Chapter 120: Priests of the God of Lies and Deception (5)

Every church, including the Church of Kalosia, had its own ceremonial etiquette. Given that most religious orders boasted centuries of history, it made sense for each to possess a unique set of customs and formalities. However, almost no one actually followed these rituals anymore. Even Naflas hadn’t bothered using Kalosia’s ceremonial greetings when meeting Barbosa or Milayna.

It was because outside the church itself, hardly anyone knew these rites existed.

There were countless churches in the world, and unless it was one of the major faiths such as the Sun God’s or the Earth Goddess’s, few bothered to learn some lesser-known group’s protocols. Thus, most people saw no point in using them. However, Ketal was now performing Kalosia’s etiquette with flawless precision.

Even after he took a seat, Naflas couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“How did you... learn Kalosia’s ceremonial greeting?” Naflas asked, sounding rattled.

“I heard it from Hayes a while back,” Ketal answered, smiling in satisfaction. “Judging by your reaction, I’m glad I didn’t get it wrong.”

Naflas’s eyes widened. He assumed that must have happened back in the Barcan Estate. Naflas couldn’t believe this barbarian remembered their church’s rites so perfectly, even though so much time had passed.

Ketal’s low voice broke into Naflas’s thoughts. “Let me make something clear. I do not worship any god.”

Naflas said nothing, listening intently.

“Still,” Ketal continued, “that doesn’t mean I can’t follow another faith’s ceremonial etiquette. You serve Kalosia. I think it’s only proper to show you respect.”

Naflas’s expression softened in quiet awe. He didn’t expect he’d receive respect from a barbarian, of all people. Ketal had made a favorable impression on Naflas. Realizing he might be losing objectivity, Naflas forced himself to remain calm with a quick cough.

“Hayes told me a bit about you. She said you cleared a Dungeon together in Barcan Estate.”

“That’s right,” Ketal agreed.

Hayes and Ketal had handled a few requests side by side, occasionally meeting for a meal afterward. In other words, they were no more than casual acquaintances. Under normal circumstances, one would hardly risk life and limb against the forces of evil for someone only met a handful of times.

“Why did you say you want to help us?” Naflas asked him, looking perplexed. “We’re just a small and insignificant order. We cannot afford to pay you what your strength is worth, which means you will be risking your life for nothing.”

Naflas said it bluntly, narrowing his eyes as if trying to gauge Ketal’s motives.

“Hm,” Ketal murmured to himself. In reality, his main reason was that he wanted to see a god’s holy land up close. However, he couldn’t just say that outright. Instead, he offered a more reasonable explanation. “You’re correct that Hayes and I aren’t particularly close. But we were comrades once, and I consider her a friend.”

“That’s it?” Naflas pressed.

Ketal cocked his head. “If a friend is in danger, it’s only natural to help, right?”

At least, that much was true to his own feelings.

Naflas’s voice trembled when he spoke again. “But you will gain nothing from it. Hayes is someone you’ve only known briefly, and there’s no reward in it for you. You’re still willing to do this?”

Ketal shrugged. “Isn’t that what friendship is? Why overthink it?”

I’ve always wanted to say something like this,

Ketal mused, struggling not to smile. He felt a surge of satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Naflas was deeply moved.

Friendship,

he thought.

Devotion to another person, such that you’d risk your own life to help them...

Some people would call it foolish, but as a servant of a god, Naflas found it profound. He, too, had often been labeled naive or reckless for his faith. Ketal’s words stirred something in him. His fondness for this barbarian grew stronger, though he did his best to keep his reaction in check.

No,

Naflas reminded himself.

I can’t let my emotions lead me. I need to see if he’s hiding something.

“Frankly, it’s hard to trust what you’re saying.” Naflas leveled a guarded stare at Ketal as he pointed a finger toward him. “You’re a barbarian—a people who revere strength above everything else. You generally denounce the gods we serve and look down on us. Yet you claim Hayes is your friend and that you’ll risk your life for our holy land?”

Suspicion colored his one. Naflas continued, “I can’t believe it. And more than that, we serve the God of Lies and Deception, Kalosia. Barbarians hate deceit more than anything. Even those few barbarians who accept certain gods can’t hide their contempt for Kalosia’s name.”

Inwardly, Naflas whispered a prayer of his deity.

Kalosia, grant Your servant the power of our holy chime.

A swirl of divine energy gathered in Naflas’s soul, forming a small bell—the manifestation of Kalosia’s authority. If someone in that room tried to deceive Naflas through lies or trickery, the bell would ring, exposing their dishonesty.

It was a high-level power that required time to prepare, and it only activated when multiple people were present.

Naflas waited silently for Ketal’s next words, listening intently for any sign of the chime.

Ketal said, “Why would worshipping someone ever be a reason for persecution or ridicule?”

That unexpected response caught Naflas off guard. “What...?”

“Have your people done something horribly wrong?” Ketal asked him.

“N-no,” Naflas stammered. They did have a dark past, but in recent years, the Church of Kalosia had changed its ways.

“Then what’s the issue?” Ketal said. He seemed genuinely puzzled. “I don’t see how worshipping someone makes you deserve scorn.”

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Coming from modern Korea, Ketal believed in the concept of religious freedom—discriminating against someone for their beliefs alone felt fundamentally wrong. It was only natural to him.

“Even if some priest of Kalosia caused trouble in the past, that’s an individual’s fault, not a problem with the entire group,” Ketal added.

Naflas’s confusion only grew. This world mirrored the medieval era in many ways, complete with strict social ranks and widespread discrimination. Multiple sentient races—elves, dwarves, and more—coexisted, and prejudice between peoples, faiths, and cultures was practically a way of life here. It was so ingrained that few considered it unjust.

“You mean you don’t look down on us for worshipping Kalosia?” Naflas asked him, his tone revealing his disbelief.

Ketal answered calmly. “If I held such prejudice, I wouldn’t have befriended Hayes in the first place. To me, Hayes is Hayes, and I don’t care what god she follows.”

Silence fell, punctuated by the absence of any chime. Naflas understood that Ketal spoke the truth.

In that moment, Naflas stared at Ketal with wide eyes, a storm of emotion building inside him. As an Elder, he had lived a very long time as a priest of Kalosia. He had faced scorn at nearly every turn—some of it understandable, given the misdeeds of their church in the past, but much of it was raw hostility simply because of whom he served.

Over time, he had grown numb. The initial pain had given way to a dull resignation, leaving him feeling hollow.

Now here was a barbarian, typically the last sort of person who would defend a priest, saying that he didn’t care who Naflas worshipped, as if it were the simplest matter in the world. The words struck Naflas’s worn heart like a bolt of lightning. He felt tears threaten to spill from his eyes, and his weathered features betrayed the emotions he couldn’t suppress.

***

Hayes sat on the bed in their lodging, her anxious mood evident in the way she swung her legs.

“I wonder if they’ve finished talking yet,” she mumbled, casting worried glances at the door.

Naflas and Ketal had been in conversation for a while. It had probably ended by now, but Hayes wasn’t sure how things would turn out.

I really have no idea,

she thought.

On one hand, Naflas might have found Ketal likable. After all, Ketal usually didn’t cause problems. If Naflas accepted him, Hayes would have no objections. She had been worried she was overthinking it, anyway.

Naflas would certainly test Ketal. If Ketal passed, then maybe her lingering reservations were just her own misconceptions. The intense conflict she witnessed with the inquisitor and the demon might have planted the wrong ideas in her head.

While she was trying to steady her thoughts, the door opened, and Naflas entered with an unusually excited look on his face.

“How did it go?” Hayes asked him quickly.

Naflas spoke in a tremulous but elated voice. “He is a saint.”

“I’m sorry...?”

“I never imagined someone like him could exist. What if this barbarian form is just a disguise? Could it be that a great being had descended in human shape to observe the mortal world?”

“W-wait, what?” Hayes was taken aback. Naflas was clearly behaving oddly. “What are you talking about?”

Naflas gave a small laugh. “Yes, I realize I might be overthinking it. Even so, he’s truly extraordinary. For a barbarian to show such a mindset... Can that really be possible?”

He couldn’t hide his excitement, and it left Hayes feeling alarmed.

“Naflas...?” she ventured.

Hayes had expected Naflas to be impressed, maybe even relieved—Ketal had accepted her without much hesitation, and Naflas had suffered from discrimination for a long time. She had guessed that would earn Ketal some favor. However, this went well beyond that.

Naflas looked almost entranced, which alarmed Hayes to the point of turning pale.

“Naflas, please calm down. You’re scaring me,” she said.

“I’m calmer than I have ever been. Ketal showed no sign of rejecting us in any way.” Naflas chuckled softly. He rubbed his chin in thought. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. “Maybe... I should consider recruiting him into our church.”

Hayes’s face turned as white as a sheet.