Chương 16: The Goddess's Monastery

Using blood as a sample, Frillian cast a tracking spell, and some messy footprints gradually appeared on the ground.

The pale blue magical footprints crookedly led into the depths of the forest.

"There are two, no, there are three people."

Frillie squatted beside the footprints, looking at the messy traces, trying to deduce the circumstances of the person being tracked at the time.

"One person was badly injured, another person was supporting him, and there was another... who seemed to be an old man."

Are there any elderly people in the caravan?

When asked by Frilian, the merchant uncle shook his head decisively and pointed to the coachman, saying, "Each of the three carriages in the caravan has two people assigned to it. Apart from us, the other four in the caravan are all young people."

Upon hearing this information, Xia En remained silent for a moment.

He had no doubt about the accuracy of Frilian's magic and her extensive combat experience, so things must have changed in ways they were unaware of.

"Frilian, have there ever been demons in the southern countries that looked just like humans?" Shane asked.

Frilian shook her head.

"Thanks to the fact that the southern kingdoms are too far from the Demon King's castle, after the Demon King was defeated, there are very few great demons in this land. Only a few monsters appear sporadically."

"Furthermore, I don't think these are demon footprints. Because if they were demons, the other two wouldn't have left footprints."

Xia En nodded. Indeed, he had been too nervous and had forgotten the demon race's tradition of eating people.

Since it's not the worst-case scenario, everything is much easier to manage. There's a good chance we can find those chamber of commerce members.

"The forest is densely wooded, so those giant bird-like monsters can't fly in, but we can't rule out the possibility of ordinary wild animals. Everyone stay close and don't get separated."

Shane led the way, following the trail of magical tracking, heading deeper into the forest.

The merchant uncle and coachman, who had no fighting ability, followed in the middle, while Frillie lagged behind.

The group of four walked very slowly.

In the southern forests, there are many snakes, insects, rodents, and ants, and every now and then a dark shadow will dart past your feet.

Xia En stood in front, sword in hand, remaining extremely vigilant.

But after walking for a long time, he still couldn't see anyone. Looking at the moon gradually climbing to the treetops, Xia En began to feel strange.

After walking for a few more minutes, he raised his hand to signal everyone to stop.

"This is the fourth time we've passed by this crooked tree."

Upon hearing Shane's words, Frilian walked around the crooked tree in front of her, rested her chin on her hand, and fell into thought.

"My [Magic Detection] didn't detect any monsters around us, nor did it detect any magic circles with hallucinogenic effects, so..." Frillian paused, then continued, "Are we lost?"

"..."

Xia En rubbed his forehead.

"Is there any kind of magic that can guide you in the right direction if you get lost?"

"Magic is a world of imagination. How could someone possibly imagine the right direction when they're lost? And if they could truly imagine it, how could they be considered lost...?"

Ok.

The world of magic is truly a world that makes sense even when it's not.

After thinking it over carefully, Xia En slammed his fist together.

"Then, in this situation, there is only one solution."

He gracefully sheathed his longsword, stepped forward, cupped his hands to his mouth, and focused his energy in his dantian:

"Hey—is anyone home—"

"Is anyone there?"

"Is anyone there?!"

"Are you there--"

"Ma—" In the stillness of the night, Xia En's unrestrained voice echoed through the forest, startling countless birds.

His actions left the businessman next to him dumbfounded.

"Hey, you're going to attract... attract..."

Xia En waved his hand dismissively, "Don't be nervous."

We're stuck in the same spot, and no beasts have come to attack, which means the surrounding area is generally safe. Frilian also said there are no demons around, and with Frilian here, we don't need to be afraid even if demons come.

So he decided to gamble on his "good luck".

Sure enough, a miracle occurred: a small yellow light appeared deep in the forest.

The small point of light swayed and moved slowly toward the direction where the group of people were.

As the light approached, Xia En finally saw clearly that it was a lantern.

The lantern bearer was dressed in a monk's robe, with an old face and a somewhat hunched figure. He walked with a limp, but his overall demeanor was very composed.

Hello, travelers.

"My name is Belial, and I am a monk who practices asceticism here. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"The forest isn't safe at night. Would you like to come into my house and have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up?"

Ok?

With lines so reminiscent of déjà vu, Xia En had a strange feeling of not knowing what year it was.

Following the monk's tone, he tentatively asked, "Old man, we are looking for our lost companion. Have you seen four young men passing by?"

"Friends, what a word full of wonderful memories," the old man sighed.

"Back then, I also had many friends, until I took an arrow to the knee... Ah, let's not talk about these old stories."

"Come with me, the person you're looking for is over here."

Seeing this turn of events, Frillian blinked, then turned to look at Shane with a hint of admiration in her eyes.

So that's how to effectively solve the problem of getting lost.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The house the monks were referring to was actually a monastery.

It is very rustic and very simple.

There was no huge bronze bell, nor a statue of a goddess, only the moss on the stone wall as thick as a woolen felt. The monk pushed open the creaking wooden door and saw four young people, some standing and some sitting, resting in the courtyard.

Upon seeing this, the merchant uncle was the first to rush in.

He carefully examined the injuries of his four men, patting one and looking at another, and kept thanking them that they were all alright.

The monk looked at the few people in the courtyard with a smile on his lips and a look of compassion on his face.

Shaun was puzzled. The monastery wasn't small, and it was lit up. How come they hadn't found it after wandering around the forest for so many times?

Seemingly noticing Shaun's confusion, the monk explained:

"Because wild animals often roam the deep mountains, I set up a barrier around the monastery."

Upon hearing this, Frillie frowned and looked over, saying with some dissatisfaction, "I didn't find any trace of [barrier magic]."

The monk smiled.

"You're a magician, aren't you? This isn't just any magical barrier; it's the goddess's barrier."

"A goddess's barrier?"

"That's right. I've spent my whole life deciphering the chapter on Paradise in the Holy Scripture. A few years ago, I discovered this barrier within it. It possesses protective capabilities comparable to [Barrier Magic], and it can hide everything within the barrier from being discovered, and it cannot be sensed by [Magic Detection]."

As he spoke, he opened the "Holy Scripture" in his hands, a book that recorded the deeds and precepts of the creator goddess. Countless monks in later generations have tried to decipher its chapters and unravel the magic belonging to the goddess.

Today, the page of "The Chapter of Paradise" is filled with densely packed explanations.

The monk lovingly stroked the inscriptions, a hint of pride appearing on his aged face. His voice was devout and firm: "This is the most perfect barrier created by the Goddess."

Xia En nodded unconsciously; it was indeed perfect.

Then, he suddenly froze.

Because he saw a line of information appear on the holy book in the monk's hand: 【The Goddess's Barrier】 Type: Barrier Magic Effect: Provides a powerful protective barrier and hides everything within the barrier.

Status: Not learned