Chapter Forty-Five: The Story of the Mage God (Part One)

Once again, Mayuna was summoned by the old pope for another round of ideological counseling, and Tina had gone off to discuss the day's events with the paladins. Now, the cathedral was left with only Ruby and Alicia, one person and one staff, staring at each other.

"Hello."

"So it begins, despicable human. You're trying to curry favor with me in hopes that I'll help you get close to Mayuna, aren't you? I won't fall for your tricks."

"Mayuna already lives with me."

"How dare you! What do you mean by that? Are you bragging? Bragging that you've already claimed Mayuna's body? I'll kill you!"

Alicia was so furious she darted frantically through the air, while Ruby had no idea why this magic staff held such a grudge against him. He was merely stating a fact, yet it was enough to send Alicia into a rage.

"I'm going out for a walk. Tell Mayuna I'll be back soon."

Ruby realized that no matter what he said, Alicia would only misinterpret it. Such a conversation was impossible. Leaving a final remark, he ignored Alicia's shouts and left the cathedral with practiced ease.

Earlier, he'd only wandered a small portion of the streets before being whisked away by Dragon. Now, dusk had fallen, and the streets bathed in the sun's last rays held a unique charm. Ruby stepped into a bustling little shop, paid for his drink, found an open seat, and began sipping.

"Thank you for waiting, dear patrons. Allow me, Hubba, to regale you with fascinating tales from across the Holy Continent!"

As the seats filled and the crowd settled, a man dressed in splendid attire appeared on the raised platform at the front. His clothes gleamed under the magical stones, and once he'd drawn enough attention, he began.

"So he's a storyteller."

Life in this other world was, frankly, quite dull. With underdeveloped technology, entertainment was scarce, and listening to storytellers remained a popular pastime. People gladly paid a little for engaging stories to accompany their meals.

"Hubba, hurry up! We've been waiting!"

The customers were clearly familiar with this man, their anticipation growing as he took the stage.

"Let's talk about the Church, then. Has anyone seen a bald man preaching from place to place?"

Hubba rummaged through his pockets, quickly finding a suitable topic. After channeling mana into a magical parchment, lines of text floated in the air. In a way, this amounted to gossiping about the Church, but as long as the tales didn't slander them, Church officials rarely bothered to intervene.

"You're talking about Hans? What's there to say about that bald guy?"

The audience caught on quickly; it seemed that bald chatterbox had been busy indeed.

"Well, to understand this, we must go back three years, to the wave of magical beasts. You all know the story—the continent we inhabit is far from peaceful. Each year, monsters emerge from the forests to attack humanity. The Holy Empire and neighboring Blackstone Empire bear the brunt of these invasions, and it's usually those two nations that send troops to repel them."

Playfully, Hubba pulled out a map he'd drawn himself, depicting the distribution of the four empires. The drawing was abstract, but clear enough—each empire occupying a corner of a square, with the Holy and Blackstone Empires at the top, and above them, the Forest of Beasts.

"What about the ones below?"

"If Blackstone Empire signed a peace treaty with the Holy Empire out of necessity due to the monsters, then the two empires below are always scheming to stab us in the back. The Griffon Empire and the Sea Tide Empire have long-standing conflicts with the Holy Empire, and their disputes are beyond resolution."

Hubba provided a detailed explanation about the Holy Empire’s two enemies.

"Will they attack us?"

"Strictly speaking, they'd like nothing better. But since their lands border the Endless Sea, they have to restrain themselves."

"Why is that?"

"Because there are monsters in the sea as well. The Endless Sea is vaster and more dangerous than the Forest of Beasts. At certain times, sea beasts surge from the depths to attack cities. Some say they're directed by the Sea Folk, but no one really knows for sure."

The audience booed, and Ruby understood: people here were addicted to war, but the presence of monsters forced them to focus on external threats. Perhaps, if the monsters were ever wiped out, humans would turn on each other.

"Ahem, returning to the bald man's story—whenever a monster wave strikes, countless mages rise to defend the nation, and the Church sends many priests and clerics to heal wounded mages. Hans was one of them, a humble cleric at the time. Do you know how he was promoted to cardinal?"

Hubba expertly stoked their curiosity, withholding the answer and teasing the crowd.

"No idea."

"Because when all the clergy had collapsed from exhaustion, he spent every ounce of his mana to keep one hundred and ten gravely wounded men alive until the Church’s reinforcements arrived. Many urged him to give up, but the bald man kept repeating, 'Their hearts are still beating. Why should I abandon them?'"

"In the end, most of his mana core was depleted, his hair all fell out, and he seemed to age decades in a single night. The Pope himself cast the ninth-level spell, Angel’s Salvation, to save his life and granted him an extraordinary promotion to cardinal. But from then on, he was unable to advance any further. So, if you meet that bald preacher again, please show him a little respect. This tale costs three gold coins—parentheses not to be read... Eh?"

The storyteller’s voice carried a note of sorrow, moving the audience to sadness. Suddenly, Hubba covered his mouth, and as the crowd recalled his final words, their expressions changed.

"Go to hell, Church lackey!"

The audience, just moments ago touched, began hurling snacks and fruit at the stage, which Hubba deftly dodged. He had, of course, added that line deliberately to liven up the mood—he wasn’t here to make people weep.

"Well then, as compensation, what story would you like to hear?"

"The story of the Mage God!"

The crowd answered in unison—what tale was more fascinating than that of the Mage God?

"You’re really putting me on the spot. How could a humble storyteller like myself have ever seen the Mage God in person? I know very little of her stories."

Hubba feigned difficulty, but the audience was used to his tricks. In an instant, a shower of gold coins was tossed onto the stage, landing in his hands.

"Since you’re all so enthusiastic, I can hardly refuse. Let us begin. The famed Mage God... is a woman."

The audience, after holding their breath in anticipation, heard what everyone already knew and erupted in anger. But having thrown all their food already, they began conjuring fireballs to toss instead.

"Wait, wait, don’t be angry! Isn't this a significant piece of information? Although it’s never been stated outright, male mages are generally more gifted than female mages, aren’t they? Knowing this, don’t you, the lovely ladies present, feel you have a bit more presence than the men beside you? After all, she’s the only Mage God in the world!"

At Hubba’s words, the audience quieted. The women wore proud expressions; the men, resigned.

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