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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Cyno
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It was nearly noon by the time Shura and I left Aim Village. The villagers were saddened to see Shura go, but they also didn’t hold back their congratulations, knowing she had found a lifelong partner. In the end, Shura burst into tears, torn between gratitude and guilt, which delayed our departure for a while.
Ah, this woman. For all her usual composed demeanor, she’s surprisingly emotional.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Shura and I swiftly made our way through the Dwin Mountain Range. We spotted a few monsters along the way, but this time, we ignored them. I was bothered by the day we’d wasted in Aim Village.
Still, we had enough time, but because of Shura, we needed to move quickly regardless.
Shura had pale blue skin and crimson eyes, traits closely associated with the Moon Elves, a faction of the dark forces. If we carelessly passed through the territory of the Yosrahim Empire—aligned with the forces of light—she could easily be mistaken for a spy. So, we had to travel stealthily, only moving at night.
And Shura wasn’t as fast as me. Though I took the time to teach her some assassin movement techniques along the way, it still meant we lost a lot of time.
‘Still, we made decent time.’
We arrived at the Divinum Holy Ground exactly nine days later. Now, I could relax. The Divinum Holy Ground was the greatest sanctuary on the Proxia Continent, where Saint Proxia and the Seven Saints first descended to spread civilization and faith to this world. No nation dared to station military forces here.
If anyone sent troops to this holy site, it would be seen as defiling the sacred, provoking outrage from every nation and religious order in the world—effectively declaring war on the entire continent.
No matter how bold my father and uncle were, they couldn’t risk sending troops to the Divinum Holy Ground.
“There it is.”
Half a day later, Shura and I safely reached the outskirts of Divinum City. As expected, there were no checkpoints. Though some holy knights and paladins patrolled the area, they didn’t stop us. Many pilgrims from the dark forces also wandered the holy grounds.
“The city… it’s enormous?”
Shura marveled at the endless 30-meter-high walls of Divinum City. It seemed she had never seen such a grand fortress before.
“Yeah. It’s the holy site for all religions, including both light and dark factions.”
Divinum City housed not only the Grand Divinum Temple but also the central temples of every major faith. With hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visiting yearly, commerce thrived here. Though perhaps smaller in scale than the Yosrahim Imperial Palace, in terms of splendor and luxury, it was unmatched.
“I see.”
“So be careful. This is a place where light and dark coexist. One wrong move could spark a massive conflict. And if you cause trouble, you’ll be banned for life. Keep that in mind.”
“Yes.”
After walking for a while, I stopped when I saw a group of armed mercenaries near the city gates. Among them was a familiar face—Roland, a knight from the territory of Duke Karl.
I knew Roland well—he was one of the knights who had guarded me during my time at the Imperial Noble Academy.
‘Hah. Trying so hard. What’s he going to do if he gets caught?’
It was obvious they were looking for me. Before I ran away, I’d clashed with my father over going to the Divinum Temple, so it wasn’t hard to guess I might come here.
The problem was, this was humanity’s greatest holy site. Even if my father was the empire’s second-in-command, if it were discovered he’d sent his own troops inside, he’d face severe consequences.
Shura approached.
“Master, what’s wrong?”
“There are some nuisances here to take me back.”
“What should we do?”
I sat down on a nearby rock ledge.
“We’ll wait.”
“But noon is only a few hours away…”
The Hall of Divinity was shared alternately by the forces of light and dark. The light faction governed during the day, the dark faction at night. Neutral factions could enter at any time.
But the most sacred hour for the light faction was noon, when the sun was brightest. That’s why the Hall of Divinity opened at noon—and why I had to be the first one in today to claim Yojo.
“True.”
“Then we can’t just stay here, can we? Didn’t you say you needed to enter first to achieve your goal?”
“But there’s no need to rush. We’ll make it by noon.”
“How?”
The solution was simple: hitch a ride in the carriage of one of my old academy friends.
Most graduates of the Imperial Noble Academy visited the Hall of Divinity immediately after finishing school—it was the perfect age to enter. Of course, some went later, but few delayed, as obtaining a relic here could drastically alter one’s life.
People saw relic wielders as saints blessed by the gods. And that status heavily influenced noble succession.
‘A lord beloved by the gods.’
That title alone made governing a territory much easier. For fathers deciding inheritance, a child who could secure such favor was invaluable.
Looking back now, it’s almost comical—but it’s still an ongoing social phenomenon.
“I have a friend named Hubeo. He’ll be running late today for personal reasons. We’ll borrow his carriage.”
Hubeo was my best friend from the Imperial Noble Academy. As the legitimate heir of the prestigious Ferero Ducal House, one of the empire’s greatest mage families, I’d gone out of my way to befriend him.
Hubeo would pass by this road at the last possible minute today—delayed because he’d been assisting his father’s magical research. But he’d still arrive an hour before the Hall opened.
“Hubeo… Are you close?”
“Yeah. My best friend. The kind you only meet once in a lifetime.”
But Hubeo would later die in battle at the Polkin Gate, the first major clash between the Proxia Allied Forces and the monsters. A real tragedy.
Before long, a six-horse carriage came speeding down the road. Judging by the wind emblem on its front, it belonged to the Ferero Ducal House.
It had to be Hubeo. I couldn’t remember how many years it had been since we last met. Overcome with nostalgia, I stepped into the road and shouted at the top of my lungs.
“Hubeo! My friend! It’s me!”
The carriage jerked to a stop, and mounted knights drew their swords as they approached. To them, I was just a beggar—nothing more, nothing less.
“Insolent fool! Who do you think you’re stopping?!”
Unlike usual, the knights only yelled. Normally, they’d cut me down without a second thought, but this was holy ground. Bloodshed was forbidden.
I kept calling for Hubeo.
“Hubeo! It’s me! Your friend!”
Soon, a brown-haired young man peeked out from the carriage window. Hubeo. He stared at me for a long moment, his face paling, before ducking back inside.
I clenched my fists.
“Hubeo! I saw you recognize me!”
A moment later, Hubeo’s resigned voice came from inside.
“Ugh… Fine. Let him in.”
That was Hubeo for you. Even in my shabby state, he recognized me instantly. Well, we were best friends who’d spent our school years together.
The knights reluctantly guided Shura and me into the carriage.
Inside sat Hubeo, dressed in noble finery, and an elderly gentleman with a white mustache.
As Shura and I boarded, I clapped Hubeo on the shoulder, ignoring his awkward expression.
“Hubeo, long time no see. Man, how long has it been?”
“Uh, about a month? Yeah, good to see you.”
For me, it had been years—but for Hubeo, just a month. We’d last met at graduation.
I glanced at the elderly man.
“Who’s this?”
“Ah, our family butler.”
“Really? The carriage feels a bit cramped.”
Hubeo frowned. This was a six-horse carriage—it could easily fit four.
He shot the butler a look.
“Sir Joseph, step out for a moment.”
“Understood.”
As soon as the butler left, the carriage resumed its journey. Hubeo studied me cautiously before asking in a low voice.
“You ran away, right?”
“Yeah. How’d you know?”
“The imperial family sent people to our house looking for you.”
“Really? You didn’t say anything, did you?”
“Not like I had much to say.”
Hubeo’s gaze shifted curiously to Shura. The pale blue skin visible under her hood seemed to intrigue him.
“Is that woman… a Moon Elf?”
“Yeah. But her father was a High Elf.”
Shura pulled her hood lower.
“Fascinating. I’ve never seen a female elf before.”
I slung an arm around Shura’s shoulders.
“She’s my lover, so don’t get any ideas.”
“Wha— Your lover?”
“Well, I’ve got my charms.”
Hubeo looked genuinely envious. Female elves were breathtakingly beautiful but rarely showed affection to human men. Even high-ranking nobles found it nearly impossible to take one as a lover.
“I see.”
As the carriage passed Roland’s group, I pretended not to notice, avoiding their gazes.
We made it through unscathed. Roland, disguised as a mercenary, didn’t dare stop the Ferero Ducal carriage. If he had, the knights’ swords would’ve been on him in an instant.
But we couldn’t avoid the paladins guarding the city gates. They boldly demanded identification, blocking our path.
After Hubeo cleared inspection, I handed over the ID I’d “received” from a dead mercenary.
“Here.”
The paladin gave me and Hubeo a suspicious look. A disguised mercenary traveling with a high-ranking noble’s heir was undeniably odd.
“Young Lord Hubeo, why are you traveling with a mercenary?”
Hubeo shot me a glance. A mercenary ID? He clearly had no idea what I was up to.
“They’re benefactors who helped me. I’m repaying the favor.”
“I… see. Very well.”
The paladin let us pass. Hubeo’s status was too solid to challenge further.
Once inside Divinum City, we were met with bustling streets. Endless rows of shops and towering temples sprouted like mushrooms. Truly befitting the greatest holy site of mankind.
I sniffed the air. The rich scent of bread wafted from somewhere nearby.
“A bakery around here?”
“Hungry? Want me to buy you some bread?”
Hubeo responded immediately.
Ah, the memories. The bread Hubeo used to buy me during our school days was delicious. But now, time was too tight. We couldn’t afford to waste a moment.
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[Your Text Here]
Ohhh!!! MCs bread shuttle