Chapter 26
“Ugh…”
Rumble—rumble—
Inside the swaying carriage.
Despite several issues along the way, Eric had completed his business safely and leaned against the wall, gazing out the window to calm his queasy stomach.
‘Well, I thought I might handle it better now that my stamina has improved… but it still feels like death.’
Perhaps it was because he was still barely in double digits. Or maybe he was just naturally prone to motion sickness.
Having suffered from nausea for several days, he tried to console himself by looking at the distant castle walls finally coming into view.
‘Well… motion sickness can’t be helped. I should focus on the good stuff. My stats have increased far more than if I’d trained quietly in the mansion, and I even gained some useful traits unexpectedly. In fact… no, there’s no doubt about it—this expedition was a success.’
Since the incident in the Nibosus Mountains hadn’t been mentioned in the game, there had been a few unexpected variables.
But ultimately, the objectives were exceeded.
He had located a spirit that could have destroyed an entire mountain range if left unchecked, prevented a planned catastrophe, and raised six of his own stats at once.
On top of that, he had finished off the Frost Wolf Named, Pruna, acquiring valuable materials and the new trait: Frost Walk.
‘Moreover, the benefits of this expedition weren’t mine alone.’
Indeed. On the way back, he glanced at the passed-out Lillian and smiled contentedly at Leona, who was driving the carriage ahead.
Both had grown significantly, just like he had.
Leona Everlock
Level: 25 → 26
Strength [60] → [62]
Agility [100] → [105]
Stamina [75] → [78]
Magic [25]
Trait: Ambition
Lillian Ashford
Level: 23 → 25
Strength [12]
Agility [15]
Stamina [9] → [10]
Magic [205] → [225]
Trait: Glass Cannon
Compared to their massive stat growth, Eric’s six-point increase seemed modest. Particularly, Lillian had leveled up twice, raising her magic by 20, likely due to handling most of the wolves alone besides the Named.
‘Hero-level stats really are impressive. One level up and the stats increase this much? Most people wouldn’t even get half that.’
Though it was a bit disheartening to see others gain multiples of stats in one level while he had to swing a sword to barely increase one, the feeling didn’t last long.
Leona and Lillian were still under his command. Their growth directly contributed to his success.
‘Besides, a vassal’s reputation is also the master’s reputation. If this expedition shows that they’ve grown, that’s part of my accomplishment. But…’
He glanced at Lillian sprawled on the floor with a sense of pride, then raised his head to look at the woman sitting opposite him.
“Sir? Do you have something to say?”
“…No. Nothing at all.”
Malefica Beatrix, the goddess’s little witch.
Eric felt her gaze upon him as she slowly turned toward him, blinking. He shifted uneasily.
Malefica Beatrix
Level: 20
Strength [5]
Agility [7]
Stamina [43]
Magic [155]
Traits: Steadfast Faith, Paranoia
She wasn’t as powerful as Lillian in terms of firepower, but her magic was high. Unlike Lillian, who passed out after using a spell due to Glass Cannon, Malefica’s stamina was decent for a backline role. She was a priest, a valuable combat asset compared to even battlefield mages.
‘On paper, she’s excellent… no, more like I should bow to her specs.’
In most games, finding a priest capable of fighting on the front lines is nearly impossible. Getting a hero-level priest like her normally requires enormous offerings to the church. Until mid-game, it’s practically unattainable.
‘Nothing cheap and good exists. And if it’s someone with a track record of causing game overs, even more so.’
But that only applied to normal priests. The woman in front of him was different.
She was a church priest, yet known as the goddess’s little “witch.” There was a reason for that title.
Swallowing nervously, Eric carefully observed Malefica, who still smiled faintly at him.
The reason most players avoided her, despite her reasonable cost and strong stats, was one simple thing: Paranoia.
Paranoia
Significantly reduces the chance of being caught in traps, ambushes, or surprise attacks.
‘Effectively, it’s an A-rank trait that stabilizes the party during expeditions or when guarding a castle wall…’
But like most traits in Protect Humanity, the names carried both benefits and drawbacks.
For example, Lillian’s Glass Cannon increased magic power exponentially but made her body highly sensitive and drained stamina.
Similarly, Paranoia made her suspicious even when there was no danger, slowing expedition and dungeon exploration, and sometimes causing conflicts with other heroes.
However, the advantages—protection from ambushes and traps—were so great that one hero with the trait was almost indispensable.
‘The problem is… she’s a church official, trusted by that insane inquisitor Isabella.’
The church in Protect Humanity wielded influence rivaling the imperial family over half the continent.
It wasn’t just because the goddess existed or because blessings determined potential—it was also because miracles of healing and regeneration were exclusive to priests. Without them, maintaining a front against monsters was nearly impossible.
‘If this paranoid priest misinterprets something and reports me as a heretic…’
In the battlefield, where monsters swarmed daily, a single word from someone like her could sway the church’s evaluation drastically. While they wouldn’t arbitrarily condemn someone or a territory, the power of words was not to be underestimated.
In a world where most races worship the goddess, and death and injury are ever-present at the front, no one wanted to be stationed in a territory vulnerable to the church’s suspicion. Many players had experienced game over after getting on Malefica’s bad side.
‘I’ll need to stay sharp. If the church finds a reason to pick on me, my heirship and everything else could vanish.’
Fortunately, his experience in clearing various difficulties had given him strategies.
Still, he couldn’t relax. Allen Ater had blessings from birth and church favor, whereas the incompetent delinquent Eric Ater started far behind.
Clack—clack—
“Stop, stop!”
After how long, the carriage finally slowed as they arrived at the estate, with commands heard from outside.
“Who’s here?”
“This carriage carries Sir Eric.”
“Sir Eric? …May I ask which family you belong to?”
Perhaps to avoid unnecessary commotion en route to the Nibosus Mountains, Eric had deliberately used an unmarked, modest carriage.
“Hey, hey! What are you doing? Open it!”
“Excuse me? But your identity is—”
“Idiot! Can’t you tell? If there’s a female knight around here, that’s her! From the sewers below.”
“Ah… my apologies! Please, come in.”
After a brief inspection, the horses moved again, apparently recognizing Leona.
“So, the Sir Eric in the back…”
“Seems likely.”
“When did he even go out? Always wandering the streets, now out of the estate?”
As the soldiers’ whispers faded past the castle gates, Eric knew that most still saw him as a delinquent riding on his family’s reputation.
Of course, the notoriety he built over the years couldn’t be erased by a single incident. Even his feat in the sewers was assumed to be Leona’s doing.
Well, ultimately, the glory of a knight goes to their master anyway.
“Know the news, nine of you. Seems like the delinquent’s causing trouble again…”
Rumble—
Whether the soldiers’ voices reached them or not, the conversation grew louder.
Suddenly, Malefica, who had been quietly listening, flung open the carriage door and approached the soldiers.
“Wh-what are you doing…?”
Slash—!
The sound echoed in front of the castle gates. Eric, dumbfounded, watched as a soldier’s head snapped back from her palm.
‘…This crazy woman!’
The situation was so sudden, he couldn’t process it. Had Malefica’s Paranoia gone haywire? Was she planning to bury him on Isabella’s orders?
“What’s happening?”
“Touching the duke’s soldiers?”
“Looks like a church priest? Shouldn’t someone stop her?”
“Sounds like that delinquent did something wrong?”
“Then did he cause trouble again?”
“Now she’s even taking on the church… this is serious.”
Indeed, the commotion in front of the duke’s gates drew the attention of everyone nearby, including passersby and those waiting for inspection.
“Are the soldiers here always this rude?”
Ignoring the growing chaos, Malefica continued speaking loudly and clearly.
“Do the Ater family heroes, who protect the church from the goddess’s enemies, get whispered about behind their backs like this?”
From the mouth of a church priest, everyone witnessed praise for the delinquent Eric, which was unprecedented.
