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Chapter 232: The God of Hunger. Federica. (3)

The next day, Milena went outside to take care of some business.

However, she was taken aback the moment she stepped out of her family\'s main gate.

A group of people, grimy and covered in filth, blocked her path—people who, at a glance, could be mistaken for beggars.

"Head of the family," the guards hurriedly approached Milena.

"What’s going on?"

"They’ve been blocking the road since last night."

"Then tell them to move aside."

The role of the guards was to clear away obstacles.

They were supposed to chase away outsiders blocking the entrance.

"But..."

But the guards hesitated and didn’t move.

Realizing that something was amiss, Milena stepped forward.

"Who are you?"

"...I am Liltara, a priest of Lady Federica, God of Hunger."

At this answer, Milena caught her breath for a moment.

Followers of Federica had been tracking Ketal and had been blocking the entrance since last night.

This also explained why the guards hadn’t been able to respond.

Milena calmly introduced herself.

"I am Milena Akasha, head of the Akasha family. I greet the followers of the great god."

"...Milena Akasha. I know that name,"

Liltara said, narrowing her eyes.

Milena was famous.

Not only had she revived a declining family, but she also raised it to become the kingdom’s leading merchant house.

Her renown was widespread across the continent.

This was the general public’s evaluation of Milena Akasha.

However, Liltara saw her in a completely different light.

"A vile woman who filled her belly with false prosperity. I had thought of visiting you someday, but I didn’t expect the opportunity to come like this."

Milena gave a bitter smile at the hostile attitude.

The opponent was a priest of Federica, God of Hunger.

To someone like her, who values scarcity, she would be seen as a sinner who defied that principle by reviving a dying family.

Without losing her composure, Milena asked,

"What brings the priests of Lady Federica to my family?"

Liltara replied coldly,

"We have confirmed that the sinner of the prophecy has come here. Hand him over to us."

‘As expected,’ Milena thought.

They had come here tracking Ketal.

She shook her head.

"I’m sorry, but I can’t do that."

"Are you refusing the will of the god?"

"Even if the god personally commanded it, I have no reason to comply."

Milena calmly stated,

"Ketal is my benefactor. Even if the god directly issued a prophecy, abandoning my benefactor would be to reject righteousness."

Interfering with or obstructing divine prophecy could cause serious problems, but there was no need to comply blindly in cases where interests were involved.

If that were not the case, the world would be in constant turmoil under the dictates of divine prophecy.

"...How dare you,"

Liltara’s face twisted in anger.

She revealed his fury towards Milena, who refused to follow the god\'s prophecy.

Normally, she would have pushed through with force and attacked, but she barely managed to restrain herself.

This was the Kingdom of Denian, a faraway place where the power of the Federica Church did not reach.

With the kingdom itself being strong, the risk of destroying this place like other territories was too high.

Milena spoke calmly,

"Ketal said that he will go with you once he finishes his current task. I would appreciate it if you could wait until then."

Milena offered a compromise.

They did not have the power to take Ketal away forcefully.

It was reasonable to wait until Ketal could master his abilities and then take him.

There was the issue of whether Ketal would keep his word, but the proposal itself was rational.

No matter how devout a priest of the god was, if they continued to act aggressively, they could face political backlash.

Milena judged that they would likely retreat after making a reasonable compromise.

However, Milena had forgotten one crucial fact: standing before her was a priest of Federica, a fanatic who sought to impose the god’s values upon the world.

"I have no reason to listen to your words, you faithless sinner who rejects the great values," Liltara snapped.

"What? What?"

Milena stammered.

"I would love to storm in and crush you right now, but I am showing a minimum of mercy. And yet you dare to make a proposal? How arrogant. Know your place."

Milena was flustered.

She hadn’t expected such outright hostility.

The Federica Church was composed of zealots who forced the values of their god upon the world.

There was no room for compromise.

Liltara spoke harshly,

"But...acting through brute force would be barbaric. We won’t do that. If you refuse to hand over the sinner of the prophecy, our task is simple."

Clang!

Liltara drove her sword into the ground, as if to root herself in that spot.

"Here and now, we will wait until you hand over the sinner."

Literally, they would wait forever.

Without taking a single step.

Holy knights followed Liltara and surrounded the Akasha family’s building.

"No, no,"

Milena was shocked by the unexpected audacity.

She quickly summoned help from the royal castle, and soon, Maximus arrived.

"...I heard about the situation yesterday, but this has turned into a real headache,"

Maximus frowned at the sight of Federica\'s followers standing firmly.

"Maximus, is there nothing you can do?"

"I, too, would like to remove them, but I have no justification."

Divine prophecies did not have to be obeyed blindly.

Like Milena, one could refuse if there were personal connections.

However, in other cases, it was forbidden to interfere with divine prophecies.

In this world, the words of the gods held immense power.

Blocking those following such prophecies without cause could lead to serious consequences.

It was akin to extraterritoriality.

"If they were causing a disturbance in the capital, I could intervene, but as long as they’re just standing there, there’s nothing I can do."

"Then we just have to watch and do nothing?"

They were surrounding the entrance to the Akasha family home.

While coming and going was possible, the pressure was immense.

The surrounding people were whispering, wondering what was happening.

Their presence was already causing significant damage to her.

And yet, they could do nothing?

Maximus clicked his tongue.

"For now, wait. His Majesty will act soon. He is preparing to contact the Federica Church directly and take action. When that happens, they will have no choice but to retreat."

"Then until then..."

"Seems like it\'s going to be an uncomfortable time for a while."

"This can\'t be happening."

Milena muttered with a bewildered expression.

In the end, she had no choice but to back down.

She quietly approached Ketal and spoke to him.

"Um... Mr. Ketal, there\'s a problem."

"Hmm?"

Milena explained the situation to Ketal.

Upon hearing her explanation, Ketal frowned.

"How bothersome."

He got up and went outside.

Liltara was still standing there, just as before.

"The sinner of the prophecy. You\'ve shown yourself."

"Do you not consider blocking the entrance to be an obstruction?"

"As long as you don\'t follow us, we will remain here."

"And if I leave this place?"

"It doesn\'t matter."

Liltara said sharply, maintaining a firm stance that there would be no compromise.

Ketal\'s eyes darkened.

After returning, he apologized to Milena.

"It seems to be because of me. I apologize."

"No, Mr. Ketal, it\'s not your fault."

To put it bluntly, they were the ones causing trouble.

The real problem was that there was no way to deal with them.

Milena sighed.

"We still need to do what we have to do."

Although they had surrounded the entrance, they didn\'t completely block the movement of people.

While it was annoying, she could still act as she did before.

At first, it was merely bothersome without any real problems.

But after two days, issues began to arise.

The people surrounding the massive Akasha family building were soon revealed to be followers of Federica.

Rumors started spreading in the capital that the Akasha family had been targeted by the Federica church.

"What?"

Milena, who had come outside for a trade, widened her eyes in shock.

She asked again, flustered.

"You\'re giving up on the deal?"

"Yes, I\'m sorry, Milena."

"Wait a minute!"

She was currently meeting with another merchant for an artifact trade.

This deal had been in preparation for a long time, with significant capital tied up in it. I

It was a transaction that absolutely had to succeed.

But suddenly, right before the deal, the merchant was backing out!

Milena hurriedly asked.

"W-why?"

"I-I\'m sorry."

The merchant quickly fled.

Milena was left standing there in a daze.

Of course, since it was a unilateral cancellation, she would receive a penalty fee, but it was still a loss.

Most importantly, her trust had been shattered.

And that wasn\'t the only time.

Numerous other scheduled transactions were suddenly canceled or terminated for various reasons.

As she hastily gathered information, she soon discovered the truth.

"...Head of the family, rumors are spreading in the capital."

The Akasha family had been marked by the Federica church.

Anyone who maintained good relations with the Akasha family would also become a target of the Federica church.

And there had already been a precedent.

There was a noble family in a certain kingdom.

A very strong and powerful family, ranked among the top in the kingdom.

This family had once provided resources to protect a territory targeted by the Federica church.

And simultaneously, the Federica church labeled that family as heretics.

Then the Federica church acted.

In just one week, the family\'s territory was completely destroyed.

The land became so polluted and tainted that it was uninhabitable for at least ten years.

The citizens of the territory became refugees, scattered in all directions.

Although the Federica church received many words of regret for what they had done, they didn\'t care.

Dialogue was pointless with crazed fanatics.

Given such a precedent, merchants had no choice but to be cautious.

Indeed, the presence of Federica\'s followers guarding the entrance of the Akasha family made the rumors believable, and that was why deals were being canceled left and right.

This problem also affected Ketal.

"...Mr. Ketal, it seems it will take a bit longer to find a master."

"Is it difficult to find someone?"

"No, I\'ve almost found them, but... they suddenly canceled at the last minute."

Ketal frowned.

"It\'s because of those guarding the entrance, isn\'t it?"

"Yes."

Milena nodded weakly.

As long as the Federica followers were targeting the Akasha family, the outside world would refuse to engage with her.

"I\'m sorry. It seems it will take a bit more time."

"No, it\'s not your fault."

"...But still."

Milena bit her lip.

"I didn\'t expect them to approach so crudely."

She had expected them to target Ketal, but she didn\'t think it would cause major problems.

After all, this wasn\'t Federica\'s domain; it was the capital of Denian Kingdom, a place with its own considerable power.

No matter how strong the influence of a god, pressuring so blatantly was the worst strategy.

She had thought they would gradually exert pressure, intervening quietly behind the scenes.

But Liltara had taken a very blunt approach, openly pressuring the Akasha family.

While it might achieve their immediate goals, in the long run, it would cause political damage.

"They could have applied pressure more efficiently. This method is too simple. It\'ll be difficult to handle the aftermath."

The approach was so crude that she was more bewildered than angry or frustrated.

"Whatever it is, it\'s a situation that\'s becoming an obstacle for you and me."

A slight irritation was visible on Ketal\'s face.

"What a nuisance."

A short while later, Ketal met with Maximus.

Maximus muttered in annoyance from the roof of the Akasha family\'s main house.

"We\'ve been caught by some strange people."

Liltara\'s group was still guarding the entrance.

"Can\'t you do something about it?"

"They\'re a major annoyance to us as well."

Even the Denian Kingdom, which was just starting to recover from damage, found them bothersome.

"But there\'s nothing we can do."

"Even though they\'re doing this in the capital of a kingdom, you can\'t stop them?"

"Such is the power of the god\'s word."

No matter how much the church committed atrocities and obstructed, they could not intervene physically because divine revelation had been given.

If they did, they would be subjected to public criticism.

Even in the past, the Kalosia church was not interfered with until it crossed the critical point.

"Hmm."

Upon reflection, it wasn\'t unusual.

Even on Earth, groups that engaged in activities bordering on illegal often moved without much intervention for various reasons.

Moreover, in this world, where gods actually existed, their influence seemed even more powerful.

But none of this mattered to Ketal.

Maximus, noticing the chilling air around Ketal as he silently stared at Liltara, cautiously spoke up,

"If you\'re thinking of doing something to them, I wouldn\'t recommend it."

Liltara\'s group wasn’t particularly strong.

At best, they were first-rate, which was enough power by common standards, but nothing compared to Ketal.

If Ketal wished, he could erase them without a trace.

However, there was a significant problem with that choice.

"They are followers of Federica. If you harm them with force, you’ll make a real enemy of the entire church. The church will move to erase everything connected to you."

"This isn\'t just my problem alone, then."

They were obstructing Ketal.

They were causing trouble for the Akasha family.

Yet, nothing could be done.

Because that was the power of the gods in this world.

"It\'s incredibly unfair."

"Still, it\'s not like we can\'t respond at all. They\'re attacking in such an obvious and crude way. His Majesty is already working on a countermeasure. It would be best if you could hold out just a little longer."

"How long will it take?"

"About a month, if everything goes smoothly. Normally, it would take three to four months."

Ketal murmured,

"I see."

For at least a month, he wouldn\'t be able to achieve what he desired.

"It’s best to think of it as taking a few months of vacation. His Majesty is working urgently, so if you could just hold out a bit longer."

"We\'ll see."

Maximus tried to soothe Ketal, but Ketal\'s expression was ambiguous.

Despite his will, his objective was forcibly delayed.

His enjoyment was being interrupted.

Since coming to the outside world, Ketal had never once shown anger or irritation.

Everything in the outside world was enjoyable and amusing to him. Ketal\'s sole objective was always to enjoy the fantasy world.

That was all.

But now, that objective was being obstructed.

They were preventing him from obtaining the mystery.

He was starting to feel annoyed, and anger was beginning to boil up inside him.

He couldn\'t stand the irritation.

In the past, the Tower Master had asked Ketal,

"What will you do if someone obstructs you?"

Ketal had replied,

"It would be incredibly bothersome."

And now, that situation was unfolding.

How dare they.

How dare they interfere with his enjoyment.

"What a bother."

"Ugh."

At Ketal\'s cold voice, Maximus unconsciously took a step back.

Despite the weather not being cold, he felt a chill.

"...Ketal?"

Maximus swallowed hard.

Something was off.

He had been observing Ketal all this time.

Ketal\'s expression was always full of life.

He was always smiling as if the world was so full of joy that he could hardly bear it.

Maximus had always found it curious.

He wondered what Ketal found so amusing in this dull world.

But because Ketal constantly displayed positive emotions, he was easy to approach.

But not now.

Ketal\'s face was now extremely cold.

He looked as though he was bored and could not stand it.

It was the face of someone who had been imprisoned for thousands of years, finally found freedom, only to be locked up again.

Maximus had advised Ketal against responding physically because if he provoked them, the church would retaliate against him and everything connected to him.

But Maximus had made one critical mistake.

Would the church move if they were provoked?

If that was the case, then he would just have to erase the entire church.

The swelling emotion materialized, and Maximus\'s face turned white as he began to back away, stammering.

Just as that emotion was about to explode and overflow—

"No. No, that’s not it."

The emotion disappeared.

Maximus managed to catch his breath.

He looked at Ketal, bewildered.

In Ketal\'s mind, the words of the ancient dragon Ignisia came to mind.

She had told him that if any being from the surface ever obstructed him, he should think twice before acting.

It was merely a request, but since he owed her much, considering it once wasn’t difficult. Ketal gathered his thoughts.

"Well... fine. Since I don’t know their true objective, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to hold back once. Responding with violence would be too barbaric. I’ll just make sure they pay me back with equal entertainment."

His gaze, with eyes as deep as the abyss, fell on Liltara.

He muttered under his breath.

She wasn\'t the target, though, as he spoke while looking at Liltara.

He was speaking to the one controlling her.

"But if the reason you summoned me isn’t justifiable, be prepared."