whatever you want, Child."

Urien sat down on the ground, feeling stiff. As he thought about what to do, he was surprised by Seth suddenly flying in the sky. "Where is he going?"

Simon opened his eyes and watched Seth. "I don't know and I don't care. I just want to sleep."

Although Urien was curious about where Seth was flying, he restrained himself. He then lay back and enjoyed the tranquility.

As Seth flew quickly, he soon delved into the depths of the forest. The first thing he saw was a group of twenty people lying on the ground, looking exhausted.

"Their food is nearly depleted, and their water is almost gone," Seth observed the group, noting that they all looked filthy as if they had come from a grueling battle. "How did they make it this far and manage to endure?"

Seth descended rapidly to get a better look.

"A crow?" A woman with long yellow hair tied in a ponytail asked sharply despite her exhaustion. The red-haired, red-bearded man next to her opened his eyes and looked at the sky. "Can it provide enough food for 2-3 people?"

The yellow-haired woman gave a harsh look. "Not every creature is edible, fool."

Despite his exhaustion, the red-haired man managed to smile. The others were either sleeping. The yellow-haired woman then prepared a motion arrow and aimed it at the crow.

Seth stopped and looked at the woman with some confusion. Why did she want to shoot him with an arrow?

The woman took aim. "Even if it's not tasty, if the meat is cleaned well enough, it can help us survive."

Instead of fleeing, Seth stayed put. When the yellow-haired woman shot, he created a shadow that slightly bent the arrow, directing it elsewhere.

The woman looked at her bow in astonishment. "Did I miss?"

The red-haired man also looked surprised. He laughed and mocked her. "Emily, it seems even you can fail, grahhahaha!"

Frustrated, the woman nocked another arrow and prepared again, taking aim. She shot once more.

The arrow again strangely missed the crow, passing by. This time, both the woman and the man became serious instead of joking.

The red-haired man looked at the woman named Emily and said seriously, "Could this crow... be a magical creature?"

Emily shook her head, then looked at Seth with more seriousness and a hint of hope. If they could hunt this crow, everyone else would be able to live comfortably.

Emily rushed forward. "George! Follow me!"

As Emily excitedly grabbed her arrows, she didn't hesitate to wake the others. George took his sword and followed her, while Seth calmly observed them.

"I wonder how much stronger the God aura has become..."

Seth used this opportunity to test how much his God's aura ability had improved. As soon as he activated it, out of the twenty people around them, all who were hungry or weak trembled and collapsed to the ground with a groan, leaving Emily looking around in confusion.

"What happened?!"

"This Crow isn't simple!" George grew serious, his body trembling momentarily as he suppressed the strange thoughts growing within him. Then, he drew his sword.

"George! Emily! What's going on?" An old man said tiredly. He appeared to be in his 80s, with sunken eyes from exhaustion and holding a staff in his hand.

Although Emily remained on alert, George greeted the old man. "Grandfather Frank, something strange is going on..."

The old man named Frank squinted for a moment, then looked at the red-eyed crow still hovering in the air.

"Fools! What do you think you're doing!"

Emily and George lowered their heads in surprise, mixed with a little curiosity, not understanding why Frank was angry. Emily asked timidly, "What is it, Grandfather? Why are you scolding us? If we hunt this crow, we could get rich and secure our future."

Frank raised his staff and struck it against the ground. Many people flinched, clutching their parents. Without even glancing at Emily, Frank walked forward, heading toward Seth.

He trembled and, to everyone's shock, bowed, not daring to even look at the Crow. Not only the others but Seth was also surprised.

"Great God, I will sacrifice my life so that you may overlook the foolishness of these idiots! Please, have mercy!"

The old man fell to his knees and lowered his head to the ground.

"Chief, what are you doing?! Have you lost your mind?"

As the villagers slowly gathered, Emily said anxiously, "Have you finally lost it!? Why are you bowing to a Crow?!"

The old man Frank, who appeared to be the chief, lifted his head. His green eyes, though old, still radiated a supernatural glow, turned to the yellow-haired woman. His eyes were serious. "A Druid's eyes see the presence of the Gods. Emily, submit before it's too late!"

George looked at Seth with seriousness. Grandfather Frank was nearly 280 years old as a Druid. His eyes, like every Druid, could see the divine presence. These were special abilities granted to Druids and shamans.

Emily swallowed hard; she had angered a God. Chief Frank turned his back and looked at the still-shocked people. "What are you waiting for!? Beg for forgiveness!"

As the people slowly knelt, Seth still didn't fully understand what was happening. Emily and George knelt, not wanting to anger the Chief further.

A silence ensued, and not wanting to prolong this strange situation any further, Seth decided to speak to the Druid. "{Raise your heads}"

Chief Frank shivered and slowly lifted his head; others also stood up without waiting any longer. George was the first to speak. "What will happen now?"

George fell silent immediately under Frank's stern gaze, thinking he would be beaten if he spoke more.

"{Druid, why are you in such a desolate place?}"

Frank's expression turned desperate. After waiting for a while, he continued. "We were simple villagers living in the lands of the Orkney Duchy. Our village was a small one in the Gloomreach Forest."

"Though it was hard, we made a living from hunting, fishing, medicinal herbs, and medicine, until the Inquisition Judges from the Church arrived."

The villagers, upon hearing the judges' names, almost trembled with fear, while Old Frank continued with a harsh and angry voice. "They said that everyone collecting medicinal herbs should be arrested, that healing was only for the Church and the Goddess..."

Seth's brows furrowed in curiosity. "{This is very ignorant... Yet it still doesn't explain why you ended up here.}"

Old Frank sighed, then continued. "The Church and the Pope recently wanted to pass a bill from the Nobles' Council that would officially institutionalize witch hunts, take away the profession of healers, and ensure the Church's monopoly in the medical sector."

Seth's eyes lit up with understanding. The Nobles' Council was already almost bending under the Church's power. Even though Reformers were very strong within the People's Council, they were nearly sidelined because the Nobles' Council had to approve.

Without influential names like Duke Alfred of Thornvile, the Queen, or Countess Seraphina in the Nobles' Council, the Church would have already controlled the Kingdom.

Frank continued. "Even though the bill was vetoed each time by Duke Thornvile or the Queen, the Church did not rest."

"{So how does this affect you?}" Upon Seth's question, Frank shook his head, his eyes filled with pain. "The Church's loss in the council did not mean it had lost in the countryside...

People dealing with healing and medicine were secretly targeted; the funny thing was: You all are dealing with witchcraft! That's why you're guilty! That's how it is." As Frank spoke with hatred, Emily clenched her fist, and many others in the back were very tired and filled with hatred from their experiences.

After taking a moment to breathe, Frank continued. "Until we stood up against them to seek justice, but we couldn't, my daughter and son-in-law, while stalling them with our hunters, we had to escape..."

After Frank finished, some people nearly started crying. In their village, the number of hunters was more than 30; their healers were killed, their village was looted, and worst of all, they had to endure hardship for two weeks, walking non-stop.

Water sources and food supplies were running out, and someone could die at any moment. Their only hope was to take refuge in Duke Alfred's lands, known for his mercy and generosity.

Seth sighed, examining each of them thoughtfully. Some had torn shoes; at best, they would suffer from hunger, and at worst, they might be caught by slave traders.

They were probably also being hunted as heretics by the Church.

"{I will not commit any wrongful acts against you. Do not worry. I hope you find the right place and live a safe life...}" As Seth was about to leave without further delay, Old Frank suddenly stepped forward and bowed. "One moment, Almighty God! I ask you to hear my final words!"

Seth turned his crow wings and floated back to Frank. "{What do you want?}"

Frank looked at his grandchildren and the villagers for a while, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, his eyes shone with seriousness. "Please, Omnipotent One... Allow us to be your faithful followers. Create a sanctuary for us, I swear I will dedicate my soul to you!"

Finally, Frank knelt down again, his staff left on the ground this time, praying earnestly. George's eyes narrowed with sadness. "Grandfather..."

"Grandfather! Is it right to worship an unknown God?" Emily asked anxiously, but Frank did not answer and kept his head down. He looked very tired from old age.

Seth's eyes widened with surprise and helplessness as he examined the old man. There was already something he needed to do; how could he look after more villagers?

{Would you like to convert Druid Frank, George, Emily, and the other 17 people into Followers?}

Seth's eyes sparkled as he saw this notification. Curiosity suddenly tore through him, and he said yes.

{Congratulations on acquiring your first Followers!

You can now create your own cult, Sect, and Town!

You will gain Miracle Points from each sacrifice ceremony, ritual, and belief. Miracle Points have been unlocked.

Dimensional Sanctuary has evolved and ascended to Divine God Domain.

Divinity development has been unlocked.

Owned Divinities (Darkness, Lightning, Illusion.)

Darkness Divinity (%2)??

Lightning Divinity (%5)

Illusion Divinity (%5)

The more faith there is, the greater the divinity gain.

Note: Divinity is not harmed or reduced if Followers die.

Divine God Domain - The personal dimension of each God, where the God is almost omnipotent, and the stronger the God's Divinity, the more powerful the special dimension of the Gods.

Followers - 17 humans, 2 half-Druids, 1 old Druid Frank

Fanatical Followers - Morrigan, Thomas.

Miracle Points (0/1000).}

Seth's eyes sparkled as he saw the newly unlocked abilities. It was very interesting, especially the Divine God Domain.

"I accept your faith. From now on, you are under my protection..."

As Seth's voice echoed in the villagers' minds, they all knelt and began to chant divine praises.

Instinctively, they felt Seth's divinity and spoke in unison.

"God of Darkness, Lightning, and Illusions, Omnipotent One, guide us, exalt us in your shadow..."