Chapter 14: The Saint of Purification Part 2

– Pheww….

I gently blew on my palm. As I used [Breath of the Forest], I could feel the goddess of forest and earth Lynshaka lending me her strength. My breath transformed into a gentle breeze, embracing the forest, and it swept up the seeds from my palm, scattering them around.

"The enemy is drawing near. Everyone, get ready!"

A paladin wielding a Morningstar shouted. The ritual was about to begin. The priests continued their chant-like prayers, and as they did, the Pillar of Purification emitted an even stronger light.

It was this very light that was attracting all the undead from the cursed lands. Even I, who was participating in the ritual for the first time, could sense that time was running short. The wailing of the approaching monsters and the trembling of the earth were clear indicators.

Kneeling down on one knee, I placed my palm on the ground and used [Blessing of the Forest].

Under normal circumstances, nothing could grow in this cursed land.

But with [Blessing of the Forest], the story changes.

The skills [Blessing of the Forest] and [Curse of the Forest], which one could learn only after reaching level 22, were the reason I could volunteer for this ritual of purification.

Among them, [Blessing of the Forest] was a skill that could cultivate "purifying plants", which were plants endowed with the natural power of purification.

The plants grown through [Blessing of the Forest] were capable of thriving even in the cursed lands due to their inherent purifying power, making them particularly effective against the undead.

-Swooosh…

Despite the urgency of the situation, I felt the gazes of others questioning my actions, but all I could see was the magic from my hand reaching out to each seed.

And then.

-Pop!

-Pooom!

The seeds that tasted my magic began to sprout at an insane speed. I had deliberately chosen vine plants for their rapid growth. The unusually thick and tough vines started to grow around the Pillar of Purification, entwining it. The thorny vines I had scattered far and wide grew like traps around the area where the ritual was being conducted.

Anyone trying to break through these thorny bushes would likely lose a limb or two, especially the zombies.

Thanks to my skill, the plants grew several times thicker and tougher than normal. Some had even grown as thick as an adult's forearm, which said it all.

"Wh-what is this…!"

The paladins, seeing the grown vines, uttered sighs of disbelief and confusion. It made sense they were flustered; such a phenomenon was a first for them. I smiled leisurely and waved at them.

"Don't worry. These are my personal creations."

"What? How dare you do this on your own…!"

Just as a paladin was about to scold me, a zombie burst through the dense thicket of thorns.

Well, it tried to.

-Kieeeek!!!!

The zombie that trying to break through the wall of thorns lost half of its limbs in the process and was no longer in one piece. Being a zombie, it wasn't exactly intact to begin with, but now, with arms, legs, and half its face torn off by the thorns, it collapsed onto the ground and was unable to even stand.

-Thud!

After I plunged a dagger into the head of the zombie sprawled on the ground, effectively killing it, I turned my gaze to the paladin who had been about to scold me.

"As you can see, that's what it's for."

"...!"

"I hope you won't mind me growing them as I please now, right?"

The paladin, his face turning a mix of red and blue, was at a loss for words. I could hear soft sounds of astonishment around us (mostly from those who appeared to be novice paladins).

"That's impressive."

"If this continues, everyone might return safely from this purification ritual…"

I spoke to the paladins.

"Just to let you know, the thornbush is not perfect. Some might get trapped or die inside it, but…"

-Thunk.

-Kiiiiii!!

-Thump! Plop!

-Grrrraaaah!!!

-Crack! Thud!

Slowly, the sounds of the undead horde breaking through the thornbush began to emerge.

"There will definitely be some who manage to make it through the bushes safely."

Sure enough, right on cue, a creature managed to break through the thornbush and poked its head out.

I drew the dagger from my waistband and said,

"As for those who do, sir paladins, please crush their heads."

-Whoosh!

Upon driving the dagger into the ghastly, bald head of the zombie, it convulsed momentarily before going limp. The paladins grew as silent as zombies themselves. Occasionally, I could hear the sound of someone swallowing nervously.

"Then, I'll leave it in your capable hands."

Hearing my words, the paladins exchanged glances.

Honestly, this was an easy task. It was like playing a whack-a-mole game, but with the undead that had limbs falling off, just needing their heads smashed. Since zombies don't dodge, it's even easier than the actual game.

A piece of cake.

"Wooooooo!!!!!"

The paladins seemed to share the sentiment, as their vigorous cheers filled the air, accompanied by the sound of their morningstars crushing the heads of the zombies.

-Thump!

-Crack!

-Crunch!

Even the undead that barely made it through the thornbush had their heads shattered by the fearsome morningstars of the paladins.

-Gaaaah!

-Geeeeh…

Ah, that was a pleasing sound. Very pleasing indeed.

I ran around lightly, using the sounds of zombie heads being crushed and skeletons' bones breaking as background music, and occasionally put arrows into the heads of those that came out of the bushes.

Even if the thornbushes were to be overrun by the undead horde, the Pillar of Purification was safely enveloped by the forest's blessed plants, so there was no cause for worry.

-Wooo…!

…That's what I thought when suddenly the ground trembled as if an earthquake had struck.

I was caught off guard by this unexpected development and was about to panic…

…When the book in my arms began to vibrate slightly. I quickly opened it.

[The Goddess of Luck, Liadel, bestows a small blessing upon you!]

[Achievement Unlocked: Discovery of Mithril Ore]

Achievement unlocked?

Discovery of Mithril Ore?

"….…!"

Instantly, the words "Iron Mine" flashed through my mind.

Though it was now known as the cursed land and a place of death, this place was once the prosperous kingdom of Aurora.

Between Aurora and the Dwarven country of Ergin lay the Silver Mountains, within which was located the Iron Mine.

In the Iron Mine lay the famous "Mithril ore".

It was commonly believed that Mithril could only be obtained from Ergin, but to be precise, Mithril was not a mineral exclusive to Ergin.

Once, both Ergin and Aurora jointly managed the Iron Mines.

What I had discovered was the long-forgotten Mithril ore of Aurora's territory.

I'm pretty sure we're in the middle of nowhere, near the edge of the Silver Mountains. I must remember these coordinates.

I forced myself to calm the excitement rising in my heart.

[The Purification Tree absorbs the magic of the Mithril ore.]

At the same time, the light emanating from the Pillar of Purification grew even stronger.

Mithril was a pure mineral born with the creation of this world.

Therefore, it wasn't strange that its power resonated with the branch of the World Tree.

Though I was neither a priest nor a paladin, I could feel the divine power radiating from the Pillar of Purification was immensely strong.

[The domain of purification expands.]

[Life returns to the cursed lands.]

[Quest: Great Success of the Purification Ritual!]

– Gugugugugugu

With a rumble, blue divine power surged from the Pillar of Purification toward the cursed lands. The land that was previously blackened and emitting only poison began to crack and revert to its original form. And perhaps thanks to the purification plants nurtured by the [Blessing of the Forest], sprouts emerged incessantly from the ground, and springs appeared here and there.

"My goodness…"

"To think such a thing could happen…"

"The druids are said to be children of the goddess Lynshaka; could that really be true?"

The priests and paladins were each looking at the scene with mesmerized faces.

It must have been a sight they had never seen before.

Even after completing the purification ritual in the cursed lands, life had never returned this quickly.

Not to mention, it wasn't just a small village-sized area, but almost a city-sized piece of land that was being purified.

The light emanating from the Pillar of Purification showed no signs of diminishing and was spreading far and wide.

This isn't just a matter of luck.

Could it almost be a major blessing?

I quickly clasped my hands and offered a prayer of gratitude to the Goddess of Luck, Liadel.

The gods were more narrow-minded than one might think, so immediate responses were necessary.

Thanks to my relentless reading of <Greek and Roman Mythology> in elementary school, I knew this well.

When I return, I should also make an offering at the temple of Liadel.

-Beeep!

As soon as I finished my prayer as if to show off, a small bird flew from somewhere and perched on my shoulder.

Literally, "life" had returned.

The people who had been looking around as if spellbound soon looked at me with faces colored with awe.

[Achievement Unlocked: Respected One]

[Additional Effect: Gain Favor (Small) from Neutral Factions]

…I gained achievements that I had never expected.

"Lynshaka's child has purified the cursed lands!"

"The goddess of forest and earth is with us!!"

"Noble one, please tell us your name!"

…what's the point of asking for my name now?

However, not wanting to dampen the spirits of the overly excited paladins, I decided to reveal my name.

"My name is Theodore."

"Theodore!"

"Theodore!"

"Theodore!"

The paladins chanted my name in a booming chorus.

I wasn't sure whether to consider it arrogance or something else, but seeing these normally stern-faced paladins excitedly shouting my name was a bit…

…creepy.

I smiled awkwardly and calmed down the shouting paladins. Watching a group of burly men enthusiastically call out my name was not as pleasant as one might think.

Well, I understood their feelings.

They must be overjoyed.

The purification ritual which was often referred to as a "ritual of death" due to its high death rate and low success chances, was notoriously challenging.

"If only you had been there in the last ritual…!"

"Let's not dwell on the past. Let us be thankful to the gods that a noble druid is with us now."

"Goddess Lynshaka of the forest and earth, we are grateful for sending your child to us."

"With you here, the next ritual will surely be a success!"

"Please, stay with us, noble druid!"

"Why not become a paladin yourself?"

The success of this ritual, in which no one perished, held significant meaning for them.

It was only natural then that these arrogant paladins elevated my name, embracing me, this person of unknown origin with cries of joy.

…. I wonder if I should mingle just enough.

After all, I had to perform several more purification rituals to obtain <it >, so mingling with the paladins wouldn't be a bad idea.

"I will help as much as I can."

"Woahhhh!!!!"

Even though I said nothing special, I could feel a tremendous boost in their morale.

I was only acting for my own purposes, yet their enthusiasm made me feel somewhat awkward.

Well, still, what's good is good.

"Let's request the High Priest to arrange a feast!"

"If it's someone blessed by Lynshaka, the High Priest will surely welcome them!"

Unlike the nobles who held feasts on a whim, the temple only did so on very special occasions. A feast that was considered more special than those of the nobles, and they were willing to hold it for me?

-Gurgle.

"…Let's head back right away."

Shall I eat first and then think about it?