The Lazy Swordmaster - Chapter 197

Chapter 197

Six People (6)

Riley wondered if it was such a difficult question to answer . It wasn’t just Nara who hesitated to respond . Even Rorona, who had a relatively straight-shooter kind of personality, blurred the end of her sentence . She carefully said,

“She can’t have a conversation right now . ”

“She can’t?”

Riley furrowed his eyebrows . As if he was trying to say that they should explain in detail, Riley looked inside the pub .

“She is not in here?”

Riley looked for the presence of Holy Power, the kind that people of holy temple possessed which was different from mana . Riley confirmed that the power could not be felt from the pub .

“… She is not here . ”

Riley muttered . Rorona nodded and glanced at others passing by as she said,

“It’s a little uncomfortable to talk about it here, so why don’t we go to a different place?”

Rorona said she didn’t think she could talk about Priesia out in the open because Priesia had a reward on her discovery . Rorona quickly turned to look at the pub that had its door destroyed . She smiled awkwardly .

“It hadn’t been long since we arrived at this oasis . So, we don’t know the way around very well yet . I have something I need to go ask Mr . Reitri real quick, so can you please wait here?”

Riley stopped her and ask her a favor .

“Wait . Do not tell Reitri that I’m here . ”

“Pardon? Why?”

“It’s not that I’m trying to hide something . It’s just that explaining things multiple times would be such a bother . Just think of it that way . ”

Rorona tilted her head to the side, wondering what this was about . She nodded as if she understood .

“Okay . I understand . ”

* * *

Along with Nara in the front, Rorona led the way to where Priesia was .

“Why is she so far away from everyone? It would be dangerous for her to be by herself . There’s still a reward on her discovery . ”

Riley was following Nara and Rorona to where Priesia was when he asked . Nara said,

“That is… Ms . Priesia said she will be all right by herself . We did place guards around, but there probably isn’t anyone right near where she is . ”

Riley and Nainiae thought a more detailed explanation was necessary . They tilted their heads to the side .

“You know where she is?”

“Yes . ”

Nara nodded and also added the supplementary explanation that he didn’t get to give earlier .

“Since the epidemic drenched the Karuta desert, nobody had been setting foot in this place, but… There happens to be an abandoned holy temple nearby . ”

“A holy temple?”

“Yes . Ms . Priesia is currently praying there . ”

Nainiae had seen a friend sending up prayers at a holy temple a few times during last year spring . So, Nainiae mumbled as if she understood .

“She had said a few times before that she want to be alone . I wondered if there was something difficult going on with her, but… She said it was not like that . She said it because there was a divine message . ”

“When you say a divine message, you mean that?”

“Yes, the one she receives from the Goddess . ”

Riley remembered that even the priestess from his past life received divine messages sometimes . So, Riley’s face had become complicated .

“You already knew?”

Having heard what Nainiae said, Nara relaxed his face because he realized there was no need for further explanation . He explained one more time briefly about Priesia’s current situation .

“As I explained earlier, I think Ms . Priesia is praying because of a divine message, although we don’t know what the message is about . ”

Nara also said he didn’t know how long the prayer would take . He pointed at a ruined building to the front .

“That’s the place . ”

The building was made of marble stones, so it appeared to have been a holy temple in the past . Riley nodded as if it was making sense . He walked toward the place .

“Y… Young Master! Wait!”

“I told you . Ms . Priesia is in middle of a prayer?”

Nara and Rorona both extended their hands toward Riley and told him to wait . Riley furrowed his brows lightly and turned to look at the two .

“Come on . It’s not like I said I’m going to go bother her?”

Riley said he will just watch her praying . Nara and Rorona glanced at each other . They looked like they were thinking this could not be helped . They followed Riley .

“Nainiae, go bring Sera . I think she would come find us easily using her sense of smell, but it would be a bother if she ran into Reitri and end up having a long conversation . ”

Riley was walking into the ruined building, but he ordered Nainiae who was waiting behind him .

“Yes, I understand . ”

Nainiae lowered her head after hearing Riley’s order . She used the teleport to disappear from the spot, and Riley started to move his eyes around as he quietly entered the building .

‘Is it because the building is rundown? Inside is relatively smaller than what I thought from how the building looked from the outside, yet… She is…’

There were rubbles blocking the path like obstacles inside . With his upper body lowered, Riley entered deeper and deeper into the place . Riley momentarily stopped walking after he found light exuding from the inside .

‘… praying here . ’

In a building that was on the verge of collapsing, Priesia was there all by herself, on her knees and praying . A steady, warm light was coming from her body .

‘Her prayer pose and the atmosphere are most definitely different from that Helena lass . ’

Riley was not sure if it was because Priesia worshipped a different goddess or if it was because Priesia lived in a different world . Priesia was very different from the priestess from Riley’s past life .

Riley sighed all of the sudden .

‘That’s why I should be extra careful . There definitely will be a problem later… I need to think carefully if it is the right choice to pick her or not . ’

As the Priestess of this world, Priesia had the eyes that could pierce through to see the truth in the people . She also had the ability to heal the wounded . She definitely was one of the six that Riley needed . However,

‘Um . I was prepared to accept some troubles down the road, but… Now that I’m here to really pick her to be a part of this, I am having a hard time deciding . ’

Riley thought about what would happen if he brought her to his past life’s world . He had a rough idea as to what would happen as the result of it . This was why Riley was concerned .

‘To make a rough guess as to what would happen… A collision between her and Helena would be the very first thing that might happen . ’

Helena was a priestess just like Priesia . However, Helena had been frequently committing acts that she should not have as a priestess . Considering Priesia’s personality, if Helena and Priesia came to face each other, Riley was certain that Priesia would not just stand still .

‘Also, I am not certain if Priesia can use her Holy Power from this world in the other world . That is a problem as well . ’

Priesia was the Priestess who worshipped Goddess Irenetsa . It was not yet known if it was possible for Priesia to use her Holy Power in the world of Riley’s past life . This concern was also worth pondering about .

“Um?”

Riley vacantly rolled his brain as he watched Priesia praying . He suddenly furrowed his brows .

‘What the? Why is she crying all of the sudden?’

Priesia was praying while exuding light from her body, and she was receiving the divine message from the Goddess . However, Priesia suddenly had tears flowing .

<… My child, this will be my very last message to you . >

<Last message… How could it be…>

<Do not be sad . The path you have walked, and the path you will walk… I’ll be blessing all of those moments . >

Priesia was unaware of who was watching . She was pouring out tears from hearing that this will be the last divine message from the Goddess Irenetsa .

<I’m still lacking in so many ways . Instead of blessings, it would be better if you gave me teachings . Please do not go… I… I…>

Priesia was born as a priestess . She had never even seen the faces of her parents . So, Priesia had been following the Goddess as if she was her mother . What the Goddess said was like saying that this will be the last time they will be seeing each other . So, Priesia was shedding tears, unable to stop .

<When you open your eyes, follow the boy who is watching you from your behind . Also… you only need to light the path he walks with bright light . My child, do not forget . I’ll always be standing behind and blessing you . >

<Goddess, wait… Please wait a little bit . Just a little longer… Please allow the prayer to continue for just a little bit longer . Your voice… just a little longer…>

The bright light from Priesia’s body was slowly subsiding .

It seemed something sad had happened . With her eyes tightly shut, she was shedding tears of sorrow . Also, she started to tighten her two hands .

“Hu… Huhuk…”

She quietly started to cry . Wondering if she was all right, Nara and Rorona were about to walk over to her . However, they were blocked by Riley’s arm . They broke cold sweats .

“Young Master, why…”

“Just let her be . ”

It was because Riley noticed that the sound of her moaning was similar to when someone lost a precious family .

“Hk… Huuuk…”

She had her hands gathered together and her fingers locked for prayer . Her hands were shaking .

‘Her energy… became bigger . ’

From the back, Riley was watching Priesia in secret . He also noticed that the energy that Priesia possessed had become significantly more powerful in comparison to just before the prayer ended .

‘Did something happen?’

Priesia moaned like that for a long time before getting a grip . With swelled up and reddened eyes, she looked behind her .

“… There, you are there, aren’t you?”

With choked up voice, she asked . Nara and Rorona, who had been waiting for Priesia’s tears to stop, got up .

“Ms . Priesia…”

“… Are you all right?”

Priesia nodded lightly as the response . She then locked her gaze with Riley who was standing behind them . She lowered her head and greeted him .

“I see . ”

Riley lifted his right hand to greet her back . He glanced at Nara and then said,

“I have something to tell you, so…”

It looked like Priesia already anticipated this . She kept her mouth closed and waited to show that she was ready .

“…”

“This involves me, doesn’t it?”

“That’s right . ”

Rorona, who was standing next to Nara, was not a part of the six parts .   However, Riley decided it would be necessary to explain this to her as well . So, Riley had the three sit there and started to explain .

* * *

“… So, I’ll need you to come with me . ”

Similar to how he did it with Sera, he mentioned the ‘world below’ and explained the situation . Riley waited for the two people’s responses .

“As for me…”

As if he was having a hard time understanding this, Nara had been tilting his head to the side . However, he was the one who responded first .

“As for me, if you need my help, I could go to even more dangerous places for you . ”

Shrugging his shoulders, Nara quickly said he would go . Riley asked in a tone that questioned if Nara would regret it .

“Will you be all right?”
“… Yes . ”

Nara nodded responded .

“You helped me handle what happened after my father’s death . You even enabled me to meet Mr . Ian who I had been idolizing . So… I should repay you for your kindness . Honestly, I don’t have a good head on my shoulder like Mr . Reitri, so I had been pondering about how to repay you…”

Although Nara said he would go without hesitation, it seemed there was something that bothered him . He glanced at Rorona who was sitting next to him . Nara said,

“It is just that I have the contract that I signed with Mr . Reitri . Also… leaving Rorona behind is…”

Nara was blurring the end of his sentence . Rorona sighed all of the sudden instead .

“Ugh . Commander . Just go and come back . ”

“Rorona…”

“From Young Master’s explanation, although it would be a long trip for you… the time frame is different, so it would be no different from being gone for a bathroom break in our time, right?”

It seemed Rorona understood Riley’s explanation completely in a single breath . She flickered with her index finger as she spoke . She poked Nara’s forehead with the index finger and cheered for him .

“Please go to the trip . Just don’t die like Isen . ”

Nara vacantly stared at Rorona who was his fellow mercenary . Nara broke into a suppressed laughter .

“Kuk… All right . I got it . ”

With confident look on his face, Nara asked,

“You gave me the permission, right?”

“I didn’t give you the permission to die . ”

Now, it became certain that Nara was going to join the group . Riley’s gaze was directed at Priesia who was sitting next to Nara and Rorona .

“What about you?”

“I’ll go too . ”

She was crying her eyes out only until a moment ago, so her eyes were swelled up . Still, she looked determined .

“There was the last divine message from Goddess Irenetsa . If I complete this… This world will become peaceful enough that there would be no need for more divine messages . ”

Priesia tightly grabbed onto her skirt . She looked directly at Riley’s face and said once again,

“So… I’ll go . Please allow me to go with you . ”

Riley nodded . He looked like he had something he needed to check . Riley asked Priesia,

“Before we go, we need to confirm if you can use your power in the other world . ”

Priesia nodded . Instead of a verbal response, she raised her right hand .

“Do not be concerned about that . ”

From her right hand, a steady light started to exude .

“It’s already ready . ”

Thanks to the divine message she received earlier, Priesia explained that she would be able to use her power in the other world . She lightly made a fist with her hand .

“… All right . ”

While looking into Priesia’s eyes, Riley nodded . He brought out the paper that had the ‘Six Parts’ written .

‘Next is…’

Andal .

Nainiae .

Sera .

Nara .

Priesia .

‘… The last . ’

Of the six people, five spots were filled . The remaining one was…