Chapter Fifty-Four: Official Priest

Zhao Xu hadn’t expected his acquisition of divine magic to be exposed so quickly, but fortunately, the person who had seen through him was Archbishop Soth, who had deep ties to the Mage’s Association, so it wasn’t a major problem. He had grown used to figures like Antinoa and Ryan, who could cast spells with a mere gesture, so when Archbishop Soth dutifully followed the formal steps to cast a divine spell—complete with ritual implements—Zhao Xu was momentarily stunned.

It was clear to him now that he urgently needed to improve his “Spell Identification” skill. The fact that he hadn’t even recognized the Detect Good spell he himself could cast was frankly embarrassing.

In Arthur, it was exceedingly difficult to be an evil-doer who remained well hidden. Unless one stood among the ranks of the powerful, anyone could casually throw a detection spell your way without fear. Take “Detect Evil,” for example—it was a basic ability for paladins, which constantly drew them into battles against evil. Players might seek out paladins now, but after deeper acquaintance, they’d learn why people said, “The best paladin is a sleeping paladin.” Many adventuring parties ended up vexed by the paladin’s unwavering resolve to oppose evil. That was why so many preferred paladins as close friends, but not as teammates.

Because of Zhao Xu’s “good-aligned aura,” detection spells worked even more effectively on him. Only good creatures of 11 HD or higher emitted a moderate aura under Detect Good. As a cleric of a benevolent deity, Zhao Xu’s aura was faint at first level, but upon reaching level two, it became moderate.

As Zhao Xu mulled over these matters, a sudden realization struck him. “Wait a moment, didn’t I originally choose true neutral as my alignment?” he said aloud. True neutral was only a step away from the Goddess of Magic, and he had calculated that carefully. A good-aligned cleric couldn’t use spells with evil components, which would have been a major headache for him.

“Kid, you thought you were being clever, but did you really think it was so easy to stay true neutral? The moment you started casting healing spells and chose the ability to turn undead, you were already making alignment-defining decisions. And with your behavior over the past two weeks, you naturally shifted to neutral good,” Ryan said with a mocking smile.

“A neutral cleric of a good deity can only turn, not command undead, but Mr. Midsummer, you just instinctively chose to turn undead without a moment’s hesitation. Your alignment has followed your heart,” Archbishop Soth interjected.

“Since you’re inherently a good person, stop trying to hide among the neutral and have it both ways,” Ryan added, clearly enjoying Zhao Xu’s discomfort.

Zhao Xu could only smile wryly; he couldn’t very well admit he knew clerics of the goddess could only turn undead. Glancing at his character sheet, he noticed his alignment had shifted to “neutral good” at the very moment he used the turn undead ability.

He heaved a deep sigh.

“What’s wrong? Regretting that you won’t be able to cast certain divine spells anymore?” Ryan seemed to see right through him.

Zhao Xu felt more awkward than ever, especially with the upright Archbishop Soth standing right beside him—how could he admit he’d wanted to cast spells with “evil” components?

“Don’t worry. The spells you receive from your deity will never violate your alignment. But the spells you copy for yourself are your own business—cast them as you wish,” Ryan reassured him.

At these words, Zhao Xu’s mind brightened. Ryan’s words were ambiguous; on the surface, he was saying arcane spells were still available to him. But in truth, he meant that once Zhao Xu became a dual-classed elite as a Scholar of Tomes, the divine spells from that class wouldn’t be restricted by his alignment. In that light, this first level of cleric was well worth it.

“Come on, let’s head to the training yard in the rear court. Find someone to quickly teach you the basics of combat and weapon handling—who knows what else we’ll encounter if we linger,” Ryan said, standing up and gathering the books Zhao Xu had been holding, with no further formalities for Archbishop Soth.

“I won’t see you out, then,” Archbishop Soth said quietly, rising as if their presence had been but a passing breeze—here one moment, gone the next. Yet his gaze lingered on Zhao Xu the entire time.

Zhao Xu and Ryan walked out to the corridor. When they had nearly reached thirty meters away, Zhao Xu whispered, “Why were you looking at the archbishop with such a strange expression?”

“Kid, even after showing off, you’re still observant,” Ryan replied, chewing on a sweet fruit he’d pilfered. “That’s an archbishop, you know. Strictly speaking, that’s a high-ranking position—only a step or two below the pope or a cardinal. If you’d received a divine blessing just now, do you really think he wouldn’t have noticed?”

“If the goddess had bestowed her power upon you right in front of him, it would have been like spoon-feeding you. The fact that he didn’t drop to his knees in prayer is already a sign of restraint.”

Zhao Xu was slow to react, so as they walked, he continued to press for answers. “But why didn’t he?” Zhao Xu dared not be too direct, careful not to point out that the archbishop hadn’t knelt.

“Because it didn’t happen in front of him,” Ryan replied impatiently, turning to look at Zhao Xu. “I realized just now—the goddess granted you all your powers directly on the Day of Divine Birth; you just didn’t know it. Since she wasn’t personally present, why should he kneel?”

Only then did Zhao Xu understand. The fact he could instinctively cast spells yesterday wasn’t a coincidence. If he’d simply asked any cleric about domains or the turn undead ability, he would have gained those powers automatically.

Others had to test to become clerics.

He was an automatic admit.

The difference in treatment was truly staggering. No wonder Archbishop Soth had watched him so intently as he left. People don’t envy hardworking geniuses. But if someone spends years earning something, only to see another handed it on a silver platter, complete with tablecloth and cutlery, even the most patient cleric would question fate.

Before long, Zhao Xu and Ryan arrived at the training grounds. Numerous acolytes were sparring with various weapons, from wooden sticks to spiked maces. Some wore heavy armor, practicing how to dodge while encumbered.

Ryan glanced at the field and said quietly, “Looks like the old man in charge of training is slacking off again. Wait a bit; he’ll probably be back soon.”

Zhao Xu said nothing, but walked to an open area, picked up a wooden stick from the weapon rack, and examined it.

“Careful you don’t hurt yourself before you’ve even started training,” Ryan warned.

Zhao Xu merely smiled. As he gripped the stick, a familiar sensation welled up from within. He reached over and touched a set of leather armor hanging nearby. These were his old companions from his previous life.

[Adventurer Midsummer has gained the class ability Proficiency with Simple Weapons (equivalent to the feat of the same name).]
[Adventurer Midsummer has gained the class ability Proficiency with Light Armor (equivalent to the feat of the same name).]
[Adventurer Midsummer has officially advanced to 1st-level Cleric.]

“Hey, don’t tell me you’ve mastered this already?” Ryan clapped Zhao Xu on the shoulder. “Divine blessing doesn’t include weapon and armor proficiencies—those have to be learned.”

“I’m a 1st-level cleric now. Let’s head back to the floating city,” Zhao Xu replied irritably.

...

In his previous life, he’d been a fifth-level fighter. Now, with his spiritual connection as a cleric, the abilities came back to him the moment he touched the equipment.