Ch. 13 - Encounter

His mind and heart were contradicting each other. However, Paladin decided that he had had enough sleep and crawled out of the bear cave. He immediately felt refreshed.

As for the emergence of various forces throughout the entire Olosen continent, it wasn't something Paladin could pay attention to right now. What he wanted most now was a good meal, a mansion, a few beautiful and attractive concubines, and a luxurious life that everyone envied.

This was what Paladin considered to be the loftiest ideal. As for why he needed to obtain strong power to get these measly things, Paladin still couldn't understand. After all, such a lavish lifestyle existed only in dreamland to him. For now, he had to come back to reality.

Paladin clutched his messy black hair in distress, feeling a little worried.

'I escaped from the branch. I believe people won't find out soon. Nobody will pay attention to a lowly slave. Furthermore, given the situation of the branch, there must have been quite a commotion. They won't notice my disappearance if no one mentioned it. Still, I can't use this name anymore.' Paladin thought helplessly.

In fact, he quite liked the name Paladin. Although the people in the branch used the name as a means to humiliate and ridicule him, when that point was ignored, the name’s meaning was very sacred. Compared to other slaves, it could be considered a blessing among the disastrous names he could've gotten instead.

"Hey! You…. The man in front! Oh, Great and Mighty Enos! You must be the messenger sent by Him to rescue His humble servant!" At that moment, a shout came from outside the forest.

Paladin turned around to face the source of the sound. There stood a priest dressed in a black robe. The priest was staggering over with his exhausted body, carrying a small bag. Paladin took a step back and raised his guard. Behind his back, he removed the glove from his right hand. If the opponent made any unruly attempts, he would immediately go for the kill.

Unexpectedly, when the priest arrived near Paladin, he slumped down on the dirty and muddy ground, and clasped his hands together.

"It must be Thee, the Great and All-Knowing God, who protects your servant in the dark. Thou sent a guide when I got lost!" the priest said, full of devotion and gratefulness.

"You are..." Paladin continued to step back. He was so alert that he didn't dare to relax in the slightest. Apparently, the priest noticed Paladin's vigilance and knew that the other party had misunderstood him. So, he laughed and said, "Hello, honorable sir. I am a priest from Lore Province in the Duchy of Kasmi. The Supreme God summoned me. I am specifically traveling to Nurba to serve Him as the local church's priest. Sir, may I inquire how to get to Nurba?"

Nurba. Paladin knew that place. It was a town quite far away from here. It would take half a month to get there by carriage. The way there spanned across half of the Duchy of Kasmi. If it weren't for the fact that the town was rich in iron ore and the Duchy of Kasmi paid special attention to it, Paladin really wouldn't have known of it.

Paladin deliberated for a moment. Let alone thinking about whether the road was safe or not, he didn't know his destination yet. If so, it was better to follow this priest first. This could also serve as a disguise to deceive others. In addition, he could also make some extra money. As soon as he thought about these, Paladin gave a friendly smile and said, "I am a servant of God who wants to serve the great Enos. I also come from a very devout congregation. Naturally, I can accompany you to Nurba so you can arrive at the location you're assigned at."

"Ah! That's really great!"

This priest obviously lived a pampered life. If the dirt on his face were wiped off, the white and tender skin underneath would be revealed. Before the priest could finish saying his thanks, Paladin cut him off, "Since we’re serving the great Enos, we won’t die without salvation. But you see, I am so poor and destitute. I don’t think I’ll be able to travel long distances."

The priest was taken aback for a moment before nodding and pulling a small bag of gold coins from his backpack. He took out five gold coins while still smiling and handed them to Paladin.

"I will thank you through these, sir. Please take me to Nurba."

Paladin accepted the gold coins with sparkling eyes. His eyes wandered for a bit to the small bag in the priest's hand. It was brimming with gold coins! Don't laugh at him, though. He had only seen gold coins his entire life, never touched them even once. Now that he had five gold coins, he felt very ecstatic.

Still, he couldn’t help but secretly think, ‘A whole bag full of gold coins! There must be at least forty coins inside…. No, it should be fifty coins! My God, if I ever get that much money….’ Paladin himself hadn't noticed because he was too preoccupied with his blooming excitement, but his chest was swelling with happiness that there was no room for anything else.

Keeping that in mind, Paladin took the priest's bag and skillfully carried it behind his back. He then said, flatteringly, "Father, please go first. This journey is not short."

The priest immediately put away his gold coins. He felt good after being charitable to someone. Little did he know that he had done one of the most stupid things he could possibly do.

"Based on your clothing, you seem to be a student or a trainee. What do you study? History? Art?" the priest asked casually. He was feeling happy because his shoulders were freed.

Paladin narrowed his eyes and replied with a smile, "My uniform does look good, but I'm actually just a craftsman. I only learned how to do some stone carvings."

"Oh, so you're a stonemason." The priest nodded in disappointment. Masons, in his aristocratic opinion, were simply civilians who were being ruled. He assumed Paladin was a noble who was studying to be a priest, so he was a little disappointed. How could the thought that an alchemist called himself a stonemason ever cross his mind?

In this ancient time, books and knowledge were rare. The masons who built houses were considered the most learned and profound. It was the first occupation that was exposed to mathematics, statistics, drawing, and writing. That was why the alchemists were proud to call themselves freemasons. It was alluding to the fact that alchemists were the first to connect and investigate the truth.

"Father, be careful. Slow down."

In the blink of an eye, an hour had passed. In the meantime, Paladin humbly led the priest across mountain ridges, demonstrating his experience as a slave. The priest laughed at Paladin’s bootlicking gesture.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Paladin began probing the priest's background. "Dear priest, Nurba is your destination. Even if you make it through this vast forest, you still won’t arrive at Nurba," Paladin cautiously stated.

Hearing Paladin’s question, the priest answered without thinking, "Don't call me a priest. I am not one yet. Hey, my father is a low-ranking nobleman who runs some business to support the family. As the second son, I am not eligible to inherit my father's businesses. Because my father had spent so much money managing it, he simply told me to go to church and become a priest."

The priest then continued, "But I had bad luck hiring those scumbag mercenaries. I told them to protect me on the journey. Who knew they‘d rob me as soon as we left the city! Fortunately, I didn't let them take my money and ran into the forest. Sure enough, those treacherous scumbags dared not chase after me! Hahaha! God will curse them! "

Paladin looked at the angry priest and nonchalantly said, "Father, you are extremely fortunate. You know, if your direction is even a little bit off, you could end up in the depths of the forest, where man-eating monsters lurk, where ordinary mercenaries would never dare to enter."

"Ah! That's it! Sure enough, Enos blesses me all the time!"

Paladin’s qualms gradually dissipated as he witnessed the idiot priest’s stupidity. His mind was busy fantasizing about him snatching the priest’s gold coins and happily went on his way. Who would’ve guessed that the priest's next sentence would completely perplex Paladin.

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