Chapter 22. Monster Outbreak Period

When Radel arrived at the Grand Temple, the dawn service had just ended.

As it was the Grand Temple in the capital of the empire, many believers and priests were pouring out after the service.

Radel stepped back to the side to let people pass.

However, he kept feeling gazes on him. As his Hunter's senses gradually returned and his stats increased through training, his ability to naturally sense changes in his surroundings seemed to have improved.

There was definitely more than one gaze stealing glances at Radel without being obvious.

"It's the 8th Prince. He's exactly as he was described in the sermon!"

"Shh! He'll hear you."

Moreover, exactly as he was described in the sermon.

Considering what Inette had said, it seemed Radel had become quite a celebrity within the Supreme Deity Order.

The priests who spotted him rushed over from a distance.

"Aren't you Prince Radel?"

"Yes, I am."

"I knew it!"

The priest who spoke to Radel was extremely happy and asked for a handshake.

The priests standing next to him also seemed to want to greet him, so Radel offered them a handshake as well. At that, priests quickly gathered around Radel.

"If you don't mind, I would like to greet you, Your Highness."

"If Your Highness is okay with it, I would also like to……."

Radel was calmly shaking hands with the ever-increasing number of people, but inwardly, he was desperately searching for a reason to understand this situation.

'What is this? ... A royal family handshake event or something?'

Radel found out the reason with a notification sound.

Tiring.

[The quest completion reward is being applied.]

[You have unofficially gained the support of the Supreme Deity Order!]

[Your name becomes known to the believers of the Supreme Deity Order.]

[The believers of the Supreme Deity Order feel a strong affinity for your story.]

So, as a quest reward, Radel's popularity within the Supreme Deity Order had risen.

No wonder it felt like he had become a celebrity.

On top of that, he could feel the gazes of the ordinary believers looking enviously at the priests who were asking for a handshake. It was all happening because the believers of the Supreme Deity Order felt an affinity for Radel.

This wasn't the kind of popularity he wanted, but it felt pretty good now that he was receiving it.

He felt like he could understand a little of what it was like for the royals who had a support base to live.

'Nice?'

This situation wasn't bad for Radel.

Depending on which group's support he received, it would surely work in his favor for survival in the future. For Radel, who was still powerless, it was a good thing in many ways.

The saint of the 'Thirsty Land'?

The miracle of three days?

Even if he himself said it wasn't so, if the number of people who believed it increased, it would become the truth. It was also an ability to utilize an image that had already been created.

There was one thing Radel had to keep in mind here.

'I must not lose my original intention!'

He shouldn't even dream of trying to do something with a little popularity in the Supreme Deity Order.

It was the perfect way to become a celebrity who is quickly forgotten after acting arrogantly, believing only in a moment of popularity.

Why did they like the image of the 8th Prince that appeared in the sermon?

It was because he was a praying prince. It was because the 8th Prince, who had come back from the dead, knew how to be grateful before the god.

Therefore, while other royals displayed charisma in front of their supporters, Radel had no need to do so.

He didn't need to promise to support them if he became emperor.

He just had to pray in the temple without promising any future. That was the kind of popularity he had gained.

Maintaining a support base just by living with a good attitude?

He didn't know about the other royals, but for Radel, it was too easy.

'Living a bad life…? How do you even do that?'

Radel thought as he smiled at the priests.

No matter how much he thought about it, he didn't have the confidence to live a bad life.

Far away, Armandy, who had lost his notebook, was screaming in despair, but Radel did not know that.

A new morning was dawning in Radel's life.

* * *

"You've worked hard coming a long way."

The Archbishop sat in front of Radel and smiled benignly. Not only was he welcomed by the priests, but the Archbishop was also treating him warmly like a neighborhood grandfather.

"Not at all. I should have visited sooner."

Radel answered politely in front of the Archbishop, whom he was meeting for the first time.

"I know that you are busy, Your Highness. I wanted to meet you before you left for the academy, and it seems the Supreme Deity has answered my prayers. Hoho."

There couldn't be many people busier than the Archbishop who led a huge religious order.

"Me, busy? That's preposterous."

Radel, knowing the Archbishop was teasing him, smiled back.

As the atmosphere lightened, the Archbishop slowly opened his mouth.

"Many were impressed by the sight you showed for three days, Your Highness. As a servant of the Nameless God, I am truly grateful."

Though it was a short remark, the Archbishop's sincerity could be felt. Radel, who had only done the quest because he was being framed as a heretic, felt a little embarrassed.

"I merely offered the prayers I had to. I'm sure there are many priests who offer prayers consistently, so they are more amazing than I am."

"You are more humble than I heard. Hoho. Seeing you in person like this, Your Highness, I see that the rumors are true."

Rumors?

Radel felt awkward, wondering if the rumor of him being the saint of the 'Thirsty Land' had reached the Archbishop's ears.

"I don't know what rumors you've heard, but they are probably exaggerated."

"Is that so?"

The Archbishop smiled faintly and drank his tea.

"Seeing you, Your Highness, reminds me of an old story. Do you happen to know the story of the Nameless God and the Founding Emperor?"

"Do you mean the Founding Myth where the Supreme Deity bestowed Abilities?"

"It is a story from before that."

A story that Radel had never heard before flowed from the Archbishop's mouth.

"When the Founding Emperor first met him, the Nameless God was a being forgotten by people. He was a great being who created this world and molded many gods, but people no longer sought him."

A crumbling old temple, a small light flowing from it.

The Founding Emperor was a man who had nothing. But he was a man of good heart.

He needed a place to stay for the night, so he followed the light in the dark night and entered the old temple, where he met the Nameless God.

A world that had forgotten its god.

The Founding Emperor knelt before the first god he encountered in a world that no longer sought gods.

"Though it is a world where many now believe in God. Hoho. For some reason, seeing you, Your Highness, reminds me of that story."

By now, Radel couldn't not know what this meant.

The royals who no longer sought the Supreme Deity. He wanted to say what a prince who threw himself before the Supreme Deity and prayed meant to the order.

"Your Highness, you don't need to feel too burdened. You can continue to do as you wish from now on. For that is the will of the Supreme Deity."

Radel, feeling an indescribable emotion, quietly nodded his head.

The Archbishop smiled as he watched Radel.

"Ah, come to think of it, I have a favor to ask of you, Your Highness."

"A favor, you say……?"

"In our order, we send an apprentice priest or holy knight to the academy every year to broaden their horizons. This year, an apprentice holy knight was chosen to go."

An apprentice holy knight?

There was only one apprentice holy knight Radel knew.

"You must know him well, Your Highness. You were together for three days straight. I would like you to go to the academy with that brother."

As if he knew Radel's thoughts, the Archbishop smiled benignly.

"It will probably be helpful to you as well, Your Highness."

His guess was right.

When Radel spotted Gusto waiting outside, he felt a sense of welcome.

"Gusto! It's been a while."

"Your Highness."

Gusto, still with a stoic expression, greeted Radel and then immediately asked.

"If it is alright with you, Your Highness, may I accompany you to the academy?"

There was no reason to refuse.

As Radel agreed, a notification sound rang in his ear.

Tiring.

[The quest completion reward is being applied.]

['Recruit a Companion']

[Apprentice Holy Knight Gusto Zebro has officially become your companion!]

[Gusto Zebro's status window will be fully opened!]

[The status window of a person who has become a companion can be viewed at any time.]

The companion's status window is fully opened?

Then it was time to check the trait he had been curious about.

Radel brought up Gusto's traits.

Traits: Holy Knight's Vow(S), Unseen Hand(S)

'Unseen Hand, I've been curious about what it is for a while.'

[Unseen Hand(S)]

Before this hand, there is no door that cannot be opened, no object that cannot be possessed.

The one with this hand can become the master of all things.

Radel once again looked back at Gusto, the very image of a faithful holy knight.

He wondered if living as a holy knight with such an incredible talent was the right choice.

'Shouldn't he change his job to a thief right now……?'

Still, socially, being a holy knight is better.

Radel decided to continue pretending not to know Gusto's true talent.

* * *

Radel stood in line with Gusto to use the gate stone.

However, there were more people than he had thought.

"You're here to use the gate stone too."

"It's the monster outbreak period these days, so we have to be careful."

"That's right. The public carriages have to hire extra mercenaries, so they charge double the usual price."

"In that case, it's better to spend more money and go quickly with the gate stone."

Radel's eyes lit up as he listened to the people around him.

It was information he couldn't just ignore. A monster outbreak period?

It referred to a period when the number of monsters increased and they moved more aggressively than usual.

If the Joseon Dynasty had tigers, this world had monsters as a threat on the mountain paths.

The empire conducted large-scale subjugations periodically, but there were so many types of monsters and their reproductive power was so strong that it was difficult to completely eradicate them.

When travelers had to go to other cities, it was common for them to take a public carriage and move under the protection of mercenaries, or to hire escorts even if they were riding horses.

If one had a lot of money, they would naturally use the gate stone, but the cost was a burden, so they couldn't use it every time.

However, it was a different story during the monster outbreak period. It was better to use the expensive gate stone than to deal with much more aggressive and numerous monsters.

But Radel had a different idea.

'Stronger monsters are coming out?'

Then I should go on foot.

This was not the time to use the gate stone.

It was a chance to raise the grade of his Troll's Heart!

[Troll's Heart(E)]

Pain that doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. (Health+1 upon recovery from a near-death state)

Radel checked his status window again.

It seemed he could taste the near-death state again, which he could no longer experience with the griffin. Even if he walked, he would still arrive in Marcellent within ten days.

Radel was already looking forward to what kind of monster would appear and put him in a near-death state this time.