Chapter Forty-Four: You Are Courting Death

It must be said, due to her lack of common sense, Reimu often finds herself in absurd situations. This time, she had clearly focused all her attention on secretly building a church to rake in donations, neglecting the most crucial issue.

After hearing Link’s words, Reimu realized the flaw in her “perfect” plan. In that moment, she looked as if struck by lightning, her expression shifting from sudden enlightenment to utter indignation.

Link couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction. To Reimu, his smile was nothing short of mockery; though he meant no harm, she was deeply irritated and wouldn’t even let him explain. With a furious retort, she spun on her heel and stormed off, declaring, “Just wait! One day, I’ll receive a hundred thousand Sola in donations, and I won’t share a single Sola with you!”

To put it simply, Reimu intended to use her dilapidated church—hidden deep in the woods, known to few, and on the verge of collapsing—to compete with the Father’s Faith for donations.

Link laughed. From another perspective, Reimu was truly a source of joy. Setting aside any bias and viewing her with kindness and objectivity, she was a rather adorable girl. Her antics, caused by lack of common sense, were much like a mischievous child’s, only she was a bit older.

For this girl, whose temperament was no different from a child’s, Link bore no grudge. He even sent someone to inspect Reimu’s little church, discovering it was built like a doghouse—no foundation, no semblance, just barely larger than an outhouse, likely to be swept away by a strong wind.

Such a place was unfit even for dogs, let alone its owner.

Yet, to everyone’s astonishment, Reimu insisted on living in this shoddy church, and did just that. No amount of persuasion could sway her; she was determined to achieve something that would make Link, who had mocked her, look at her differently.

Heaven knows, Link had never mocked Reimu!

Watching the church threaten to collapse at any moment, Link worried she might be buried alive while sleeping. After all, Reimu was the Grand Priestess of the Celestial Faith, officially stationed at the Father’s Faith as a peace envoy. Should anything happen, it would be difficult to explain to the Celestial Faith.

After much persuasion, Reimu finally agreed to stay at the monastery for now, on the condition that Link help her repair the church—a proposal he himself had made. Since she insisted on living there, he would make it habitable; it wasn’t far from the monastery, so he could keep an eye on her.

Besides, Reimu was always an outsider, and Link didn’t fully trust her. Having her spend all her time at the monastery risked exposing church secrets; making her stay slightly apart was a precaution.

When Reimu agreed, she was afraid others would think she’d surrendered, so she declared haughtily, “Don’t misunderstand. I’m only reluctantly agreeing because you insist on repairing my church, not because it’s unfit to live in.”

Faced with such a typical tsundere line, Link could only laugh.

With Reimu’s issue settled, the day of departure arrived. On this day, besides Reimu, who would “return to her family,” Link brought Saga and Aiolos as well, mainly so these two promising future Gold Saints could see the world. The others were left behind, as the Father’s Faith was only participating as a minor player this time, and there was no need to bring too many people. Should trouble arise, White Spirit could carry them away; bringing more might only complicate matters.

Elyria, upon learning Reimu would join, insisted on coming too. Link was initially reluctant, but when Elyria deftly demonstrated the three spells she’d mastered from the Soul of Flame, he swallowed his refusal.

Seeing Elyria’s determined gaze, Link finally agreed.

Elyria had grown up; she was no longer the little girl in constant need of care. Over the past two months—Link couldn’t help but think, recalling everything that had happened.

For more than two months, Elyria kept a low profile, always studying, but constantly keeping an eye on church affairs. Knowing she couldn’t help Link yet, she strove to learn from others, never complaining no matter how hard or exhausting it was. Even when Link asked her to take care of herself, she would secretly do whatever she could.

Because of Elyria’s quiet contributions, the Father’s Faith experienced swift growth without any internal issues or discord. Whenever conflict arose, Elyria would intervene, resolving everything with her beautiful smile and gentle demeanor.

Within the Father’s Faith, aside from Link, Elyria was the most beloved. Though she never accomplished anything grand, her accumulation of small deeds made her indispensable; all the congregants respected and admired her, as they did Link.

Link noticed all this, so he never considered Elyria a mere ornament or burden. She herself refused to be a flower vase, absorbing knowledge like a sponge. This trip to the All Gods Festival—apart from some personal rivalry—was mostly Elyria’s opportunity to enrich herself, just as Link sought to train Saga and Aiolos.

Link understood that Elyria had chosen a difficult path. Though he didn’t fully approve, it was her decision, so he would support her regardless. He knew that beneath her gentle, approachable exterior lay a resilient heart.

In the end, the group attending the All Gods Festival comprised these five, accompanied throughout by the spirit beast White Spirit. The others remained in Kinko Town to guard against other forces exploiting Link’s absence.

Chief among these “other forces” were Remilia and her servant. Though their actions were discreet, Link grew increasingly wary of them as time went by, so most of his strength remained behind.

On May tenth, the group set out quietly, leaving Kinko Town in a medium-sized carriage.

After some distance from the town, Link leaned out of the carriage, gazing at the endless plain with a heart full of anticipation.

This was his first journey far from home since arriving in this new world. Before crossing over, he’d dreamt of adventuring in another realm; after arriving, his lack of power and other issues kept him from realizing that dream. Now, he could finally experience the wonders of this world.

Though this trip wasn’t exactly an adventure, for Link it was a special experience. Even with his matured temperament, he couldn’t help but feel excited.

In fact, it wasn’t just Link. The others, except for Reimu—who remained nonchalant—were more or less exhilarated. Saga and Aiolos even secretly agreed to make a name for the Father’s Faith at the festival. Elyria, though less animated than the boys, quietly clenched her tiny fists, determined to accomplish something, which was rather endearing.

Aside from Reimu, who intended to spend the trip daydreaming, everyone else felt an urge to do something. But before they could seek out adventure, adventure found them.

On the afternoon of their second day, as they crossed a mountain range, they found the main road blocked by a landslide. Vehicles couldn’t pass; they would have to proceed on foot or take a detour.

With only a few hours until sunset, the nearest town via the detour was still seven or eight hours away. Most travelers chose to camp overnight and wait for the road to clear, but Link’s group was in a hurry to reach Bass City. After some discussion, they decided to press on; their carriage was equipped with travel supplies, and they weren’t afraid of sleeping outdoors.

As they skirted the mountains, night fell. Just as they were about to find a place to rest, a gang of about thirty mountain bandits rushed out, blocking their path.

Seeing that the drivers, Saga and Aiolos, were merely youths, the bandits grew contemptuous. Their leader—a burly, golden-haired man with a thick beard—stepped forward and shouted, “Listen up, folks on the carriage! This is the territory of the Flying Crocodile Gang. The rule here is: anyone with a carriage pays a thousand Sola per person. If you don’t have enough, hand over your goods. Pay up and you can go.”

His voice was loud, carrying far enough for everyone in the carriage to hear. Link felt exasperated—what a ridiculous turn of events, encountering bandits on the way to a festival.

Still, the bandits seemed to have some sense of honor, so Link had no intention of wiping them out. He was about to signal Saga and Aiolos to chase them off, but Reimu, who had been lazily sprawled in the carriage, suddenly sprang up. With Link and Elyria watching in astonishment, she rushed out and shouted, “You despicable bunch! Do you realize how long it takes me to earn a thousand Sola? You dare demand a thousand just like that? Do you know how much hardship I endure to make money? You’re asking for trouble!”

Everyone was stunned by Reimu’s reaction—including the bandits themselves. Hearing her shout, they instinctively prepared for a fight, but when they saw it was a delicate young girl charging toward them, they were at a loss. They had never encountered such a situation.

Could they really lay hands on a frail girl? These bandits, despite their code, couldn’t bring themselves to do it—especially since she was a true beauty, her face flushed with anger. Violence seemed unthinkable; even pushing her might feel cruel.

As Reimu drew closer, the bandit leader decided he would simply restrain her bare-handed. Link leapt from the carriage, quietly gathering magic to come to Reimu’s aid. Saga and Aiolos jumped down, ready to rescue her.

Just as everyone prepared to act, a shocking scene unfolded. Reimu’s chest suddenly glowed, and a red sphere emerged, hovering at her side. Her aura changed instantly, radiating formidable power that everyone could sense.

Third-tier peak! And not only that, she was both a magician and a warrior at the third-tier peak!