Chapter 35: The Saint’s Caravan and Holy Light Studies

After escaping from the Adventurer’s Association, Eve immediately began searching for a caravan.

Though the Xigelili Great Plains had recently seen a slime rampage, this incident did not deter countless merchant caravans. On the contrary, trade seemed to thrive even more vigorously.

For them, risk was synonymous with opportunity!

****

The Xigelili Great Plains were strategically located, bordered by two major cities.

Xielan, a city known as the Adventurer’s Capital, teemed with countless adventurers.

Greendunburg, on the other hand, was hailed as the Kingdom’s Mining Capital, a veritable heaven of mineral wealth.

One city attracted a multitude of adventurers, often described as ‘rich fools,’ while the other was abundant with various mineral veins. Transactions there were often conducted through bartering, with gold nuggets or iron ore serving as currency for external caravans.

Generosity was their defining trait!

Each time, caravans returned laden with goods.

In the eyes of these merchants, the inhabitants of these two cities weren’t people at all.

They were merely walking bags of gold!

How could any merchant allow such wealth to remain outside their coffers?

A mere slime rampage would certainly not impede the ‘uncles’ of the caravans from turning a profit!

As for the caravans that had been terrified by slime attacks, many merchants simply scoffed.

Some even secretly rejoiced, grateful for their colleagues’ misfortune. This scarcity caused prices in both cities to surge, allowing them to seize… or rather, earn even more.

Naturally, the caravan leaders were not foolish. While they hadn’t personally experienced an attack, the confirmed risks prompted them to take precautionary measures, such as posting quests for adventurer escorts.

Thus, Eve easily located a caravan scheduled to depart for Greendunburg in three days.

****

Upon meeting Joyce, the caravan leader, and explaining her purpose, he initially harbored doubts. He questioned how Eve, with her seemingly frail physique, could possibly be an adventurer.

However, the moment Eve presented her adventurer’s guild ID, revealing her almost extinct Saint class, Joyce’s demeanor underwent a complete transformation. He rose, grasped Eve’s hand, and declared with utmost solemnity: “Our caravan is in dire need of a powerful and beautiful adventurer such as yourself! You must accept our escort mission! We will offer double… no, triple the usual commission to hire you!”

Eve instinctively recoiled at his words.

‘Triple… triple commission?’

‘Not only a free carriage ride, but a hefty commission too?!’

Though the offer was tempting, Eve did not immediately agree to the transaction.

It wasn’t about the money.

Eve understood that this was a perk of her current Saint identity. If she accepted the additional commission, subsequent requests from them would undoubtedly follow.

What appeared to be a windfall was, in reality, merely an olive branch extended to recruit her.

Furthermore, Eve hadn’t forgotten her initial objective: she simply wanted to farm slimes on the Xigelili Great Plains. What need did she have for so much money?

Alice had left her a pile of gold coins in her bracelet; she was far from lacking funds.

Eve gently withdrew her hand and politely declined. “Mr. Joyce, I appreciate your generosity, but there’s no need for extra commission. I will only escort you through the Xigelili Great Plains. After that, I will disembark midway and part ways with your caravan.”

Joyce, the caravan leader, showed a look of regret. “Very well. It seems Miss Luosha’s destination differs from ours. What a pity…”

“The commission will be settled and given to you when you disembark.”

“A pleasure doing business with you, Miss Luosha.”

Joyce extended his hand once more, holding it suspended in the air with a friendly smile.

It was a customary gesture of goodwill and a common tactic among merchants.

This time, Eve did not slight him. She nodded and extended her hand, shaking Joyce’s. “A pleasure doing business with you.”

****

Three days passed in a flash. Eve, however, had not been idle. She immediately made her way to the local church.

Though Eve was an undead, she was, on the surface, a Saint. She felt that only knowing a single Holy Light spell was simply too lackluster.

In ‘Summoning Gods,’ player skills were only restricted by class, not by quantity. Therefore, with enough effort, one could acquire other skills. The sole distinction was that skills granted by the game system were instantly mastered upon activation.

Since the Divine Grace buff from the Goddess of Light allowed her to learn Holy magic, she couldn’t let such an opportunity go to waste.

Holy magic on the continent was completely controlled by the Holy See, which meant she could only visit a local church.

This, however, wasn’t entirely a drawback.

Churches housed libraries, and while one couldn’t take magic notes home to copy, they were otherwise freely accessible to the public.

Unlike other forms of magic, which often required purchasing spellbooks from specialized shops or libraries, Holy magic was different.

After all, those capable of learning Holy magic were typically devout followers of the Goddess of Light, and the Holy See always welcomed more worshippers for their deity.

As for ordinary people without faith or talent, magic notes were as inscrutable as celestial texts. They could read them, but it would be futile.

Consequently, most visitors to the library were followers of the Goddess of Light aspiring to become Saints. The most frequently borrowed book was the magic note titled ‘Introduction to Holy Magic Principles: Daily Prayer from Beginner to Grave.’

This magic note, penned by the First Saintess, promised that mastering it would allow one to easily learn the simplest Holy Light magic.

Or so the introduction of the book claimed, at least.

Considering she already knew Holy Light, Eve opted to skip the thick, weighty tome. Instead, she borrowed ‘One Hundred and Seventy-Three Derivative Uses of Holy Light.’

Compiled by a Pope, the book lived up to its title. It was a comprehensive encyclopedia, teaching novices how to creatively utilize ordinary Holy Light after mastering the basic spell.

It covered applications like healing, attacking, defending, buffing, and even automatic natural censorship.

These were all straightforward and easy-to-understand methods for wielding Holy Light.

At least, when compared to the magic note written by the First Saintess, it certainly was.

Eve secluded herself in the church library for three days. Her tireless, almost obsessive, study shamed the other Holy Light worshippers present, prompting them to also diligently ‘cram’ with ‘Beginner to Grave.’

What they didn’t realize, however, was that Eve was an undead. Her ‘tireless study’ was simply because she didn’t need to eat, and sleep wasn’t a necessity.

Staying in the church to read actually saved her the cost of an inn.

Thus, with their mortal bodies, they were destined to be outworked by Eve.

Moreover, with the Goddess of Light’s buff, Eve’s learning speed was astonishing.

In just three days, she had nearly finished the book.

Closing the magic note, Eve let out a long breath, feeling as though her entire undead being had been elevated.

While no new skills appeared in her skill bar, she had unlocked numerous applications for her Holy Light ability.

Previously, Eve could only conjure Holy Light to flash and purify the undead. Now, she could fully integrate Holy Light into combat and support others, elevating her overall combat prowess by an entire tier!

She glanced up at the calendar and clock hanging in the library, mentally calculating the time.

“It’s almost time to meet them.”