I Became a 6★ Gacha Character

I approached the front of the chaotic procession to look at Irene.

Katie clung to her right side while Grace stuck to her left, making a fuss. Whether they'd noticed the anger in her speech or not, Irene's face flushed red at their praise about her beautiful holy power and goddess-like presence.

With her quiet, gentle nature of following from behind, she clearly couldn't handle direct praise - it was cute. Still, I couldn't keep watching the scientific debate about whether berserk caused erectile dysfunction forever, so I quickened my pace to join Irene's side.

Grace noticed my steel boots deliberately approaching and moved aside with a bright smile.

"Irene."

"Yes, Roland."

Since the procession moved at Irene's pace at the front, walking side by side to talk was easy. Not riding horses or wagons might be some Goddess Faith tradition. Come to think of it, during the last real holy war, only goods were transported by wagon while priests and nuns walked.

Thinking this, I walked slowly. Thankfully being at the front meant seeing only open plains instead of naked ogres and blood-painted banners.

Walking right beside her, our forearms would brush... except I wore solid armor. Worried about bruising her soft skin, I moved half a step away, but Irene stared at me and took one big step to link our arms.

"True."

Though she tried to act cheerful like nothing was wrong, undeniable anger flickered behind the resolve in her golden eyes.

The good news was there were no signs of the "Dark Irene" or "Witch instead of Saint" nonsense viewers were freaking out about. I suspected Irene's character quest trigger was about changing from passive to active mindset.

While Koreans called her "Mom," Japanese otaku and Japanophile Yankees called her "Yamato Nadeshiko."

Yamato Nadeshiko - combining the old name "Yamato" with "Nadeshiko," Japanese for carnation meaning beautiful woman. Originally meaning an elegant, beautiful lady, when tainted by otaku culture and Japanophilia it took a strange direction.

The fantasy of a traditional beauty skilled in housework who shyly devotes herself to men. Of course such devoted woman fantasies weren't unique to Japan - the translated chat was filled with terms like "English Rose."

In short, everyone had Irene pegged as the devoted but passive type who meekly followed one step behind.

"I can't just pray from behind forever. I came to the tower with adventurers because I hated that, yet here I am trying to stay in the back again."

"Isn't it better for priests and nuns to stay behind adventurer parties? Best not to stand out."

"That would be nice. But the world doesn't work that way."

But as Han Se-ah's character quest window proved, she was no longer passively following our party's lead.

After joining us on the beginner plains and staying in the back all the way to floor 60, she'd decided to stand beside us.

"Roland, do you know why priests leave the temple to go on pilgrimages?"

Because that was her faith.

"At the temple, I can help people. Since sick and injured people come seeking the Goddess's grace, staying at the temple means definitely being able to help someone."

"But that also means never being able to help those who can't reach the temple. People who can come to the temple are well off enough to make it there. Those in truly dire situations can only pray."

"That's why the priests go on pilgrimages. When I was four, the person who read me stories, and when I was six, the one who taught me to do laundry - they all left for beyond the city one by one."

After saying this, she smiled silently again. But her eyes held more sorrow than nostalgia for childhood.

In a world where adventurers and mercenaries could turn bandit at any time like Schrödinger's cats, while most wouldn't harm Goddess Faith priests and nuns, there were plenty of crazy enough to try.

While 70% of adventurers died, probably 30% of the pilgrim priests Irene bid farewell to died too. This fantasy world wasn't just dangerous from people but crawling with monsters.

"So now it's my turn to step forward. Like others who cared for me before setting out. Fortunately, being with the hero party lets me help more people... Though I'm sorry it took me so long to realize this."

"Irene, that kind of regret won't help. You spoke up to help people, and they chose to face the Demon Lord following you."

As I listened to Irene's story, Katie, still clinging close, took Irene's hand firmly with an unusually serious expression.

Just then, someone shouted:

"Stealth! Suspected stealth centaurs approaching!"

※

The stealth centaur ambush was hard even for 5★ 'Shadow-Chasing Arrow' Grace to detect. But before they could surround us, an adventurer archer hired by an Imperial trainee commander noticed their approach.

5★ 'Gazing Beyond the Horizon' Lusalka, seemingly modeled after a Native American girl.

While Grace chose critical defense penetration passive to compensate for combat ability traded for detection passive, Lusalka appeared to be a pure observer with all skills focused on detection.

Though lacking alchemical arrowheads or penetration skills, making her unable to solo even medium monsters despite being 5★... her detection ability surpassing centaurs alone proved perfect. A performance worthy of a top adventurer gathered at floor 60.

"The ogres?"

"Save them. But we won't let them take our rear either. Though they're just centaurs, late arrivals following our news might rush in carelessly and fall to them."

"Then?"

"No flanking or encirclement - straight breakthrough. Though I won't move yet. Grace, please tell Olek."

I discussed with Han Se-ah and Katie while maintaining a slow pace, pretending not to notice. Irene too, holding mine and Katie's hands firmly, moved forward acting oblivious - clearly not planning to stop for mere stealth centaurs.

Chat flooded with comments about us looking like a married couple, but these were quickly buried under tactical advice for Han Se-ah.

"What should I tell him?"

"Since he raised his banner first, we'll give him the chance to take the vanguard."

I watched Grace slip away with a nod, then looked back at Irene whose palms were getting sweaty.

Though resolve hadn't left her eyes, her quickening heartbeat, rising temperature, and sweat forming beyond her palms showed how nervous she was.

What relieved her tension - or rather made her grab my hand in surprise - was Olek's voice booming again from behind, followed by his twenty knights' chorus:

"House Sibedev! Takes the vanguard! Of this battlefield!"

"Like unmelting ice is our conviction!"

"Our faith shall be clear as ice!"

Even the usually proper Alisa had given up being Olek's brake, quietly taking up a banner to shout along. Nineteen knights roared with mana as family and knight order banners fluttered above Olek and Alisa's heads. They charged forward menacingly, clearly planning to grind down monsters head-on rather than sneaking around.

As Irene finally released my hand, now damp with sweat, I felt slightly disappointed while putting my gauntlet back on.

"Goddess, grant us your blessing!"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

As I adjusted my armor after replacing my gauntlet, Sacred Law made of holy power instantly descended on her now-familiar figure charging across the plains. Though weaker than the main barrier that ignored all damage below certain thresholds, this Protection Sacred Law could withstand floor 60's suicide gimmicks several times over.

The sight stirred up the (fake) fanatics with their blood-painted banners. The eager eyes of those who cared more for fame and achievements than faith.

"..."

Seeing this, I nodded slightly.

"Advance, advance!"

"Follow without falling behind! Will you bow before the name of Sibedev!"

"Show them the South's flames burn hotter than Northern ice!"

The stealth centaurs were just scouts anyway. Since we planned to throw the ogres at the main force, we were grateful to have the trainee commanders and mercenaries clear the path.

Whether bombs or ogres, the main dish had to be saved for the main force.

Blood-painted banners fluttered across the vast plains.