Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 252

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 252

Just as he said, Leo’s northern expedition plan was proceeding in secret, especially from Belinda.

‘She absolutely won’t give permission.’

So Leo planned to leave for the northern expedition secretly under the pretense of visiting the Knight.

Obtaining the sacred artifact from the Siren Dungeon was part of that plan. For this day, he had asked the Priest to manipulate the Temple’s entry records.

Moreover, Ian was creating a solid alibi for him outside the dungeon. There was no way Belinda would notice the preparations for going north.

It was while he was mentally reviewing his plan like this.

His messenger beasts released into the underground waterway discovered something.

When he hurried to that location, he saw a goddess statue emitting a gentle light in the middle of a wide open area.

In the goddess’s hand was a transparent lantern made of glass.

The sacred artifact ‘Lantern that Drives Away Evil’.

Though not a single point of light dwelled within it now, if one awakened to divine power infused the lantern with strength, sacred light would settle there.

Leo stood before the goddess statue with a tense expression and carefully gathered divine power at his fingertips.

Then warm energy spread throughout his body. It was a different sensation from magic or aura.

To Leo, magic was the eye that allowed him to view the world more broadly and freely, and aura was the power to protect precious people.

In contrast, divine power was…

“I’m sorry for making you bear such a heavy burden. If you don’t wish it, please let this power flow away.”

It was simply endlessly warm. Just like the Priest who had transferred divine power to him.

How would he use this power.

In the past, even when heading to the Temple to awaken divine power, Leo hadn’t found an answer to that question.

However, when he stood before the Altar of Oath in the deepest part of the Grand Temple and took in the ancient language written there, he was able to give an answer as if receiving divine revelation.

[O seeker who covets the sacred power that breaks the law of balance. Agonize to obtain sanctity. Thus seek an answer and make your oath.

What can you sacrifice for your beliefs.]

Giuseppe had answered that question like this. Everything he possessed. And thus he would offer even his own life.

However, the answer that flowed from Leo’s lips, who inherited Giuseppe’s power, was the complete opposite.

“I won’t sacrifice anything. Not sacrificing anything while upholding my beliefs is my answer and oath, Lady Aria.”

The dark side of ‘sacrifice’ that is called noble.

Leo had learned through Chaser that ‘sacrifice’ could become an act of betraying the people you love.

So Leo vowed not to sacrifice anything.

Thus to Leo, divine power was the strength to protect himself. Because he realized that by first protecting himself, he could protect everyone.

However, on one hand, he worried about what would happen if God found his oath presumptuous.

Making his worries meaningless, as soon as Leo’s hand touched the sacred artifact, brilliant light burst forth and brightly colored the underground waterway.

Leo, holding the lantern imbued with sacred light in his hand, turned around majestically.

“I got it.”

A bright smile appeared on Leo’s lips as he said this to Asillia.

* * *

Leo and Asillia exited the Temple unable to hide their excitement.

If it was this easy, why did they suffer so much when they were young. It was while they were chattering away, reminiscing about the past.

“Leo Blanche.”

At the murderous voice heard from behind, Leo and Asillia froze simultaneously.

To add a bit of exaggeration, a terror similar to when they faced demonic beasts in the Siren Dungeon as children washed over them.

The two looked at each other for a moment, then slowly turned around with expressions of disbelief.

And there it was. The terrible nightmare that made them tremble with fear.

“Bel, Belinda… H-h-how are you here…”

“Uh… I, I suddenly have urgent business, so I’ll be going now.”

Leaving only those words, Asillia quickly fled.

Leo’s pupils shook wildly as he was left alone with Belinda.

‘How on earth did she find out?’

No, she probably doesn’t know about going to the Siren Dungeon.

It was just as Leo, thinking this way, was about to cobble together an excuse.

“You’ll need to logically explain a reason I can accept for why you went to the Siren Dungeon.”

“…”

Leo didn’t know yet.

The fact that a kind system window invisible to him was reporting all of Leo’s every move to Belinda.

Congratulations! ‘Hero’s Star’ has cleared the dungeon ‘Underground Waterway with Siren’s Song’.

Belinda glared at the system, then turned her fierce gaze toward the pale-faced Leo.

“I’ll give you one last chance to make excuses.”

* * *

“No.”

“But…”

“Absolutely not.”

“Still…”

“When I say no, you should know it means no.”

“…”

Leo’s northern journey hit a major obstacle before it could even begin. Belinda came out in complete opposition to Leo’s plan to find and destroy the gate.

Over the past 3 years, Belinda had truly poured enormous funds into searching for the northern gate.

The casino had become unprecedentedly splendid and massive, but conversely, the Blanche family’s coffers were gradually shrinking.

Therefore, she knew the current situation in the North as well as Cesar did.

Though it couldn’t compare to before the Second Bongma War when demonic beasts swarmed, demonic beasts still wandered around quite frequently in the Far North.

She couldn’t send Leo to such a place.

“Leo, you’re still young.”

“I’m eighteen now. I even had my coming-of-age ceremony.”

“I’m not saying never go at all. But how about waiting 3 more years, no, 4 more years?”

“You said there’s a time for everything. I think that time is now. Please trust me, Belinda.”

“This isn’t about whether I trust you or not. It’s just that it’s still dangerous for you.”

“I already know it’s dangerous. But I still want to go.”

“Why on earth!”

At those words, Leo clamped his mouth shut.

If only he could properly explain the reason.

Finally, Belinda pressed her forehead and muttered like a sigh.

“Why are you being so stubborn?”

It’s not stubbornness. Leo pouted his lips and muttered petulantly.

“It’s because I take after you, Belinda.”

“…!”

How could he say something so endearing!

‘No, this isn’t right.’

Belinda, who came to her senses belatedly, struggled to keep her expression from crumbling and made the most menacing face possible.

Leo spent the first few seconds brazenly ignoring Belinda’s gaze, looking obliquely at empty air. However, he eventually couldn’t withstand her persistent stare.

“I’m going to the Temple Square tomorrow to draw the Blessing Light. If I can’t draw it, I’ll give up for this year.”

“Leo!”

“No matter how much you say no, I’m going. This is something I really want to do!”

Leo, who stubbornly refused to back down, spat out those words and stormed out of the study.

Belinda, left alone, was shocked and frozen stiff before finally coming to her senses.

“Is this… adolescence?”

The turbulent age of 14, known as a time of storm and stress.

Due to being trapped in the dungeon, Belinda hadn’t been able to stay by the child’s side during that time.

Had the adolescence she missed back then finally arrived now?

Belinda hung her head low.

And for the first time in a very long while, she summoned Leo’s status window.

[Name: Leo Blanche]

[Age: 18]

[Intelligence: 999/999]

[Stamina: 999/999]

[Divine Power: 999/999]

[Magic Power: 999/999]

[Stress: 26/100]

Belinda lamented as she examined Leo’s spectacularly impressive status window.

“With stats like these, of course he’d be able to draw it.”

Unable to hide her restless feelings, she dipped her pen heavily in ink.

Lord Cheri, I think Leo might be going through adolescence.

The letter that began this way didn’t end until a full five sheets of stationery had been consumed.

* * *

Early the next morning.

The day of a junior priest cleaning the plaza in front of the temple, as usual, began with secretly offering prayers to the marble statue erected in the center of the square.

The Holy Empire prohibits all idol worship except for statues of the goddess.

Nevertheless, the reason a saint’s statue could be erected in the plaza in front of the temple was that, strictly speaking, the plaza was land owned by the Kingdom of Jenos, and Marquess Blanche had donated a large sum of money to the temple to erect this statue.

A hidden hero who made a holy sacrifice in the Second Bongma War, saving many people.

Though his appearance was unknown since even the statue had his face covered with a veil, his name was clearly etched in everyone’s minds.

[Giuseppe Aria Sernandel, In honor of the meteor shower he summoned.]

It was while he was reciting the name engraved on the statue and offering a prayer of gratitude.

In the dawn plaza where not a single human shadow could be seen, he felt an unusual presence different from usual.

Turning around, he saw three young men who seemed to have just come of age huddled together in front of the ice coffin where the holy sword was sealed.

“Yawn, do we really have to move around from this early dawn?”

“But it would be embarrassing if we can’t draw it.”

“It’s useless anyway. You think I’m doing this for the first or second time?”

“Still, you never know. If we can just draw it, it would help our journey, right?”

It seemed they were tourists who had come to see the holy sword. It was an endearing moment watching the young men’s excitement and anticipation as they became like children before the holy sword.

“Try it all you want, it’s not that easy to draw…”

Shing.

Before the words could even finish, the holy sword was easily drawn with the chilling sound of a blade cutting through.

The sharply honed edge, unbelievable for something that had been trapped in ice for hundreds of years, gleamed like moonlight in the darkness of dawn.

The black-haired youth who had drawn the holy sword muttered in confusion.

“Ah, I drew it.”

The blue-haired youth beside him, whose jaw had dropped watching this, suddenly shouted.

“How can you draw that like you’re harvesting radishes!”

“Uh… what do we do now?”

“What do you mean what do we do! Run!”

“Huh, what?”

The blue-haired youth grabbed the black-haired youth’s hand and started running frantically.

Seeing this, the junior priest inadvertently began chasing after them, shouting loud enough to shake the plaza.

“Thief! Catch the holy sword thief!”

The only one who didn’t participate in the suddenly started chase was Ian, with his tired expression.

“Hey, you idiots, why are you even running…”

Only Giuseppe’s statue standing in the plaza heard Ian’s lone sigh.

* * *

Congratulations! ‘Hero’s Star’ has drawn the holy sword ‘Blessing Light’.

[Quest] ‘Draw the Holy Sword!’ Complete

* * *

Hero’s Star’s fame has increased by +1.

Hero’s Star’s fame has increased by +1.

Hero’s Star’s fame has increased by +1.

.

.

.

‘Hero’s Star’s fame has reached 100.

Main Quest ‘Hero’s Mission’ is now properly unlocked.

* * *

In the season when news that Leo Blanche had drawn the holy sword scattered like pollen throughout the royal capital.

Leo’s northern journey began.

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