It's disappointing that I didn't obtain a level 21 companion because I mistook it for an experience point event, but the game is still in the early stages.
'There will be plenty of chances to recruit companions ahead! Right?'
While I slept peacefully, the automatons who warped to the opened temple cleaned up the scene. The corpses of the grave robbers I'd killed were also immersed in chemicals and transported to the hospital.
"Why? Gonna hold a funeral or something?"
"No. Of course we have to revive them."
Elise said something unnatural very casually.
"You can revive them?"
"Yes. They'll revive at level 1, so it's difficult to recycle them as combat power though."
"I see."
Looks like levels reset when you die and revive.
"Once they revive, we'll torture them until they cough up all their assets."
"I see."
"Most confess before we even start torturing. But we torture them anyway. Because we revived them to torture them."
"Do whatever."
This game seems very dangerous if you start as an adventurer.
"There's a lot of damage. The repair costs..."
"Damn grave robbers! Torture them quickly! No mercy!"
"Yes."
We also serviced the temple guardians who'd almost been taken by the grave robbers. We replaced broken limbs and moved completely dead automatons to storage.
"Pione. I'm glad you're okay."
[18]■■■■■
Pione, who I'd thought was dead, also finished repairs and returned.
"Is it fortunate?"
"Of course."
Because she's also my precious property.
"Baron, you almost got killed by Knight Lucia because of me."
"Wrong. Thanks to you, I was able to kill Knight Lucia."
While I was converting Lucia into experience points, Pione held off Ilina.
Even I can't handle both at once.
"That interpretation is possible too."
"That's the truth, isn't it?"
"Baron, you're probably the only person who treats Knight Lucia as experience points."
"She was strong though."
Because she was supposed to be a character who'd become the protagonist's companion. The more I think about it, the more regretful it is.
My gaze turned toward the temple interior.
The woman with the crown.
'She's really pretty.'
She was radiating a mysterious charm. Even just lying still in a proper posture, you could feel her dignity. Like a queen fallen into eternal sleep.
Elise, who'd started ordering even the guardians around, followed my gaze and answered.
"It's puppet theater. Art that recreates past events and people with dolls. You can't keep leaving a corpse at room temperature."
"So an elf who looked exactly like this doll really got stabbed by this sword and died?"
I summoned that sword with just a thought and held it in my right hand.
Spirit sword Endymion.
A gladius that makes levels equal.
A bound item with no worry of losing it.
'Endymion. The protagonist buff is really solid!'
There are gamers who hate protagonist buffs. But the perverted hobby of enjoying trials and tribulations is a romance only possible when you're young. Now, if I avoid the easy path, the game won't progress.
Elise, who was examining the area where Endymion had been stuck, answered.
"Elven puppet theater deserves to be destroyed, but this is puppet theater recognized by Segra, the goddess of discrimination. If you touch it, you'll receive divine punishment."
"What kind of divine punishment?"
"I don't know that far. But there are records that all divine punishments torment you until the god's anger subsides."
"But I already touched it?"
I took a prop from the puppet theater.
"That relic is fine. Because the god permitted it. You just need to put a replica in its place."
"A god... Segra?"
I looked at the goddess statue from a distance I could reach with my arm.
Segra, the goddess of discrimination.
A goddess who spreads the doctrine of accepting discrimination as natural. Because her doctrine justifies the feudal system and class society, there's no noble who doesn't believe in her.
Elise clasped her hands as if praying and began.
"Young master. How about praying to the goddess to commemorate your visit to the temple? She might give you an achievement."
"But I don't believe in Segra?"
"It doesn't matter. Gods value formality over your faith, Baron."
"Good business sense."
"Of course. The more believers and temples a god has, the higher their divinity."
"Will I go up like 5 levels if I pray?"
"1 level."
"Then I won't."
I don't want to sell my soul and conscience for just 1 level. It's not even a game where leveling is hard.
──────────────
Achievement: Nexus (Segra)
Reward: 1 Level
Description: You visited a sacred place!
Rating: That's too much!
──────────────
'Huh?'
I didn't pray. But I received an achievement.
[20]■■■■■■■(1%)
"Congratulations. Your level went up."
"Why? I didn't pray."
"Maybe the goddess highly evaluated your actions in opening the temple, Baron?"
"That's ridiculous."
With my eyes half-open, I stared intently at the statue.
The goddess Segra seemed to be looking at me with big eyes and smiling mischievously.
***
If you're born as a child of a great noble who rules a planet, you can level up quickly and safely like a hothouse tomato.
They just stick their swords into experience points set up by automatons. Then when a very important moment in life arrives, they rapidly raise their levels all at once.
War, duels, proposals, competitions, interviews...
Their parents decide the timing. By utilizing achievements they can only receive once.
──────────────
Achievement: Nexus (Chansia)
Reward: 1 Level
Description: You visited a sacred place!
Rating: None.
──────────────
"...Good."
The man who became the new heir of the Benator family, Lean Benator, finished praying and stood up.
He looked one last time at the naked girl trapped inside a large glass bottle.
'As expected... Chansia has no rating either.'
Chansia, the goddess of fortune.
A goddess who pours fortune when you find opportunities.
That's why her symbol is a transparent glass bottle containing a treasure map. The treasure map is you.
"You did well."
The automaton assisting Lean Benator's training handed him a water bottle. Because he must be thirsty since drinking is also prohibited during prayer.
Lean, who replenished his fluids, turned around without regret.
He's a believer of Segra, the goddess of discrimination. Having obtained the achievement, there was no reason to stay here longer.
"What's next?"
"This was the last nexus."
"I see..."
Even if it's disappointing, it can't be helped. Not all temples give achievements.
Nexus.
A sacred place where gods reside.
But nexuses aren't common, and most are directly managed by the state. Entry fees for your own country's nexuses are reasonably priced, but entry fees for other countries' nexuses increase hundreds of times. And if it's a hostile country, you can't even bring it up.
Lean checked his status window.
[19]■■■■■■■(43%)
One level was added from the achievement he just received.
This is the power of a nexus.
A nexus is an achievement you can only receive once from each god. So it's better to save them as much as possible, level up at least one more time, then receive them all at once, but this wasn't the time to worry about efficiency.
'Level 20. I can't lose.'
A mission to eliminate the last male of the Marcus family and marry the female of the Marcus family who will inherit the level 27 Unique.
'My brother is dead. Now I'm Benator's heir.'
His father, Count Redin Benator, even used the family's emergency funds.
He donated astronomical entry fees to other countries' nexuses and purchased high-level criminals to convert into experience points.
The duel was that important.
"Information on the opponent?"
"Due to heavy manipulation, Baron Ronan Marcus's level is still difficult to determine."
"I see..."
It was frustrating. Every time he asked, it was always manipulation. Where on earth is the truth!
"Baron Ronan Marcus is currently exploring ruins. This is certain."
"Ruins? When the confrontation is soon?"
It's hard to level up in ruins. Because easy opponents don't wait obediently. The probability is much higher that they're too low level to help growth or too high level and dangerous.
He understands that's all a desperately poor baron family can do. But Lean was slightly, very slightly anxious because he couldn't understand his opponent's intentions.
'I'm level 20. No need to worry.'
He can't beat warriors who reached level 20 through pure skill, but he can crush almost all automatons and humans with level alone.
This is the difference in birth. Discrimination starts before you're born!
"Glory to Segra..."
"Young master. The warp is ready."
"That's a bit disappointing. There's still plenty of time until the confrontation..."
"Don't worry about that. The count invited a Master to the family for you, young master."
"A Master?!"
Master.
A title given only to the strong who can defeat an automaton of the same level in a 1-on-1 fight.
Their numbers are so few in each country you can count them on one hand.
"Master 2nd rank."
"Wow!"
Masters also have grades. Because Masters who can beat automatons higher level than themselves exist.
1 level higher is Master 2nd rank, 2 levels higher is Master 3rd rank, 3 levels higher is Master 4th rank...
In other words, the higher the rank, the stronger the Master. Needless to say they're rare.
"Shall we warp?"
"Yeah!"
Just because you learn some swordsmanship from a Master 2nd rank doesn't mean you become a Master. But his confidence surged.
He looked at the statue of Chansia, the goddess of fortune.
'Chansia! Behold! I, Lean Benator, have found an opportunity!'
The anxiety that had been stirring in Lean Benator's heart disappeared without a trace.
***
In this world, temples aren't just tourist attractions.
A chatroom where prayers really reach the gods!
Of course, not all chatrooms are active. Most are just fan cafes where believers chat among themselves.
Chatrooms where gods have entered are called differently.
Nexus.
If you greet the god here, anyone can receive 1 level like a souvenir.
"This is bad."
"I know."
I completely agreed with Elise's opinion too.
This place wasn't some elf ruin.
A nexus of Segra, the goddess of discrimination, infamous for favoring her believers!
In a worldview that evaluates humans by level, the value of a nexus that unconditionally raises levels is absolute.
In other words,
'Was it a defense game...!'
Until I can protect my territory with my own power, the existence of the nexus must be kept secret. If it's discovered, Count Benator isn't the problem. The country will try to take it.
There's only one method.
"It's surprisingly simple. Elise. Recruit adventurers to explore the ruins."
"You plan to hide everything."
"Right. Just a simple story of a lord who failed to explore the ruins leaving it to adventurers. What do you think? Will they fall for it?"
"I judge that because it's simple, the probability of suspicion is also low."
"Good. Proceed right away."
If only I, who received 1 level from the goddess Segra, keep my mouth shut, no one will know.
I can't utilize Ilina and the guardians as full combat power, but it's better than having the territory taken by the country.
"Young master. Compensation has arrived from the Aspis family."
"Oh! How'd it go?"
"2 coins."
"That's it?"
Extremely disappointing. The ransom for a beautiful daughter is only 2 coins!
"You can't forget the level 18 automaton you extorted under the pretext of a down payment. You also killed the level 21 knight."
"But that knight attacked me first?"
"Still, killing is killing."
"So it's mutual fault? What a realistic calculation method."
"Young master. How's your body?"
"I think I'm okay."
The wound from Ilina's cut healed quickly, but the blood I lost wasn't replenished. Because the shield rejected someone else's blood.
Blood transfusions are only possible from family within second-degree relatives.
I could call my older sister, but I slowly recovered over two days of eating and sleeping.
'I should go now.'
I'm not in perfect condition, but I have to get up. I can't let my only older sister marry into the Benator family. Her importance increased even more because she's within second-degree relatives.
"Be careful."
"Okay."
Pione, holding my bag, gently approached.
"Baron. I'll guide you from here."
"Does it feel like going home?"
"The new master likes pointless jokes. Automatons don't have homes."
"My bad. I'm ready."
"Warping."
"Let's go."
[20]■■■■□□□(1%)
[18]■■□□□
To Count Aspis territory, which has the most magnificent arena in this country.