My Players Are So Fierce - Chapter 337

Chapter 337: Mass-Producing Holy Water Is the Correct Way to Use the Holy Grail!

 

“Let me tell you, we just found a barbarian war axe on the first count’s coffin lid, it’s definitely a rare divine weapon! Even if you can’t use it yourself, you can reward it to your warriors. How can one be so pedantic as a person, oh no, as a vampire?”

 

The Blood Rat Gang’s leader crawled out of the professionally dug tunnel they just excavated, followed by Fangfang and the chattering little players covered in dust.

 

She held a bag in her hand, announcing the successful completion of this tomb raiding operation, but Dorothy’s face was full of regret and reluctance.

 

She leaned close to Murphy and whispered:

 

“Why don’t we come back another time? There’s a lot of money hidden inside.”

 

“No need, although Crimson Citadel is poor, it hasn’t fallen to the point of needing to rely on tomb raiding to survive, moreover these are our predecessor heroes of Transia.”

 

Murphy shrugged, taking the black bag from Dorothy and looking inside, an ancient wooden cup was placed within.

 

From its appearance there was nothing noteworthy about it, but when he handed it to several mountain folk elders wearing peculiar deer antler masks beside him, their cries of joy and delight were unmistakable.

 

This must indeed be a sacred relic of these mountain forests.

 

As for the item identification step, it could be skipped since Fangfang had already appraised it which meant Murphy had also examined it, he already knew the specific usage of this thing.

 

Several witch hunters next to Murphy also keenly sensed the aura of that Holy Grail. Old Eugene uncertainly whispered to Grandma Marianne who was reciting scriptures:

 

“I sense a very familiar aura, similar to the Avalon Holy Grail in the sacred grounds of Glamo Island, but weaker.”

 

“Yet closer to nature’s essence, I can even smell the immortal fragrance of the forest.”

 

Grandma Marianne looked up, squinting her eyes at the wooden cup being passed back and forth among several mountain folk elders, and continued:

 

“Legend has it that the first mountain folk on the continent were born in the emerald forests of Antani, which was the frontier of the elven realm. In many different versions of the legends I know about mountain folk, many stories point to their ancestors having had interactions with the elven pioneers.

 

Perhaps this forest Holy Grail also comes from those legends.

 

However, I’m not too clear whether the mountain folk of Saxony are related to the original mountain folk, their legends are always obscure and chaotic, and they are very closed off, unwilling to share their ancestral stories with outsiders.”

 

“No need to guess, that thing is the Forest Holy Grail made by Avalon in the divine aspect of the Forest Mother, my warriors have confirmed this point. But after hearing about your Holy Grail legends, I can’t help but wonder, your Avalon Holy Grail doesn’t seem to have come from elven druids’ bestowal?”

 

Murphy curiously asked:

 

“I thought it was like the Oak Sacred Blade and Seeds of Life, all gifts from the elves to the first Avalon followers.”

 

“No, our Holy Grail was carved by the Elder Council of Glamo under our god’s guidance over several decades, using the heartwood of the first sacred oak grown on Glamo Island as material, inscribing doctrinal canon on it and filling it with the purest natural water.

 

It can complete one consecration each month to obtain extremely precious holy water.

 

That’s not only a necessary item for White Knights’ class advancement, but can also serve as a very precious material. Legend has it that drinking holy water can cure all diseases, even resurrect the dead, and grant longevity like the elves.”

 

Guildmaster Natalie explained to Murphy this religious knowledge:

 

“Moreover, our handcrafted Holy Grail isn’t just a ceremonial vessel, the Avalon Holy Grail also represents the old church ancestors’ understanding of our god’s propagation of the way of nature.

 

Although the way of nature originated from the elven druids’ teachings, after hundreds of years of doctrinal research, humanity’s way of nature has long departed from the elves’ path, becoming a completely different version.

 

You could say the Holy Grail is the source of all old church doctrines, which is why it’s so important to us. If we want to rebuild the church in Transia, we must find the Avalon Holy Grail lost in the chaos.”

 

Speaking to this point, the witch hunter looked at the Forest Holy Grail being held high by the mountain folk elders, and said softly:

 

“But what you see before you represents an even more classical way of nature. Hmm, no wonder the mountain folk here never leave their forests, no wonder the renowned wing cavalry were born here, no wonder the mountain folk here are stronger and more martial than those elsewhere.

 

They indeed received our god’s blessing.

 

The appearance of this Holy Grail also proves their heritage is more ancient than the Avalon Church, no wonder the mountain folk of Saxony have always looked down on the old church’s preaching.

 

They also have their own ‘background’.

 

In your warriors’ joking words, it turns out we are the ‘poor relatives’ speaking nonsense, no wonder we’re so unwelcome among the mountain folk.”

 

“I’ve seen similar Holy Grails before, not this one, but very similar.”

 

Kudel, who had been standing behind Murphy without speaking, suddenly said:

 

“In the mountainous area between the Anju region and Cato region, when I was extremely tired at dawn, I saw a silver Holy Grail rise from a spring. I was wounded and dying at the time, and drank the water from it.”

 

“Mmm mmm mmm, I know I know!”

 

Lady Becky, who came to join the excitement with her “grandfather”, immediately waved her hand and said:

 

“That’s grandfather’s legendary story of becoming a Holy Grail Knight! After taking an oath to defend justice and the dignity of life, you received the blessing of power, and spent 7 days and nights eliminating the gnoll bandits that had been terrorizing the mountains.

 

From then on, people respectfully called you the ‘Nantes Ranger’.”

 

“Were your younger days so legendary? I thought your life only became dramatic after becoming a vampire.”

 

Murphy looked at Kudel in surprise, who waved his hand and said:

 

“Those are just later exaggerations. The actual situation was that the Holy Grail water did heal me, I regarded it as a sacred relic and carried it with me until I rescued the women and children who had been taken from the gnoll’s lair. That night the Holy Grail mysteriously left me just as it had appeared, but I did indeed gain power.

 

As for the oath,

 

I’ve always believed it chose me. From then on I became an ‘Oath Keeper’, and even after becoming a vampire, I never abandoned my oath.

 

It has always provided me with transcendent power.”

 

“But why did the elves scatter their Holy Grails everywhere?”

 

Knight Liwen beside Lady Becky couldn’t help asking:

 

“If a Holy Grail can transform a human overnight, why don’t the elves make good use of this power? In the stories I’ve heard about elves, they aren’t so selfless as to willingly share their power with others.”

 

“Perhaps it’s not that the elves didn’t want to monopolize the Holy Grail’s power.”

 

Kudel, the only one among them who had actually interacted with the mysterious Holy Grail, shook his head and said:

 

“Perhaps it’s because the Holy Grails weren’t forged by elves, they just initially passed through elven hands, nothing more.

 

To be honest, I also don’t really think the Holy Grail that granted me power back then had anything to do with elves. During the 4th Black Plague, I fought alongside those elves in the Dark Mountains, but they didn’t sense anything about my power. I feel these cups once contained something quite divine.

 

They may indeed be related to the legendary deities.

 

But just because one or two of them can be linked to the nature god doesn’t mean all Holy Grails came from Avalon’s hand.

 

There are legends about Holy Grails all over the continent. Even in the great wilderness of Nordtov there are legends about Hero King Boris and the Winter Holy Grail.

 

Some say that hero king who conquered the great wilderness was actually also a Holy Grail Knight belonging to the winter god.”

 

“The mountain folk are about to begin their ceremony.”

 

Lady Becky, who had been listening intently to her grandfather’s stories of the past, put away her delicate notebook and called out to the others.

 

They turned around to see those mountain folk elders wearing deer antler masks made of bone and branches holding the Holy Grail high, returning to their forests surrounded by sturdy warriors.

 

The crowd followed closely behind as invited observers.

 

They soon arrived at a clearing with black rocks erected in the forest of Seicob territory, where the elders of the mountain folk tribes in this forest had all gathered.

 

Little Countess Sharon had changed into traditional mountain folk attire and was standing in front of the largest and oldest rune stone under the escort of Knight Valand.

 

By reason, vampires shouldn’t participate in such faith-related ceremonies, after all, the blood clan is famously unwelcome by deities.

 

But as Sharon said, she is a child of the forest.

 

This innate bond wouldn’t be severed just because her life form changed, and the surrounding mountain folk elders didn’t despise or reject Sharon because she became a vampire. They still respected the bloodline of the Seicomere family as before and regarded this little vampire before them as one of their own.

 

This ceremony was really very simple. Apart from fruits picked from the forest and some fresh game taken from the forest, there were no other ceremonial items. The most elderly mountain folk elder handed the Forest Holy Grail to Sharon, who then poured water taken from mountain springs at dawn into it.

 

Finally, amid the singing of mountain folk women, this Holy Grail was reverently placed before the giant stone.

 

The ancient runes carved on it emitted emerald light in response to the singing, as if the forest spirits were responding to the children’s calls. As the desolate singing rose and fell, the light of those runes grew brighter.

 

“The concentration of nature spirit energy is surging!”

 

Old Eugene, who had been observing this ancient ceremony, said softly:

 

“Their ceremony is taking effect, but I still can’t figure out where the source of the spirit energy fluctuation is. I don’t sense any divinity.”

 

“No, there is! The deity is already attending to this place, but it’s not the connection of prayer and divine arts that we’re familiar with.”

 

Natalie exclaimed in surprise as she gripped the Great Oak Sacred Blade on her back that kept vibrating. Seeing the runes on the sacred blade also flickering with light, she firmly told those beside her:

 

“The object of prayer in this ceremony is indeed the nature god, the sacred blade’s resonance proves this point! But our god’s appearance in the mountain folk’s eyes is clearly different from what we followers know. The one they are calling now should be the image of the Avalon god in elven eyes!

 

It is the Forest Mother!

 

The mountain folk are using the ancient three-god ritual of the elven druids. These mountain folk walk the same path of nature as us that originated from the same source.

 

For hundreds of years we’ve been quarreling with our own brothers and sisters over the same faith.

 

By Avalon above, this is too foolish.”

 

“Then what are you waiting for?”

 

Murphy stared at the water in the Forest Holy Grail that had completely turned emerald.

 

He squinted and pushed Natalie forward from among the observers into the ceremony scene, while quietly retreating behind everyone else to avoid being discovered as the troublemaker and getting beaten up.

 

This sudden situation interrupted the mountain folk’s singing and made those wild warriors as strong as bears cast unfriendly glances at these outsiders who disturbed the sacred ceremony. Some hot-tempered brothers even gripped the weapons at their waists or on their backs.

 

It was obvious that if Natalie didn’t give an explanation, they would give the witch hunters an “explanation.”

 

This confrontation and conflict immediately made the atmosphere in the venue tense.

 

But as Natalie improvised by holding up the Great Oak Sacred Blade with both hands, the “resonance” between its blade inscriptions and the runes on the ancient rock immediately caused exclamations from the mountain folk elders.

 

This was the first time in their generations of ancient heritage that they had seen such a situation!

 

So, is this another sacred relic from the forest?

 

“I suggest you drink the water from the Forest Holy Grail.”

 

Kudel, who had been observing the Forest Holy Grail, said to Natalie using ventriloquism:

 

“Although I don’t understand how these mountain folk’s ceremony could make the Holy Grail resonate, I can confirm that the water in that Holy Grail now is exactly the same as the holy water I once drank. All the conditions for becoming a Holy Grail Knight are met!

 

Now, what lies before you will be a lifelong oath!

 

As long as you abide by it, you will continuously obtain power to support your progress.”

 

Murphy also said to the hesitating Natalie at this time:

 

“If you want the mountain folk to acknowledge that you are also their foreign sisters walking on the same path, then receiving the blessing of the ‘Forest Spirit’ in front of them is obviously the most effective way to bridge the distance between both sides.

 

Hundreds of years of grievances between both sides would be alleviated because of this one action of yours.

 

Moreover, Natalie, you cannot become a White Knight like your father without finding the Avalon Holy Grail, but I don’t think this is a pity.

 

Perhaps becoming an Avalon Holy Grail Knight is also a good choice.

 

You need power to hunt down the Dusk followers, and if the Avalon Church’s path is wrong, then I suggest you might as well go back, retrace the path that the ancestors walked back then, and seek ways to rebuild faith in natural traditions.

 

Drink it, Natalie!

 

You will become the bridge connecting the Avalon faith and the mountain folk.”

 

“No, this is not the faith I follow, Avalon’s teachings to us are not like this.”

 

The Black-Hearted Witch Hunter gritted her teeth and said:

 

“If I drink this water it can only make me fall onto a path I don’t believe in, that would be deception towards the deity, I cannot do this.”

 

“But this is indeed a good opportunity, my dear Avalon shepherd.”

 

Murphy snorted and said:

 

“With the support of the mountain folk, your new church would grow strong overnight, isn’t that what the Avalon god wants to see? Moreover, you are the most suitable person among us to taste that oddly colored Holy Grail water.

 

We can’t let the aging Old Eugene or Grandma Marianne drink it.

 

You have to respect the elderly, don’t you understand?”

 

“My god wishes to see the prosperity of faith but absolutely not through such deceptive means! I have my own plans.”

 

Natalie rejected Murphy’s suggestion.

 

She planted the Great Oak Sacred Blade in the ground and lifted the Forest Holy Grail before Little Countess Sharon under the mountain folk’s gaze.

 

She could indeed feel the holy water contained in this Forest Holy Grail emanating natural aura that penetrated straight to the soul, this was something blessed by the Avalon god under the aspect of Forest Mother.

 

Just drinking it might allow her to become a divine “saint.”

 

However, Natalie ultimately didn’t do this either, she had already chosen a path of power for herself.

 

She must become a White Knight like her father, not casually change her ideals to step onto another unfamiliar path.

 

Under everyone’s gaze, Natalie chanted Avalon’s divine name loudly and handed the cup of water to Knight Valand beside Little Countess Sharon.

 

She said something in a low voice, and the Osprey Knight was stunned.

 

But then looking at his lord, Little Countess Sharon had also heard Natalie’s explanation and persuasion, so she nodded to her guard knight in support.

 

The Osprey Knight, born right in this forest, tremblingly accepted the Holy Grail. This was an unprecedented step in the mountain folk’s ancient ceremony.

 

“I swear!”

 

The Osprey Knight, as strong as a bear, shouted in the mountain folk language:

 

“I swear by my surname and my honor, I will dedicate my life to the ancestral forest, I will protect our homeland and our kinfolk, and personally take back what was taken from this land.

 

Let the forest witness!

 

I will fulfill my oath until death!”

 

After speaking, the Osprey Knight drained the Holy Grail water in one gulp amid the cheers of the surrounding mountain folk.

 

“Uh, actually you didn’t need to drink that much.”

 

Kudel said softly:

 

“The Holy Grail water contains enormous power, one sip would have been enough, drinking too much will actually make it harder for him to digest. Generally speaking, one large cup of holy water is meant to be shared among 10 people.”

 

These words made Murphy’s face full of surprise, then he looked rather regretfully at the Osprey Knight who had already finished drinking ten people’s worth of holy water and was now hiccuping. He covered his eyes with a face full of regret and said:

 

“Uh, why didn’t you say so earlier! If I had known one cup of holy water could be shared among 10 people I would have stopped him. Spreading it around could have blessed 20 warriors, tsk, what a pity, what a good business opportunity!”