Chapter 360

The room the God of the Sun provided was no different from the outside.

Namely, it was bare without a single decoration and made entirely of solid gold. The table and chairs were attached to the floor without a single joint, and the bed placed on one side was the same. The whole place was bright without knowing where the light was coming from, and that light reflected off the walls and ceiling, flashing brilliantly and dazzling the eyes.

Deep green baby Makrirs came carrying golden plates and golden cups in their hands and placed them one by one on the table. The fruits on the plates and the liquid in the cups were also golden.

“…It seems the gold was made by the God of the Sun.”

“Of course, because he is a great being…”

Marianne mumbled in an astounded voice. However, because everyone was conscious of Leon and John, who were overcome with emotion, even Hugh Benson ended up adding a few words of praise instead of speaking harshly as usual.

As the baby Makrirs swarmed out, everyone sat on chairs and quietly peered at the plates.

“Its appearance is somewhat familiar.”

“Ung, it looks like it resembles a Makrir’s hand.”

At the thoughtlessly murmured words, Ruben returned a gentle answer.

Its size and shape were indeed so. The color sparkled golden and a faint glow made of divine power lingered, but no matter how you looked at its shape, it exactly resembled the Makrir’s fruit known to be good for pain relief and fever reduction. When I grasped it with my hand, its skin was firm and well-ripened.

Should we eat this whole?

Since it was given by a god, I pondered whether we should bite into it immediately, or if we should peel the skin and only take out the soft flesh as originally done when eating Makrir fruits.

While everyone hesitated unable to put it right in their mouths, Leon picked up the fruit with both hands first and took a bite.

Cr-r-rack.

An unusual sound rang out. Marianne quickly asked.

“…Is it delicious?”

Leon, without saying this or that, quietly took out a dagger from his bosom. Did he perhaps hurt his teeth?

Seeing the guy keep his mouth tightly shut unable to even make a sound of ‘Ack’, everyone chuckled.

It had been quite a long time since we peeled fruit with a dagger.

Since everyone was a master at handling swords, everyone was skilled at peeling the fruit. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] For Marianne, who was the only one lacking strength in her hands, Benjamin peeled the fruit skin instead.

Without realizing it, I looked at Ruben’s hands. I thought he wouldn’t be good at such trivial tasks, but the guy skillfully and beautifully peeled the outer skin and inner flesh of the Makrir’s hand. Then he abruptly offered it to me.

How funny; I also placed the fruit I had peeled on the child’s plate. Even though it amounted to vainly exchanging the exact same fruit, it was funny that the one the child had touched somehow looked more appetizing.

“Then, shall we eat…?”

“Wait a moment.”

I temporarily stopped the mercenaries, who had stiff expressions as if having made a great resolution.

“Perchance, if it has some efficacy…. it might be better to refine it and swallow it rather than consuming it directly. I want to show a demonstration first.”

“That thing you did in the Mana Cave before?”

“Yes.”

“Can we do it too?”

“…Mm, I cannot be certain, but probably.”

These mercenaries didn’t know the method by which I absorbed elixirs.

However, Hugh Benson had already seen it once before. Since he had seen my gradually growing appearance after that, and also heard the gods’ testimonies several times this time, he showed no signs of hesitation. “Try it.” He said a single word and put what he was holding back down on the plate.

I had grown very fond of these mercenaries who had led and helped us well up to this day and time. I wanted to perform Qi Guidance for them just as I had done for the children. Also, even if I couldn’t do that much, I wanted to at least do enough to help absorb the elixir.

Knowing this was a safe place protected by the god’s power, and that the god cherished them, I hesitated even less.

I sat cross-legged on the floor with my back to the wall. I put the flesh of the fruit I was holding in one hand into my mouth. Not a single drop of juice oozed out, so the inside of my hand wasn’t wet. Placing my hands on both knees, I chewed twice and swallowed it down my throat.

Simultaneously, a hot energy swept in and heated my entire body.

It was an elixir fully containing the energy of Extreme Yang. The energy that stretched all the way to the extremities of my four limbs slowly warmed my whole body. I didn’t block the rushing energy.

I was someone whose Conception and Governing Vessels were already cleared. Even if it swept through my whole body violently, I could have endured it, but since this strong power acted affectionately as if slowly examining a human’s body step by step, there was nothing difficult.

There was something I learned while operating Gyp-Circulight this time.

Densely clustered energy naturally drew in nearby energy just by existing in that place. The golden glow, drawn by the energy of Extreme Yang that embedded itself straight into my Dantian down my throat, rushed toward me.

Did they say divine power is once-refined Mana? It indeed is. A painless fire lit up at every single joint connecting my body. My body was hot.

There was a bizarre realization.

I reached out and grasped the cup. It was far away, but as if someone grasped the cup and handed it to my hand, it naturally lifted into my hand. I poured the golden liquid in again. It was like sticky and sweet honey.

Then this time, my body cooled down completely. The hot energy embraced its heat as it was, and the newly pushed-in cold energy rubbed and swept down the widened parts throughout my acupoints. Tangling, sweeping, and clashing with each other, they slowly subsided.

I opened my eyes. A dry laugh escaped automatically.

Finally… finally 3 cycles. The fully filled Dantian didn’t increase in size but rather became smaller. The Dantian that looked tightly constricted was actually more solid than before. If I overlay Aura on top of that…. 6 cycles.

In the Central Plains, one who could handle the energy of 2 cycles was called a Supreme-grade. It was said figures of the Profound Realm handled internal energy reaching 8 cycles with their fingertips. Also, figures of the Life and Death Realm were said to handle the energy of 32 cycles. It was said figures of the Life and Death Realm could take all of nature as if it were their own.

I became a Sword Master because I could govern the energy of 2 cycles. Currently, it was said Maelo Sanson freely handled the Mana of nature, but I was guessing he governed energy around 8 to 9 cycles.

Laughter came out even if I didn’t try to laugh. It’s fast; I grew exceedingly fast.

“…What is it, why are you smiling?”

“No, the god…. seems to have given us a very good gift. There is no need for me to take separate action either.”

“What do you mean no need to take separate action?”

“You will know once you try it.”

I looked around. The glow resting on my shoulders softly settled down and piled up thickly on the carpet. It was certain that the divine power drawn in by the elixir pushed its true essence inside my body leaving only its shell. I nodded my head once and explained again.

“However, I think it would be better…. to eat it one person at a time. The God of the Sun is watching and also driving the surrounding energy into your bodies together.”

John was overcome with emotion and cried again.

However, this time I too viewed the God of the Sun with immense respect and fondness.

Since he was pouring out sincerity to this extent, I felt I could try killing a petty god like that if luck permitted. If the opportunity arises, I will definitely cut him down properly. I made such a guarantee inside.

******

December 28th.

The massive main road seen as soon as stepping out the main gate of the holy site of the Sun was said to mean this land and the world. The explanation was that the pillars erected on both sides were erected taking the sky as a ceiling, so although they were abysmally high, they didn’t close the top lid.

The God of the Sun gave us that spacious road and the room we stayed in to use to our hearts’ content.

Thanks to that, the children and mercenaries who had just consumed the elixir trained from dawn to night using the holy site’s main road as a training ground in order to govern the energy that suddenly overflowed in their bodies before the new departure.

Benjamin finally reached the realm of a Sword Master.

Although his skill had improved a lot while cutting and dispatching monsters, Benjamin used to be clumsy at handling energy because he used physical strength before Aura or internal energy. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] The guy whose internal energy became strong receiving the God of the Sun’s grace became capable of delicate Aura control. He succeeded in drawing out sword energy, albeit clumsily.

Most in this place are seniors who walked the path Benjamin is walking first. Seeing his young age and fast learning, they generously added praises saying he would become great.

Worried that Ruber might feel impatient, I called him separately and talked. However, Ruben smiled brightly, tightly held my hand, and said pretty words.

“I am fine, Mika. Because you will protect me, won’t you? The reason I like the sword is….”

“…The reason you like it?”

“Because I want to like the same things as you. So it’s fine.”

It was truly hard holding back the desire to kiss him. Seeing the child snuggle fully into me after watching me hesitate, I just gently patted his back and waist. Ruben still smelled of dahlia scent fully holding the sunlight.

That night.

The long-awaited Ranunculus arrived.

Ranunculus, having absorbed the Duke of Widro’s Mana to the fullest and shining silver, hovered in the empty air of the holy site of the Sun a couple of times, then landed very carefully. Knowing the fact that the God of the Sun let the guy in here, there was a commotion of John being moved to tears and bowing again.

Ranunculus didn’t hesitate and started with a greeting in the Duke of Widro’s voice.

“If you are receiving this message now, it means the 2nd Prince and the group have safely arrived at the holy site of the Sun.”

Unlike when calling Hugh Benson or me to speak, using honorifics must be because she set Ruben as the listener and spoke. Everyone listened carefully to the Duke of Widro’s cold and neat voice.

“Although movements of black mages are originally top secret, since the 2nd Prince has directly confirmed the Troll mutants with your own eyes, I consider it a matter you must know, so I report the current situation. We have dispatched tens of thousands of monster mutants, yet an equal number is continuously crossing over from north of the Unique Mountain Range.”

“…”

“It is an impossible task for one or two black mages. Therefore, currently, by the Emperor His Majesty’s edict, the Imperial Nobility Almanac Tracking Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have sent relevant special envoys to the four Ducal families and five kingdoms, and are currently searching for suspicious traces. There is no major outcome yet.”

Four Ducal families?

The Ducal families of the Cieron Empire are five in total. That means.

“The defense front of the Grimsvein Duchy collapsed once. Fortunately, thanks to the capital, Kiadris, and Valentia Ducal families immediately sending reinforcements, we are currently striving for territory recovery by establishing a defense line diagonally crossing the Bailey Coast at a point 750km north of the Phyton Plains.”

“…My god…”

“As of December 25th, 60% of the Grimsvein Duchy has succeeded in territory recovery. When His Highness the Prince returns to the country, I recommend you return passing through Biban or Yulan, not Owen. Then, I wish you good luck.”

Ranunculus flapped his wings making a cute chirp sound as if saying he had said all he had to say.

However, no one could embrace and pet Ranunculus. A terrible silence stretched endlessly.