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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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Chapter 146 - The Academy Visit of Lormane (12)
Anyway, the Head Priest was currently snoring away and wouldn’t wake up even if someone tried.
"Novice Priestess Lormane."
As Lormane took a seat, Linus began to speak.
"Have you heard about the current state of the war?"
"No... I don’t really know… This is such a remote place, even the Demon King’s army doesn’t care about it, so we never get any news…."
"I see. Well, the Human Alliance is currently at a disadvantage. Just recently, the Demon King’s army almost managed to invade the imperial capital, but we barely managed to stop them."
"Th-the capital?!"
Lormane covered her mouth in shock.
She knew a war had broken out; after all, the regular supplies from the Church headquarters had been cut off.
Because of this, Lormane had been struggling to keep the temple running, relying on the sparse monthly deliveries and the goodwill of the villagers.
"Yes. Unless something extraordinary happens, it’s likely that by next spring, the Human Alliance will lose in a final offensive, and the Demon King’s army will claim victory."
"This is the first I’ve heard… Is there no hope…?"
"Not necessarily. Recently, a priest received a divine oracle."
"An oracle…?"
"If the oracle is true, then next year, the victors will not be the Demon King’s army but the Human Alliance. That’s why we’re here, to bring you with us, Priestess Lormane."
Linus offered, seeing Lormane’s blank, bewildered expression.
"Come with us."
"I don’t really understand…."
Lormane, who had been silent for a while, looked back and forth between Linus and Dian and asked.
"From what you’ve said, it sounds like if I go to the capital, the oracle will become reality, and we’ll win the war…."
"That’s right. That’s exactly what will happen."
"Excuse me?!"
Lormane jumped out of her seat.
"What on earth are you saying?! I’m just a novice priestess. I was brought into the Church because I can use divine power, but I’m stuck out here doing menial work in this mountain village. Did you really come all this way to tell me such a joke…?"
"We didn’t come all this way through a snowstorm to make jokes. It’s not me; this friend of mine here says so."
Linus gestured to Dian with his thumb.
"He has the ability to see the future, and he says that you, Priestess Lormane, are essential for victory in this war."
"The ability to see the future…?"
"How many times do I have to tell you, Linus, I don’t have such an ability."
"Regardless, that’s the situation, Priestess."
Linus continued, ignoring Dian’s words.
"With the oracle and Dian’s ability, it’s clear that you will play a crucial role in this war."
"Umm… But first… shouldn’t you explain what exactly it is I’m supposed to do?"
"You will kill the Demon King."
Lormane clamped her mouth shut.
She was a novice priestess with nothing to her name, sent to this remote village to empty the chamber pot of the Head Priest.
Now, all of a sudden, people from the capital were telling her to join the war and kill the Demon King.
It was such an absurd scenario that it felt like a fever dream.
"Perhaps it would be better if I brought the Head Priest here, and you could talk this over again…."
"That won’t be necessary."
As Lormane awkwardly started to stand, Dian spoke up.
"Let’s cut to the chase and get to the point."
He pointed directly at Lormane and said bluntly.
"Come with us."
"Dian, why are you being so forceful?"
"We don’t have time to ease her into it. We still need to recruit the other two, and we’re running out of time."
"There are others besides me…?"
"Yes. The two of us, you, and two more. That makes five."
Dian held up all five fingers.
"Do you understand why it has to be five?"
"Um, I’m not sure…?"
"An oracle said that five humans would come together to slay the Demon King and end the war. Haven’t you heard about it?"
"An oracle…? What are you talking about?"
Lormane genuinely didn’t understand and tilted her head.
But what Dian said just now was something she already knew.
Not long ago, Lormane had a dream.
A radiant light appeared, forming the figure of a towering woman who placed her hand on Lormane’s head and said those exact words.
When she woke up, Lormane reported this to the former Head Priest, who said it was an ominous and blasphemous dream.
He insisted that the giant woman was clearly some otherworldly being trying to seduce a weak-minded novice priestess and sternly warned her not to speak of it to anyone.
Dian, after hearing Lormane's explanation, turned to Linus.
"See, Linus? I told you. That bastard lied."
"Indeed… Pretending someone else’s oracle was his own, deceiving everyone…."
Lormane had no idea what Dian and Linus were talking about.
"An oracle? What do you mean? The former Head Priest said…."
"Do you really not know anything?"
Dian asked, and Lormane slowly nodded.
"Your former Head Priest is in the capital right now. He intercepted your oracle and pretended to be the oracle priest."
"Wh-what…? But he said he got recognized because of the theological papers he wrote…."
"Why would someone with that kind of ability be stuck in a place like this for so long?"
Lormane fell silent.
"He wouldn’t have been sent here in the first place, would he? It doesn’t make sense, does it?"
"So… what you're saying is…."
"You’re the true oracle priest. Your former Head Priest tricked you, an innocent novice."
"Oh… um… oh…."
Lormane’s eyes trembled violently.
"Priestess Lormane."
Linus spoke.
"The dream you had was a divine revelation. Right now, in the capital, they are forming a special unit of five to slay the Demon King, following the oracle’s guidance. We were sent to find suitable candidates, which is why we came here."
"Then among those five…."
"You, Priestess Lormane, are included. You’re the one who received the oracle that started the formation of this special unit. It wouldn’t make sense for you to be left out, would it?"
"And when something is wrong, it needs to be corrected."
Dian interjected.
"Doesn’t it make you angry? The one who should have stayed here is now in the capital, boasting, while you, who should be recognized there, are stuck in this place."
"That’s…."
"Come with us, Lormane. You don’t belong here."
Lormane didn’t immediately respond and kept her mouth shut.
"I appreciate the offer… But…."
After a moment, she spoke with difficulty.
"But it’s all too sudden for me to accept. Killing the Demon King… that’s terrifying…."
Lormane stood up from her seat.
"I’ll go fetch the Head Priest."
"Priestess Lormane, what matters most is your…."
"Please speak with him first."
Lormane interrupted Linus and walked toward the door.
"Fine. Go ahead and get the Head Priest."
Dian said, crossing his legs.
"So, if the Head Priest tells you not to go, you won’t?"
Lormane stopped in her tracks.
"When the former priest told you to keep quiet about your oracle, how did that turn out?"
"I didn’t know any better back then…."
"But now you do. So don’t make the same mistake twice. Don’t let someone else decide your life and future for you."
"And what about you two?"
Lormane turned around.
"Aren’t you both here trying to decide my future?"
"We’re not forcing you. We’re offering you good terms while asking for your opinion. But you, instead of saying yes or no, keep wanting to fetch the Head Priest. We want to hear your true feelings."
Lormane said nothing and simply stared at Dian.
Then she turned back to the door.
"Are you going to spend your whole life scrubbing chamber pots?"
Lormane’s hand, reaching for the doorknob, froze in mid-air.
"Will you repeat the same days, thousands upon thousands of times, starting each morning by emptying someone else's chamber pot?"
"It’s not a worthless task. It’s something that needs to be done."
"Fine. If that’s what you think, I’m glad. But then, why didn’t you kick us out right from the start, telling us not to waste your time?"
"That’s…."
Lormane faltered.
"If you come with us, your life will be different. I can’t guarantee it will be better or worse. But do you think there’s a situation that could be worse than this?"
Dian’s gaze fell to Lormane’s hands.
They were rough and chapped, pale from the relentless cold and constant labor.
"I don’t think there is."
Lormane lowered her head.
"If you back away out of fear, nothing will change, Lormane."
Dian spoke to her back as she stood, head down.
"Don’t passively accept the misery others are forcing on you, bit by bit. Instead, swallow it whole, by your own will."
And so, Lormane became the third member of the special unit to slay the Demon King.
Without even a moment to catch her breath, she set off on a journey to find the fourth member.
The next target was a northern nomadic hunter named Celine.
Linus was quite apprehensive about this.
Long ago, the first Emperor had expanded the Empire’s territory by making alliances and breaking them when convenient.
The northern nomads were one of the peoples betrayed by the Emperor and driven to the harsh north.
Their hatred for the Empire had been passed down through generations, deeply ingrained in their bones.
So when the group first entered the territory of the nomads, they were greeted by a rain of arrows.
Had Lormane not awakened and cast a divine barrier, they would have all been pincushioned and killed right there.
It was the first time in her life she had ever created a barrier.
"Well done, Lormane! I knew it! You truly are the oracle priestess! I always believed you could do it!"
Dian was overjoyed, so much so that he lifted Lormane and twirled her around.
"I feel dizzy…."
Even so, Lormane was secretly pleased.
During their journey north, Dian had worked tirelessly to help her harness her divine powers.
He had even made her spar with monsters and sought advice from any priest they met along the way.
Linus had tried to stop him, saying that Lormane was too young and inexperienced for such exertion, but Dian was resolute.
But despite all this, she had never once succeeded, and she worried endlessly that she would disappoint Dian, be kicked out of the special unit, and be sent back to the village of Gauni.
Yet now she had succeeded, and her savior, Dian, was so delighted. How could she not be happy?
After that, they successfully recruited Celine, and the next target was the reclusive mage Kaiden.
An eccentric and destructive mage obsessed with extreme offensive magic, rumors about him were abundant, but no one knew his true identity.
Because no one who had ever approached his secretive lair had returned.
Were they really going to meet such a dangerous person…? Could her divine barrier withstand his magic…?
Lormane was terrified, but she did not back down.
"I trust you, Lormane. Protect us with your strong divine power once again!"
She was determined to live up to Dian’s trust in her.
I will definitely protect you…!
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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