Chapter 155: The Inquisitor of the Sun God and the Mage from the Mage Tower (2)

“Wait... what is that?” Aquaz finally managed to utter, staring blankly at Ketal’s hand.

“It’s holy power, of course,” Ketal replied with a puzzled expression, as though it was obvious.

“No, I meant...” Aquaz paused, struggling to find the right words. She forced down her initial reaction.

It was indeed holy power, undeniably genuine. The brilliant, sacred glow emanating from Ketal’s hand was unmistakable. As a follower of the Sun God, Aquaz was certain of what she saw; she couldn’t possibly mistake it for anything else.

That was precisely why she was compelled to ask, her voice filled with bewilderment, “How do you possess holy power?”

“It was granted to me,” Ketal replied casually, as though discussing something trivial.

“Granted? By whom?”

“By Kalosia.”

Aquaz stiffened, eyes widening. “Do you mean Kalosia, the God of Lies and Deception?”

“Yes. Is there another Kalosia I should know about?” Ketal tilted his head in mild confusion.

“No, there isn’t, but...” Aquaz trailed off, her confusion only deepening.

In this world, the name of a god held absolute significance. Only the true god could bear such a name, so the Kalosia Ketal mentioned had to be the same deity. That much was clear, yet it only intensified her bewilderment.

“So, let me clarify this,” Aquaz began slowly, trying to comprehend the situation as she spoke. “You’re saying Kalosia personally bestowed divine power upon you?”

“Yes, that’s exactly it.”

She struggled to absorb his words, each one sounding less believable than the last. Aquaz muttered in disbelief, almost to herself, “But how could you possibly wield holy power...?”

“Oh, now I get it,” Ketal replied, finally understanding why she was so confused. He lightly tapped the jet-black bracelet on his wrist. “This is Kalosia’s holy relic. I received it directly from them as a reward for saving their sanctuary. With it, I can channel holy power.”

Ketal patiently explained, but his answer only made Aquaz’s head spin even more. She felt dizzy, almost nauseated by the absurdity of it all. Struggling to grasp what she’d just heard, she spoke again hesitantly.

“So, Kalosia gave you a holy relic... personally?” she asked.

“Yes, exactly.”

“That’s just...” She faltered, lost for words.

“What’s wrong?” Ketal asked her, mildly puzzled. “I thought Shadranes explained everything already. Didn’t you talk to her earlier?”

“I did talk to her, but she didn’t tell me any of this.”

“Huh, strange. Maybe she meant for me to explain it myself.” Ketal shrugged, then proceeded to recount everything in detail, carefully explaining every event that had happened.

Aquaz felt increasingly overwhelmed as she listened. Her mind seemed more tangled than before. Eventually, she just mumbled faintly, “Uh... I see.”

“You look confused,” Ketal said, frowning slightly. “Should I try explaining it more simply?”

“N-no, it’s okay. I understood the basics,” Aquaz replied quickly, forcing herself to regain composure.

She took a deep breath and then slowly recounted what she understood, step by step, to confirm it clearly.

Ketal arrived at Kalosia’s holy land. He fought against the dark mages and defended the site from evil’s invasion. Eventually, he confronted the summoned demon, Lubitra.

In the heat of that desperate battle, Kalosia directly intervened and granted Ketal the strength needed to defeat the demon. With that divine aid, Ketal succeeded in banishing the demon to Hell.

Afterward, Ketal personally spoke with Kalosia, and as a reward for saving the holy land, Kalosia gave him the holy relic, allowing him to wield holy power.

After summarizing all this aloud, Aquaz looked even more bewildered.

Ketal nodded enthusiastically, clearly impressed. “Exactly! You’ve understood it perfectly!”

“This is unbelievable...” Aquaz’s expression contorted with disbelief.

Even having summarized the events herself, she still couldn’t bring herself to fully believe him. It felt absurd—like hearing that a lion and a rabbit had become close friends, introduced their families, and even shared a home peacefully together.

Yet, the shining divine relic on Ketal’s wrist undeniably proved that this absurd scenario had indeed taken place. It felt utterly impossible, yet nothing contradicted Shadranes’s account.

Aquaz’s head began to ache from the paradoxical reality. Then a sudden realization struck her.

What about the prophecy from the Saintess of the Sun God?

The Sun God’s Saintess had explicitly warned Aquaz about Ketal, calling him a being beyond prophecy, whose intentions were unclear. Yet now, hearing everything directly from Ketal, it appeared Kalosia—a supreme deity—had personally spoken with Ketal without issue and even rewarded him generously.

Could our Saintess have misunderstood something?

Aquaz wondered.

However, that seemed impossible. It was inconceivable that a god like Kalosia themselves could meet Ketal face-to-face and still misunderstand him. Such oversight was unimaginable for a deity, at least from Aquaz’s perspective as a devout believer.

“What’s wrong?” Ketal asked her, noticing her troubled look. “You seem deeply concerned.”

“No, it’s nothing.” Aquaz shook her head quickly. “I was probably just overthinking.”

She realized suddenly that she had been unnecessarily sensitive. Ketal had helped her previously and had now saved Kalosia’s holy land from disaster. Yet, shamefully, she’d allowed doubt and suspicion to creep in.

She felt instantly embarrassed by her earlier thoughts.

How foolish of me,

she quietly rebuked herself.

There was no way a barbarian could be beyond divine prophecy. Such an absurd notion could never exist. Clearly, the Saintess of the Sun God must have misunderstood something.

Aquaz nodded calmly, finally convinced by her own reasoning. “It seems Kalosia’s blessing was crucial in defeating Lubitra. I’m glad you weren’t harmed, Ketal.”

She knew Ketal was exceptionally strong, easily able to overpower the named demon Ashetiaar, but Lubitra was a demon on an entirely different scale.

Without holy power, or at least strong Myst, fighting such an opponent alone was impossible. Although Ketal had a small amount of Myst, it was minor—Novice-level at best—and insufficient to meaningfully affect combat against a demon of Lubitra’s caliber.

Thus, she concluded logically that Kalosia’s divine aid had to have been the primary factor in their victory.

Ketal nodded, readily agreeing. “Indeed, the blessing was extremely helpful.”

No matter how physically strong Ketal was, without the capacity to control Myst, he couldn’t have banished a demon back to its realm. The divine blessing certainly played a decisive role in bringing the seemingly impossible fight to a successful end.

“That certainly makes sense,” Aquaz agreed, admiration evident in her voice. “But still, fighting a demon like Lubitra directly... that alone is extraordinary.”

Even if he’d received divine help, the fact that Ketal personally fought Lubitra implied his combat skills had reached the absolute peak among Transcendents. Aquaz genuinely admired him, deeply impressed by what he’d managed to achieve.

Their conversation gradually wound down to a natural pause.

Ketal smiled warmly. “Anyway, it’s great seeing you again, Aquaz. Honestly, I never thought we’d run into each other like this.”

“I didn’t expect it either,” Aquaz admitted, still somewhat astonished. “But how exactly did you end up coming here?”

“I came here to help a friend,” Ketal explained simply. “Do you remember Hayes?”

“Hayes...?” Aquaz paused briefly, recalling the past. “Oh, yes. I remember her. She was that follower of Kalosia you were talking to back at the Barcan Estate, wasn’t she?”

“That’s right. You have quite a good memory,” Ketal replied approvingly. “We happened to cross paths again. She was in trouble, so naturally, I came to help.”

Aquaz regarded him with sincere admiration.

“That’s very noble of you,” she remarked, genuinely moved by his commitment.

To risk one’s life for a friend was undeniably honorable. It was the kind of action that would earn admiration from anyone. Aquaz felt a newfound respect for Ketal, her eyes reflecting sincere appreciation.

Of course, Ketal did have pure intentions, but if he were being entirely honest with himself, his curiosity to witness a grand battle between the divine force and evil had played a significant part in his decision.

Yet, as always, some truths were better left unspoken.

“And what about you?” Ketal asked her, curious. “Did your church order you here, or are you on some kind of special mission?”

“No, my church has nothing to do with it. This is my personal journey,” Aquaz explained carefully. ”You could call it a pilgrimage.”

“A pilgrimage?”

Yes.” Aquaz nodded seriously. “Right now, evil forces are beginning to invade our world. It’s becoming dangerously unstable. Their interference is even distorting the great prophecies.”

In the past, the continent had always relied heavily upon divine revelations when confronting evil. But now, waiting passively for prophecies was too risky. There was no telling what disasters might unfold beyond their sight.

Even the incident at the Barcan Estate might have escalated disastrously if not for Ketal’s intervention.

After experiencing that firsthand, Aquaz had begun traveling on a personal pilgrimage, actively seeking out trouble spots across the world and helping people in distress wherever she found them.

When Ketal heard her explanation, he expressed admiration.

“That’s truly admirable,” he said, clearly impressed.

Taking the initiative to calm chaos, aiding those in need, and actively protecting others from danger—these actions embodied the ideal of a devout believer. From Ketal’s perspective, it was inspiring.

“But isn’t it incredibly dangerous?” he asked her cautiously, concerned for her safety.

“I’ve prepared myself for that,” Aquaz replied confidently. “Moreover, I’ve received a higher level of strength myself.”

Ketal’s eyes widened with surprise. “Wait... you mean—?”

Aquaz smiled slightly and confirmed, “Through my recent travels and experiences, I have finally stepped into the Transcendent realm.”

Back when they first met at Barcan Estate, Aquaz had already been among the strongest Advanced fighters. Since then, countless experiences and battles had elevated her strength further, finally pushing her to the Transcendent realm.

“Oh! Really? That’s fantastic! Congratulations!’ Ketal responded enthusiastically, as thrilled as if the achievement were his own.

“Th-thank you,” Aquaz answered, slightly embarrassed by his exuberant reaction, though genuinely pleased. She smiled faintly, unable to hide her happiness.

Then Ketal asked her, “By the way, who was the mage next to you? He doesn't seem to be a believer.”

“Oh, we met at the Mage Tower during my pilgrimage. He insisted on accompanying me, claiming he wanted to help.”

“Is that so?” Ketal said. “A mage from the Mage Tower willing to travel alongside you on such a perilous journey? He must be quite a commendable fellow.”

“I suppose he is...,” Aquaz replied somewhat hesitantly.

Indeed, willingly joining her on this dangerous pilgrimage was admirable, though her current awkward expression suggested her feelings about the mage were slightly more complicated than straightforward admiration.

After that, the conversation turned to more casual topics. Both Aquaz and Ketal had experienced much since they last met, so there were plenty of stories to share. As they continued chatting, believers from the sanctuary occasionally passed by, greeting Ketal with cheerful enthusiasm.

“Good morning, Ketal!”

“Greetings, Ketal!”

Each of these followers greeted him with deep respect, admiration radiating from their eyes. Aquaz watched this unusual scene unfold and muttered quietly, somewhat incredulously, “It seems the believers here really trust and respect you.”

Seeing believers of a god directing such deep reverence toward a barbarian—not even a Saintess—was utterly surreal, as if she were caught up in some bizarre dream.

“It’s honestly a bit overwhelming,” Ketal admitted, smiling awkwardly. “It wasn’t nearly this intense before, but after my conversation with Kalosia, it got much worse.”

“Oh, right... You had a meeting with Kalosia,” Aquaz echoed softly, still trying to digest that extraordinary revelation.

Having a direct conversation with a god was an immense honor, something even chosen followers rarely experienced. Aquaz herself, despite the high regard her own church held her in, had never spoken directly with the Sun God. Yet, here was a barbarian who had conversed casually with a divine being.

“Are you alright?” Aquaz asked Ketal worriedly. “It must have been incredibly overwhelming for you.”

Speaking directly with a divine being was typically an enormous strain for anyone. Even hearing a god’s voice placed great stress upon mortals. She knew that the Sun God’s Saintess, revered as she was, often emerged pale and exhausted after speaking with their god, needing a full day’s rest afterward just to recover.

Ketal wasn’t even a believer. He wouldn’t have known how to behave respectfully toward a god, and the possibility of inadvertently offending such a divine being must have weighed heavily upon him. With this thought, Aquaz grew genuinely concerned.

However, Ketal just shook his head lightly. “Not really. Actually, it was quite enjoyable.”

Aquaz paused, blinking blankly. “Enjoyable...?”

“Yes. We understood each other surprisingly well.”

“You... understood each other well?”

“So much so, I’d like to talk again sometime,” Ketal added cheerfully.

Aquaz stared at him, bewildered, her face clearly expressing disbelief at the notion of a casual, enjoyable conversation with a divine being.

“You would...?” she asked him, her voice rising slightly, clearly astonished at Ketal’s attitude toward something she considered profoundly sacred and intimidating,