I Start with 13 Hidden Traits- Chapter 31

Ch-31 # Mystery: Jormungandr

 

 

 

—

**The Immunity.**

True to its name, it is a document that grants absolution—a literal pardon.

The priests of the Goddess Church were allowed to issue Immunities only three times in their lifetime.

Naturally, granting one required the utmost caution. A misstep could lead to the priest’s disgrace or even dismissal.

After all, not even an indulgence could pardon the “Ten Evils,” the gravest sins defined by the Church of the Goddess.

Any priest issuing an Immunity to someone guilty of one of these “Ten Evils” would be promptly excommunicated.

—
—
—

“No matter how legitimate a successor to the Knight King he may be, I cannot issue an Immunity to an unverified individual.”

Andrew’s words were entirely reasonable.

Granting an Immunity was an act that risked one’s entire career.

Becoming a priest in the Church of the Goddess carried a value far beyond its surface meaning.

Only one out of a hundred deacons who trained for over a decade could qualify to become a priest. Thus, even a city’s ruler would tread carefully when dealing with a priest dispatched to their region.

Such was the power and prestige of their position.

Andrew could not jeopardize his life’s work for the whims of another.

—
—

“Isn’t it only natural that when something is given, something should be returned?” I remarked.

Andrew shook his head.

“Immunities can only be used by the recipient. While I am grateful for your contributions to the relief center, an Immunity issued to the Knight King cannot be used by anyone but him.”

“But it has already granted ‘absolution,’ hasn’t it?”

“…”

Andrew pressed his lips tightly together.

Indeed, that was the strange part.

**An Immunity.** Andrew had granted absolution to Knight King Wilhelm.

Since Immunities were direct promises made to the Goddess, they could be used at any time, even without a physical document.

Yet, Immunities could only be activated by their designated recipient.

—
—
—

*And yet… it had been used. The Immunity granted to the Knight King had been invoked—for me.*

The moment the man before him declared, *”I absolve you of your sins, Andrew,”*

Andrew found himself in a baffling situation.

In this world, committing sins caused “karmic debt” to accumulate.

The concept was the opposite of “fame,” and priests could detect a person’s karmic debt or fame just by looking at them.

—

**[Fame: 84]**
**[Karmic Debt: 0]**

…Like this.

Thus, it was clear that the so-called successor to the Knight King standing before him had at least lived a life free of sin.

However, when Andrew offered a *Prayer of Devotion*—a prayer meant solely for the Goddess—to a mortal, his karmic debt surged uncontrollably.

Breaking the doctrine of the Church of the Goddess had severe consequences.

Karmic debt wasn’t only accrued from evil deeds. Violating the doctrine of one’s faith as a priest also accumulated debt.

—
—

*A priest cannot grant an Immunity to himself. Within a few days, the Church will surely hear of my use of the Prayer of Devotion on a mortal.*

Andrew knew he would be demoted to a deacon or even excommunicated.

Yet, he had defied the Church’s doctrine to protect the city.

This act had brought him karmic debt, and punishment was inevitable.

—
—

*…But the debt vanished.*

When the man before him declared, *”I absolve you,”* Andrew’s karmic debt melted away like snow.

The indemnity of the indulgence had been activated.

Andrew had witnessed the direct intervention of the Goddess herself.

There was no room for doubt.

Furthermore, he was certain that the activated indulgence was one he himself had issued.

A mother would recognize her child, and a priest would recognize his indulgence.

—
—
—

“The Knight King told me something,” I said. “Andrew, he said you owe him a great debt.”

“…”

“A debt so great it could never be repaid, even in a lifetime. And yet, here you hesitate to grant a mere Immunity to his successor?”

Andrew swallowed hard.

Indeed, he owed Knight King Wilhelm a debt—a secret known only to the two of them.

But had Wilhelm shared that secret with his successor?

—
—

“…Did Wilhelm himself tell you about this debt?” Andrew asked cautiously.

“If you’d like, I can recount it myself,” I replied, shrugging.

“Go ahead.”

Andrew’s confidence was unwavering. He was certain that Wilhelm, the Knight King, would never share such a secret with anyone else.

But unfortunately, Andrew didn’t know that ‘I’ was Wilhelm.

—
—

With a shrug, I relayed the truth he sought.

“I purified ‘Eldritch Andasar’ myself.”

“…Did he tell you Andasar’s true identity as well?”

“That she was your hidden daughter?”

“…!”

Shock flooded Andrew’s face.

Of course, it would.

Andrew was a figure associated with quests tied to honor.

Only after completing every quest and reaching the highest level of favor with him would he grant the hidden quest “Eldritch Purification.”

And the only person to ever complete that quest… was Wilhelm.

 

Eldritch Andasar.
Andasar was Priest Andrew’s secret daughter. She had been turned into an Eldritch being by the cursed grimoire, *”Eldritch’s Accursed Black Tome”*, which was a key material for crafting unique-grade items.

I had purified her and obtained that grimoire.

Naturally, the only person aware of these events was Wilhelm.

Priest Andrew, a man who valued honor, clearly couldn’t believe that Wilhelm would reveal such a private matter to someone else.

*”The endless quests tied to honor must have been Andrew’s way of ensuring he found someone who would take this secret to their grave.”*

His hidden daughter had turned into a creature synonymous with pure evil. Resolving this without a trace was an absolute necessity for Andrew.

Although the purification had succeeded, Andasar had not returned to Andrew’s side.

*”I’ll bring Andasar back.”*

*”W-what do you mean by that?”*

*”I know where Andasar is.”*

*”W-where is she?!”*

Priest Andrew grabbed my shoulders in a panic, his usual composure shattered.

Although Andasar had been purified, her whereabouts had become unknown. At the time, I hadn’t known where she had gone. But now, I do.

*”Crandell.”*

…She was in Crandell, a place known as the Fortress City or the Beastfolk City.

*”Crandell? But isn’t that a place where humans cannot even enter?”*

The implication being, how could a human like Andasar survive in such a city?

Sadly, that assumption was wrong.

*”She may have been purified and freed from the curse of the grimoire, but the moment she became Eldritch, Andasar was no longer human.”*

*”Ah…”*

Andrew Priest’s legs trembled before he practically collapsed, guilt written all over his face.

I tilted my head slightly and pressed him further.

*”To bring her back, I’ll need a pardon. The Immunity, Priest Andrew.”*

In other words, hand it over.

—
—
—

 

The next day, I departed the *”Garden of Knights”* in a Hydra-drawn carriage.

*”Is that the Immunity?”*

Inside the carriage, Isabella looked at the paper I held.

It was a stiff, square piece of parchment, brownish like an old veil.

Though nothing was written on it, this was the actual Immunity.

The Immunity’s magic activated when used, causing the name of the bearer and the Church’s holy insignia to appear on the paper. It had been created specifically for skeptics who needed to see proof.

*”I assume you’ve never seen the real thing before.”*

*”No… there are no Churches in the desert.”*

True. The Queen of the Desert wasn’t fond of the Church.

Speaking of the Queen, by now she had probably sent out pursuit parties to track us down. There was no way she would let her princess go without a fight.

*”How exactly did you become the Desert Princess, anyway?”*

It was a long-standing curiosity of mine. After all, when I had raised her, she hadn’t held such a title.

Isabella hesitated for a moment before answering.

*”The Queen made me a princess after seeing my *Mystery*.”*

…Wait.

The Queen saw her *Mystery* and then declared her a princess?

Her answer was so unexpected that I paused for a moment, puzzled.

**What exactly is ‘Mystery’?**

In this world, *Mystery* refers to “effects.” It could be the glowing light or colors surrounding a character’s appearance, similar to the visual effects of items glowing green or red when upgraded in games.

The *Mystery* we needed to obtain in the next main quest was of a similar kind.

*”Aside from a basic *Mystery*, she shouldn’t have had anything special.”*

At most, she would have had the cheapest *Mystery*—a faint white glow purchased from a *Mystic Artisan*. Nothing more.

*”What kind of *Mystery* do you possess?”*

*”Would you like to see it?”*

*”Sure.”*

At my nod, Isabella spread her hands.

*Whoosh.*

Black patterns appeared on her body, wrapping around her like countless small spots.

It resembled:
– The eyes of some unknown entity.
– The fur of a leopard.
– Or perhaps…

*”Snake scales.”*

Yes, it resembled the unique scales of a serpent. And I recognized exactly what this *Mystery* was.

*”The Scales of Jörmungandr.”*

For a moment, my mind went blank.

How on earth did Isabella come to possess such a thing?

*”Where did you get that *Mystery*?”*

Isabella explained slowly.

*”One day, I dreamt of a giant serpent coiling around me. Afterward, I gained this *Mystery*… but it doesn’t seem to have any abilities.”*

*”You were chosen.”*

*”Chosen?”*

*”The Queen was right to notice you.”*

The *Mystery*, *The Scales of Jörmungandr*, had no intrinsic abilities. However, it granted one significant qualification:

*”The right to claim a Star—Jörmungandr’s Star.”*

Among the 32 Stars in existence, Jörmungandr’s Star was one of the few named Transcendent Stars that had never been claimed.

*”At Level 10, she’ll be able to find it immediately.”*

But something didn’t add up. Isabella was only Level 8—far too early to access a *Mystery* of such caliber.

How could she have acquired it by mere chance?

*”Could it be… she fulfilled some unknown condition?”*

I stroked my chin, deep in thought. This couldn’t have been mere luck. She must have unknowingly met some hidden requirement.

If the Queen had recognized this *Mystery* as essential for claiming a Transcendent Star, then her decision to make Isabella a princess made perfect sense.

*”Why are you staring at me like that?”*

*”It’s nothing.”*

I shook my head at Isabella’s puzzled expression.

But in truth, it wasn’t *nothing*.

*”The Queen will never give up on Isabella.”*

And neither would I, if I were her.

Whether to exploit her abilities or genuinely groom her as an heir, Isabella was an invaluable asset.

*”Hah.”*

It was only now that I fully grasped the weight of the situation.

—
—

Shortly after, Isabella glanced out the carriage window, confusion in her voice.

*”Where are we?”*

The scenery outside was bleak and unsettling—a field of endless graves.

*”Necrovalley. It’s the shortcut to Crandell.”*

This was the *City of the Dead*, Necrovalley. True to its name, there wasn’t a single living thing in sight. Instead, it teemed with undead and spirits. To reach Crandell, we had to pass through this dangerous region and locate the hidden warp point within.

*”This should be the spot.”*

I stopped the carriage near a particular grave. Surrounding us were countless tombstones and memorials for the dead.

Reaching into my supplies, I pulled out a shovel.

*Thud! Thud! Thunk!*

*”W-what are you doing?!”*

Isabella gasped as I began digging into the grave.

At the same time, a system message appeared.

<You are desecrating another’s grave. Your *Evil Karma* is increasing.>

I ignored the notification. After all, this was why I had secured the Immunity in the first place.

My reason for digging was simple:

*”Necrovalley’s Hidden Dungeon.”*

Among these countless graves was one that led to an underground dungeon. This dungeon contained a shortcut to Crandell.

*”Hmm, not this one.”*

Leaving the first grave, I moved to another and began digging again.

Moments later, a new notification appeared.

<The *Celestial Spirit Egg* is responding. Its incubation rate is increasing.>

I paused briefly.

*”So it’s influenced by Fame and Karma…”*

Previously, my Fame had boosted its incubation rate when I achieved great accomplishments. Now, it seemed my *Evil Karma* had a similar effect.

*”Still, I have no choice.”*

I resumed digging. Obtaining the *Mystery* hidden in Crandell was just as crucial as hatching the egg.

Above all, who’s to say that being influenced by karma is inherently bad?

It might even turn out to be advantageous.

Thunk!

At that moment, my shovel struck something while digging up the grave.

<You have discovered ‘Necrovalley: Crow Graveyard’s Underground Dungeon.’>

—
—

**The Dungeon.**

In the game’s setting, a dungeon is a location that exists somewhere between the *city* and the *abyss.*

Because of this, hidden warps are occasionally found in dungeons. Naturally, the secret warp to Kramdel could also be located somewhere within this dungeon.

“Where on earth is this? Seriously, where the hell are we?!”

“Shh! Keep it down. I’m trying to listen for the crows cawing.”

…Not long after entering the dungeon.

As I turned a tight corner in a narrow hallway, I furrowed my brow and froze in place.

That was because I could hear the unmistakable voices of children not far off.

But this was the underground dungeon in Necrovalley—a place where no living being should exist, let alone be heard.

Yet, the sound of a boy and girl speaking didn’t let up, proving I wasn’t hearing things.

“Is this some kind of hidden camera prank?”

“Didn’t you hear me? I said, shut it.”

“I need to poop! Can somebody get me out of here?!”

“…You pig-headed moron! Did you swallow a train carriage for breakfast?!”