Gostan City

Early the next morning, the elderly monk cooked porridge for them, specifically adding medicinal herbs to strengthen their bodies and praying for their safe journey.

Shane stood by the carriage, sporting two heavy dark circles under his eyes.

Last night, the good and evil versions of himself had fought a battle in his mind all night long, ending in a stalemate.

The monk before him held the Holy Scripture, casting [Heal] magic on everyone one by one to ensure that their previous injuries would leave no lingering effects.

When it was Shane's turn, the monk paused for a moment.

"It seems Mr. Shane did not rest well yesterday."

Shane stared straight at the Holy Scripture and said gloomily, "Indeed, young man, there are many troubles in life."

The monk Beryl was amused by Shane's words and held the Holy Scripture out toward him.

"Then take this Holy Scripture as a gift. I hope you can receive the Goddess's help through it and be free of troubles from now on."

"Huh?"

Shane suspected he had misheard.

"Give it to me?? Why??"

"Because I feel that the Goddess must wish for me to do so."

Looking at the Holy Scripture in his hands—no, looking at the gleaming magic entry on the Holy Scripture—Shane's mood shifted instantly from dejection to ecstasy.

"But this... this is clearly something very precious to you..."

Seeming to sense Shane's joy and gratitude, the monk took out a small wooden box and said with a smile:

"If you feel guilty about taking away an old friend that has accompanied me for decades, then help me deliver these manuscripts to the City Hall in Gostan City. The people there will know how to handle them."

Deliver a letter? Ah, no, deliver documents?

Shane grabbed the wooden box, "No problem, leave it to me!"

The monk smiled with satisfaction.

The fruits of his life's research, all his analyses and treatises on the [Goddess Barrier] within the Holy Scripture, were inside that wooden box.

Once the people at City Hall received all the manuscripts and they were verified by the Magic Association, his research could be studied and used by more people.

Would his name have a chance to be passed down in human history?

He couldn't help but harbor a small, hopeful longing.

The carriage had traveled quite far, yet the monk could still be seen standing there, watching them go.

Shane was in high spirits, clutching the Holy Scripture to his chest and waving vigorously at the figure behind them.

Frieren watched the figure that had gradually shrunk to a tiny dot, then looked at Shane beside her, and said in a calm tone:

"Monks have a habit at the end of their lives; they always pass the old Holy Scripture they have carried for a lifetime to the student they admire most, as a memento."

Slap.

Shane's waving hand accidentally struck his own eye.

"What did you say?"

"I said that old man Beryl giving you the Holy Scripture means he admires you very much."

"Not that sentence, the one before it."

"..."

Frieren stopped speaking and began reading the grimoire she carried with her.

Shane's head felt a bit dizzy. He sat down, feeling soul-crushed as he looked at the Holy Scripture in his arms, the joy he had felt just moments ago vanishing instantly.

The monk Beryl was old, very old. Shane knew clearly that he might not have much time left, but he had never expected that perhaps today, or perhaps tomorrow, this kind-hearted monk would pass away.

He looked at the wooden box the monk had entrusted him to deliver to Gostan City, and a sense of sorrow welled up in his heart for no reason.

A person's long, decades-long life, condensed in the end into a small box.

He turned his head and looked back toward the monastery once more.

The kind figure who had stood by the roadside to see them off was no longer visible at all.

The carriage swayed and jolted.

Beside him, the merchant and his assistants had long since fallen asleep against the carriage walls.

Next to him, Frieren's head was bobbing, and she looked as if she were about to fall asleep.

Shane sat at the back of the carriage, flipping through the Holy Scripture in his hands, not knowing how to use it.

For magic tool entries, one only needed to extract and then imbue them to use them directly.

But how was one supposed to do that with a magic entry?

[Goddess Barrier]

Type: Barrier Magic

Effect: Provides a powerful protective barrier and conceals everything within it.

Status: Unlearned

Shane scratched his head. What exactly constituted "learning" it?

After agonizing over it for a while, he finally decided to try Entry Extraction.

Following his mental command, the magic entry transformed into a tiny speck of light, just like an enchanted attribute entry, and was extracted.

Before he could take the next step, that tiny speck of light turned into magic particles and instantly merged into his body.

In an instant, he felt as if the blood in his veins was beginning to boil.

A strange, indescribable sensation of pleasure shot straight to his brain.

"Wow, this feeling..."

Shane couldn't help but grip the hilt of the sword at his waist, tilting his head back as he felt like even his toes were exploding with sensation.

Frieren was startled awake by his movements.

She looked at Shane with dazed eyes, her face full of confusion.

?

Shane tried his best to pretend nothing was wrong, exerting every ounce of his strength to keep from crying out in pleasure.

Magic really was truly miraculous!

The journey was uneventful, and the carriage arrived safely at Gostan City.

It was a magnificent trading city, situated on a vast river valley plain, looking north toward the Neck Mountains and blocking the White Sand Valley to the south.

It was not only a gathering place for merchants but also a strategic military stronghold.

At the city gates.

The crowd was bustling.

Whether entering or leaving the city, everyone was lined up in long queues.

The city guards stood on both sides, questioning every person and inspecting their luggage; even the goods of merchant caravans had to be opened one by one for inspection.

Seeing this, the merchant uncle was somewhat surprised and quickly sent a clerk to inquire.

Before long, the clerk ran back:

"The city gate guards said that an unidentified force attacked Gostan City a few days ago, and General Glucks even discovered a spy trying to steal the city's defense plans, so the City Lord ordered the gates to be sealed. Now, everyone entering or leaving must verify their identification, and those without it are not being let through."

Hearing this news, Shane's heart tightened.

"Identification?"

It had been three years since he transmigrated. During this time, he had either been scavenging in dungeons or studying entries in inns; he had never paid any attention to identification. This couldn't be the "ID card" of this world, could it?

What was he supposed to do if he didn't have one?

He hoped he wouldn't be slaughtered as a spy... that would be too unlucky...

Just as he was thinking this, he saw Frieren beside him pick up her suitcase, jump nimbly off the carriage, and turn around to leave without the slightest hesitation.

"Shane, let's go. We'll go somewhere else."

"??"

Shane was confused at first, then a flash of inspiration struck, and he instantly understood: Frieren didn't have identification either!!!

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"What do you expect me to do? Human governing organizations are always changing; I can't keep up with all those different proofs."

The white-haired elf looked completely matter-of-fact.