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Chapter 234: To Federica’s Sanctuary. (1)
“Huh?”
Milena’s eyes widened.
“Y-you’re going to follow them? Are you sure about this?”
“What other choice do we have? Given the current situation, there are no answers left, are there?”
“That’s…”
Milena was at a loss for words.
He wasn’t wrong.
Rumors had already spread throughout the capital that the Federica church had marked them.
They had tried everything, even offering large sums of money to rescue people, but all efforts had failed.
“I’m sorry. It seems I’ve caused you trouble.”
“No! You’ve done nothing wrong, Ketal! But still…”
Even though Liltara and her group were committing outrageous acts, there was no way to resist them.
Milena bowed her head in deep helplessness.
“I’m sorry. I said I would save my master, but in the end, I failed.”
“No. It’s fine.”
Ketal smiled softly.
“I’ve decided to find my own enjoyment in all of this.”
At that smile, Milena shuddered involuntarily.
Ketal had decided to follow Liltara’s group to Federica’s sanctuary.
The news was relayed to King Barbosa of Denian through Maximus.
Barbosa groaned.
“So… Hmm.”
The words of the Tower Master echoed in Barbosa’s mind.
He had said that Ketal had goodwill towards this world, but if that goodwill were to be shattered, no one could predict what might happen.
Fearing that the disaster might reach his kingdom, Barbosa had been frantically searching for a solution, but Ketal moved first.
“…Maximus. Summon Ketal.”
In the end, Barbosa called for Ketal.
With an expression unbefitting a king, Barbosa cautiously asked Ketal a question.
“I’m sorry, Ketal. I didn’t expect my kingdom to cause you such trouble. I was trying to help as quickly as possible, but it has come to this. I’m truly sorry.”
“Everyone apologizes to me first. But you’ve done nothing wrong. You have no reason to apologize.”
“Is… is that so…”
Barbosa felt a deep sense of relief that Ketal wasn’t showing any strong emotions.
At least it seemed that his kingdom wouldn’t suffer Ketal’s wrath.
“So, you plan to go to Federica’s sanctuary?”
“That god is passionately courting me, so I have no choice. I plan to go there and find out what they want from me.”
“…And if their answer doesn’t please you, what will you do?”
“Well, then…”
Ketal smiled.
Barbosa felt a chill run down his spine.
“I’ll just have to make a decision.”
“I-I see.”
Barbosa was intensely curious about what that decision might be, but he was too afraid to ask.
In the end, he bid Ketal farewell and sent him off.
“Well then.”
Ketal removed the pitch-black bracelet from his wrist.
It was a holy artifact he had received directly from Kalosia.
“This might get in the way of what’s coming next, so I’ll put it away.”
Ketal placed the bracelet in his pocket.
And the next day, Ketal joined Liltara’s group.
“Let’s go.”
“…”
Liltara looked at Ketal with a perplexed expression.
The person who had been consistently refusing to go had suddenly changed his mind and was now eagerly following along.
It was a strange thing.
“Very well.”
But Liltara didn’t think much more about it.
She decided that the sinner of the revelation had finally given up resisting the will of the god.
She wasn’t smart enough to consider anything beyond that.
“Follow me, to the great Federica’s sanctuary.”
“Alright.”
Ketal smiled and followed them.
They set off for Federica’s sanctuary.
* * *
Ketal had decided to follow Liltara’s group to Federica’s sanctuary.
Staying where he was wouldn’t help him achieve his goals, so he might as well seek out some other enjoyment.
‘Well, fine.’
When he thought about it, the situation wasn’t all that bad.
Considering that not just anyone could enter the sanctuary of a god, it was a significant opportunity.
Above all, Federica had personally summoned him to her sanctuary.
Why did she call u9k?
What did she want?
How important could her reason be?
He was extremely curious.
If it wasn’t something significant, he would simply destroy everything in his path.
And following them was a kind of enjoyment in itself.
It was the first time he had encountered such an extreme believer.
Traveling with them was somewhat enjoyable.
Ketal opened his mouth.
"Your name is Liltara, right? I’ve heard you’re a very famous follower of Federica. I look forward to your guidance."
Liltara didn’t respond.
Ketal, unfazed, shifted his gaze to the holy knights.
"And what are your names? Since we’re traveling together, it would be nice to at least share our names."
Ketal asked a question.
But no answer came.
The holy knights silently continued walking.
Disappointed by their disregard, Ketal’s expression soured.
"Hmm. It would be nice if you could at least respond."
"You are a sinner,"
Liltara said coldly.
Ketal was not joining them as a guest.
He was being dragged along as a sinner, marked by the god’s own revelation.
There was no reason for them to engage in friendly conversation.
"We have no intention of conversing with you. Be grateful that we aren’t dragging you in chains."
"Hmm."
Ketal made a vague expression.
They were much more extreme than he had thought.
In the end, Ketal walked on without further conversation.
And soon, it was time to eat.
Liltara’s group sat down in a suitable spot and pulled out some dried jerky.
"Wait a moment. I’ll cook something for us."
From ancient times, nothing opens the heart like good food.
After all, didn’t Elene, whom he once escorted, open up after enjoying some delicious meals?
Ketal took out various ingredients and tools from his pocket.
At that moment, Liltara’s expression twisted.
"What do you think you’re doing?"
"I’m preparing a meal for us."
"What?"
Liltara’s expression contorted further, as if she had witnessed a grave sin.
"You dare to cook? And in front of us?"
"...Ah."
Ketal realized something.
They were priests of the god of hunger.
People who placed value on being in a state of hunger.
They abhorred and rejected the very idea of satisfying their hunger with delicious food.
Liltara spoke coldly.
"I appreciate that you’ve chosen to follow us on your own accord, so I won’t stop you from indulging yourself, but don’t you dare offer it to us. I’ll let this slide just this once."
"Hmm."
In the end, Ketal cooked and ate alone.
Nothing changed afterward.
Ketal tried to engage them in pleasant conversation, but no one reciprocated.
Even Liltara only spoke out of necessity and completely ignored any personal questions.
That night.
When everyone had fallen asleep.
Ketal’s face had turned cold.
"This is even less fun than I expected."
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He stood up.
And the next morning, Liltara awoke.
The first thing she saw were the startled faces of the holy knights.
"What’s the matter?"
"L-Liltara!"
"The barbarian is gone!"
"What?"
Liltara’s eyes widened.
She quickly looked around, but Ketal was nowhere to be seen.
"...No way!"
He had escaped!
'I thought he wouldn’t try to run since he decided to come along on his own!'
Liltara gritted her teeth.
"He must have gone back to Denian Kingdom. Let’s go find that barbarian."
"Yes!"
The holy knights hastily packed up. As they turned to head back to the Denian Kingdom, they heard a voice.
"What’s this? You’re up already?"
From beyond the forest, Ketal appeared.
"Wait. You! Where have you been?"
"I got bored, so I went to a nearby village. I had a pleasant time drinking with the villagers."
Ketal grinned, as if he had found it amusing.
Liltara was dumbfounded by his nonchalant attitude.
"Do you not understand your situation right now?"
"I understand. You’re taking me to Federica’s sanctuary as the sinner of the revelation, right?"
"Then you knowingly broke free from our watch?"
"Yes."
Ketal was utterly unapologetic.
Liltara narrowed her eyes.
She issued a stern warning.
"Don’t ever leave my side again. This is your final warning."
"Why should I listen to you?"
Ketal responded with a puzzled expression.
Liltara was momentarily at a loss for words, clearly not expecting any pushback.
"...You are a sinner, directly marked by the god's revelation! You must follow us to the sacred ground!"
"And I am following, am I not? But I see no reason why I should listen to you."
"You!"
Ketal sighed, as if he was growing tired of the conversation.
In that moment, the air grew heavy.
A tremendous pressure descended upon them.
Liltara and the holy knights felt their breath catch.
"Ugh..."
Liltara managed to gasp for air, her face pale with fear.
The holy knights couldn’t even stand, collapsing to the ground under the weight of the pressure.
'Wait, just a moment.'
Ketal had merely sighed out of irritation.
Yet that alone brought them to the brink of death.
Like rabbits exposed to a lion, their limbs went numb, and they nearly lost control of their bladders.
One of the holy knights' teeth began chattering uncontrollably.
Ketal smiled.
With that, the pressure lifted.
Liltara gasped for breath, sinking to her knees.
"I said I would follow you. But that's only because your god summoned me. It wasn’t because you or your kind pressured or forced me."
To be frank, Ketal had no real need to follow them.
He could simply figure out the location of Federica's sanctuary and head there directly.
He could finish everything on his own.
With his speed, it wouldn’t even take a day.
"Still, I’m following you because I’m looking forward to the journey."
The journey with fanatics.
That alone held some appeal to him, so he decided to follow them.
"But if you fail to amuse me... well, I'll have no choice but to go alone."
"No. You can’t do that. You mustn’t!"
Liltara, snapping back to her senses, cried out.
Bringing the sinner of the revelation to the sanctuary—
That was the mission given to her.
If Ketal left them and went to the sanctuary on his own, she would have failed to fulfill the mission given by the church.
She would become someone who couldn't even accomplish anything despite the sinner coming of his own accord.
That would be a massive issue for her and the holy knights.
Failing to uphold a direct revelation from the god would mean losing the church's trust and possibly being cast aside.
Ketal had to accompany them to the sanctuary.
"Why should I have any reason to do so?"
The problem was that they had no means of forcing Ketal.
They couldn’t overpower him with strength.
Even a small annoyance from him had brought them to the brink of death.
Ketal had the power to toy with them as he pleased, as if they were mere playthings.
And pressuring Denian Kingdom again was no longer an option.
If they tried that, Ketal would simply abandon them and head to the sanctuary alone.
Ketal smiled.
"If you truly want me to continue following you, your task is simple."
Amuse him.
Meet his expectations for this journey.
"Ah..."
Realizing this, Liltara’s face turned white.
She had believed that she was taking Ketal to Federica's sanctuary.
She had no doubt that the situation was under their control.
But in truth, it was the opposite.
They were merely toys in Ketal's hands.
Her fate was entirely dependent on his whims.
"Then, I look forward to our journey together,"
Ketal said cheerfully.
Liltara felt her breath catch in her throat.
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