Chapter 7: A Plea in the Night

“What are you trying to say, Miss Priestess?”

All eyes fell on Naya.

“I’m saying… you’re all underestimating the power of the Ebonclad Armor. I’ve faced it before. It’s far more dangerous than a simple A+ rating suggests.”

“You’ve faced the Ebonclad Armor?”

“She’s the sole survivor of that one-star adventurer party,” the clerk answered him.

A greatsword user sneered. “Are you trying to talk it up to hide your own team’s incompetence?”

“How could you say that?” Naya asked, her voice trembling.

“Isn’t it true? Or should I put it another way—was it *your* incompetence that got your teammates killed? Hey, aren’t you a priestess? It’s your job to keep your allies alive, isn’t it?”

The words struck Naya like a physical blow. She stood frozen, unable to utter a single word.

“Or maybe a girl like you is just a mascot for the team? Aio’s divine arts? I don’t buy it. Just a bunch of flashy tricks. Is your healing just some kind of psychological placebo—”

In a single motion, Leon vaulted over the table. The next second, the tip of his Lumina Blade was pressed against the man’s nose.

“Apologize,” he said, his voice deceptively calm, the killing intent from a moment before now veiled.

“Leon, don’t fight in here…”

“Who are you? You’re not even a follower of Aio, what’s it to you?” the man retorted, pushing the sword away. “Aio’s ‘miracles’ are all a load of crap!”

“Oh?” Ael crossed her arms, her icy gaze fixing on him. “I am a Paladin of Aio. You dare slander Aio in my presence? Do you have any idea what the consequences are?”

“Consequences? A fight at most,” the man said, hoisting a greatsword nearly as tall as he was. “If Aio’s divine arts are real, then show me right now!”

But with no one injured, how could she demonstrate a healing spell? A Shield of Light would just be dismissed as another flashy trick.

Ael chuckled. With her personality, she couldn’t care less that they were in the Adventurer’s Guild.

In an instant, the ceiling collapsed! A shimmering silver hand descended from above, slamming the man and his sword into the wall.

The hand was much smaller than the one she’d summoned before, but it still took him out in a single blow.

Everyone present was left speechless.

“You can show him your healing arts now,” Ael said to Naya.

“You b*tch!” a dark knight from the other party was the first to react, leaping forward. “I’ve had it with you followers of Aio!” He drew his sword—it was said that disciples of Raphese captured the souls of their defeated enemies within their blades.

His teammates brandished their weapons in unison. On the other side, Leon hefted his Lumina Blade. The atmosphere grew taut, a battle ready to erupt at any moment.

“The feeling’s mutual,” Ael shot back, drawing her own sword and lunging forward.

Just as their blades were about to clash, a figure intercepted them. The shield warrior, Malgo the Adamant, blocked Ael’s sword with his left vambrace and the dark knight’s with his right.

Fully armored, his vambraces were two halves of a symmetrical shield, forming a complete one when brought together.

What surprised Ael was his speed. How could he move so quickly while wearing such heavy armor? He truly lived up to his reputation as the captain of Blade Hunt.

“My apologies, ladies,” he said in a low voice before glancing at the dark knight. “Hurry up and get Ouka out of here.”

“Isn’t there a theory that we all worship different aspects of the same god? Why all the hostility? Right?” the clerk chimed in, trying to smooth things over.

“That’s the Integrationist school of thought. We will never accept it,” Ael scoffed at the idea.

In Ael’s eyes, Aio was the one and only true god.

Thanks to Malgo’s intervention, the conflict subsided.

“If you’re scared, you can just cower in town. Leave the Ebonclad Armor to us,” the other party member said, throwing the words over their shoulder.

Leon just smiled, his expression one of enigmatic confidence. “Not only are we going, but we’ll defeat it before you do. We wouldn’t want you to meet a gruesome end.”

“Leon…?”

“Okay. We’ll see about that.” The four of them carried the unconscious greatsword user and left without a backward glance.

“Stay away from that clerk from now on. He’s an Integrationist heretic,” Ael whispered to Naya.

***

The night deepened. They had agreed to set out to subjugate the Ebonclad Armor the next day. In his room, Leon was polishing his Lumina Blade.

Ever since it had been stained with cockatrice blood, the sword had begun to emit a faint red glow that he couldn’t wipe away.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“Leon? Are you asleep?” It was Naya’s voice.

‘How unexpected,’ Leon thought as he opened the door. Naya stood before him in a nightgown. His gaze drifted down to her bare legs; it was the first time he had ever seen them without her white stockings.

“Polishing your sword?” Naya floated into the room—at least, that’s what it felt like to Leon. A faint, sweet fragrance trailed behind her.

“Yeah. It seems the bloodstain won’t come off the Lumina Blade.”

“They say superior metals absorb substances that are beneficial to them. I think that’s the principle at work here. Your sword absorbed the cockatrice’s blood and grew stronger.”

“Huh? It can do that?” The door closed. They stood about a step apart, gazing at each other in a strange atmosphere. “Have you been crying?” Leon noticed the redness around her eyes.

“Leon, this one time, will you please listen to me?”

“What is it?”

“Don’t go after the Ebonclad Armor. Please. Even for you, Leon… it’s too dangerous!”

“You don’t trust me?”

Naya shook her head. “It’s not that…” An image of Jie’er, riddled with holes by the creature’s tendrils, flashed through her mind.

“You… you saved my life. I don’t want anything to happen to you! I really don’t!” she said, her voice thick with tears. “You’re all I have left. Can you understand that? No… you probably can’t…”

“Don’t say that. I didn’t declare I’d defeat the Ebonclad Armor just to spite those five. I want you to be free from the shadow it has cast over you. That’s why I have to defeat it. To avenge your friends.”

Naya let out a soft sob and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Leon. Her embrace was light, her hands barely resting on his waist.

“Remember, during the fight, never be more than twenty paces away from me…”

“I won’t even be one step away. Don’t worry, I’m the man who’s going to become a Hero! I’m not about to get killed in the starting village, right? Besides, we have Ael with us, don’t we?”

Ever since witnessing Ael’s miracle, her presence had indeed become a great source of comfort.

“This starting village of yours is definitely on Hell Mode…”