[Vol. 9] Chapter 10: Aura Farming!
Violet really didn’t know what to say.
She couldn’t possibly tell him that this reaction was most likely the artifact sensing its true source, the Reincarnation divinity inside the priestess, and resonating with it. Still, Bowen’s guess was actually very reasonable, almost one step away from the real truth. He just chose the more logical explanation instead.
After thinking for a moment, she shook her head and said,
“You guessed wrong. I’m not a chosen hero.”
“?”
The Holy Knight looked slightly stunned, as if he hadn’t expected the girl in front of him to deny it so firmly. But before he could start overthinking, Violet explained on her own.
“Actually, your teacher wasn’t wrong. There really is another chosen one here in the Courage City, one of the three ‘Dark Heroes.’ She is even inside the tavern right now. That’s why your artifact reacted, but that person is not me.”
“As for why I know so much about your artifact, there’s nothing to hide. The current Holy Pope of the Goddess Church, Edwina, maybe you’ve heard something about her. You should know that back then we traveled together for a long time as friends. When that hero selection trial happened, I actually helped in certain ways, though I didn’t openly show myself. So it’s not strange that I know these things.”
“This… so that’s how it is?”
Seeing the Hero of Mankind looking dazed and confused, the priestess didn’t blush or panic at all, because not a single word she just said was a lie.
There really was another chosen one in the capital, the Hero of Shadow, Miss Shadow. And indeed, perhaps to prevent problems, she had been secretly sent here by Lilya, though she hadn’t shown herself yet.
Every chosen hero’s mentor was personally picked by Violet and then passed along through the church, so she knew very clearly who Bowen’s “teacher” was. Her explanation was seamless, leaving no room for doubt.
Hahahaha, I really am a genius. I even managed to talk my way through this!
Still, although she didn’t want to suddenly carry the title of “hero,” these chosen heroes were technically her subordinates. Since it was rare to meet one face-to-face, she spent some time chatting with Bowen about different matters.
Among all six chosen heroes, the Hero of Mankind was probably the one with the deepest faith in the goddess, a proper role model. Back then, Violet chose him partly because she needed at least one or two serious, reliable people, and it was also a way to repay the Goddess Church for helping with the hero selection trial.
Looking at it now, Bowen really hadn’t disappointed.
He didn’t have Elunie’s extraordinary talent, nor did he hold an ability like Hongyan’s mastery of the [Void Energy]. He didn’t have Shadow’s Primordial Artifact, nor Ayla’s knowledge and unique traits as a Lightborn, and of course not the special favor and protection enjoyed by little Eudora. Other than once dying and coming back, Bowen Bernard was just an ordinary mixed-blood human with a small trace of monster blood.
For him to reach this point, the effort and sweat he put in were no less than any of the other chosen heroes. It was said that he led his team through the war zone of the lawless lands to arrive in the Human United Kingdom. Just one simple sentence, but behind it were countless brushes with life and death.
The [Saint’s Cross] is of course extremely powerful, but it cannot instantly make its holder unbeatable. As always, an artifact is important, but the true value of a chosen hero lies in the person, not in the object they hold.
For example, even Violet never expected that among the six chosen heroes, the first one to break through to the level transcendent would actually be Bowen Bernard. With him in the Human United Kingdom, it seems there’s nothing to worry about for now~
And so, after most of the morning had passed, the gathering hosted by the royal family of the Human United Kingdom finally came to an end. A new official group called the [Watchers] took its first shape. The next step was to use this as the core to unite the strength of the entire kingdom and officially fight against the invasion of the [Lord of Restraint].
As planned, the priestess also accepted Menna’s invitation to join. Although she didn’t really intend to take action herself, such an organization always needed one or two “trump cards” to keep everyone confident. These trump cards might never need to act or even show up in person, but just the proof that they exist is enough to scare off enemies and give allies endless confidence.
Bowen’s excellent performance so far made Violet very satisfied. It could be expected that in the coming days, he and Shadow, the two heroes, would surely become the main pillars supporting the kingdom against outside enemies. Together with other helpers the priestess had arranged, as long as the [Lord of Restraint] didn’t cross into their world personally, the situation should not become too dangerous.
Because many adventurers were overly excited about these so-called Saint-level adventurers, some even acting like fangirls who wanted to come over, chat, or ask for autographs, the priestess became tired of it. So, after the main part of the meeting ended, she politely refused Menna’s dinner invitation. After giving a few simple instructions, she quietly slipped out the back door with the little dragon girl.
With this matter finished, she still had another task to take care of. By now, that side should also be almost ready.
Turning out of a side alley and walking into the busy streets of the capital, Violet couldn’t help but sigh.
“Haah… this is exactly why I never wanted to become too famous. Everywhere I go, people gather around me like I’m some monkey in a show. It’s such a hassle. And really, it’s not like we did anything that amazing. How did we suddenly end up being called Saint-level adventurers?”
With her hands behind her back and a smile on her face, Xiao Guang walked slowly behind Violet, clearly in a good mood.
“Master, that’s not true. In my eyes, if even you count as someone who ‘didn’t do anything amazing,’ then nobody in this world has the right to be called a Saint-level adventurer. What you’re doing is called… what was the word again…? Oh, right! Aura farming!”
“Hey hey, what’s with you, little girl? Lately you’ve been enjoying talking back more and more. Planning to rebel against me, huh…”
Shaking her head with a helpless smile, Violet didn’t continue to argue. Her eyes swept over the crowded daytime streets, and then she suddenly asked.
“How are things going on Cielru’s side?”
The dragon girl nodded slightly.
“The first batch of support has already entered the kingdom. I heard nearly a hundred mythical beasts came, and one-third of them are at pseudo-god level or higher. Next, she will assign these forces to spread across the kingdom, trying to make sure every major city has one or two mythical beasts for protection.”
“Mm… that’s good. This time they’re really helping a lot. Otherwise, with the kingdom’s current level of high-end power, rushing to face the invaders would probably cause terrible losses.”
“Actually, that might not be the case.”