Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem-Chapter 629: No Hesitation

"So you’re saying it’s not up to me or you, but to your goddess?" Zach asked.

Vera nodded.

"I can help you to the best of my abilities, but ultimately, what you’re allowed to learn out of the techniques advanced enough to be of use to you, is decided by Friebel," Vera said.

"So, I might have celebrated a little prematurely."

"A little?" Rienne asked with a raised eyebrow. She didn’t understand Zach’s excitement. He was already constantly growing stronger at a rate fast enough to outpace everyone else. Was there a reason for him to be so crazy about one lousy blacksmith’s help? If he wanted to get stronger, why not ask her for help?

"Yes, just a little. I’m still going to get what I want, after all. It’ll just be a little delayed." He gave Rienne a confident grin before turning back to Vera and leaning close.

"So, uh...Two questions. How do I get in contact with Miss Friebel, and does she like shoulder rubs?" Zach didn’t exactly have much else he could offer a goddess. But his shoulder rubs were enough to make the ones by his side relax in pleasure.

Vera’s gaze darkened. The line between ignorance and heresy was thin, but Zach was hugging it like a long-lost lover.

"First of all, you will never come in contact with the Goddess Herself. And if you dare suggest laying your filthy hands on her again, I’ll see to it you never use them again."

"...Alright." Zach raised his hands. "Sorry." He could tell that he had crossed the line. If he still wanted Vera’s full cooperation, he needed to accept and take responsibility for it.

"But if I don’t get to talk to or bribe her, how am I supposed to get Friebel’s permission to learn what I want to learn?" He asked.

Vera continued glaring at him for a moment before sighing.

"You’ll have to take her trial."

"Her trial?" Zach echoed.

Vera nodded.

"It’ll take some time to prepare everything, and you will need to prepare yourself as well, but I’ll show you."

Vera stood up and walked to the center of the stone floor, where she stomped once, sending a ring of flames across the room. Surprisingly, the fire didn’t so much as char whatever it touched.

But that didn’t mean it wasn’t powerful. It was.

Everyone in the large smithy felt the surge of fiery divine power. It was more than enough to startle Anerias out of his dream-like reverie as he stared into the flames at the brazier in front of him. Luckily, it happened before he dipped his hand into the flames that surged when Vera’s ring of fire reached them.

Anerias yelped and pulled back his hand, hurriedly turning around and pretending like nothing.

The others looked at him silently before slowly turning back to Vera’s feet, where symbols appeared in the floor with an orange, fiery light. The symbols glowed brighter before sinking into the floor. A few moments later, solid thunks rang out and the floor opened up to reveal a staircase spiraling downward.

The onlookers didn’t need to guess what was down there. The wave of heat that crashed into their faces told them everything they needed to know.

That down there was the true Hearth. The true fire of Friebel.

Without waiting for them, Vera started walking down the stairs, her heart beating in sync with the swaying light from the flames at the bottom of the stairs.

Rienne, Anerias, and Yan looked at Zach. They felt hot just looking at the stairs.

Anerias and Zach were the only two with hope of surviving if Vera decided to use her home field advantage to take revenge on the humiliation she had suffered at Zach’s hands. If she trapped or attacked them down there and made use of the powerful fire, she could probably take care of all of them.

Zach didn’t hesitate. He followed Vera with his string of maids tight behind him. The others could only exchange worried glances and fall in behind Zach’s maids.

They couldn’t understand Zach’s lack of hesitation. It was like he didn’t doubt Vera’s integrity in the slightest.

How could he, who had experienced brutal betrayal by his own family and the Empire he called home, be so trusting?

It wasn’t just that Zach trusted Vera. He trusted his judgement. He trusted his strength. And he trusted his skills. His Eyes of Truth told him that any danger he might find at the bottom of the stairs had nothing to do with Vera.

Since that was the case, there was no need to hesitate just because Vera led the way.

Besides, this was too much of an opportunity to let hesitation and fear interfere.

Vera had said there was a lot to prepare before he could take the goddess’s trial. He needed to prepare.

That meant it was something he couldn’t handle with his current strength. It was dangerous. But since it was a trial, the rewards would be proportional to the danger.

Zach’s eyes glowed, and it wasn’t just the fiery light reflected in them.

Following his gut had been the right choice. Sticking to Vera like a leech was an excellent first step toward taking over Kuros and becoming strong enough to kill a god.

Considering the heat grew with each step they descended, the stairs were fortunately shorter than they had feared.

It didn’t take long for Zach and the others to catch up to Vera, who stood with her back toward them at the base of the stairs.

Zach stopped beside her, and his maids stopped beside him. It was a little rude, considering there wasn’t enough space at the stairs’ exit for everyone else to fit. They had to squeeze to the side.

But one by one, they stopped just like Zach and stared down. Anerias was the only one who didn’t need to see it to feel it. But he still turned into a statue when he finally pushed Lahso aside enough to fit.

It was the only appropriate response when presented with such a sight.