Chapter 35:Paladin(8/?)

"Does this mean we're not only dealing with Urien, but also with 20 hungry and thirsty people?"

"Don't be rude, Simon. We can't just leave them here." Urien glanced sideways at the villagers loading their belongings onto the cart. Some were hopeful, though there were still a few with despair in their eyes.

Especially the woman named Emily, who was probably still in shock and anger. After all, when they all discovered Seth's true identity, they had experienced a moment of shock and horror.

They had, after all, met the greatest enemy of the Goddess, and it was only natural for them to be skeptical and pessimistic.

Simon's eyes anxiously turned toward the cart. "With this load, the horses will tire more quickly, and that means an increased chance of being caught."

Urien's eyes saddened as he observed the villagers. "These are people whose homes have been destroyed, who have lost their families. We must show mercy."

"Mercy won't help us survive!" Simon's voice unintentionally rose, drawing the attention of a few people. He turned his head and looked away.

"Besides, we have no choice. Don't you think the God has already promised them shelter?" Simon nodded reluctantly at Urien's words. As much as he hated to admit it, they were surviving thanks to Seth for now.

"Fine." Simon sighed, then looked at the villagers for a moment before turning back to Urien. "You're right, I was too harsh."

A gentle smile formed on Urien's face. "I understand, after all, you have a family waiting for you."

For a moment, longing filled Simon's eyes. He had missed his family, his children, lately. Urien, offering comfort, patted Simon on the back. "It won't take long. I hope you'll be reunited with your family soon."

Simon appreciated Urien's words, then stood up and once again glanced at the villagers who were still preparing. "It's going to be a long day."

Urien smiled and nodded. "But the most surprising thing is that 'he' is the God of Darkness."

Simon raised his eyebrows with curiosity. "Why?"

"Simple," Urien continued. "We've always been told about the Goddess's power and mercy, but the funny thing is, it wasn't the Goddess who helped us—it was the God of Evil, the one they say is her enemy."

"Is 'God of Evil' the new term now?" Simon asked with amusement. Urien laughed at that. "Yes, in our village, the priest always referred to the God of Darkness as the evil god when he explained the sacred scriptures."

"He was an ignorant man, but a good one," Urien said nostalgically, his eyes drifting off as if recalling old memories. "Every morning, he would tell us stories; those were good days."

Simon found himself curious about Urien's life. Though hesitant, curiosity won out. "What happened to your village?"

Urien's eyes narrowed with anger at the question. He looked at Simon, filled with natural sorrow. "It was destroyed by a cult."

Simon's eyes gleamed with understanding, and he gently patted Urien's shoulder. "If you don't feel like talking about it, you don't have to. No need to upset yourself."

"It's fine," Urien shook his head, refusing. He didn't want to be weak-willed like before. "I'm okay, no worries."

Urien took a breath and began to explain. "I lived with my mother and my sister, who was two years older than me. My father had passed away, but we were living happily."

"And then?" Simon asked.

"A Demonic Cult completely wiped out our village. Most of the girls were kidnapped, and the men were killed. Our belongings were burned, and they slaughtered everyone—babies, children, no one was spared."

Simon's eyes narrowed in pain. It was tragic that Urien had to endure such things at such a young age. "Don't worry, my sister is resting in peace in heaven."

Urien sighed sadly, then shook his head, unwilling to continue further. "Forget it, there's no point in thinking about it anymore."

Simon agreed, deciding to leave it at that and went to help the villagers.

After two hours of assisting, they set up the tents and distributed food to everyone. Simon felt lucky that they had managed to sneak out more food and water when escaping the castle.

As everyone ate, nearly crying, the children filled their bellies. Simon's attention was drawn to a white-haired, hazel-eyed girl who wasn't eating.

Taking a bowl of soup, Simon approached the little girl, and seeing her reminded him of his own daughters. As a father, he wanted to help.

"Why aren't you eating?" Simon crouched down and gently offered her the soup, putting on the kindest expression he could manage.

"Huh?" The white-haired girl was startled, then nervously backed away and ran to Grandfather Frank's side.

Simon, confused by what had just happened, didn't understand why the little girl had run off. Touching his face, Simon wondered if he looked frightening.

"What's wrong, Freya? Why are you scared?" Frank stopped what he was doing, gently stroking the white-haired girl's head as he asked kindly. "What frightened you?"

The girl named Freya rested her head against Frank's arm. "Grandfather, I was just startled. Don't worry..."

Frank's eyes softened. He patted Freya's hair gently, then looked at Simon. "Don't take it personally, young man. She doesn't eat. She's a bit timid. Don't hold it against her."

Simon's eyes widened in surprise for a moment. "Why? Why doesn't she eat?"

Frank sighed before explaining, "Freya isn't human. She's a homunculus."

Simon, puzzled by the term 'homunculus,' asked, "What's a homunculus?"

"In short, an artificial human created through alchemy," Frank said gently as he stroked Freya's hair. Simon's eyes widened in horror as he grasped the meaning. "Isn't... isn't that something that defies the Gods?!"

Simon's astonishment was understandable; in the sacred texts of the Goddess of Light, attempting to create a human is one of the greatest sins. According to the sacred texts, creating a human is an act reserved solely for the Goddess of Light.

Even thinking about creating an artificial human is despised and cursed by the Goddess. That was why Simon was so afraid of it.

"Do you know George?" Frank turned his eyes and looked at George, who was eating and excitedly talking to Emily. Then he continued, "George's older brother, Isaac, was the creator of Freya."

Simon grew curious and wanted to learn more. After all, it wasn't every day you could hear about such incredible alchemists. "What happened to Isaac?"

Sadness appeared in Frank's eyes, and he lowered his gaze to the ground. "He went to the capital. He lived there with his son, Ren. He always told us he wanted to spark a revolution in the capital, to put an end to people's ignorance."

For a moment, Simon's eyes lit up with understanding. The man named Isaac seemed very intelligent and idealistic. Frank took a breath for a second and continued, "Then four years passed, and we haven't heard from him for two years. We couldn't go to the capital either since we didn't have enough money."

Freya hugged Frank. "Are you okay, grandpa?"

Frank laughed and patted Freya's head. "I'm fine. You go on now and play with Emily and George."

Freya nodded and quickly ran over to join George and Emily.

After Freya left, Frank continued to smooth out the wooden idol in his hand with a knife. Simon curiously watched what Frank was doing. "What are you making?"

Frank looked up, giving Simon a look as if he were staring at a fool. "I'm making an idol for a god. A raven."

Raising the idol shaped like a crow, Frank gazed at it respectfully. "If we worship a god, we honor the idol that reminds us of their presence, and we perform sacred rituals, daily prayer activities, ceremonies, and worship."

Simon nodded respectfully. "Even though it's only been a day, you seem like a devout man."

Frank chuckled. "To be honest, at first, the idea of worshipping the God of Darkness sounded unbelievable, but still, if it's for my family, for my friends, I'm willing to take the risk."

After his last sentence, Frank's eyes slowly scanned the villagers who were gradually coming back to life. He loved them all, feeling like a grandfather with many grandchildren.

An involuntary small smile settled on Simon's lips. It was a comforting feeling to see the existence of good people.

"If you have nothing else to say, don't waste my time and leave." Frank said rudely, then dismissed Simon.

Simon nodded and left.

After everyone had eaten their fill in a short time, they set out. Their goal was to get as far away as possible, at least to stay as far from the Capital as they could.

Two days later, after covering a long distance, Old Frank arrived at Gwyndor, a place that could be considered safe. It was the refuge of a powerful Lich known as the "Lord of the Dead" in the Age of the Gods.

According to Frank, this place had been desolate and neglected for centuries. Compared to the fertile lands of the Holy Mary Kingdom, Gwyndor was known as a desolate, unsuitable for agriculture, poorly maintained, and cursed place.

The journey would take at least three weeks. During this time, the situation would hopefully calm down, and they would be able to acquire new horses and food along the way.

Since the peasants' belongings had already filled the cart, only Simon and Frank were at the cart's head. While the children were on the men's shoulders, Urien was chatting with the others.

"Are you sure this place is safe?"

Frank shook his head. "No."

A trace of concern flashed in Simon's eyes. "Then why are we going there?"

Frank turned his head, his eyes showing a stern look. "Because it's our only chance. There's no other safe place."

Simon had to accept it, even though he didn't want to. Frank turned back to the road and calmly said, "If you get tired, let me know, and I'll drive the cart."

Simon nodded and continued on, while the cart moved slowly forward.

******

Meanwhile, Jack had cancelled his avatar and was leaning tiredly against his chair. Still, his eyes were constantly on the new tabs opening on the screen.

After entering the Divine God Domain, what greeted Jack was nothing but darkness. Although it was somewhat disappointing for Jack, the only unique thing was the ominous black sphere glowing in the midst of the darkness.

The black sphere shimmered with red and purple lights, occasionally crackling with blue lightning around it. This black sphere was Jack's divine essence in the game.

"It looks beautiful, but it seems a bit small."

Despite being the only thing in the infinite darkness, it still appeared small. Probably, as Jack's power grew, the sphere would change and evolve within the Domain.

Additionally, there was now a divine perspective. He could observe a 200-meter radius around the believers' location. Wherever the believers were, Jack could find them and interact with the surroundings.

"What if the Light Goddess can only observe the world with her believers, just like me?" Jack's eyes grew serious as he sat up straight in his chair and pondered.

"It would be best if I avoid drawing attention from the church members for a while."

Jack took out his notebook and started jotting down notes. "It's time to get serious. I need to establish a church similar to the Light Church as soon as possible."

Jack's eyes narrowed as he thought about the Hades Sect. Only Thomas among them was a true believer in the God of Darkness. The others had only false beliefs.

As Jack considered future problems, he felt a headache coming on. He rubbed his head and thought about the other matter.

He had already chosen Morrigan as the spiritual leader of the church; what remained were positions like Paladin and High Priest.

"Frank would be a suitable candidate for High Priest. As for Paladin..."

Thomas was the first to come to Jack's mind, but he quickly dismissed him. Although Thomas was strong, his personality did not suit that of a Paladin.

The other option was Urien. He was kind and generous but too young and had not yet awakened his full potential to be a Paladin.

"That leaves Simon as the last option."

With his decision made, Jack took notes and refocused on the screen. "Then the decision is made."