Ch.48What does that have to do with anything?

As Nahan carefully laid Hestia down on the ground while cradling her, a green light gathered beside him, forming the shape of a massive man.

Upon materializing, the figure strode over with purposeful steps, bent his large frame toward Nahan, and asked:

-[Who is the senior warrior here?]

“Excuse me?”

-[I asked who the senior warrior is!!]

His voice was thunderous as expected.

Among the many people present, only Nahan and the unconscious Hestia furrowed their brows.

Regardless of their reaction,

The Progenitor of Guardners – Balak Gardner shouted again with an angry voice.

-[No matter how much time has passed since I entered eternal rest, how dare some wet-behind-the-ears brat interfere with a battle between warriors!!]

Nahan finally understood.

‘Ah, this crazy old man. He’s angry because I interrupted his duel with Asha.’

With this realization, he immediately asked:

“So, what exactly can you do about it?”

-[…What did you say?]

“Whether I interfere or extract you from this body, what can you actually do about it?”

This incident had taught him something.

The power of the Celestial Shield came entirely from Balak Gardner.

That’s why when Balak left the engraved pattern, its function stopped, and now that he had been extracted from Hestia, the power had returned.

While Balak might be able to leave at will, Nahan could always pull him back.

Of course, there was the condition of “direct contact,” but…

‘That man probably doesn’t know that yet.’

As if reading Nahan’s thoughts, Balak’s brow wrinkled severely.

-[This was a duel between warriors!! It wasn’t something for the likes of you to interfere with!!]

“What duel? What if she had died because of you? And if you want to fight so badly, why not use your own body?”

-[What a fool!! Do I look alive to you?!]

“…Fool?”

Being called such by Balak Gardner, the progenitor of the thick-headed family, made him feel several dozen times worse than usual.

So Nahan,

Discarding what little courtesy he had left, asked once more:

“So, what exactly can you do about it?”

-[Ha!! I can do anything!! Combat, sparring, battle, you name it!!]

“I won’t let you.”

-[What?]

Nahan looked back and forth between Hestia and Balak Gardner, then smirked.

“You’ve designated her as your avatar.”

-[…Fruit punch? What’s with the sudden mention of fruit?]

It’s avatar, you genuine idiot.

Anyway, after diligently climbing the stairs and gathering various information through the system:

“Balak, you can’t manifest to anyone except me and her anymore.”

-[…What?]

Nahan explained a bit more clearly for Balak who didn’t understand.

Avatar.

A representative chosen by goddesses, high-level spirits, or souls like Balak, who can exert power close to the original being when selected.

Normally, manifestation occurs with the avatar’s consent when requested, but Balak was an add-on product that came with the “Celestial Shield.”

Since that “Celestial Shield” was now attributed to Nahan, Balak was likewise under Nahan’s control.

To put it more simply:

“You’re my possession now.”

-[What a dishonorable piece of trash!!]

No sooner had he finished speaking than Balak’s soul lunged toward Nahan.

Despite being a spiritual entity, Balak emitted a pressure worthy of a Light-class being, but…

【The soul bound to you – <Balak Gardner(SS+)> is attempting to attack.】

【Would you like to subdue it?】

【Accept / Decline.】

As per the information he had acquired while climbing, the system stepped in to suggest subduing him.

Just before pressing the button,

Nahan placed his finger over “Accept” and made an offer to Balak.

“Old man. If you listen to me well, I’ll release you from this binding within a few years.”

-[If I kill you, I’ll be free anyway!!!]

“Take it or leave it.”

Tap.

A light touch of his finger and a sardonic smile on Nahan’s face.

Balak, charging forward in rage, noticed it too late.

【Subduing.】

【Delivering customized fear to Avatar – <Balak Gardner(SS+)>.】

Thud.

As the reddish warning message appeared, a book fell in front of him.

-[That’s…!!]

He immediately tried to turn and flee, but as if bound by something invisible, Balak found himself in what looked like an invisible chair.

A book was placed at his eye level, and…

Flutter.

A page turned by itself, and a pen was placed in his hand.

-[N-numbers……]

“Numbers?”

Glancing sideways, Nahan saw it was a book filled with addition and subtraction problems, like an elementary school workbook.

‘This is the customized fear? Forcing him to sit in a chair and solve math problems?’

While Nahan was puzzled,

-[Damn it, fine. I’ll accept your proposal. Huh? Can you hear me? I’ll help you for however many years, just get rid of this cursed book first. Hey. HEY!! Can’t you hear me!!!?]

Nahan nodded as Balak acted as if he’d seen a ghost.

-[Please!! I promise I won’t threaten you again!! Y-yes!! I’ll even teach you all the arcane arts!!]

Though Balak was begging like a child being dragged away, Nahan shook his head.

“I can’t release you.”

-[What…?]

“I said I can’t. It seems you have to complete the entire book yourself to be freed from the binding.”

To be honest, he probably could free him right away, but…

‘Why should I?’

Since Balak was already noisy and bothersome, Nahan decided to establish discipline.

“Just so you know, if you attack me or disobey, this will activate automatically.”

-[…I’ll keep that in mind.]

With Balak starting to solve the problems, the hierarchy between the two was established.

Only then did Nahan look down at the sleeping Hestia in his arms and sigh.

“What should I do now?”

Balak’s manifestation,

Hestia’s rampage,

Me subduing it.

‘I already told Asha that my power, or rather Ian Red’s power, is definitively the ability to determine life and death by looking at objects.’

A priest receives one power per person.

Of course, there are occasionally those who develop two or three powers, but…

‘Those people don’t become free priests. …No, they can’t.’

The church would never let go of someone blessed by a goddess.

‘…So that’s all there is to it.’

A free priest who left the church thinking his meager ability would be a burden, only to awaken a new power afterward.

That new power is…

‘Communicating with souls? Handling souls? I don’t know, let’s just call it something to do with souls.’

Since I’ve only awakened it a few days ago, they should let it slide if I say I don’t know much about it.

‘Somehow it feels like my backstory keeps expanding, but what can I do.’

As he was thinking this, waiting for someone to come up, something leaped up from the ground with a “pang” sound.

And simultaneously, she arrived.

A person who transcended humanity to an astonishing degree, now even awe-inspiring, Asha Mirabel.

Despite starting later than the others, she arrived much earlier and cautiously asked:

“Why?”

Surprised by her sudden formality and careful demeanor, Nahan couldn’t help but ask back:

“Why what?”

“I treated the priest so coldly, yet you still…”

“Still what, Hero?”

“I, I…”

Contrary to her usual icy demeanor, her face was flushed with hesitation.

“I…!”

Just as Asha was finally about to say something after much hesitation,

“Ugh… What happened…?”

Hestia, who had been lying in Nahan’s arms, blinked and opened her eyes.

“One moment. May we talk later?”

“…Yes.”

After getting Asha’s consent, Nahan carefully helped Hestia sit up and asked:

“Are you alright?”

“…Huh? Priest Ian Red? What on earth happened?”

Nahan briefly explained what had happened while she was unconscious.

First, the attack during the solar eclipse.

Speaking as if he were a third party, Hestia thought for a moment before asking quietly:

“Was it the Black Wolf?”

“I’m not certain, but probably not. The head of the family captured some of them, so we’ll know after interrogation.”

“Ah…”

Though she seemed greatly disappointed for some reason, Nahan continued without concern, explaining what happened next.

Someone, he didn’t know who, had possessed the lady’s body and then disappeared.

“What did they look like?”

“Well…”

Pretending to think while glancing at Balak, he slowly described Balak’s appearance.

Hair like a lion’s mane,

Chestnut-colored eyes,

An elderly man as massive as an ancient tree.

“…Could it be?”

She seemed to realize something and brightened up, but that was as far as it went.

Several others, besides Asha and Hestia, had gathered around.

“Hestia!!”

“Priest. What happened here?”

Balkan rushing over frantically, the still composed Head Tehelan, Rohan, and several other warriors.

Nahan explained everything to Tehelan as well.

“In any case, I stabilized the soul that possessed the lady using the second power I gained after the previous incident.”

“May I ask what this soul looked like?”

“Ah, that…”

After Nahan explained once more, Tehelan strode forward, grabbed Hestia’s left arm, and rolled up her sleeve.

“Ah…!”

As Hestia blushed in embarrassment, glancing at Nahan, Tehelan discovered a pattern mixing vegetation and a shield, and softly exclaimed:

“The Progenitor has visited.”

“…So it was him after all. Could she have been chosen as his avatar?”

“We’ll find out when we check. If so… Let’s discuss this later, as the matter is serious.”

“Yes, Head.”

After whispering this, Tehelan turned around and bowed his head to Asha.

“Thank you.”

A straightforward and dignified statement befitting the head of the Gardner family, without any embellishment.

Asha acknowledged it with a nod, and Nahan with a smile.

But Tehelan did not raise his head.

“Um, Head…?”

Only when a confused Nahan reached out his hand did Tehelan speak again.

“I apologize for asking, but could I trouble you once more?”

“Trouble me?”

“Would you mind discussing the details in my office?”

Recognizing that this must be something important, Nahan nodded.

‘It hasn’t even been a day yet. The Black Wolf shouldn’t be causing trouble.’

When Nahan agreed, Asha and Balkan looked at each other and asked:

“What about Marin?”

“Ah! That’s right, she said she liked that man and would come see him!”

“…That’s unusual.”

“I know! Marin taking a liking to someone she just met!”

Marin the Great Sage.

As talented as she was lazy, and distrustful of people, she was the mage of the hero’s party, but…

【Sub-Quest Completed!】

【Reward – You receive the trust of the Light!】

The reward for the sub-quest “I Too Am a Hero” was apparently not a lie.

No sooner had the words ended than a blue-haired woman gently floated down, munching on a cookie, looked around, and pointed directly at Nahan.

“So you’re the one? The free priest.”

“Free Priest Ian Red, at your service.”

“Mm. I’m Marin.”

Step, step, step.

Marin walked over and offered her half-eaten cookie to Nahan.

“Want some?”

“…Thank you.”

A cookie with visible bite marks, now soggy.

Though Asha and Hestia stared intently, Nahan quietly averted his gaze.

After Marin joined them,

They followed Tehelan to his office, and before refreshments could even be served, Tehelan showed them an empty safe and spoke:

“The Celestial Shield has disappeared.”

“What!?”

“…?”

I’m sorry.

‘But I can’t give it back.’

It’s one thing that I used enhancement rights on it, but it’s become a bound item.

As Nahan inwardly apologized and vowed to return it someday,

Marin, who had somehow grabbed onto Nahan’s arm, furrowed her brow and muttered:

“Ugh, war is such a hassle.”

“Excuse me? War?”

“The Celestial Shield is gone, didn’t you hear? There’ll be a war soon enough.”

But wait,

What does that have to do with anything?