Chapter 118: Priests of the God of Lies and Deception (3)

“I heard you came to see me,” Milayna said as she wore a slightly perplexed look.

Naflas nodded. “I do apologize for visiting so suddenly and causing trouble.”

“It’s fine.” Milayna trailed off. Their appearance caught her completely off guard.

If this were any other time, she would have refused outright. She had a mountain of tasks to handle and no spare time for strangers. However, they had arrived as representatives of a church, so she could not easily turn them away.

Naflas introduced himself. “I am Naflas, a follower of Kalosia, the God of Lies and Deception. I serve as an Elder in our church, though I claim little merit.”

“I am Hayes, a priestess of Kalosia’s church,” Hayes added.

Milayna gave a half-hearted nod. “Ah, yes... It’s nice to meet you.”

Her expression held a hint of hesitation, as if she felt uneasy about worshippers of Kalosia.

Naflas offered a wry smile. “I understand your concern. We mean no harm. If you wish, I can even swear it in Kalosia’s name.”

“No, that won’t be necessary,” Milayna said, hastily shaking her head. “I’ve heard your church has changed its policies.”

She cleared her throat before continuing, “So, you want to meet with Arkemis?”

Naflas and Hayes had come seeking help for a pressing matter: a crisis caused by the dark mages attacking Kalosia’s holy land. They hoped to ask Arkemis for assistance.

“Only you, Lady Milayna, can arrange a meeting with her. From what I know, Arkemis rarely communicates with outsiders,” Naflas said. He bowed his head in remorse. “I know it’s shameless and rude to ask this of you so suddenly, but our situation is dire.”

Milayna forced a small smile. “I understand. Since it involves evil, it’s only right for us to cooperate. But right now, it’s impossible for her to help.”

Arkemis had suffered severe injuries fighting the demon. Though she had recovered significantly, she was still nowhere near her full strength. She couldn’t spare the effort to aid anyone else.

Nafla’s eyes grew uncertain when he heard that. “I see.”

“Please accept my apologies,” Milayna said, bowing her head.

“It’s okay. Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice.”

Naflas and Hayes soon left. Once they were outside, Hayes muttered blankly, “What do we do now?”

Naflas sighed pensively. “I’m not sure.”

Without Arkemis, they had no chance of defeating the dark mages. He shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts. “Let’s at least rest for a bit and then think again.”

“Rest?” Hayes repeated.

“You’ve been rushing around without a break. You must be tired,” Naflas said. “Yes, we’re in a hurry, but we can spare enough time for at least a day of rest. Kalosia won’t blame us for that.”

Although their holy land stood in danger, it wasn’t quite at the breaking point. Thanks to their deity’s protection, they had a little time to maneuver.

“Sometimes, the harder you think, the less you get done,” Naflas continued. “Take a moment to breathe, and an answer might come. Try to keep your mind clear, at least for today. Who knows? We may stumble on a solution in the process.”

With that, Naflas walked away.

Hayes called after him, “Where are you going?”

“I think I’ll look around the capital,” he replied with a laugh. “Our holy land is nothing like this sprawling city. It’ll be worth exploring.”

Naflas disappeared down the street, and Hayes sighed.

“Half of this city was left in ruins,” she muttered. She knew Naflas had given her some free time so she could ease her tension, but it still felt pointless. “It won’t solve our problems.”

Even so, she admitted Naflas was right about one thing: stepping back sometimes helped clear the mind.

She decided to rest as well. Since leaving the Barcan Estate, they had traveled nonstop from place to place, and fatigue had piled up. As she strolled through the capital, she spotted a tearoom. It looked undamaged by the demons, probably because it was a bit removed from the city center. She could hear people talking inside, so they were clearly open for business.

It was a refined establishment—clean and elegant. Hayes felt a spark of curiosity and pushed the door open. A small bell rang as she entered, and then she cautiously took a seat at an empty table. Not long after, a server approached.

“May I take your order?”

“Yes,” Hayes answered and requested some tea and light refreshments. The server soon returned with her order.

“Here you go,” the server said, setting the items down. She lingered a moment, then asked shyly. “Pardon me, but... are you a priestess of the Earth Goddess?”

Hayes wore a priestess’s habit with distinctive symbols, so it was natural for the server to mistake her for a priestess of the Earth Goddess—especially since some of them had visited the city recently. The server’s eyes brimmed with warmth.

The server’s reaction made sense to Hayes. The Earth Goddess’s priests had sacrificed themselves to repel the demons, and many people had begun to worship the Earth Goddess in gratitude. Hayes gave a bitter smile. “No, I serve Kalosia, the God of Lies and Deception.”

“I see...” In an instant, the kindness in the server’s gaze gave way to alarm. She took a step back without meaning to, and other customers did the same when they overheard.

Hayes sighed softly. “Rest assured, I have no intention of causing trouble. If it puts you at ease, I can swear in Kalosia’s name.”

“N-no, that’s okay. Please enjoy your time...” The server retreated, almost running away.

Hayes watched with a twinge of sadness. She had grown used to such responses. After all, Kalosia’s divine power specialized in deception and trickery, so it was never a popular faith.

People’s reactions weren’t entirely unjustified—many priests of Kalosia had caused real harm in the past. Even though their church had changed its policies, its infamous history lingered. Hayes’s mood darkened at the thought.

In Barcan Estate, people had finally come to accept her after she had stayed long enough for them to know her personality. Here, strangers assumed the worst. Their distrust had always been the same everywhere else.

She pushed those gloomy thoughts aside. She had more pressing worries, such as defending their holy land from the forces of evil. Still, every plea for help had been refused, so they were running out of allies. She scowled, wondering if they really would have to ask for aid from another church.

Just then, the bell jingled again, signaling the entrance of a new customer. Hayes was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice. But when she heard the scrape of a chair, she glanced up.

“Hm?” she murmured. People were darting outside in panic, eyes filled with fear.

Are they afraid of me?

she wondered.

Did they leave because they can’t stand being near a priestess of Kalosia?

Her heart sank, but she quickly realized the reason was something else. Her face went pale when she spotted a hulking barbarian settling into a chair. The ornate seat creaked and threatened to break under his weight.

Hayes recognized him immediately. The barbarian felt her stare, turned his head, and their eyes met.

The barbarian broke into a broad grin. “Oh! Hayes! Isn’t that you?”

“K-Ketal?” she stammered.

***

Ketal’s face truly lit up when he saw Hayes. Meanwhile, Hayes was stunned.

Why is this barbarian here?

she thought.

Ketal stood up. “We meet again! What a coincidence! May I join you?”

“Y-yes, of course,” Hayes replied.

Ketal crossed the room in a few strides and settled into a seat opposite Hayes, his expression brimming with goodwill. He genuinely seemed pleased to see her. They had become acquaintances in the Barcan Estate. She had even teamed up with him for a few Dungeons. They eventually parted ways over a separate escort mission, and now here they were again—a reunion that Ketal found wonderful.

Hayes, however, felt flustered. “K-Ketal, why are you here...?”

“I left the Barcan Estate for an escort request, and my destination happened to be this capital,” Ketal said. “I’ve stayed here for a while now.”

Just then, one of the servers approached with tears in her eyes.

“D-do you... have any order...?” she asked in a trembling voice, as if trying to hide behind a hole in the ground. She looked even more afraid of Ketal than she had of Hayes.

Ketal ordered his food, and the server scurried away.

Hayes asked cautiously. “Is this a place you visit often?”

“No, it’s my first time,” Ketal said. He had been spending his days at Arkemis’s house, learning alchemy. Since Arkemis was still recovering, he couldn’t train with her every day, so he had wandered around the capital out of boredom, found this tearoom, and walked inside—only to find Hayes.

It was a surreal bit of luck that he happily called a

fantasy-like coincidence.

Hayes had similar thoughts, though tinged with disbelief.

“What brings you here?” Ketal asked her. “Are you here for sightseeing?”

“No, I came to ask for help regarding a problem in my church,” she said.

“A problem?” Ketal echoed, showing immediate interest. “What sort of problem?”

“Well...” Hayes trailed off. Although it wasn’t exactly a secret, there was no real benefit in announcing it to everyone.

Ketal seemed to sense her hesitation and spoke gently. “Weren’t we comrades once? If it’s something you can’t share, that’s fine. But if talking helps, I’ll listen. It’s up to you.”

“Ketal...” Hayes sounded moved. Thinking it over, she remembered he had never harmed her. He had even helped and protected her. She was the one who had feared him for no reason, unconsciously distancing herself. That was her own prejudice.

I shouldn’t be like this,

she thought.

If I am afraid of him for no reason, how am I different from those who fear me only because I’m the priestess of Kalosia?

She felt a pang of guilt, then decided to confide in him. She calmly explained how the holy land of Kalosia was under siege by evil forces, that an Elder of her church had urged her to leave the Barcan Estate to seek aid, and that they had traveled from place to place, asking various nations for help—without success.

“We also appealed to the Gehantra Kingdom, but they’re too busy handling border troubles,” Hayes said with a sigh. “It was the same in every other kingdom.”

Ketal sat quietly, absorbing her words.

“Dark mages attacking a holy land...,” he murmured with a certain spark in his voice.

Hayes didn’t notice that subtle excitement and simply nodded. “Things look grim. We’re not strong enough on our own, so we need all the help we can get.”

“Yes, that sounds dire. You definitely need assistance.” Ketal nodded in agreement. He paused, then asked, “What if it’s just an individual who wants to help? Would that pose any problem for your church?”

“No, not at all. We’d be grateful for anyone’s help,” Hayes replied. She suddenly realized the implication of his question and looked closely at Ketal. “Wait, when you say an individual, you don’t mean...”

Ketal grinned. “That’s perfect! You’re a comrade and a friend, so of course I can’t stand by and do nothing. Let me lend you my humble strength!”