Chapter 348

347 A Man in Search of Identity #3

“Are you a druid?”

I asked Florre with an air of disbelief at the story she’d told me.

“What exactly does that mean?”

“There isn’t much known about them. We only know that such beings existed, much of the rest is shrouded in mystery.”

“So even you, Baron, don’t know exactly what this means, right?”

“Since it’s such an ancient existence there is little knowledge about them. According to records, they roamed the wild and untamed plains and forests, wielding the strength of beasts.”

“Hmm…”

“It’s also written that they wore the skin of animals they hunted over their heads and carried clubs made from bound thick wood. They were said to be on friendly terms with nymphs.”

An inverted-skinned, club-wielding tamer of nymphs?

Screw that, I’m not a savage warrior but a druid, it seems.

The name alone is epic; it must mean I’m insanely powerful, wielding the army of nature and spreading ultimate plagues.

“So, what exactly can druids do?”

“Well, aside from controlling beasts and having profound knowledge of nature and life, not much else is known.”

“Is that so?”

“Apparently, the only ones who continue the tradition of druids are the apostles of Goddess Ceres. Though I don’t know why you, son of Pluto, use powers similar to the apostles of Goddess Ceres.”

Flore fell silent, lost in thought. She maintained a long silence, then finally spoke as if something had come to her mind.

“Hassan, I understand you are Pluto’s son. Then, who is your mother?”

“My mother?”

“Perhaps… Perhaps it’s just my thought, but… No, it is unwise to make rash assumptions. In any case, now I understand. The only certain thing is that you cannot learn necromancy from me.”

Screw it.

I can’t use necromancy. Though I have awakened mana, it seems the seal upon me is incredibly powerful.

Yet, on the other hand, I felt relief. The forces of dark magic like necromancy have unknown limits and prices, making them devious and dangerous.

Shouldn’t a man rely not on skeleton pawns but on his own flesh?

Guys who control minions with necromancy or similar arts must be lackeys of cowardice who lack confidence in their abilities. I am an extraordinarily powerful warrior; I don’t need necromancy to wield strength.

I scrutinized the figure of the man depicted on the stone tablet. Clad in reversed leather with a club in hand, he somewhat resembled me.

This is a real man among men.

“In any case, I don’t have much to tell you for now. Soon, I’ll compile the data from ancient texts and stone tablets, and if there’s anything on druids, I’ll send it your way.”

“Then, I don’t mind. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Now, you only have the construction of the shrine left, right? Any plans?”

“For now, I plan to build it simply. I think a makeshift altar, built with stone or wood, will suffice.”

“That’s right. Even Bacchus, who was once a demigod, began with a similar structure. It’s lucky to be able to witness such an ascension of a young god.”

“That is so.”

I nodded casually.

Where I headed was the south gate of Sodomora.

The abandoned site of the goddess’s shrine.

Once, many people frequented the shrine grounds, and now, in autumn, only fallen leaves and dying weeds prevail.

“Are you there?”

At the place I had once visited, I made a casual sound. If my memory serves, I had parted ways with an odd old woman here.

I had dismissed her then as a witch suffering from dementia due to the confusion of the moment. But now, upon reflection, there were far too many suspicious points.

“Is anyone there?”

After my call, a rustling sound came from behind an ancient pillar. The sound of someone stepping on dry leaves. Soon, a pair of familiar sandals appeared.

Cheap sandals costing only a few coppers.

The lady who wore them slowly revealed herself to me.

Draped in a navy blue shawl, her appearance was regal, almost resembling a wealthy madam. She was about the same stature as me, towering with a straight waist and neck, resembling an ancient tree.

“Did you call me?”

“Um, it’s that…”

“Child, it’s been since Delphi.”

Delphi?

I tried recalling whether I had ever met this elderly lady at Delphi.

Then I remembered the peculiar human-shaped cloud that had surrounded me at the summit of Delphi.

I asked.

“Excuse me, I might not have asked then… Are you Goddess Ceres?”

“Yes. I am Ceres, the goddess of sprouting new buds, fierce sunlight, decaying leaves, and fierce cold.”

Screw it.

My vision swayed. I realized how disrespectful I had been, questioning if a goddess could suffer from dementia.

My knees tingled, my legs trembled, and I felt like collapsing onto the floor.

“So, young god Zigress, what business brought you to me?”

“Uh, just…”

Now that I’m here, I wasn’t sure how to start. From where should I begin this conversation?

I had come here on a whim, but now it felt like a rash decision. I hadn’t expected her to appear this evidently, and I wondered if it was appropriate for a deity like her to show up so casually.

So, I fidgeted quite a bit.

Apparently, my hesitation was not to her liking. The lady, or Ceres, narrowed her brow slowly, adopting a rather stern expression like an unyielding madam.

“Child, it’s best to speak directly if you have something to say.”

“Um, it’s that… I came here to inquire about my mother. There is something I would like to ask.”

“Why are you seeking information about your mother from me?”

“Um, well…”

“My dear, just speak straight. Your father may have been a man of few words, but he wasn’t a coward. Show at least half his spirit, Zigress.”

I felt a sudden clearness in mind.

With that realization, I decided to let it all out, discarding any reservation.

“Well, I wondered if you might be my grandmother.”

Finally, I said it.

I felt both ashamed and relieved after saying it.

What would happen now?

I cautiously observed the countenance of Ceres, the goddess who could potentially be my maternal grandmother. After a moment that felt like an eternity,

“…”

The unbearable silence stretched endlessly. I wished it would end soon and could do nothing else while waiting.

And when such thoughts stretched for what felt like hours,

“Indeed, your mother is my daughter. The little seed I created, the child of spring, Kore. I can feel her presence within you.”

That’s it.

I felt as if another layer of mystery about my birth had been peeled away.

I had vaguely expected this. Since my father was an unusual being, my mother likely wasn’t ordinary either.

And with that, most of the puzzles fell into place.

Nymph Doris of Honey Water and her friend, the god-like girl Kore.

She, the daughter of the goddess of seasons and harvest, Ceres, was kidnapped by a dark-haired man. Losing her, the goddess Ceres must have brought winter to this world.

The long winter thirty years ago that caused so much hardship was due to my family, and the outcome is me.

But I wondered why they lived different lives in an entirely separate world and who had called me here.

Because if all this was figured out, the dark truths entwined with my existence might reveal who I am and what kind of god I could become.

But as if reading my thoughts, Ceres spoke first:

“Most of what you seek, I too am unaware of. The fools of Hypos kept many secrets from me, and it’s still the same. However, there is one thing I can tell you.”

“What is it?”

“You’ve inherited your father’s bl**d as strongly as your mother’s. If your mother’s bl**d makes you capable of tearing beasts with your bare hands, then by faithfully killing monsters, you shall grow increasingly powerful—like a shrub rooted in good soil.”

Swoosh.

Ceres handed me something.

“Take it. This shrine is no longer of any use, so it’s fine for you to have it.”

I carefully received what Ceres handed me. It was a bead, transparent glass with a small, indistinct leaf inside.

“Child, grow. You won’t transform into dark or ominous gods of the underworld. Instead, you’ll become stronger and warmer. So, don’t trust the gods of Hypos too much—they have their reasons for showing you favor.”

“What-”

Before I could ask about the bead or the meaning of her words, raising my head to question,

I realized I was the only one left in the eerie autumn shrine.

*

In the end, I returned to the graveyard without much information about what kind of god I could become or much understanding of druids.

“Drains, little drains—”

I saw Paranoi hopping around the graves, humming a little tune.

“Paranoi, did you find the spider?”

“The fellow Ganph lit fires here and there, but it seems well-hidden…! It probably escaped.”

“What about Elpride?”

“She’s probably resting at the inn, but I told her to come if you need anything!”

“Hmm.”

“Rather than that, Hassan, what is this object you hold in your hand?”

“Oh, this?”

I showed the bead received from Goddess Ceres to Paranoi. The nymph of ditch water, Paranoi, jumped up in apparent surprise.

“Ah! This- This is the shrine’s keystone!”

“What is it?”

“This keystone is a core material installed in the altar at the center of the shrine! Having this means we can start proselytizing by just building an altar…!”

“Oh, is that so?”

“This is extremely precious!”

“I received it.”

“Wow! Extremely precious indeed…!”

Ignoring some parts of what I said, Paranoi jumped around excitedly. Then, she began stacking stones she pulled from a tombstone that had fallen on the ground, building a kind of tall tower.

“Hassan, here, here—this is a makeshift altar! Until the building is constructed, this will suffice!”

Is that real?

Standing before it, I muttered quietly, unheard by anyone,

“All hail chaos.”

Ding!

“Construction of the shrine has been confirmed.”

“Appointment of a priest has been confirmed.”

“Locked items have been unlocked.”

Thus, strange inscriptions appeared. “Locked items have been unlocked.” I moved my fingers to control the situation panels appearing before my eyes.

Ding!

“Tools Summary”

“1. Faith Status Panel of the Young and Weak God Hassan”

“2. Believer Management.”

“3. Task Store.”

“Hassan Owned Items

Number of Believers: 3

Number of Altars: 1

Number of Shrines: 1

Number of Priests: 1

Number of Blessings: 0

Overall: The young and weak god Hassan’s believers have not understood the will of the god yet. They are ready to convert to a new belief at any time.”

Believer Management?

Task Store?

With the emergence of new items, I furrowed my brow slightly. To know what these meant, there was nothing to do but check by pressing them.

Thus, I moved my fingers to touch the item labeled “2. Believer Management”. As soon as I did, a strange sound, ‘zing’, rang out, and the inscriptions before my eyes changed.

“Believer Management Item: 3 Believers.”

“1. Paranoi.”

“2. Bynas.”

“3. Antiope Keeper of Pictures.”

Swoosh, it feels a little interesting and fun. So these three are my believers. Although it’s understandable for Paranoi, the alchemist Bynas and shrine knight Antiope surprised me somewhat.

I pressed Paranoi’s item first with my finger.

“Name: Paranoi, Level 24

Status: Stunted Growth Curse》 Sugar Addiction》 Mild Tooth Decay

Faith: Low — Road to Tartarus

Prayer: Her wish is to become a lean imp of hellfire. She wants to spout fire from her mouth.”

“Wow-.”

The items previously shown by touching the wrist vein now appeared with just a simple finger movement in the air. The newly-added faith and prayer items are quite noteworthy.

I moved my finger toward the second item, Bynas the alchemist.

I hadn’t expected the woman who had once harmed Luna to become one of my believers. Had the fear I instilled in her at the end really been that effective?

“Name: Bynas, Level 17

Status: Dry Eyes》 Mild Mania

Faith: High — Road to Elysium

Prayer: Bynas is ready to do any work for the god.”

She has strong faith, and her prayer is rather concise. Swoosh, it’s surprising that she has more faith than Paranoi, making me wonder if Paranoi is unusual or if Bynas is.

Next, I decided to examine Antiope.

“Name: Antiope Keeper of Pictures, Level 39

Status: Irregular Menstruation》 Physical Fatigue》 Unfulfilled Desires

Faith: Average — Pending

Prayer: She is tired due to the excessive workload. She wishes to have less work but more money.”

Tired from work.

Although not entirely clear to me, it seems like the content of her inner worries or nightly prayers. These are what she prayed for to me.

Anyway, is that it for the Believer Management item, just a status check?

I tried manipulating it further, but there seemed to be no more changes.

As I felt slightly disappointed, it then occurred to me that there’s a newly unlocked item in the “Task Store.” If this “Task Store” means what I think it does,

You can buy different things by accumulating task points, right?

“Chaos Task Store. Level 1.”

“1. Benediction.”

“2. Curse.”

“3. Plague.”

“4. Advancement. – 3/1000”

Four categories, huh? First, I pressed the Benediction category.

“Benediction Store. Gift benedictions to your believers!”

“Single Harvest of Gold: Increased probability of finding coins along the road. 100K.”

“Mass Wealth Charm: Bestow the blessing that increases the income of all believers by 1%. – 100K.”

What’s this? Swoosh, it’s pretty ridiculous. Is 100K short for Karma points? It seems you can buy benedictions or charms by spending 100 Karma points.

Now I understand why other gods were thirsty for tasks. Through Grand Paladins and Holy Paladins, they couldn’t perform tasks and that’s why they were in such distress.

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