A Veteran of Infinite Buffs - Chapter 90

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 90

“…Ahem. A donation, you say?”
Wariness drained swiftly from Parmon’s expression.
Whether the age was medieval or modern, the power wielded by wealth remained unchanged.
This was the true strength of money.
“Yes. How many gold coins would suffice?”
I made a point of specifying the unit of gold to demonstrate this was no jest.
For the residents here, gold was never a trivial sum.
“You haven’t eaten yet, so please use this for a meal as well.”
I withdrew 2 gold coins from my subspace and pressed them into Parmon’s palm.
“Oh! This, this is too much!”
“It’s fine. You’re working tirelessly for the advancement of shamanism—this is the least I can do.”
“Oh dear! Oh my! This puts me in an awkward position!”
The Shaman was never a collective bound by virtue and blind faith.
They simply lived alongside shamanic entities.
For those whose entire income came from modest compensation for exterminating nearby monsters, 2 gold coins represented a genuinely substantial sum.
“I’ve given it to you, haven’t I?”
“No! How does one person possess such strength!”
Besides, I too had grown.
It meant I had cultivated enough power to execute a proper sleight of hand.
This level of strength was difficult for a Shaman whose primary stat was wisdom to manage.
“Can I communicate with shamanic entities now?”
“Hmm. Of course. With such sincerity displayed, I’m simply grateful. I’ll guide you to the Ritual Chief—speak with him directly.”
“Thank you.”
The cost of meeting the village’s Shaman representative without prior connection was 2 gold coins.
I wasn’t certain how much more would be required, but from an investment perspective, the prospects looked quite promising.
Once my merchant class advancement—growing within the Belhard Kingdom as a former Thief Gang member—was complete, I could traverse between Liam and Ath Village and generate decent profits.
“Ritual Chief. An esteemed guest has arrived.”
“Hmm? An esteemed guest, you say? Show them in.”
Thanks to the title of esteemed guest, everything proceeded smoothly without obstacles.
I had finally succeeded in meeting the Village Chief.
“Hmm? A foreigner?”
Despite appearing quite advanced in years, the Village Chief possessed an enigmatic aura with not a trace of white hair to be found.
“Yes. I am Kael.”
“Hmm. It seems you’re already walking a certain path?”
Did he already know I possessed a class?
He appeared to possess some form of detection ability.
After all, the world a Shaman perceives is far from ordinary.
It seemed he had judged my purpose as merely a job advancement.
“Yes. I am already walking the path of the Eternal Adventurer. I came all this way because I was curious about how to communicate with shamanic entities.”
“Wait. What did you just say?”
“How to communicate with shamanic entities?”
“No, that’s not it. Did you just say Eternal Adventurer?”
The Village Chief seemed to know something about the Eternal Adventurer.
I decided to share a bit more detailed information.
“Ah, yes. The Eternal Adventurer. I even found a record of an adventurer. This is the proof.”
*Squelch!*
To avoid startling the Village Chief, I transformed only one arm into that of a wolf and showed him.
“Oh! Ohhh!”
An enthusiastic reaction.
I began to hope that I might even obtain clues related to the Eternal Adventurer.
“A worthy one has taken steps forward. This too must be a sign of destiny. Eternal Adventurer Kael, with you, anything can be achieved.”
“Oh. That’s wonderful. What should I do?”
“Experience it directly and prove it. Wait a moment. This is as much a long-cherished wish for us as well.”
“Yes.”
The Village Chief left the room and returned, carrying a great many things.
“Kael. May I ask one thing of you?”
A request from an NPC.
This was the signal of a Quest.
Since Quests were rarer than I had expected, my anticipation
continued to build.
“Hmm? Of course. Please tell me.”
“Ath Village was not originally a canyon region. It was a fertile plains area comparable to Liam.”
“Really? This place is quite clearly a canyon region.”
“Indeed. It was the result of war. The shamanic entity you speak of once possessed power rivaling the gods themselves.”
“Then this canyon was also born from a shamanic entity?”
“Correct. Not all shamanic entities share the same disposition. Think of them as moderate and radical factions.”
“I see.”
“Ath Village was once under the protection of a moderate entity. We call that being Bailys.”
“Bailys….”
“Yes. The power of this moderate entity has waned over time, and now the reality is that we struggle merely to preserve what remains. That is why we are even cultivating foreign Shamans.”
The picture was becoming clearer.
This appeared to be a Quest directly involving the core problem.
“But we know that without resolving the fundamental issue, everything is merely a temporary measure. When I was young, it was during the time when Bailys was still mighty. That entity was searching for a single adventurer.”
“Was there a reason?”
“I do not know the details. However, I believe that an adventurer could become the key to solving not only Bailys’s weakening but also the various problems our village faces. It may be a vague faith, but it is what I hold.”
“I understand.”
“Eternal Adventurer Kael. Meet with Bailys. It may be insufficient, but I shall repay you adequately.”
At that moment, a massive status window materialized before me.

[You have received the Hidden Quest ‘Confrontation with Bailys’.]
[The Ritual Chief of Ath Village has finally encountered the adventurer that Bailys longed for in childhood. Now, so many years have passed that even the Ritual Chief cannot remember what Bailys desires or what Bailys needs. Perhaps you, the adventurer, can be the answer.]
[Time Limit: One Day]
[Objective: Enter the Mental World and confront Bailys]
[Reward: Ability to Communicate with Shamanic Entities, ???]

The Hidden Quest I had just received included the ability to communicate with shamanic entities—precisely the reward I had been seeking.
And beside it, a question mark.
Thanks to the Hidden Quests I had completed thus far, I now understood what that question mark symbolized.
It meant substantial rewards would be granted depending on my performance.
Moreover, judging by the confrontation itself alone, the difficulty seemed manageable.
“Yes. I shall do it.”
I accepted the quest.
Of course, this was far from the end.
Strategic buildup to maximize the reward was essential.
“Beyond that, I’ve also come to make a donation. For the advancement of shamanism.”
“Hmm?”
Since I had already accepted the Hidden Quest, I decided to think long-term.
Unlike the Belhard Kingdom, this place had good accessibility, so a larger investment would carry less risk—or so I calculated.
“I wished to express my sincerity for having gained such a favorable connection. And this is an advance payment.”
I handed over the 100 gold I had on hand to the Village Chief.
“Hmm? This is all gold, is it not?”
“That’s correct. I don’t have much money on me at the moment, so this is all I can offer, but next time I should be able to donate over a thousand gold.”
“Cough! Cough! Cough!”
The Village Chief, bewildered by the glimmering coins, began coughing incessantly.
Even as he did, he kept touching the gold coins before him, as if unable to believe they were real.
“Hack! Gasp! This is—is this all gold?! I knew outsiders had plenty of money, but this is a different scale entirely!”
“To be honest, this isn’t merely a donation. It’s closer to an investment. I want this village to prosper.”
“Hah! It’s not as simple as you make it sound! I may be called the Ritual Chief, but I’m ultimately just the Village Chief. Managing funds of this magnitude would require reporting to the Royal Court!”
The village’s development.
It was not a simple matter.
However, the Ritual Chief was the most prominent figure in this village.
“Then just do it, can’t you? I’m doing it, after all.”
“Ahem. The Village Chief does it because there’s no one else to take the role, but my true nature is that of a Shaman. I oversee village events and lend a hand when fair judgment is needed—that’s all I can manage.”
“I see. So the village needs an administrator?”
“That’s right.”
“Would there be any difficulty in hiring one?”
“The administrator is a Royal Court appointee. It means I can’t select whoever I want.”
This certainly changes the situation.
It means there are many variables in my plan to develop Ath Village into a city-level settlement.
What I want is a position as the primary contributor to the village’s development and one with a clear stake in it.
Royal Court interference would only be an obstacle.
“Then, it would be important to develop while maintaining the village’s character.”
“Hmm?”
“Then it would be right to ask the Village Chief rather than the Ritual Chief. How far could 100 gold take us?”
“That’s quite a large sum. Enough to repair all the buildings and facilities in the entire village with plenty left over.”
“What about rebuilding?”
“It depends on the building and the architect’s price. If it’s at the level of Liam’s structures, 100 gold would be far insufficient.”
“I see. Then, if we just renovate this place—should I call it the Shamanic Hall? Just this building and its grounds?”
“That much would be possible within 100 gold.”
“That’s fortunate. It should work for now. Use it as you wish, but I’d like this place, which serves as the center of shamanism, to develop solidly.”
The Village Chief pondered deeply, then nodded quietly.
“Good. If that’s your thinking, you’ve already become our benefactor. Thank you.”
“You’re too kind. Since I’ve taken this on, I want to see it through perfectly.”
“My expectations are rising. Since you’re doing this much, I should prepare the greatest reward I can offer.”
As the Village Chief finished speaking, my status window began to appear again.

[Hidden Quest ‘Confrontation with Bailys’ has been updated.]
[The Ritual Chief of Ath Village has finally met the adventurer he yearned for in his childhood. It’s been so long that Bailys no longer remembers what he wanted or what he needed. Now, the adventurer who has promised a major investment in Ath Village may be the answer.]
[Time Limit: One day]
[Objective: Enter the Mental World and confront Bailys]
[Reward: Ability to communicate with shamanic entities, ???, ???]

Part of the quest details and one additional quest reward had been added.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————