Vol 6 Chapter 19

Although potion items hadn't been particularly necessary for Kapros in most cases, he was already well aware through past experiences of how troublesome it could be if he didn't bring them when he found himself in situations where potions were needed.

"I think I need to buy some potions."

After pondering for a while, Kapros answered, and Kion-hyung nodded and stood up.

"Alright. Then let's buy that first, see if there's anything else we need to prepare, and then go. We should get going."

Kapros also stood up and followed Kion-hyung. As the two tall men wearing clothes that each tried to cover their faces walked to the counter, some people's gazes followed them, but neither Kion-hyung nor Kapros paid much attention to it.

After leaving the store, on Kion-hyung's recommendation, Kapros bought cola-flavored potions instead of the odorless and tasteless potions he usually bought, and Kion-hyung bought a few bottles of another potion that increased movement speed for a certain period when consumed.

Deciding there was nothing else they needed to buy, Kapros was following Kion-hyung to find the warp magic circle when Superior spoke to him.

[ Interesting man. Is he another one of the successors? ]

"What? Oh. I guess you could introduce Kion-hyung as the successor of the Holy Knight in your terms."

For a moment, Kapros was a bit startled as he hadn't been conscious of Superior being in the stick, but it wasn't enough to show, so he was able to answer as if nothing was wrong.

[ I see. He resembles him. ]

Resembles... The Holy Knight and Kion-hyung?

In the quest memory videos Kapros had seen so far, he had only caught a glimpse of the Holy Knight, but at least in appearance, he didn't look much like Kion-hyung.

[ The 'me' who divided myself into an avatar and left it in Bistale was very curious about how much the successors who would appear along the path I would lay out in the future would resemble us. You must have met many other successors besides that man, right? How are they? ]

Well, he had met all seven of them. But if asked whether they resembled the heroes in the quest videos...

"...Just see for yourself later and judge."

"Kar. What are you doing there? We're here."

Just then, Kion-hyung turned back with a puzzled expression. Thanks to that, Superior closed his mouth without further questions, and as soon as Kapros stepped onto the huge magic circle in Torelit, which he had used once before, and wished to head to Bala Monyak, his vision turned white.

When he opened his eyes, the spectacle of the desert city, no different from what remained in his memory, unfolded before him. The sand-colored buildings reflecting the intense sunlight, the slightly redder ground, people densely packed and shouting to buy and sell all sorts of things... Nothing had changed.

His eyes were dazzled as he suddenly found himself under bright sunlight after being in a place as warm as spring.

"Ah, I don't know why it's so crowded like a can of sardines here. Is it because this is the smallest of the big cities? The resident population shouldn't be that different from other places."

Kion-hyung grumbled as he dusted off his clothes. Meanwhile, countless people were emerging from the warp circle and hurriedly going their own ways.

"The temple?"

When Kapros asked, meaning to inquire which direction Skaga's temple they needed to go to was, Kion-hyung quickly understood and looked around.

"We need to go that way. Let's go."

Every time they turned through the buildings that seemed more haphazardly built than well-organized, their shoulders or bodies bumped into people. As they entered a wider main street with shops after passing through an area crowded with street vendors, a large white building could be seen not far away. Judging by the people in priestly robes coming and going, was that it?

"Ah, Kar. That's not our temple, it's Kran's temple. Ours is a bit further away from there."

Kion-hyung quickly corrected him, having noticed Kapros's gaze lingering on that building.

And when they passed that large temple and entered a deserted alley in the opposite corner, Kapros was able to see Skaga's temple for the first time.

"It's here."

Kapros was very surprised at Kion-hyung's words.

"Really... this is it?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Kapros couldn't say anything to Kion-hyung, who asked as if wondering what the problem was. The building there was so different from the typical temples he had seen so far, like the white and majestic healing god's temple that Kran usually went to.

The building, which looked no different from the shop buildings they had seen plenty of on their way, with only Skaga's emblem, the same as the one on Kion-hyung's clothes, painted on it, looked desolate with not even passersby in sight.

Was this building really a temple?

"What are you doing? Let's go in."

Kapros silently followed Kion-hyung, who casually flung open the door without even knocking. He frowned slightly as he entered, feeling like he was trespassing into someone's house, but the moment his body crossed the threshold, that feeling instantly turned to surprise.

"...What is this..."

"Welcome... Oh. Aren't you the High Priest?"

A man with a sturdy build wearing the same priestly robes as Kion-hyung came out and greeted them with a surprised face.

"It's been a while since I received the goddess's revelation, and I was wondering when you would come. So it's today. But who is this person beside you...?"

"He's a companion for the task I need to do and a cherished dongsaeng."

After answering the man who was looking at Kapros with a puzzled expression, Kion-hyung quickly lowered his voice and whispered in Kapros's ear.

"The people here are all NPCs, so it's not that dangerous. No need to be so tense."

Kion-hyung seemed to think that Kapros was tense because of that man, but that wasn't why his expression had hardened.

The place where they were standing now was so vast that it was impossible to imagine it as the interior of the small house they had seen from the outside earlier. It was a space with high ceilings and full of majesty, as if the old tale of entering a thatched cottage and finding oneself inside a palace as large as a whale's back had come true. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't imagine this being the interior of that house, so there must have been some kind of magic cast on that house.

"Ah... I apologize for the late greeting, not realizing who you were. I am Il Drel, a servant of Skaga."

"I am Kapros, a mage."