Chapter 3

As if everything was perfectly fine, Fernic simply lay back down and continued staring at the sky. Soon, he started hearing the way the horses were running.

The mage jumped up but didn't do anything. His hands were shaking. His gaze was rapidly shifting between the chased nun and Fernic. Seeing how Fernic was ignoring the situation, the mage extended his hands and started following the movements of one of the knights.

On his shaking palms, a small orb appeared out of thin air. As it grew in size, it produced more and more heat, as well as light. It was a fireball. And when the nun got closer, the mage sent his conjured fireball flying towards his target.

With incredible speed, the spell flew forth, but due to the mage's shaking hands, he aimed a bit low; as a result, instead of hitting the knight, the spell hit the horse instead. Upon impact, a devastating burst of fire erupted.

The knights were blasted off; however, the impact also hit the nun's horse, knocking her off as well. Fortunately for her, she just fell off and rolled on the ground for a few meters. When she stopped, she was only a short distance from Fernic.

She was covered with blood and dirt. Her clothes were torn, and it seemed she was injured in the incident as she couldn't stand up, but as soon as she regained her senses, she started crawling towards Fernic and the mage.

As for the knights, they took the hit almost head-on, but they stood up almost instantly. Despite their armor glowing red-hot and being melted somewhat, they march forth towards the nun. It seemed as if they felt absolutely nothing, despite the massive damage they must have taken.

"Why are you so noisy? I wanted to take a nap!"

Fernic said as he finally sat up and looked at the mage, who seemed even more shaky than before, then his vision shifted to the crawling nun who was only a few short meters away from him. Finally, he looked at the marching knights who suddenly came to a halt when they were roughly ten meters away from him.

"W-What?! They stopped?!"

The mage shouted as he finally returned to reality. He quickly rushed over to the nun to help her up.

"It seems the so-called hero was felled before I expected. Such an idiot was summoned, it seems... "

Fernic mumbled, then he yawned.

"H-how can you b-be so calm? I could just barely get here, but now they will kill us!"

The nun uttered as the mage helped her sit up. He sat down beside her as the two of them stared at the two standing knights.

"W-what? Why are they standing still? They wanted to kill me a moment ago!"

"Interesting, it seems they are not that weak."

Fernic spoke once again, and then he stood up, after which he once again yawned.

"What are you talking about? A single death knight killed the hero effortlessly! How could you assume them to be weak?"

"Death knight? What a strange name, and simple... Still, it seems they understand that I am quite a bit stronger than they, which is why they stopped. At least they won't bother me that much. Anyway, I will be going, and I will find a place to sleep."

A cold declaration came from Fernic, and then he turned back around to face the church and started walking towards the structure. The moment he moved, the knights started moving as well, but they kept their distance.

Seeing their strange behavior, the nun's eyes widened. She tried to stand up, but alone, she was unable to do so, and as she looked at the mage, hoping for some sort of help, she realized that he was completely shocked.

"W-wait, please! Y-you can sleep in the church. After all, it would be wrong to let a summoned person sleep out in the cold."

The nun shouted when there were only a few meters between her and the knights. While she spoke, she quickly shook the mage, trying to get him back to reality, which proved to be successful.

"Oh, that would be nice, thank you!"

Fernic replied as he looked back at them. In that time, the mage quickly pulled the nun up and started helping her move towards Fernic, using his strange repellent aura to stay alive and out of the knight's reach.

The three of them made their way back to the church. The mage sat the nun down on one of the benches, while Fernic sat down on another.

"Since it is getting late, and we haven't eaten all day, I will go make us something to eat. Please wait here!"

The mage said, and he quickly walked to the back of the church and entered another room through a door.

"Erm... Do you think you could... maybe... help with..."

The nun started stuttering.

"I am technically a mercenary; if you pay me, I work; if you don't, I do not! If you want something small, I am willing to work for coins or items, but if..."

Fernic explained, but midway through his explanation, he was once again surrounded by a familiar blinding golden light. Upon registering it, he instantly stopped talking, and instead, a loud sigh left his lips.

He found himself once again sitting on the floor of that seemingly infinite room. In front of him, the god of that world stood. Once their gazes met, the god looked away; he raised his hand and opened his mouth, but then lowered his hand and only sighed.

"I didn't expect to see you for at least another day. It seems your other summon was quite an incapable fool to have died so quickly."

"Y-you truly love hitting people where it hurts the most, don't you?"

"What can I say, it is my speciality."

A grin spread across Fernic's face, then he continued.

"Let me guess. You have summoned a well-built person who had more muscle than brain, and at the same time, my intuition is correct, you sent him away without adequate strengthening or help."

"Y-YOU"

The god hissed but didn't continue, though he was gritting his teeth