Published at 14th of November 2026 7:42 am

Chapter 3375: Chapter 3376: Main Quest

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

After finishing reading the description of Main Quest 4, a trace of understanding flashed through Luigi’s eyes.

The descriptions of Main Quest 4 and Main Quest 2 were almost exactly the same.

The only difference was that Main Quest 4 had an added "waiting" segment; the rest was identical to Main Quest 2, both requiring him to talk with Uriel, and through choices made during the conversation, influence the subsequent instance route.

Don’t be fooled just because it’s "only" talking with Uriel; it might sound simple.

But in Luigi’s view, this conversational quest was probably even harder than the seat-ranking assessment.

Because the seat-ranking assessment was a straight road; yes, there were bumps along the way, but those bumps could be overcome. As long as he got through them, ahead lay smooth ground...

At the very least, he wouldn’t end up on the wrong road.

Talking with Uriel was different; every sentence he spoke would refresh Uriel’s judgment of him.

The ultimate direction of the instance would depend entirely on how Uriel ultimately saw him... or rather, the choices he made during the dialogue would cause the instance’s path to diverge greatly.

Simply put, talking with Uriel was like standing at the starting point of a road with countless forks; Luigi would have to keep making choices. And every choice he made would send him down a different branch.

Those branches couldn’t all be Right Paths; most of them were wrong.

If he wanted to reach the final destination in one go, he had to avoid choosing the wrong road from beginning to end; otherwise, everything would be for nothing.

And he had only one chance.

There was essentially no room for trial and error.

So, in Luigi’s eyes, the conversation was anything but simple...

However, outside the attic, Angel, upon hearing Luigi’s long sighs, was unconcerned: "As long as your goal doesn’t change, and you keep moving toward that goal, then you don’t need to fear so-called choices, because your heart will help you find the right answer."

Luigi fell silent for a moment, then lightly nodded: "You’re right."

Why had Luigi come to the Uriel Dungeon?

Because the Joker from the Sunshine Circus had told him that the Stage of Dreams he sought was here.

Why did Luigi keep performing before Uriel, fighting for one of the top three seats?

Because Uriel had told him that to reach that Stage of Dreams, he had to obtain one of the top three positions in the Imperial Orchestra.

Yes, Luigi had only one goal: to step onto the Stage of Dreams.

If Uriel refused to go, and the Chief of the Imperial Orchestra didn’t want to go, then he would go in their place!

He yearned for the stage, and he yearned to perform.

For such a stage, and for more recognition from the audience, he had come to the Uriel Dungeon; that was why he had remained entangled with Uriel until now.

As long as this goal did not waver, then no matter how difficult the choices, no matter how many forks in the road, the overall situation would not be affected.

Still, back in Main Quest 2, he had already made his stance clear to Uriel. Between the "Dazzling Stage" and the "Stage of Dreams," he had chosen the Stage of Dreams.

It was precisely because of this that Uriel allowed him to vie for the top three and gave him The Recommendation Letter from the Chief of the Imperial Orchestra.

He had already said what needed to be said back then; why did they need to talk again now? And the content of the conversation would still affect the instance’s progression...

What exactly was going on?

What was this conversation in Main Quest 4 supposed to be?

Luigi was deeply puzzled, but for now could only set it aside. After all, Uriel had yet to return and hadn’t entered the Dreamseeing state; he could only wait until the next time he met Uriel to explore it further.

...

Far away, beyond distant space-time.

Dusman Empire, Dawn City, night.

As the piece came to an end, Uriel let his head fall onto the piano desk, sweat running down continuously, pooling into a damp patch on the walnut surface.

"If this piece were played at the seat-ranking, it would at least be among the top three... and the Chief would definitely like it as well." Uriel’s eyes were unfocused as he muttered softly.

"Except, it’s all just a dream."

"There was no seat-holder playing the harp, and there was no such piece..."

Uriel grumbled a few lines, but then a sudden thought struck him: "If that really was just a dream, then why was I able to recreate this piece? Its style is completely different from anything I’m familiar with. Without this dream, I would never have heard such a style of music in my entire life..."

"Moreover, these last few days I’ve been hearing different pieces every day, each in a drastically different style... Why is that?"

"Is it really a dream?"

"Or is it that in some far-off place, someone is playing these pieces right now?"

"But even if that’s so, why would I be able to hear them?"

Uriel slowly straightened up, and a figure flashed through his mind... gentle brows and eyes, long golden hair.

This was his partner.

Also the one who died resisting the Church’s oppression.

"Is it... you?" Uriel asked the empty air in a soft voice.

The air, naturally, could not answer him, but Uriel’s gaze grew increasingly lost as he continued, "Why are you making me hear these pieces? You knew perfectly well that after you left, I no longer wanted to push open the Door of the temple of art..."

"You knew perfectly well that my dreams and my future died along with your departure."

"Then why insist on making me hear all this?"

"Do you want me not to go on like this, or are you telling me to go... there?"

Uriel murmured under his breath, his eyes turning more and more dazed. In his trance, it was as if the one who had passed away was already standing beside him... even the chill in the air had taken on the warmth of an old friend.

No—!

Someone really was beside him! This warmth wasn’t an illusion!

Uriel snapped back to awareness, eyes flying open.

When he saw the figure at his side clearly, Uriel’s gaze gradually calmed.

There really was someone beside him, but it wasn’t his old friend; it was a hale and vigorous old man. His clothes were impeccably neat, suit and tie, and though his hair was entirely white, there was not the slightest hint of decrepitude about him. In fact, he looked even more energetic than Uriel.

"You... how did you get here?" Uriel lowered his eyes and asked softly.

From his tone alone, one could tell the visitor was someone familiar.

Indeed, that was the case. The man was Housekeeper Cha, the closest person to him, who had watched him grow up. However, ever since Uriel had laid down his duties in the orchestra and been driven out of the house by his father, he had rarely seen Housekeeper Cha.

Even so, while Uriel hadn’t met him directly, he knew that Housekeeper Cha often came by, bringing him daily necessities.

He would also secretly leave some pocket money in Uriel’s drawer.

Housekeeper Cha would leave a note saying it was from his father... but Uriel knew full well that his father cared only for reputation. Without the title of Imperial Orchestra member, even as blood kin, his father would not spare him a thought.

The so-called pocket money mostly came from Housekeeper Cha’s own subsidy, and from what the Chief sent.

For this housekeeper who had loved him since childhood, Uriel held the utmost respect. Even if the man barged in at midnight, "breaking into" the house and going up to the attic bedroom, he dared not take offense...

"I’m not breaking in." Housekeeper Cha knew Uriel too well; with a single glance at Uriel’s shifting eyes, he guessed his thoughts. "I was just passing by and noticed your Door wasn’t closed, so I thought I’d help you shut it."

However, when he entered the courtyard to close the Door, Housekeeper Cha heard piano music drifting down from the attic.

The fierce notes were like sharp blades tearing through the night, plunging straight into a blazing Melting Furnace.

The Butler Cha unconsciously listened closely, even hearing the unspoken meaning behind this piano piece...dissatisfaction with religion, a willingness to burn jade and stone alike, just to play this requiem.

The Butler Cha knew very well why Uriel had quit the orchestra, why he was wasting away in this shabby little shack. Everything, every last thing, had its source in "his" departure.

And "his" departure was caused precisely by the Church of Radiance.

So this lament that Uriel was playing in the dead of night...was he actually commemorating him as well?

The Butler Cha both ached for Uriel’s situation, and felt a faint, quiet joy...ever since leaving the orchestra, Uriel had rarely touched the piano. When he’d come by a few days ago, there had even been a thick layer of dust on the piano.

It seemed Uriel had completely cast off the identity of "musician."

Now, Uriel had taken up the piano again. Even though the sound was filled with rage, in the Butler Cha’s eyes, this was still a good beginning.

Perhaps Uriel already had some intention of walking out of his wasted life?

The Butler Cha unconsciously made his way up to the attic, wanting to sit down with Uriel and talk heart-to-heart.

But the moment he saw Uriel’s evasive eyes, he knew that Uriel still hadn’t stepped out of the shadow...

Talking about anything with him right now would not yield any good result, and might even provoke Uriel’s rebellious streak.

Ah, what helplessness. A belated adolescent rebellion, late by more than twenty years...

The Butler Cha shook his head, sighing inwardly at his own hard lot. The young master hadn’t gone through any rebellious phase when he was young; who would have thought that in middle age, he’d stage a rebellion instead.

Maybe because it had been suppressed for most of his life, this bout of rebellion was even more severe.

Refusing to bow his head, refusing even to go home.

As the butler who had watched him grow up, the only thing he could do...was to be tolerant.

If even he refused to tolerate Uriel, then who would?

The Butler Cha shook his head, and as he deftly gathered up the dirty, scattered clothes on the bed, he muttered quietly, "If you want to practice, do it in the daytime. Playing in the dead of night—aren’t you afraid of disturbing the people around you?"

"There’s nobody living nearby." Uriel reflexively retorted. The closest neighbor was the house of the crying woman from earlier; she wasn’t even sleeping, so there was no one to disturb.

"The point isn’t disturbing the neighbors. It’s that at night you should be sleeping; leave proper matters for the day." The Butler Cha quickly scooped up the dirty clothes and took the chance to straighten the quilt.

"The quilt reeks of alcohol. Make do with it for tonight; I’ll come over during the day and swap you for a new one."

Uriel had meant to refuse, but he knew that even if he refused, the Butler Cha wouldn’t listen. This wasn’t a discussion; it was a notice.

Thinking about that, Uriel let out a deep sigh and said nothing.

The Butler Cha picked up the dirty clothes. "These filthy clothes, plus that pile on the sofa downstairs—I’ll take them back first, and once they’re washed I’ll bring them back over."

Uriel didn’t answer; he just curled his lip and said, "You’re not sleeping either, running around outside. It’s dangerous at night."

The first half was complaint, but the Butler Cha knew the complaint was just for show; the second half was the real point.

The Butler Cha said, "It’s not like I’m alone. There’s a Guard Squad outside."

"Guard Squad?" Uriel froze for a moment, walked to the window, and looked down.

Sure enough, outside his courtyard, a line of carriages was parked, and beside the carriages not only stood a squad of guards, but also a Divine Officer in white robes.

The Divine Officer seemed to notice Uriel’s gaze and looked up.

When he saw Uriel’s face, the Divine Officer smiled and waved to him. "Long time no see...you played well. Your technique hasn’t deteriorated at all."

Uriel gave a cold snort and let the curtain fall.

The Divine Officer below was his longtime playmate, now a White Robed Divine Warrior of the Church of Radiance.

He certainly didn’t believe that the other had failed to hear the spirit of rebellion woven into his music...

But even if he had heard it, it didn’t matter. This old friend of his might look devout before the Divine, but it was all for show. As long as there were no concrete actions, he wouldn’t care in the slightest about any "anti-religious" behavior.

"Why’s he with you?" Uriel asked suspiciously.

Uriel understood this old friend’s temperament all too well—lazy, lax, utterly lacking ambition. His degree of sloth was even worse than Uriel’s current state. The only difference was that when he grew lazy, he still tidied up his appearance, while Uriel in his decadence didn’t bother at all.

Because of that, seeing him appear beside the convoy was what made Uriel feel puzzled.

"He’s here to find the master." The Butler Cha, holding an oil-soaked cloth, carefully wiped down the piano.

"To see Father?" Uriel’s brows knit tight. "Has something happened?"

The Butler Cha said, "Nothing major. Seems he wants to borrow some of the Guard Squad; he plans to go to Port of Late Lights and escort a Divine Warrior back to the radiant sanctum."

The Butler Cha put it euphemistically; plainly speaking, it meant this: at Port of Late Lights, several hundred kilometers from Dawn City, a Divine Warrior had died and needed to be brought back to Dawn City for a divine funeral.

Uriel said, "Going to Port of Late Lights isn’t exactly difficult. You can just follow the River of Distress downstream. Why does he need to go to Father to borrow guards?"

The Butler Cha gave Uriel a helpless look. "You...ever since you came here, you haven’t cared at all about what’s happening outside."

Uriel: "???"

"I remember I subscribed to the paper for you. You should have the last few days’ newspapers around here somewhere, right?"

Uriel hesitated a little. "They should be here. If not, maybe I used them to light the stove when I was burning liquor..."

The Butler Cha finished wiping the piano and put away the piano oil. "Wait here, I’ll go down and look."

It wasn’t long before the Butler Cha came up from downstairs, holding a somewhat crumpled newspaper in his hand.

"Just this page. Read it yourself." The Butler Cha pointed at the headline on the paper, then waved his hand. "I’ll be off. It’s not right to keep others waiting around. I’ll come back during the day."

"Remember to go to sleep early after you finish reading."

The Butler Cha’s voice, together with the sound of the carriages pulling away outside, gradually faded into the night breeze.

Only after the Butler Cha had completely left did Uriel lie down on the clean bed and casually pick up the Dawn Early News.

The page the Butler Cha had pointed out contained three articles.

"Due to eastern military operations, the mid-to-lower reaches of the River of Distress will be sealed off ahead of schedule and will reopen next spring." This was the main headline of the page.

"Forty Thieves spotted recently on the Northern Branch Passage between Dawn City and Port of Late Lights; walkers are advised to be cautious." This was the secondary headline.

Putting the two headlines together, Uriel roughly understood the situation.

The River of Distress was sealed off, so going downstream to Port of Late Lights was no longer really possible.

With the river route blocked, they could only travel by land.

And traveling by land to Port of Late Lights, the closest route was the Northern Branch Passage. That road was a commercial route, and the most familiar with it was his family’s Guard Squad.

Add to that the fact that there were bandits appearing along the Northern Branch Passage—if he wanted to go to Port of Late Lights and sought Father’s guards for escort, that added up.

Uriel had thought at first that something serious had happened, but it turned out to be just these petty matters.

He shook his head and glanced at the last news item: "Mire Forest near the Southern Branch Passage from Dawn City is shrouded in fog; rumors of Evil Spirit sightings."

"Spooky nonsense—it has to be another gimmick cooked up by the Church of Radiance."

Nothing more than spooking the lower classes to harvest faith.

Utterly boring.

Uriel set the newspaper aside.

Perhaps because it had taken effort to play the piano earlier, and sweat was still beading on his head, he now felt a strange fatigue...maybe he ought to sleep a bit more?

With that thought, Uriel’s body slowly slid down under the covers. The warm quilt was like some kind of Sealing, drawing him into a sweet, dark dreamland...

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