Chapter 9: The Golden Branch Goddess’s Sense of Humor.

Sitting in the tavern’s corner, Suna took the form of a 1.75-meter-tall woman with gray-green hair.

Her tattered, dirty robe and disheveled hair obscured her plain, unkempt face.

Her muttered words, altered by her adjusted vocal cords, sounded like indistinct spell chants.

Her witch-like disguise kept most people at a distance, sparing her unnecessary interactions and avoiding conflicts.

Through her tangled hair, Suna discreetly watched Skoll, now a tavern server, pummeling thugs who tried to stir trouble.

Despite the brawl, other patrons ate and drank, some treating the scene as entertainment.

“Nice hit! Give him another to teach him a lesson!”

“Trying to extort protection money here? What an idiot.”

As the crowd jeered, the tavern owner, wiping a glass behind the bar, spoke calmly to Skoll.

“Skoll, that’s enough. Don’t let them collapse in here!”

“Got it, boss.”

Skoll nodded briefly, grabbed the two thugs by their collars, dragged them outside, and tossed them out.

Afterward, he dusted his hands and righted the tables and chairs knocked over in the scuffle.

Clearly, Skoll’s job wasn’t just serving—he doubled as a bouncer to keep troublemakers in check.

A month ago, Skoll’s kind nature would’ve rejected such work, but necessity had hardened him.

He’d adapted to Korez Town’s harsh “rules.”

After many odd jobs, he settled at this tavern, likely because it offered a stable, relatively safe place to protect Ace and Frosti.

Suna, noting Skoll’s ability to adapt in just a month despite crushing setbacks, felt a mix of admiration and unease.

After confirming his situation, she finished her beer, set the mug down, and left the tavern.

A few steps outside, a figure rode up on a white steed, clad in gleaming silver armor.

The knight’s finely crafted armor bore a badge of a tree and sun, adorned with red-sealed prayer parchments.

Suna’s eyes widened beneath her hair.

[The Knight Patrol? And from the Golden Bough Goddess faction? They moved fast, arriving in just a few days.

Guess my mission’s done.]

Muttering internally, Suna dodged to the side, maintaining her fully suppressed aura and careful movements to avoid suspicion.

The female knight, gripping the reins, halted her horse in front of the tavern.

She dismounted gracefully, removed her winged helmet, and revealed a striking, heroic face, about twenty-six or twenty-seven, with shoulder-length fiery red hair.

Suna glanced at the knight entering the tavern, feeling a pang of nostalgia.

[Didn’t expect that to be our last meeting… Oh well, time to head back to the Demon King’s territory.

I can finally leave with peace of mind.]

Not lingering to witness what followed, Suna swiftly entered the underground ruins through a hidden passage.

She navigated the dark tunnels, bypassing Korez Town’s walls and skipping identity checks to reach the outskirts.

Emerging in a small forest, she glanced back at the town she’d lived in for over a year.

Though she felt no fondness for this sinful, decaying, hopeless place, her time with Skoll, Ace, and Frosti had become a cherished memory.

Her gaze fell on a half-collapsed, dried-up fountain and a damaged goddess statue on a pedestal.

Suna sighed softly.

“Well, we probably won’t meet again, but one last time, I’ll be Saintess Suna.”

At the fountain, she used water magic to fill it with a shallow layer, then clasped her hands and knelt in prayer.

“Great Goddess, please protect Skoll, Ace, and Frosti.

Though their hearts are twisted by pain, may they live well.”

Feeling uneasy, Suna added a confession.

“And Goddess, the world is full of suffering.

My actions were to show Skoll the empire’s corruption.

I won’t deny my selfish motives, nor seek your forgiveness.

I speak only for my peace of mind.”

After whispering, Suna felt lighter.

But as she rose, the fountain’s clear water glowed with faint golden light.

“Huh?”

Before she could react, time seemed to slow and freeze around her.

Golden sunlight streamed through the tree canopy, casting beautiful specks of light.

The worn goddess statue was restored by golden particles, forming a complete Golden Bough Goddess figure.

Its lips curved into a slight smile, and the golden light surged into Suna’s body.

As her body absorbed the glow, she regained movement and stared at her hands in disbelief.

Without words, her mind understood what had happened.

“What?! The Golden Bough Goddess’s blessing, reserved for high-ranking saintesses? You’ve got to be kidding!”