Chapter 68: The Hero’s Bargain and the Sacred Descent

“So, here’s the deal—I’ll sell you the highest-grade holy water for just 6 gold coins! How about that?”

I almost blurted out, Didn’t you offer the same price last time in exchange for keeping it a secret? But I swallowed my words and quietly let it pass.

“Haha… I still have some left from the last time I bought it…”

It felt like I had to buy something, and it did seem reasonably priced, so I ended up purchasing three bottles. But honestly, where would an ordinary person even use holy water, especially the highest-grade kind?

The holy water I spent a hefty 12 gold coins on, a considerable amount for me, remained tucked away untouched in my bag.

“What about you, Celian Deretia? This stuff is extremely effective against demons, you know? I think it’ll come in really handy for someone like you who’s destined to become a hero.”

The hero’s mission is to defeat the Demon King.

Naturally, along the way, the hero would encounter numerous demons. In such cases, the highest-grade holy water would undoubtedly be useful.

Even so, Celian still showed no interest, not even sparing it a glance.

“Buying and selling holy water for money? Isn’t that blatant sacrilege?”

“But even Serena, the goddess, permits it…”

Celian, like me, seemed to hold a negative view of trading holy water for money.

“Hmm. Besides, once I become a hero, wouldn’t the temple provide support anyway? Why should I spend money to prepare it myself?”

“Well… that’s true, but…”

It was astonishing to see Mariel, who had been boldly selling holy water even in front of the sacred sword and the goddess, flustered by Celian’s unyielding refusal.

Celian was systematically dismantling Mariel’s arguments with impeccable logic.

“Actually, aren’t we in a position to protect the Saintess right now? Shouldn’t the Saintess herself provide us with a few bottles of the highest-grade holy water instead?”

“T-that’s… true, but…”

“You said you’re giving us a special price of 6 gold coins, but on what basis was this price determined?”

“The highest-grade holy water is something you can’t obtain even after donating dozens of gold coins…”

Mariel tried her best to counter Celian’s argument.

Unfortunately for her, Celian was a much tougher opponent than she had anticipated.

“That’s something done in the realm of donations, after all. Reducing the noble act of donation to a mere transaction is inappropriate, especially for the Saintess.”

“Ugh… t-then how about 4 gold coins per bottle as a special deal…”

Excuse me, Mariel! Didn’t you say last time that you weren’t making any profit even at 6 gold coins?

Sure, that time it came with a 2+1 offer, but still, how can you lower the price so easily?

“Even 4 gold coins seems overpriced, to be honest. Plus, I think stocking up on the highest-grade holy water is a bit excessive…”

“3… 3 gold coins… Any lower and I really won’t make a profit!”

…And now it’s down to 3 gold coins.

“From what I know, the cost of making holy water only includes the price of the bottle and the water, right? The divine power should be abundant for the Saintess anyway…”

“…2 gold coins. No lower than that.”

“Deal. I’ll take ten bottles. Since I’m buying in bulk, you’re going to throw in an extra bottle as a service, right?”

In the end, Celian managed to acquire 11 bottles of the highest-grade holy water for just 20 gold coins.

Mariel’s hands were trembling as she handed over the holy water and accepted the coins.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the three bottles of holy water stuffed in my bag.

Three bottles… 12 gold coins…

When I looked up, I made eye contact with Mariel, who was sitting across from me.

She stared at me with hollow, lifeless eyes, as if her soul had been sucked out. But soon enough, her eyes regained their usual sharpness.

“Refunds are not allowed!”

Mariel’s voice trembled with fear, as if worried I might demand a refund after witnessing Celie buy 11 bottles for 20 gold coins, far less than what I had paid.

She clung tightly to her purse, turning her body away as though I were about to rob her.

Celie, what exactly have you done to the Saintess?

When I glanced at Celie, she seemed thoroughly pleased with her purchase, happily stacking the bottles of holy water into a specially prepared carrier.

***

“So, you’re maintaining the holy barrier properly, right?”

Mariel, who had been looking at the world with distrust written all over her face, finally seemed to calm down when Celie asked her.

“Yes. Demons or demonkin won’t be able to detect our carriage at all. Don’t worry.”

The holy barrier cast around our carriage was slightly different from the barrier magic installed in Pelches.

It had no effect on non-demonic beings but could completely conceal our presence and tracks from demons.

Of course, we could strengthen the durability of the barrier if we sacrificed its stealth, but in this situation, that wasn’t necessary.

Thankfully, the holy barrier seemed to be working, as the demons hadn’t noticed us. There had been no attacks from bandits or other monsters, either.

And so, we let our guard down.

Boom!

“Kyaaah!”

A deafening crash shook the carriage violently, enough to make our bodies bounce despite the basic protective magic in place.

The shock wasn’t much of an issue for me or Celie, as we were trained, but Mariel clutched her arm in pain, having struck something during the commotion.

“Celie! El! Protect the Saintess!”

Professor Selene’s voice rang out from outside the carriage.

Pulling Mariel along, Celie and I abandoned the now-useless carriage and stepped outside.

Despite the protective magic absorbing much of the impact, the carriage was in shambles when we emerged.

It was a relief that Mariel only sustained a minor injury under such circumstances.

“P-Professor Hilfin!”

Ignoring her own pain, Mariel ran toward Professor Hilfin, clutching her injured arm.

The professor had been struck during the initial attack—there was a gaping wound in the middle of his abdomen.

While his mastery prevented immediate death, it only prolonged his agony.

“Oh, Goddess…”

Despite the pain radiating from her arm, Mariel clasped her hands together and prayed fervently. Yet, Professor Hilfin’s wound showed no signs of healing.

“Damn it. How did those demons find us here?”

Hearing Professor Selene mutter, I scanned our surroundings. A group of demonkin and a few demons had surrounded us.

“Kuhuhu… Well, well. To think the rumors were true. If I’d known, I would have brought more of my men.”

The low-level demonkin posed no significant threat. The real issue was the demons.

As long as they weren’t high-ranking demons, Celie and I could hold our own. In fact, Celie could probably take them down entirely on her own.

But the situation was far from ideal.

Aside from the demon still facing off against Professor Selene, four other demons assumed threatening stances, as though ready to charge at any moment.

Even in a standoff, this was a perilous situation, made worse by the fact that Mariel, the Saintess, was behind Celie and me.

It was uncertain how powerful her holy magic was or whether it would be sufficient to protect her from the demons.

Thus, every move we made had to prioritize Mariel’s safety.

This naturally forced us into a defensive position, leaving us even more vulnerable since we were unaware of the enemy’s capabilities.

Fortunately, the demons didn’t seem to have any immediate intention of attacking.

Perhaps Mariel’s holy energy, as she healed Professor Hilfin, was bothering them, or maybe they simply viewed us as prey already caught in their net.

“Celie! Catch this!”

As we exited the wrecked carriage, I pulled two bottles of holy water from my bag, tossing one to Celie.

She deftly sliced the bottle mid-air with her sword, coating the blade in holy water.

I quickly uncapped my bottle with my teeth and poured the holy water over my sword as well.

If the Saintess hadn’t tricked me, this should offer us some advantage.

“Keh keh… Look at them struggling.”

“Don’t be careless. One of those two women up front is a hero.”

“What does it matter? She hasn’t even awakened properly yet. Alton, your cautiousness is your weakness.”

“Well… taking out a hero candidate and a Saintess together is a rare opportunity, I’ll admit.”

The demons chattered arrogantly amongst themselves.

But we couldn’t make the first move.

“Ugh…”

“Professor!”

Despite Mariel’s healing magic, Professor Hilfin showed no improvement. He groaned in pain, suddenly grabbing Mariel’s arm and pulling her closer.

He whispered something into her ear, too quietly for us to hear.

“They’ll strike all at once. If you get the chance, aim for the Saintess first.”

Without even exchanging a signal, the demons and demonkin charged as soon as Alton finished speaking.

I managed to deflect the claws of the leading demon, but the resistance I felt through the sword, even one blessed with the finest holy water, was alarming.

Mariel didn’t stand idle either. She cast blessings on us and used her holy magic to block attacks we couldn’t manage, providing critical support.

But we were overwhelmingly outnumbered.

Each time I parried one demon’s strike, another attacked immediately after. Meanwhile, demonkin who couldn’t directly interfere in the fight crept toward Mariel, aiming to strike her.

Even with the upper hand, the demons remained cautious and methodical, never overextending.

“Damn it… I should’ve used my full power earlier…”

From behind, I heard Celie struggling as well.

We couldn’t rely on Professor Selene’s assistance, nor could we expect reinforcements.

It was an utterly disadvantageous situation.

Finally, one of the demonkin’s swords swung toward Mariel.

Clang!

“Kyaaah!”

Thankfully, Mariel managed to block the attack with a hastily conjured barrier.

However, both Celie’s and my attention instinctively turned toward her, leaving us momentarily exposed.

The remaining three demons, except for the one blocking my path, seized the opportunity to launch simultaneous attacks—claws, swords, and magic—all aimed at Celie, who was nearby.

Damn it! Both the hero and the Saintess are in danger, yet what is that so-called goddess doing?

“You useless goddess! Do something, anything!”

At that moment, as if responding to my plea, a pillar of light descended from the heavens and engulfed us in an instant.

Slowly, ever so slowly, a sword descended from the sky.

It was the sacred sword I had seen countless times, always hanging on one of the temple walls.

The demons yelled frantically from beyond the pillar of light, but their voices didn’t reach us.

In the noiseless silence, within the space filled with white light, only Celie strode forward with a steady gait toward the sacred sword, her steps echoing in the quiet.

As the sacred sword descended from the heavens, the hero descended upon this world.