167 - 24 Hearts

Chapter 167: The Land of Entertainment and Culture, Urun Relieved to see her in better condition than expected, Yuda couldn't fully shake off his unease. Holding her in his arms, he checked the information. He never imagined she would become an apostle of Asmodeus in such a way. Reflecting on past events, Asmodeus hadn't directly attacked Arhile. It might have been that her presence was too insignificant, but if he had, Yuda might have been helplessly manipulated by Asmodeus and ultimately lost. She might have sensed Arhile's potential and was patiently awaiting the right moment. "…Ah!" Arhile, staring blankly at Yuda, suddenly remembered something, panicking as she quickly reached downwards. Lifting her skirt and sticking her hand underneath was an audacious act, especially with Yuda right beside her. "Ugh... Ah..." Her face began to flush red. She felt the damp fabric at her fingertips—it wasn't just a dream. The moment she met Yuda's eyes, she pushed him away with a swift motion. Though she fell to the ground, she stood up immediately, her face displaying anxiety as if nothing happened. Whooong! The orb, which had vanished along with her consciousness, reappeared in the air, emitting a much warmer and brighter light than before. The orbs moved according to Arhile's will, searching for something. Her hair wildly swung as she swiftly turned her head, and spotting something, she ran in that direction. It led to a bag that had seemingly been tossed aside when Asmodeus had isolated them with the elves by raising stone walls. "Wait! Stay right there!" She yelled back at Yuda while frantically running toward the bag. Yuda nodded back, still bewildered. "...Okay." With a sigh, Yuda sat back down and checked her status window once more. ────────────────────── Status Window [Name: Arhile] [Title: Savior] [True Name: One Who Does Not Lose Hope] [Level: 44] [Class: Saintess of Lust (A)] [Species: Human → Demon (Mutating)] [Strength: 27 (D) / Potential C] [Stamina: 35 (D) / Potential B] [Agility: 30 (D) / Potential C] [Divine Power: 68 (B) / Potential S] [Magic Resistance: 55 (C) / Potential S] [Faith: 66 (B) / Potential S] ◀ Special [Knowledge: 40 (C) / Potential A] ◀ Special [Luck: 59 (C) / Potential C] ◀ Special [Affinity: 49 (Interest)] [Trust: 100 (Friendship)] Special Traits 6/6 [Apostle's Potential] - Rank: A [Savior] - Rank: A [Divine Amplification] - Rank: B [Irresistible Temptation] - Rank: A [For Your Sake] - Rank: D(S) [Saintess of Lust] - Rank: A Skills 4/5 [Divine Magic - Blessing] - Rank: A [Divine Magic - Protection] - Rank: A [Divine Martial Arts] -Rank: B [Self-defense] - Rank: B ────────────────────── Wait! 'She's not an apostle yet, is she?' Though she possesses the somewhat disreputable class of a Saintess of Lust, she's not yet an apostle. She hasn't acquired any skills related to becoming an apostle. Just one. The trait 〈Saintess of Lust〉 has appeared. It increases the likelihood of seducing opponents and, correspondingly, reduces various enemy stats. But, with no related skills, it's a mostly useless trait. The priest class is initially a supportive role, healing and enhancing allies through blessings. Even if she became a Saintess of Lust or an apostle, without related skills, she’s no different from a typical priest. 'If this were a game, becoming an apostle of Asmodeus wouldn't be bad.' From a player's perspective, as long as you managed the betrayal risk of a companion character, there'd be no problems. Moreover, becoming an apostle of Asmodeus would offer quite a spectacle. Those related to lust among the Seven Deadly Sins are all stunningly beautiful. However, in this world, being a standard saintess is far superior to being a Saintess of Lust by multiple folds. That's undoubtedly the case. Yuda sighed, placing Yakhal back into his bag and reverse summoning Artemia, scratching his head. 'Since she's a saintess, not an apostle, and hasn't properly learned her skills, the job can be changed.' Had she been an apostle, things might have been different since acquiring the apostle class isn't easy. Still, it’s far better to be an apostle of lust than any of the other Seven Deadly Sins. Yuda awkwardly watched as Arhile approached, having changed into different clothes. "……." After brief contemplation, Yuda applied Valentine’s 〈Dispel〉 on her. Unfortunately, it had no effect. Valentine’s power only flickered momentarily before dimming, without consuming mana or altering the mutation status shown in her status window. "Yuda..." Arhile called his name, but Yuda didn't hear it. He turned his back and looked at Urun's city walls. From here, he could see flames rising and black smoke billowing into the sky. However, the fires seemed to be subsiding quickly in places, and the sounds of the beasts diminishing suggested the situation was gradually coming under control. 'What should I do?' A deep sigh rose from within Yuda's chest. Suddenly, he felt a light thump from behind, as if someone had hit his back. Turning around, he saw Arhile glaring at him, her cheeks puffed out, looking displeased. It made him wonder if he had done something wrong. "Yuda!" "…? Yes, what is it?" "I called you, so why didn't you respond?" Yuda awkwardly smiled and gave an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment and didn't hear you." "Never mind that. The elves are waiting for us." As Arhile pointed out, elves were cautiously peeking from behind a stone pillar, with Lokshin waiting at the front. "……." "Are we not going?" Arhile seemed unaware of her own condition. At a crossroads, Yuda pondered his options. There were two ways to prevent Arhile from becoming an apostle. One was to have her chosen as an apostle by one of the high-ranking angels in the celestial realm. However, having killed Cain, who was a candidate for Gabriel’s apostle, the angels likely didn't have a favorable view of him. 'Gabriel probably knows I was the one who killed him.' The other option was to return to Urun, then head to the Byron Empire with Sir Wolfram and Jeanne. Though it would mean abandoning the elves to find their own way back to the forest, there was no other choice. The place where Asmodeus is sealed is in an underground labyrinth in the southern part of the Byron Empire. If they could recruit a mage from the empire, they could conquer the dungeon, defeat the guardian, and subjugate the sealed Asmodeus before Arhile fully transforms into a demon. However, traveling to the Byron Empire would mean altering all of the current plans. The efforts so far to reach the Elven Forest would be in vain. The Kingdom of Siran would attack the Elven Forest as planned, causing the elves to further reject humans. Consequently, recovering the fragments in the Elven Forest would become incredibly difficult. "Yuda?" Prompted by Arhile's question, Yuda looked at her. "Are you worried about Jeanne?" "What? Oh, well." As Yuda trailed off, she smiled softly, reached out, and tapped Yuda's head with her fingertips, surprising him with her unexpected behavior. "Don't worry! Lady Jeanne will be safe." Arhile's confident words intrigued him, and she showed him a necklace hanging around her neck— a cross made of what seemed to be silver. "That necklace?" "I made it using divine magic I know. It's part of a set of three. If one breaks, the other two break as well. So if this is intact, it means the others are safe." "So," "Yes! A whole necklace means they are safe. With Sir Wolfram and Count Januor together, they'll surely be alright. Or we could head back now to check on Lady Jeanne and assist them. Wouldn't that be better than hesitating here? Otherwise, we could use this confusion as an opportunity to leave with the elves." Yuda looked at her for a moment and then spoke. "Arhile." "Yes?" "Do I seem like I'm concerned about Lady Jeanne? That's not it. She's not the type to die here, so I'm not worried. I am worried, but I believe in her. The problem right now is you." "…Me? Why?" "It's a long explanation, but we don't have much time. The woman I took down earlier, she's Asmodeus, who handles lust among the Seven Deadly Sins. Do you know what the Seven Deadly Sins are?" "Yes, I know. But was that woman really part of the Seven Deadly Sins?" Yuda heard her mutter that it seemed too easy if that were the case, making him realize the need for more explanation, but there wasn’t time for that. "I'll explain that later. Right now, the important thing is that Asmodeus, one of the Seven Deadly Sins, has chosen you as an apostle. Do you know what that means?" "Uh…, I know." Her slow but clear response left Yuda speechless. She knew? "Then do you know your current condition?" "Not precisely…, but I feel some foreign magic within me. I think there will be a change soon. I understand what you're getting at. I'm fine. It may not be what Lord Yophiel intended, but this is the will of God. I have faith, so God will help me, just as He always has." Arhile smiled bitterly. "Oh, don't suggest going to the temple. I'm not going to the temple. Even if it means death." "…What?" "They'll either seal me or execute me. I'm sure they will, as that would be the simplest solution. So I'd rather not go to the temple if I can help it. I'm happiest right now, in this moment. If I become an apostle of the Seven Deadly Sins... well, there's nothing I can do. It’s fate." "Aren't you thinking too lightly about fate?" "What can I do if that's the reality? If God has determined my fate this way, He'll surely help, since He's always watching over me." An awkward silence hovered between them for a moment. Arhile grabbed Yuda's wrist and tugged him. "Come on, let's go. If you’re not worried about Lady Jeanne, we shouldn’t be idling here, should we? The elves are waiting. Let’s hurry." Upon hearing her words, Yuda looked over at the elves. It dawned on him that in the Elven Forest, there lay the shrine of Gabriel and the World Tree, both of which held sacred relics. The holy water from the shrine and the sap from the World Tree could potentially curb her transformation. If he could prevent her from becoming a demon, changing her class wouldn't be too difficult. It would also buy time before they needed to assault the underground labyrinth. As Yuda was slowly dragged along, he nodded to himself. 'That's right, I can keep my promise to the elves. In exchange for helping them return to the forest, I might request a drop or two of the World Tree's sap.' Glancing at her spirited stride ahead, Yuda made a small resolve. "If God is watching over you...huh." "Pardon?" Arhile turned to look at him, curiosity in her eyes, and Yuda shook his head. "No, I meant to say that God is watching over you. I wanted to affirm that your faith is not misplaced." Her eyes widened, looking at him earnestly. Then she beamed, replying cheerfully. "I know. My faith has never let me down so far!" With the black smoke rising from Urun behind them, the two approached the elves. ---------= Author's Notes ---------= 1) Due to the slow pace and publication rate, it seems some misunderstandings have accumulated. 2) Someone mentioned giving me a chicken coupon, but it’s okay! Your sentiments are more than enough, and I'm already grateful. Incidentally, yesterday was a nationwide chicken feast...I mean, hush. Let's be careful with words. Anyway, how could I possibly take advantage of my readers! Just knowing you're enjoying my writing makes me happy. Haha. 3) For heaven's sake, I don't wish to be kidnapped by guys. If anything, I'd prefer to be abducted by a kind-hearted beauty (said with utter seriousness).