"I'm going to build the church."
"…Of course you are."
"How else are you going to make this more interesting?"
Before Rohan could respond, she tapped her fingers once against the table.
From the entrance of the courtyard, two figures stepped forward.
Clad in black, their faces hidden beneath their cloaks.
"They'll follow you," she said. "They're not as strong as my sister, but they should be enough to keep the Lastbender family away for a while."
A brief pause.
"As for everything else… you're on your own."
"And the money?" she added lightly. "They'll handle that."
Without further delay, Rohan left the castle after saying his farewell to Merlinda.
With the two figures closely behind him, he walked for a while before reaching the outer grounds.
Soon, he arrived at a long bridge outside the castle. But instead of walking across it, he decided to dive into the moat and swim to the other side.
"See you on the other side, you cloaked figures!" he said just before jumping.
Since he could move better underwater, it would be faster than using the bridge. Besides, his body still felt sore from the beating he took from Michael. At least underwater, the pain would be dulled as he moved.
After a few minutes, Rohan arrived at the other side, but to his surprise, the two figures were already waiting for him!
'These guys are fast!' He realized.
Still, his surprise didn't stop him from quickly asking for money. He needed to act fast.
"So… can you guys give me the money now?"
The two figures looked at each other. A moment later, one of them threw a pouch toward him.
Rohan caught it with ease and began counting the coins inside.
'120 gold coins? So generous… Combined with my own money, that makes 139.'
Rohan felt relieved now that he had enough money to buy a new magical item. He had no intention of using the money to build a church.
'Why would I spend money to build it? I can just do it myself… using the trees in the forest.'
At that thought, a faint smile appeared on his face. But he didn't plan on immediately spending the money. For now, he would keep it to himself.
He then looked at the two figures and asked, "What are your names? It feels strange to keep calling you 'cloaked figures.'"
After a moment of silence, the two finally spoke.
"Tiara."
"Diana."
At that moment, Rohan frowned.
'Those are female names… but why do they sound like boys?!'
'That was exactly how I sounded when I was fourteen!'
However, he decided to keep that question to himself as he introduced himself.
After that, he began walking at a quick pace toward the nearest city gate.
From time to time, he had to ask people for directions, since he had never been this deep into the city before. But even that wasn't easy. Many avoided him, frightened by the unsheathed sword in his hand and the two suspicious figures following closely behind.
Eventually, Rohan decided to buy a strip of cloth to wrap the sword. He also told Tiara and Diana to keep some distance from him, just so he could ask for directions more easily.
Along the way, he also bought some food and water that could last him for a few days.
And after nearly three hours, he finally reached a city gate.
'This city is huge…'
'Leviathan Castle is near the center, and it still took me hours to get here.'
'That means the city might be around eighteen miles across.'
The moment he passed the gate and left the city, the sky had already dimmed. Night would come soon.
He was worried that the Lastbender family might ambush him. But thankfully, nothing happened.
Still, he knew he couldn't let his guard down just yet. He had to be careful… at least until he could use the Armor of Asgard, which would only be available after midnight.
With haste, Rohan made his way toward a nearby forest. He didn't go too deep, stopping about thirty minutes away from the road that led to the city.
Once he found a suitable spot, he immediately got to work.
He unwrapped the sword and stared at it as he murmured,
"From today on, you're no longer the Soul of Leviathan."
He smiled.
"I'll call you the Soul of Construction."
At that moment, Rohan suddenly heard a prayer from Edmund. This particular follower of his was one of the few people he had not muted, so he could immediately hear his prayer, although faintly.
The moment Rohan focused his mind, Edmund's voice became clearer.
Through the prayer, Edmund proposed a plan to the Storm God.
Since Rohan did not think it was a bad idea, as it could not only help eliminate the target but also benefit the Storm God, he decided to give Edmund permission to execute the plan and provide him with support.
'But this fellow is very bold. To think he would ask a deity for cooperation… is he crazy?'
'I feel like this guy does not really see the Storm God as a deity.'
'Well… I am not a deity, but still…'
After wondering for a moment, Rohan shifted his focus to the trees.
He then set to work without hesitation, the sword flashing as it bit into the first tree. Soon, another followed, then another, the forest echoing with the steady rhythm of falling trunks. Once the trees were down, he turned the blade to a different task, carving and shaping each piece of wood into something usable.
If there was one thing Rohan liked about the sword, it was how sharp it was.
Cutting through dense trees felt like slicing through butter, not only because of his strength, but also because of how incredibly sharp the blade was.
He noticed Diana and Tiara watching him from a distance. They didn't help, though Rohan hadn't expected them to.
Rohan moved quickly. One tree after another fell, each cut clean, each motion precise. He trimmed the logs into beams and carefully shaped their ends so they would fit together. There was no need for nails. He relied on the wood itself, locking each piece into place. When a joint felt loose, he tightened it with strips of fiber, binding everything firmly together.
Hours passed.
His body ached, the earlier strain never fully fading, yet he refused to stop. He allowed himself only brief moments of rest before returning to the work.
Gradually, the structure began to rise.
Wooden pillars stood where there had once been empty ground, forming the bare skeleton of what he was building. By the time darkness crept across the sky, the outline was already clear.
Ignoring the night, Rohan cast a light spell and continued working beneath its glow.
Elsewhere, northwest of the city—
Augustus and Edmund found themselves in front of a small building guarded by one man.
The man looked at them and asked, "What's your business?"
Augustus blinked at the man, then glanced at Edmund like he was confirming something obvious.
"…Right," he said slowly.
He stepped forward a little, lowering his voice just enough to sound serious.
"We're here to make a purchase."
"Preferably something… rare."
He looked the man up and down, then added casually. "Vampire, if possible. We heard the quality here is, like… above average."
The man scoffed, "Do you guys even have any money to purchase one?"
Augustus blinked. "…Wow. That's kind of rude."
He pulled out a pouch and gave it a light shake. "There's money," he said. "…The real question is... are your products worth it?"
The man stared at the two for a moment before finally opening the door and urging them to enter.
"Make sure not to cause any trouble," he added.
Augustus gave a small nod.
"Define trouble," he said lightly.
Edmund stepped forward before the man could respond. "We won't."
Without another word, the two of them entered.