Chapter 67: Ch 67: Finding a Tournament

"Are you going out? Can I accompany you to protect you? I promise I will not become a hindrance to you. I will also act like your hands and feet to protect you against any danger."

Caelion kept his head down as he made this request to Aiden. He sounded sincere in his desire to protect Aiden, but he did not need this protection.

He would rather have Caelion protect the village in his absence...but he could feel his Goddess’s curiosity, which was never a good sign.

’Aiden, tell him that he can come with us as long as he makes you his top priority. I will protect you, of course. However, I won’t mind having another pair of eyes on you during this outing.’

Aiden felt like complaining about his goddess for the first time. He wanted to assure her that there was no need to keep an eye on him for anything. After all, he was not a kid.

But he kept his mouth shut about this and decided that it would be better to follow his goddess’s lead. She must know what she was doing here, and if she permitted Caelion to come, that likely meant his presence would be needed on this journey.

*Sigh*

"Alright, you can come with us. Make sure to pack enough for a few days and meet me at the village temple in three hours. I need to make some final arrangements in the meantime."

First, Aiden had already bought the supplies for outdoor camping, and second, he had gotten the most comfortable carriage he could.

Unfortunately, things like cars were still too far out of his budget, and there was also a terrain problem in this world that would slowly need to be resolved. But he could not wait for that time to come.

Anyway, for now, he had tasks to distribute. The dwarf chief was busy with the school construction as well as Kinsek village. And the fairies were busy running security and other advancements.

He also told the people on patrol to get Lumi for any problems that occurred since she had the authority while he was out.

It took three hours to settle everything, and by the time he reached the temple, Caelion was waiting for them.

"Well, time to head out now."

Aiden sighed, feeling slightly unhappy that this outing with his Goddess was being ruined like this. But if this was for her comfort, then he was willing to endure this.

...

To say that their journey on the road was uneventful would be an understatement.

Due to Goddess Apophis’s presence, most small animals and monsters kept their distance. And Aiden’s system bought supplies that made it comfortable beyond measure.

There was almost no fatigue, and the high-quality materials made their nights feel like he was back in the main temple.

However, maybe that was not a good thing because when they booked a hotel, the firm mattress ended up giving him back pain.

Aiden pretended he was just fine, but Caelion had been a slave long enough to know the signs he was showing.

"I did not realize how delicate you were, Priest Aiden. You always looked like someone who could brave through any situation, but I see that even you have such weaknesses."

Caelion was not laughing, but there was enough amusement in his voice to make Aiden’s eyes twitch.

But he could not deny being spoiled. He had a fortunate life until now, so why would he be ashamed of this?

Moreover, his goddess was especially sweet with him, and she even took pride in how comfortably he lived.

’Of course you are spoiled! You are my most precious thing, and I will always cherish you and give you the best.’

Aiden felt fond of his goddess, and that fondness filled his face and even reached his eyes. Caelion noticed, but he was wise enough not to comment.

Rather, they started their investigation around the town with the aim of finding information about a tournament held in God Vaelor’s name.

He was a prime god, but not of this kingdom, so it was a little hard to find stuff related to him. And that was why Aiden had used the system’s functions in order to narrow down the location of the tournament.

’Ugh, if only this system would stop being so stubborn and actually tell me where I need to go. Then I wouldn’t need to face all these troubles in the first place...’

Unfortunately, the system was rigid in this case and did not specify anything for Aiden. So he was left to search the area manually.

But Aiden had always been lucky, and this time was no different. The first village he arrived at allowed him to strike gold, and the merchant he decided to visit struck up a conversation with him.

"God Vaelor’s tournament? Well, this is top secret, but since you gave me such valuable stuff, I guess I can share the news with you. There are talks that they are going to hold one tomorrow suddenly. Their goal is to make their own people win and gain more power. Of course, this is just a rumor."

The merchant Aiden had given his herbs to told him this information, and this was good information.

And once the merchant told him the real purpose of this tournament, it felt even more plausible.

God Vaelor was a fair god who was willing to bestow his blessing on anyone who won his tournament. But as fair as he was, his followers must be agitated at the fact that he did not prioritize them.

It was a problem all gods had after a while - whether to prioritize their followers and make their religion exclusive, or to make it inclusive and risk making their followers feel like they were not being appreciated.

As a result, scams like these often showed up.

’I will need to keep a close eye on Goddess Apophis’s followers in the future to ensure this does not happen. But for now, I will make full use of this opportunity.’