Chapter 43: The Light Goddess is a Big Fool!

Same old story, the Holy Spirit Path isn’t very long. At a normal caravan speed, it would take half a day at most to get through, but that’s assuming we never stop.

Since the third wave of incidents began, the screams from outside have become more intense, from one person to two or three, and then to several people being attacked simultaneously. Occasionally, there are also the sounds of weapons clashing and magic exploding, accompanied by furious roars.

But no matter what, these noises quickly fade away after a short time, mixed with dragging sounds disappearing into the distance, leaving behind a cacophony of gasps and the sound of hurried footsteps.

What’s happening is already obvious.

About shortly after the seventh attack, the one in charge of driving, a lackey from the White Dove Merchant Association, lifted the carriage curtain with a face showing barely contained fear.

“Gentlemen, Mr. Afuri… wishes to see you. He’s waiting outside.”

The White Fox Girl, casually flipping through her reading material, glanced up and momentarily fixed her gaze on the white-winged badge worn around the neck of the other party, belonging to the lowest tier of temple followers, before giving a slight nod.

“Yeah, we’ll go right away.”

…

When I saw Afuri again, he had lost the calm demeanor and confidence he had before. He looked utterly bewildered, a mix of shock and fear of the unknown mystifying him, and even his previously straight posture seemed to have slumped a bit.

This was unavoidable, because faith is a believer’s staunchest support. Knowing the legends surrounding this place, Afuri’s decision to traverse the Holy Spirit Path showed he had strong faith in the merchant caravan and his deity.

But now, that faith had been shattered into pieces by successive attacks and unfathomable mysterious powers.

“Nice to see you again, Mr. Afuri. It seems you’ve figured things out?”

“Why is this happening…? The legends of the Holy Spirit Path… could they be false? Why would the Holy Spirit attack those of us who faithfully believe in the goddess…?”

In response to the young merchant’s incredulous mumblings, Vilyric simply shook her head.

“Whether it’s a false Holy Spirit or a true monster, I can’t agree with the notion of pious faith. To receive divine blessings while expecting to be exempt from repercussions? The grace of the deity… is never free.”

At this point, the White Fox Girl shifted the conversation.

“What’s the situation now? How many people are missing?”

It seemed Vilyric’s earlier words struck a chord with Afuri, or perhaps he was simply in a panic, so without much hesitation, the caravan leader disclosed the losses.

“Twenty-seven, including nine passengers we offered seats to, and eighteen of our own personnel and guards. They were all separated or suddenly dragged into the bushes when no one was paying attention. By the time we went looking… they were gone without a trace.”

Nodding slightly, Vilyric, in a tone that was less of a question and more like stating a fact, asked, “Are they all believers of the Church of the Goddess?”

Afuri hesitated for a moment before quickly confirming.

“I’m not sure about the borrowed passengers, but the eighteen abducted from the merchant association are indeed believers. Our White Dove Merchant Association is a local guild, and most of our members are from the area. In the Holy Nation, joining the church is a natural and necessary act; it’s the only way to better serve the goddess and attain salvation.”

Under the mask, the sound of the Fox Girl’s light laughter broke out.

“Attain salvation? More like reaping benefits, right? From what I know, the temple offers quite a few perks, you know? Discounts on certain fees, priority for housing purchases, allowances, subsidies—these are only accessible to those who join the church and become official believers of the Goddess. And most importantly… divine magic, while the doctrine proclaims that prayer alone suffices, it ultimately still requires communication through the temple, doesn’t it?”

“With so many benefits, it’s no wonder most people in the Holy Nation are fighting over a chance to join the temple, even if it’s just as nominal believers~”

Upon hearing this, Afuri’s expression suddenly changed.

“Miss Xī, can I pretend I didn’t hear that? The divine magic is a gift from the goddess to devout believers, while the perks are the church’s way of spreading the goddess’s benevolence. Such blasphemous words should not be spoken again, or you might be judged as a heretic.”

“Alright, alright, I won’t say it again~”

After a few sharp words, Vilyric was not upset at all. She simply changed the subject, and in her line of sight, the young mixed-blood servant who had previously followed the wealthy Pierre was still standing by the carriage, clad in shabby, patched clothes, cautiously looking around, seemingly afraid that a terrifying monster would suddenly leap out and drag him away.

Alone, he had not become a target of the attacks.

As she walked toward the companions waiting nearby, the White Fox Girl left her last piece of advice.

“You stay here, gather the people, and keep an eye on each other; that should keep you safe for now. That thing… I guess it has some kind of restraint, probably can’t appear openly, which is why it attacks in this manner.”

“…”

Until the figures of a few girls disappeared into the bushes and the depths of the forest, Afuri’s determined expression finally relaxed, revealing a helpless smile, as if all his previous panic, anxiety, and urgency were all a sham. He muttered to himself with a sigh.

“I know… many people in the church don’t have pure faith, myself included. I can’t say I’d give everything for the goddess, but I truly admire her….”

“Living in the Holy Nation, if we want to survive well, we can only go along with the rules here, and here, the church and the temple control everything… Oh, goddess. Sigh… please forgive my foolish words and blasphemies…”

…

“Miss Xī, what should we do next?”

After walking for a long time, once the noise of the caravan had faded away and only the serene greenery remained, Vilyric turned to look at Leila, who had posed the question, a slight smile curving her lips beneath the mask.

“What else is there to say? Of course, we need to find out what that thing attacking the caravans is and see what it really is.”

“Um, I understand what you mean, but the problem is…”

Without needing Leila to elaborate, the White Fox Girl quickly interjected with a smile.

“There are naturally many ways, but if we’re talking about the simplest… think about the conditions under which Afuri led those people, and what exactly happened when they were attacked?”

Without letting her companions continue to guess blindly, Vilyric directly gave instructions.

“Everyone, close your eyes.”

“Huh?”

Although some slow-reacting folks still looked a bit puzzled, those who usually trusted the Priestess Miss, including the Little Dragon Daughter, quickly complied and closed their eyes.

Then, a sound rang through the air like silver bells, clear and exceptionally loud.

“Light Goddess, you’re just a cowardly fool who can’t show yourself, big idiot!!!!”

“Idiot~ Idiot~ Idiot~…”

The echoes reverberated through the forest, lingering for a long time like firecrackers bursting in the tranquility, creating ripples everywhere.

“Crash!”

An unusual wind flowed out from the depths of the thicket, accompanying the still-fading shouts of the girls and surged forward, stirring a sharp, hostile air that pricked the skin!

   

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