< Chapter 83 - The Guardians of the Holy Cross >
Chapter 83 – The Order of the Holy Cross
Cordelia had a dream.
Memories of the time before being reborn in the Pleiades, when I was still living as the Yellow Storm Hong Yu-hee.
“ah.”
As with most dreams, it started out of the blue, but Cordelia didn’t feel any particular sense of incongruity.
It was a dream, you know.
Hong Yu-hee’s room.
Cordelia, standing in the middle of a room with a lot of pink in the wallpaper, curtains, etc., looked at the bookshelf.
The top shelf was packed with books related to CAD and other certifications, and the shelves below that were filled with comic books and fairy tales that I had liked since I was young.
And one more space.
Cordelia was quietly looking at the shelves lined with figures and plastic models, and her eyes were drawn to the one that caught her eye the most.
This was a Cordelia figure released when the popularity of Heroes Chronicle 2 was at its peak.
‘It was hard to get.’
It wasn’t that there was a shortage of quantity, it was just that the price was high.
Because saving up pocket money wasn’t enough, I ended up having to trade items for real money.
‘Still pretty.’
I remember being really happy for a while because every morning when I opened my eyes and looked at the bookshelf, I saw Cordelia.
‘Cordelia.’
Cordelia reached out again and took out the Cordelia figure, looked at it quietly, and then looked around.
‘No one is there?’
After checking that the door was closed tightly, Cordelia pursed her lips several times and turned the Cordelia figure over to look under her skirt.
Strangely, whenever I saw a figure wearing a skirt, I wanted to turn Cordelia over and look at it.
‘It’s white.’
Cordelia, who laughed without realizing it, put the Cordelia figure back in its place.
Cordelia walked towards the desk, recalling the results of an experiment that showed that not only Cordelia herself, but most people regardless of gender or age looked under skirts out of curiosity.
‘My desk.’
Unlike the cozy room, the desk had a hard design that looked like it would be used in an office, but thanks to the various small items placed on it, it didn’t ruin the atmosphere of the room that much.
Cordelia sat down at her desk, patting the heads of the little teddy bears lined up on it.
I sat down on the desk, my small body buried in the stupidly expensive but comfortable chair my uncle had given me, saying he had found it while he was demolishing the office. I put my hands on the desk.
Cordelia stroked the VR device and its dedicated controllers next to the mechanical keyboard—a Leopold blue-axis keyboard, to be exact.
This was a device that was added to Heroes Chronicle 2 after the release of Heroes Chronicle 3. It was an item that allowed you to play Heroes Chronicle 2, a game originally played with a keyboard and mouse, with a VR device and a joystick reminiscent of an airplane simulator – almost like something you would find in a robot cartoon cockpit.
‘It’s complex, but it also has good performance.’
One of the reasons Cordelia could be called a human disaster was because of this joystick.
Even in the heroic tales overflowing with veterans, it was rare to find someone who could handle it perfectly, but once you could handle it perfectly, the level of character control was – no, it was on a whole other level.
‘There must be no one but Yuder, right?’
There is no one who can use this as perfectly as I do.
Cordelia, who had just chuckled, grabbed the gaming mouse and started Heroes Chronicle 2 instead of putting on the VR device.
As soon as I logged in, a familiar name appeared.
Kowabunga: Oh, you’re here?
Kowabunga, one of the chat room idiots.
I’ve never seen it in person, but since he often does voice play, I felt like I could hear the voice in my head just by looking at the letters.
Yellow Storm: Oh, here you come.
After answering appropriately and looking at the list of chat rooms, the only ones currently connected were Kowabunga and Outboxer009-Uder.
Kowabunga: Hey, but don’t you do deco?
Discord. Also known as Disco. A program mainly used for voice chat.
Cordelia shook her head and tapped her keyboard, even though she was aware of its existence.
Yellow Storm: Oh, no.
Kowabunga: Why don’t you do it?
Yellow Storm: I don’t have a microphone at home. If you buy me one, I’ll think about it.
In fact, it was just an excuse.
There was another real reason, you see.
‘There are too many kids who are being noisy.’
It was a bit embarrassing to say this myself, but Cordelia herself had a very nice voice.
To the extent that I’ve been constantly asked since elementary school if I wanted to try being a voice actor in the future.
Moreover, she was a woman and a precious hard player.
As a result, there were quite a few people who would complain when playing games with their voices turned on.
‘There are a lot of kids who cause trouble.’
Since Heroes Chronicles itself is a game oriented towards men, about 80% of all players are male, and among those who inhabit Heroes Chronicles, there were many so-called game nerds.
Why isn’t there such a saying?
A pretty girlfriend who is good at games is said to be the ideal type of game addicts.
Cordelia herself was the perfect fit for that role.
“Ahem.”
Cordelia gently pressed her cheeks, which were flushed with embarrassment, with both hands and focused on the monitor again.
‘Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Abok do voice chat before.’
It’s been about 5 years since we’ve seen each other in games, but we’ve never seen each other’s faces, let alone heard each other’s voices.
‘Are you sure you’re not a woman like Namman Cat Sister?’
Yuder is also a popular character among women.
‘Hmm… This is just Kingly-like seriousness.’
Cordelia closed her eyes for a moment and imagined what Outboxer 009 looked like.
Cordelia was a total brat when it came to making fun of herself, but she was actually quite serious when dealing with other people. No, in a way, she was cold, and she didn’t talk much.
‘I’m getting pissed when I think about it.’
Why do you always yell at me?
When we first met, we started arguing about how bad we were at games.
Cordelia was suddenly angry, but strangely, the imaginary Outboxer 009 was pretty.
If it really were a woman, something like a tall, fit, and talented queen came to mind.
There are some girls who look fierce but cool and wear suits well.
‘He was wearing a racing suit and riding a big black motorcycle.’
The eyes seem a bit fierce?
Cat statue?
Now that I think about it, Cordelia herself and Hong Yu-hee also had cat-like features.
I often hear that I am pretty like a doll because of my small body, but at the same time, I also hear that I look like a ferocious kitten.
‘Hey, it can’t be a real woman.’
Besides, seeing her act like a child to me, I couldn’t believe she was such a cool older sister.
‘There······.’
Suddenly, Cordelia remembered one of Outboxer 009’s weaknesses and giggled as she tapped away at the keyboard.
Yellow Storm: Abok-ah, Abok-ah. If you’re online, answer me.
Yellow Storm: You know everything, right?
Yellow Storm: Ah
Yellow Storm: Smile
Yellow Storm: Fortune
Yellow Storm: West
Yellow Storm: Bald.
Yellow Storm: Erectile dysfunction. Bald. Anyway, bald.
Outboxer 009: Falling behind?
Yellow Storm: Oh, I see. Are you really bald? So when I say bald, you always say it even when you’re chewing on it?
Outboxer009: What the hell.
Outboxer009: Anyway, what’s going on?
At Outboxer009’s question, Cordelia took her hands off the keyboard for a moment and thought about it.
There was a reason why I thought of my wonderful older sister.
Even though he was a kid who would go from being an elementary school student to a total kid when the monthly rankings were announced, he was usually very friendly and answered questions well.
Outboxer 009: No bomb?
Yellow Storm: Sex
Outboxer009: Are you crazy?
Yellow Storm: Power Sex
Outboxer009: What the fuck, this game catches everything else, but why can’t it catch that one?
Yellow Storm: Sex A Sex
Yellow Storm: Power Sex!
As I knocked, I could feel Outboxer009 looking helpless on the other side of the LAN cable.
Yellow Storm: Idiot ă…‹ă…‹ă…‹
One of Outboxer009’s weaknesses was that he would usually say all sorts of things, but would suddenly panic if someone said something dirty.
‘Sometimes I see you and you look like a total gentleman.’
Could it be that she is some kind of young lady?
So, when I see dirty words, I don’t know what to do.
Outboxer009: You’re like an elementary school kid. Are you really an elementary school kid? You’re not even a middle school kid, are you?
Yellow Storm: Sex
Outboxer009: Hey
Yellow Storm: Power Sex
Outboxer009: C-X
Cordelia, who thought of Outboxer 009-Uder, who was getting angry from beyond the LAN cable, laughed out loud and tapped away at the keyboard.
&
“Power… sex… s.”
Cordelia, who had been mumbling softly, opened her eyes.
Sunshine.
The smell of grass.
The sound of trees swaying in the wind can be heard from far away.
Cordelia blinked again, and only then did she realize she had woken up from her dream.
“ah.”
Pleiades.
Cordelia.
As I yawned and stretched, the dream that had been vivid in my mind suddenly scattered and became a mess.
“Hmm.”
Cordelia blinked again and raised her upper body to see a familiar back.
“Are you awake?”
“huh.”
The back of Yuder preparing breakfast.
Well, I think I said something weird in my sleep, but you didn’t hear me, did you?
Cordelia shrugged her shoulders and turned her attention back to Uther and his surroundings.
There were various cooking utensils on the campfire, and a delicious smell was wafting in.
Bacon and eggs… and carrots?
“I don’t like carrots.”
I spoke out loud as if he was telling Yuder to listen, but Yuder seemed to have no idea and started talking about something else instead of side dishes.
“I brought water, so wash your face first.”
“Yes, Mom.”
Cordelia opened the lid of the basin by her bedside and dipped her hands into the clear water.
It was actually warm water.
‘You’re kind.’
No, I should say it’s detailed.
I was honestly so grateful that you prepared the water for me to wash in, but you even made it so hot.
Of course, now that Yuder can freely use basic magic, it’s much easier to prepare hot water than before, but it’s still annoying.
“Hehehe.”
Cordelia smiled without realizing it, then finished washing up and squatted down next to Uther, looking at the frying pan.
As expected, bacon and eggs were being fried.
“Can you get some bread and cheese out of my bag?”
“huh.”
Cordelia took out the bread and cheese as instructed by Uther, placed them on a wooden plate, and looked at Uther again.
Strangely, a smile kept coming out of my face.
“why?”
“Just. I just like it.”
Because there were no elves around, only Uther.
They’re like erotic elves up until Balang.
Who the hell dares to talk nonsense like that?
“Hehehe.”
It was a good thing you ran away in the middle of the night, it was a good thing.
When Cordelia laughed bashfully, Uther tilted his head as if he didn’t understand English, but soon laughed along.
Two days after leaving the Forest of Eternity.
A morning scene where peace has been completely restored.
Cordelia, who was watching Uder put the food he had cooked into plates with his chin resting on his hand, suddenly remembered one thing.
‘Come to think of it, isn’t Velencia an elf too?’
He is also an elf of the High Elf royal family who took root in the Eternal Forest.
‘if?’
For a moment, Cordelia’s eyes were filled with strong suspicion, but she did not say anything out loud.
‘I also need to quickly talk to the Inspector and figure out the situation.’
Even though I said I would meet the Sword Spirit, I couldn’t tell exactly what it would feel like just by hearing it.
In order to confirm whether it was really possible to cheat, Cordelia herself needed to meet the Sword Spirit.
“Are you having trouble talking to the Grand Order?”
Cordelia nodded as Uther asked, placing the bowl on a flat rock that he had picked up somewhere.
“Oh, I’m calling but there’s no answer.”
“Is there something wrong with meditation? I feel like I fall asleep every time I do it.”
“Hey, I’m a magician by profession. I’m really good at meditation.”
“If that’s what you’re saying, then so be it.”
“Hey, is this true?”
“Yes, yes, I understand.”
Cancel the detailed statement.
When Uther spoke angrily, Cordelia, who was on drugs, opened her lips to block Uther’s mouth as if in a dream, but soon closed them tightly again.
Chatting and voice acting are different.
‘Oh, come to think of it.’
You really didn’t hear me earlier, did you?
Words spoken in one’s sleep.
“Cordelia?”
“Huh? Oh, no. Anyway, are you all here now?”
“Oh, I think I can get there before lunch today.”
Southern branch of the Order of the Holy Cross.
It was the largest of the branches in the Kingdom of Seilun, and was once known as the place where the Swordmaster Kamael resided.
“If I go there, will I be able to contact Kamael?”
“Maybe. Unlike the Master, Kamael is an officer of the Holy Cross Guardians. He has a secretly honest personality, so he’ll probably leave a contact behind.”
“but.”
Cordelia nodded and closed her eyes for a moment, thinking about the Southern Branch.
The trading city of Saint-Croute.
The monastery of the Order of the Protectors of the Holy Cross is located next to it.
In fact, it was too large to be called a monastery.
The number of residents also reached several hundred.
‘Because it’s a holy place.’
Although it was not publicly known, the Abbey of Saint-Croute was one of the holy places of the Order of the Holy Cross.
It is one of only three high-level holy sites on the continent, right next to the Holy Cross Guardians’ Headquarters in the center of the continent, which is the only top-level holy site.
However, even within the Holy Cross, no one except those of high status knew about this fact.
That would be the case, since there was nothing particularly special about the Abbey of St. Croix itself.
It was not the birth of a famous saint, nor was it the setting for a holy war that would go down in history.
Just a relatively large monastery.
But Cordelia knew the truth.
‘The land given by God. The house of God.’
God lived in the Abbey of Saint-Croute.
Not a so-called god, but the real god of this world.
‘We couldn’t meet in the original.’
The existence itself could be found out no matter which playable character you were playing as, but you could not directly encounter it. The first reason was that there were no characters who were deeply involved in the Holy Cross Guardians, and by the time the deep relationship was established in the latter half, the god in question had already disappeared.
‘Young God Atalia.’
As Uder had once explained at length, the gods of this world could be broadly divided into three types.
One, high-ranking angels from heaven.
Two, divine beings who flowed in from completely different worlds.
Three, the true gods of this world, rooted in this world.
The first group included the sun god Solari, the second group included the god of anger, Shuten-Doji, one of the seven great disasters, and the third group included wild gods such as the golden dragon king.
‘I only found out that wild gods exist when I came here.’
In any case, the young god Atalia, who lived in the monastery of Saint-Croute, belonged to the third category.
A guardian deity rooted in this world, who truly seeks to protect this world.
However, since he was still a young god, his power was inferior to that of the Daemon Prince, let alone the sun god Solari.
‘But God is God, so this is it.’
If you continue to grow, you may be reborn as a being stronger than Solari.
‘Maybe… we can meet this time?’
Cordelia had gone to the Monastery of St. Croix to find a way to contact Kamael, but she was also slightly looking forward to meeting Atalia.
“Anyway, should we go now?”
“Okay, let’s go.”
Cordelia answered cheerfully, put on her backpack, and climbed onto Uther’s back. Uther fixed Cordelia and carried her on his back, then spoke.
“But Cordelia.”
“Oh, it’s Yuder.”
“Well… it’s not a chat, so shouldn’t we be a little more careful?”
“ok?”
“No, well… it’s just like that.”
What does this mean?
Cordelia blinked and then understood. That’s why her face turned red.
“Ahem, then let’s go.”
Towards the land of the gods, Sancroat.
Uther kicked the ground, and Cordelia groaned instead of answering.
&
< Chapter 83 - The Guardians of the Holy Cross > End
