Chapter 384: Serve Me (8K Bonus 211 212)

"I plan to summon a batch of spirits, and have them temporarily satisfy Elda's labor needs."

Before the few high-ranking members currently in the Elda Territory, the wise Lord Herbert proposed his grand idea — we need more spirits!

"Let those spirits assist the gray dwarf architects and help build more temporary strongholds."

Having a group of powerful spirits serve as labor is naturally a stopgap measure that treats the symptom rather than the cause — a bit too extravagant.

The Elda Territory needs continuous construction, and the number of spirits is limited; it's impossible to devote all their energy to this.

The construction of Elda Town, the Elda City-State, and even the future Elda Kingdom — relying on spirits alone is far from enough.

For now, this is only a transitional phase; sooner or later, a batch of real residents will need to be absorbed.

But even so, as long as the needs can be met in the short term and the most difficult first step can be weathered, that is already enough.

"What do you all think?"

The three people present, after listening to Herbert's explanation, exchanged glances and fell silent for a moment.

"……"

The mushroom merchant squinted her eyes, silently sizing Herbert up and down, secretly speculating within.

Summon spirits?

Strictly speaking, holy knights do indeed possess a certain summoning ability.

But generally speaking, spirits do not fall within the scope of what holy knights summon.

Those radiant, righteous beings are better at summoning celestial creatures like pegasi; only the most righteous heroic souls might possibly answer their call.

This is not an ability a holy knight should possess.

It is priests who have the ability to have spirits grant them power, or to command them — and this power does not originate from themselves, but from the gods they serve.

Relying on the gods' grace, priests can borrow the tiger's might to command spirits and make them serve their own purposes.

Is this taking a shortcut? It certainly counts as one.

By virtue of the gods' grace and bounty, a priest can easily summon spirits of the same rank as themselves to serve as hired muscle.

If one is willing to pay a price (offering one's soul after death to the god, lending one's body for the spirit to use, etc.), summoning a powerful spirit one rank higher is not impossible!

Miss Mise does not doubt that Herbert has some special ability to summon spirits.

A powerhouse like Herbert would never shoot without aim; since he says so, he must have his own confidence and assurance.

Perhaps he possesses a special blessing, perhaps he was born with abilities beyond ordinary people.

None of that matters.

What matters is, just how far can he actually go?

As for exactly how many spirits Herbert can summon, she still harbors some doubt.

Under normal circumstances, a spell to summon otherworldly creatures summons at most about ten or so at a time, and that is only at the cost of a heavy price.

In most cases, only one or two can be summoned.

She tried to think generously on Herbert's behalf — gifted beyond compare, with several times others' spiritual power… twenty!

Stretching it further, then thirty!

But even if thirty spirits could be summoned, what meaning do those short-lived fellows have?

Summoned spirits will eventually return to the divine realm; they cannot stay here for long.

Surely one can't go to the trouble of summoning every single time something needs to be built?

Operating that way would really be too much trouble, wouldn't it?

That's too unreasonable.

Miss Mise does not think Herbert is such a foolish fellow.

And since it's unreasonable, there must be some other explanation.

After pondering for a while, she finally set her gaze back on him.

"Mm, he probably has some other confidence on him."

In fact, it wasn't only Miss Mise who was speculating like this — Joanna beside her was also frowning tightly at this moment, silently nodding.

Regarding Herbert's words, Joanna actually expressed doubt at first.

She herself was a priest, and a priest greatly beloved by the gods; even she could not summon large numbers of spirits to labor for her, and she did not think Herbert, a holy knight, would be qualified to do so.

Rather, the very fact that Herbert could long-term command a legendary-rank centaur spirit was already puzzling to her.

After racking her brains without finding an answer, she could only attribute the situation to the god who stood behind Herbert and cooperated with her own goddess, directing all of this.

"……"

But before voicing her doubts, Joanna also recalled Herbert's previous performance, as well as the terrifying giant dragon he had summoned…

She had never seen an epic dragon before, but based on the materials she had seen, epic dragons absolutely did not have such exaggerated proportions.

Surely that wasn't a saint-rank dragon?

After agonizing for quite a while, she finally decided it probably wasn't that exaggerated.

It was probably just a special individual with an unusually large build.

Maybe one of those legendary unique specimens, for all we know!

In any case, to show her respect for Herbert, Joanna obediently shut her mouth and kept silent.

She felt it was better not to speak out of turn.

After all, the goddess once said that timely silence is more precious than gold!

The goddess also said that choosing to trust others is a virtue worthy of praise!

The goddess also said… when encountering a situation one cannot resist, one must never act rashly.

Mm… ahem.

This isn't cowardice — it's simply following the goddess's teachings.

Yes, exactly like that!

Mise and Joanna, for various reasons, chose to remain silent; their gazes settled on the only person present who might speak.

Sophieya, go ahead!

Stop being silent; you can speak now.

It's time for you to speak.

It's your turn to shine!

Yet, faced with the eyes of all, Sophieya lowered her head in silence, lips pressed together, lost in thought.

"…"

Herbert paid no mind to the other two's feigned ignorance; he had never expected them to offer any profound insight.

He raised an eyebrow, gazing at the silent centaur spirit, and asked softly: "Sophieya, what are you thinking?"

Herbert asked, but the centaur spirit remained silent, her lips pressed even tighter.

Hm?

Herbert, observing her strange behavior, frowned slightly, clasped his hands behind his back, and said calmly: "Raise your head. Answer my question."

A plain tone, not harsh in delivery.

Yet this gentle whisper caused Mise and Joanna to shudder simultaneously, realizing something was wrong.

!!!

This was not a request—it was an order.

"…"

Upon hearing the order, the centaur spirit stiffened, sensing Herbert's displeasure.

Even so, she remained silent for a long while before slowly lifting her head to look at Herbert.

"My Lord, I…"

She was about to explain, but suddenly fell silent, glancing instead at the two others watching like spectators.

"Forgive me, Your Graces—could you temporarily leave this space to me?"

The two immediately felt as if released from a burden, nodding with perfect tact.

"Mm."

"Understood."

They turned and left at once, leaving the space to Herbert and the others.

Even their footsteps carried a hint of relief.

For some reason, Herbert felt different this time.

He felt far stronger than before, his pressure upon them far greater than in the past.

To Mise, Herbert had merely revealed more of his true strength, no longer pretending to be merely a high-rank paladin.

Though still playing the role of the underestimated one, at least he was no longer overacting.

To Joanna, however, Herbert had undergone a tremendous leap—from high rank to legendary.

Unlike Mise, who automatically hyped him up in her mind, Joanna knew Herbert's true age, his identity and history.

To ascend to legendary status at such a young age, in such a short time… it was sheer madness.

Could an ordinary genius achieve this?

Could ordinary fortune achieve this?

No!

There had been legendary figures in this world at Herbert's age—or even younger.

Some divinely blessed children possessed the power to tear apart beasts the moment they were born.

But all of them had displayed astonishing talent from birth.

To rise from nothing to this level halfway through life… there was only one possibility in this world.

Divine grace.

Only the favor of a god could make such a miracle possible.

Herbert's rise from an ordinary mortal with no power at all to legendary status, within such a short span and at this age—his very existence was a divine miracle!

Herbert was, in essence, the embodiment of his patron god's might.

This world had never been fair.

Fate's gifts were never rational.

Many sects studied fate, especially after the downfall of the Goddess of Fate and the birth of the Goddess of Fortune—these sects did not fully submit to the new goddess.

Most chose to break away from the Fate Church, becoming secretive cult organizations.

Among these cults was one called "All Is Fated," which held one belief: "Every being's fate is decided from the start; they cannot change it themselves."

They believed all things had their destined course.

They believed a being's fate was fixed the instant its soul broke free from the chaos sea's constraints—all "futures" were already set facts.

To alter a predestined fate, there was only one method—divinity.

They believed gods were the freest beings in this world!

They believed the gods were variables beyond the river of fate.

Whether watched by a god, interfered with by a god, or even favored by a god… no matter the method or process, if a mortal's fate became entangled with the uncertainty of divinity, it could be altered.

Yes, this sect that believed all was fated most loved to defy heaven and rewrite fate.

Yet perhaps due to a twisted mind, their methods of changing fate were… unusual.

They still upheld the ancient worship of the Goddess of Fate and refused to convert to any other faith.

They always seek shortcuts to place themselves in the sight of the gods.

For this reason, this sect frequently engages in bizarre acts that confuse even the gods.

For example, slaughtering all the believers in a city just to provoke the anger of the deity they worship.

Or loudly declaring their intention to offer vast wealth to the Goddess of Wealth… then, after the church accepts it, colluding with dragon bandits to steal it back, only to offer it again—and steal it again.

For instance, there was a figure of immense weight.

Once, a member of the Doctrine of All Things Determined did not rush for quick gains like others, but spent years disguising himself as a famous courtesan.

Like a devout follower of the God of Love, he spent his days mingling in noble ballrooms, having affairs with nobles of all ages and ranks…

He did this solely to catch the attention of the Church of Love and Pleasure and become one of them.

He sought to ride the Goddess of Love's coattails and change his fate.

But his every move and hidden intentions had long been laid bare beneath the goddess's gaze.

The god sees all, the god is puzzled, the god falls silent.

In the end, the goddess still rejected him, denying his application for membership.

By the way, the pronoun was not wrong.

It was not "she," but "he."

That massive, three-meter-tall, half-ton-strong man with bear bloodline used a special technique from the Shadow Realms to alter his appearance.

He transformed into a petite, fifteen-centimeter-tall golden-haired, twin-tailed, cat-eared girl who reverted to his original form after midnight…

No one understood what he was thinking.

No one knew what he was after…

He could have just gone through the motions, but he insisted on personally taking part, embodying every role with his own body.

Probably, he awakened his inner feminine side.

Yet, in a certain sense, he succeeded.

Because the Goddess of Love finally couldn't hold back—she descended in person and asked him: Why did you choose the Church of Love over others, like the War Churches?

With your superior innate conditions, you could easily rise to prominence in those churches and catch a god's attention.

Why seek the distant when the near is available?

No, what exactly are you after?

The goddess expressed confusion.

His answer left the Goddess of Love silent.

He said:

"I just wanted to be loved, meow."

The goddess said:

"Talk to me like a normal person."

The Goddess of Love, rarely, swore—but it was understandable.

After all, not everyone can accept a bearded, three-meter-tall brute speaking in a squeaky, girly voice like that.

Even the well-traveled goddess couldn't handle it… this was truly unprecedented.

In the end, this abstract, otherworldly male cross-dresser successfully changed his fate and ascended to Legend the following year.

But not long after altering his fate, he died Critically Ill due to the side effects of the transformation technique.

And he died Critically Ill at an age even earlier than his predicted natural death… no one knows if this was merely swapping one fate for another after escaping the first.

In Joanna's eyes, Herbert was exactly such a lucky one.

Influenced by the god behind him, he changed his own fate.

Although Joanna sensed no divine aura on Herbert—he concealed it well.

But she believed Herbert was deeply favored by a god!

Without doubt, he was another Divine Favored.

Coincidentally, Joanna's thoughts were not entirely wrong.

One could say her reasoning was entirely flawed, yet her conclusion was surprisingly close.

Herbert indeed bore divine favor, and his fate change was tied to a god… hey, what a coincidence.

Joanna harbored no ill will toward Herbert; she felt only envy for his lucky journey.

So jealous.

"When will I ever become a Divine Favored? Sigh, never mind."

But whenever she thought of her own goddess's behavior, she couldn't help sighing inwardly.

Her goddess was perfect in every way—except her personality was utterly erratic, fond of wandering, and bestowing blessings capriciously.

Moreover, due to Hekaiasi's own limited power, He could spare little divine energy, and thus granted even fewer Divine Favored.

"But if my goddess won't do it… what about that lady?"

After leaving the Ice Temple, Joanna kept pondering this in her heart.

She, and many in the Ice Sect, did not consider this betrayal of their own goddess.

We haven't switched allegiance—we're merely returning to our ancestral roots.

After all, our goddess is merely that lady's plaything anyway—no real difference… cough.

"Alright, they're gone. Now you can speak."

After Miss Mise and the others departed, the atmosphere in the space subtly shifted.

Herbert smiled, no longer stern, but as casual and relaxed as before.

He sat comfortably on the ice-made chair, patted his leg, and waved at Sophia with a grin: "What are you staring at over there? Come here quickly."

When others are present, he, as a superior, must maintain his dignity.

No matter the reason Sophiea disobeys his order, he must make his stance clear.

But when no one else is around, it's a private talk with his trusted ally—no need to put on airs.

In front of outsiders, firm.

In front of his own people, gentle.

Balancing firmness and gentleness is the art of ruling subordinates.

"…"

Sophiea still hesitated, but under Herbert's gaze, she obediently nodded.

She stepped forward to Herbert's side, then knelt on her horse legs, preparing to bow deeply before him.

"My Lord…"

But halfway down, Herbert caught her, guiding her arms to rest crossed atop his thighs, then letting her chin sink onto her own arms as a pillow.

Sophiea:???

The Centaur Young Lady didn't understand what was happening, but dared not struggle—she merely looked up at Herbert, bewildered.

What is this?

"My Lord? What are you doing?"

Herbert raised an eyebrow and smiled, placing his hand on her head, gently kneading her ears. "What? Uncomfortable?"

Originally, Sophiea was somewhat translucent to Herbert—only in her spiritual form could he fully touch her without passing through her body.

But after entering Legend, Herbert no longer faced such troubles; even in his physical form, he could now easily grasp her like this.

He had intended to let Sophiea rest her head on his lap, offering her a knee pillow.

But the Centaur's body was simply too inconvenient to maneuver—only if she lay completely flat could he achieve it.

He could only settle for having her kneel before him, now in this posture.

Comfortable?

Sophiea blinked, softly feeling the warmth of his palm, bit her lip, and admitted honestly, "Very comfortable."

Sophiea nodded gently, whispering, "It is comfortable… but why?"

"Why? Hmph. I simply felt like doing it."

Herbert shook his head slightly, didn't elaborate further, and gently stroked the smooth strands of the Centaur Young Lady's hair. "Do you feel uneasy?"

After Herbert summoned the Heroic Spirits, Sophiea's every reaction had been caught in his sight.

She showed a fleeting moment of joy, but it quickly faded, leaving behind more confusion and unease.

What was she afraid of?

"What are you afraid of?"

Herbert soothed the Centaur, asking softly, "Sophiea, are you worried you'll be replaced?"

Under normal circumstances, after Herbert summoned other Heroic Spirits, they would inevitably be ranked.

As the sole Heroic Spirit of Elda before, Sophiea naturally developed a sense of crisis, fearing her position might be supplanted.

It's only natural—understandable.

Herbert wouldn't feel anger over such a thing.

"If that's the case, you needn't worry about it at all."

"I won't change how I treat you. You won't be replaced by anyone."

"You are you. In my heart, you will never change."

As his first follower, Herbert held unhidden favoritism toward Sophiea.

Upon hearing this, Sophiea froze, then hurriedly shook her head, explaining, "No, that's not it—I'm not worried because of that."

"My Lord, no matter how you decide, no matter how you treat me, I will never waver in my loyalty."

She fixed her gaze on Herbert's eyes, speaking solemnly:

"No matter what mission you assign me—even if the end is sacrifice—I will not hesitate."

She proved her loyalty without hesitation.

Without falsehood.

Herbert paused, then shook his head, pinching her cheeks with both hands and pulling them outward, half-irritated: "What are you talking about? Do you think I'd ever do that?"

"Relax. I wouldn't dream of sacrificing you."

Am I that kind of person?

Even if you volunteered, I wouldn't let you go.

After messing up the Centaur Young Lady's cheeks, Herbert didn't let go—he cupped her face and asked, "If it's not fear of me abandoning you, then what's making you uneasy?"

What's the reason?

"Could it be you're afraid of meeting old friends?" His casual remark unexpectedly stiffened Sophiea's body again.

"Hm? Are you worried about that?"

"... Yes." Sophiea nodded silently.

"Why?"

Herbert didn't understand, asking:

"Aren't you all former comrades? What's there to be uneasy about? Did you have enemies in your past? Or… oh!"

Mid-sentence, he suddenly realized where Sophiea's unease came from.

It wasn't that she remembered past enemies—it was because she… remembered nothing at all.

She had forgotten her past.

She forgot everything, remembered nothing at all.

The Centaur Young Lady is now a blank sheet; all past connections have been severed from her.

The only person she can rely on is herself.

Sophia spoke as he had expected: "They may indeed have been people I once knew and familiar with, but I remember nothing."

"I cannot help you with this matter, nor share your burdens."

She felt somewhat downcast, ashamed of her own weakness.

Herbert looked at her this way, then suddenly curled his lips into a strange smile.

"Heh."

He looked at Sophia and asked with a teasing tone: "Did you forget something important?"

"Hm?"

"You certainly did forget—that is an undeniable fact—but… could they possibly remember everything perfectly?"

!!?

Herbert's smiling counterquestion left Sophia stunned; she blinked and asked: "What did you say? Do you mean…"

Herbert nodded and smiled: "After all you've been through, do you think their memories are still complete?"

"No, not just you—everyone forgets, even I do."

Memory is the easiest thing to beautify and blur in one's own mind.

People are skilled at remembering the good and forgetting the suffering they once endured.

Many say that after a breakup, the first thing forgotten is the flaws, then the figure gradually becomes a pale moonlight in the heart… until the moment you meet again and it shatters completely.

But Herbert is not quite like ordinary people.

He thinks he is very petty—he can't remember the good things at all, only the ways others have wronged him.

His whole thing is holding grudges.

"When everyone else has forgotten, do you still think this matter is serious?"

"... I don't think so anymore."

Sophia now felt dazed, as if her earlier turmoil and unease had been childish, utterly meaningless.

Right, what exactly was I doing?

She shyly bit her lip, feeling a faint warmth on her face—even though as a spirit, she shouldn't have such sensations.

"Good."

Herbert smiled and patted her head, then asked: "Besides, is forgetting really new to you?"

"In the Spirit Pool, you drank the Wine of Forgetting, bid farewell to your past self, shed your old memories, and gained rebirth."

"And aren't you the same now?"

The method by which Spirits regain rebirth in the Divine Realm is to drink the Wine of Forgetting, sever ties with the past, and start a new life.

"You've merely skipped the step of drinking the Wine of Forgetting—otherwise, there is no real difference."

"That is the truth."

"Now, you need not worry about anything; you may proudly lift your head, straighten your chest."

He gazed tenderly at the stunned Sophia and whispered: "By my side, you have been reborn."

The boy calmly regarded the Spirit kneeling before him and said gently: "Because it was I who gave you rebirth."

He declared with exceptional tenderness yet firmness: "Now, you need only remember me—nothing else needs to be remembered."

"Since you have no past, then I shall become your past."

"Every moment by my side is a moment you shall remember, the source of your clarity."

"If you still feel uneasy, then remember your mission."

"Sophia, do you know what mission you now carry?"

…Mission?

Sophia snapped out of her daze, did not answer, but gazed deeply at the boy before her.

On Herbert, she felt a powerful attraction.

It made her want to kneel, to entrust everything to him.

"My Lord, please guide this lost lamb," she asked devoutly.

She wanted an answer.

She wanted to find a purpose for her rebirth.

At this moment, Herbert's smile faded; his voice grew firm: "Your mission is simple—I am it."

"Serve me, obey me, protect me."

"If you seek only one answer, then your sole duty is to serve me."

He placed his palm on the Centaur's head and whispered: "Beyond this, you need not consider anything more."

"Do not worry, do not fret—just fulfill your mission."

"All other matters are none of your concern; those are my responsibilities."

Herbert did not need others to make such a great sacrifice for him.

Such love is too heavy.

Too burdensome.

Rather than die for him, Herbert preferred that those people live for him.

To live on is the best tribute to him.

Herbert knew his current actions were undoubtedly placing a shackle—or rather, a saddle—upon Sophia.

He had made himself the master who constrained and controlled her.

This was certainly not the best way to comfort, but for a lost lamb, this was what they needed most.

Give them a reason to no longer be lost.

"Mm! I understand!"

Sure enough, after thinking all this through and completely understanding her mission, Sophia regained her full, spirited state.

She flicked the single ponytail behind her head and said excitedly, "My lord! I understand everything! I need not trouble myself over those forgotten pasts."

"It is you who granted me new life; you are my everything."

"I shall devote everything I have to serving you! Let you feel comfortable…"

Herbert had at first been smiling and nodding, thinking her a Ruzike Sect.

But as he listened, he suddenly felt something was off about her words; his brow lifted and he cut in, "Wait, are you sure you understand?"

Comfortable?

Is that the right thing to say?

Listen to yourself — does that sound proper!!?

I'm a respectable person!

Sophia truly didn't see anything wrong with what she'd said; she blinked and asked earnestly, "Mm? My lord, is there something wrong with what I said?"

"Uh…"

Herbert looked at her earnest, innocent expression, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly, and changed his tune: "Ahem, no, it seems there's no problem."

Mm.

Sophia is right!

That's right — this is exactly the kind of service I want!

(End of chapter)