I sighed, making a mental note to get myself a carriage like this one. I hadn't expected it to be this comfortable compared to the usual ride on a sturdy horse. Why didn't I think of this sooner? Oh, right, because a carriage would slow down my way of traveling.
I sighed again, adjusting my plans. While a carriage might not fit my current lifestyle, I promised myself to get one like this someday, if not better. Hopefully, in the near future.
After a smoother-than-expected 13-day ride south, we arrived in the southern though not quite southernmost part of the Kingdom of Waldow. Contrary to what one might think, our destination wasn’t the dungeon we discussed earlier, but rather the city of Ashhold.
Ashhold, much like Aartal, was a Ducal city tucked within the mountains, its massive walls blending seamlessly with the rugged landscape. As we passed through the city gate, the carriage took us straight to the local Byg'm?k temple, the largest in the city, as was evident at first glance."
The temple stood atop a series of grand steps, its architecture imposing and elegant, with arches and domes that seemed to reach for the heavens. The carriage came to a stop at the base of these steps, and Dungeon Master 07 and I disembarked. We glanced back at Dungeon Master 09, who remained inside.
"I'll get things ready for you as soon as I get the opportunity," Dungeon Master 07 declared.
Dungeon Master 09 nodded obediently. "I'll be here then."
That was the arrangement: Dungeon Master 07 and I would meet with this person we made the detour for, while Dungeon Master 09 waited here. We shared a nod before Dungeon Master 07 and I made our way up the steps toward the temple.
As we ascended, I asked, "Remind me, how come it's alright for me to tag along with you this time and not him?"
Dungeon Master 07 glanced back at me, casually answering, "Because you're...more presentable."
"Presentable, huh? And Damian isn't?" I raised an eyebrow.
He glanced at me again, this time with an amused expression. "To answer that question with a single word: Yes." He chuckled. "But the ironic thing is that had he been a High—no, he didn’t even have to, if he was just a little younger, he would have been very easily presentable."
This time, I was the one raising an eyebrow. "Don’t look at me like that. I’m an old man, a Divine Emissary traveling with two random children. That should tickle the curiosity of anyone normally built. Why would someone as highly esteemed as me be traveling with two random nobodies? The consensus they might come to is that you’re not just nobodies but special, special enough to catch my attention," Dungeon Master 07 casually explained, before continuing. "Since I’m not hiding the fact that I’m traveling with you two, I need to give people a reason they’d be content with. In your case, the reason’s self-evident; in Damian’s case, not so much."
I nodded, accepting his explanation as it was. Not that I didn’t get it from the start, I was just trying to get under his skin, which he clearly caught on to. He’s loosened up compared to how rigid he used to be, and while that’s probably a good thing, I have to admit it’s not as fun to rile him up as it used to be.
As we made our way to the inner part of the temple, which, like most temples of the faith, had an easily accessible entrance, I couldn't help but notice the difference. Last time, when I entered a temple, I walked in freely. This time, though I still entered the temple ground without issue, there was something entirely different this time. It was felt as soon as the bystanders caught sight of Dungeon Master 07 and his uniform. As we casually advanced past the curious, if not outright revering, glances, Dungeon Master 07, who seemed to have reverted to his old rigid self, remarked, "So, one last thing before we move forward: you didn’t somehow manage to unlock the Kinslayer title behind my back, did you?"
With a chuckle, followed by a shake of my head, I reassured him, "No."
"I see, that’s a relief."
It wasn’t the first time I noticed this concern in Dungeon Master 07 about me acquiring that title. The first was when I confessed to being the infamous Butcher of Auroravia, and the second time was when I wanted to go after the handlers who betrayed Dungeon Master 09. Now, I felt like I had stumbled upon the reason for his concern.
"Wait, why are you asking me that?" I asked, suddenly curious.
Kinslayer is a system title, one awarded, or perhaps cursed upon someone when they commit murder against their kin. It’s pretty self-explanatory. It’s a title, and much like other titles, it can have quite the impact on one’s status, skills, or even abilities. But they don’t show up externally. There’s no big sign telling the world that I’m a Kinslayer. The fact that Dungeon Master 07 had to confirm with me if I had it was proof of that. So for it to be a concern for him could only mean one thing.
"Does this person we’re going to meet have [Appraisal]?"
He looked at me in a way that confirmed my fear.
"Is he going to use it?"
"He is. And to be frank with you, I’d be very disappointed if he didn’t."
I let out a heavy sigh. A part of me was already considering turning around and waiting with Dungeon Master 09 in the carriage. I didn’t want to go through that discomfort.
"I know you don’t like being appraised, but bear with it, please. You can do that, right?"
"I suppose I can," I replied, realizing too late that I sounded like a grumpy teenage girl.
"That’s all I’m asking, Arianna. Leave everything to Grandpa Vittorio. Feel free not to say a single word."
So, you’re going to paint me as the shy adopted Granddaughter, huh? I thought. And then, another thought crept in: Where has all my pride as a man gone?
I knew the answer to that question, slowly washed away by my many reincarnations.
Having agreed on that, the two of us proceeded deeper into the temple, swiftly moving past the areas of worship and healing. The area we entered was no longer accessible to the common folk. It was an area easily over half the size of the temple, and it had a different feel. The corridors here were less crowded and more monotonous, with mainly shades of the same colors, just with slight variations. This area was dedicated to the residents of the temple: initiates, priests, and priestesses.
After Dungeon Master 07 requested the presence of the regional priest through one of the other priests, the latter hurried off to retrieve him. The regional priest literally ran to welcome us into his temple, trying to exchange pleasantries that I believed would have normally been entertained by Dungeon Master 07. But, upon being urged by Dungeon Master 07, without wasting a second, he led us to the room where the person we were supposed to meet awaited us.
The door opened to a room that would put Wei?'s chateau’s most opulent room, the old man’s desk room, without a doubt, to shame. There were only two colors in that room, white and gold, giving the space a radiant glow that almost felt otherworldly. The door clicked shut behind us, but I didn’t even turn around; my attention was drawn entirely to the other end of the room. There, past a parallel line of sofas, sat a lone table, arguably the only element in the room that wasn’t white or gold. But just because it wasn’t didn’t mean it wasn’t gleaming with a polished sheen that spoke of the utmost care.
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Seated behind that table was a man, one who, at the sight of us, stood up from behind his desk. Dungeon Master 07 approached, and I followed. The man circled around the desk to meet us, or rather, to meet Dungeon Master 07.
He looked exactly how a previous incarnation of mine, unfamiliar with highbreeds, would have pictured the average highbreed. He was dressed in flowing white robes, trimmed with gold, his attire elegant and impeccably tailored. A brooch, similar to the one Dungeon Master 07 wore, pinned his collar. His appearance was striking: he looked as though he was in his mid-thirties, with a well-groomed beard framing his face. His eyes were unnaturally golden, shimmering like the purest metal, and his hair was a cascade of soft, golden curls. He was tall, almost as tall as Dungeon Master 07, and had I been shorter I might have felt like a child in front of these two men. Well, "men." There was only a single man in this room, Dungeon Master 07; the other was something else entirely.
Had Dungeon Master 07 not warned me ahead of time, I might’ve stood there frowning at what my peon detector was picking up. That "man," much like the girl we encountered at the Seagull’s Nest, didn’t feel like a highbreed, a Verdenkind, or even remotely like a peon. The reason was simple: I wasn’t dealing with any of those. The figure before us, despite appearing human, was what this world called an angel.
When closing on Dungeon Master 07, the angel struck his chest with a firm fist, then knelt on one knee, greeting reverently, "Your Eminency, I am honored by your swift arrival."
Dungeon Master 07 responded in a voice I had never heard him use before, "Our beloved Seraphim blesses each step we take in service of her will. She has blessed yours just as she has blessed mine."
The angel nodded fervently as Dungeon Master 07 placed a hand on his shoulder, prompting him to stand. The man and the angel, though, since he looked like a man and was once a man, I suppose it still counted as two men, exchanged a smile that was warm, genuine, and not just for the sake of decorum.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the angel. I didn’t blame myself, it was my first time seeing one in person. Honestly, it wasn’t what I had imagined when Dungeon Master 07 mentioned we’d meet an angel. Part of me expected something more extravagant. But no, he didn’t look much different from a regular highbreed, which, for practical reasons, probably made sense. Or maybe it was just out of habit. After all, he was an angel now, but it’s not like he had always been one. As Dungeon Master 07 explained, him being an angel was a very recent development. This angel had once been and been a man most of his life.
That didn’t surprise me. Having spent thousands of years skimming through the available catalog and being able to faithfully remember its contents, I was, of course, aware of the possibility of a human becoming an angel. In fact, I was very much aware of the requirements for it to be done. And there were many of them, one of which, the very first and most essential, was that the human was a highbreed.
That’s right; highbreeds have the option to change from human to angel. In hindsight, it is this possibility that is to blame for the gap between highbreeds and Verdenkind. If you’re looking for the cause of the disparity of strength and potential between the two seemingly-similar subsection of humanity, you need look no further than the fact that one can eventually evolve into angels, much like monsters can into something else.
One of the differences that immediately sets the two aparts is that highbreeds have an additional attribute stat, one that guarantees that for each level gained, a highbreed will get an additional Attribute Point more than its Verdenkind counterpart. The experience requirement might differ, a poor attempt at balancing things out, but at the end of the day, one gets an additional AP while the other just doesn't.
It’s not hard to guess that this additional AP is clearly expected to be invested into the very additional attribute we owe it for, faith. But there’s nothing stopping you as a highbreed, from not doing that. I, for example, didn’t, at least not in my thirteen first level. I mostly allocated these extra AP’s to attributes more relevant to my class, which was Charisma, Intelligence and of course Wisdom.
With that out of the way, there’s a clear advantage to allocating points to the faith attribute. Besides its relevance to your class, accumulating at least 100 AP in faith opens the possibility of initiating an evolution, from human to angel. Of course, there are additional factors to consider, some minor, some major, but reaching 100 AP is the second requirement for this transformation, second only to being a highbreed. This requirement means that Paladins and Clerics, whose classes primarily scale with faith, are more likely to reach this milestone earlier than other classes.
As a Hexcaster, faith is a primary scaling attribute for me but it is along with two other attributes, so it definitely will take a lot of time before it'll get to have 100 APs allocated to it. But as long as I keep leveling up and allocating my points as I’ve been doing thus far, I’ll eventually reach that milestone. So, in a sense, me inspecting him as I was was like me looking at what I might one day become, an angel, or not.
Ehehe. I was self-conscious that while I was able to fulfill the first two requirements, I was falling short of the many others required to become an angel.
So, it was more accurate to say that me staring was me sizing him up, trying to gauge his strength with my own eyes. Having received a rundown from Dungeon Master 07, I knew that my current self was too weak to take on something of his level. But from the rundown I received, I also knew that as long as I made it to level 35, I should have a chance to take down something of his level.
The idea of plucking the feathers of an angel brought a concealed smile to my face, perhaps one that didn’t go as unnoticed as I’d hoped it would, since after thanking Dungeon Master 07 for making it here and exchanging pleasantries, the angel looked at me and asked, "Your Eminence, this is..."
Dungeon Master 07 turned toward me, a gentle smile on his face as he introduced, "This, Aurelian, would be Arianna."
Then, turning back to me, he added, "Arianna, this is Raphael," throwing a jesting glance at the angel before finishing, "—Divine Emissary of Byg'm?k faith."
Raphael responded with a modest smile, "Only temporarily, Your Grace."
Dungeon Master 07 chuckled, his eyes sparkling with good-natured humor. "It could be more than that if you choose to. I'm already old, you know, I can see myself stepping down for you to take that title."
Raphael's smile softened, but there was a firmness in his voice as he replied, "I know, but our vow to the Seraphim is eternal, and you still have the strength and wisdom to honor it. Until you don’t anymore, I wouldn’t dare take away anything that isn’t mine to take."
I thought to myself, suppressing a smirk.
Dungeon Master 07 smiled warmly at the angel's words, then patted him on the shoulder. In that moment, Raphael's attention shifted fully to me. He stepped forward, extending his arm for a handshake. "Miss Arianna, it is my pleasure."
"Even more so mine," I replied, reaching out to grasp his hand firmly. "I’ve heard a lot about you from Grandpa Vittorio."
He seemed slightly taken aback by the latter part of my sentence, his brows furrowing briefly in confusion, but he quickly recovered. "Oh... is that so? I’m afraid I haven’t heard anything about you," he said, casting a curious glance, if not outright inquiring, at Dungeon Master 07.
Dungeon Master 07 smiled, his tone light as he explained, "Pay no mind to it. It’s just how she and Herman call me, Herman being a boy who, along with Arianna, has been traveling with me for a while now, ever since I made it to this side of the continent."
"I see..." Raphael responded, though it was clear from his tone that he wasn’t entirely satisfied with that simple explanation. Dungeon Master 07 noticed and continued, "In case you’re wondering why I’m traveling with them, and I’m sure you are, it is because I’ve been training them."
"Training them... sir?" Raphael's voice carried a note of surprise.
"Yes, training them," Dungeon Master 07 confirmed, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "They, in a strange way, reminded me of you. But beyond that, with what I saw with my own two eyes, I believe the two of them have the potential to reach an ideal that would belong to Eminence Jason's vision."
"Her?" Raphael's tone sharpened with disbelief as he looked at me. I didn’t like the way he said it, but I kept my expression neutral, refusing to let my irritation show.
"Yes," Dungeon Master 07 replied calmly. "Why not see for yourself?"
I knew what was coming. I braced myself the moment Raphael turned his gaze back to me, not that I wasn’t already.
As soon as the notification appeared in the periphery of my vision, I felt it, his appraisal enveloping me, dragging me down a very unpleasant memory lane. I was reminded of the first time I was ever appraised and of all the times that followed, each just as unpleasant as the last. But at least, compared to the old man, Raphael had enough consideration to make it quick.
"...Level 27," he mumbled after a moment, almost to himself.
"At just 15 at that," Dungeon Master 07 added, pride evident in his voice. "She had been leveling on her own when I met her. I could not let such potential go to waste due to some inauspicious incident in her training, could I?"
"I suppose... yes," Raphael conceded, his tone more thoughtful. "Her level is high, and her skills and abilities are very…unique."
The latter part of his assessment left me a little concerned. I couldn’t tell if his reaction was a good one or a terrible one.
While I was clean in the sense that I didn’t have the loathed kinslayer title, my class, my actual titles, my skills, and abilities were far from making me look like a saint. In fact, they made me look slightly less terrible than a kinslayer. But seeing how relaxed Dungeon Master 07 was when he asked, "Convinced?" and the fact that Raphael replied with a nod, I relaxed as well.
Dungeon Master 07, satisfied with the exchange, declared, "Now then, while I would love to talk all day about this, I believe we should tackle what the two of us are here for."
"Yes, Your Eminency," Raphael agreed, his tone shifting to one of solemnity.