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Chapter 120: Priests of the God of Lies and Deception (5)

The Kalosia Church had its own rituals.

No, it wasn’t just the Kalosia Church; every church had its own rituals.

With hundreds of years of history, this was naturally expected.

But no one observed them.

For instance, even Naplas did not follow the rituals when meeting with Barbosa and Milena.

The reason was simple.

Except for members within the church, no one knew the rituals.

There were numerous churches.

Unless it was a large church like the Sun God or Earth Goddess, it was extremely rare to know the rituals of a small church.

Yet now, Ketal was perfectly observing the rituals of Kalosia.

Even after taking his seat, Naplas couldn’t hide his agitation.

He stammered as he asked.

“How do you know the rituals of Lord Kalosia…?”

“I heard from Heize before. It seems I remembered correctly.”

Ketal smiled contentedly.

Naplas’s eyes widened.

He must have heard about it back in the Barkan territory.

Despite the long passage of time, he remembered the rituals he heard back then?

“I don’t serve a god.”

Ketal spoke softly.

“But that doesn’t mean there’s no reason to observe the rituals. You serve Kalosia. When dealing with such a person, it’s only proper to show respect.”

“……”

Naplas’s face filled with emotion.

To show respect.

What a wonderful mindset.

It was hard to believe such words were coming from a barbarian.

His affection for Ketal increased rapidly.

As he looked warmly at Ketal, Naplas suddenly snapped back to reality.

‘No.’

He was here to assess this man named Ketal.

If he felt goodwill too early, he wouldn’t be able to judge him objectively.

Naplas cleared his throat, trying to collect himself.

“…I’ve heard about you from Heize. You cleared a dungeon together in the Barkan territory.”

“That’s right.”

Ketal had completed a few missions with Heize.

Even after that, they occasionally met for meals.

In other words, they had that level of connection.

They might greet each other warmly and form a party again if they met elsewhere, but it wasn’t a relationship where they would risk their lives in a battle against evil.

“Why did you say you’d help us?”

Naplas asked with a puzzled expression.

“We are a small, insignificant church. We cannot provide you with rewards commensurate with your help. You will be fighting with nothing to gain, risking only your life.”

He spoke the harsh reality.

Naplas narrowed his eyes, trying to read Ketal’s mind.

“Hmm.”

But Ketal didn’t have any particular thoughts.

‘I just want to see the holy site of the god.’

But he couldn’t say that.

Ketal spoke appropriately.

“As you said, Heize and I are not that close. But we were comrades once. And I consider her a friend.”

“…Is that all?”

“Isn’t it natural to help a friend in danger?”

Ketal tilted his head.

That wasn’t exactly a lie; it was Ketal’s true feeling.

Naplas asked in a trembling voice.

“You will gain nothing but verbal thanks. She is a friend you’ve only known for a few days, yet you would do this without any reward?”

Ketal answered simply.

“That’s what a friend is. What more meaning do you need to find?”

‘I wanted to say something like this too.’

Ketal felt very pleased.

He suppressed the smile that was trying to emerge.

And Naplas was deeply moved.

‘A friend.’

The bond between people.

Even if one’s life was at risk, one would move for a friend.

Some might call such a person foolish and stupid.

But Naplas served a god.

He himself was foolish and stupid, so Ketal’s answer deeply resonated with him.

His affection rose again.

‘No. No.’

Naplas desperately suppressed his feelings.

He looked at Ketal with as cold a gaze as possible.

That answer could also be a lie.

He needed to figure out what mask he was wearing.

Naplas narrowed his eyes.

“But to be honest, I can’t believe it.”

Naplas pointed at Ketal with his finger.

“You are a barbarian.”

Barbarians revered strength.

“You deny the gods we serve and despise us. How can someone like you become Heize’s friend and come to our holy site, risking your life to help us?”

Naplas spoke with suspicion.

“I can’t believe it. Above all, we serve the god of lies and Deception, Lord Kalosia.”

Lies and Deception were among the things barbarians hated most.

Some socialized barbarians accepted the existence of gods, but even they couldn’t hide their contempt for Kalosia.

Naplas prayed silently.

‘Lord Kalosia. Prepare your servant of lies and Deception here.’

Divine power gathered within Naplas, soon forming a small bell.

This was the power of Kalosia.

If anyone present attempted to deceive others with lies and Deception, the bell would ring to alert him.

This power could only activate when someone was present and required preparation time due to its high level of potency.

Naplas quietly waited for Ketal’s response.

Then Ketal opened his mouth.

“Can serving someone be a cause for contempt and persecution?”

The completely unexpected words caused Naplas to hesitate.

“…What?”

“Do your followers cause significant trouble?”

“N-No, they don’t.”

In the past, followers of Kalosia had caused many problems.

But that was no longer the case, as the church had changed its direction.

“Then what’s the problem?”

Ketal asked in a puzzled tone.

“Serving someone shouldn’t be a cause for contempt and persecution.”

Ketal was a modern man.

He had lived in South Korea, considered a developed country, and received a standard education there.

He had learned that discriminating against someone for serving a deity was problematic, and he believed this himself.

To him, this was a given.

“Even if a priest of Kalosia causes a problem, it’s an individual issue, not a collective one.”

“No, that’s not…”

But Naplas was bewildered by Ketal’s response.

This world was akin to the Middle Ages on Earth.

Serving someone could itself be a reason for discrimination.

There was a real social hierarchy.

Discrimination against others was common, and there was no awareness that it was wrong.

Moreover, unlike Earth, this world had other races like elves and dwarves.

With different races interacting and living together, discrimination naturally arose.

In this world, discrimination wasn’t seen as an issue.

Very few saints did not discriminate.

“You…you don’t discriminate against us?”

Naplas was so flustered that even his manner of speaking changed.

Ketal calmly replied.

“If I had, I wouldn’t have become friends with Heize in the first place. To me, Heize is just Heize. What you worship and follow is of no importance to me.”

“……”

The bell did not ring.

This meant that all of Ketal’s words were true.

Naplas looked at Ketal with stunned eyes.

Emotions began to form in those eyes.

Naplas was very old.

He had lived as a priest of Kalosia since his youth and, recognized for his experience and achievements, had risen to the position of elder.

And with all that experience, he had faced much discrimination and persecution.

Scornful gazes were always present, and there were numerous attempts to exclude him.

Even when he helped and gave to others, there were countless times when people rejected and pushed him away simply because he was a priest of Kalosia.

To Naplas, people’s discrimination was a given.

It had hurt him at first, but there had been so many incidents that his heart became worn and numb, no longer feeling any reaction.

But Ketal’s words struck a chord in Naplas’s worn heart.

For a moment, tears welled up in Naplas’s eyes.

His face began to show unmistakable emotion.

* * *

“Hmm…”

In her room, Heize sat on her bed with a worried expression, her legs moving restlessly as if to reveal her unease.

“Has the conversation ended by now?”

Naplas and Ketal were meeting and talking.

It was about time for their discussion to be over.

Heize had a mixed expression.

‘I wonder how it went.’

To be honest, it was fifty-fifty.

Naplas might take a liking to Ketal.

Ketal hadn’t done anything particularly problematic in his actions.

If Naplas accepted Ketal, Heize would also accept him without any objections.

‘Maybe I’m overthinking things.’

Naplas would test Ketal.

If he passed that without any issues, it was likely that Heize had misunderstood Ketal.

Due to the intense incident of conflict between an inquisitor and a demon, she might have formed a wrong impression.

Heize steadied her mind.

The door opened. Naplas entered.

“How did it go?”

Heize asked Naplas.

Naplas spoke in an exceedingly excited voice.

“He’s a saint.”

“…What?”

“A person like him exists in this world. His barbarian appearance is just a disguise. Is the great one hiding his true form to observe the world?”

“Wh-What?”

Heize was flustered.

Something seemed off about his reaction.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, maybe I’m thinking too much. But even so, he’s an incredible person. To have such a mindset and thoughts as a barbarian. Is that really possible?”

Naplas couldn’t hide his excitement as he spoke.

His demeanor made Heize extremely uneasy.

“Na-Naplas?”

She had expected him to feel some goodwill.

Ketal had accepted her without any resistance.

Having faced discrimination for a long time, Naplas would likely appreciate that attitude.

But this was too much.

This seemed like brainwashing.

Heize’s face turned pale.

“Naplas, what’s wrong? Snap out of it.”

“I’m more in my right mind than ever.”

Naplas sat on the bed, rubbing his chin with an excited expression.

“He’s extraordinary. To have such a mindset despite being born a barbarian and likely facing much discrimination and scorn. It truly feels like he might be a saint.”

“Naplas! Get a grip!”

Heize screamed.

Naplas’s behavior was frightening her.

Naplas laughed heartily.

“I’m more clear-headed now than ever. He didn’t seem to harbor any prejudice against us. Hmm…”

Naplas pondered for a moment before his eyes gleamed.

“…We should consider bringing him into our church.”

Heize’s face went white.