Ch. 39 The Valley of Seol-in
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 39 – The Valley of Seol-in
After the attempted murder incident involving Sebert, the Return Guild became an object of avoidance among the people.
Even though the perpetrator who caused the incident had been expelled from the guild, the stigma remained.
Of course, people didn’t openly express their disdain in front of the Return Guild, but many began to subtly show their disapproval.
For example, when recruiting party members, people would fall silent if a Return Guild member approached.
Some even openly expressed their disgust. In such cases, fights would inevitably break out, but it was always the Return Guild that backed down first.
Many also stopped sending the weekly gold donations they had been contributing.
Yet, the Return Guild remained silent.
Early in the morning, before the sun had fully risen, I headed to the first floor of the inn to grab a meal.
There, I found Isolin.
She was munching on a large loaf of bread.
Since becoming a fixed party with Isolin, starting the morning together had become a habit.
I naturally sat down beside her.
“Mmm!”
As soon as she noticed me, Isolin waved her hand excitedly.
Her mouth was too full of bread to speak properly.
I tore off a small piece of her bread and nodded.
“Good morning.”
Lately, I’ve been in an exceptionally good mood. A smile never left my lips, and my short legs swung back and forth excitedly.
For someone like me, who loves this world, every player who wishes to return to reality is a source of anxiety.
Ever since the advance team returned, the worry that they might clear the game and send everyone back to the real world has always lingered in the back of my mind.
The Return Guild.
I tolerated their control because they were stronger than me. I paid tribute to them because they formed a much larger group.
Even public opinion was on their side.
They were willing to take risks for the sake of returning to reality.
Not just for themselves, but for all the players trapped in this world.
Who could dislike such a guild? Who would dare to openly express their disdain?
But now, things are different. After Sebert’s attempted murder, public opinion began to shift.
People tend to follow the crowd. As public opinion turned, the quiet discontent that had been simmering beneath the surface began to rise.
There were likely many who disliked the Return Guild for monopolizing the best hunting grounds. But they couldn’t express their dissatisfaction.
They were too concerned about what others might think.
Now, there’s no need to worry about that. The Sebert incident was clearly the Return Guild’s fault, and their subsequent handling of it was abysmal.
When a guild faces external problems, internal issues inevitably arise.
Most of those who joined the Return Guild likely had a strong sense of sacrifice.
They probably believed that their efforts to return to reality, always standing on the front lines for everyone’s sake, deserved praise.
I used to think so too.
But what they received in return was disdain and subtle avoidance.
It’s only natural that discontent would build up internally.
When discontent builds, members inevitably leave. A guild’s strength comes from its size.
As members leave, the Return Guild will naturally lose its power.
This is the ideal scenario I envision.
Imagining the Return Guild collapsing and the advance team scattering brings a smile to my face.
“Hehehe…”
“Why are you laughing so creepily…?”
At Isolin’s remark, I quickly cover my mouth. But then I realize something important and smile again.
“Creepy? There’s nothing creepy about a beautiful girl’s smile.”
“Uh… beautiful girl…”
Isolin looks bewildered by my response. I tilt my head at her reaction.
“What, am I wrong?”
This body, Supreme, is that of a beautiful girl.
This is an undeniable fact. As proof, I’m quite popular among the male NPCs in Fox Tail, especially the young boys.
After finishing breakfast, Isolin and I headed to the Temple of Archeres.
We needed to buy holy water before heading out to hunt.
When we arrived, we saw carriages lined up outside the temple that we hadn’t seen before.
The priests were busily moving supplies, indicating that some special event was happening inside.
Isolin and I exchanged glances before approaching the carriages.
“The food goes over there!”
“Yes!”
“The holy water goes to the third carriage!”
“Yes!”
“They look really busy.”
As Isolin said, the priests were extremely busy. They were running around frantically, and loud voices could be heard everywhere.
Then, I spotted a familiar figure.
The NPC who had taught me skills—Albert.
“Albert?”
“That voice…”
At my call, Albert slowly turned around. When he saw me, he gave a gentle smile.
“Ah, perfect timing. Sister Supreme. We’re short on hands… Would you mind helping us?”
Albert’s sudden request left Isolin and me blinking in confusion.
What was he thinking, asking two delicate girls to move heavy supplies?
Wondering if it was a quest, I glanced at the empty air. But the quest window I was expecting didn’t appear.
Still, I couldn’t refuse. Supreme, the 12-year-old priestess, was kind to everyone. She had to be kind.
However, before answering, I needed to consult someone first.
I tugged lightly on Isolin’s sleeve. She’s quick to catch on, so she probably understood my intention.
As proof, she gave a barely noticeable nod.
I forced a smile and answered.
“O-of course, we’ll help. Do we just need to move the supplies?”
“Yes. Just move the supplies inside the temple. It’s very simple.”
Was it really that simple? Regardless, Isolin and I headed inside the temple to move the supplies.
Staring at the mountain of supplies, Isolin said, “Do we really have to move all this?”
“W-well, we already agreed, so let’s move a few and then run away.”
Since we’d already agreed, we had to at least make an effort. Isolin and I picked up the lightest-looking boxes.
“Huff…!”
“Huff!”
The boxes we lifted were surprisingly heavy.
As players level up, their physical abilities improve significantly.
However, the increase in physical stats depends on the player’s main class.
Neither Isolin nor I have classes related to strength. So no matter how high our levels get, we can’t lift heavy objects with ease.
Groan—
Isolin and I worked hard, moving supplies alongside the priests. While we couldn’t carry heavy loads at once, we didn’t tire physically, so our speed didn’t slow.
After moving about 20 items, Albert approached us, holding an elegant glass bottle.
“Thank you for your hard work, Sister Supreme, and your friend…”
“Isolin.”
“This is a token of our gratitude for helping with the supplies.”
What Albert handed us was holy water. And not just any holy water—high-grade holy water.
[Archeres’ Blessed Holy Water]
Holy water blessed by Archeres, the Goddess of Abundance.
Though its composition is no different from ordinary water, the power it contains is beyond imagination.
- All stats +5
- Health regeneration per second +20
- Mana regeneration per second +20
- Additional damage to undead-type monsters +30%
- Duration: 30 minutes
“Oh…”
For simply moving a few supplies, this was quite a reward. My slightly annoyed mood quickly returned to normal.
Isolin and I naturally smiled.
As we stared at the holy water, Albert, who stood in front of us, spoke.
“Sister Supreme, have you heard of the Singing Sect?”
“The Singing Sect…?”
The mention of the Singing Sect reminded me of the ruins we had recently visited.
The bird that sang of destruction and the boss we encountered there—the Singing Priest Radanheim.
Although we only obtained fragmentary information from the item descriptions, we could roughly infer what the group that worshipped the bird had been up to.
“It seems you already know, Sister Supreme. That’s correct. They are a dreadful group that commits atrocities, seeking to destroy this world and move to a perfect world filled with dreams and hope.”
I nodded at Albert’s explanation. So, they were a religious group working toward the destruction of this world.
The thought of such a beautiful world being destroyed filled me with anger.
I gritted my teeth and shouted, “Those vile creatures…!”
“They burn down mountains and stir up undead in lands scarred by war, all while wishing for the world’s destruction.”
“They’re truly wicked!”
Isolin, standing beside me, also expressed her anger.
“But now!”
Albert suddenly raised his voice, building tension.
Isolin and I looked up at him with sparkling eyes.
“Traces of the Singing Sect have been discovered. Sister Supreme, and Isolin. What do you think we should do in such a situation?”
“We must destroy them!”
There was no need to think twice. We had to crush that heinous sect immediately.
Isolin, sharing my thoughts, nodded vigorously, her breath heavy with determination.
“As I thought. My judgment was correct. Come this way.”
“Yes!”
Isolin and I followed Albert. He led us to a large carriage.
He pushed us into the carriage and shouted, “Let’s go!”
[Sudden Quest Triggered!]
[Traces of the Singing Sect 1]
Traces of the Singing Sect, a religious group that sings of destruction, have been discovered.
Work with the Archeres Sect to eliminate the remnants of the Singing Sect.
Reward: Unknown
The carriage door closed, and we sped out of Fox Tail at an incredible speed.
Isolin and I stared out the window, our mouths agape.
“Ah…”
Vrslop_translator
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