The Villain Is Destined to Die: But as the Creator, I know All Endings-Chapter 228: Day - 1: Priestess in Armour, and reaching the End?

Chapter 228: Day - 1: Priestess in Armour, and reaching the End?

"Your accent doesn’t sound like someone from here," the armored woman said as she walked ahead of Leon. "But your face does. Are you one of those traveling merchants?"

Leon glanced at the side of her helmet, then answered calmly.

"You caught that right, Miss Priestess. I travel a lot, and mostly deal in weapons and artifacts. I collect them from different sources and sell them to high-profile individuals."

"Ooo," she hummed lightly. "A weapon dealer, huh? You must be filthy rich then."

Leon let out a small chuckle.

"Haha, not really. Compared to people from my domain, I’m actually below average in performance."

"Heh. As you say, Mr. Trader," she replied with a faint sneer.

Leon glanced at her back again, trying to make out her identity.

It was useless.

The armor was fully sealed. Not even a strand of her hair was visible. Not even her voice gave him a clear lead either.

Just like Veronica had her elite assassins of the Blood Tower, Lady Aisha of the Frost Tower had her own force called The Priests and Priestesses.

Despite their titles, they were elite combatants. Their name came from the fact that they also carried out duties at the Cathedral of Lancaster. Every one of them was an absolute believer in him.

Clank. Clank.

Her boots struck the stone road with a metallic sound as she walked with a rhythmic move.

The noise drew the attention of lots of people around them.

Leon noticed a few tourists slowing down, as their eyes wide with curiosity when they all looked at her shiny armor.

Then there were the locals.

"Hey... what’s she doing here?"

"Did something happen nearby?"

"Who’s that white-haired guy with her?"

Leon heard the whispers clearly, and walking beside her, he was drawing attention as well.

But Leon didn’t pull his hood over his head this time.

He let them see his face.

Ignoring the stares, Leon quickened his pace slightly and walked beside her.

"How far is the City Harbor?" he asked.

She answered without slowing down.

"It’s still some distance away. Even if you can taste the salt in the air, you’re not close yet."

She paused briefly. "At least four miles more."

"That’s not too far," Leon replied. "For a merchant, this much distance is rather short."

The priestess glanced at him from the corner of her helmet.

"It is," she agreed. "But it’s unsafe for a rich merchant to walk alone around here without guards. This area is close to the sea. If you’re unlucky, you might even run into hidden pirates."

"Pirates, huh..." Leon muttered.

Because Karnak served as the main harbor connected to the Sea of Mist, pirate activity here was far more frequent than in other regions.

The laws of kingdoms did not extend into the open ocean. Pirates thrived on that gap. While different kingdoms tried to suppress them in their own ways, most relied on bounties rather than direct intervention.

’I’ll have to keep an eye out for pirates as well...’ Leon thought.

He didn’t know which pirate groups were active in the area. And targeting passenger ships was rarely profitable, but that didn’t mean it never happened.

"That reminds me, Mr. Trader," the armored woman said, tilting her head slightly. "If you’re worried about being attacked again, you can hire guards from the Adventurer Guild."

She continued evenly, "The Adventurer Guild in Merlin has strict policies. So fraud is rare here. You’ll be safer that way."

Leon nodded once. "I’ll look into it if I find it necessary." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Internally, he dismissed the idea.

Ethan, Cyan, and he himself were already more than enough to deal with Pirates. And if things truly went wrong, Rumi was still with him.

He quickened his pace and walked beside her again.

"Miss Priestess," Leon asked, "is it usually this crowded at this time of the month?"

"Yes," she replied without hesitation. "It’s harvest season. Merchants from different kingdoms gather here to trade. You’ll find more ships than usual once you are at the shore."

Leon asked a few more questions. Such as about the routes, trade ships, and which kingdoms had increased their activity.

Once he felt satisfied with the information, he fell quiet and followed slightly behind her.

During their walk, Leon made a conscious effort to leave a good impression about him to her eyes. Building connections in a foreign kingdom mattered for a long run.

At some point, he introduced himself properly and learned her name as well.

"I am Amantha," she said. "From the Cathedral of Lancaster."

That confirmed it. She is a priestess working under Lady Aisha.

Although the name Amantha didn’t ring any bells to him. That concludes that she had never been mentioned in the game.

’So she’s an NPC...’ Leon thought. ’I wonder if interacting with NPCs changes anything.’

It would. But the changes were rarely predictable.

As Leon thought about the matter, a cold breeze brushed against Leon’s white hair.

He looked up and saw a faint glimpse of the gleaming ocean ahead, the waves barely visible between clustered houses.

"I think I’ll be fine from here on—"

"I saw you take it!!!" The shout cut him off.

Leon paused and turned toward the commotion.

To the side, a shopkeeper was arguing with a man near a stall.

"Oh shut it, old man!" the man snapped. "I bought it from another store!"

"You stole it from here!" the shopkeeper shouted back. "I saw you with my own eyes!"

"Do you have proof?!"

Before Leon could react, Amantha stepped forward.

Clang. Clang.

"You both stop."

Both men froze and turned their heads at the same time.

The moment they saw her armor and heard her voice, their faces turned pale.

"Y-Yes, Priestess—" the shopkeeper stammered. "B-But that man stole a ring from my counter."

He pointed shakily.

Amantha turned her gaze to the accused man.

"...!"

He flinched, eyes darting left and right, clearly searching for an escape. "H-He’s lying—!"

His voice cracked under her silent glare. He looked in a sorry state.

"I—I’m sorry!" he cried, extending his trembling hand. "I stole it! I’ll be a good person! Please forgive me!"

Amantha took the ring and handed it back to the shopkeeper.

Leon was watching the interaction quietly.

’Heh, he folded that easily... What exactly is her reputation here...?’ he wondered.

The people nearby looked intimidated, and some were fearful. While others were simply relieved she was present.

"Here, and please be alert next time," Amantha then turned to the man who stole the ring, "and you, I will let you off the hook for now, but if I find you stealing again, I will freeze your eye balls."

"E-Eeeek!! I would never, Priestess!!"

Once it was over, Amantha walked back toward Leon. Then she suddenly paused.

’Hm?’ Leon saw the change in expression on her face.

"...A summon? Now?" Amantha muttered softly, as if speaking to the air.

’Haru, that’s a telepathic message.’ Rumi informed Leon.

"Who? Lady Kiki?" she said. "O-oh... alright. I’ll be there shortly."

’Haru,’ Rumi’s voice echoed in Leon’s mind again. ’She’s nearby.’

Leon replied calmly. ’I know. She won’t do anything. Let’s stay focused.’

’She’s strong,’ Rumi added after a moment. ’Be careful.’

Leon exhaled quietly. He knew they would come sooner or later.

Amantha glanced at him.

"Apologies, Mr. Trader, I have urgent business to attend to." She pointed down the road ahead. "Take this path straight and you’ll reach your destination. If you’re still lost, ask the locals."

With that, she turned and walked away to the opposite road.

Leon watched her leave for a brief moment, then headed straight ahead toward the City Harbor.

With each step Leon noticed that the air grew colder, Leon ignored it.

Through the contact lenses Rumi had formed, his vision sharpened beyond the physical. And mana fluctuations became visible to him.

Mana... more specifically the Ice mana grew denser by the second.

’...I’m being watched,’ Leon realized.