MTLNOVEL Chapter 40
“It’s been a while, Serene.”
I bowed to the familiar face I hadn’t expected to encounter here.
“It’s been a while, Erik.”
Serene smiled warmly and greeted me back.
It was an unexpected meeting, but now that I thought about it, it wasn’t so strange after all.
Serene was part of the church, and she was often involved in the “Ceremony of Blessings,”
so it made sense that she’d be here in the temple.
People passing by glanced at Serene, their eyes lingering before moving on.
Unlike when we were in the dungeon, Serene, now clad in holy robes, probably stood out, looking as beautiful as a goddess, which caught people’s attention.
“By the way, congratulations on passing the academy exams.”
“Huh? How did you know?”
I was caught off guard by the sudden congratulations. I had just returned to the capital after finishing the exams yesterday.
Though I’d written a letter to my family, only those involved should have known about the results.
“Hehehe, you’ll find out soon enough.”
Serene placed her hand on her chin and gave me a mysterious smile.
“Ah, yes. Thank you for the recommendation. I think it’s thanks to that that I was able to pass.”
The recommendation from the guild master, sub-master, and Serene was what had allowed me to qualify for the exams. Without any of them, I wouldn’t have been able to take the test.
“I only gave the recommendation. It was your hard work that got you through, Erik.”
She gently took my hand. Serene’s hand was warm and incredibly soft.
“By the way, what brings you here, Erik?”
Serene tilted her head, clearly curious.
It was true that aside from special days like “Prayer Day,” it was quite rare for ordinary people to visit the temple.
“Actually, I came to make a donation, but I wasn’t sure where to go.”
“A donation?”
Serene looked at me, puzzled.
It was understandable. For a village commoner like me, making a donation was a rather rare occurrence.
“I thought I should give thanks for being able to pass the exam, believing it was the god’s guidance. I wanted to offer my gratitude.”
I wasn’t close enough to Serene to explain about the temple’s expansion, so I offered a more plausible reason.
“I see. That’s a wonderful thought. Erik, you must be very devout.”
Serene smiled without any suspicion, then added,
“If you’re here to make a donation, it’s over here. Let me guide you.”
She took my hand and led the way.
“This is the donation box.”
Serene led me to a large donation box.
“For merchants and nobles, there are other channels, but for general donations, it’s usually done here.”
“I see.”
As we approached the donation box, I found myself feeling like I wanted to make a wish along with the donation.
I noticed Serene smiling gently to the side while I approached the box.
It was wide, and it seemed like the coins placed inside couldn’t be retrieved by hand, as a barrier was set up to prevent it.
(Eve)
“Yes, Master.”
(If putting in the gold coin causes any changes in the blessings, let me know.)
“Understood.”
I took the gold coin I had prepared from my pouch and dropped it into the donation box.
“Master, the [Temple] has expanded. I’ll project the explanation.”
As Eve spoke, an explanation appeared in front of me.
[Temple]… “A temple can now be established. By praying once a day, you can receive [Blessings]. The blessings last for 24 hours. You will receive two random blessings from the list below:”
Speed +100% → Speed +200% (New)
Power +100% → Power +200% (New)
Stamina +100% → Stamina +200% (New)
Magic +100% → Magic +200% (New)
Luck +100% → Luck +200% (New)
Experience gain +100% → Experience gain +200% (New)
Recovery rate +100% → Recovery rate +200% (New)
(This is incredible! The effects are doubled, and now I can get two blessings at once.)
Previously, I could only receive one blessing, so my actions for the day were limited by that. But now, I can choose the blessing that’s more useful at the time.
“It seems the next expansion will need 50 gold coins.”
While I reviewed the explanation, Eve provided me with new information.
(This is enough for now. There are other things I want to do.)
As I thought about my next steps…
“That’s amazing, Erik. You’re donating gold coins!”
I had been so focused on checking the blessings that I had forgotten to respond to Serene’s comment.
“It’s the least I can do.”
I didn’t want to be overly praised, as there was something I was gaining from this, so I felt a little uncomfortable with all the compliments.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to do something for you as a thank you. What would you like?”
Serene placed her hand on her chest and spoke kindly.
Feeling no need to hold back, I decided to ask for something.
“Could you introduce me to a store?”
“A store?”
Serene tilted her head in confusion.
“Yes, a store that sells dungeon cores. If you know of one, I’d appreciate the help.”
I wasn’t talking about the cores used for grinding ink but a proper store that sold them. Since Serene seemed to have a broad network, I thought I’d ask her.
“I understand. I’ll write a letter of introduction for you.”
She readily agreed without hesitation.