Chapter 167: A Story Only I Don't Know 2
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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Suddenly, a system window appeared.
From this, there are only a few things I can deduce about the overall situation.
Firstly, my origin might be an essential piece of information.
Considering they call me Sir Roland of Lombardo, Lombardo probably isn't some forsaken farmer's village stuck in the countryside.
Even in my previous life, they called me the son of Jeongseon, but they never referenced towns and villages.
Secondly, the owner of the voice resonating throughout the temple now.
If they can freely command the temple knights and invite guests to the temples secret areas, they must be someone of high stature.
And this high-ranking individual seems to be talking about me.
Of course, my brain didnt go beyond that.
Ive grown accustomed to overcoming hardships and challenges with physical and mana strength, rather than deducing or using my brain.
"Irene, what is it, or who is that?"
"Yes, uh, what?"
While I was struggling with my weak brain, the rest of the party's attention naturally shifted to Irene, who was behaving unnaturally.
As soon as we left the temple, amidst the applause and intense stares of the temple knights, Han Se-ah and Grace immediately surrounded Irene, almost like they were arresting her.
No one paid any attention to the changes happening most likely due to the increase in difficulty level, such as free healing services from the temple or the temple knights offering help in dealing with the swamp anomalies.
Instead, the chat filled up with questions they wanted to ask Irene.
That made sense since Irene seemed to recognize the beautiful voice coming from thin air.
Unlike the rest of the party, who showed amazement at the voice, Irene seemed to be wondering why she was hearing this voice here and now.
"You acted like you knew the owner of that voice. When they called you, you were so overwhelmed you even bit your tongue."
"No, thats not it."
"Is it because youre a nun that you're really not good at lying"
-Should Han Se-ah be the one saying that?
-It does seem suspicious.
-Lol it was like her saying 'why are you here?' with her body.
-She was so cute when she answered. She even bit her tongue. I clipped it.
-It's looked like a private first class being scolded by a sergeant.
She bit her tongue when answering, and her legs were trembling so much when she walked to the center of the hall that one of the temple knights had to stop himself from offering her support.
"Well, that's... It's something we shouldnt talk about to the guild."
"Hey! Why would we report this to the guild? It would just increase the number of people being jealous and annoying us."
Seemingly convinced, maybe because of the sense of camaraderie between recipients of the Goddesss mission, Irene, who couldn't shake off Han Se-ah and Grace clinging to her sides, finally opened her mouth.
"That person is a saint. She usually stays in the capital, but I was surprised to hear her voice."
In a fantasy world with a Goddess and a temple faction, the term 'Saint' is indispensable.
So when Irene mentioned 'Saint,' the viewers, Han Se-ah, Grace, and even Katie werent particularly surprised.
After all, if a nun from the temple bows her head in deep respect, it is easy to guess that she must be a highly esteemed person.
In the temple, those who receive and act upon the divine revelations of the Goddess are referred to as Saints or Saint Candidates.
Irene explained in her gentle and distinctive tone.
To summarize her explanation about Saints and Saint Candidates: there are quite a few of them, but the voice we heard earlier belongs to the most esteemed among the Saints.
This implies that one of the greatest Saints has high expectations for Irene, a Saint Candidate.
I guess my character quest was just something on the side.
The important character quest here is Irene's possible promotion to Saint.
The partys cheeks flushed with excitement as they listened to her story on their way to buy dried grains at the grocery store.
They were not simply given a mission to climb the tower; they were now part of a journey that may lead to the birth of a new saint.
Katie, in particular, seemed to feel like she was the main character.
Her cheeks turned even redder, her shoulders shook with excitement, and her steps quickened.
I wonder if this happened because Irene is a Saint Candidate, or if other players could also experience this by pursuing a story with a priest or nun character. Either way, it seems both the temple's influence and the other factions are getting stronger as the tower's difficulty increases.
-Then what about Roland?
-Giving a sword and telling him to defeat the Demon King is a bit of an old story.
-So if the temple supports the Saint, does the player become a hero later?
-Irene the Saint, damn!
While the excited Katie was glued to Irene's side, having forgotten to buy sword-cleaning oil and a cloth at the general store, Han Se-ah and the viewers exchanged various opinions.
Fortunately, the questions thrown at me were easily ignored since the aggro was on Irene.
Anyway, once we get through this damned marsh, we'll probably get something out of it. But theres no way a temple NPC will land the last hit on the boss, right? The 30th floor was easy thanks to mechs, but I was quite nervous about getting the last hit stolen by Rebecca on the 20th floor.
While purchasing finely ground flour, dried meat, and filling the inventory, as well as stocking Grace's quiver with expensive alchemic arrowheads and buying sword-cleaning supplies, the group never seemed to run out of things to talk about.
I think I've bought everything I need... I should check the requests at the guild.
Oh, right. I couldnt check the requests. First, I need to sort out the unaccounted mana stones and gathered materials from yesterday.
Katie clung to Irene, while Grace laughed and teased.
Han Se-ah suddenly shifted the conversation, starting to talk about fantasy clichs, which made the chat burst into laughter.
As we headed to the guild, an unexpected piece of news awaited us.
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Raei Translations
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Ah, Roland! You havent entered the tower yet, thats a relief!
Whats going on, Ellis?
Upon opening the door and entering the guild, despite it being around noon, the place buzzed with adventurers and bustling guild staff.
The most noticeable among them was Ellis, wearing a visibly annoyed expression and hugging a pile of documents to her chest.
Usually, Ellis, a significant figure in the guild and a 'big sister' to the staff, was more known for networking and snacking than for handling menial tasks.
Seeing her involved in such grunt work was unusual.
The previously cheerful group fell silent, sensing the ominous atmosphere.
If there was such commotion in the Adventurers' Guild, it likely meant something had gone wrong in the tower, and many adventurers had probably died.
The safe zone on the 35th floor has lost contact. Not just the adventurers there, but also the mages from the Magic Tower managing the communication magic tools, and even the temple knights managing the sanctuary, weve lost contact with all of them.
...And theres no contact from the floors above the 36th?
Floors 34th and 36th are in contact. The only place we cant reach is the 35th floor. Were debating whether to send adventurers from the adjacent floors to check it out, or to wait and send a large-scale search party later.
As expected, Elliss news was grim.
We werent just talking about a regular safe zone; this was a sanctuary created by temple knights, priests, and nuns.
And it was on the 35th floor, of all places.
With bosses appearing every 10 floors and events every 5 floors, this felt like a mid-boss scenario.
While I pondered this, Ellis continued to explain.
Of course, other adventurers will likely go to check the 35th floor. Though most would avoid it because it's dangerous... If you were planning on entering the tower today, could you perhaps investigate the 35th floor?
The adventure from the 31st floor onward had become noticeably more difficult, with explosive trolls and monsters turning into undead.
Many adventurers would choose to back out.
This was particularly true for those at the upper intermediate level, whod been hunting safely in the marshland up until now.
Even though the trolls had an obvious weakness explosions the increased difficulty couldnt be denied.
It was an inevitable situation, even with the temples intervention.
We couldnt force those unprepared to hunt trolls.
"Yes, understood!"
"For our brothers..."
Intermediate adventurers are withdrawing, leaving the 35th-floor investigation to a small number of senior adventurers.
This has made Ellis, who seems quite busy, request help from Han Se-ah and Irene.
Without a moment's hesitation, they both readily agree.
Strictly speaking, excluding myself, the overall strength of our party is at the upper end of the intermediate level.
However, we can't back down now, having received a divine mission and encouragement from an unknown saint.
You could say we are driven by a sense of mission, or a bit more bluntly, intoxicated by religious spirit.
Either way, the rest of the party, without any discussion, readily agrees to the proposal.
After all, who among the medieval fantasy residents could resist the formidable combo of a Goddess's vision and a saint's voice?
With newfound determination, the party begins to make their way toward the 35th floor.
-Can you open some bets for the mid boss?
-So, when are you going to make a troll bomb?
-I have a feeling something big and disgusting is going to appear.
-That's definitely a mid-boss vibe, right?
-Why isn't the Alchemist's Guild moving?
"Damn it, I wanted to take a half-day break to level up my alchemy skills but I feel like you guys won't let me."
Along with the viewers, who are suspiciously obsessed with the troll bomb.
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