Evading the Hero’s Party with Full Effort

Chapter 15

Ch.15 Why is it so cute?

In front of the campfire.

Leah picks up a worm with tweezers and brings it to Pipi’s beak.

—Pip!

The baby phoenix firmly bites down with its tiny beak and swallows the worm.

So cute… I just wish it wasn’t eating worms.

Anyone who sees the baby phoenix would think it’s adorable.

Its slightly plump body, tiny feet, and round head.

If it weren’t for its blue feathers, you’d believe it was just a chick—it’s that cute.

“But Master, how long until we reach your hometown?”

—Fluster.

Ah… now that I think about it, I did say my hometown is in the New Continent.

A careless lie told just to survive has come back like a boomerang, leaving me in an awkward spot.

What should I do?

Afraid Leah would find it strange if I stalled too long, I replied in an unconfident voice.

“Well… I thought I’d wander around a bit since it’s been so long.”

To my words, Leah obediently nodded and took another worm from the small container in her hand, tossing it to Pipi.

“So where are we going?”

I decided our first destination would be Jefferson Village.

A mining village destroyed by native attacks, where the conceptual item called ‘Levi’s Dagger’ is located.

I need to get that first.

Among players, this village is quite famous, often nicknamed ‘Ghost Town’.

Honestly, the idea of such an item existing in reality feels unsettling, but since it’ll be extremely useful against the Lord of the Dead, I need to secure it in advance.

Once I get that, I’ll properly intervene in the ‘Dragon War’ storyline.

While I was lost in thought about how to interfere with the upcoming story…

“Hey! Master, what are you spacing out about? You haven’t answered me!”

Startled by Leah’s sharp, frowning shout, I jumped.

“Ah… I was just feeling nostalgic since it’s been so long. Anyway, let’s head to Jefferson Village first.”

Saying that, I unfolded my blanket.

“Huh? What’s there?”

To Leah’s curious question, I replied,

“Ghosts.”

***

After a week-long journey, we arrived at Jefferson Village.

—Chirp chirp?

Perched atop Leah’s head, Pipi began trembling violently, as if sensing ominous energy.

“Master… are there really ghosts here?”

Originally, in the main storyline, ghosts don’t exist as mobs.

They were newly added in the DLC Dragon War.

Of course, since I’ve dealt with ghosts in the convent basement when I met Cecilia before, I don’t find them particularly scary.

But Leah, encountering the concept of ghosts for the first time, looked terrified, her face pale.

“Yeah, there really are.”

Ghosts are fundamentally overpowered due to their immunity to physical and magical attacks, but conversely, they suffer 1000% additional critical damage from divine power.

If you have a decent priest in your party, they’re not too dangerous.

We don’t have a priest, but I have the Goddess’s Wedding Ring.

This ring is also a conceptual item.

Designed to let you play at being a saint or holy maiden of a foreign faith using massive divine power, but as a conceptual item, balance is completely thrown out the window.

“Ghosts? I never saw them even when we fought the Demon King. Master, c… can we kill ghosts with magic?”

To Leah’s anxious question, I shook my head and smiled brightly.

“Ghosts aren’t affected by magic or physical attacks.”

Leah, frightened by my words, gulped.

“Th… then how do we defeat them?”

To her question, I snapped my fingers.

—Tap!

“Like this. Holy Breath.”

A bright white light radiated from both Leah and me.

Holy Breath, a light blessing spell.

It’s not an overwhelmingly powerful holy spell, but its long duration is an advantage, so I cast it on both of us.

“Now that I’ve cast holy magic on us, we can deal damage to them with attacks.”

Simply casting a basic holy spell with divine power enables us to inflict damage on ghosts.

Seeing me wield divine power, Leah stared at me with wide, rabbit-like eyes.

“M… Master, you can use holy magic too?”

In this world, knights or mages who manipulate magic cannot wield divine power.

Of course, I can’t use either magic or divine power myself, but with items, it’s simple.

But wanting to show off a bit in front of my disciple, I shrugged and said casually,

“Yeah, I’m just that amazing, aren’t I?”

At moments like this, acting like it’s no big deal looks cooler than bragging loudly about yourself.

Come on, admire me already!

Leah, already riding high after defeating the Demon King, needs occasional reminders of her master’s authority.

But instead of admiration, Leah stared at me with shocked eyes and asked,

“That’s impossible… h… how? How did you do that? Can I do it too?”

Leah, asking for specific methods.

If I told her now it was just thanks to the Goddess’s Wedding Ring, my dignity as a master would crumble.

So I replied with as relaxed an expression as possible.

“If you do enough research, you might be able to.”

Leah, stunned by my hard-to-believe answer.

She stared blankly into space, looking so dazed I had to urge her along.

“What are you doing? Let’s go.”

Walking along the path lined with long wooden fences, we soon saw the large village gate.

I read aloud the letters inscribed above it.

“Jefferson Village.”

—Gulp.

To ease Leah’s tension—she swallowed nervously—I joked,

“You defeated liches and the Demon King, but ghosts scare you?”

To my words, Leah stiffly nodded slightly.

“I’m scared. I’ve never seen a ghost in my life. Master, aren’t you scared of ghosts?”

Ghosts are troublesome to kill due to their attack and magic immunity, but they’re not impossible to defeat.

“Yeah, I’m not scared.”

They don’t even look scary like in horror movies.

If anything, their round, soft appearance is kind of cute.

I actually have experience defeating ghosts in the convent with Cecilia before.

“Alright, let’s go in.”

I took Leah’s frightened hand and led her into the village.

—Pip?

The village, filled with a chilling aura.

In the game, you couldn’t feel temperature, but here, it felt slightly chilly.

“By the way… Master, why did we come here?”

“I told you, to find a hidden artifact.”

Wooden houses.

They looked shabby, lacking even paint.

“Where is it?”

“It’s probably in the underground coal mine.”

Jefferson Village’s mine is swarming with ghosts.

I remember the setting—ghosts imprisoned within Levi’s Dagger were released.

The ghosts released from Levi’s Dagger.

To my words, Leah said with a pale face,

“The underground coal mine?”

“Yeah.”

“I suddenly don’t want to go. Master, you go alone.”

Watching Leah refuse with disgust, I suddenly thought—

If things go well, I might escape this time.

“Should I?”

“Yes! I’ll stay here.”

Seeing Leah nod eagerly, I barely suppressed a smile and said,

“Alright, I’ll go alone.”

Leaving Leah and Pipi behind, I headed toward the mine.

A large cave.

Rail tracks laid inside caught my eye.

“Light Ball.”

I cast the spell and stepped inside.

Fortunately, Jefferson Village’s mine has fewer branching paths compared to the maze where the Phoenix Egg was.

—Thud.

My footsteps echoed through the mine.

Feeling the familiar chill down my spine, I gently gripped Equality’s handle…

—Bang!

I turned around and pulled the trigger.

A ghost with a round, white face and black eyes—resembling a cat—dissolved into the air after being shot.

Ghosts can’t be harmed by physical attacks, but they can perform mental attacks, so I can’t let my guard down.

In the worst case, they might possess or take over your body.

“Holy Shield, Haste. Third Eye. Sixth Sense.”

Coating myself in divine power, I searched the coal mine.

—Bang! Bang!

I impartially sent every ghost popping up here and there to the afterlife.

—Heee… it’s so unfair.

—Give me your body!

Ignoring the occasional grotesque wraiths’ words, I kindly sent them to a better place as I advanced.

“Huh? What’s this?”

A vast space, bones rolling across the ground.

It must be that.

Black smoke began seeping from the ground as bones snapped together to form skeletons.

There seemed to be too many to handle with just Equality.

Judging by the bones scattered everywhere, there must be dozens, so I stretched my hand toward the air and chanted the activation word.

“Divine Light!”

The pure white light dispersed the surrounding dark smoke, and the bones collapsed limply onto the ground.

“Nothing special at all.”

Glaring at the powerless, scattered bones, I began searching.

I need to find Levi’s Dagger quickly.

My plan is to obtain Levi’s Dagger and escape through the natural cave connected to the mine.

This mine’s natural cave connects to the opposite side of the mountain range.

I intend to exit on the other side of the mountains.

Then Leah won’t be able to find me, right?

Leah, unaware of this, won’t easily find me.

Leah, I’m sorry, but you should go find someone else.

But on the other hand, I feel a bit regretful.

I’ll miss the phoenix.

I quickly shook my head.

Sure, I’ll lose the phoenix, but isn’t that still better than dying?

“Hehe… with this, I’ve survived!”

With a bright smile, I explored the mine.

***

Leah stood at the entrance of the ruined village, playing with the baby phoenix.

‘How can he use divine power?’

Seeing Leah lost in thought, the baby phoenix tilted its head.

—Pip?

In this world, those who wield magic cannot wield divine power.

Conversely, those chosen by the gods and granted divine power cannot wield magic.

This is an unchanging truth, as immutable as a law.

But seeing her master transcend such laws and wield divine power, Leah was greatly surprised.

‘Magic and divine power not coexisting is almost a truth.’

How does her master use both?

Leah was completely bewildered by her master’s unbelievable abilities.

Mages can overwhelm enemies with sheer firepower, but their magic for healing or supporting others is inefficient compared to divine power.

Conversely, divine power lacks killing strength but excels at supporting or healing the injured.

These two powers are inherently opposing, so it’s common sense that one cannot wield both…

But her master shattered that common sense, leaving her astonished.

Leah thought.

Her master must have conducted countless magical researches to obtain these two powers.

‘Master… you’re truly amazing.’

Lost in thought, reminiscing about the miracle she just witnessed, Leah.

The tiny bird in her hand chirped, as if demanding her attention.

—Pip?

Snapped out of her thoughts by its appearance, Leah.

The baby phoenix, seemingly fond of her hand, sat comfortably and chirped while gazing at her—so adorably tiny.

“Pfft… why is it so cute?”

Looking at the small blue-feathered bird with its round body, Leah smiled gently.

At that moment.

The baby phoenix leaped from Leah’s hand and began running somewhere.

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