Ch.37Chapter 37. Golden Sun Tribe (4)

# Chapter 37. Golden Sun Tribe (4)

“How dare you in front of Lord Malak!”

“Her tongue should be ripped out!”

The barbarian warriors, their faces flushed red, shouted in anger.

They looked ready to draw their weapons at any moment.

“That woman, she, she, what on earth…!”

One barbarian elder even grabbed her by the nape of her neck.

“Sister! What are you doing! We could all die because of this!”

“Didn’t we agree to join them?”

The flustered civilized people confronted the nun from awkward positions.

They even shook their heads at the barbarians as if to indicate that the nun’s sudden action had nothing to do with them.

“Please calm down for a moment…”

“Shut your mouth, you filthy civilized person!”

The knight tried to calm the situation, but to no effect.

“…”

Tur glared at the nun and made a gesture for something to be brought, and a subordinate who saw the signal pulled out a sharp, awl-like knife from his waist.

Is that some kind of torture device? This looks like it could turn into a knife fight.

A nun would be a valuable asset. When I saw her fighting against the infected horde earlier, she was shooting some kind of white light.

She might not be at Paladin level, but she’d be more useful than an ordinary barbarian warrior when fighting demons.

I should step in here.

– Enough.

“…”

With my single word, all the barbarians fell silent. Even the subordinate bringing the awl-like knife stopped in his tracks.

– Nun, state your name.

This time the knight didn’t translate. Since it’s the word of a god, she should be able to hear it without translation.

“…It’s Grace.”

Though I’m a foreign god, a god is still a god, and the nun answered in a trembling voice, seemingly afraid of me.

She can’t even meet my eyes properly. Where did all that earlier spirit go?

Suddenly, I’m curious about something.

If the nun’s power comes from the goddess, would she lose that power if she changed who she worships to me?

That would be problematic.

– I’m not ordering you to betray the one you serve. You simply need to serve me as well.

I heard from Harry, one of the civilized people, that the Goddess religion isn’t monotheistic.

It’s closer to henotheism, apparently.

They acknowledge multiple gods but worship the goddess Ishtania as supreme.

Just need to change that mindset a bit—worship Ishtania while also worshiping me.

“…”

You don’t like that either? Well, I suppose it would be difficult.

– Grace, I won’t ask you to follow me immediately. You’ll need time to sort out your feelings, and I’ll give you that time.

Let’s go with the “I’m a generous god” approach.

“Accept it! Quickly! Before the god becomes angry!”

The knight, kneeling again, urged the nun.

“…Thank you for giving me the opportunity.”

Grace the nun answered reluctantly.

– But I won’t wait long. You’ll have to choose soon.

Let me add just one more thing.

– Remember that I, Malak, am the only one who broke the taboo and came down to save the earth. It wasn’t Ishtania who saved you from the infected horde.

This is directed at all the civilized people.

That should be enough for everyone to understand. It’s getting late, I should go now.

I deactivated the binding totem and returned to Totem #1.

“Ah…!”

I made direct eye contact with Paya, who was cleaning Totem #1.

Ah, today was totem cleaning day. I forgot because I’ve been so busy.

“…Did you go to the Golden Sun Tribe?”

– Yes.

“How is Chief Nix?”

Come to think of it, I didn’t see Nix. Perhaps he wasn’t brought to battle because he’s from another tribe.

That makes sense. Combat requires good teamwork. No matter how good a fighter someone is, they can’t match comrades who’ve trained together and shared the same battlefield.

Unless they’re as good at fighting as Lakye.

Or maybe they’re just giving him special treatment because he’s a chief from another tribe.

– I didn’t see him today.

“I hope he’s doing well. Moving tribes twice… it must be painful for him.”

– Chief Nix has a strong mind. He’ll overcome it soon.

Nix never lost hope even in desperate situations, gathering his tribe members and moving forward.

Although I served as both a spiritual pillar and compass for them, it would have been difficult without Nix fulfilling his role as a leader.

Paya, who was diligently cleaning the totem with her hands moving here and there, spoke again.

“…It’s been a while since I talked with Lord Malak alone.”

Has it?

“You’re always with Chief Lakye these days…”

Paya’s lips jutted out in a pout.

That can’t be helped. Lakye is the strongest.

I can’t ask Paya to hunt lesser demons.

“But I was the first… Lord Malak came at my call…”

She is the first vassal.

Is this the typical attachment of a child?

She’s cute, like a daughter complaining to her father who comes home late.

Paya suddenly covered her mouth with a “hup” as if she’d said something she shouldn’t have.

“I-I’m sorry. What am I saying.”

– It’s fine.

Well, she’s still emotionally immature at her age. I had moments like that too.

Was it in middle school? Anyway, it was when I was attending a comprehensive academy.

There was this really pretty college student who came as a math instructor.

Tall, well-proportioned, well-dressed—truly model-like. The second most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.

Fortunately, our academy offered private tutoring. I immediately ran to my mom and said:

‘Mother…! I want to study math…!’

Looking down slightly, with my mouth slightly open, tears streaming down my face.

‘My son has finally come to his senses! Great!’

My mom, obsessed with academic achievement, immediately took out her phone.

And so began the one-on-one date—I mean, private tutoring…!

At 8 PM, when all academy classes ended. I waited leisurely for her, mocking my friends who were happy to go home.

Finally, sitting at a desk right next to the model-like noona.

The beautiful voice coming from beside me, and the soft elbow that occasionally touched mine because the desk was small.

It felt like heaven.

Until I heard that the instructor had a boyfriend of seven years.

The most wonderful man in the world, she said, and they were definitely going to get married.

Damn… those disgusting true love believers…!

‘Huuung~!’

I had no choice but to run out of the academy crying in the middle of tutoring.

My math score that semester was 40 points. That’s when my father brought out the fly swatter again.

I wonder if my switch to liberal arts and my perpetual struggle with math were because of that noona.

– …

The memory of my first love still remains in a corner of my heart.

That noona must be married by now. She might even have a child.

I remember what she said:

‘You’ll become a wonderful man when you grow up~!’

Noona, I became a totem… in another world…

Sigh.

“Lord Malak, is your recovery going smoothly?”

Paya woke me from my reverie.

Recovery. She must be asking if I’m earning points well.

– It gets better with each passing day.

I just killed a boar-infected and mastered another blessing.

After killing three lesser demons and something close to them, it was about time.

The problem is that this is a consumable blessing like “Berserker’s Spirit.”

[Path of the Spirit Mage: Infuses knowledge of spirit magic. The more talented the recipient, the greater achievements they can attain. You can bestow this blessing on one follower, and it can only be used once.]

Unlike “Berserker’s Spirit,” which stated that one grows stronger with each battle, this one doesn’t specify exactly what “spirit magic” is.

The question is who to give it to.

Someone with exceptional talent for spirit magic? If only there was a way to confirm that.

Since this is similar to shamanism, I thought it would be good to give it to a priest, but it was a bit awkward to give it to the priests of the tribal federation.

Paya is too young, and Muri is too old.

It takes several hours just to go down the mountain—do they have that kind of stamina?

Separately, as a 21st-century modern Korean, I didn’t want a young teenage girl to risk her life fighting.

There’s a huge difference between kids throwing axes among themselves for fun and actually throwing axes at enemies on a real battlefield.

“Have you regained a new blessing?”

– Yes.

I explained that blessings were powers I originally possessed.

Lost my power when I fell to earth… that kind of common setting.

“I see… I want to receive a blessing like Chief Kanto and fight alongside Lord Malak.

Will that be possible someday?”

Paya seemed to want to go into battle like Kanto and Lakye.

Let’s assume I respect her opinion, give her a blessing, and take her on raids.

What if she dies?

Wouldn’t I regret it?

…There’s no urgent situation yet, so let me think about it more.

***

Several days passed.

After monitoring the demons’ movements, I visited the Golden Sun Tribe again… oh no.

“Kill her!”

“Woman with a serpent’s tongue!”

Grace the nun was tied up in the middle of the altar.

“Burn that witch!”

“Offer her as a sacrifice!”

The barbarians were trying to set it on fire.

What’s going on? Why is there suddenly an execution taking place?

“I knew this would happen…”

“Really…!”

Not only the barbarians, but even the civilized people were looking at Grace the nun with unfriendly eyes.

They’re reacting like that too?

No, Sister. What on earth have you done this time?