CH 83

Chapter 83 – The Kress Religion

“Welcome back.”

“Have there been any problems?”

“Nothing to report.”

“Alright.”

As usual, I ask if anything has happened in the Nether. Well…it’s fine.

First, I have to harvest the housing products. Then I produce resurrection potions and attribute metals. For cooking, I make jerky and whatever else tickles my fancy.

Then I log out, have breakfast, and log back in.

Now, today’s activities can begin. This is where the real action begins. The earlier things are just my template activities…. my daily routine. I could also call it moneymaking.

Since my main equipment does not cost me anything, I could spend it on housing. Should I buy a fully automatic continuous distiller? I could make distilled water, whisky and so on. No, um…. aged for at least 3 years? I wonder how short it will be in game terms…..

I can’t drink it myself, so I don’t feel like getting serious about it….. Does it make sense if I consider that I can prepare as much as I like, then just leave it alone?

Oh, what happened to the wine? I left a barrel of wine in the room…….

….Hmm? It’s fermenting like crazy. What is the cause? Is it the environment or a skill? I don’t think the maids would touch their master’s things without permission.

In that case, the first place to check is the cooking board.

Looks like the cause is a skill. The [Shortened Processing] that I learned at 25 affects pickling, fermentation, ageing, and the like…. It’s probably the skill level divided by 10…is it. My «Cook» is 34 now, so it is around three times as fast. It’s a very good art.

That means I can reduce the jerky prep time even more. It might save MP. Though, to be honest, that doesn’t matter, since I’ll be making it inside a town….

This increased speed…..could be a problem, if it ends up overdone and spoils.

[Drink] Mead of Recollection　Rarity: Le　Quality: A

A liquor that is rich in magical power, made from Water of Recollection and the honey of Magic Army Bees.

Although the alcohol content is low, it is absorbed very quickly, causing easy intoxication.

For a short time, MP is gradually recovered.

Additional effect: Luck increased by 5%.

Duration: 6 hours.

Cook: Anastasia

Another strange thing was made…. MP regeneration is attractive, but it causes intoxication. It’s not a problem for me and Ske-san, so it will come in handy. I’ll need to use [Magicise] for Ske-san though.

And the quality is A. The buff effect is 6 hours. I can choose the buff effect, but only luck was available. Luck is a hidden stat, isn’t it? It does not show up in the basic stat evaluation. The effect is a mystery, but perhaps it helps with rare drops.

Mm? Could I not simply make lemonade? I can use the Water of Recollection and magic army bee honey. Honey, lemon, and salt. Use this as a base, dilute it with water and it is done.

[Drink] Lemonade of Recollection　Rarity: Le　Quality: A

A drink made from ingredients rich in magic, in quantities easily absorbed by humans.

For a short time, MP is gradually recovered.

Condition: Dehydration Recovery.

Additional effect: Luck increased by 5%.

Duration: 6 hours.

Cook: Anastasia

Hoho……I discovered a recipe with an oral rehydration solution effect. So, dehydration is a condition. On the BBS…… it was found quite early.

Once again, I can choose the buff effect, but luck is the only option.

The biggest question is whether the regen effect is equal or not. I was thinking about it, but they can’t be equal. One has a disadvantage, the other has no disadvantage. If they are equal, it’s very sad for the mead….but it might just be a matter of preference.

For the time being, can magic power recovery items be made using ingredients that contain magical power?

Wine, with the main ingredient being grapes, has no magic power. It is doubtful if just changing the water to Water of Recollection will give it recovery.

Mead is made in a large container, and only needs to be prepared. It’s easy to make, as it just needs to be left alone, but it takes more time than lemonade. The target customer is Mead-san.

Lemonade is likely to be the main product to be sold on consignment. Well, I’ll test the item before I sell it. If it’s good, I’ll consider increasing the number of magic army bees. It’s the only way to increase the honey harvest.

I move to the kitchen and install a fully automatic continuous distiller for 1,500,000. A pot still and shelf towers have appeared. Yeah, it’s big. If you set the glass, it will generate the potion bottles automatically.

It will take a long time to make back the 1.5 million with distilled water alone, but it should be better if I extend my reach to alcohol too. Maybe not in real life, but in-game, it’s cheaper to make your own, and the quality will be better.

A quick test run.

Set the material in the UI that appears. Water in the spout at the centre. Glass in the bottom outlet. It looks like a magic stone can be placed in the lower fuel slot. It is possible without a magic stone. Using a magic stone will improve efficiency….. Maybe it will shorten the time to the process being completed.

If set to automatic mode, the refining process will start automatically as soon as the materials are entered. If you use manual, you have to press a button. Well, automatic is fine. It is magic operated after all, so it is very quiet. If I had to complain about something, it is perhaps a bit bright.

For the time being, I tried using [Drinking Water] and Water of Recollection, but the quality is higher than distilled water from the production kit. However, the Water of Recollection just becomes distilled water. The magic power flew away.

The sad thing though….Distilling A quality Water of Recollection produces higher quality distilled water than B quality water drawn in the west.

The impurities (including magic) are removed. It’s a bit of a rough process. However, the Immortals of the Nether are certainly the most efficient at this stage.

If I talk to master or Sophie-san about it, they will definitely be surprised.

Since I’m in the kitchen, I might as well make some stuffed intestines.

I’ll also prepare mead from the honey that the gardener collected, and make lemonade since I have the ingredients.

Oh, every time I make lemonade I can choose a buff….Does it apply to all of them? It looks like A quality gives a definite buff. And [Magical Select] of «Cook» gives the option to choose which. It would be worthwhile to improve the quality of ingredients.

For wine….I need to buy grapes, but I only had one barrel made, so I don’t need them for now. At any rate, I think Dantel-san said he wanted to taste it, so I’ll bring it to him when he logs in.

I’ll put the miso back in the kit to stop time for it. I don’t want it to ferment any longer. No, I have a magic seasoning set, so I’d rather sell it. I’m sure the cooks will make good use of it.

Mm…..it’s a good time to stop, so I’ll finish up with crafting for now. I’ll jump over to the Starting Town, put things up for sale at the Merchant Union and then head to Dantel-san’s shop.

“Good day.”

“Welcome.”

I tell the shopkeeper my name, and ask him to call Dantel-san.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“I thought…..I’d have you taste the wine I prepared.”

“Oh, finally.”

I pour out some wine from the storage barrel and let him have a drink.

“Let’s see…..Yeah, it’s a proper wine. Do you want to leave it longer for the taste?”

“No, I just wanted to try making it. I’m sure the wine lovers will take care of pursuing taste. By the way, I bought a fully automatic continuous distiller.”

“Oh, that…..That’s quite a price.”

“1.5 million. I thought it would be nice to have for distilled water and brandy for cooking…”

“I recall Salute saying it was pretty handy. I hear it’s fully automatic and easy to use.”

“Mostly for the bottling.”

It’s not so much the making of distilled water, but the filling of the potion bottles with distilled water that’s troublesome. In that housing facility, you just add water and it distills and bottles it for you. I will soon have a lot of distilled water in potion bottles.

“Oh, yeah. I also made something like this.”

“Hmmm…..? Oh! How much is the recovery?”

“I only just made it, so it hasn’t been tested yet.”

“Magic army bees……I don’t see them available.”

“What about bees?”

“There are no bees.”

“Do you have a flower garden?”

“No. Is that the condition?.”

“Probably so. Bees need a flower field. Magic concentration might be needed too.”

There are always prerequisites. You need a room to install something. If you don’t have one, you have the option of building it. It takes a lot of money. In some cases, you’ll be told to buy land.

For honeybees, they need flowers to collect nectar.

“Hmmm…… Well, I guess I don’t need that.”

“I’ll probably increase production depending on the recovery amount. Magic potions were…..um?”

“What?”

“Oh, right, I’m an Outer One now. Can I use potions now?”

“Ah, I see. Isn’t it worth trying?”

“Oh, I don’t have any potions on me.”

“No point carrying things you don’t use after all. Here.”

I take the potion from Dantel-san and test it. And the result is, it works! Still, regeneration is not useless, so I need to test it. It is a different type of recovery to potions.

I’ll give a gift of mead in return for the potion. He would choose liquor over lemonade.

“I’m happy that I can use them, but I will have to prepare some potions….”

“Can you make them yourself?”

“I’ll need a few more ingredients, but it’s possible.”

“Even if it’s a bit more effort, it’s probably cheaper. There’s a lot of demand.”

“There are a lot of players….”

“Sure. That’s a good thing!”

The natural enemy of MMO’s is depopulation. The more the merrier.

<<We have confirmed that a certain amount of time has passed since the unrestricted release. Chronicle Quests will now be released. Please refer to the help section for more information.>>

“What?”

“Hmhm? The help has been updated…… long.”

※What is a Chronicle Quest?

Chronicle Quests are quests that that occur under different conditions than World Quests, but which will undoubtedly have an impact on the world.

In simple terms, they are similar to story quests. In the case of Chronicle Quests, the quest information window is more extravagant.

They can be received directly from individuals or via contractors.

These quests are open to anyone who can find them, but will only be applied to the world if they are completed with the 『best result』. When this happens, a replay video will be automatically added to the official website or to the in-game ‘Chronicle’, for all players to see.

Quests completed with the 『best result』 will not be available again. Conversely, until the 『best result』 is achieved, the quest can be reattempted as many times as you like. Good luck with your trial and error.

The Chronicle will include the names of the discoverers and achievers, as well as a replay video of the 『best result』 clear. Work hard to become famous.

Chronicle quests vary greatly in content and difficulty. Villages, towns, territories and even countries. They may affect small or large areas, but they will definitely change the world.

Subjugation, production, investigation, race, or position. The conditions under which they occur or can be received are numerous. From errand quests to chronicles…..

Let’s take a look around the world.

Example 1: Subjugation: Defeat a group of ○○ aiming for ○○!

Example 2: Production: ○○ has been destroyed by a monster and must be repaired urgently!

Example 3: Investigation: Find evidence of the lord’s wrongdoings!

Example 4: Escort: A nobleman’s carriage is being attacked!

“I see, the story is close.”

“Chronicle….Records, huh.”

“This is going to become the goal of the so-called vanguard group, right?”

“But it looks like it isn’t going to focus solely on battle.”

“No, it’s not. Basically, the person who found it will clear it either solo or in a party. If it’s still impossible, he might put the information on the BBS… It will still show the name of the discoverer.

“Well, it’s good that there will be opportunities for all kinds of people.”

<Execute conviction of a contract violation.>

『Condemnation of the Violator』

As indicated on the mini-map, condemn those who have broken their vows to the goddess.

Condition: Outer One

Reward: ???

“Hm? Oh? Chronicle…..or not….”

“What?”

“A racial quest started abruptly.”

“Huh? A non-evolution race quest?”

“I have to punish people who violate contracts.”

“Oh, yeah. Outer Ones…… Is it a stupid player?”

“Probably, given the location. They’re in town.”

There’s a start button on the quest. When I press it…… I see, I will be transported to the target location. When it is complete, I will be returned to where I was.

“Well, I’m off.”

“I’d like to see it, but is it possible?”

“If it’s possible or not, it’s possible, but I will be teleported there….”

“I see, that’s a hassle. Tch.”

Dantel-san sends me off and I start the condemnation quest.

I wonder how it will play out.

<Condemnation begins. Status restriction will be lifted.>

Does that mean I can go at full performance?

Let’s go through the black oval that appeared ahead of me, for the time being. It’s a transfer portal.

“”Eh?””

When I exit the portal, there are two human male players, but only one with a marker. From the looks of the equipment, they seem to be from the third batch. Perhaps they saw something related to the Outer Ones on the BBS and were curious. But it doesn’t matter. I’m only targeting the collared one!

“Good day! And your humanity appears to have reached its limit….”

“Ehh!? Ahhh!”

I greeted him, bound him with a tentacle, then skewered him with Athame. Naturally, it was the heart that I pierced. The forced crit and the continuous damage from the penetration cause an instant death.

As he died, the binding was released, and he is now lying face down on the ground….. Speaking of which, when I saw an Outer One previously…..

“Fuu….. another boring one ….another attack!”

“Gue!”

“『Beating the corpse…』”

I pierce his neck again from above with Athame.

When I grind it, he turns into polygons and disappears.

“Thank you for all the donations to the Afterworld”

He’s not here anymore.

<Well done.>

The quest ended with a compliment. Mm, well…fine.

“So, isn’t the town a safe zone…?”

“Yes? Did you not see information on Outer Ones on the BBS?”

“But you’re a player….?”

“I understand. I’m a player, but I’m also an Outer One, so it doesn’t seem to matter when I’m called to perform condemnation.”

Because he was from the third batch it is unclear how the status restrictions were lifted. Time to go.

When I press ‘Return’ from the UI, I am sent back to Dantel-san’s shop.

“Are you done?”

“Yes, judging by the appearance, they were from the third batch.”

I came back, but I have no more business with Dantel-san for now, so I will head off.

Now, what should I do next?

It might be nice to search for a Chronicle quest, I could go do some hunting to raise skills or aim for a royal capital other than the east one.

“Ah, found her! Anastasia-sama!”

“Oh, from the church. What can I do for you?”

“Lucianna-sama asks if you would please come to the church when you have time.”

“Well, now is fine. I’ve just finished my business.”

I go to the church with the priestess who came looking for me.

The church is open to the public…… The chapel is biggest in terms of room size. Basically, a church is a chapel. A place to pray. The rest of the rooms are only for the clergy. Or, rather, they are off-limits to the general public.

Well, Outsiders enter from the chapel, even if it is the main entrance.

“Ah, Lucianna-san. I came.”

“You caught her, thank you for your hard work. I’m sorry to call you so suddenly.”

First to the priestess, then to me.

“I don’t mind, but what’s wrong?”

“The church headquarters has sent a letter to Anastasia…..no, to Nemeseia.”

Well, it’s finally here. Someone trying to make contact with Nemeseia. The sender is written as Pope of Kress, Jasmine Forster. By the way, I didn’t know the name.

The church’s headquarters is in the Nealence Kingdom capital. Well, let’s take a look at the letter. I don’t have a paper knife, so I use Athame to cleanly cut it open.

“………Hm.”

“What do the headquarters….?”

I know you can’t check the letter before you give it to me, but don’t you know what it says, Lucianna-san? There is no problem with showing the letter, so I hand it over to her.

By the way, it started with a very painful greeting. Considering my position, it’s bound to be like this…..

“I see….They want you to deliver Crystal Lotus and Holy Punica to the churches in each major city, with a price based on quality.”

“Right. Rather than just here, they want it elsewhere too.”

“I can understand the feeling of the headquarters, but….. there are a lot of them, is it possible?”

“If it’s a question of possible or impossible…..It would be possible, but the delivery would be very troublesome.”

If there is one church in each town, the delivery would be quite a hassle. To be honest, I’d prefer not to, as that would take up a few hours of my time…. Oh, I got…… a quest.

『Notice to Outsiders in the Nether』

Convey the request of the church to the Chancellor in the Evernight Castle.

The Chancellor will inform the Outsiders who reach the Nether.

Condition: Those who have reached the Nether.

Reward: Continue to the next quest.

There is a detailed quest guide for the procedure of meeting the Chancellor, but I can just skip everything and go tell him.

Well, that’s because I’m part of the royal family, so I don’t need to follow the procedures.

“Let’s get the other Outsiders involved. Can you wait for a while? I will go speak with the Chancellor. It will be fine to give the reward to whoever performs the delivery.”

It’s a hassle if I’m alone, but if I can involve other players who have reached the Nether, it’s no problem.

“Then I’ll tell them that.”

“Ah, it was the church headquarters. I’m fine with talking to them directly…… is the head of the church the Pope? I’m sure they have a busy schedule…..”

“Yes, the Pope. Jasmine Forster. Her voice carries the same weight as a king of one of the great powers.”

So a pope is on the same level as a king of a great power.

After asking why, I am told that it is because there is only one religion……the Kress religion. Since it seems to be the only one, there are too many followers to ignore…..in some cases, even the king too.

The four pillars are the objects of worship. Creall, Stellura, Harvenshis and Sigrdrífa. As you can see from the clothes of the clergy, they are free to believe in any or all of the pillars, and they are expected to accept the faith of others.

In other words, there is only one religion, the Kress religion, but the clergy of the Kress religion may have different focuses of their faith. Archbishop Lucianna believes in the gods, but….not in any specific one.

It is very easy to identify a priest. The colour of the cloth and the embroidery of the habit. The colour of the cloth indicates the god they believe in, and the colour of the embroidery indicates their status as a priest.

The problem is with ordinary people who are not clerics, but most follow Harvenshis. Adventurers and knights, Sigrdrífa. The craftsmen, Creall. Many merchants follow Stellura.

“I can understand adventurers, knights and craftsmen, but…… what about merchants following Stellura-sama and the general populace Harvenshis-sama?”

“Merchants are supposed to keep their contracts, to take care of them. Most follow Harvenshis-sama because she is the goddess of fertility. Love and growth, nature and rest are popular. Especially for farmers. Her attributes are also water and earth.”

So the merchants believe in Stellura-sama’s face of contracts and condemnation. Certainly, trust is important in a merchant’s business.

Harvenshis-sama is basically said to be the goddess of charity, but if you look at her attributes and nature, she is also the goddess of fertility.

“After all, people can’t live without crops.”

“I see, that’s a strong point. So Harvenshis-sama is prayed to for a good harvest.”

“We pray to Harvenshis-sama at harvest festivals.”

Basically, people seem to pray without paying mind to the specific gods, but rather the aspects they are said to govern.

Prayers for crops, such as at harvest festivals, should be made to Harvenshis-sama. When it is related to battle, to Sigrdrífa-sama. To Stellura-sama for new year’s celebrations and birthdays. And to Creall-sama, who is the beginning of everything, on a regular basis.

“Stellura-sama is…the face of space-time and fate?”

“Yes. Prayers for the dead are also made to Stellura-sama.”

“Because she is the goddess of reincarnation.”

Each face….well, you can call it authority or aspect, can be prayed to as you think is fitting.

“Actually, the oracles do not tell us to pray or hold festivals. It’s something we do on our own, so we do not find it a bother.”

The church was founded to protect the ones that receive oracles, and to spread word of the oracles. Armed force is needed to protect the miko, so holy knights, or paladins, were created. Helpers were needed to spread the oracles, so the number of believers increased. And in order not to be destroyed by nations, a certain level of power was needed. The armed force of the paladins was not sufficient. And as the number of people increases, there must be someone to coordinate them. The result of all this trial and error is the current world religion….Kress.

“I have heard that, in the past…..the oracles were cut off for two generations, due to religious war.”

“Well, that would be enough to bring out the wrath of the gods. By the way, what kind of oracles are they?”

“Is it basically about disasters? It is hard to be certain, but mostly they tell of drought, famine, plague and the like, in advance.”

“That….is very helpful.”

“Yes, really. If we know in advance, we can deal with it. It’s our job to convey them. It’s up to the country to decide what to do afterwards.”

Normally they clean the chapel, manage the statues, run orphanages and subjugate the undead.

When the oracle comes, it is relayed to anyone related. They also protect the miko from people abusing their power, monsters and criminals……

While sitting in the chapel with Lucianna-san I have learned a lot about the church. It has derailed a lot from asking about the pope’s influence, but now I should proceed with the quest. For now, I have to talk to the Chancellor.

“Well then, I’ll talk to the Chancellor first.”

“Yes, thank you.”

I transfer to the palace, my house, and head to the castle, where I can find the Chancellor.

“Chancellor.”

“What is it?”

“Please prepare Lotus and Punica….for the church.”

“Let me see………hmm. We can’t deliver it, but the Outsiders can. Do you want me to inform them?”

“Yes, please.”

“Then I will see it is done.”

I have a short talk with the Chancellor and decide what to tell Lucianna-san. In the meantime, the Chancellor called another person to hand over what he had written down.

After talking with the Chancellor I return to the surface. Of course, back to the church.

“Welcome back.”

“I’m back. I’ve spoken to the Chancellor…”

The content would be to give instructions to the Outsiders who reach the Nether, and have them make the deliveries. The fee is to be paid directly to the one who makes the delivery. However, since it is not known where the Outsiders will take the items, they may not reach some places.

The church has requested that the quality be of C or higher, so there should be no problem.

“Then I will contact the headquarters and ask them to notify all the churches.”

“Yes, please.”

The details were written into a letter that had been prepared while I was in the Nether, and would be handed onto someone….or so I thought.

“[Fly through the sky].”

“Oh? Ohh….”

“Didn’t you know about this magic?”

“I’ve never seen it before.”

The letter became like a bird and physically flew away. Really fantasy.

And then I am told. It seems to be classified as a life magic, but not many people can use it. The flight speed is quite fast, but you have to be careful about the weather. If you can use it, you can earn some money. Well, I don’t think I’ll ever use it. I’ll just transfer myself.

While I was learning and talking, a letter flew in.

“Is this price okay?”

It shows the price by quality and the amount for renting out…..but, this seems to be a good way to earn some pocket money. Rather, this sort of thing will have to be decided by the Resident AI. It’s a quest, so is it not set automatically?

It is a pretty good price….and the amount for lending out the items is a bonus.

“It’s a bit cheap considering the rarity, but it’s about right considering the future.”

“There are a lot of these flowers in the Nether…. It’s an ongoing transaction, so no problem.”

A letter was written again and flew away.

After another short conversation, the reply came back.

“We will send instructions to the churches. Here is the contract.”

“Then I will go to the Nether for a bit.”

I teleport over there and have the Chancellor check the contract. It’s more reliable than looking over it alone.

Then I’ll sign it.

“Then I should make the notification here, too?.”

“Yes, please.”

『Request from the Church』

Deliver Crystal Lotus and Holy Punica from the Nether to the church.

Quality must be C or higher.

Collect them yourself or receive them at Evernight Castle.

Condition: Those who have reached the Nether.

Reward: Dependant on quality of the item.

Permanent Chronicle Quest

Oh….a quest with an especially pretty window has appeared. It is a permanent Chronicle Quest….Oh, first in the Chronicle. It’s a regular service, so it must be permanent.

By the way, it seems that there are also racial quests and delivery quests in the Chronicle that were not mentioned in the help. Ah, there is a video. I haven’t completed it, but what’s in the video?

I’ll check it out when I get back to the palace. ….I see, it’s a video of the quest from meeting Lucianna-san until when the quest occurred just now. I wonder if it will be cut off if you do something else in between. It’s best to be careful…..

The UI is just a window, with audio, line of sight and first person in the bottom left corner…. It’s the same as the basic setup for the video and streaming system.

Oh? Another Chronicle has also been cleared. They must have been on the verge of a Chronicle, like me.

Now, let’s level up and increase the capacity. I have to test the drinks. If it looks good, I’ll add them to consignment.