The perspective shifts to Cipher and her group. As they made their way to the Adventurer's Guild, they rounded a corner and suddenly found the street completely deserted. Everyone was gathered on both sides of the road, as if waiting for something.
Though unsure what was happening, the group followed the crowd instinct and joined the onlookers. Soon, a procession came into view at the far end of the street: a group of figures dressed in crimson robes, wearing rectangular hats, and sporting bizarre facial makeup. Their flamboyant attire stood out vividly.
The figures marched in perfect unison, heads bowed and hands clasped in prayer, advancing step by step and gradually passing before Cipher and her companions.
When Cipher first saw the group, her immediate thought was, "A circus troupe?" But then, as if hearing something, the cat ears atop her head twitched twice.
Curiosity piqued, Aria asked, "What are they doing?"
Feidric whispered, "They're Artemis Priests. Today must be the annual Artemis Festival. This is just one part of the ceremony."
The All Nations Alliance doesn't restrict faith, as long as you worship one of the Twelve True Gods. This is Silver Moon City, after all, Artemis's territory—isn't it perfectly logical?
Douglas turned to Feidric in astonishment. "Holy crap, you even know that?"
Feidric shot Douglas a helpless glance, remaining silent. In truth, he hadn't known this just minutes ago. While Cipher and the others were focused on the red-robed priests, craning their necks to observe them, Feidric had quietly asked a nearby passerby.
Cipher's cat ears had twitched slightly—she'd overheard the conversation.
Feidric was undeniably clever and well-informed. But even with his extensive reading, would he really bother memorizing the details of a niche festival celebrated on a specific day in some obscure city?
Feidric continued explaining, "Looks like we're in luck. Since it's the festival today, everything in the city is discounted by about 20-30%. Plus, it's going to be really lively tonight. We should wander around and have some fun."
Cipher frowned slightly. She knew that Artemis, the Moon Goddess, had been corrupted long ago. Considering that Artemis had remained one of the Twelve True Gods for so long despite her corruption, and that so many priests still served her, wasn't that a truly terrifying thought?
After the procession of red-robed priests passed by the four and left the street, the neatly lined-up commoners dispersed, returning to their usual activities.
Cipher and her companions continued onward, soon arriving at the city's Adventurer's Guild. Before they could even enter, they witnessed a disheveled man being tossed out by the collar.
As he crashed to the ground, he roared, "This is unfair! I just want to post an adventurer's quest. Aren't you the Adventurer's Guild? Why won't you let me post it?!"
The guild member merely snarled, "Don't let me see your face around here again, or I'll break your legs next time!"
"Damn it!"
Muttering under his breath, the disheveled man slapped his backside as he scrambled to his feet. Turning around, he spotted Cipher and her companions, who had witnessed the entire scene. His eyes lit up, and he strode forward, asking, "Are you adventurers? Interested in taking on a quest?"
As he took a step closer, Cipher instinctively recoiled. The man reeked of someone who hadn't bathed in months, emitting a pungent odor akin to cured salted fish that made her eyes water.
Feidric frowned. "What kind of quest?"
"Stop the Artemis Festival!" the man declared. "If the ceremony proceeds as planned, I guarantee nothing good will come of it!"
No wonder the Adventurer's Guild had kicked him out. Though the guild itself was a neutral organization with no inherent political stance, in this city, its staff and most of its adventurers held strong convictions.
In this city devoted to the moon goddess Artemis, just as everyone eagerly awaited the start of the Artemis Festival, a disheveled man suddenly appeared to post a quest: to stop the Artemis Festival. The fact that this scruffy man hadn't been beaten to a pulp was a testament to the Adventurer's Guild's high standards of conduct.
Yet the man persisted, "This city is called Silver Moon City, but the moon is red! Doesn't that strike you as odd?"
"I've done my research. This city dates back three centuries and has always been called Silver Moon City—never changed. If the moon had always been red, why isn't it named Red Moon City instead?"
"Perhaps something went wrong with Artemis, turning the moon red. My gut tells me those Artemis Priests are likely up to no good! The Artemis Festival probably isn't anything good either!"
After hearing the man's words, Feidric's brow furrowed even deeper. At first glance, the man's argument seemed reasonable, but it lacked any logical basis. What did the city's name have to do with the moon's color? People could call their city whatever they pleased, couldn't they?
Even setting aside the absurd name thing, the quest itself was utterly ludicrous. Were they, four adventurers, supposed to confront an entire city?
To stop an annual festival?
This has to be a joke, right?
Douglas pinched his nose and shoved the man aside, barking, "What nonsense are you spouting? Move along, move along! Don't block our path!"
"Tch!" The disheveled man clicked his tongue, glancing up at Douglas's imposing figure before quickly stepping aside. The four adventurers passed him in single file, entering the Adventurer's Guild.
Cipher, however, remained deep in thought. Though the man's claims sounded outlandish—the kind of thing no sane person would believe—something told her they were likely true. There was something off about this Artemis Festival, or rather, the very fact that the Artemis faith still existed was the biggest problem of all!
Turning to Feidric, she asked, "So, what exactly do Artemis Priests do?"
Just as Life Priests heal the sick and injured, and Death Priests guide the undead and maintain the balance between life and death, what was the purpose of an Artemis Priest?
Or what do these guys even do on a normal day?
Feidric pondered for a moment before replying, "Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. Artemis Priests are quite rare—Artemis likely has the fewest priests among the True Gods, aside from the Death God. They're shrouded in mystery and rarely seen. We're only seeing so many today because this city reveres Artemis, and it's the Artemis Festival."
While they were talking, Aria had already checked them into two rooms at the Adventurer's Guild for three days. After a month-long journey from Chaos City to reach their first major city, they naturally wanted to indulge in some serious shopping and relaxation.
Plus, since Aria's weapon had been accidentally broken during a battle in Chaos City, she needed to buy a new one as soon as possible.
Time flew by, and evening arrived quickly. Aria spent the entire afternoon searching, but even after the blacksmith shops closed for the day, she hadn't found a weapon she liked. In the end, they decided to attend the Artemis Festival that night and deal with the weapon issue tomorrow.
The heart of Silver Moon City had long been transformed into a bustling night market, its streets lined with countless food stalls. Nearly seventy percent of the common folk wore predominantly red attire, making Cipher and her companions stand out conspicuously.
However, the locals merely glanced at them before quickly looking away—foreigners were hardly a novelty.
Aria held a meat skewer in her left hand and a treat resembling a candied apple in her right, happily alternating bites. "This is delicious! And this is so good too!"
Cipher bought a grilled fish, took a bite, and found the taste quite satisfying. Perhaps because she was a Cat, she noticed her tongue was exceptionally nimble while eating the fish, effortlessly flicking out every bone without ever getting pricked.
Feidric, meanwhile, browsed a nearby stall, buying a storybook about the legends of the Artemis Festival. Douglas tried his hand at an archery game.
It reminded Cipher of the air rifle balloon-shooting games from her previous life—hit the target and win a prize. Here, though, it was archery, with targets set much farther away and even moving from side to side.
As a War Priest, archery was a fundamental skill for Douglas. He drew his bow, took aim, and effortlessly struck a moving target fifty meters away, immediately claiming the top prize.
The owner didn't hesitate, clapping his hands with a smile. "Excellent marksmanship, sir!"
Douglas promptly donned the top prize—a cotton cap adorned with cat ears. From a distance, he could easily be mistaken for a Catfolk.
He even struck a pose for Cipher, asking, "Well? Do I look the part?"
Cipher wore a look of exasperation. To be fair, he did look quite convincing. But Douglas's hulking frame paired with the fluffy, adorable cat ears just felt... odd.
The Artemis Festival proved quite enjoyable. The group strolled leisurely, stopping to eat and play games as they gradually made their way to the heart of the market. There, a massive bonfire blazed, surrounded by the red-robed Priests Cipher had seen earlier that day. They stood with hands clasped and eyes closed, seemingly engaged in silent prayer.
Feidric put down his newly purchased storybook and said, "The most important part of the festival is about to begin."
Aria asked, "What's that?"
"The ritual to honor Artemis, the Moon Goddess," Feidric replied.
After all, it was the Artemis Festival. Soon, more and more people gathered around the bonfire, packing the area so tightly it was nearly impossible to move. Everyone craned their necks to peer inside the crowd. Fortunately, Cipher and her companions had arrived early and secured a good vantage point.
Feidric continued, "Artemis is also known as the Goddess of Dreams. Every year at this time, her followers pray for sweet dreams throughout the coming year and ask that their dreams from the past year come true. Simply put, they hope their beautiful dreams will become reality."
Just then, the Artemis Priests circling the bonfire began chanting in low voices. Most of the commoners closed their eyes, as if making wishes.
"It's starting!" Feidric exclaimed.
"Huh?"
Aria blinked in surprise, glancing around. She noticed that only some outsiders not wearing red robes kept their eyes open; all the locals had already begun praying. "What should we do now?" she asked.
"Do we have to pray to Artemis too?"
"But we're not Artemis's believers, are we?"
Feidric replied, "Actually, it doesn't really matter whether we pray or not. This is just a festival, a tradition. Even if you were a devout believer of Artemis, she couldn't possibly respond to everyone, right? It's just for psychological comfort."
"Well, since we're already here, let's join in!" Aria clasped her hands together and began praying earnestly. "May everyone have a smooth and joyful year ahead!"
Feidric retorted, "Didn't I just say this isn't really prayer? 'Praying for sweet dreams every day next year'—the sweet dreams of Dreamtown from last year? That means you have to pray for two consecutive years for it to work! Besides, you're not praying, you're making a wish!"
Douglas chimed in, "Plus, you're not supposed to say your wish out loud! If you do, it won't come true."
Aria opened her eyes, looking slightly embarrassed. "Eh? Is that how it works?"
In the end, only Aria read a prayer—though it was more of a quick wish. Feidric, as a Wizard, certainly didn't believe in gods, while Douglas, a War Priest, would never pray to any deity but his own. Cipher's case was even more self-evident.
As the group chatted quietly, Cipher's cat ears suddenly twitched. She snapped her gaze toward the Artemis Priests gathered around the bonfire. Though they spoke in hushed tones, she could clearly hear them chanting:
"Beautiful Silver Moon!
Origin of the night, source of dreams, great...
Mother of blood and flesh, gaze upon us!"
This prayer to a god was utterly abnormal!
Initially, the Artemis Priests spoke with normal intonation and pace. But as they repeated the phrase, their voices grew increasingly frenzied, their pace accelerating relentlessly!
Then, at some critical threshold, Cipher—and Aglaea, who was nearby—simultaneously sensed a bloody divine power descending from the heavens! ...