[Vol. 8] Chapter 133: A Chance Encounter Is Better Than a Planned Meeting
“W-Watch out!”
Seeing that the Lightborn girl didn’t seem able to dodge in time, Sybil stepped forward without hesitation. A holy book appeared in her hand and immediately began to glow.
“Oh Primordial Light, grant me your power of radiance and protection, Holy Barrier!!”
Although she didn’t have much real combat experience, as the daughter of the Archbishop and a high-ranking priest with four golden wings, Sybil was far from weak. With just a few short words of chanting, a strong and thick wall of light quickly formed in front of the three girls, facing the incoming attack head-on!
“Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!”
Four or five fast and powerful blasts, like missiles, slammed into the light wall. The barrier shook violently and cracks began to spread across it, looking like it might break at any moment. But in the end, the priest girl gritted her teeth and managed to block them all.
Even Violet was a bit surprised by how strong the defense was.
Based on Sybil’s previous poor performances in battle, Violet had thought she would be a useless beginner. But now, seeing her skill with holy magic, it turned out she was actually quite capable. Whether it was her casting speed or the strength of her spells, her overall ability was already much better than Edwina the first time they met.
And Sybil was even younger than Edwina had been at that time, and she didn’t have the blessing of the [Kiss of Light] skill or [God's Blood]. Talented at such a young age. No wonder she was chosen to take part in the Goddess Church’s hero trial.
That said, if someone strong enough to kill a priest of her level in one strike had attacked her, it showed how dangerous that person really was.
While Sybil was busy defending, the flying shuttle had already rushed toward them. A figure wearing a straw raincoat and a wide-brimmed hat jumped out of it and quickly came forward. But when he suddenly saw two people standing in his way, he paused and shouted urgently.
“You two, get away from her! That person is not real, she’s a fake creature that attacks and kills trial participants!”
“Huh?”
Sybil, who had been glaring at him, tilted her head in confusion. She glanced at the priest girl beside her, then looked at the Lightborn girl who had just arrived and also seemed a bit helpless. Even so, she didn’t lower her guard toward the man.
“What fake creature? You’re the one who attacked just now! In the name of the Goddess, as long as I, Sybil Roland, am here, I won’t let you hurt anyone else!”
Violet didn’t comment on the priest girl’s overly righteous outburst. She just quietly rolled her eyes, then turned to look at the Lightborn girl.
“Ayla, what’s going on?”
Snapping out of her shock at seeing the priest here, Ayla, the scholar girl who had been chased all this time, shook her head with a bitter smile.
“Honestly, I must be the unluckiest person lately. Weird things just keep happening to me... Miss Violet, I swear I was just exploring this trial space alone. Then suddenly the whole place changed into this strange version of itself…”
“After that, this guy and his friends flew in from a distance. He angrily shouted that I was the murderer and started attacking me. I had no choice but to fight back and ask what was going on, but he was so sure I was some kind of fake creature. Every move he made was aimed to kill, he didn’t hold back at all.”
“I had no other choice. I had to fight while running, hoping I could find a chance to lose them and figure out the truth later. That’s how I ended up here… and ran into you.”
“Still pretending?! Don’t believe her, you two! I was fooled by her fake acting before, and that’s how one of my teammates got ambushed. But now that I, Mr. Ferryman, am here, I won’t let this evil spirit hurt anyone else!”
The middle-aged man in a straw raincoat and wide-brimmed hat was about to move forward again with his staff. Seeing this, both Ayla and Sybil quickly took a defensive stance, ready for action. But the priest girl, who couldn’t stand it anymore, finally sighed and stepped in between them.
“Alright, alright. You’re usually pretty calm, aren’t you? So why did a few illusions mess you up this badly? Honestly, you lost your cool. In that sense, you're not as steady as the Dead Soul.”
“…Dead Soul?”
Hearing the priest mention a name that outsiders weren’t supposed to know, Mr. Ferryman froze for a moment and turned to look at her in surprise.
“How do you know that name…? Wait… You… who are you?”
It was only now that he turned some of his attention away from Ayla and looked properly at the two girls who had just arrived. When he saw the beautiful black-haired girl, her face seemed familiar. He raised his eyebrows slightly as if he suddenly remembered something.
“That face… and that outfit… Oh! You’re that Miss Violet who appeared beside Princess Menna in Demon Suppression City, right? The legendary adventurer known as the [Priest], and also the newest honorary professor of Sainz, the Academy City. I can’t believe you also came to take part in the Hero Trial! But I don’t remember seeing you before…”
“Wha— What!? Now I remember too! No wonder your name sounded so familiar! You’re that famous [Priest], the ‘Saint of Travel,’ Miss Violet!?”
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!! You’re even cooler and cuter than I imagined! I can’t believe someone so amazing is standing right in front of me… and you even healed me personally… ehehe, I could die happy right now…”
Violet’s eye twitched slightly, but she tried to ignore the overly excited young priest behind her, who had somehow decided to give her a nickname she had never heard before. Forcing the conversation back on track, she said:
“Ahem… I was starting to think I was completely forgettable, seeing how you, the top expert from the [Reaper's Scythe] squad, didn’t even recognize me. Long time no see, Mr. Ferryman. I’ll get straight to the point, this scholar named Ayla Light is someone I know personally. I can tell she’s the real one, and there’s no way she would attack your team. I’m afraid this time you’ve got the wrong person.”
Violet’s words clearly carried far more weight than anything Ayla or the younger priest could have said. Hearing this, Mr. Ferryman’s expression visibly turned unsure. He glanced at Ayla’s innocent face a few times, but still spoke in a serious tone:
“Miss Violet, your strength has been recognized by Princess Menna, the Adventurer’s Guild, and the Academy City of Sainz. We’ve even witnessed some of your amazing powers ourselves. So normally, I would never question your judgment.”
“However, one of our team members was hurt in a surprise attack by that fake. Their condition is still unknown. So even if there’s just a chance, I can’t let it go lightly. Otherwise, how could I ever face my captain or my teacher?”