kscans

Chapter 208 - Servants of the Gods (Part 1)

Naudo, the Priest of the Laurenzen Church, was in a state of shock.

He had thought a young boy was kneeling before the statue of the goddess Anatea to pray, but then the boy's body began to glow faintly. The boy, who was praying with his eyes closed, didn't seem to notice, but this was a sign that a divine blessing had been granted. Even for Naudo, who had lived a reasonably long life of faith, he had only witnessed this three times before. Incidentally, when he himself received a blessing, he couldn't see the sign, so he doesn't include it in the count. He noticed the boy, having finished his prayer, was now looking at him with a puzzled expression. He would have to explain the situation.

"Huh? I received a blessing?"

Unlike when he gained a skill, there was no announcement, so Yuri, who was completely unaware, was surprised. It would be obvious if he opened his Status Board, but there was no way he could do such a thing in front of the Priest.

"Yes, I've seen it several times before, so there's no mistake. Would you like me to perform an Appraisal for you?"

"An Appraisal?"

"Yes. The church has a crystal ball for that purpose."

Naudo's offer was made out of pure goodwill. Normally, an Appraisal required an appropriate offering, but he felt it was a bit worldly to demand money from a mere child, especially one who had just received a blessing from a god. The fussy sister wasn't around either, so this should be fine.

Meanwhile, Yuri considered the Priest's proposal. He should have his status falsified with his Status Board, but he hadn't actually confirmed how it would appear to others. Wasn't this a golden opportunity? Even if something bad showed up, a kind person like this would probably keep it quiet. Having dealt with doctors of this type in his past life, Yuri judged from experience that this person would not do anything to violate his professional ethics. Besides, refusing an Appraisal in this situation would be like declaring he had something to hide. In reality, he had no choice.

"Yes, please."

"Very well. Please come this way."

He was led to a place where a large crystal ball was set, and was told to hold his hand over it. Yuri followed his words. Soon, the crystal ball began to display something, and Priest Naudo, blinking his eyes, dutifully copied it down.

"There's no mistake, you have received the blessing of Lady Anatea. Congratulations."

"Thank you very much."

"Here, this is your status. You're quite strong for your appearance."

Yuri couldn't help but feel a bit complicated about what "for your appearance" meant, but he pushed aside the distracting thought and looked at the paper he was handed. It was written as follows.

Magic Power: 83
Vitality: 95
Strength: 52
Defense: 37
Agility: 36
Dexterity: 37
Intelligence: 40

Skills: Life Magic, Perception (Lv5), Stealth (Lv5), Water Magic (Lv4), Earth Magic (Lv4)

Blessing: Blessing of the Goddess Anatea

It was exactly as he had falsified it on his Status Board. Incidentally, the reason information like his name and age wasn't written was apparently a feature of the church's appraisal crystal. It was a result of their dislike for displaying sensitive information and inviting unnecessary trouble.

"Thank you very much. Please accept this small token."

He tried to hand over a leather pouch containing five gold coins, but Naudo refused to take it. It seemed he was reluctant to take money from a child like Yuri.

"No, as I said before, my life was practically saved by Lady Anatea. I originally brought this with the intention of thanking the goddess who gave me a new life. Please, accept it."

Yuri spoke in a way that made it seem as though this was money he had saved up day by day to offer to the goddess Anatea. In reality, he had only obtained cash, aside from what he found in the village ruins, just last year, and until then, he had had no connection to a monetary economy. However, the first part of his statement, despite some embellishment, was an undeniable fact, and his gratitude to the god was genuine. So, moved by Yuri's sincere feelings, Naudo accepted the leather pouch without even checking its contents. It would be a little while later that he would be astonished to find that the contents he had assumed were silver coins were actually gold.

In any case, the two parted on good terms at that time.

Neither of them thinking about what lay ahead.