I Am a Villain, So What?

Chapter 211: The Pilgrim’s Goblet

[How... how in the Gods’ names do you have that?!] Elias stammered, his spectral form trembling as he stared at the Rosary of the Weeping Saintess.

I wiped a trail of blood from my chin and gave him a dry, exhausted smile.

"I just found it on the side of the road," I lied smoothly.

Without wasting another second to let him recover from the shock, I wrapped the heavy silver chain tightly around my joined palms. I dropped to one knee, pressing my hands together as if in deep prayer, and fully opened my mana circuits to the artifact.

Whoosh—!

A massive, blinding wave of golden divinity poured out of my body. It exploded outward in a perfect ring, instantly washing over the entire clearing. The sheer purity of the holy light purified the lingering hostility in the air, making the ancient trees hum in resonance.

Lucien stood his ground, breathing heavily, keeping the silver chain wrapped tightly around his bleeding knuckles. He waited for Elias’s next move, fully prepared to summon the Golems again if the old knight tried to attack.

But the attack never came.

Elias remained on his knees, his spectral form trembling as he stared at the teardrop crystal. The violent, twisting roots that had threatened to tear Lucien apart slowly retreated into the soil, completely docile.

Lucien wiped a streak of blood from his chin. "What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to attack anymore?"

Elias slowly shook his head, his lone eye filled with profound reverence.

[There is no need for that anymore,] Elias whispered, his voice echoing softly through the trees. [No ordinary mortal can touch a holy artifact of that supreme caliber, let alone draw upon its power. Unless they are truly the God’s chosen, the sheer density of that Divinity would burn their vessel to ash.]

The old knight bowed his head deeply, pressing his forehead against the mossy earth.

[Since you can manifest such pure divinity and wield the Weeping Saintess’s blessing... I have absolutely no reason to stop you. I was a blind fool.]

Lucien didn’t bother correcting the massive misunderstanding. If the old ghost wanted to believe he was a divine emissary instead of a transmigrator relying on a System cheat, that worked perfectly for him.

Lucien loosened his grip on the Rosary, letting the blinding light dim to a soft, warm glow.

"So, what happens now?" Lucien asked, holstering his combat knife. "Will you guide me to the tomb?"

Elias raised his head, a peaceful, incredibly relieved smile spreading across his weathered face.

[With pleasure, Master Lucien,] Elias said gently. He slowly pushed himself up from the ground, leaning heavily on his wooden staff. [For centuries, I was bound to this forest, guarding the holy treasure to prevent it from falling into the hands of the wicked or the corrupt.]

Elias looked around the lush, green canopy, his spectral form beginning to flicker with a soft, white light. The heavy burden of his endless watch seemed to physically lift from his shoulders.

[But since the chosen one has finally arrived to claim it, my duty is complete,] Elias continued, his voice filled with immense gratitude. [I will finally be able to pass on. I can finally rest.]

*****

Elias turned and gestured for me to follow. We walked deeper into the heart of the Sacred Forest.

As we walked, the environment completely shifted. The howling winds and bone-chilling cold of the Wilderness were entirely blocked out. It wasn’t an extravagant, glittering palace of gold and marble like the central Church’s cathedrals. It was just a quiet, serene glade.

Lush, vibrant green trees formed a natural canopy above. Soft moss carpeted the ground, and warm, golden sunlight filtered through the leaves, completely defying the frozen wasteland just a few miles away.

It was a warm, pristine sanctuary—free from monsters, free from the cold, right in the middle of hell.

In the absolute center of the glade sat a simple, unadorned stone slab.

And resting right on top of the tomb was exactly what I had come for.

I stopped a few feet away, staring at it. It was incredibly underwhelming to look at. It was just a plain, rusty metal cup. There were no jewels, no intricate engravings, and no glowing auras. If you threw it in an alleyway in the Capital, a beggar wouldn’t even bother picking it up.

But I knew exactly what it was. The Pilgrim’s Goblet.

I walked slowly toward the tomb. I didn’t just snatch it up. Despite my usual pragmatism, standing in front of the final resting place of a true saint commanded a certain level of gravity. I stopped at the edge of the stone slab, placing my hand over my chest, and bowed my head in deep, silent respect.

Elias watched me from the side, his single eye softening with deep nostalgia.

[I started as nothing but a lowly paladin,] Elias began recounting, his voice carrying the weight of centuries. [I fought, I bled, and I slowly rose through the ranks until I was ordained as a Holy Knight. It was the greatest honor of my life when I was tasked to personally safeguard the First Pilgrim.]

Elias looked up at the warm canopy, lost in his memories.

[We went on countless journeys together. We walked across the continent, spreading the God’s teachings. We healed the sick when no one else would touch them. We helped the poor when the nobles turned their backs.]

His warm smile slowly faded into a tragic, hollow expression.

[And then, one day, while we were on a voyage to the Northern peaks, the news arrived. The Holy Empire had fallen to the sudden onslaught of the Demon King.]

I listened quietly, keeping my eyes on the rusty goblet.

[Though the Demon King was eventually expelled back to the Nether Realm by the heroes of that era, the cost was absolute. The Holy Empire was shattered. The surviving remnant demons ruthlessly hunted down the remnants of our Church, because they knew our holy mana was the only thing truly lethal to them.]

Elias looked down at his spectral hands. They were beginning to flicker, glowing with a soft, warm light.

[I too was on the run for years. I fought off hundreds of corrupted beasts and demons, protecting the Pilgrim until his natural end, before finally falling in this freezing wilderness myself.]

His face looked incredibly tired. It was the exhaustion of a man who had been standing guard in the freezing dark for hundreds of years.

But as his spectral body began to break apart, turning into beautiful, golden light particles that drifted up toward the sunlit canopy, that exhaustion was replaced by absolute peace.

[Thank you, Chosen One,] Elias whispered, his form fading into the wind. [I can finally go see my family again.]

I stood alone in the quiet glade, watching the last of the golden light disappear into the canopy.

"Rest well, Sir Elias," I murmured to the empty air.

I reached out and picked up the rusty Goblet. It was cold and heavy in my hand. My main objective in Winterguard was finally complete. Now, I just had to survive the apocalyptic siege waiting for me outside.