Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 196

[Vol. 5] Chapter 196: Tiny Gears

Although they were scared half to death, fortunately, due to the timely response of some powerful individuals, Xavier and his party, who were relatively far from the St. Bergen Mountains, did not suffer any substantial harm.

Many members of the caravan, including many locals, were discussing among themselves, speculating about what the blood-red sky truly was, as well as the dragon figure that later appeared in the sky and whether the magnificent golden miracle beyond mortal imagination was indeed the power of the goddess.

However, only Xavier, when confronted by that overwhelming light, felt a mighty divine power that healed all of his negative conditions, including his hidden ailments and fatigue, at that moment…

For some reason, a petite girl with black hair and blue eyes, dressed in a plain white robe, suddenly surfaced in his mind. He was stunned for a long while until Sasha called out to him from the side, bringing him back to reality.

If she were here… she definitely wouldn’t stand by and watch, he thought to himself.

Xavier was well aware that the noble and mysterious girl named Violet was the kind of person who would puff her cheeks in annoyance at the trouble but still extend a helping hand to those in need, quietly departing after offering assistance. It reminded him of his first meeting with the two girls and the situation that later unfolded in Bavo Town.

After a brief rest and regrouping, Xavier’s merchant caravan followed the expeditionary support forces as planned and safely passed through the St. Bergen Mountains, which had once witnessed great battles, entering the eastern part of the Holy Empire.

The destination of this caravan’s transport was somewhere on the border of the Fulan province, where it was said that the Cecilia family had established a hidden base.

Although Xavier wasn’t quite sure what the situation there was like, the cargo being transported as part of an important partnership primarily consisted of food, medicine, and some daily necessities. So this transaction naturally needed to be completed with utmost effort.

Xavier never imagined that the turbulent events within the Holy Empire had escalated to such an urgent degree.

Setting aside the inexplicably damaged roads and the harrowing escape from the St. Bergen Mountains, the real headache for him was only just beginning to reveal itself.

At the border, in the Sarnos province adjacent to the Fulan province, the demons were likely up to something again.

Although the official notice from the Holy Empire had yet to be issued, the frequent movements of the Knight Templars and the substantial increase in alert levels observed in the cities over the past couple of days had already raised some red flags in Xavier’s keen senses.

And now, this morning, while the caravan was hastily making its way towards its destination within the Fulan province, it encountered the first batch of refugees fleeing from the frontlines. From them, Xavier confirmed the unsettling truth that had been nagging at him.

The Angel City, the border stronghold of the Fulan province, which was said to be impregnable, had been breached.

The demon army had stormed the walls and surged into the Angel City, which housed over three million inhabitants, engaging in fierce urban warfare with the Knight Templars defending the city. This group of refugees had escaped in a panic, guided by the church.

Though several days had passed since that battle, when they fled through the western gate, there were still tens of thousands of Knight Templars resisting within the city. However, with the city walls and defenses broken, it was likely…

Upon hearing this news, Xavier’s heart sank.

Because the destination of their caravan, a small town just a few dozen kilometers from the Angel City, had likely already become an occupied area by the demons.

Just as he returned to the carriage after gathering intelligence from the refugees, Sasha, the captain of the guards, couldn’t help but vent her frustrations.

“What’s going on, boss? This isn’t a joke!”

Usually, this lively girl, who had previously been an adventurer and, despite her youth, had passed the Obsidian Steel-level assessment and had come to participate in the guard recruitment for some unknown reason, would call Xavier “President” or “Uncle.”

Whenever she seriously addressed him as “boss,” it signified that Sasha recognized the importance of the upcoming decision and was no longer approaching Xavier as an individual, but rather as the captain of the Xavier Merchant Guild’s guard team.

In fact, although she still appeared somewhat playful, Xavier had come to understand through their interactions over the years that she was now quite serious.

Gently stroking the jade ring on his finger, Xavier pondered for a moment. When he noticed Sasha’s meaningful gaze, he simply shook his head.

“We have to go.”

“…Huh.”

Letting out a soft sigh, Sasha seemed unsurprised as she looked up at the merchant sitting across from her in the carriage.

“Are you serious? Uncle, those are demons we’re talking about. Demons that kill without blinking! There’s still a chance we could cross paths and end up fighting.”

“Ordinary demon might be manageable, but if we encounter a powerful high-level demon or an entire demon army… our guard team of just a few dozen people would be insufficient to deal with them.”

Xavier sighed again, nodding in agreement.

“Yeah, I think so too. So, we can only be as careful as possible and act according to the situation. I’ve heard that demons rarely engage in outright massacres after occupying an area. They mainly focus on control. If we understand them as warlords opposing the Holy Empire, then as a neutral caravan, we might still manage to come out unscathed.”

“Neutral? We’re delivering supplies to Cecilia family! …But seriously, President, you’re usually so timid, so why are you suddenly so resolute this time?”

“…There’s no choice. As a merchant, credibility is the most important thing. Delaying for a bit isn’t a big deal, but if we fail to deliver the order itself, how can our Merchant Guild continue to cooperate with the Cecilia family in the future? They are our major benefactor, after all~”

“Eh…?”

There was no doubt that this was a lie.

Sasha, who knew her boss well, could see through it at a glance.

Perhaps what Xavier said was indeed one of the important reasons, but something else was driving him to continue moving forward despite the risk of total annihilation.

After all, the Cecilia family wasn’t unreasonable or overly aggressive. Given the current situation, even if the caravan canceled the order, they would have ample justification for doing so. At most, they would incur a penalty fee, but there would certainly be opportunities for future collaboration.

To put it another way, even if they truly offended those divine family, the Xavier Merchant Guild had already rebuilt itself and had other partners in the country. Losing some profits was surely better than having all one hundred or so people being swallowed by demons, right?

Such a simple cost-benefit analysis was something the president couldn’t possibly overlook, so he must have had other considerations.

But it seemed he wasn’t planning to voice them.

However, that was fine. Sasha had long wanted to see for herself what those so-called demons, which the people of the Holy Empire spoke of with fear, were really like. Her teacher had personally taught her that true life-and-death combat could often maximize a person’s potential and lead to tremendous progress!

“By the way, many of those refugees who escaped earlier seemed to be coughing. Is it because the recent temperature changes have caused colds?”

“Who knows? Maybe.”