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Translator: CinderTL
"Holy Son?"
Gloria's slender frame paused almost imperceptibly, a rare flicker of bewilderment crossing her azure eyes.
As the saintess of the Blazing Sun Church, she understood better than anyone the heavy crown and sacred responsibilities that title represented.
It was one of the twin wings embodying Lothander's divine radiance on earth, complementing the saintess in guiding the faithful, presiding over sacred rituals, and even delivering divine decrees in times of crisis.
This was precisely why the selection process was so rigorous, bordering on cruel.
She couldn't help but recall her own confirmation as a saintess candidate years ago.
Months of fasting and prayer, trials of will between icy caverns and fiery furnaces, and hallucinatory trials forcing her to confront her deepest fears alone...
Each stage felt like teetering on the edge of life and death.
And High Priest Bodo, though acknowledging her potential, had always regarded her with a scrutinizing gaze, never showing a hint of superfluous warmth, let alone the near-hysterical fervor he displayed now.
Yet now, this High Priest, renowned for his strictness and even rigidity, was urgently inviting a young man he had just metāa non-believerāto become the "holy son"?
This jarring contrast pricked Gloria's heart like a tiny thorn.
A mix of astonishment, a hint of resentment, and even a trace of girlish pique she refused to acknowledge, surged within her.
As the Imperial Princess of the Golden Valley Kingdom, Gloria had been trained from childhood to conceal her emotions. But the momentary tightening of her fingertips and the almost imperceptible downturn of her lips betrayed her inner turmoil.
Fortunately, she quickly lowered her gaze, perfectly concealing all her turbulent feelings beneath her thick lashes, unnoticed by the others.
Meanwhile, Roland was completely stunned by this sudden, almost absurd request.
Regaining his composure, he couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Bodo, why are you making such a sudden request? I'm not a member of the Blazing Sun Church."
"The reason?"
Bodo's voice trembled with fervor as he fixed Roland with an intense gaze, as if trying to see through him.
"It's because of your very body, esteemed sir! I've never sensed such pure and powerful affinity with the fire element! It surrounds you as naturally as breathing, drawn to you like a flame to kindling!"
"Even... even deep within your aura, I detected a faint yet ancient and noble markāthe blazing sigil of Ifrit himself! This is no ordinary occurrence; it's divine revelation, undeniable proof of the grace bestowed by Lothander, Lord of a Billion Lights!"
At that moment, Gloria spoke again.
Her voice remained calm and composed, carrying the gentle authority of a saintess and the dignified restraint of an imperial princess.
"Mr. Bodo, Mr. Roland and his companions have endured great hardships to reach this place, leaving them physically and mentally exhausted."
"I believe any urgent matters could be postponed until they've rested and recovered their strength. We can discuss them later."
She attempted to steer the conversation back on course, maintaining proper order.
However, Bodo merely offered a perfunctory nod in her direction, politely but firmly refusing.
"While the Holy Maiden's words are wise, this matter concerns divine grace. A moment of clarity is worth more than a lifetime of waiting."
His gaze immediately locked back onto Roland, his fervent eyes brimming with boundless hope.
"Your Excellency, you..."
Roland felt genuinely awkward under that intense scrutiny. He cleared his throat and smoothly interjected, "Princess Gloria is right, Mr. Bodo. We do need some time to rest and gather our thoughts."
Before the words had even left his lips, High Priest Bodo, who had been so stubbornly insistent moments before, instantly changed his demeanor. He bowed deeply without hesitation, replying, "Of course! Everything shall be done according to your wishes, esteemed Excellency. I will immediately arrange the most comfortable accommodations for you and your companions!"
Seeing the stark contrast between Bodo's treatment of Roland and herself, Gloria felt a lump rise in her throat. An indescribable sense of injustice, mingled with a hint of resentment at being overlooked, finally shattered her usual composure.
"Mr... Mr. Bodo?" she couldn't help but call out softly, trying to reclaim some of the attention she deserved.
But Bodo merely grunted in acknowledgment without turning his head, his wrinkled face still beaming with fervent admiration for Roland.
Gloria pressed her lips together, then silently helped the still-recovering Mel to her feet, straightening her back slightly.
As if staging a silent protest, she turned first and walked toward the residential district deep within the Corona Lands, leaving the clamor and enthusiasm behind.
Roland watched the scene unfold, exchanging a helpless glance with Theresa and Galvis beside him.
The bard shrugged dramatically, while the swordsman remained silent.
Roland sighed softly and said to Bodo, "Mr. Bodo, let's head over there as well."
"Of course, of course! Honored guests, please follow me. This way!" Bodo immediately led the way with eager hospitality.
They were led to a row of stone houses carved into the cliff face.
Like the overall style of the Corona Lands, the interiors were simple yet exceptionally sturdy and clean.
The polished stone walls framed a wide stone bed covered with thick layers of dry grass and clean linen, a wooden table, two chairs, and a clay jar for holding fresh waterātheir entire worldly possessions.
The only decoration was a small yet exquisitely carved Blazing Sun Holy Crest above the door.
After settling in, Roland collapsed onto the bed almost immediately.
The dry, soft bedding beneath him brought a long-forgotten, almost luxurious sense of comfort.
The fatigue accumulated from over a month of fleeing surged through him like a tidal wave, threatening to completely overwhelm him.
But he stubbornly resisted the urge to sleep, clasping his hands behind his head as he stared up at the rough stone ceiling, quietly reviewing the recent battles he had fought.
First was his duel with Leonard.
As fellow knights, it should have been an evenly matched contest. However, the awakened dragon bloodline within him granted an overwhelming advantage, allowing him to utterly dominate in pure strength and defense, thus ending the battle swiftly.
As for slaying the abyssal creature...
Undoubtedly, his own strength was the foundation for confronting it. But the ultimate key to victory lay in the pure divine energy contained within the Holy Strike, which formed a natural counter to that dark power.
And the life-or-death struggle with the assassin that had just concluded...
Recalling the assassin's ghostly speed, Roland unconsciously clenched his fists slightly.
The battle had starkly revealed the vast differences between extraordinary professions.
Though his overall physical attributes far surpassed those of ordinary humans, his pure agility still couldn't compare to that of a specialized Assassin.
This slight edge had allowed his opponent to maneuver and launch surprise attacks.
If not for his Shadow Perception perfectly countering the Assassin's greatest asset, he would never have been able to eliminate them so efficiently.
The most likely outcome would have been watching helplessly as they vanished into the shadows, making a leisurely retreat.
"It seems with my current strength, handling two or three ordinary Knights simultaneously should be no problem," he calmly assessed.
"But the threats in this world are far from uniform. The characteristics of different professions vary wildly. This Assassin has exposed my weaknesses in extreme speed and adaptability."
"Still not strong enough..."
With a mental command, the Job Panel materialized before him.
"Aside from the potential classes triggered by Negotiation and Gambling Art, the only clear and significant paths to enhancing my power right now are job advancement to Rogue and improving Faith Resonance..."
His gaze swept across the transparent panel as he sank into deep thought.
"The requirements for becoming a Rogue aren't too complicated. Faith Resonance is just a bonus from leveling up. But... oh right, there's also the Psion!"
Roland shook his head in exasperation, staring at the Hidden Profession he had triggered long ago but still hadn't managed to unlock.
"Successfully channel and release pure psionic energy five times... Use psionic energy to manipulate physical matter once..."
As he muttered these vague requirements, the image of Witch Vanessa and her playful words flashed through his mind:
"A reasonable mind flayer? Ha..."
Just as he was lost in thought, a gentle knock sounded at the door, and Gloria entered.
She maintained the dignified bearing of an Imperial Princess and saintess, but upon closer inspection, the warm, approachable aura she usually radiated seemed slightly subdued.
The polite smile on her lips lacked its usual genuine warmth, and her gaze darted away from Roland's more quickly than usual, as if betraying a hint of uncharacteristic awkwardness.
"Mr. Roland," she said, her voice still clear and proper, but with a touch less warmth and a more businesslike tone.
"We need to discuss our next steps. War with the River Domain Nations is currently the preferred course of action among many Golden Valley nobles. As the architect of this plan, Arno will undoubtedly garner significant support. I'd like to know, what potential allies do you believe we can still secure?"
Her phrasing remained meticulous and her logic impeccable.
Yet a subtle, almost imperceptible stiffness lingered in her tone, coupled with a slightly more distant demeanor than before. These subtle cues hinted at a lingering unease in her heart, a faint emotional ripple caused by Bodo's preferential treatmentāa lingering discomfort she hadn't fully suppressed.
This wasn't anger, but rather a uniquely girlish awkwardness, unspoken yet impossible to completely conceal.
Roland sat up, his keen senses immediately detecting the minute shift in her tone. He simply nodded calmly, dismissing the slight anomaly.
"Not all nobles, Princess Gloria," he countered calmly, his gaze steady and focused.
"For the nobility, the core of any action always revolves around the flow of benefits. While following Duke Arno into war offers a path to military glory and resource acquisition, it's not the only path."
Leaning forward slightly, he continued, "The pursuit of benefits doesn't necessarily require external conflict. Internal competition can achieve the same goal."
(End of the Chapter)
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