Chapter 32: With the Hero Partys Protection, My Lin Wei Must Be Absolutely Safe Now, Right?
Chapter 32: With the Hero Party’s Protection, My Lin Wei Must Be Absolutely Safe Now, Right?
“It looks like it’s finally over.”
Several hours had passed.
Only when the last faint stirrings of movement around them faded into absolute silence did Lin Wei lower his hand, dissolving the concealment spell. Instantly, the suffocating stench of rot washed over him.
“Ugh…”
Pressed close at his side, Iresha instinctively wrinkled her nose.
The silence was so complete it seemed to seep into the air itself—so deep it sent a chill down the spine.
She glanced around warily, her tension easing only after she confirmed there was truly no danger lurking nearby. Still, she couldn’t help but look anxiously at Lin Wei. “Are the goblins… all gone?”
“Of course.”
Before them, the goblin nest lay shrouded in shadow. Lin Wei conjured a globe of light and tossed it ahead. The illuminated scene was apocalyptic in its devastation.
Nearly everything below was coated in black, viscous slime. There wasn’t a single safe place to step. It looked as if some overwhelming force had swept through, eradicating all life and leaving the land blighted and dead. Here and there, scraps of equipment and weapons jutted from the soil, half-swallowed as if the earth itself was devouring them.
Only the grotesque statue of a Evil God remained standing, its twisted visage glaring in the gloom.
“To be precise, they were all dissolved by the evil god’s energy,” Lin Wei explained, pointing forward.
“The black residue on the ground—that’s what’s left of the goblins after they were devoured by that power.”
“Even though the evil god statue has gone dormant again, that contamination is still dangerous to humans. Don’t touch it. Purifying this kind of corruption is the Holy Church’s responsibility, not ours.”
With that, it was truly over.
Once violated by the goblins, the evil god statue would never have let them go after its power was unsealed. And monsters like goblins, hardwired to defend their nest, had simply kept pouring in—straight into the spreading miasma of the evil god’s power. The outcome was inevitable.
“Of course, there may still be a few goblins hiding in the tunnels. We’ll need to be careful on the way out—watch for ambushes.”
He turned to Iresha, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. “But what about you? Are you alright?”
The mage looked a little off. Her delicate cheeks were tinged with red, and her battle-worn robes revealed a glimpse of pale skin, glistening with nervous sweat.
“I’m fine. Just… a little warm, that’s all.”
Realizing how close she’d gotten, Iresha quickly put a bit of distance between them. She’d only wanted to feel safe, yet somehow she’d ended up clinging to his side without even noticing. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to have caught on.
Still, it wasn’t entirely her fault!
After all, the calm confidence he exuded made it seem as if none of this fazed him. It was as if he’d faced situations like this a hundred times before—like it was nothing more than a routine chore. She couldn’t detect even a hint of excitement on his face… If anything, he seemed almost too reliable.
“Seriously, though—how do you know so much about this?” Iresha asked, rubbing her face, unable to hide her curiosity.
She was the mage of a hero’s party, blessed by the Holy Church, yet she’d never handled an evil god disaster before.
If anything, this man was far more experienced than he let on—nothing like an ordinary country adventurer.
“That’s… a long story. Best not to get into it.”
“But it’s been a while now. The Holy Church and the Guild should be arriving any minute, right?” Lin Wei smoothly changed the subject, making it clear he didn’t want to explain further. His gaze shifted to the far end of the passage.
The goblins had only ever fully occupied the fifth level of the labyrinth.
Adventurers in the upper levels, noticing the sudden surge in goblins, would have reported it to the Guild. If they left now, there was a good chance they’d run into the rescue party on their way out.
How should he handle that encounter?
Taking credit for wiping out the goblin infestation was a major achievement—enough to make people see him in a new light. Even if he couldn’t secure a job in the imperial capital, at the very least, fighting alongside a mage from the hero’s party might convince the hero himself to stop causing him trouble.
All those times he’d quietly buried the remains of failed subjugation squads… Was this finally the turning point?
Thinking back, he’d always tried to keep his head down and avoid attention. Maybe this was the first time he’d faced things head-on.
So perhaps it wasn’t his process that was flawed—just his approach. Lesson learned.
Weighing his options, Lin Wei couldn’t help but feel this expedition had been more than worth it.
“Well then, shall we get going, Miss Mage? Or do you want to stick around and vent your frustrations on a few more goblins?” He waved a hand in front of the still-dazed Iresha, snapping her out of her thoughts. With his review of the situation complete, he turned and headed toward the exit of the fifth floor.
“Why would I want to take out my frustrations on goblins? And—hey, could you slow down? I used up all my mana just now!” Iresha hurried after him, flustered, pointing back over her shoulder as she caught up.
“So, what about these unconscious adventurers—are you planning to keep using flight magic?”
“Just smack them awake. Have them follow us out slowly… Oh, wait. Looks like that won’t be necessary.”
Lin Wei suddenly stopped. He’d sensed movement ahead in the corridor, and his expression relaxed.
“The Holy Church and the Adventurer’s Guild are here.”
Almost as soon as he spoke, several figures bathed in holy light appeared at the far end of the passage.
They were clearly powerful—an unmistakable aura of vigilance surrounded them, even from a distance.
When they spotted the adventurers sprawled on the ground—and the two figures standing at the corridor’s end—they quickly hurried over, eager for answers.
“Well then… I’ll leave the explaining to you, Miss Mage. You can handle it, right?”
“Me? Handle it?” Iresha looked at Lin Wei, utterly perplexed by his sudden delegation.
“That’s right. Today’s incident was resolved primarily thanks to Iresha, the mage of the hero’s party—she rescued the adventurers and released the Evil God’s power to suppress the goblin disaster. As for me, Lin Wei, I was merely a key assistant in this matter.”
Lin Wei nodded, calmly repeating his story.
She’s the lead, and I’m just the assistant? He’s really giving me all the credit? What is he planning?
Iresha stared at Lin Wei, unable to make sense of his intentions.
There was a world of difference between the rewards for a lead and an assistant. No matter where you were, resolving a goblin disaster was a massive achievement—one that would send shockwaves through any community.
Not to mention the fame and rewards that came with it.
“Why…?” she murmured, her voice barely audible, eyes filled with confusion as she looked at him.
If things went this way, he’d end up with so little. He was the one who saved her, the one who’d directed the entire battle—so why was he handing all the credit to her?
“Because I’m just an ordinary adventurer,” Lin Wei replied, waving a hand with a wry, helpless smile.
“I’m not good at dealing with officials. Besides, if word got out that the mage of the hero’s party was just helping some country adventurer resolve a goblin disaster… Well, even if it didn’t hurt your party’s reputation, it’d definitely raise a few eyebrows.”
“And if they decided to investigate, that could get complicated. After all, I’ve got a little secret I haven’t told you.”
Seeing Iresha’s puzzled look, Lin Wei leaned in, lowering his voice as if about to share a great secret.
“Truth is, I’m actually an adventurer from the northern countries. My Imperial citizenship? Let’s just say I pulled a few strings.”
He saw Iresha’s eyes widen in shock and put a finger to his lips, giving her a conspiratorial wink.
“Keep it between us, alright, Miss Iresha?”
◇
And so, the goblin disaster was brought to an end.
After a brief round of questioning and agreeing to meet at the Lotai Church the following day for a formal debriefing, Iresha—now dressed in a spare robe borrowed from the Adventurer’s Guild—cast a flight spell and sped off toward the town of Aurens.
“So, he’s an adventurer from the northern countries…”
That secret really was surprising.
No wonder he lived in Aurens, yet possessed such high-level adventuring experience.
So he’d gained all that skill fighting on the front lines in the north, right on the border with the demon lands?
“He probably doesn’t know my family’s actually from the northern countries too.”
If she’d known that secret earlier, she definitely would’ve used it to blackmail that “country bumpkin” for all he was worth.
But now, there was no way she’d let another soul hear about it.
This was the price he’d paid for giving her all the credit—a sort of trade, and maybe his way of thanking her for saving his life, too.
“Still, just that… It feels like I’m taking advantage of him.”
“Shouldn’t I at least give him something in return? I ought to find a way to repay him, even if it’s just a little.”
After all, I—Iresha—am not the kind of person who forgets a debt of gratitude.
“Money’s too crude. We fought side by side; if I just handed him gold, he might think I’m insulting him.”
“A rare magic item…? But I don’t really have anything special on hand. Maybe I’ll just ask him directly after everything’s settled tomorrow.”
And I really should apologize for that pointless argument we had before, too.
As she gently landed on the main street of Aurens, Iresha kept turning it all over in her mind.
“Hm? Iresha’s back.”
Just then, a familiar voice called out.
Iresha turned to see her companions from the hero’s party sitting outside a tavern, enjoying their dinner.
Tall and lithe in supple leather armor, the archer Eileen greeted her with a bright smile, her signature elven ears twitching playfully in the night air.
“Was today’s adventure a smooth one?”
Hearing her return, the others turned as well, quickly chiming in with their own greetings.
It seemed none of them had any idea about the goblin disaster that had just erupted nearby.
They’d already started dinner.
Iresha pressed her lips together, then gave a soft nod. “It went alright.”
“Iresha doesn’t seem very lively…” murmured a timid voice from within a black cloak.
“Haha, just eat some dinner first. Once you’re full, you’ll perk right up!” someone laughed.
“Oh, right—while you were gone, Eileen managed to—”
Whatever Rayne was saying, Iresha didn’t catch the rest.
As usual, Rayne was energetically keeping the conversation going, while Eileen, Oshu, and the others shared their stories and jokes.
The familiar rhythm of daily life filled the air, their warm laughter and chatter weaving a cozy atmosphere around the table.
But tonight, Iresha felt no urge to join in.
She ate quietly, lost in thought—her mind drifting to Lin Wei.
Come to think of it, what was he doing right now? Was he having dinner at home too?
An adventurer from the northern countries… Maybe he’s enjoying some hometown cooking right now? Or could he actually be making dinner himself?
Iresha’s thoughts wandered, picturing Lin Wei sneaking off while she’d been busy debriefing with the Adventurer’s Guild. Without realizing it, the corners of her lips curved into a subtle, amused smile.
At that very moment—
In the Holy City.
Brilliant, multicolored lights fell from the sky, encircling the bustling metropolis and lending it an air of solemn grandeur. Even as night gradually settled in, faint yet dignified hymns echoed through the streets.
“The initial investigation into the Lotai evil god incident concludes here.”
Inside a stately chamber, Secretary Rennie delivered her report with meticulous precision.
On the desk before her lay an official document: a formal account of the evil god’s resurgence in Lotai, written in careful, measured script. Given the astonishing and terrifying details it contained, the report had—almost as an afterthought—been classified as top secret.
“The holy energy that destroyed the Evil God was actually converted from the purest essence of the evil god’s power,” she summarized.
“In other words… is it possible that a high-ranking priest of Alicia’s faith has defected to the evil god?”
Even though she’d already heard a rough account of the events at Lotai, reading the full report left even Pope Veya deeply shaken.
A high-ranking priest turning to the evil god—such a thing was almost unheard of in history.
And to be able to freely switch between holy energy and evil god’s power… that meant this person hadn’t even been abandoned by the Goddess Alicia.
It was even possible that this traitor was still lurking deep within the Holy Church itself—a cold-blooded serpent, ready to strike at any moment.
If that were true, it meant Lotai was in grave danger.
“I understand,” Pope Veya replied, her expression solemn as she gathered her thoughts. Deep down, she felt a flicker of relief. After all, she’d already dispatched a subjugation squad to the region not long ago. As long as the hero’s party was present, things would turn out all right. But Lin Wei’s transfer to the Imperial Capital needed to be expedited.
Was there any reasonable way to bring him in—one that wouldn’t attract too much attention?
Pope Veya began pondering the possibilities in silence.
From Secretary Rennie’s perspective, this calm and dignified composure only deepened her admiration.
To stay so unfazed in the face of such terrifying news—truly worthy of the title “Pope”!
What could she be thinking about? Was she working out the truth behind the evil god’s resurgence? There was probably nothing in the world that Pope Veya couldn’t solve.
Just then, a staff member quietly approached from outside the door and whispered, “Urgent dispatch from the Lotai region, Lady Rennie.”
Taking the message, Rennie scanned its contents—a joint emergency notice from the Lotai Church and Adventurer’s Guild.
Her face, just moments ago brimming with admiration, now went pale with shock. Her eyes widened, and her voice trembled as she turned to Pope Veya.
“Your Holiness, was this… all part of your plan as well?”
“?”
A question mark popped up in Pope Veya’s mind as she turned, only to see Rennie’s eyes shining with excitement and awe—her admiration practically overflowing.
“An urgent notice from the Lotai Church: just a few hours ago, a goblin disaster broke out inside a labyrinth near Lotai, and a evil god statue was discovered within.”
“Fortunately, Miss Iresha of the subjugation squad happened to be inside the labyrinth at the time. With the help of a passing adventurer, she successfully quelled the disaster!”
“No wonder Your Holiness sent a subjugation squad to Lotai ahead of time—you must have foreseen this would happen… You’re incredible, Pope!”
??
What did I foresee? Why don’t I remember that?
Another question mark appeared in Veya’s mind.
But when she read the full report Rennie handed her, a flicker of panic flashed across her golden eyes.
She saw a familiar name.
This is… Lin Wei!?
Wait—this is it! This is the opportunity!
Her beautiful eyes instantly sparkled with excitement.
TL Note:
I just checked Novel Updates and, damn, this novel is rated 2.3—lower than 3. I didn’t realize you guys disliked it that much.
I’m a bit conflicted right now. I really like the story and want to keep up with the latest updates, but seeing the low rating… well, I’ll just increase the update rate on Ko-fi and slow down the public updates.