“You can’t hide it, you know.”
Joe cocked his head, confused, Oh! Right… umm…, “Ah… not hiding, but I want to surprise my friend.”
“Ah… you know,” she frowned, a bit disapproving.
“Not truly. Only a little,” Joe spoke apologetically
“As you should,” the priestess’s upset calmed, “still… keep this quiet.”
“Yes, priestess,” Joe bowed his head slightly at that, pretending to accept things as they were, hoping to drop the conversation.
The priestess smiled, seemingly happy with what… what did I do right? Anyway… Joe nodded once again and quickly left, now quite certain that this priestess at this temple would likely remember him. He took the time to imprint her features in his thoughts, hopeful that he could recognize her again in the future and be careful not to show up again.
That did cause a complication, though, as Joe realized if he changed his job in a temple that was not related to the god he was joining, people might cause a problem. It wasn’t likely to be very useful at all to maintain his anonymity unless this priestess was an exception. Despite this, Joe headed home in high spirits and walked through the common room. He looked around, but found Kukurnal missing so simply continued straight up to the room for a bath.
He was careful, this time, to enter the room after knocking and verifying things were fine and he found all three jabbering away excitedly in the room. Joe smiled and shucked his backpack before flopping ungainly on his bed. Kilniara stood and settled on the bed next to him, but all three seemed to not take it into any account, ignoring it. Joe, however, scooted over slightly but she pursued him and settled in close to him.
Joe scooted away again and asked, “Did you bathe already?”
Kilniara stopped, looking at him and replying with some confusion “Yes?”
“I’m still hot and stinky. You don’t want to touch me. I’ll get you dirty.”
Kilniara giggled, but stayed away with a shake of her head and the three continued chatting while Joe zoned out for a bit, just needing some basic rest.
After about ten minutes, he kicked them all out and told them he would meet them in the common room and then took a leisurely towel rinse. A completely disappointing affair but seeing as he’d not had any decent bath or shower in almost two hundred days, even this poor substitute was better than nothing.
Joe finished and headed back down the stairs for a meal, expecting Kukurnal to show up, but not certain. When he made it down to the common area, he was a bit relieved to find the common room empty of any who wanted to meet him. He smiled and settled in with the other three. They waved over the waitress when Joe came down the stairs and she was leaving when Joe sat down. Joe sighed silently even as she left. I hate not having any options. Just one meal every meal… just…
Joe didn’t have too much to complain as the meals were still different for every meal he’d had and the diversity was enough, but the lack of options was disappointing. Although, I guess it only is because I’m used to options. Joe mocked himself for his whining and dropped it.
All four enjoyed a bright but meaningless conversation with their meal when it came and then retired for the evening. However, just as Joe was about ready to head up to bed, Kukurnal came into the room, looking pensive and quite concerned. Joe almost begged off speaking with Kukurnal, but seeing his pale and worried face, he held his tongue and waved the three up to bed while turning to Kukurnal.
“What… what is wrong?”
Kukurnal stared at him, then glanced away before looking towards him once again, “May we… speak?”
Joe found his eyebrows jumping up at that before nodding, “Certainly? Here?”
Kukurnal frowned and shook his head, “I would … prefer a private option… if available?”
Joe nodded, “I do not know if I really have anything meaningfully private, but… maybe we could simply enjoy the night streets and speak quietly?”
Kukurnal’s frown deepened before he nodded quietly, “Then… let us away.”
Joe smiled at the archaic phrase but understood well enough and the two stepped out into the rapidly emptying streets, the dark of night making late night pedestrians scarce. Joe noticed the streets emptying out and decided to offer safe passage back home for the holy man.
“If you need, we can walk back to the temples?”
Kukurnal looked up at Joe then returned to his more confidence self, quickly grimacing and waving off any concern, “Bah! What fool would dare touch a priest of Mimir. All is well… and all will be well while I am here.”
Joe smiled at that, “Glad you’re feeling better, then.”
Kukurnal snorted and looked back up at Joe before a softer shallower frown returned to his face, “We have… I… hmm… you…” Kukurnal ended with a sigh and fell silent for a moment.
Joe found his eyebrows rising and turned to look at Kukurnal with some consideration as they walked down the street but remained silent, allowing him to gather his thoughts. After another block or so, Kukurnal finally turned to Joe and spoke softly, but quite urgently.
“My god… does not like some of your … ideas.”
Joe blinked, stunned. He swallowed, thought carefully, and quickly tamped down the sudden rising anger attempting to leap up and puppet his mouths with vile belittling curses or sarcasm. He sighed deeply and considered. Right… don’t crush the medieval man for being so small minded… and … belittle his god. Let’s... start with something simple.
“He sent me a missive.”
“He can write?”
“Write? Oh… uh… no… not as you or your people have done so. He sent me a recording of his thoughts on your knowledge by memory core.”
Memory core? Oh yeah! See if I can learn more... “What do you know about memory cores?”
"You do not know memory cores?"
"I have never seen or used one, only talked about them with Garnedell once."
The priest’s eyebrows quickly leapt up before he continued, “It is an alchemical work… or possibly enchanting… maybe both? I do not know of its construction save that a core can be used to pass on the thoughts and memories of others.”
“Oh… seems quite useful. Any memories?”
“Quite, and yes. One can easily pass knowledge on.”
“Why do I not see… many being used?”
Kukurnal snorted and shook his head, “I forget your wealth, sometimes. Cores are quite rare, and the cost of passing memories is not… often acceptable to most.”
Huh… not a lot of cores… makes sense, but still… He sighed and turned his thoughts back to their current conversation.
“And, seeing as how you seem quite concerned, this is not exactly good news?”
Kukurnal frowned at that then looked up at Joe with worry, “That is… not a bad view of this.”
“Your leadership did not like my ideas.”
Kukurnal’s frown deepened, “No. He did not.”
Joe kept his thoughts to himself but struggled to refrain from offering a very dim view of Kukurnal’s god. He remained silent and stared straight ahead for a time as they walked before sighing again and turning to look at Kukurnal.
“Then… what does that mean.”
“There are… certain taboos, as you called them.”
“Ah… taboo knowledge.”
Kukurnal’s concern vanished, replaced by excitement once again at exploring a new idea, “Taboo knowledge… fascinating… but yes.”
“Am I… in trouble?”
Kukurnal frowned, “No? Should you be?”
Joe found his eyebrow quirking at that, “Well… taboo means no longer speaking of it or containing the knowledge. The best way to contain knowledge is to … silence the speaker.”
Kukurnal’s frown turned sour at that and he turned away in embarrassment, “It … is not… such an unusual occurrence… but you have no need to concern. Please, just… do not speak of these things again.”
“All of them?” Time to be… a lot more careful about a LOT of things!
Kukurnal paused at that then shook his head, “No. There are only some few that Mimir is concerned for.”
Joe scowled and mockingly replied, “One of them being free knowledge, of course.”
Kukurnal’s face twisted in embarrassed chagrin at that but said nothing, turning away before coughing softly under his breath. Joe sighed and allowed the moment to pass, continuing on.
“And I am not to speak of them again?”
Kukurnal paused at that before sighing himself with a frown, “Maybe… not to another priest or priestess of Mimir.”
Joe paused at that, reconsidering Kukurnal carefully before continuing cautiously, “But I can still speak to you of these things?”
Kukurnal stuttered in his walk at that before turning to look up at Joe’s face carefully, searching deeply before smiling softly, a genuine grin of joy, “Except… with me.”
Joe smiled in return at that, “But with caution.”
Kukurnal’s soft smile quickly turned to alarm as he nodded quickly, “Definitely with caution.”
Joe’s smile turned brighter but he nodded and moved the conversation along, “Then, teach me of these taboo subjects I must refrain from.”
The conversation that followed was amenable, if not quite as enjoyable or profitable as their previous conversations as the two commiserated with one another. The conversation was interjected with curses, exclamations, vehement arguments, angry denials, and desperate attempts at bargaining.
It was a long time before Joe was able to return home to the inn and his bed, his careful plans for the evening quickly forgotten by the news of Kukurnal’s upset god. When he softly entered their room, he found all the others already asleep, although he could only assume Kilniara was asleep. Joe fell asleep even quicker than they did, if a bit later, while looking at his base stats.
Status
Blessings
Current Job
Curses
Available Jobs
Current Skills
All Skills
Log
Joe McConnell
Status
Physical Resistances
Magical Resistances
HP
128.3 (138)
Physical:
Wind
18.81
MP
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
173.4 (100)
Piercing
17.5 (48)
Water
18.31
Attack
131.3 (181)
Crushing
18.25 (132)
Earth
15.00
Defense
131.3 (158)
Slashing
18.5 (39)
Fire
15.50
Magic
308.8 (100)
Ice
18.06
Magic Defense
320.8 (100)
Gravity
15.00
Strength
145.3 (148)
Magnetic
15.00
Dexterity
138.8 (112)
Light
15.00
Agility
134.8 (133)
Shadow
12.00
Speed
132.3 (115)
Space
15.00
Endurance
147.8 (193)
Spirit
33.00
IQ
754.7 (132)
Mental
27.00
Wisdom
1658.4 (105)
Sound
15.00
Will
1119.7
Electricity
15.00
Learning
25843.22
Luck
39.63