"Wasn’t expecting that answer…"
No longer being pressured by that invisible force, Sol was panting as if he had just run a marathon. He was able to quickly recover thanks to his high vitality, but it was a harrowing experience nonetheless. Once Diana saw that Sol had recovered, she apologized.
"I’m truly sorry about drugging you with Verdanera, but this is a matter of our world’s safety."
The tea Sol drank had been spiked with a rare drug called Verdanera, which induced the body to answer a question truthfully. This was different from a normal truth drug where one could choose not to answer or give half-truths. The only downside of Verdanera was that only one question could be asked, and after that, the body became immune to its effects for the next 24 hours.
Still reeling a bit from the after effects of the drug, Sol asked, "The world?"
Diana nodded as she pulled out a small stone idol. It looked like a goblin wearing a crown and a cape. Sol immediately recognized it as the idol he had found at the goblin shaman’s hut from the quest he had taken a while back. What confused Sol was the fact that Diana had gotten a hold of it, as he had left it in his room back at The Rusty Bed.
"Did you break into my room?"
"Not me personally, but that’s beside the point. Where did you get this?"
Not wanting to be forced to drink that drug again, Sol simply told the truth about where he found it.
"I found it in a goblin camp near Kerman city. The goblin shaman who had it treasured it alongside a book on basic water magic, so I took them both."
"I see… I’m glad I verified beforehand before informing the paladins."
"The paladins?!"
Sol didn’t know he was that close to getting the strongest warriors of the Church of Caela to hunt him down. Each paladin went through rigorous training by their church to become their strongest sword in times of need. Their numbers were few, but even their weakest paladins started at B-Rank, with the majority being at the peak of B-Rank and only limited by their talents. That didn’t mean they didn’t have any A-Ranks. Each church had multiple A-Rank paladins at their disposal to enforce justice.
Even if they sent a squad of their weakest B-Rank paladins, Sol knew he stood no chance and would get killed if he couldn’t escape.
"Why would paladins get involved? What even is an outer god that would cause such a reaction?"
Having felt that she owed him an explanation, Diana elaborated.
"Paladins purge the world of evil, which includes followers of evil gods, but there is another category of gods they hunt as well. The other type of gods are outer gods; they are gods not from our world. We are not sure where they come from, but every time one appears, they cause trouble by bringing foreign beings, causing destruction, or, worst of all, choosing a champion."
"A champion, is that the outer god version of chosen?"
The chosen were people the gods designated to be their representatives. They had a direct line of communication with their god and were able to borrow power directly. If the chosen was strong enough, they might even be able to channel their god through their body and allow them to possess them for a limited time. While this relationship between man and god was very powerful, it was not easy to create. The chosen needed to have an affinity for the god’s law, which meant having a talent in a similar domain. They also needed to align with the god’s personal beliefs, as when they shared the power, it conflicted if they had opposing natures. The biggest limitation was that there could only be one chosen per god; the only way to select a new one was with the passing of the previous chosen.
"Yes, they are the same as a chosen, but we call them champions to differentiate those selected by our world’s gods and outer gods. Another way to differentiate them is by their status page."
"How will it be different? Is it a unique talent?"
"No, the chosen of outer gods are bestowed unique skills that the system can’t recognize. When you use your [Analysis] on a champion, you will know."
"Ah, really? But that goblin shaman had a very normal status page."
Diana’s face made a grave expression when she heard that.
"Then he wasn’t a champion, and if that’s the case, they are still out and about."
"Why did that shaman have the idol?"
"The champion must have been spreading the faith of…" Diana pointed with a hint of disgust at the idol. "This thing. The faith this idol emits can maybe be used to track him…"
She raised her head and looked back at Sol, "I know you may not trust me after this, but you must understand that when outer gods are involved, disaster always appears. If you are able to forgive me, please find me when you head back to Kerman city. Go to the church of Caela and ask for me. I will need your help to find the harbinger."
’What?’
While he could understand being drugged and pressured to answer as he was suspected to be the harbinger, Sol found it ludicrous to be asked to help them find it. He thought he could trust Diana, especially after she forgave him for using [Analysis] on her, but this soured whatever relationship they had. The crux of the problem was that if what Diana was saying was to be trusted, then this harbinger could cause a lot of damage. He only felt slightly responsible over the matter, not because of Diana, but the fact he found the idol in the goblin camp and did nothing with it. If he had turned it in to the right authorities or the church, this wouldn’t have happened to begin with.
Resolutely, Sol declined, "No, trust is hard to build but easy to break. While I understand why you poisoned me, that doesn’t mean I will let bygones be bygones. I will come visit you back in Kerman but only to tell you what I know. After that, I want nothing to do with this."
Disappointment was evident in her expression, "You’re right, I’ll try to make it up to you someday. Either way, I’m thankful for whatever information you can provide."
With the matter settled, Diana stood up and escorted Sol to the door. Before Sol could leave, Diana remembered something last minute.
"Oh, I almost forgot. The Commander wishes to speak with you. Remember to stop by his office as soon as you can."
Sol nodded and parted ways with Diana. Since he was already close to his office, Sol decided to just head there now. After asking for directions from a nearby soldier who was guarding the hallway, Sol quickly arrived at the door to Commander Xander Pared.