Chapter 362

We saw the first sunrise of the new year on top of the Makrir’s arm. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] It was thanks to the God of the Sun stepping forward to take us as far as he could go.

He said the black mages’ stronghold was in the Indus Canyon southeast of the Saturn Desert. That canyon, separating the desert, Biban, and Yulan, was made up of high and low mountains and bizarrely shaped rocks.

The massive Makrir carrying us headed east, picking and stepping on the hardest ground of the desert where the wide red plains stretched endlessly.

It seemed the ninth god was also walking on eggshells around the God of the Sun beside us. The Jiangshis that had swarmed right after we left the holy site of the Sun were only seen sparsely from a distance after tasting a hot lesson a few times, and didn’t act to desperately rush at us like before.

Even keeping in mind what was to come, it was a peaceful and comfortable time.

Standing in a very high place and watching the sun rise from a very low place was a special experience. Behind our backs was black and before our eyes was blue, and after a red line first drew the horizon straight, the bright sun popped up, as if being pushed. Even with their brows narrowed from the dazzling light, no one took their eyes off it.

The sound of a bird crying could be heard from afar. There was still a living thing left in the desert swept by dead things. For some reason, a corner of my chest felt hot. I couldn’t tell if it was because I was drenched in premature emotion, or because of the young one leaning into my embrace and rubbing his cheek against me.

“Please be full of only joyful things in the new year.”

“Joyful things? [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] What. Going to meet the Jiangshis’ dad?”

“Geez, it’s a day to say things like this. Hurry up.”

The sound of Marianne bickering with Hugh Benson could be heard nearby. The guy holding onto the Makrir’s thorns one by one and dangling her feet was cute. Those watching that sight also exchanged new year’s greetings one by one.

Have a happy new year, I hope you achieve everything you desire in the new year, you worked hard this past year too.

Between the voices sharing and adding, Ruben’s voice added affection.

“In the new year…. I hope everything you desire comes true, Mika.”

“What I desire?”

“What I desire too.”

Then soft breathing touched my cheek by my ear.

I felt like I had become a water pouch that had poured five buckets of alcohol into its mouth in one gulp. Following the Makrir’s steps, hot energy arose swaying in my stomach. The days of being startled by lips that touched for a brief moment and fell away secretly from others had already passed.

I briefly scanned the backs of the heads of the several guys who were still chattering while looking at the sunlight, and lowered my gaze. Ruben was looking up at me with eyes full of anticipation.

Holding it in and holding it in unable to hold it in, I briefly attached and detached my lips to the child’s temple.

Our clasped hands were damp with sweat, and the sound of my heart beating was loud. Did Ruben smile again. My cheeks burned so much that I didn’t have the courage to look a little more closely at that face even if I wanted to.

I sat like that for a whole half-day with my insides noisy.

******

After three days’ distance from the holy site of the Sun, we had to walk on our own two feet.

The God of the Sun, who put us down, was terribly anxious as if sending a young child on an errand. I was displeased with his attitude of adding worry now, when at the very beginning he spoke as if entrusting us with a great feat only our group could accomplish, and as if our group could dispatch it simply.

According to the god’s explanation, declaring a source was something that couldn’t be easily reversed. The explanation was that because five years hadn’t passed since the source declaration, it was certain that the black mage gang’s hideout was hidden in the Indus Canyon.

[From here on is that guy’s domain, so my power cannot reach. Of course, since that guy also has a head attached, he won’t try to kill you right away….]

We, who were all Sword Masters or possessed soul sizes comparable to them, would be coveted prey. Even if he didn’t kill us right away, we didn’t know what we would suffer if captured.

[I will share a fragment of my power with you. I don’t know what that crazy bastard will do if backed into a corner, so always be careful.]

I didn’t refuse what he offered and received it. The smooth gold piece was similar in size to a Cieron Empire gold coin. There was no pattern on the back, and a single flower petal was engraved on the front, which looked like an arrow at a glance.

Marianne, who was interfering with the Sylphs playing pranks on each other, asked affectionately.

“Can’t we take the Sylphs with us?”

[Because the owner of the domain did not permit it. Instead, this flower petal will tell you the direction.]

“Didn’t you say you don’t know where the black mage gang is?”

[This is…. not telling you the path to them. It points the direction to come to me. If you lose your way…. follow the direction this flower petal tells you and return to me.]

While looking at the faces of the group overcome with emotion, a question I couldn’t hold back popped out from my insides.

“Why do you go this far?”

[….]

I thought he was a god who wouldn’t hear this level of questioning as a criticism. Even so, since an answer didn’t return immediately, I was concerned.

Around the time I regretted wondering if I had said a useless thing, yellow pollen rose like a cloud from high up there. Did I say something funny? I felt nauseous inside.

[Because you are a complete outsider, Michael. These children here…. do not doubt my words. But you are different.]

“…”

[Most of the souls that crossed over with you have already mixed with the things of this land and become one. But because you have not forgotten yourself… you can still distrust me, and I trust such a you.]

“…”

[Have a safe trip.]

…There was no way not to accept those words.

The god of the Oasis called me Jeongyeon, and the God of the Sun called me Michael. However, to them, I am still an outsider. To live in this land, I had to catch the eye of the owner of the land.

I just looked ahead and walked.

From a certain point, a pitch-black night without stars or moons covered above our heads.

We were sick and tired of breaking through Jiangshis and advancing forward. The God of the Sun was extremely worried while putting us down, but surprisingly, for whatever reason, the number of Jiangshis was fewer than when we were advancing toward the holy site.

Occasionally, we dug the ground and buried a magic stone deeply. It was an effort not to step on the path we had passed again. Every time we did that, a part of the ground shone in a light purple color, and thinking of retracing our steps over this following Marianne’s Mana traces later, I felt a bizarre feeling for some reason.

Giselle, who was just patting the ground where the magic stone was buried helping the child, made a useless joke.

“Still, it feels like…. we’re on a special adventure.”

“Adventure?”

“Well, you know. We have the Prince, and we have Knights. And several mercenaries…”

When we decided to leave on a long journey, I worried about Giselle the most. Giselle didn’t have the responsibility to shoulder the future of the Cieron Empire. She didn’t have a bond with lost people like Leon, nor did she have a sense of mission to follow a god’s command like John.

The guy who just came to take charge of guiding our group and ended up coming this far due to connections unexpectedly had a smiling face. Marianne, who was walking closely beside her, quickly linked arms with Giselle and acted spoiled, rubbing her cheek against that shoulder blade.

“What about me?”

“We have such a pretty mage too.”

“So you feel good?”

“Ung. Somehow, it seems I’m proud as much as it is hard…. It’s fascinating. Anyway, this kind of thing is…”

The guy, who had been picking her words for a long time, held her sword properly. She tried to finish her words while preparing for the next rotation.

“Because it’s not a common occurrence. It feels like I’ve become a special person too.”

“Because the God of the Sun says he only hands down trials one can handle. Even in the worst-case scenario…. if I were to lose my life, since the god directly guaranteed he would be watching from behind, my mind is light.”

“Die? What do you mean by that?”

“We received the Sun’s flower.”

As I remained puzzled, Ruben chimed in with a troubled smiling face.

“It’s a myth story. The God of the Sun is famous for directly guiding the path of the souls he cherishes. It is said that there are often cases where a Sun’s coin, which wasn’t even put inside the coffin, is found inside for those possessing special faith.”

“…Like the one we received?”

“Ung, it’s a devout gold coin with the Sun’s flower drawn on it.”

“Then the words about losing our way, means?”

“…Probably.”

Saying if we lose our way to walk out following the direction, meant that if we die, he would collect us.

After being bewildered for a moment, an indignant feeling arose. Even though there was no guy trying to deceive me, I felt deceived. It was just the day before yesterday that I shuddered at their inhuman behavior, but I felt it was a mistake that I had my mind at ease.

Did I look excessively surprised; the sound of snickering came from among the mercenaries.

“Well, would he really have sent us to die? He must have said such words because he was worried.”

“It is also true that this coin points the direction to the holy site of the Sun. Look, if you place it on your hand like this, the flower petal’s direction always points in the same direction.”

“Of course it should do that.”

“Believing in a god is not much different from believing in a peaceful afterlife. Still, the God of the Sun tends to arrange things so we can do as much work as possible during our lifetimes. If possible, I want to return alive and see his smiling face one more time.”

“…”

Is it also because I am an outsider that I cannot be completely moved by John’s words?

While I was pondering, Hugh Benson, with a calm face, opened his mouth.

“Still, it seems there’s not much left now.”

“Yes?”

“No matter how wide the Indus Canyon is, since the God of the Sun isn’t a headless god either, wouldn’t he have put us down where it seemed close to his eyes. The terrain has to be quite rough. I don’t know about Blood Jiangshis, but there aren’t many main roads that Iron Jiangshis can crawl up.”

“…”

“Looking at the bottom of the hill over there, it looks like something would come out. Let’s go. And…”

Awooo.

The sound of wolves howling came from afar.

“I think dying in the name of a god is equally fucking shitty.”

“Haha, I agree.”

Ruben immediately answered and examined my face.

Only then did I realize I had been narrowing my brow without knowing. Still, it is fortunate the child has no intention of dying. I guess I was confused for a moment meeting guys who skip over time.

I wanted to protect Ruben’s present life. There is no need to specifically keep the matters of the afterlife in mind right now. I firmly gathered my resolve.