I Became the Priest of Blasphemy of the Outer Gods

Chapter 136. The Endurance (1)

After that day, I decided to avoid any unexpected variables and didn’t engage in meditation to manage my condition.

Instead, I spent my time calling Belido to experiment with Outer Magic and miracles, trying to find a way to handle the residues without the help of the Slumberer of the Abyss.

Having achieved the 4th rank and obtained the Dragon Crown, Belido could only obediently follow my instructions without any resistance.

The only disappointment was the lack of significant results.

“For that reason, I’ve been quite busy lately. Not being an expert, I just let things take their course…,”

I said.

Visiting the ship after a long time, I held my forehead as I inspected its condition.

“What on earth are you building?”

I asked.

Lyla lifted her chin with pride at my question.

“Isn’t it incredible? Look at this! This cannon here…”

The vessel I once saw, a small ship, had transformed dramatically. The ship I received from the Ospryng family was now morphing into something akin to a warship.

“The cannon can fire with all four elemental attributes, and it’s enchanted to boost accuracy and power…”

Lyla enthusiastically explained, but I couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.

‘Looks like you’ve replaced all the wood… This isn’t a modification; it’s like building a new ship in the same place.’

“I can see you’ve stuffed in every possible enchant. I understand this ship now has formidable combat power.”

Honestly, that was an incredible advantage.

It had multiple layers of enchant protection, and the entire hull was reinforced to resist all kinds of attributes…

“Why? What’s bothering you?”

Lyla asked, sensing my reaction and looking puzzled.

“Oh, it will definitely help. If this ship can pass inspection, that is.”

A ship altered to this extent was far from inconspicuous.

If she enchanted it with such overwhelming specs, how could it pass any inspection smoothly?

It seemed like the number of enchantments on this ship exceeded three digits.

‘Even the emperor might come to see this out of curiosity.’

And then, an additional troublesome thought occurred to me.

“How much did this all cost?”

“Uh… roughly this much?”

I wasn’t particularly stingy about money. Usually, I didn’t care how much someone spent.

Even for me, the amount that went into this ship was astonishing.

“For creating such potent enchantments at this cost, it’s actually quite cheap.”

“Not wrong, but… you did spend a ridiculous amount. Let’s just move past it.”

Despite the astronomical sum spent, my fortune remained substantial.

Even if it ran out, it would quickly replenish, so financial concerns were not significant.

“So, how do you plan to set sail with this ship? It’s the hardest time for smuggling—is there a plan for such a conspicuous vessel?”

“What do you take me for? Of course, I’ve thought that through!”

Lyla unfolded a blueprint she casually took out, though it was too complex to comprehend easily.

“What is this?”

“The real beauty of this ship! You love transforming and hiding, right? So, I’ve integrated those features into your ship!”

While I couldn’t deny my inclination for transformation and stealth, this wasn’t technically my ship.

But, it was basically gifted to me by the Ospryng family.

‘They must have been genuinely grateful. Well, considering the people on the brink of death are now healthy, ready for travels…’

For all intents and purposes, the ship was indeed registered under the Ospryng family’s name as mine.

“So, how does it hide and transform?”

“Nowadays, the expensive ships from the Magic Workshop Alliance use magic to block various things, including life signals, to escape monsters. I applied and enhanced that.”

In other words, the ship has magical stealth capabilities.

The weapons and gadgets onboard are designed to be stored and concealed, making the exterior look like a typical ship.

With the magical stealth activated…

“It means it won’t register anything during inspections! Unless it’s someone like my master, no one will notice!”

“What about a physical inspection?”

“Unless they dismantle the ship piece by piece, they wouldn’t find out! Do you think a ship crafted with my talent is that easy to catch?”

While her financial sense is distinctly lacking, Lyla’s genius is undeniable. However, I refrained from mentioning this to avoid sounding spiteful.

“Your goal is to fight those monstrous priests up to the 5th rank, right? And among them is the boss of those fish-headed creatures.”

Lyla began speaking seriously.

“I still remember those disgusting creatures wriggling in the massive waves. Even though you eradicated them all at once, they sometimes haunt my dreams.”

Hence, she went to such lengths to modify the ship to ensure safety against the worst foes one might encounter at sea.

“Right, well done. You’ve done a great job here.”

“Right? You’ll be awestruck once you actually experience its performance.”

“I’ll look forward to it. But, did you complete the enchanted items for the crew’s protection as I requested?”

While I’m not keen on heavily investing in the crew, I did request the crafting of enchanting items for basic bodily protection.

“… Oh.”

As expected, it was pushed to the back burner.

“Hey, you.”

Lyla avoided my gaze but didn’t seem repentant.

“The ship is way sturdier now. The crew’s safety has increased too. Ugh… I’ll complete the final touches and then handle it.”

… The outcome looks promising, so I’ll let it slide for now. She must have worked tirelessly day and night to achieve this.

“So when will the ship be ready for departure?”

“I’ve arranged everything for five days from now. People are already purchasing supplies and essentials.”

Good, things seem to be in capable hands.

“Oh, and before you leave, give the ship a name.”

I tilted my head, puzzled.

“Doesn’t it already have a name?”

“The Glory of Ospryng? After I’ve transformed the ship this much, do you intend to keep using that name?”

Lyla urged for a more fitting name.

“Didn’t you come up with a name during all this modification?”

“It’s your ship, so you have to name it!”

Finally, I decided to settle on a ship name that exists in my memory.

“The Endurance.”

“Endurance? Hmm… Indeed, this ship is built to withstand any shock perfectly.”

It holds that meaning as well, but the truth is, it’s named after Ernest Shackleton’s shipwrecked vessel.

I named it with the hope that, even if this ship were to be shipwrecked, everyone aboard would survive.

“Great! It seems like a perfect name for the invincible ship I crafted.”

Lyla inscribed ‘Endurance’ onto the blueprint.

“Do you need anything else?”

“Not anymore. The ship will be complete by tomorrow, so just come and check it out!”

Nodding, I exited the workshop.

Currently, we were using the space where the Ospryng family stored ships.

There wasn’t room for such extensive modifications in the castle.

Therefore, Eldritch and Mary had been stationed here to look after Lyla.

“I want to go back.”

As soon as I exited, Mary grumbled, making her presence known.

“I haven’t cleaned the castle for a while.”

“You can do it when we return later. We’re setting sail soon anyway.”

“The dust will pile up.”

“Later, have Lyla cast an automatic cleaning spell or something. With her skills, it should be possible.”

Eldritch, reading a book, tried reassuring Mary, but she shook her head.

“That’s something I should do myself.”

Mary had this stubborn fixation on cleanliness.

“Just be satisfied with keeping the ship tidy during the voyage.”

Mary grumbled a little but did not voice further dissatisfaction.

“Well then, I’ll return to watch over.”

Fading into the wall of the workshop, Mary disappeared to quietly keep watch over Lyla out of sight of the other workers.

“Are you heading out to experiment with that hybrid again?”

Eldritch asked.

“No, there’s nothing left to try. Today, I’ll focus on training to draw upon the power of the Dragon Crown.”

This was a separate ongoing effort from training with Belido.

It involved drawing more power from the Dragon Crown than usual and growing accustomed to it.

“Then, I shall accompany you. Ender and the mercenary group will be visiting to assist, so leaving the place won’t be an issue.”

Having Eldritch alongside would be helpful, especially when the surroundings were engulfed in flames.

Thus, we returned to the castle, and I quietly closed my eyes in the castle’s basement.

『Ahhhh!』
『Please release us!』
『We were wrong! Please forgive us!』

Connected to draw upon the Dragon Crown power, I heard familiar laments and eerie cries.

I casually disregarded these pleas, focusing on the power.

‘Flame Transformation.’

With the blessing of the Eternal Blaze, I transformed my body into flames.

I could feel the power of the Red Dragon Crown and my flame-transformed body synchronizing.

The control of power became smoother, yet beyond that…

‘This… is effective training.’

Each repetition of this exercise allowed me to draw out the miracle of the flame even more powerfully.

Specifically, it involved extending the limits of the flame miracle I could invoke.

‘The next meeting is likely to be aboard the ship, within Cahon’s domain—the sea.’

As I became one with the flame, I contemplated.

‘I hope I become strong enough to immediately confront and declare war on him.’

The ship was now equipped to be extremely combat-ready.

Though it was said that Cahon would take time to gain the Blue Dragon Crown, dealing with it swiftly would indeed bring peace of mind.

‘I understand I shouldn’t rush, but this… I really want to draw more power quickly.’

I sighed, pondering deeply. Even after acquiring the Dragon Crown and reaching the 4th rank, bolstering my strength, I still felt an aching sense of inadequacy.

‘How can I draw more power? Much stronger than now…’

『Want some help?』

At that moment, a young voice echoed in my mind.

“… Eldritch? Did you just say something?”

“What do you mean, all of a sudden?”

As expected, it wasn’t Eldritch.

“Who are you? Show yourself.”

I stopped the Flame Transformation and sprang to my feet, sharpening my senses. Gluttony stirred more violently than usual, but… there was nothing.

‘What was that? It wasn’t just my imagination…’

While holding the Dragon Crown in preparedness for a surprise attack, neither an impending assault nor a continuation of the voice followed.

“What’s happening, Lord Ethnos?”

Eldritch, perplexed, asked while forming a magic circle.

“Someone just contacted me telepathically.”

We combed through the castle and the surrounding woods thoroughly.

Despite everyone being out, there was nothing unusual or suspicious to be found in or around the vacant castle.

We persisted until dusk, yet the owner of the voice never revealed themselves.