Chapter 49: Ch 49: The Conditions for the Mission?

The slave begged earnestly, and Aiden could tell that his words did not contain a lie. But the quest that usually triggered from such words did not come.

It was unusual, but since Aiden did not know enough about the system, he could not say if this was a nice thing or if he was being tricked by this man.

For now, it was up to him to make a decision.

However...

’If what this slave says is true and the other god will come here once he is done sacrificing his village, then I need to be prepared. Obviously, rooting out the problem first would be for the best.’

Slavery was outlawed by imperial law in the Bazar Kingdom, but every god’s territory had its own laws where the imperial family did not interfere...

Or rather, they could not interfere because they hardly had any power in their hands.

As a result, many regions still saw barbaric practices like this, and it seemed like the nearby Kinsek Village was the same.

"I see. However, this is not a decision I can make on my own. I will consult my goddess and make this decision. But I cannot allow you to roam free in the meantime either."

This person was a slave, and his outward appearance reflected that. He was far from presentable, so Aiden decided to bring him back and have him take a bath.

"Follow me to the main temple. While you freshen up, I will decide what to do with you and your situation."

Even though his goddess was with him, Aiden decided not to reveal this fact. The slave nodded to show that he understood, and he followed after Aiden to the main temple.

There, Aiden threw him into a bath with all the cleaning products.

"Take a bath and thoroughly clean yourself before you come out. Once you are done, change into the priest robes for now and wait for me in the room outside. Don’t even think about roaming outside if you value your safety."

Aiden told the slave, and he finally exited the room before heading to the next one.

Once there, he allowed his goddess to slither away, but she must have felt far too comfortable near his neck because she refused to move.

Aiden gave up on moving her and instead asked her what they should do next.

"Goddess Apophis, what do you want to do next? Should we help that slave out?"

His goddess yawned at the question before she settled on top of his shoulder. She did sound a little surprised at his question.

"Are you not going to make a decision this time? Or are you worried about something? Don’t worry so much. I will back you in whatever decision you make."

The goddess assured Aiden, and he nodded to show that he understood. Still, the fact that a quest had not triggered did worry him. It made him wonder if this was a trap.

He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if he allowed his goddess to fall into a trap due to his eagerness...

Slap

His forehead stung where his goddess had smacked him with her tail. It had been a light tap, but it left a mark.

"Stop worrying and thinking so much. Sometimes, it is better to follow your instincts than to calculate what is the best possible outcome. You should learn to trust yourself a little more."

The goddess assured Aiden, and he felt a little more stable and confident in making his decision.

"You are right. I should make a decision about what to do."

Well, whether Aiden decided to help this slave or not, he did need to investigate this situation. So he decided he might as well make an effort to get a reward.

He headed back to the slave’s room and noticed that he had worn the priest’s robes. But instead of sitting and waiting, he was kneeling on the floor with a terrified look on his face.

As Aiden approached the slave, he noticed that the slave was shaking. It seemed the reality of what he had done was finally starting to catch up with him.

"Sir Priest, I—"

The slave spoke first, but Aiden raised his hand and cut him off.

"I have decided that I will check the situation out and help you as much as I can with this. My goddess and I do not believe in slavery. If you and the other slaves are ready to become her followers, then she will shelter you and give you equal rights."

Aiden told the slave, whose eyes widened. Hope was suddenly beginning to fill him, and his confident self began to emerge.

"A-Are you sure? But what if—"

"If what you are saying is true, then this will become a problem for us sooner or later. So I would rather have it done quickly. Of course, you will be helping me with this."

Aiden told the slave, who nodded. His eyes were filled with determination, and he went from full kneeling to kneeling on one knee.

"I will dedicate my life and soul to you—"

"Do it to Goddess Apophis. I have no reason to demand your life or your soul."

Aiden told the slave, who looked up firmly with clear eyes.

"I will dedicate my life and soul to you and Goddess Apophis. I, the slave with no name, promise you that from today onwards, I shall do what I can for your sake."

The slave...no, now the ex-slave promised, and Aiden nodded.

Just then, the system window he had been waiting for finally popped up.

[A new mission has been created.]

[Mission title: Freeing the Oppressed in Kinsek Village]

[A new and tyrannical power has taken hold of the people in Kinsek Village, and soon it will spread to you. Please help the people gain their freedom and prevent your stronghold from falling.]

[Reward: New territory. +0.5% Divinity.]

[Failure: Goddess Apophis’s followers shall be in danger of losing their lives.]

[To start this mission, please give the former slave a name and create a bond of servitude between you and the ex-slave.]

The system created a new mission with a great reward. But as expected, the failure penalty was just as great.