女神归来的夏天

Chapter 156: The Holy City III

The skills that I have can't get us into the city without being noticed. I could fly, but the slight glow of my golden wings will give us away. Our options are running thin, so if Sally has a skill she can use that'll get us in, then I'm all for it. I look at her, and she has her eyes closed. A couple of seconds later, two ice soldiers form behind her. "These guys can fight, defend, and move fast. I can only make two right now. When I start leveling up my skills, I can create more, and they'll be stronger." This is perfect. If they can move independently, we can create a hole in the defenses.

I walk up to them and check them out. They don't have any defining features. They are like blocky men. "Can they move independently from you? We can have guards chase them, and after a breach is formed, we can get in." She nods her head with confidence and has a slight smug look on her face. She deserves to indulge in pride. This is going to be a giant help. "How are we going to get over the wall once the guards are chasing these guys?" I plan to pick her up and run up the wall with my speed.

My speed and strength stats are going to make it an easy feat. "How comfortable are you being carried? I was thinking I can run up the wall while carrying you. If you aren't comfortable with that, then I'll think of something else." I don't want to make her uncomfortable and cause old scars to open up by doing this. I know that old mental trauma can be activated by certain things, and she was probably carried like a sack of bricks and tossed around. I don't want to do that to her.

Sally gives me a thankful look. Being considerate of other's pain is something everyone should aspire to do. "I'm perfectly fine with that, Zern. Let me know when you're ready, and I'll send these guys out, and we'll leave the treeline and scale the wall." I want to check one last thing before I get into the city. I open my quest log and see my divine mana aura quest hasn't changed. I hoped I could get a hint when I got close enough to the city. Maybe once I step into the city, it'll change.

Sometimes quests work like that—no sense in delaying any further. "Let's do this. I'm going to pick you up and run up the wall as soon as the guard's attention is drawn." She nods her head and points to her ice soldiers. I don't hear her say anything, so it must be telepathic communication. She turns back to me, and they take off out of the treeline. I pick her up in my arms, and she uses the situation to her advantage and wraps her arms around my neck to hold on better.

We hear the shouts of guards and their quickly fading voices. I burst out of the treeline and run to the wall fast. I reach it and start running up it with extreme speed. We are at the top soon, and there are no guards in sight. I stick out one hand and use it to stick to the wall on the way down on the other side. We hand inside the city, and I hear a ding. I'll check that later. I run a good distance away from the wall and turn into an ally. I let go of Sally, and she fixes her hair.

I'm a little surprised that worked so well. I'm glad I could avoid what was happening at the gate, and now I'm in the city where I start my divine mana aura quest. Now that we are safe and out of sight, I pull up my player interface and see a new notification. I open it, and my divine mana aura quest has been updated. I pull up the information and what I read surprises me.

[Chain Divine Mana Aura Quest]

[Description: Now that you have reached tier 1, you must undertake the real challenge. While many mana aura quests are the same, it's a known fact the rarer a class is, the harder the quests will be for that class.]

[Objective 1: Finding the Secret Keeper of Titans is up to you, looking and asking around is a good way to find someone. That isn't your only option. However, the nobility can be very useful if bribed with enough money.]

[Objective 2: Complete the quest she gives you and get the first clue to the location of your Divine Mana Aura.]

[Difficulty: Divine]

[Rewards: Information about the location of your Divine Mana Aura]

[Hint: You will need a powerful ally to help you at the end of this Chain Quest, you will not be able to defeat the boss with your current strength.]

I didn't consider bribing a noble or high-ranking official in the city. That comes with risks too, asking the older community at the church seems like the best option. If that doesn't work, then bribing a noble it is. "We are going to an inn for the night. We'll start our search tomorrow and make our way to the church here in the city." This also gives me a chance to check if I got any mail from Amelia yet. She might have already sent another letter responding to the one I sent the same day.

Sally nods her head and gives me a nervous look. I know what it's about too. The people here will give Sally a hard time because of who she is. "Stay close to me, alright. I won't let anyone do anything to you. If someone tries something, I'll cut off their limbs and leave them to die." She doesn't give a response. She grabs to bottom of my leather chest piece and moves closer. She is so terrified of racists. It makes me want to kill anyone who acts in such a way.

I turn, and she is still hanging on. We leave the ally and start walking the streets. We eventually come across a lively inn, and we enter. As we do, many go silent. Almost everyone stares at Sally. "Zern... I'm Scared..." I give a hard look at everyone and even draw my blade. As soon as I do, many of the faces go pale. The oppressive energy of The Witness weighs heavily on everyone. They advert their eyes and go back to their own business.

I approach the front desk with Sally still hanging on. The innkeeper gives me a look of apprehension. "I have half a mind to call the guards on you. Elf lovers aren't welcome here in The Holy City." I squint ever so slightly and pull out 20 gold. I lay it on the counter, and he looks at it. "However, I'm more than understanding to your ways. Here is the key to your room. It's upstairs." He tosses me a key, and I catch it. He takes the 20 gold pieces with a smile and goes back to his job.

We quickly make our way up the stairs and enter the room. Sally takes many deep breaths and kneels on the ground as soon as we do. I take a knee beside her and stay still. I'm not going to touch her. It might be bad if I do. She reaches for my right hand and clasps it with both of hers. I grip the one hand I can in support of her. "I hate this place..." I can't help feeling like shit dragging her here with me. However, it can't be undone. We are here now.

She looks up at me with eyes filling with tears. "I'll get you a hood tomorrow if you want one. It'll draw less attention to you. Let me know, okay." She lets go of my hands and dries her tears. She gets up and walks over to the single bed in the room. "I'll take the chair. You look like you need a comfortable bed after all that. We'll go as soon as you're up." She nods her head and flops down on the bed. I walk over to the soft chair and sit down.

I close my eyes and relax as much as I can. This quest will be a hard one that takes a long time. Sally is going to be having a difficult time too. It's akin to torment in my eyes. If everyone knew that I was The Son of Arch-Angel Michael, many would treat her like royalty. It's ironic. I could help her if I revealed myself. I'll have to make it up to her. She is enduring all this to help me. "Thank you for all your help, Sally. You are the only person I can trust, and I want you to know you can trust me." I don't open my eyes. I want her to know that.

I hear the bed move slightly, and I hear the soft taps of her shoes come closer. I open my eyes, and she is standing in front of me. She has a sad look on her face. "I want you to sleep in the bed with me. I don't feel safe without you in arms reach..." She isn't taking advantage of anything this time. I can see she is genuinely scared. I stand up and nod my head. She turns and walks back to the bed. She lays on it, and I sit off the side.

I feel her hand land on my shoulder, and she brings me down with her. I lay on my side, and she wraps her arm around the top side of me from behind. "Just lay here..." I obey and close my eyes. She needs a friend who will support her, and I'm going to fulfill that role tonight. If I have to be a body pillow for her to feel safe, then so be it. It's the least I can do for all the help she has given me.