Chapter 177: Holy War 2
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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Inside the newly built small temple, a question came from a nun, elegantly dressed.
I wondered if she was a regular nun or someone like a saint, like the voice we heard before.
Given Han Se-ah's lack of reaction, she's likely not a saint.
Anyway, to modern people, the term 'holy war' probably evokes two images.
The first is the Crusades linked to Catholicism, conducted in the Pope's name*.
The second is terrorism by Muslims in the name of figures like J*had*.
In the world of Heroes Chronicle, the holy war seem to be a blend of these two.
"Brother, you are renowned as a giant slayer, aren't you?"
"That's a title I haven't heard in a while."
In Heroes Chronicle, a holy war is essentially an extermination order.
It's the temple's declaration to cease all external activities and annihilate a particular target.
They bring back the nuns who were healing those not embraced by the Goddess in remote areas and priests who journeyed far to spread her will.
Everyone, from monks quelling bandits to temple knights hunting monsters, pauses their urgent tasks for the holy war.
Halting all temple activities like service, conversion, bandit subjugation... all actions are paused to annihilate the opposition.
In other words, by any means necessary.
"Brother, I'm embarrassed to ask, but I have a favor."
"If you need me to lead the charge, I'm always up for it."
"You are indeed a bold Brother."
This 'by any means necessary' also includes hiring mercenaries and adventurers.
It's a sacred war in the Goddess's name, not about hoarding honor, but about achieving the goal as swiftly as possible.
Thus, it's no surprise that I was chosen as the temple's weapon in this holy war.
As a senior adventurer who has received a revelation from the Goddess and recognition from temple knights, not to mention having a saint candidate as an ally.
"...Roland, you look like you knew. Are you experienced in holy wars?"
-Calling it 'experienced' sounds so naughty, hehe
-A holy war led by an adventurer, seems strange...
-The temple wants a 6 boost too. If you're jealous, get one yourself
-But the way they understand each other seems suspicious
"I'm not interested in your peculiar fantasies. Anyway, it looks like in this quest story, even without temple-related NPC allies like Irene or Roland, players can gain the temple's support through their fame. The main scenario can't progress without the temple's assistance."
As I conversed naturally with the temple knight, my companions behind me began gossiping with wide eyes.
Grace stuck close to Katie and Irene, while Han Se-ah pretended to listen to the group's conversation, engaging with her viewers.
The topic of conversation was how surprisingly knowledgeable I seemed.
Grace and Katie were hanging on Irene's every word, asking if there had ever been a holy war in the past, while Han Se-ah was analyzing why the temple had declared a holy war from a gamer's perspective.
"Roland, what were you talking about?"
"Have you been part of a holy war before?"
No sooner had the temple knight left than Grace and Katie rushed to me, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.
It didn't seem like a simple deflection would work on them.
Grace's behavior was one thing, but when did Katie become so familiar?
Was it the impulsive nature of a noble lady, or a sense of comradeship due to the Goddess's revelation?
At some point, Katie, following Grace's lead, showed no hesitation about clinging to my arm.
Unlike Grace's curvaceous figure, Katie's slender build was hidden behind her breastplate, but still, having a beautiful girl cling so freely was a bit unsettling.
"I haven't been part of a holy war, but I've taken on many requests from the temple."
"Requests from the temple?"
"Grace, who else would assign monster extermination requests to adventurers in poor and remote villages?"
I couldn't ignore their curious gazes and began to explain.
It's no easy task for a countryside village chief to travel over mountains and rivers to reach a city or the guild of a nearby lord when a wandering monster appears.
If they're lucky, a swift herbalist or hunter from the village might pass by, but many villages lack such skilled people and even silver coins to offer as a reward.
That's when the priests and nuns of the Goddess Faith step in.
Skilled in divine energy and capable of dealing with wandering monsters, they assess the situation while on their missions of service and relay information back to the nearby temple.
I then take these requests, building connections and collecting small earnings to make a fortune as I travel around the kingdom.
If any madman dares to trouble these priests and nuns, the monks are quick to respond.
"Yes, Roland is right. The temple has to care for regions all over the kingdom, but due to a lack of manpower, they often hire adventurers and mercenaries."
"Ah, I see. There were priests climbing the mountains in the north during winter. The soldiers were so worried about them.... So that's why you're so calm whenever the temple is mentioned?"
While it's partially due to my experience, I think it's also because the game scenarios can be quite predictable.
Unable to say this outright, I simply nodded, and Katie's eyes seemed to glitter even more.
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Raei Translations
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The temple's strategy was straightforward yet brutish: a hammer and anvil approach.
"...Just me?"
"Yes. Fortunately, a saint specialized in enhancement magic has just arrived from the capital."
Though it felt more like a needle and anvil situation, the strategy made sense.
The plan was for the priests and nuns to cast all their buffs on me under the saint's leadership, while I led the charge under the temple knights' protection.
It was like the gimmick on the 30th floor, where I rode the golem, but this time one ally NPC would be extremely empowered.
"Is the reason you asked about the Giant Slayer because you've tried this strategy before?"
"Yes. Twelve years ago, we executed a similar plan with a knight, known as the Giant Slayer, to vanquish those corrupted by evil."
It seemed the cut-off for receiving the buff was soloing a giant kind.
It's said that you're called a Giant Hunter if you take down large creatures like ogres in a group, and a Giant Slayer if you do it alone.
This wasnt a self-proclaimed title but one spread by the kingdom's bards, so its accuracy is uncertain.
Exiting the small temple, a temple knight immediately came up to me.
The request was made by a lovely nun, but the detailed explanation came from a man, making it feel somewhat manipulative.
Caught in these thoughts, Grace and Katie clung to me again.
Grace seemed concerned, while Katie appeared captivated by the romantic notion of being chosen as the temple's sword in the holy war.
"Alone? Are you sure you'll be okay, Roland?"
"A large-scale enhancement spell from a saint, what would that feel like?"
Continuing our conversation, we moved from the 30th floor to the 31st, and then from the 31st to the 32nd.
Starting from the miniature temple, priests and nuns in white garments marched forward.
Unlike adventurers who form groups of five for profit, these priests and nuns didn't even glance at the fallen mana stones.
Even though the lizardman skeletons had become tougher as undead, they couldn't withstand when about fifty priests simultaneously cast holy magic against twelve of them.
From ordinary priests to NPCs of 3-4 that viewers would eagerly team up with, nearly a hundred gathered to cast their magic like a water gun fight at a water festival.
It was only a matter of time before another temporary temple was built at the safe zone on the 34th floor.
"Wow, we started late from the 30th floor after the meeting, but we've already reached the 34th. I wanted to see how far we could go before the end of the session, and we've not just cleared it... we've practically constructed our way through."
-Is this a holy war or a holy construction project, lol
-It's kind of scary seeing a temple built at every safe zone
-This holy war bus looks super sweet, really looking forward to it
-So if we break through the 35th floor, they'll build one for us too, right?
"But without Roland, things would probably proceed differently, right? Just like how other characters appeared instead of the mage during the orc event."
"Still, since it's a public event, they'll likely boost the strongest person or enhance the entire party. Honestly, the way Roland does things is not exactly normal."
The 35th floor passageway showed no signs of growing vines.
There, the priests and nuns, lined up in rows like an army, parted to the sides, opening a path for our party.
The chat erupted with excitement at this sight.
...These are just priests and nuns in white robes, right?
The way they behaved seemed more like they were trained for military parades rather than just worship and service.
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*The catholic part is fine, it is true according to history books.
J*had (i instead of the *) seems to be a flagged word so I've written it like so.
Also the statement should specify 'extremists/terrorists,' not Muslims in general but I've kept it as so since that is what the author wrote.
Fun fact: J*had is actually an arabic word meaning 'struggle' so the sentence 'The second is terrorism by Muslims in the name of figures like J*had' is incorrect and is a wide misconception.
Uh don't quote me on that tho... me just google stuff and then cross check to see if multiple sources say the same thing...
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Bonus chap! I'm on vacay so I've got lotsa free time... There'll be bonus chaps here and there to try and get this novel a little closer to the raws.
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