Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 88: Double Bed

Grape Collar, some dark cellar.

“Lord Crimson hasn’t returned. He died in the past.”

In the flickering candlelight, the aging priest reported in a soft voice. “Even the Lord Demon could not come out unscathed. It seems the destruction of that church was an inscrutable part of fate…”

“His sacrifice was not entirely in vain.”

Another elderly voice answered from the communication crystal. “The Demon Lords only act out of temptation, and Lord Crimson was one of the most cautious among them. He deliberately ventured into the church before its destruction, surely discovering something profitable… Perhaps the ‘mission target’ that all Demons seek.”

“In that case, we are one step closer to the Chosen One.”

The old priest made a devout circle over his chest. “Two full prophecies. He is definitely a precious candidate in the eyes of God and must be brought back to serve.”

Even the current Pope had never received such long prophecies, let alone two. As long as this lost lamb was willing to return to the embrace of God, the entire Eternal Church would be willing to bow to him.

“Regarding the second prophecy…” The voice on the other side paused meaningfully.

“I only told Lord Crimson a part of it,” the old priest said.

“Very good,” the voice on the other end replied calmly. “Someone will take his place.”

“Yes, may everything be eternal.” The old priest bowed his head in the darkness.

“By the way…”

Just as the call was about to end, the voice on the other side began again. “The case of ‘Time Reversion’ being stolen, you don’t need to investigate it any further.”

“Our people have heard that the Drifting Mercenaries are likely involved. And the Golden Sword of the Alva Merchant Group has intervened. Digging too deep will only lead to disaster.”

Hearing about the Drifting Mercenaries, the old priest’s expression contorted slightly. Even though he enjoyed seeing the Temple of Life ridiculed, the renegade Pope showed no mercy to the Eternal Church, killing every Eternalist.

The Golden Sword of the Alva Merchant Group was also a troublesome figure.

Unless Enbilly himself was willing, no one could pry information from this Golden Sword. He had a very intimidating talent, able to grasp all the details of specific events and “monopolize the truth” to some extent.

Lord Crimson had foolishly tried to take out the Golden Sword. There had been hundreds, if not thousands, who had tried to assassinate Enbilly, and none had met a good end. Now, with Lord Crimson also dead, it might well be some curse.

“Thank you for your reminder. I am aware of the situation,” the old priest said. “Until I receive new revelations, I will keep an eye on ‘Paradise’. The appearance of Paradise, the Mad Monk’s submission, and the return of the Chosen One—this cannot be a mere coincidence.”

“Yes, but the priority should be finding the chosen one.”

“We will surely bring him before God.”

The old priest tightly held a scroll in his hands. The ink on the paper formed two brief sentences. These were prophecies belonging to the Chosen One—the real, complete prophecies.

[Following the river of fate, returning to the land of ashes. Walking through the chaotic times and corpses of Demons—the darkness in his soul remains.]

[His hands can slay everything, and he will follow the God of his choice.]

……

The Dark Forest, the Lost Tower.

Nol and Teest squeezed in front of Lynn’s magic screen, watching the “surveillance footage” displayed.

“It’s Anakin and Eugene, the captain of the Investigation Knights,” Nol said. “The Temple of Life arrived too soon.”

“There are only two of them!” Teest remarked with a tone of regret that was somewhat chilling.

Lynn, seated on a makeshift office chair, manipulated her magic controller that displayed multiple angles of the two visitors. To Nol, the controller embedded with a small crystal ball eerily resembled a mouse. “I see no ambush,” Lynn said, scrolling with the crystal ball. “It seems to be just the two of them.”

“I’ll go get ready. Now’s not the time for a clash with the Temple of Life.” Nol rubbed his temples.

Lynn patted her cheek. “Are you serious?”

“Huh?”

With a weary tone, Lynn said, “Mr. Xu, if you were to meet the boss of a potential partner company, would you think it formal if he just shouted from downstairs with a megaphone? …Would you even consider it a legitimate company?”

“Ah…” Realization dawned on Nol.

“To meet with a leader, making an appointment is the least you can do,” Witch Lynn said strictly. “And they only brought two people. Even if it’s to show ‘we come in peace’, that’s too few. It’s impolite.”

“You think this is a probe. Coincidentally, I think so too,” Teest chimed in with crossed arms. “It’s a wonder hearing such analysis from a naïve puppet witch. The world truly is full of surprises.”

“We’re all in the hall trying to save Piel anyway. How about setting another time for them to visit?” Lynn snorted, ignoring Teest’s remark. Being a resident of a civilized society, she wasn’t comfortable communicating with a murderer. It was one thing to deal with the natives, but Teest was different. Every time she looked into his eyes, she felt a chill run down her spine. She wondered how Nol managed to work with someone like that.

Nol was busy planning the time. It took a while before he responded, “It’ll take about two days for Piel to recover. Everyone else needs some prep time too. How about three days from now?”

Lynn responded, “Sounds good, but we need a suitable way to reply…”

Nol smiled, picking up a spare puppet from Lynn’s table. “Can I borrow this?”

At the forest’s edge.

Anakin mentally cursed Eugene a thousand times. She had to exert a great deal of effort navigating through powerful players, securing the “contact quota” with the Lost Tower.

She had upgraded from a mere white priest to the first “Flawless” in the world of Tahe. Her younger brother, Solo, was on a transfer mission and couldn’t accompany her. Anakin had a perfect plan to meet Nol, exchange some recent intel, and get new tasks. This way, she could claim to the players that she’s “gaining Nol’s trust”, with the new tasks as proof. Eventually, she could have free access to the Lost Tower. However, she was intercepted by Eugene.

Eugene wanted to represent the Temple of Life and needed a strong healer. Anakin and Solo were completing a mission in the Black Forest when Paradise appeared in the world, so he probably had some suspicions.

Cursing her luck, Anakin couldn’t figure out his intentions.

Anakin gave a sidelong glance at Eugene, who wore an annoyingly polite smile on his face. She couldn’t decipher what this young captain of the knight’s order was thinking.

Indeed, Eugene was young and handsome, but he stood in the way of her path to become stronger. To Anakin, he looked utterly detestable.

“I am devoted to the goddess,” Eugene said when Anakin glanced at him a second time. “She once cooperated with the treacherous Eternal Son to resist the Demon King’s corruption. For her benevolence, we would never act in petty or narrow-minded ways.”

“Why tell me this? I don’t control you,” Anakin replied, her tone soft but words sharp. “Weren’t you the ones saying that the monsters were the doing of the Eternal Church? You change your narrative so easily.”

“Kind lies are necessary. Sometimes, so is righteous killing,” Eugene replied, his green eyes turning toward her. “For the goddess’ will, some truths are destined to be buried. Please understand.”

She didn’t want to understand. Anakin, a staunch atheist, couldn’t tolerate such talk and ignored him.

Thankfully, Paradise acted before the awkwardness lingered too long. About ten minutes after Eugene’s call, the ground trembled. Birds flew out from the forest canopy like dust shaken off. Not far from them, the ground heaved, and a creature, formed of roots and bones resembling a giant serpent, emerged. Its eye sockets alone were taller than a person.

The serpent rose and bowed slightly, filling the air with the damp scent of earth. Opening its mouth slightly, a deep voice emanated—

“Although we are a monster alliance, we understand human etiquette. Is this the attitude of the Temple of Life, knight?”

The serpent shifted uneasily, sending clumps of dirt the size of fists falling to the ground.

“Please don’t misunderstand.”

Eugene performed a knight’s salute and responded calmly, “I am here today just to request an audience. Whether to meet or not and the meeting time, of course, is for the Master of Paradise to decide. If we are fortunate enough to meet the Master of Paradise, we will naturally arrange the highest-level representatives and gifts.”

“Even when dealing with a king, the Temple would only send a regular messenger to set the time. Now, just for an inquiry, the Temple has dispatched me, the captain of the knights, which shows the sincerity of the Temple.”

‘You’re quite good at pretending,’ Anakin thought while her face contorted for a moment. She had no doubt that if the door was opened, this guy would walk right in.

The giant serpent looked Eugene up and down with its hollow eyes. “I see. The Master of Paradise can meet you in three days. Please wait here at sunset.”

“I will keep the kindness of Paradise in my heart. Please convey my greetings to the Master of Paradise.” Eugene bowed deeply again, his young and handsome face filled with smiles.

The remains of the giant serpent nodded and scattered on the spot, forming a small hill. Its massive head rested at the top of the pile, becoming a natural landmark.

“Three days.” Eugene narrowed his eyes at the giant head.

“Three days should be enough for you to prepare. Please find another healer by then,” Anakin bluntly replied. “I have other arrangements in the next few days.”

Eugene nodded. “It’s a pity. You are currently the most powerful healer in Grape Collar.”

‘…So he’ll be part of the delegation in three days,’ Anakin thought.

That was odd. Usually, such negotiations would be led by a bishop. They would bring along church knights, rarely involving Investigation Knights, let alone the captain of the Investigation Knights.

Seeing Anakin silent, Eugene moved forward a few steps and untied the horse he had secured beforehand.

“As you can see, I’m not really suited for this kind of task. Those creatures have been wreaking havoc on the land bestowed by the goddess. I admit, I don’t have any fondness for them.”

He caressed the neatly groomed mane of the horse, white strands adorned with beads polished from emeralds and peridots, resembling sprouts sprinkled in between.

When the horse bowed its head obediently, Eugene turned around, looking at Anakin’s complicated gaze. “But I carry a prophecy full of expectations. I won’t let the Goddess down.”

Anakin frowned.

…Eugene isn’t a servant of God, but a Chosen One.

“As I said earlier, you don’t need to tell me this. We’re not working together,” Anakin responded dryly.

Knight Eugene wasn’t the type to mindlessly show off, which made Anakin’s intuition raise alarms.

“The Goddess said, ‘I will behead the false god with the sword of faith.'”

Eugene continued calmly, “The prophecy is absolute. No matter what forces emerge or disturbances arise, the Goddess is destined to win. I hope you and the Saints will remember this.”

Anakin stood there completely stunned.

……

Nol stretched his neck.

“Once they leave, I’ll retrieve the puppet from the snake’s mouth.”

To achieve the fantastical effect of the giant serpent speaking, Nol stuffed a puppet into its mouth that could transmit sound. He used magic to alter his voice, pretending to be the temporary receptionist of the Paradise Company.

Once he approached it with the mindset of creating dialogue for a script, Nol realized he had quite the knack for acting.

Having scheduled the meeting time, he suddenly felt the relief of having “three extra statutory holidays”. His mood improved substantially. Even Teest, whom he normally found pleasant, seemed even more so—well, he would have been if not for that smug, mysterious grin plastered on his face.

“Why are you smiling?” Nol couldn’t help but ask as they left Lynn’s room.

“Well, they’ve arranged a private room for us on the first floor. The one prepared for you is especially large. They said you can decorate it however you like.”

Teest moved in front of Nol, walking backward with his hands behind his back. “You’ve been busy saving the child, while I had nothing to do, so I went ahead and decorated it—I just finished.”

“I could’ve done that myself.”

“No, I like that big room,” Teest said. “So I’ve decided to move in. I’ve already notified them.”

“I see.” Nol paused momentarily. That made sense; they still had the distance limitation imposed by the [Betrayal Overture]. This arrangement was quite good. Yes, he definitely didn’t have any ulterior motives.

When they reached the door, Teest gleefully swung it open. “Take a look—”

Objectively, it was a fantastic room. A lush green view from a massive window, the overall ambiance was delightful. But before Nol could appreciate it, his eyes were immediately drawn to a piece of furniture at the edge of the room.

It was a huge double bed.

Nol: “…”

Nol: “…One bed?”

To date, their neighbors thought of them merely as teammates, or at most, friends. It wasn’t uncommon for them to share a bed when they were out, but given the spacious room here, for Teest to have arranged it this way…

Nol stood at the doorway for a long moment, rubbing his slightly warm ears, trying to appear more serious.

“Teest.”

He said softly, “Regarding our relationship, we need to have a talk.”

The author has something to say:

Nol: We should have one room.

Teest: We should have one bed.

Nol, conceding a point!

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 87: New Home

A few hours ago.

To maintain a normal mental state and perception of time, Nol chose to sleep daily like a regular person. He especially had a habit of sleeping with his forehead against Teest’s back, giving him an odd sense of security.

Recently, he would embrace Teest from behind, and Teest would place the palm of his hand over the back of Nol’s hand, making it hard for Nol to withdraw.

But even so, Teest always gave Nol the feeling of being both close yet distant. One moment, Teest might give him a passionate kiss, and the next, he could just hop away as if nothing happened.

Nol had decided long ago to remain unyielding and deal with his own issues. The plan was beautiful, but reality was cruel. Like right now, small trivialities were running rampant in his head as he pretended to be asleep.

After hearing what Nol wanted to do “after becoming a god”, Teest seemed a bit unhappy, his back slightly tense. For a moment, Nol couldn’t figure out what upset him and found it hard to sleep.

Was it because he didn’t mention anything related to Teest? Would the Mad Monk really be so childish? This seemed no different from “a couple fighting over five million in a dream”.

As these thoughts swirled in Nol’s mind, he started to ponder drowsily.

If he truly became a god, what could he do for Teest? After aimlessly thinking for a while, he realized he had no idea.

According to the Mad Monk himself, his current exploration of the world’s truths was out of “strong interest”. Now, Teest was wealthy and leisurely, with top-notch power and appearance. Mentally… well, he seemed mentally stable and lacked nothing.

Kando hinted that Nol’s future path would be full of challenges. Who knows when Teest might decide to stop adventuring and retire…

While Nol was lost in thought with his eyes closed, Teest quietly slipped out of bed and left the room.

When Teest returned, Nol could smell the fine red wine and the scent of monster flesh on him, a scent he had previously detected in the General’s reception room.

Teest used warm air to blow over himself before carefully crawling back under the covers. He purposefully shifted toward the center of the bed and then placed Nol’s arm back around his waist.

Within a few minutes, his breathing became steady, and he fell soundly asleep.

Nol quietly opened his eyes, his view filled with silvery hair. The dimly lit room felt claustrophobic, reminding him of the small drawer in the antique shop and the toy bed inside it.

Twelve years had passed, and he wondered about the blue rose that had once been by the bed.

Wrapped around the warm Teest, Nol’s thoughts became increasingly scattered. As time ticked away, he had to reluctantly admit that sleeping against Teest no longer provided him with the same sense of security.

A few minutes later, he carefully withdrew his arm and quietly got out of bed.

Since he couldn’t sleep, he might as well go and speak with the renowned General.

…Time returned to the present.

The Black Glove Bar was bustling, but the General’s reception room was eerily quiet.

“Please go ahead.” Opposite Nol, the General leaned forward, ready to listen.

Nol nodded. “You’ve worked with the Mad Monk for so long. If you’d be willing to share some insights—like what behaviors he likes and dislikes—I’d be very grateful.”

For a moment, the General displayed an indescribable expression, something like subtle disdain. However, she quickly suppressed it.

“My collaboration with the Mad Monk?” She laughed hoarsely. “He comes to me for money and information, occasionally helping me eliminate certain Eternalists or thugs who dare challenge me—he simply sees me as a useful wallet. I think that’s not the kind of relationship you’re looking for.”

Nol crossed one leg over the other, sitting upright, and remained silent.

“A straightforward transaction was all there ever was between us from the beginning.” The General’s tone grew colder. “Indeed, I’m the Supplement Demon that escaped with him. He nearly dismembered me, and then, using my regenerative abilities, stitched me back together… Sounds touching, doesn’t it? Like we went through thick and thin together.”

A twitch appeared on Nol’s brow. Thick and thin together—this was precisely the current state between him and Teest.

Indeed, the General had once been through life and death with Teest. But no matter how he listened, he could only detect sarcasm in her tone—there were no fond memories of past camaraderie.

The General gave Nol a deep, piercing look, as if seeing through his thoughts, her voice becoming slow, almost poetic.

“In fact, once we successfully escaped, he pondered whether he should kill me to keep things quiet… It was only after I begged him, telling him that I would be more useful to him alive, that he dropped the idea.”

“Sir, I can see that you and I are not the same. Want to stay with the Mad Monk for the long haul? Then you best not have laughable ideas like ‘repairing him’, ‘reforming him’, or ‘taming him’.”

Indeed, the Mad Monk didn’t need any “salvation”.

Nol silently took a sip of tea, noticing a speck of wallpaper flake on the tea saucer.

“…Now, the Mad Monk has chosen to ‘pursue the truth of the world’ as a new interest. Until his objective is achieved, you’re just his companion on this journey. Recognizing your role is the first step in a stable partnership.”

Across from him, the General sighed, emphasizing the words “this journey”.

“That’s precisely what I wanted to ask.” Setting his teacup down, Nol gave a bitter smile. “When Teest burned down the Immortal Church, he claimed his revenge was complete. So, how committed can he be to his ‘personal interest’? I don’t want a… partner who might leave at any moment.”

‘”Partner with benefits” might be more appropriate,’ Nol thought.

“You can rest assured. Once the Mad Monk takes an interest in something, he holds onto it like a beast clamped onto its prey. He won’t let go until he achieves his goal.”

Finally looking straight into Nol’s eyes again, the General warned, “Prepare yourself mentally for this.”

“That’s all the better.” Nol sighed in relief.

Midway, he felt a nagging doubt. “From your experience, if there’s nothing to gain after achieving his objective, will he immediately end the partnership?”

The General’s odd expression resurfaced. “Are you, ahem, hoping to keep him by your side long-term?”

“……” Nol didn’t answer immediately.

If circumstances allowed, he would undoubtedly go home. This relationship was bound to end, and he had always known that. But now, imagining the “happy ending” when it all finished, Nol realized he might not be as elated as he thought.

“…Yes.” After a while, Nol finally responded, “Teest is my perfect partner.”

The General’s deformed face twitched, apparently disagreeing with his statement but politely holding back her thoughts.

“Oh.” She responded dryly, “Then you have to keep his interest. To be honest, it’s tough. The Eternal Church taught the Mad Monk many things, with ‘how to read others’ being the most basic. He hardly finds people he can see through interesting.”

“I’m confident about that.”

Is there anything harder to understand than a “pseudo-God of Creation“? A hint of amusement crept into Nol’s voice. “Thank you for your honesty, miss.”

The General looked visibly relieved.

Then, trying to contain her impatience, she waved her hand. “Now, can we discuss the medical supplies, sir?”

……

Little Piel firmly believed that he would die.

He had seen an old man on the street being run over by a carriage, his entrails spilling everywhere. Everyone said such injuries were fatal, and even the best priest in the world couldn’t save him. To keep such a person alive, a miracle would be needed.

After being hit by the chandelier, he didn’t have much will to live left. He just wanted everything to end quickly.

He wanted to become a knight when he grew up, but now he could no longer grow up.

Perhaps it was for the best. For an orphan like him, dreaming was a luxury. Before, Little Piel’s biggest concern was surviving the upcoming winter, the furthest he had ever thought ahead. The two beautiful fairies gave him a dream—a dream that allowed him to have dreams.

That was enough, Little Piel thought. He had had an incredible adventure and even saved someone!

If reincarnation was real, perhaps the gods would let him be born as a squire in a knight’s family… Yes, being a squire would be enough! He shouldn’t be too greedy. The gods wouldn’t like that…

With his false hopes and the sweet taste in his mouth, Little Piel slowly closed his eyes.

…And then he woke up, his lower half cold, with people murmuring around him.

Sunlight penetrated his eyelids, painting his vision a shade of orange. He slightly opened his eyes and saw a towering spire, a staircase, and the clear sky above.

His gaze then slid down to his body. A silent scream erupted in his throat, and he started coughing violently—

His upper body lay on a stone bed, while his lower half was immersed in a large glass tank. His crushed lower body was regenerating, with muscles and blood vessels growing around the restored skeleton like grape vines climbing a pole.

Strange creatures he had never seen before were bustling around him.

Healing magic shone continuously, and people kept placing and removing molds on him to ensure his regenerating flesh and organs grew properly. A bubble producing fresh air was on his face, and bags of red blood were hanging above him, being transferred into his body through weird tubes.

Even more astonishing, he could understand what these creatures were saying.

“His blood pressure is stable,” said a large gray wolfkin. “The child is conscious. Nol’s pain relief spell really works. I’ll stitch him up later, so he recovers faster.”

Another creature, looking like a doll-like girl, shook her head. “Better to be cautious. Let the succubi prepare more liquid food and sugar water.”

“I wonder how Uncle Ma’s sauerkraut is doing,” murmured a short elf as he cast healing magic. “I really want to eat sauerkraut stewed with meat.”

The sunlight was warm, the air dry, and he could hear the sound of flowing water and rustling leaves. Harp music and singing came from a distance. Little Piel smelled fresh fruits, cream, and a well-cooked meat broth.

Where was this? The afterlife?

Little Piel tried to move, making whimpering sounds as he tried to grab the strange bubble on his face. A finger pointed at the bubble, and it popped.

“You’re awake?” A familiar face leaned closer.

Blinking and rubbing his eyes, Little Piel recognized it.

It was Mr. Fairy… but he looked as big as a human now, and there were two of them!

The one with black hair, who just popped his bubble, looked just as handsome and had a pair of beautiful blue eyes filled with amusement.

“I… Cough… I…”

“Just as you see.” Teest spread his hands. “Welcome to Paradise, kid.”

Frozen, Little Piel whispered, “So… I’m really dead…”

Teest: “……”

Teest: “Paradise isn’t heaven. Sadly, you’re still alive.”

Nol tried not to laugh.

After several minutes of stunned silence, Little Piel finally asked, referring to the creatures around, “These monsters, I mean, these gentlemen and ladies…”

“They’re just like you, rescued by someone’s kindness. You might scare people outside looking like this, but here, these folks might just envy you,” Teest said, glancing at Officer Luo, who was eyeing the griffin’s claws and wings with evident envy.

“Targeting such a young child, those cultists really are despicable,” not far away, Uncle Ma commented while cracking nuts.

“We should find someone to teach him to read. He’s too young not to go to school,” said a bear-like creature carrying farming tools. “Xiao Xu said he’s a local, right?”

“I heard he’s an orphan…”

“Indeed. We can’t ignore him then.”

“Maybe that family could help? They’ve already adopted a girl.”

“No, they have their hands full with her. Maybe the succubi could help. I’ll talk to the queen later.”

……

In the distance, more monsters gathered, chattering and discussing among themselves. From their conversations, Little Piel could only understand the general gist. But he quickly grasped one thing—these creatures were prepared to accept him. He would no longer be without a place to belong. It was truly magical. When he was human, he was displaced and lost. Now, among these monsters, he felt comforted for the first time.

Tears blurred Little Piel’s purple eyes as he blinked. “Thank you… Thank you for saving me,” he said.

Holding onto Nol’s sleeve with shining eyes, he pleaded, “Lord Fairy, I wish to stay here. I can do chores and even help find food… Please, can I stay?”

Patting his head, Nol replied, “Of course you can.”

Little Piel relaxed, looking around excitedly. Then, as if suddenly recalling something, he asked, “What about the two people who left earlier? Are they okay? They might need shelter too… I mean, if it doesn’t bother you…”

His voice trailed off, as if he thought he might be overstepping. Nol glanced at Teest, whose smile barely changed, only deepening slightly.

“They are fine and don’t need any help,” Teest said.

Nol smiled. “Yes, I’ve personally checked.”

Relieved, Little Piel lay back on the stone platform. Nol cast a sleep spell on him, and as he drifted off, a smile lingered on Little Piel’s lips.

“The succubi will train him temporarily,” Nol whispered. “Once he’s older and can disguise himself as a human, he can go to Grape Collar to learn proper swordsmanship.”

“Then become a knight?” Teest raised an eyebrow.

“Then become a knight,” Nol confirmed with a smile. “My Paradise always needs knights.”

“You better treasure me then,” Teest remarked.

Teest casually picked a peach from the fruit bowl, tossing it up and down. Then, in a swift motion, the gleaming blade of the small hunting knife pierced a piece of peach, stopping right before Nol’s eyes. The peach flesh was pleasingly pale pink, emitting a fresh and sweet scent.

The blade,the “Betrayer”, was clean, but the bloodstains on it seemed impossible to wash away. It was hard to determine which was more intense, the scent of blood or the aroma of the peach.

Teest intently stared at Nol as if the statement he just made was a question, and he was waiting for an answer.

Nol leaned slightly forward, ignoring the lingering scent of blood, and bit into the peach slice. He chewed slowly and deliberately, grinding the soft fruit skin with his teeth, savoring every drop of the sweet juice.

“My paradise always needs knights,” Nol repeated, “And so do I.”

Teest took another piece for himself and changed the subject. “So, what’s next?”

“I’ll stay at the Lost Tower for a while,” Nol replied. “It’s time for a short rest.” As Nol opened his mouth, Teest understood the gesture, peeling another piece of peach and teasingly brushing the blade near Nol’s lips.

“Perfect. I also want to be a little lazy,” Teest joked. “As long as no troubles come our way.”

Nol choked on his peach, shooting Teest a reproachful look. Teest raised his hands, feigning innocence.

However, the Mad Monk’s jinx proved true. Before the sun set, visitors arrived in the Black Forest—

Anakin, with a serene smile and beads of sweat on her forehead, and beside her was Knight Eugene in full armor.

“Emissaries from the Temple of Life have come to visit,” Eugene announced, bowing to the vast forest.

Author’s note:

Good news: Little Piel was saved after multiple consultations (?

Bad news: He has to go to school. (Little Piel: ……)

Paradise: No matter how poor, never skimp on education!

———————

The General: It turns out they are both double arrows. Excuse me, why don’t you two just get a room?

Kinky Thoughts:

I’m so happy Little Piel is saved! My heart would have broken otherwise. This marks the end of this arc.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 86: Sharing the Same Bed and the Same Dream

Nol’s face grew slightly warm from the excitement of his story, and his body became hot from the deadly touch. As Teest pulled away, the cool air rushed into the bed, and Nol shivered.

By contrast, Teest’s hand on top of his head felt especially warm.

Nol watched Teest’s figure disappear at the door, and he promptly sat up from the bed.

The shadow wolf poked its mouth out from Nol’s shadow and licked his heel twice. Nol scratched the shadow wolf’s large chin and took two fruits from the table, throwing them into the slightly opened wolf’s mouth.

Ben let out a satisfied grunt, chomping away with its big mouth.

The presence of the shadow wolf’s mouth was astounding, yet, despite this, Nol still felt like most of the room was empty.

He glanced around the room that wasn’t even 20 square meters, and when his eyes passed over the wardrobe, his heart sank.

Something was wrong.

When he had saved Little Piel, Black Candle Kando had witnessed everything, including Nol admitting that he “created this world”. Kando didn’t say a word, and with one thing after another, Nol had almost forgotten about it. Just now—Nol remembered putting a soundproof spell on the room, but not on the wardrobe where Kando was.

The candle must have heard his bedtime story.

Barefoot, Nol jumped off the bed and opened the wardrobe. In the corner, Kando’s vertical eye quietly watched him. This thing only had one eye, so it was hard for Nol to discern its emotions.

“I remember you saying you didn’t know your own name,” Nol said, looking into that eye. “We took you from the Eternal Church. Are you a Supplement Demon?”

“I thought you were too busy with your bloody sweetheart and had forgotten about me,” the candle replied with a particularly pitiful tone. “Now you remember that lonely little Kando has feelings too…”

“Answer me,” Nol demanded, grabbing it.

“Oh, a Supplement Demon, a Supplement Demon. I am not a Supplement Demon.” Kando slapped Nol’s jaws with candle tears. “The importance of a name is second only to the soul—unless you have no relatives, no relationships with anyone—the Eternal Church likes to destroy it, and some like to use it as collateral.”

“You ‘mortgaged’ your name?” Nol frowned. “Mortgaged to whom? To turn you into this thing?”

“If I answer that, I’ll never get it back.” Kando looked up at Nol. “Don’t worry. When the time is right, I will tell you everything. Think about it, if I wanted to harm you, I’d have had plenty of opportunities.”

“Thank you for reminding me. I think now is a good time. The soundproofing in this cabinet isn’t very good. You must have heard everything.” Nol flicked his fingers.

The black candle nimbly crawled on the back of his hand, like a deformed octopus. It quickly found a new patch of skin and wrapped around it.

“Oh, my thoughts are a bit different from your bloody sweetheart,” the candle whispered. “I don’t think you’re a God of Creation in a true sense.”

“It’s a coincidence, but I happen to know races that can create worlds. But you’re not like them—no offense, but even in their weakened state, they wouldn’t be as weak as you.”

Kando was blunt, but Nol wasn’t offended. “It’s okay. I don’t think I’m any god.”

What kind of God works overtime 24/7 and lands themselves in a hospital? That’s just weak.

“So, as I said, now is not the right time,” Kando calmly stated.

“I hate people who beat around the bush.”

Nol snapped, grabbing a tear from the candle and pulling Kando off. The candle was upside down, its flame brushing against its body, but the black wax showed no signs of melting.

Kando bent its eye as if smiling. “If I tell you everything now, you might give up. I’d rather wait until you have no choice. I can only say that as long as you two continue to seek the truth of the world, the right time will come.”

As it spoke, it stared intently at Nol, its pupil dilating.

Under the gaze of this inhuman thing, sweat formed on Nol’s back. His good mood from earlier had mostly vanished. Still, the candle did reveal a lot. Kando had mortgaged its name to someone and was likely serving that “someone”. And at the right time, this guy would surely ask him for a favor.

How would he define such a creature? A commercial spy? An obvious mole?

Yet, Nol did need it. Whether for wielding his staff or for spatial magic, it was indispensable to him…

“Honey, are you fixing your staff?”

Teest’s voice and the sweet aroma returned to the room, immediately interrupting Nol’s train of thought. He set down Kando, who was chuckling quietly, and closed the wardrobe door seamlessly.

“Well, I had a little chat with our Mr. Kando,” Nol said, his eyes drifting to the tray Teest held.

On it were two cups of hot red wine, garnished with slices of orange and cinnamon sticks. The difference was that one of the cups contained several thin white bones.

“One of them has been boiled with the scraps of the Eclipse Shield. Don’t worry, I cleaned it thoroughly.” Teest placed the steaming tray on the bedside and casually took out the Eclipse Shield from his pouch, handing it to Nol.

Nol couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.

When they first found the Eclipse Shield, it was exquisitely designed with a sense of ancient beauty. The bones used as the main material were bordered with old silver and wrapped with dark ironwood and gold with rune patterns. The intertwining of gold and black was very fitting for the name “Eclipse Shield”.

Now, the gold-laden wood was gone, the old silver edging was painted with metallic paint and partially covered with leather. The bone in the center was hidden under a thin layer of tin, turning the shield from an “ancient religious artifact with an eerie aura” into something that seemed like a cheap street-side bargain. It was quite lamentable.

However, its current appearance did match the title the “Betrayer” and was discreetly comforting.

Nol then pulled up its item description—

[Curiosity: You will devote everything to guard the beautiful yet dark mysteries. Such a feeling is irresistible to you. Remember, curiosity is the beginning of everything. 

※Crafted with ingenuity by Teest.]

Great, there’s no “Eclipse Shield” in this world anymore. All that remains is “Curiosity”.

Nol briefly examined the attributes of the freshly renamed “Curiosity”, and its power seemed quite formidable. Although it wasn’t as potent as the shields from the late stages of the game, it was strong enough to give a dragon a headache.

This shield was personally modified by Teest.

Nol wasn’t too surprised that Teest had crafting skills. Teest’s spatial pouch seemed to be something only a Player could craft, probably made by him.

What Nol was curious about was something else—

“How did you manage to improve its attributes?” Nol asked, looking at the small round shield now the size of a pot lid.

“Oh, I added a special ingredient.”

“What?”

“Your hair,” Teest said with a playful smile. “See, it’s very effective.”

Nol: “……”

So, when Teest was patting his head, he was just trying to get some of his hair? Well, body parts from a Lich were indeed rare magical materials, so Nol couldn’t find fault with that.

Silently, Nol took a big sip of the hot red wine. Teest approached quickly, watching him with immense curiosity.

After swallowing the sweet wine—which lacked the potency of the bewilderment dew and couldn’t possibly intoxicate a Lich—Nol finished the cup in one gulp. He then glared at Teest and ruffled his hair vigorously.

Teest: “Did you gain a good skill?”

Nol: “No, just wiping my hands.”

Teest looked at Nol, stunned.

Only then did Nol bared his teeth and grin. “Just kidding.”

“Oh my, you’re quite vengeful,” Teest said, touching his long hair with lingering fear.

After the stats refreshed, Nol’s smile froze on his face, gradually turning into a mix of astonishment and horror.

…This thing has more stats than a dragon?!

Previously, he was always waiting for the respawn timer of [Fallen Death] to farm monsters, with his stats increasing at a sluggish pace. After drinking that glass just now, the increase in stats directly surpassed the total of what he had gained before.

His current stats equaled about half of a fully leveled Lich.

Before Nol could react, his skill list refreshed, and a familiar notification popped up in front of him.

[Loser’s Obsession: A laughable persistence, pointless struggle, and the loser’s defiance against fate. This skill has no effect, holds no value, and cannot be used.]

[A similar origin skill is detected. Would you like to merge the skills “Lament of the Weak” and “Loser’s Obsession”?]

[Note: Merging can produce a new skill. The new skill will retain the original source, but other changes are unpredictable. Please choose carefully.]

Nol hesitated for a few seconds, then carefully chose “Yes”.

[Collecting data… Reinterpreting skills…]

[Skill merge completed.]

[Lost Last Wish: Regrettably, the cries for help have vanished, and you can only chase the echoes. This skill has no effect, holds no value.]

Again, it was this inexplicable type of skill.

Nol cautiously stored the Lost Last Wish and vigorously rubbed his face.

“Not satisfied with the new skill?” Teest leisurely sipped his hot red wine.

Nol forced himself back to his senses . He hesitated, then shook his head. “It’s not very useful for now, but it added a lot to my stats. If I accumulate it over time, I might be able to recover this level’s stats.”

Now, Nol was even less eager to change his class—who knows if the attributes he had painstakingly accumulated would be recalculated by the system after he changed his class, leaving him with no place to cry.

“Thank you for the hot wine. Let’s sleep for today,” Nol whispered.

Both of them crawled into their beds. The inn’s blankets emitted a faint musty and herbal smell from disinfectants, which was a bit suffocating, but thankfully they were dry and soft.

“…Nol.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m curious. If you truly had the power of a god, what would you want to do?”

“Hmm… Take my neighbors home, and it would be even better if I could restore their human forms.” As he slid into the blanket, Nol’s voice grew drowsy.

“Anything else?”

“Destroy the Eternal Church, get rid of the Eternal Son… see about the Goddess of Life…”

Teest chuckled. “Then what?”

“That’s it,” Nol mumbled sleepily. “That’s it… I really want to go home… I wonder how my parents are doing…”

Teest: “.…..”

He turned his back to Nol. His golden eyes glanced at the wardrobe and then the corner of the room.

Nol nestled against Teest’s back and quickly fell asleep. Teest kept blinking in the dark. After some time, he quietly got up and stealthily left the bed.

……

Four in the morning, in the secret chamber of the Black Glove Tavern.

“Thank you for your effort.” The General snapped her fingers, and a grotesque creature behind her brought a glass of iced red wine for the guest.

Her guest, Former Pope Painter, smiled and nodded. “You’re too kind, madam. If there’s such work in the future, please remember to contact us first…”

Bang, bang, bang!!!

There were a series of noises from the monster corridor. Seconds later, a man covered in blood and entrails entered the room, with viscera dripping from his clothes onto the expensive carpet.

The man, holding a simple longsword and carrying an even simpler round shield on his back, walked rudely to the guest chair.

The General’s distorted face twitched, and she threw a cleansing spell at the newcomer. “Mad monk.”

“Good evening.” Teest waved casually.

“I knew you’d come again, so I prepared two batches of monsters especially for you.” The General hissed. “Those things weren’t cheap. Don’t come by again this year. Consider it a favor I’m asking.”

“Alright.” Teest took a seat on the guest chair, glancing at Painter. The latter’s butt seemed glued to the chair. Painter just gave a polite nod and smile, with no intention of standing up.

“Don’t mind This Villain,” Painter said. “I just want to slowly savor this wine—once you leave Grape Collar, you can’t find wine this good.”

Teest glared at Painter for a while before turning to the wary-looking General. “Relax, I just happened to be passing by and wanted to chat.”

“Passing by at this hour?” The General gritted her teeth.

“Yes, I couldn’t sleep.” Teest held his chin and poured himself a cup of tea. “I have a little worry and wanted to consult a ‘normal person’.”

“Don’t flatter me,” the General said warily.

“I thought that tying someone down would keep them with me, but in the end, they still left,” Teest began. “Of course, by that time, our goals would have been met. I had accepted that outcome from the beginning. But it still doesn’t sit well with me.”

The General frowned. “There are times you can’t keep someone? Dead or alive, you always find a way. You didn’t…”

“It’s called fear of loss,” Painter interjected with a smile, tilting his head to avoid the teacup saucer Teest threw his way—which embedded itself in the wall. Its edges shimmered with a dark glow.

The General took a deep breath. “The only things that bind people are emotions or interests. You can’t give emotions, so think about interests. Goodbye and goodnight. I’d prefer not to see you again.”

“I’m aware of that. Unfortunately so is the other party,” Teest said with a grievance, staying put in his chair. “I provided emotional support and benefits, but I’m still not happy.”

The General: “……”

The General: “…So why are you suddenly unhappy?”

Teest thought for a moment. “Tonight, I confirmed his intentions. His response was exactly as I had expected. He has decided to return to his homeland after solving the problem.”

The General took a deep breath. “Isn’t it good that things are going as expected? What are you fussing about—”

“Because he didn’t say he’d take you with him,” Painter interjected with enthusiasm.

Teest’s smile vanished, reappearing on the General’s face.

“Care to elaborate?” the General poured herself a drink.

“He’s special.” Teest shifted the topic, not aiming anything at Painter’s throat this time. “After achieving my goal, my interest in him may not necessarily wane… I’ve recently discovered these seem to be two different matters.”

The General raised her cup to Teest from a distance, the gems on her gloves sparkling. “My answer remains the same. Offer more emotion or more benefits. If you can’t manage the former, focus on the latter… or perhaps combine the two.”

She winked awkwardly at Teest.

After contemplating for a couple of seconds, Teest nodded seriously. “That’s a good idea.”

He took out an expensive magical item from his pouch, placing it by the teacup, then stood up and left, humming a tune.

The General helplessly watched Teest’s retreating figure.

She recognized the magic pocket watch on the table, rumored to be one of the Eternal Church’s treasures. This kid really got a lot of stuff through the ‘Time Reversion Potion’. The watch was worth three times what she’d lost that evening. However…

“I think he missed my hint. Was I too subtle?” The General sighed. “I can’t just tell him, ‘Hey, it’s time for you to use that appearance and physique of yours.’ We may be of different genders, but I don’t want to sexually harass the Mad Monk.”

“I think he missed it too, but it’s more interesting this way.” Painter swirled his empty wine glass. “Could I get a refill, madam?”

“Of course, if you’re willing to share the mercenaries’ experiences.” The General gestured to her tall servant. “Go. Release the backup batch of monsters. They’ll clean up the corridor themselves.”

The work of the Drifting Mercenaries was filled with valuable intel. The two chatted pleasantly till dawn. Painter, with a friendly smile, downed five of the General’s treasured bottles.

“It was a pleasant evening.” Painter stood up. “Next, we plan to visit near Bissus…”

Bang, bang, bang!!!

There was another series of noises coming from the monster corridor. Moments later, a man covered in blood and viscera stood at the entrance. He cast several cleansing spells on himself and then cautiously entered the room.

The person, wearing a simple black cloak, had a staff in his hand that resembled an ordinary cane.

“My apologies for the disturbance,” Nol said politely. “I’d like to purchase some additional medical supplies.”

The General’s gaze drifted towards the monster corridor, remaining silent for a long moment. Painter bowed to the two of them and quickly exited.

“Good morning, Master of Paradise.”

The General’s smile gradually distorted. “Why aren’t you with the Mad Monk?”

Nol hesitated for a moment, making sure that Painter really left, then he cleared his throat somewhat formally. “Apart from matters of collaboration, I also have some questions about the Mad Monk that I’d like to ask you.”

“…What happened to him?”

“Nothing.” Nol shook his head. “I just want to know more about him.”

“You can ask him directly. As I said, I don’t even consider him a friend—”

“Weren’t you the Supplement Demon who escaped with him back in the day?” Nol asked bluntly.

The General turned her mismatched eyes, silently staring at Nol.

“Please don’t misunderstand. I have no intention of prying into your affairs and will offer adequate compensation.”

Nol hesitated for a moment, choosing the most suitable wording. “I just want to consult an observer’s perspective to ensure our collaborative relationship remains strong.”

“Go ahead.” The Master of Paradise wasn’t someone she could afford to offend, so she could only respond weakly.

Can you please spare me, you bastards.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 85: Alva’s Dinner

[It wasn’t a test. You’ve been recognized.]

Teest placed his hands on Nol’s shoulders, resembling a solid spirit behind him. [Truly deserving of the title ‘Golden Sword’. His discernment is sharp.]

It seemed that Mr. Enbillick Alva’s rise from being a wanderer to his current stature wasn’t just due to luck and business acumen.

Having just completed a time-travel journey, God knows how much Nol wanted to find an inn and sleep. His favorability towards Billy gradually decreased, like seeing a boss suddenly announcing overtime.

Nol steadied himself and simply took off his hood. “Yes, sir. My brother happens to be away. He’s waiting for me to return for dinner. You can chat with Mr. Painter. I’ll take my leave first.”

Golden Sword Billy apparently knew the former Pope Painter. It was now up to Mr. Painter to divert the attention.

Painter quickly intervened. “Yes, you see, this gentleman also happens to be busy. It’s not appropriate for me, an outsider, to stay with your close-knit family. Thank you for your hospitality. We can meet again next time.”

Billy’s smiling eyes flickered between the two for a few seconds. “That’s a shame… By the way, you two should be careful. The auction lost the ‘Time Reversion’ potion, and mercenaries are searching throughout the city.”

Nol: “.…..”

Painter: “.…..”

“I guess you two are new here. Even if you have identity proof, you might still face trouble. Wait, your identifications are fake, right? You must be careful!” Billy earnestly said.

Painter, with a warm and perfect smile, responded, “I suddenly feel like having grilled ribs and onion bread. Sorry to bother you.”

[Is this guy okay?] Nol wondered.

They had the “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, so they didn’t really care about being chased. But if they refuse here, Billy would 200% guess that they have a way to “completely avoid the patrollers”.

[Follow him. I want to see what he’s planning,] Teest hummed. [I’ll deal with that shield later. Let’s eat first.]

“I’ll join,” Nol responded slowly. “You’re still so generous.”

[I hope the grilled ribs come with apple mash.] Behind Nol, Teest wished with great anticipation.

Billy’s residence was surprisingly modest.

But to put it another way, just looking at the house, Nol would guess it belonged to a slightly affluent commoner. “Golden Sword” Billy’s mansion in the big city of Grape Collar was almost like the Flama family’s neighborhood residence.

A small yard, a cozy two-story house, and windows filled with warm honey-like light. As soon as the door opened, the aroma of hot food wafted out.

The first floor was the living room. By the fireplace on the west side of the living room, the food on the dining table was fresh out of the pot. The onion bread gave off a scorching aroma, and the ribs on the iron plate sizzled. The table also had slightly burnt potatoes paired with roasted chicken, small duck tarts sprinkled with tomato and fried basil, plus a colorful vegetable soup.

Teest was pleased to find apple mash as a side dish on the table. The accompanying drink was juice mixed with soda, and he didn’t smell any alcohol.

Billy’s wife, Avra, took off her apron and greeted them with a smile.

“Daddy!” “Dad!”

Two kids stumbled towards the porch. Billy bent down, laughing, and wrapped one child in each arm. “Kids, we have guests today!”

“Guests!” The children shouted in his arms, turning to look at Painter and Nol following Billy.

“Yes, daddy’s important guests. Did mommy feed you pumpkin milk porridge? How about going to bed early, hm?”

“Okay!”

“Sorry, it’s a bit messy here.” After ushering the kids upstairs, Billy, removing his coat, casually walked back. “We had just cleaned up five minutes ago, and those two little rascals will mess it up.”

Nol sat at the table, while Teest lazily leaned against the back of his chair.

[There are at least fifty protective magical items in this room.] Teest was amazed. Any one of them was worth more than this house. [No wonder this guy had the confidence to bring people home.]

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Avra,” Painter said, lifting her hand and giving a standard hand kiss. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a sumptuous dinner.”

Avra, smiling radiantly, said with a heavy accent in the common language, “You’re too kind, Mr. Painter.” When her gaze met Nol’s, her eyes widened slightly. “You are…”

“The young man we saved that day.” Billy smiled. “He’s with Painter, so I invited him over. Sir, would you like to introduce yourself again?”

“Ross.” Nol bluntly gave the fake name.

Billy simply hummed. “Eat while it’s hot. Try my wife’s cooking.”

Nol bravely picked up the fork, and the real battle began.

He had to avoid the gazes of Avra and Billy from across the table while feeding food to Teest. Even though the couple didn’t notice Teest, it was still a highly challenging task. If he wasn’t careful, he might be seen as a madman performing with cutlery in someone else’s house.

Watching Nol sneakily feed the Mad Monk, Painter suppressed several laughs with a cough.

“Why are you going to such lengths?” Drawing Billy’s attention, Painter’s voice flowed like a gentle stream. “Mr. Alva, you don’t need to take care of a minor thug like me—I suppose the renowned Alva Merchant Group wouldn’t need the services of the Drifting Mercenary Group.”

“You must have many enemies eyeing your courtyard. Hosting us tonight might stir gossip.”

“It’s been many years since we last met, hasn’t it?” Billy tore a piece of onion bread, sharing half with his wife. “We knew each other when you were still at the Temple of Life. A friendship of twenty-one years, aren’t I allowed to host an old friend?”

Nol’s ears perked up, slowing his actions. Teest quietly scratched his earlobe, prompting Nol to stealthily grab another rib.

Painter laughed naturally. “That was in our younger days.”

“Don’t say that. I’ve always admired you,” Billy said, raising his fruit soda. “The first apostate Chosen One, and such a heavyweight figure. If I had been in your shoes back then, I might not have had your courage. It’s a shame no one else has done anything as exciting since then.”

Nol, while eating baked potatoes, shook his head secretly in his heart.

Twelve years ago, another Chosen One betrayed God and became the infamous Mad Monk. Coincidentally, he’s now sneaking around eating ribs at your dining table.

He glanced anxiously at Mrs. Avra. Billy’s comments were rather heretical, and he was unsure how she would react…

“My wife is just a common believer. Her devotion to the gods is less than her interest in fresh vegetables.” Catching Nol’s gaze, Billy grinned. “I personally don’t believe in such things either. Don’t be too formal, young man.”

“You and your wife’s love story is widely known.” Painter took over the conversation. “Wasn’t our first meeting because of that?”

“Really?”

Nol immediately looked on with bright, curious eyes. Please, continue the conversation and don’t focus on me.

Teest’s actions also slowed. He leaned into Nol’s shoulder, and their heads nearly tilted at the same angle.

“Yes, Mrs. Avra was originally a slave from a foreign country with a tragic background. Mr. Billy rescued her from the slaver group. When they wanted to marry, they faced strong opposition from Duke Alva…”

Duke Alva vehemently disapproved of the marriage.

At the time, Billy was emerging as a prominent figure. Duke Alva was looking to arrange a suitable marriage for him. Avra, being a former slave, wasn’t highly educated and couldn’t even speak the common language.

The idea of his adopted son marrying such a woman nearly made the Duke faint from rage. He publicly declared in front of the entire Alva family that he would only accept their marriage if the Pope himself officiated it.

[And then, Painter resigned because he was annoyed?] Nol turned to Teest, curious.

Teest stifled a laugh and shook his head vigorously.

In fact, something within Painter had never changed. Upon hearing of this, Painter, who was then the Pope, willingly stepped forward and happily officiated the wedding.

“I remember, back then, Mrs. Avra had just come of age.” Painter reminisced. “The love of young people is truly heartwarming…”

“I didn’t expect it to go so smoothly,” Billy said with a chuckle while shaking his glass. “Most people would’ve been wary of the relationship between the Temple and the Alva Group and would’ve never helped me out.”

“That’s also why I couldn’t hold that position for long.” Painter took a bite from a chicken leg, rather ungracefully.

Billy also took a piece of chicken. “I’ve heard rumors… about the Flama family incident… Rumor has it that you couldn’t accept the church’s tacit approval of people’s actions.”

Nol paused with his fork.

Did the Pope renounce the faith twenty-one years ago because he couldn’t stomach the atrocities against Teest’s family?

“Seeing too much filth, that was just the last straw.” With a clang, Painter threw the chicken bone onto the plate. “So, Mr. Alva, did you invite me over just to reminisce about the past?”

“I’m just very curious about a former Chosen One,” Billy replied.

“Theoretically speaking, I’m still a Chosen One by God.” Painter laughed. “Shamefully, my concept of ‘God’s Chosen One’ isn’t quite the same as ordinary people—’God’s Chosen One’ should rather be people choosing God. Does it matter if God exists or not? And does it matter if one believes or not?”

Billy chewed on his chicken, raising an eyebrow. “You really are blasphemous.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere.” Painter bared his teeth and stabbed his fork towards the ribs again. Despite all his talk, his pace of eating meat hadn’t slowed down at all.

[The Chosen One is someone who chooses God? Interesting thought,] Teest said. [Then I choose you, honey.]

Nol choked on his vegetable soup, coughing till his face turned red.

[I’m really curious about his oracle.] Nol tried to change the subject in his mind while handing Teest a piece of duck meat pie.

Teest hummed, biting the tip of the fork. [I’m curious too. How about we set fire to the Immortal Church here?]

[…Just eat your food.]

They actually ate quite peacefully afterwards. Billy seemed to have invited the two just for a meal. Throughout the dinner, it was mainly Billy and Painter conversing back and forth. The probing Nol had imagined never occurred.

“…Something happened at the auction. I’ll be leaving Grape Collar in a few days.” Billy sighed. “I originally wanted to buy that ‘Time Reversion Potion’, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

Painter, nibbling on the last rib bone, pretended he heard nothing. Billy turned to Nol. “What do you and your brother plan to do? If you want, the job offer at the jewelry store still stands!”

“No thanks,” Nol said lightheartedly. “We want to explore other places.”

“That’s a pity.” Billy lowered his eyebrows. “Oh yes, try not to go to the Black Forest. There’s a group called ‘Paradise’ that has emerged recently. The Temple is still assessing the danger. All merchant groups have to detour for now.”

“Thank you for the warning.” Nol continued to force a smile. In fact, ‘Paradise’ wasn’t a big deal—it was just a small community from another world. As far as he knew, the members of Paradise were busy farming.

Billy looked at him meaningfully for a while, then turned to Painter, continuing the casual conversation. “I’ve heard that something’s happening at the border between New Gemino and the Shiva territory. The people from the Temple of Life are gathering there.”

“Ah? I’ll need to pick a new route then,” Painter muttered. “I don’t want to run into them.”

Teest looked at Billy for a while, stole a potato tip with Nol’s fork, and poked Nol. [Ask him about it. He’s hiding something.]

“What happened over there, if you don’t mind sharing?” Nol cleared his throat and aggressively speared a piece of potato.

Billy shrugged. “I heard that the Demon King’s corruption is spreading rapidly, and monsters have become very rampant. I don’t know much beyond that. The Alva Merchant Group never ventures to such places.”

With that, he looked at his wife with a smile.

“Avra, you can bring the dessert now—you must try it. It’s a new product from the ‘Good Blessing Bakery’. We poached a great chef from Whitebird City!”

Nol tensed up immediately, fearing another plate of peach cupcakes. Fortunately, Avra brought large peach jellies accompanied by homemade orange cookies.

Billy personally served a cup in front of Nol.

“Please, enjoy,” he said with a smile.

……

At midnight, Nol crashed headfirst into his inn pillow. The meal had been exhausting—gathering information, feeding Teest, and acting all in one. Being an introverted techie, his socializing cells were nearly drained.

“That Golden Sword Billy—why does he feel like a messaging NPC.” Nol mumbled with his face buried in the pillow. “Talking to him feels like you might get some strange quest at any moment.”

Now he was completely honest with Teest, speaking freely. This feeling was simply amazing.

When talking to neighbors, he always had to gauge their mental state. With Teest, he had no such concerns. After all, considering the Mad Monk’s mental state, any change was considered an “improvement”.

“He’s selling you a favor.” Teest stood by the bed, moving his shoulders. “The former Pope, needless to say, might have guessed that you are the Master of Paradise. After all, you’ve met before.”

Nol sat up in shock. “Is that even possible?”

“Merchants live on information. That guy’s nose might be sharper than an Investigation Knight.” Teest threw himself onto the bed, lying beside Nol. “Alright, honey, we’ll talk about these minor things tomorrow—I want a bedtime story.”

“…Huh?”

“About ‘Tahe’, the story you promised.” Teest turned to Nol. Only one oil lamp was lit in the room, but those golden eyes shone brighter than any flame.

“Okay, what would you like to hear?” Nol chuckled. “The design concept, production anecdotes—anything is fine.”

Teest moved closer, eyes narrowing. “Then, let’s start with the novice village.”

“I have to think about where to start. Oh, did you know? Actually, that tavern…”

Nol recounted freely.

He told Teest about the NPCs that should have existed, described the discarded drafts, and hummed the background music that should have been played with flutes and harps… The surroundings seemed to transform from a dim inn to a sunny office.

And he was joyfully sharing his world.

The feeling of exhaustion faded, and his spirit seemed to be rejuvenated. Even as his mouth got dry from talking, Nol’s mood lightened, and his eyes sparkled with laughter.

Teest knew well the different states of a person.

For instance, he knew that at this moment, Nol was completely off guard. He leaned in, blissfully talking about the origins of this world.

Teest listened carefully, observing even more intensely. His gaze followed every movement, every inch of skin. Without realizing, Nol’s hands played with Teest’s hair tips, his entire focus evident. The black strands swayed with his breath, and the faint lines on his soft, rosy lips became more visible. When he got excited, a blush painted his face, and Teest could hear his slightly accelerated heartbeat.

No different from an ordinary human.

A beautiful young man, yet speaking of the deep truths of the world. The scene was both madly captivating and enchanting.

Teest couldn’t help but reach out.

Like ripe fruit bending a branch, offering itself to a thirsty traveler, it was undeniably an enticing invitation.

Taking a deep breath, Teest’s hand finally rested on Nol’s arm.

Even though he jokingly called Nol a god, in reality, even Nol himself was unclear about his status.

Though they seemed inseparable at this moment, Teest still yearned to know more, to understand better. To wash away the superficial mysteries and unveil the truth would be the perfect time.

But it wasn’t the right time yet.

So, his hand simply caressed Nol’s arm, feeling the ambiguous warmth. Nol’s storytelling paused for a moment, and his voice got softer. He didn’t shy away.

Shoulders, arms, the back of the hand. Every finger, fingertip, waist.

Teest’s touch was very light. It was hard to tell if he was caressing a lover, a trophy, or a treasure.

“…When designing the specialty bread, we discarded several drafts…”

Nol’s voice got softer, and just as he decided to halt the topic and address the wandering hand, Teest sat up.

“I guess you’re thirsty.”

He touched Nol’s hair.

“It’s time to prepare the Eclipse Shield.”

The author has something to say:

Such a dynamic duo (.

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