Rise of the OtherGod Apostle: Not a Cult Leader, but a Serf?!

#014Reader Mode

#014

They say that back in the medieval era, most peasants never strayed more than 30 kilometers from their birthplace throughout their entire lives.

Moving was a rare occurrence, and long journeys were almost unheard of. For a peasant, the most exciting adventure might be taking a leisurely stroll to the next village over to sell some goods.

Even in Fabio’s memories, he’d never ventured more than a two-day walk from home.

So, for him, leaving his birthplace to settle in this Frontier village must have been the journey of a lifetime.

Going to the capital, though, would be a whole different story. We’re talking a month on foot, or two weeks on horseback, even with frequent horse changes and galloping at full speed. It would still take a solid week.

It feels like embarking on a cross-country expedition.

It’s mind-boggling that a journey that would take just five hours by modern train now takes two weeks. As someone still adjusting to life in the medieval era, it’s been a real shock.

I wish someone would invent the engine already.

Out of the 16 Concluders, at least one should know the tech tree for advancing civilization.

Even if there isn’t one, in the game [Conclude], there’s a god who speeds up the development of civilization, spreading “devilish convenience” to earn faith points.

This god is known as the [Rider of Civilization]. When you play with this god, by the end of the game, the medieval Dark Realm transforms into a cyberpunk world. Fitting with the game’s theme, achieving the victory ending means machines ultimately dominating humanity. However, compared to the victory endings of other gods, it’s relatively mild and peaceful.

If a Concluder shows up, I hope they’re contracted with Him.

Of course, with the Rider of Civilization going all-in on a cultural victory, his chances of surviving brutal battles against other gods would be ridiculously low.

I guess I’ll just have to put up with this snail-paced travel for now.

But hey, humans are nothing if not adaptable.

I’ve somehow fallen into a routine, waking up at dawn, tilling the fields, fetching water, and chopping wood. It’s a primitive lifestyle, but it’s grown on me.

Working the fields has brought me a weird sense of peace, and I’ve even developed a soft spot for the land and crops.

It’s gonna be tough to leave all this behind.

The thing is, serfs have to give up their rights to cultivate the land if they want to leave the village.

In just over six months, I’ve grown pretty attached to ‘my fields’ – even though I was only tending to existing crops. It’s hard to say goodbye.

If Fabio had put in the work himself, he probably wouldn’t have left.

But I’m not Fabio, so I’m forcing myself to move on.

I left my chickens, Koko, Kuku, and Kaka, in Antonio’s care. I didn’t have time to get him a proper gift, so I asked him to sell the chickens later and consider the cash a gift from me. He promised to take good care of them.

I’m sure he doesn’t need the money, though.

After all, he’s the stepdad of a Three-Star general.

The more I think about Antonio’s extensive connections, the more curious I get about his life before becoming a bell-ringer.

I bet he was at least a bishop or something…

“Fabio.”

I was lost in thought about Antonio’s past when his voice snapped me back to reality.

“Take this with you.”

Here it comes!

⟨Master’s Grace⟩ Acquired!

I eagerly examined what Antonio handed over.

A small pouch that seems to fit snugly in two hands…

This isn’t some ⟨Practical Travel Gear Set⟩, but looks more like an ⟨Expensive Small Treasure⟩ trinket!

There’s also an ⟨Item that Evoke Shared Memories⟩ trinket, but Antonio and I don’t have any of those.

So, with 95% certainty, this is something he treasures deeply!

My inner self was smirking, but on the outside, I pretended to be surprised and hesitant.

“No, it’s fine! I can’t possibly accept something so valuable and previous…”

“Do you know what this item is?” Antonio asked, looking a bit anxious even before showing it to me.

Hmm, did I overreact?

I should’ve acted surprised after seeing it.

But I’m not one to get flustered easily.

“… The pouch has the Order’s emblem embroidered on it, doesn’t it? It must contain a holy relic.”

Even if a ‘relic’ blessed by a newly ordained priest isn’t necessarily valuable, it’s still precious simply because it’s a relic.

Once a priest blesses an item, no matter how cheap, it becomes holy. Treating it carelessly would be sacrilegious.

“Mr. Antonio, I’m not sure I can protect such a valuable relic during my long journey.”

“If you never try because you lack confidence, how will you ever learn and grow?”

“But…”

“Even if it gets a little damaged, it’s just a tool. It’s meant to be used. Would you place more importance on the relic than on God Himself?”

With those words, Antonio offered the pouch once more.

“Still…”

As I hesitated, Antonio let out a soft sigh and called Nasir over.

“Nasir, you hold onto it for now.”

Accepting the pouch on my behalf, Nasir seemed to instantly know what was inside without even looking, his eyes widening in surprise.

“This is…!”

This is?

What could it be?

It must be valuable, right?

Come on, Nasir, don’t leave me hanging! What legendary item is hidden inside?

“When you reach the Cathedral, give it to Fabio. That way, he won’t refuse it out of fear of losing it.”

“… I understand. I’ll keep it safe.”

“Tsk. Didn’t you hear what I just said? It’s merely a tool. If something happens, it was meant to be. Treat it like you would any other item.”

“How can I? Knowing what it is.”

“Regardless of how you view it, it’s still just an item.”

No, seriously, what kind of item is it?

Neither of them provided me with an explanation.

I felt like a raccoon who tried to wash his cotton candy in a river, only to watch it dissolve.

I was just about to accept it myself in another 5 seconds…

Now I’ll have to wait two whole weeks to find out.

It’s really driving me crazy with curiosity.

But it wasn’t the right time to ask, “Hey, can I take a peek inside?”

At least I know it’s something surprisingly valuable and important.

Antonio… Favorability +30.

I still have no clue what the item is, so the remaining 20 points are still deducted.

Sure, Antonio reported me to the inquisitor, but he also called in someone as easygoing as Nasir, even using his connections to do so.

If I end up in a heretic detention center, I’ll only curse him for 3 years before forgiving him.

That was the resolution I made.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

A week had gone by, and I still hadn’t reached the heretic detention center… err, I mean, the Cathedral.

The journey was supposed to take two weeks, but I’d barely made it halfway. It’s not like there were any extraordinary circumstances delaying me either.

Curse these Medieval times!

As one would expect, the Middle Ages didn’t have the luxury of asphalt roads or engine-powered vehicles.

Back then, the fastest way to travel was on horseback.

Yes, people actually rode horses.

It might seem obvious, but…

How the hell do people ride these animals?

What seemed like a simple task turned into a real challenge when I tried it myself.

The bumpy dirt roads!

The need to rest for two hours in the morning and evening!

The ridiculously high riding position!

And to top it off, it was my first time on a horse!

The excitement of being on horseback wore off after just 5 minutes.

Who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to ride a living animal?

During my first attempt, I was so terrified that I didn’t even consider getting off. I clung to the reins for dear life, shaking like a leaf.

Nasir practically had to pry me off the horse, or I would have been stuck up there. And when I finally got off, I collapsed from the muscle pain.

“Ha, you’ll get used to it,” Nasir chuckled, seemingly amused by my predicament, while I just wanted to burst into tears.

Two weeks to the Cathedral… I have to endure this for two whole weeks…

Any game that doesn’t have a fast travel option is just garbage.

I wish I could just pass out and wake up when we get there.

When we finally arrived, the sight of the chapel was breathtaking! Why couldn’t my journey have started here?

Anyway, due to my lack of horse-riding skills, our travel time was significantly delayed.

It felt like it would take a month to get there, not the expected two weeks.

“Are your legs still hurting?”

“It’s manageable.”

“Manageable still means it hurts,” he pointed out.

Despite having somewhat adapted to riding over the past two weeks, a persistent ache lingered in my muscles.

“The next chapel on our route has a priest who serves the Goddess of Healing. Perhaps you could ask him for a special healing session,” Nasir suggested.

“Really? But it’s just muscle soreness…”

“Isn’t that the reason we’ve been delayed? I think it’s worth seeking help for.”

Requesting a revered healing priest to alleviate mere muscle pain seemed like an excessive ask.

It’s just muscle soreness, isn’t it?

It’s painful, but wasting a high-ranking priest’s divine power on pain that would naturally fade away…

Accepting that would be shameless of me.

“Well, in that case, I’d be happy to accept!” I exclaimed.

But the pain was too intense.

I couldn’t even pretend to refuse.

If I had declined and he had responded with, “Oh? You can truly bear it? Then continue to endure,” I would have regretted it every night until the Cathedral came into view.

“I’m the reason we keep getting delayed. If I stubbornly refuse, I’d only be causing more trouble,” I quickly added, feeling even more pathetic.

But it didn’t really matter.

I’m no saint, just an untrained serf. I’m allowed to be a bit pathetic.

Saints possess incredible willpower, enduring any torment while maintaining their faith, even if they face martyrdom.

And me?

Don’t expect such resilience from me, a fragile modern person.

I’d spill everything even before the torture began.

It’s better to confess early and avoid the pain, right?

“You don’t need to shoulder such a heavy burden. Your muscles actually become stronger after healing. Even the holy knights seek healing after training, even if they’re not injured,” he reassured me.

Not only would the muscle pain disappear, but my muscles would also become stronger.

So, if I engage in daily full-body training, would it result in overall muscle growth?

Bodybuilders would weep with joy upon hearing this.

Come to think of it, holy knights serving the Goddess of Healing always seemed to be tanky units with incredible endurance.

The Goddess of Healing and Bodybuilding…

In the uncivilized dark ages, the existence of something as miraculous as divine energy was truly a godsend. Without the blessing of healing, even minor injuries could be deadly.

Medieval remedies were often more harmful than doing nothing at all.

In fact, sometimes it was better to forgo medicinal treatment altogether and hope for the best. And even if you survived, you might be left with lingering health issues for life.

And even if you survived, you might be left with lingering health issues for life.

Compared to that, the blessing of healing was nothing short of miraculous. Even modern medicine can’t match its power.

High-ranking priests, with their healing blessings, could regrow severed limbs and restore lost eyes. Toothache? They’d simply replace the tooth with a new one. This power made me wonder…

Why is the supreme god the ambiguous God of Order and not the omnipotent Goddess of Healing?

Isn’t the miracle of healing the greatest gift a god could offer? Order is only appreciated in its absence, and it’s not exactly something you’d call miraculous.

“What kind of person is this priest?” I asked.

“What specifically do you wish to know?”

“To be honest, I’ve never come across a priest who serves the Goddess of Healing. I don’t want to do anything that might be considered offensive or inappropriate. Is there anything I should know or avoid doing?”

“There’s no need to worry,” Nasir assured me. “Priests are endowed with the power to serve, and their nature remains consistent regardless of their deity. Rest assured, Agnes is a very understanding man. As long as you don’t insult the Goddess of Healing in his presence, he won’t fuss over trivial missteps…”

Nasir’s intense gaze lingered on me before he continued, his voice growing serious. “However, there is one matter I must impress upon you. If for some reason you feel a strong sense of disgust or an urge to insult him, please hold back and let me know first.”

His unexpected warning caught me off guard, leaving me confused.

Why would he say that?

A healing priest wouldn’t have severe burn scars or skin diseases. What could possibly make someone feel repulsed when seeing them?

Could there be a deformity unrelated to [disease]?

Physical mutations can’t be healed by blessings.

Even minor mutations like cat ears can significantly reduce a person’s charm by -20 points. With a severe mutation, those with low mental stats might instinctively recoil.

I need to stay calm and earn points no matter what appears.

I’m someone who sat through the entire ‘Cats’ movie when it was in the theaters!¹T/N: LOL, please just watch the trailer for this movie. Came out in 2019 by Universal Pictures.

Having steeled myself with various wild media exposures, I felt confident I could handle any visual shock. “Yes! I’ll keep that in mind!” My response overflowed with self-assurance.

But that confidence vanished in a 0.5 seconds when I laid eyes on the healing priest.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

“You seek relief from muscle pain?”

I couldn’t meet his gaze, my eyes darting around nervously. “Uh, actually… I think I’m okay now. No need to waste your divine energy on something so minor for me…”

“Not at all,” the priest replied gently. “Even minor discomfort deserves attention. Let us not underestimate the impact of pain on our well-being.”

“No, really, I’m fine!” I insisted, my eyes frantically searching for an escape.

I’d forgotten.

In the lunatic depths of the Dark Realm, even a benevolent god might carry traces of madness.

The Goddess of Healing’s blessing wasn’t some gentle, soothing white light that mended wounds. Not even close.

“Ah, I see that you are startled,” the priest remarked, misunderstanding my reaction. “This is a common response to one’s first encounter with the healing blessing. Rest assured, this sanctified knife will make an incision without drawing any blood.”

Why on earth would an incision be necessary for muscle pain?!

The priest kept going, oblivious to my growing horror. “I’ll gently pull back the skin to expose the muscle and then place the Holy Flesh of the Healing Goddess, Ledeia. Kindly sit and stretch out your leg.”

No way! Absolutely not!

The Goddess of Healing, Ledeia. I’d forgotten that her symbols were ‘maggots’ and ‘leeches’.

So when the priest said “Holy Flesh,” he meant the actual maggots and leeches he cultivated inside his own body.

He’s going to cut me open, put maggots inside, and then close me back up as some kind of treatment!

Supposedly, the ‘blessing’ sped up healing, which meant those maggots would be living inside me for who-knows-how-long!

“You appear rather anxious. Worry not. A cut from the sanctified knife is less painful than you might anticipate.”

It’s not the pain I’m worried about!

The Healing Priest, Agnes, seemed to think I was afraid of the knife, but what I really wanted to avoid was him.

F*ck! I can see something squirming beneath his skin.

Having never seen any gore or horror movies, I had zero tolerance for this kind of gruesome stuff.

How could anyone consider this ‘divine’?!