Chapter 128

It’s quite the sight to see a grown person cry pathetically. I was just thinking that myself.

But after spending so long in the forest, I did start to miss human company, and the broken axe was also a problem.

I felt bad about the Usuk axe being broken, but it wasn’t as catastrophic as Ragnarok.

Ragnarok is not only Hector’s symbolic weapon but also a crucial item for Tartar.

It’s so important that with just Ragnarok, legitimacy was gained to establish Tartar.

Since ancient times, religion has held a significant place in civilization, and Hector was chosen by none other than Gulrak.

This Ragnarok is proof of that—more than just a simple weapon, it serves as a divine symbol of kingship.

It plays a vital role when progressing the story on the Tartar side, and now that it’s damaged, the future looks bleak.

“Sister. Is this supposed to break easily?”

“No, it’s a weapon blessed directly by Gulrak. It’s odd for it to break. It’s just that the Saintess is absurdly strong.”

Kara responded while looking at the debris of the damaged weapon.

She claimed it was fine, but her expression said otherwise—it looked troublesome.

And understandably so; the symbol of royalty was destroyed. That must hurt Kara quite a bit.

“Is it possible to repair it?”

“That’s a problem, but the issue lies in what happens afterward. We might not retain the blessing from Gulrak.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just what it says. Normally, equipment imbued with blessings reverts to being ordinary the moment it’s destroyed.”

That was exactly why Kara looked so flustered. A blessed weapon loses its effects the moment it’s shattered.

You might think that’s too harsh, but that sort of equipment is usually very difficult to destroy.

Only someone of equal caliber, specifically among the top tier, can shatter it.

“Of all times, it had to be the Saintess’s punch at full power…”

“My body is also blessed by Chaos. The conditions all matched up.”

The problem lies with Rize’s fist—her body, practically a weapon itself, blessed by Chaos.

Combine that with the full force of her punch, and it’s no wonder Ragnarok was obliterated.

If only I had reacted a bit faster, things might have turned out differently.

Ultimately, it’s my fault. If I hadn’t insisted on dueling in the first place, this mess wouldn’t have happened.

“I’m sorry…”

“You don’t need to apologize. Now I’m feeling more sorry just watching you.”

Kara comforted me while patting my head. But the fact that my greed was the source of this issue remained unchanged.

I want to help in any way I can, but this isn’t something that can be fixed with money. After all, it’s a weapon blessed directly by Gulrak.

In other words, to fully restore it, Gulrak needs to bless it again.

“How long did it take when Gulrak blessed you?”

“I think it took over a year… and now that my father is gone, it might take even longer.”

But time was scarce. There’s no way just offering tributes and holding rituals daily would suffice.

Especially since Hector probably received Ragnarok during the Tribal Unification War.

At that time, every day was a crisis, and he must have prayed a lot. Whether Gulrak would bestow a blessing again is uncertain.

“What are you planning to do now?”

“First, I need to gather the remains and visit the altar. If we put in some effort, Gulrak might look favorably upon us.”

Kara answered Luna’s question while she began picking up the debris.

I wasn’t just going to stand idly by—I joined in the cleanup. If nothing else, I should collect the Usuk axe.

If Kara ended up hurting her hands, my guilt would only deepen. It’s best to prevent that ahead of time.

“I’ve gathered what I could, but we need to offer the tributes first… No, let’s put these on the altar first and think about it. It’s almost noon anyway.”

Kara said after gathering her things and looking up at the sky. Following her gaze, I glanced upward as well.

It didn’t look like the sun was at its peak yet, so it wasn’t noon. To hold a ritual, noon would be the golden hour.

“I still have some preparations to do, so I’ll head back first.”

“Understood. By when should we gather at the altar?”

“Before noon… huh? Wait, are you saying the Saintess will also visit?”

Kara asked, surprised. It’s certainly a shock whenever a Saintess decides to show up at the altar.

Especially since Rize is a follower of Chaos. No matter how much she seeks chaos, there’s a subtle nuance to her involvement.

“Yes. I feel responsible too, and I’m willing to help.”

“Umm… can I ask how you’ll help? It’s my first time hearing a follower of Chaos assist with Gulrak’s rituals. Sivar simply held rituals himself.”

“It’s nothing special. I just plan to sincerely apologize.”

I already felt uneasy. With Gwonseong’s style of saying that, it was entirely unexpected.

But I genuinely wanted to help. Kara seemed to sense that and brushed it off as no big deal.

“Well, I guess it’s fine. If Sivar did the rituals, the Saintess would probably appreciate it more.”

“Thank you. Gulrak will surely be pleased as well. The same goes for Chaos.”

As if to counter that notion, I felt like I might just burst into tears.

Trying hard to suppress my emotions while under spiritual attack was a bit much.

Because of that, my restraint slipped, and my feelings exploded. With all the pressure, I had to maintain myself.

“Anyway, I’ll head out first. Luna, are you coming too?”

“I will. I don’t have anything else to do.”

While I grumbled inwardly, Luna replied.

For Luna, there truly wasn’t much to do, hence her statement.

However, considering Rize was right next to her—Luna’s words took on a different meaning.

“Hmm. Looks like you’ve recovered already. All right, we’ll dive back into training once the rituals are over.”

“Ah, wait! That’s not what I meant…”

Either way, our Luna had a knack for putting her foot in her mouth.

She tends to invite trouble even when she doesn’t mean to.

Ultimately, Luna ended up sulking as another training session was set, but it was out of my hands.

After that, Kara collected the shattered remains and left, bringing some closure to the situation.

Now all that remained was to head to the altar at noon. I planned to figure out lunch after that.

‘But do we actually have to hold rituals for a whole year?’

I was willing to do anything to restore Ragnarok.

Hector entrusted the axe to me to protect Kara. Even though I caused an accident, it was a weapon I needed to return someday.

‘Should I become a monster that roams the Chaos Forest? If I had known, I wouldn’t have sold the blade!’

I couldn’t help but sigh in this situation. I just hoped it could be restored quickly.

That was just a wish of mine, but since Rize has offered to help, it might not be so bad.

With these complicated feelings, we all returned to my dormitory.

“Sivar!”

“?”

A familiar voice called my name, sweetly yet cheerfully.

Turning my head, I saw Eli running this way from a distance.

The mix of her truly happy expression with the nagging emotional turmoil in my chest was almost overwhelming. I couldn’t see anything else.

“Where have you been…? Huh? Did you… cry?”

Eli paused her cheerful greeting and widened her eyes at the sight of my face.

It seems the traces of my tears were still visible. I turned my head away and replied meekly.

“No, I didn’t cry.”

“That’s a lie. Your fair skin shows it really well.”

So it was my skin that gave me away. My pale complexion left no room for hiding.

“Eli, let me explain. What happened was…”

Luna explained for me, providing a brief summary of events.

Eli listened intently, her usual bright expression faltering when she heard the news about my weapon’s destruction.

She looked at my face with concern, grabbing my hands tightly. The grip was so strong my lips puckered like a fish.

“Are you hurt? What if your pretty face gets scarred?”

“I’m fine.”

“Even if you’re not hurt, you still cried. Kara comforted you.”

She never fails to impress me in her observations. She revealed things that didn’t need to be spoken aloud.

Just as I was about to shoot a pointed glance at Luna, Eli sensed something off and spoke up.

“What do you mean? Kara comforted you?”

“It’s exactly what it sounds like. When Sivar was about to cry, she hugged him and said it was okay.”

“…… Really?”

Why did her response come a beat late? Her expression was expressionless, which made me anxious.

But as if to dismiss my worries, Eli smiled brightly and asked if she could hug me too.

Having said that, she stretched out her arms. A broad type of comfort laid before me.

I approached her as if entranced and gently wrapped my arms around her. It felt vastly different from Kara—a soothing kind of warmth enveloped me.

“You’re just a big softy. It really shows you love being held, huh?”

“…… I’m not a softy.”

“Yeah, right. Then why were you crying?”

“……”

I couldn’t find the words to answer, clasping my lips shut. For now, I just wanted to relish this comfort.

After hugging for a while, we shifted back to the topic at hand. First order of business was Eli’s proposal.

“Can I follow you too? Ratatosk also worships Gulrak, so it should be fine for me to go once.”

“It might be tough, are you sure?”

“I’m fine. Despite how I look, I’ve conquered every mountain near my house.”

Eli was surprisingly fit, all things considered.

Although not nearly as close to the superhuman level of Luna or Kara, she was definitely exceptional among ordinary people.

She had even better stamina than Grace the magician, which says a lot. With her body not carrying excess weight, she managed to maintain her shape.

“When did Kara say to arrive by?”

“Before noon. The Saintess is also planning to visit.”

“In that case, should we spend the time playing cards at your dorm? I don’t have anything else to do.”

“That sounds like a great idea.”

There’s hardly a better pastime than a card game. Coincidentally, Rize agreed as well.

Then, we all rushed back to my dormitory to start the card game. The rules were easy enough for me to understand.

“Luna.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re really awful at this.”

“…… Hey! Let’s reshuffle. Let’s do that again!”

But Luna was indeed hopeless at it.

Her expressions gave everything away, making her an easy target to play against.

******

After the impromptu card game, we headed to the altar at the promised time.

It seemed Eli’s words were truthful, as she kept pace with us effortlessly. Even collecting herbs along the way.

Rize climbed the stairs to the altar not in Gwonseong form, but in her Saintess attire. She’d likely switch back once we reached the altar.

“Do you think Kara is already there?”

“Maybe? She said she’d wait ahead.”

“What kind of preparations could she possibly be making that she’s not with us?”

Like Eli, I was also curious. Based on when we parted, we still had about an hour until noon.

Given that time, we could have all prepped together, so it struck me as odd she went ahead.

That mystery was resolved the moment we reached the altar.

“You came early! You could have taken your time.”

“Umm…”

As soon as we arrived at the altar, Kara welcomed us warmly. But I couldn’t respond as usual.

It was the same for everyone else. All except for Rize, who stared at Kara dumbfounded.

“That’s the traditional attire of Tartar, isn’t it? Is it a dancer’s costume?”

“Yes. This matter required an expression of sincerity.”

A white outfit that emphasized her healthy, tanned skin. Golden embellishments gave it structure.

But the way it barely covered her seemed to make it even harder to find spots that were actually concealed.

Thanks to that, Kara’s toned abs and body were clearly visible. The bottom was also made of fluttery fabric.

One quick spin would likely reveal all of her thick thighs and more embarrassing areas. It was a big hit to the male gaze.

“Is that really Tartar’s traditional attire?”

“Yep. That’s right.”

“Isn’t that too revealing? It looks like it’s barely a piece of cloth…”

Eli openly criticized it, enough for it to be notable. Luna stood beside her, staring blankly.

Yet Kara shrugged it off like it was nothing unusual, dismissing it casually.

“I get it. But since Tartar is quite hot, it can’t be helped. You’ll naturally understand if you visit our country later.”

“So all the women in Tartar wear that?”

“No, this is special attire just for dancers. Nevertheless, most wear outfits like this for breathability.”

As I explained before, Tartar’s culture pulls from ancient Egypt.

So, they’re surprisingly lenient regarding exposure. You can’t really blame them, given the heat.

Of course, it’s evident from their sun-kissed skin that they’ve adapted perfectly to their climate, allowing them to wear such outfits.

If an outsider tried to wear something similar, they would likely get burned by the scorching sun. Thus, most choose clothing that offers more coverage.

“By the way, not all dancers are the same, okay? Do you see the ring on my middle finger? It signifies that I’m a dancer who performs rituals.”

With a flourish, Kara waved her arms. She seemed to merely flutter them, yet the green fabric flowed beautifully.

Not only did the green fabric complement Kara’s emerald eyes, but the circlet in her hair also matched perfectly.

“Beautiful.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Beautiful.”

“…… Aww, come on. You’re just saying that without meaning it.”

Kara shyly smiled at my sincere compliment. It wasn’t an empty remark—she truly looked beautiful, and I couldn’t say anything else.

In the Soul World, there was a dancer skin for Kara, but it wasn’t nearly as revealing as this one.

It even had a top that covered her chest, and the bottoms were pants, after all.

It seems there’s a clear distinction between banquet dance attire and ritual dancer attire.

“Anyway, I’ll proceed with the ritual now. I already have the offerings prepared, so we’ll just need you to respond.”

“Understood.”

“Sivar, let’s go together. Praying together might prompt Gulrak to respond favorably.”

Kara extended her hand out to me invitingly. Her bright smile was genuinely gorgeous.

Instead of words, I responded by taking her hand. Instantly, she rewarded me with that signature refreshing smile.

Then, she began to pull me toward the altar. Consequently, I caught a clear glimpse of her exposed back.

Her muscles, filled with countless hours of training, were impressive, but the shape was a true work of art. From slightly broad shoulders leading to a gradually thinning waist.

Finally, that wide pelvis below her waist left me with no place else to look. But there was one thing that caught my gaze above all.

‘Just how…’

The way her posterior wiggled with every step was mesmerizing. Plus, the thin fabric revealed the outline perfectly.

No matter how hard I tried to divert my gaze, it simply wouldn’t happen. After all, I was still holding her hand.

Rumble-

Honestly, that was a flimsy excuse. Her backside was just too stunning for my eyes to ignore.

As a rumble of thunder echoed from above, I quickly corrected my thoughts, feeling a bit aggrieved.

Surely every male would understand. Right now, Kara looked irresistible, and it was hard not to feel anything.

That’s how men are designed, after all. Even when they have a girlfriend or wife nearby, their eyes tend to wander at passing beauties.

‘No, wait. Could it be that the thunder just rolled to encourage my acknowledgment?’

Surely it can’t be.

How could a perverted god like this dress his beloved priestess in such a manner…?

Rumble!

Turns out, he did exist.

Still, I respect different preferences. I guess that’s just how guys roll.

‘If I can see her up close…’

Bang!!

Just as that thought crossed my mind, a bolt of lightning struck right above my head. Thankfully, I didn’t harm Kara, who was still holding my hand.

“What’s going on? Why is Gulrak…?”

“…… Ugh.”

It’s perplexing when a god has double standards too.

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