Chapter 40: Praise the Light

Of course, to a certain skeptical Priestess, all mysteries must hide their laws and reasons, and the Holy Spirit Path, opening within the tranquil forest, was no exception.

Just then, the Little Dragon Daughter, who had been silently listening nearby, suddenly made a reminder.

“Master, among the two parties that fought on the damaged official road, one of the similar scents seems to linger on this path. It’s highly likely that the other party also entered that so-called little path.”

“Oh…? Can you determine the approximate time?”

Upon hearing this, the Dragon Girl frowned in thought for a moment and replied, “Judging by the scent’s dispersal, it was likely two or three days ago, but it could be earlier.”

“Is that so long? Then we probably won’t run into them. What a shame…”

To be honest, Miss Vilyric was quite interested in those two who had fought for some unknown reason on the official road. She had a feeling that whatever was involved certainly didn’t only reflect on the damaged road, and perhaps the repercussions had already touched the Priestess in some way.

However, since the timing had already passed, there was nothing to be done; they could only take things as they came.

The Holy Spirit Path wasn’t long, and the surrounding Holy Spirit Forest was just a small area. Even at a slow pace with the merchant caravan, they could probably traverse it in about half a day. If a strong individual were to go alone, it would likely take only a few dozen minutes.

Of course, that was assuming nothing unexpected happened.

Still, Miss Vilyric hoped that this mysterious place, recorded in the “World’s Top One Hundred Unsolved Mysteries,” would show her some rare and interesting sights, after all, one of the joys of traveling lies in the many odd landscapes along the way.

…

Afuri had led the merchant caravan into the Holy Spirit Path for about half an hour.

To be honest, he was somewhat anxious about this decision. While he had heard the legends of the Holy Spirit Path, it was his first time actually entering.

Aside from time being of the essence, another important reason supporting Afuri’s decision was his identity as a devout follower of the Goddess.

It wasn’t just him; most members of the White Dove Merchant Association, including its president, believed in the only god of the Holy Empire—the Light Goddess, Aurora.

In this merchant caravan, about seventy percent were members of the White Dove Merchant Association, totaling over one hundred fifty people. The remaining few were travelers from all over, passing through Holy Star City for various reasons and hitching a ride with them.

There wasn’t a definitive version of the legends of the Holy Spirit Path; slight variations existed among different tellings.

Some say that only true believers with sincere faith can pass through the Holy Spirit Path; others claim that spirits won’t attack beings adorned with symbols of goddess believers, known as Holy Emblems; and there were even rumors that, as long as one did not harbor blasphemous thoughts against the goddess, they could safely pass through.

So, although many other faiths were represented within the caravan, like hybrids, half-beasts, and winged people, Afuri believed that the teachings of the Goddess advocated equality among all beings. Even non-followers of the Light Goddess should not be punished as long as they maintained sufficient reverence.

To be safe, Afuri had recently sent subordinates to inform everyone in the caravan, reminding them of the precautions and warning of the seriousness of the situation. He also emphasized that anyone unwilling to traverse the path could receive a refund and leave on their own.

A few passengers chose to withdraw, but it appeared that most opted to take the risk, gambling on the credibility of the legend. After all, there had been many successful crossings of the Holy Spirit Path throughout history, enough for them to think… they could, too.

That said, as they actually stepped onto the lush, tranquil forest path, Afuri still felt a bit uneasy.

“O great and lofty Light Goddess, praise your name… You are the embodiment of dawn and hope… You are the very first ray of light in the world, the master of all beauty and brightness… Devotee Afuri offers you sincere prayers… May your Holy Light bless us, dispelling evil and clearing our hearts… O great and lofty Light Goddess, praise your name…”

He continuously mumbled the established praises handed down from ancient times, and to maintain constant vigilance and be ready for any response, Afuri chose not to enter the carriage but instead rode alongside the surrounding guards, scanning the area. Others present were similarly alert, quietly reciting the prayers to the Light Goddess.

It was evident that everyone was nervous, as the Holy Spirit Path had an air of mystery about it. No one dared to be absolutely sure; after all, there were gods just three feet above, especially in such a deeply religious realm. If their praises for the Light Goddess weren’t sufficiently sincere, it could provoke the spirits here and lead to retribution.

Even non-followers of the Church at that moment had settled down within their carriages or huddled with the crowd to increase their sense of security.

Except for… certain individuals.

“Hummm… We’ve been walking for a while, but this Holy Spirit Path doesn’t seem much different from an ordinary forest? I’ve waited so long without seeing anything strange pop up. This cursed book isn’t just tricking people, is it…?”

Leaning her head against the half-open carriage window, the Girl with the White Fox Mask rested against the soft presence of the Giant Dragon, casting a glance at the slowly passing scenery outside and voicing her boredom.

“Xi… Miss Xi, is it really okay for us to be this brazen? Everyone outside seems to be reciting prayers to the Light Goddess. Um, I mean… if we don’t show enough respect to the gods, will it…?”

Called out, the White Fox Girl turned her head slightly, helplessly petting the timid Blue-haired Girl who had shrunk into the corner and weakly posed her question, seeming a bit amused.

“I say, Tilysha, do you understand your identity and position? You’re a blessed one appointed by the Life Goddess, wrapped in Xi Fu Lin’s protection. How can you pray to other gods? Belief is a very serious matter for divinities. If—I’m saying if—those spirits do come to find us, we have every reason to refuse them. So just relax.”

If reason fails, fists can negotiate; after all, the relationships between gods are never that harmonious.

With her comfort, Tilysha seemed to calm down a bit, barely exhaling as she glanced across at the two White Feather Girls sitting opposite, who looked like they might fall asleep from boredom any moment, and quietly said, “That being said… ever since we entered this forest, I’ve started feeling an inexplicable sense of foreboding. This place probably does hide something especially dangerous; everyone should be more careful…”

“Hmm, I see.”

Tilysha’s empathetic sensitivity to her surroundings was a very effective method of predicting fortune and misfortune, and previous experiences had confirmed this. Since she expressed such feelings, it surely indicated that something horrendous had indeed happened on this Holy Spirit Path.

With that thought, Miss Vilyric slowly extended her Spiritual Points, which had just been lingering around the carriage, outward a bit more. In doing so without creating unnecessary chaos, this range was basically the maximum limit.

The experiences in the Mountains of Ten Thousand Demons had broadened Miss Vilyric’s horizons. If something unseen wanted to approach, using this method for prevention was the safest bet.

The next moment.

“Hmm?”

At almost the same time, the most powerful Priestess and the Little Dragon Daughter turned their heads in unison, abruptly looking toward a certain point beyond the wooden carriage boards. The nearly transcendent Leila quickly appeared to sense something and frowned, as if their perceptions had leaped outside the carriage, reaching some area beyond.

Shortly after came a chilling scream from not far away!

“Ah!!! What the hell is that thing! No! No, please! Spare me! Your Highness the Goddess! Holy Spirits! I didn’t mean to blaspheme… I… Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!”

The cries echoed, followed by the distinct sounds of clothing dragging against the ground, fading away into the air and deep within the path in mere moments, until there was no further sound.

“What happened!?”

Only then did the merchant caravan leader, Afuri, roar in anger, and what followed was a wave of panicked shouts and rapidly escalated prayers, as if that was the only way to soothe their fear at the sudden turmoil.

“Af, Afuri! It seems someone was dragged into the forest!!!!”

   

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