56 – Tears of the Goddess
It is not comparable to that of the royal capital, but the majesty of the gate is more like a city than a village, perhaps because it is a city located on the border between countries.
“The border town of Viln is said to be half kingdom and half principality.”
Rishari explains as we walk towards the castle gate.
‘Have we finally returned to the kingdom…’
They say that if you go into that city and walk a certain distance, you will reach a kingdom.
“In addition, it is said that the guards guarding the village are drawn half from each principality and kingdom.”
Jespa provides additional information.
‘In short, it’s a place like Panmunjom.’
Although I did not serve there, I am reminded of the picture I sometimes see on the news of South and North Korean military police standing facing each other.
Now we are close enough to see the silhouettes of people in front of the castle gate.
Something felt strange.
“What is it?”
As expected from a border city, there was a long queue waiting to enter in front of the gate, and their condition was strange.
As I got closer and could clearly see their appearance, I was able to understand the situation.
There were many injured among them.
The city guards, healers, and people who came out to help were busy taking care of the injured people.
A very serious situation, with some of them appearing to be adventurers sobbing while clutching the corpses of their comrades.
I suddenly turned my head back and saw an adventurer with a severed arm.
‘I understand roughly what the situation is’
The people in front of the castle gate must have experienced a similar monster attack as we did.
We have already reached the back of the long queue.
“I don’t think the review will be a problem with this.”
Gabriella, the leader of the adventurer team that accompanied us, grumbled.
Golgoldae seemed busy giving first aid to people.
However, if you neglect identity verification at the border and let them in, that is a problem in its own right, so it looks like there will be quite a bit of delay.
But then, I saw a guard running towards us from a distance.
“Are you a kingdom soldier?”
Rishari mutters.
Certainly, the attire was similar to that worn by the royal guard.
The kingdom guard reached in front of me, took a moment to catch his breath, and opened his mouth.
“Ho, are you by any chance Mr. Anderson?!”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
I wondered what was going on, but then I realized it.
‘Yes, I was an important person in the kingdom indeed…’
It’s been quite a while since I left the kingdom, and I’ve almost never been in such an important position in my life, so I completely forgot about it.
“As soon as Young master was discovered, there was an order from the king to quickly name him. Please follow me.”
The guard neatly took the example of the knight.
‘Hmm… I guess he comes from a family of quite high status.’
“I will do so.”
The guard’s anxious face widened at my answer.
She also spoke to the group behind me.
“I would appreciate it if your companions could also join us.”
“Of course it should be!”
The merchant suddenly popped his head out of the carriage window and answered immediately.
I guess I’m quite happy that I don’t have to wait in this long line.
But a doubt appeared on the guard’s face.
“From what I received from the report, I understand that the Sorcerer’s party is a team of three male and female adventurers… Did you happen to notice any of the party in the middle?”
I unconsciously looked back at the merchant and the newly joined female warrior adventurer team.
The merchant put his hands together and gave me a pleading look.
But what bothered me was the woman with her arm cut off.
She thought that if she left her like this and brought her team of Kalia with her, her bed would be disturbed.
‘I should get proper treatment quickly…’
“Yes, that’s right. We are the group that joined in the middle.”
“Okay! Then, everyone follow me!”
We started moving past the long waiting line.
Discontent broke out from time to time.
“Hey! Are you cutting in line?!”
“Why are you letting those guys go first!?”
In the meantime, someone seems to have figured out the situation.
“Shh, look at that guy’s hair.”
“Gasp!”
The guard walking in front of us did not react at all to the commotion and just walked silently toward the gate.
Kalia suddenly asked a question to the back of the guard’s head.
“Do high-level monsters often appear around here?”
“No. Two days ago, even the ones that had been quiet in their nests suddenly started crawling out and causing an uproar.”
The guard spat out words as if he was disgusted.
“It’s an abnormal symptom…”
Li Shari said, stroking her chin.
“It feels like they are scared of something and are running out. It seems like something is driving them into a frenzy.”
As we reached the castle gate, the guard quickly processed the procedures for Team Calia and Team Gabriela.
‘Of course I’ll have a free pass, right?’
I thought so, but that thought was foolish.
The guard brought a luxurious wooden box.
When I opened the lid of the wooden box, there was a necklace inside.
‘Mithril?’
I had a mithril bracelet and found out that the chain of the necklace was made of mithril.
The texture is subtly different from iron or silver.
However, the jewels underneath the necklace were colorful enough to turn the precious mithril into nothing.
A stone that continues to flicker with emerald and golden colors and gently emits its own light.
“Elston?!”
Li Shari, who had been ignoring her as if she was bored, approached her at a fast pace with her eyes tearing open.
“Oh… I never thought I would see this in person!”
Richari shouts out an exclamation as if she is moved.
“Oh…,….”
Other people also look at her necklace with curious eyes, although not as much as Li Shari.
“What is this?”
When I ask, Li Shari looks at me with an expression that tells me she is ridiculous.
“You don’t know what Elstone is!? It’s the tears of the god!”
“Ah!”
I finally remembered it.
The world view of this world that I briefly learned in passing when I was receiving a short-term liberal arts education at Anderson’s home.
‘Rather than that, I put much more emphasis on the nobles’ names and relationships…’
Anyway, it vaguely came to mind.
The main goddess of this world is a goddess named ‘El’.
In the battle between gods and demons that took place hundreds of years ago, he shed a few tears while being wounded by a demon god, and that was that Elstone.
In a word, the tears of a goddess.
It is said that there are only 7 of them on this continent, but even that is just a guess and humans currently have only 4 of them.
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One of them was located here, on the border between the kingdom and the principality…
“But why did you bring this up?”
When I asked, the guard made a suggestion to me.
“Please wear this around your neck. I know it’s rude, but this is an order from the principality to check just in case it could be an impersonation.”
“Huh? On your neck…?”
When I expressed her doubt, Li Shari, who was stroking her chin, nodded her head in agreement.
“Yes… If an impersonator crosses the border, it could turn into an international problem.”
As I stood there confused, the guard explained.
“A sorcerer is a bloodline that receives the blessings of the main god. It is said that if a person has that blood, Elstone will shine splendidly.”
‘Ah, ah…’
I had a gut feeling that I was screwed.
——————————————
“What’s going on? Mr. Anderson.”
As I froze for a moment, the guard asked me with a suspicious look in his eyes.
‘There’s no way it will shine if I bet on that…’
I am clearly not a sorcerer.
The real sorcerer I saw was like that old man who had enormous magical power and could activate great magic just by reciting a strange alien language.
“Even if you’re not a sorcerer, your blood is said to shine. After all, you have holy blood.”
Richari added.
I suddenly felt prickly.
‘Huh? ‘We can just be family?’
But I soon reflected on my position.
‘You idiot, you’re not real family in the first place. I’m just an ordinary person who was summoned without knowing anything…’
As I stood still, Li Shari quickly picked up her necklace and held it out to me.
“Walk quickly, quickly!”
“Uh, huh…”
‘This b*tch…’
I felt disgusted inside, but I suppressed my anger.
‘Okay, what could be his fault..’
“I’m lucky enough to have seen the Lord’s tears before he died, but I never thought I’d see the Lord’s child wearing them around his neck!”
Children of the Lord is also a title I have never heard before.
Probably one of the many titles used to refer to a sorcerer.
It could be something you just created yourself.
Anyway, now is the moment to hang this necklace in your hand.
The burden grew even bigger as I looked at those bright eyes full of expectation.
In addition to her, everyone around her has stopped what they are doing and is looking at me.
I swallowed hard and slowly put my head into the necklace.
In that short period of time, my brain was coming up with all kinds of excuses.
‘hahahaha~ I guess this is broken~~! No, then is it blasphemy? Or, um… I guess I wasn’t feeling well today and my sorcerer’s blood didn’t work properly~~! Damn, what kind of bullsh*t is this.’
Like that. All the excuses that came to mind were useless ideas that wouldn’t even work.
I finally took my hand off the necklace and felt the cold mithril chain on the back of my neck.
I closed my eyes and raised my head, half giving up.
‘Well, I guess everything will work out. I barely survived in the wasteland. Even if I get kicked out of here, I will somehow survive. As long as I don’t get executed.’
The real problem is when executions are discussed for blasphemy.
I suddenly became angry.
‘Why do I have to suffer this humiliation?’
At that time, the surroundings were in commotion.
‘That’s right. ‘The one I thought was real turned out to be fake, so there’s a lot of confusion…’
“Pretty…”
Li Shari muttered next to her in a mesmerized tone.
“Oh…”
Other people also let out exclamations of their own.
‘Huh?’
I slowly opened my eyes and looked at my chest.
The goddess’s tears were shining on my neck.
Surprisingly, the light was dark, the same color as my hair.