GILF Hunter

Chapter 483: 483 Great Temple

Frenda quietly opened her eyes in bed.

It was a bit noisy outside the room. When she turned her head to check the window, the sun was already high in the sky. It seemed she had woken up quite late.

Slowly sitting up, Frenda let out a sigh with a tired face.

Originally, she lived according to the temple’s routine, but it was because she had been to the Labyrinth a few days ago.

Fatigue was one thing, but after spending a long time inside the Labyrinth where it’s hard to distinguish day from night and coming back up, her sleep cycle had been completely flipped.

For Frenda, who was only entering the Labyrinth for the second time, it was still a difficult thing to adjust to.

Rising from the bed, Frenda discovered the letters placed on the table.

New letters that had arrived for Frenda this week. They were mostly from the Great Temple and the monastery.

Contact had been coming in continuously ever since Frenda suddenly quit her position as a High Priestess and volunteered to be dispatched to the temple in Labyrinthos.

Frenda first checked the letter from the Great Temple. The letter from there... contained the same content as always.

It was a letter urging her to return to the Great Temple.

Frenda was a priestess talented enough to fill a vacancy in a High Priestess position, even if it was done urgently.

Even if she were to step down from being a High Priestess due to a lack of achievements, she wasn’t an talent who would simply serve as an ordinary priestess. Naturally, they would want her to work at the Great Temple.

However, they couldn’t forcibly drag her back when she claimed she wanted to build experience through training in Labyrinthos. The Great Temple had no choice but to keep sending these persuasive letters.

Frenda moderately ignored such invitations.

And then Frenda carefully picked up a letter from another place.

This one was a letter sent by the director of the monastery where Frenda had stayed.

...Usually, they only exchanged casual greetings, but after the news broke that Frenda had quit being a High Priestess, the number of letters sent suddenly began to increase.

Frenda hesitated, unable to readily open the envelope.

It was because she was reluctant to open the letter as the director had been bringing up strange stories lately.

Yet she couldn’t ignore the letter either....

Frenda eventually opened the envelope and read down the letter sent by the director.

As always, it was written with various small talk and long-winded content.

Asking if she had hit a late rebellious phase after making such a fuss about becoming a High Priestess back at the monastery....

Skipping all that long chatter, the core message of the letter could be summarized like this:

- Did you find a man in Labyrinthos?

Frenda hurriedly crumpled the letter.

A-A man, of all things.

She only stayed behind to repay a debt. There were absolutely no such impure intentions.

Muttering that, Frenda’s face turned bright red as she made excuses to herself.

To forget the content of the letter that was bothering her for no reason, Frenda shook her head, quickly organized the letters, and went out of the room.

Coming out into the hallway, Frenda felt that the atmosphere of the temple was somehow slightly different than usual.

Frenda asked a priest passing by.

’Is something going on? Everyone seems busy for some reason....’

’Yes. Well... that period is coming soon. We have to prepare in advance.’

’That period?’

’Ah... right. It’s your first time, Lady Frenda.’

The priest who was answering Frenda’s question apologized as if he had forgotten and spoke.

’Have you heard that monster invasions occur periodically in Labyrinthos?’

’Well... I’ve heard that ever since before I came here.’

This was knowledge that one would naturally come to know along with the name of the city Labyrinthos.

’The time when monsters swarm is always similar. There’s still some time left, but... everyone starts preparing around this time. It becomes too busy if we start when the invasion actually draws near.’

’Ah.... So you’re starting to prepare in advance from now?’

’Yes. We don’t participate in the battle directly, but... we have to be prepared. During that period, there are many injured people, and even deaths occur....’

The priest said that while looking at Frenda.

’Still, this year seems like it will be more relaxed thanks to the supplies you brought, Lady Frenda. The quantity of potions has increased significantly.’

’That... I didn’t get them myself, they were donated.’

’Since they were donated to you, Lady Frenda, it’s practically the same thing.’

Frenda had received the plants picked from the Witch’s garden as her share.

In exchange for accompanying the expedition and using healing magic, Ian had given Frenda the bag of materials she had collected in the garden as it was.

She originally intended to refuse, but since Ian said he would donate it to the temple, it was awkward for her, as a priestess, to say she didn’t want it and refuse.

In the end, Frenda delivered the bag of materials harvested from the Witch’s garden to the temple.

The things contained in that backpack were materials mostly used when the temple crafts potions. Although they were chosen with Frenda’s fragmentary knowledge, it was true that they were a very big help to the temple’s supplies.

Particularly, they mentioned that they increased the number of high-grade potions which they couldn’t make well due to a lack of materials.

Seeing the atmosphere of the temple where hands seemed quite short, Frenda asked.

’Then is there anything I can help with?’

’Ah, no. It hasn’t been long since you returned from the Labyrinth. How about resting a bit more...?’

The priest refused Frenda’s offer while gauging her reaction.

No one in this temple, including the person in the highest charge, could assign trivial tasks to Frenda, who was a (High) Priestess.

Frenda eventually returned quietly to her room so as not to interfere with the work around her.

＊ ＊ ＊

Rin scooped up soil with a small shovel behind the lodging.

A small space on one side of the garden. It was soil from the vegetable patch where Tanya grew various herbs.

Scooping the soil from a corner to fill a pot, Rin carefully dug a small hole.

’Okay, then in here....’

Rin planted the unknown seed she received from the Ent into the soil of the pot and covered it with dirt.

’...Is this the end of it?’

Since she had never grown a plant before.

The limit of the knowledge Rin knew was planting the seed in soil and giving it water.

Thinking it might be helpful, she even tried reading a book related to plants from the bookshelf in the lounge, but she didn’t even understand half of the content. Rather, her head only became more complicated regarding what to do when growing a seed.

Above all, the Ent who gave this seed didn’t even explain in detail how to grow it. There was no way to know how to grow it when she didn’t even know what kind of seed it was.

’Well, it’ll grow fine on its own.... It grows in the Labyrinth too.’

If there was something to be careful about, the Ent would have probably given a warning in advance.

Thinking so, Rin picked up the pot after covering the soil.

Since there were other plants Tanya was growing in this vegetable patch, it would be more convenient to just plant it here together and ask her to grow it for her.

But since the Ent told Rin to keep it near her while growing it, she had no choice but to do this even if it was a bit bothersome. That’s why she had just bought a pot after asking Ian.

Rin returned to her room carrying the pot she had filled with soil and planted the seed in.

’Hm?’

Discovering something eye-catching, Rin looked out the window. She saw several wagons passing along the main road.

Is it already that time of year?

While Rin was looking out the window and muttering that, the sound of the room door opening was heard as someone came inside.

’Rin. What are you doing?’

’Ah... Mika.’

Mika, who entered the room, asked Rin who was looking out the window.

However, the question Mika asked about what she was doing was not about why she was looking out the window... but a question directed at the pot Rin was hugging.

’Why are you holding that?’

’I heard this grows well only if there’s Erosion.... I thought it might have a better effect if I hold it close.’

’A pot? Ah... is it that seed you received there?’

The Ent only said to keep it nearby, but since she didn’t know how nearby, Rin planned to keep it as close as possible whenever she had the chance.

’Don’t you think something strange will grow? Like an Ent...?’

’Does an Ent grow from a seed...?’

’...I don’t know.’

If an Ent grew... wouldn’t that sell for a lot in its own way?

With such thoughts, Rin looked down at the pot.

Thinking there might be someone who knew, she showed the seed to everyone around her and asked, but Mika, as well as Louise and Emilia, all replied that they had no idea what its identity was.

In the end, there was no choice but to grow it personally and check.

Perhaps reminded because Erosion was mentioned, Mika looked over Rin’s body here and there and asked.

’Speaking of which, is your Erosion okay? You took in a massive amount at the shop back then.’

’Don’t say ’took in’ like that....’

Mika knew that Rin was fine even if Erosion accumulated thanks to using the demonic sword and sorcery, but still, the amount received at the shop this time was a considerable quantity.

However, Rin shook her head as if there were no problem.

’I’m fine. It was a bit like that at first, but lately, I don’t really feel anything in particular.’

Perhaps she had become accustomed to Erosion. Lately, no matter how much Erosion increased, it didn’t seem to have any particular effect on her body.

When she hadn’t held the demonic sword for long, even a little bit of time passing would change the sensation of moving her body, making her struggle, but lately, conversely, the change felt quite stagnant.

Rin didn’t know the exact reason. The reason was that most of the traits received as penalties for Erosion instead of curses had already appeared.

Traits did not overlap, and there was eventually a limit to their types.

As one continued to receive curses, the penalties would eventually run out.

Furthermore, among the traits obtained through corruption characteristics, there were quite a few that were opposite to each other.

For example, things like [Sensitive Constitution] and [Insensitive Constitution].

Originally, if one side was obtained, the weight for the opposite side would decrease, making it hard to appear, but if one accumulated corruption indiscriminately like Rin, they would eventually have to possess both.

As those accumulated, they gradually achieved a balance, so in a way, Rin’s body condition was actually more stable than in the early days of holding the demonic sword.

The basic stats that rise in proportion to Erosion also didn’t show much of a difference with additional increases anymore because the amount accumulated so far was so vast.

It could be said that she had practically reached the limit of the stats that could be raised.

A slight commotion occurred outside the window. it was a common sight on the streets during this period.

Mika discovered it too and peeked outside from beside Rin.

Back when she was a novice mercenary, she only thought the city’s atmosphere felt somehow peculiar, but after living here for several years, she could now sense that the period had come just by looking at people’s movements.

The residents were slowly preparing for this year’s invasion.

’It’s already that time. Did the Leader not say anything in particular this time?’

’Right. I wonder if there’s nothing special this time.’

’After going through such trouble, it would be a bit unfair if it doesn’t pass by peacefully.’

Rin nodded as she placed the pot down by the window.