Novel Bin Chapter 285: Surviving in the Jungle 5
Chapter 285: Surviving in the Jungle 5
TL/Editor: raei
Schedule: 5/Week Mon-Fri
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
Join the discord! Here
As soon as I heard the witch's story, all sorts of thoughts came to mind.
Grace and Katie had disbelief written all over their faces, but Han Se-ah and I had seen corrupt religions in many created works.
Yet, it was also true that I couldn't just believe the witch's words without a doubt.
The Temple was bustling with 5 saints and saintesses, and the Goddess was very activewho would dare?
If there were traitors within the group handling oracles and miracles, that would indeed be something.
Should I trust the witch and doubt the Temple, or should I doubt the witch who absurdly accused the Temple?
Han Se-ah's answer came without a moment's hesitation.
"Then can you lead us to that place?"
"Hanna, do you believe what the witch said?"
Grace and Katie were shocked by the implication that they should doubt the Temple, while Irene didn't seem surprised.
It must be because the people of the kingdom viewed the Temple as inviolable, and they firmly believed that priests and nuns were always virtuous.
Before heliocentrism, it was common sense that the sun orbited the Earth, and people did not doubt it.
The people of the kingdom do not, or rather, cannot doubt the Temple.
"Grace, Katie. Just as there is shadow where there is light, within the Goddess's embrace, there are unfortunate brothers and sisters who harbor malicious intentions."
"How could...!"
But Irene was different.
Why else would there be Temple Knights and monks if not to protect priests and nuns dispatched throughout the kingdom and to punish those priests who fall prey to desire?
Corrupt priests stir up the realm and threaten the kingdom, dabbling in black magic...
While not every case is dramatic, there are instances of priests driven by greed.
Some refuse to heal unless paid, or harass beautiful women.
Of course, since the saints and saintesses are vigilant, most end up repentantly returning to the Goddess's fold.
"Oh? Are you saying you believe me, sister?"
"Actually, it's one of the main lessons we teach those embarking on pilgrimages. If you find yourself feeling malicious in remote places out of other brothers' sight, look up to the sky and remember that the Goddess is watching over us."
-What if Han Se-ah loses a 5 because she doubted the Temple?
-But is the Temple really the culprit? I'm already tired, is there going to be another twist on a twist on a twist?
-Another plot twist, right? Not just harpies, stone dwarves, water beatles, it doesnt end here! Barbarians, witches, a corrupt priest of the temple, but it doesnt end here!
-I wish this would end soon; I'd rather we climbed the tower again.
"Ah, will you shut up? I didn't just blurt it out without thinking. We're on a quest given by the Goddess. Do you think Irene will leave me just because I progressed the quest?"
If Grace and Katie's faces were filled with disbelief and shock, Irene's was tinged with sadness.
Could her belief in the witch's words stem from her intuition as a saint candidate?
Normally, Irene wore a gentle smile, but her sad expression now made Grace and Katie snap their mouths shut.
After all, what could a village archer and a runaway northern noble lady say against a saint candidate?
So, if there are no twists, there are a couple of possibilities.
One is that the priests of the temple have indeed become corrupt.
Unlike the deeply faithful Count of Antibes, these priests might engage in witchcraft or learn black magic.
The second possibility is less about actual corruption and more about a staged act to foster faith.
Converted barbarians, threatened by evil forces, and the Temple saving them would be a significant deed.
Suddenly, an unknown black mage appears, trying to sow discord but is actually a priest in disguise, or a third force comes in and causes troublesuch conjectures should be excluded as they are baseless and merely speculative to the end.
---
Raei Translations
---
Even though I couldn't fully trust the witch's words, knowing the places where suspicious characters roamed was enough to progress the quest.
Thus, Gaspard's family stayed in the village, and the witch joined our group.
"Which way, witch?"
"Go straight this way and you'll see a small pond. From there, turn towards the swamp."
Grace and Katie's expressions changed constantly as they followed the witch, who led with her long brown hair swaying down to her waist.
It seemed the notion of 'priestly corruption' Irene mentioned was shockingly new to them.
Their expressions shifted from a furrowed brow to a grimace, and I could almost hear them muttering to themselves, making me almost respond out loud.
Irene, however, didn't seem to have her usual composure to comfort them this time.
Instead, seeking some reassurance, she came closer to me as we followed the path.
"Um... Roland?"
"What's up?"
"Are you disappointed?"
"Huh?"
Disappointed?
Was she anxious that it might be the Temple's doing?
I turned my head, and in doing so, nearly knocked it on a tree branch.
Despite this, the conversation took precedence, and I bulldozed through vines and branches without looking forward.
With a serious expression, Irene looked at me while plowing through the jungle, her face devoid of a smile.
"It's just that, Roland, you didn't seem as shocked as those two... as if you knew the temple's people might be corrupt. You've met Temple Knights and monks in your adventuring, right? So, that means."
"Ah, that was what you were worried about."
She seemed to have been closely observing Han Se-ah's and my reactions.
For Han Se-ah, our party views her as a 'genius beauty mage chosen by the Goddess, who's been stuck in a backwater country dabbling in magic,' so shes off the hook.
But I am a veteran adventurer with ten years of experience, familiar with the aristocracy and the Temple.
My lack of surprise at the witch's words must have scared her a bit.
Roland already knows about corrupt priests-
Roland is already disappointed in the temple-
No, he doesn't expect much, so he isn't disappointed-
"If, by any chance, Roland has lost faith in the Temple."
"That's not it."
In a party destined to save the world, receiving divine revelations, Roland, the owner of the holy sword Durandal and the party's main tank, having doubts about the Temple could be a huge shock for Irene, a saint candidate.
...In reality, I am familiar with scenarios like this from web novels, animations, and comics, not just games.Discover n𝒆w chapt𝒆rs 𝒐n no𝒗elbi𝒏(.)com
How could I doubt something that might be a divine being that gave me a holographic screen, internet access, and even a VPN?
But I couldn't tell her about this.
If I hadn't even explained to Han Se-ah about being a transmigrator, how could I explain it to Irene?
So, I had to reassure her in another way.
"It's not a story about being disappointed in the Temple. There are many religious people like Ambrosio who risk their lives to protect others. My lack of surprise is just because so much has happened in the Tower. Monsters imitating adventurers appeared, and a dark mage even stole divine energy."
"That's true! There might have been someone impersonating a priest!"
"Oh, is that so? Well, monsters imitating adventurers did come from that swamp."
"Really, nothing that happens would be strange at this point."
Irene, her face brightening with the excuse I scraped together, smiled like a retriever receiving a treat, almost pricking my conscience.
And there, upon hearing Irene's elaborate response, Grace and Katie finished their thoughts, nodding along.
It seemed I had ended up taking care of the mental states of the group members inadvertently.
-You, stop bumbling around and listen to teacher.
-Is this a player? Is this a hero? Is this a player? Is this a hero? Is this a player? Is this a hero? Is this a player? Is this a hero?
-But what if, as Roland said, it's not a real priest but an imposter?
-A ten-year senior adventurer getting shocked by that? That would be funny.
-Honestly, anyone can mimic the smell of incense, right? LOL. In a mystery novel, if there's wine, and you say the priest must have done it, you'd get slapped.
"You, if you keep that up, I might just fix the camera on that Silbang's ass up front."
[I Want To See The Witch donated 10,000 won!]
If you put the camera on the witch instead, I'll let it slide.
[Roland's Mighty Aura Greatsword donated 50,000 won!]
I like that.
"What do you like, how far are you taking this concept?"
Leaving the leading streamer and witch behind, as we continued chatting and making our way through the jungle, suddenly a wide clearing appeared.
An open field with no dense trees with a well-kept small cabin in the center.
The large jar in front of the cabin and the black cat guarding it seemed to vigorously claim that this place was the witch's cabin.