I'm actually quite curious about what a Paladin is capable of. Unfortunately, Westray, which I assumed was the town's name, did not seem to have any. Paladins were apparently much more common in areas controlled by some holy order. I am unsure if the god who I swore to was the one this order followed, but I suppose I'd have to speak with my goddess myself.

The Westray library was smaller than I expected. It was a wooden shack that seemed to be barely keeping itself together. Sunlight shined through large holes in the root, and the wood creaked as we walked across it. There were only three or four bookshelves that held maybe a few dozen books each, and it didn't seem heavily guarded whatsoever.

The spines of the books were written in a strange alphabet, but to my surprise I could actually understand it.

Most books weren't very useful to me, mainly containing legendary stories of heroes, which while interesting, did not really hold any advice or strategies to surviving as an adventurer. However I managed to find a small tome that had no title on the spine.

I opened it to discover sketches of what appeared to be the work of some perverted individual.

The drawings were of a large chested woman with a long, serpentine tail instead of legs, in various provocative positions. At the top of the page, the creature's name sat above the sketch.

"Lamia." I said aloud, and Agnes looked over my shoulder.

"Oh yes, I've heard of those before. Horrid snake-women, I'm told." She said, "I've heard they lure men off the road and eat them alive, like a boa constrictor."

"Hm." I hummed to myself, looking over the notes written here.

There were measurements of the creature's body, apparently the author of this book had studied a particular individual... judging by the fact that the book is here, they probably survived the encounter.

Fascinating stuff really, but aside from a few rough sketches and a rough size estimate, there wasn't much here. The author was probably too scared to approach it. Not that I blame them.

Next page.

A massive worm covered half the next page, the name above reading 'Sandworm.' The sketch detailed it emerging from the sand like the worm from Tremors, and the size estimate simply said 'large.' Now this could probably be trouble.

Next page.

The head of a large, reptilian creature stared back at me, wings unfurled and smoke wafting up from its nostrils.

Didn't need to see the title to know what monster was detailed here.

Dragons.

The legends back home were enough, I didn't need Agnes or the book to tell me that a dragon is one of the most dangerous monsters in the world. Great.

I closed the book and put it up on the shelf. While it gave me names, the author was clearly unwilling to get closer in order to study them further, so it had little in terms of combat advice.

Agnes, who was reading over my shoulder, looked up at me. "Is there anything else we need to study up on before we go?" Her smile was so beautiful.

"I'm sure there's plenty." I said, grinning, hoping she didn't notice the heat rushing to my cheeks, "but unfortunately, I don't think we can find it here."

"Hm..." she seemed to think for a moment, "well, we could at least get lunch."

My stomach rumbled in agreement.

We found a stall in the streets selling kabobs with several strange fruits, and meat that I think was steak.

I wondered how much money I had on my person. I looked through my bag. Only a few more gold pieces... guess God wasn't feeling too generous...

"How much for two of those?" I asked the man behind the stall. He was a stout fellow, with a belly that hung over his waist. He wore a white turban on his head, stained by the sandy winds that blew through town. Sweat glistened on his brow, and his piglike eyes looked me over, as if he was sizing me up.

"Fer you two? One gold piece."

I felt like I was getting scammed, but I didn't know...

I don't know how much one gold is, but I guess I'll pay it for now... hope this doesn't bite me on the ass later.

The fruit was sour and citrusy, and the meat was tough, but it did the job. Agnes ate it with little complaint, never taking her eyes off of me. Those big sapphire eyes...

"So, how much is a gold piece worth?" I asked her.

She looked at me, confused. "It's worth ten silver pieces. Why?"

That didn't help me. "How much does a gold piece get you?"

"About a month's salary, for the average worker."

I almost choked. "You gotta be kidding me..."

Agnes tilted her head at me, but didn't say anything.

After finishing our meals, I looked over at her. "So, what does a cleric do, if you don't mind me asking?"

She smiled, "we assist the wounded in battle, using divine magics to heal the wounded, and smite our enemies."

Support class, got it. I wonder, if my power has also come from a god, her god specifically, do I have the capability of divine magic?

I don't know how to activate it, so I tried what they do in the movies. I closed my eyes and breathed in, and out, relaxing my muscles as Agnes stared at me.

"What're your doing?" She asked me.

"Just trying something..." I inhaled slowly again, trying to find something.

Something happened. A strange feeling slowly crept into the pit of my stomach, like lighting a fire. It burned, and despite having just eaten, I felt hungry.

"Oh my..."

I opened my eyes and saw light glowing my from hands. Agnes watched me, her eyes sparkling.

The light was a faint, dark blue color, and I marveled at this newfound ability.

"I've heard Paladins were capable of casting weak divine magic..." Agnes said, gently taking my hands in hers. I became aware of her proximity, and my face flushed again.

"Really?"

"Of course..." she let go of my hands and smiled at me. "I could teach you a few tricks, if you'd like, but learning spells can be a long and arduous task."

"Please, I would love nothing more." She seemed even happier at that.

The rest of the day went by slowly. We went back to the room Agnes rented for us, and I became immediately aware of the bed situation.

"I will just rent my own room," I said, turning around to leave, but she grabbed my arm.

"That is not necessary." She said, "I don't wish to cause you any financial troubles." Her eyes, I stared into them again, so pretty, like miniature oceans... "I trust you..." her voice was so sweet, her smile so beautiful...

We just met, she shouldn't trust me, but her face displayed absolute faith in me.

"I-I can just sleep on the floor..." I stuttered, tearing my gaze from her eyes for a second. Keep ahold of yourself, damn it. She's the servant of the god who brought you here, do you want to get smited? Smitten? Smote? I actually don't know the proper word.

"Anon," Her hands gently grabbed my cheeks and brought me back to look at her again, "I can't let you do that."

Goddamnit, those eyes again... honestly they're just so captivating...

"Okay..." She smiled, and I walked towards the bed, grabbing some pillows.

"What're you doing?" She asked me as I began working.

"Just building a wall, to ensure I don't grab something in my sleep..." I constructed a large pillow wall in between the two halves of the bed, leaving just enough for the two of us to sleep comfortably.

"That's quite admirable, but I don't think it's necessary." Agnes said.

"I think it is." Precautions must be made. Even if I was the purest man alive, she shouldn't be trusting me within a mile of her resting place.

After sorting out the sleeping conditions, I entered a small room with a hole in the ground. I'm gonna take a wild guess what that is...

Anyway, I took off my armor, and admired my physique again. I know it's vain, but good God I look good.

After doffing my armor, I walked into the room to see Agnes in a white nightgown. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head.

I sat down on the other end, and tested the pillow wall's integrity. My hands were unable to completely cross over the wall without me actually trying. Excellent.

She flopped down onto the other side, and the sound of gentle snoring quickly hit my ears.

The fact that she was so comfortable around me was astonishing. Maybe it was some sense of instinctual kinship, as we're both serving the same god? Or perhaps Paladins are these noble white knights who swear off sex or something. Who knows.

I blew out the candles beside the bed, and closed my eyes.

The morning sun awoke me the next day. I stretched, looking around the room. So the last day wasn't a dream then, I really did get isekaied.

Agnes was already in her nun clothing, gently clutching her flail in her hands.

"Good morning, Anon." She said, smiling, "did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I slept fine. You?"

She nodded, "we need to get to the caravan. Do you need help getting into your armor?"

"No, but thank you," I said, heading towards my equipment.

Putting on the armor took longer than I'd prefer, but whatever. After grabbing my equipment, we set off for the caravan.

The caravan head was a man who looked to be in his late 40s, dark skinned, wearing a purple headdress laid with bright gemstones. He wore elegant robes, proudly displaying his wealth to us as we approached.

"Ah, good morning friends!" He spread his arms out in a welcoming gesture towards us. He smiled at us, his teeth were yellow and somewhat crooked, "are you the bodyguards we requested?"

"Yes sir," I lowered my head respectfully, and Agnes did the same.

"Excellent, excellent! We were just getting ready to set off," he clapped a hand on my shoulder, and looked Agnes over with an expression I wasn't too fond of. "We should arrive in Kesi in two days, so I hope the two of you are prepared."

I hoped so as well. Maybe rushing into an adventure first thing wasn't a great idea.

However, a bit late now.

"Of course we are," Agnes said, smiling. She didn't seem to notice his stare.

"That's fantastic! We just need to load a few more things, and then we'll set off." He gestured to a large group of men carrying a heavy looking crate.

With a heave, they shoved it onto a carriage, and gave the caravan leader a thumbs up.

"Alright. I believe that is everything." He turned around, "let's pray for safe travels, my friends. There's tons of danger out in the sands, I hope you all are worth the pay."

Me and Agnes exchanged glances. She gave me a reassuring smile, and I felt myself relax a bit.

The desert sun beat down on us as we traveled. I felt sweat dripping down my back, as my vision blurred a bit. Heavy armor was not the way to go out here.

Agnes was sweating badly as well, although she was able to keep her composure. I on the other hand, am just glad my face is obscured by my helmet.

As we walked together beside the caravan, my eyes began wandering. Agnes's clothes were beginning to stick to her body, giving everyone a good view of her figure.

I stepped in between her and the carriages, barring anyone from seeing her.

"So, tell me, what is a Paladin truly capable of?" Agnes asked me in between breathes. I tried not to look at her, but I couldn't help myself. Focus on her face, focus on her face.

Sweat dripped down her head, and she had removed her headdress, her blonde hair matted and dripping wet, but her blue eyes had that same sparkle as ever.

"Um... I don't know... I'm kinda new to this whole Paladin thing." I said. I need out of this armor. Like now. But if I began tearing this armor like it was acid, I'd probably look stupid.

"Hm." She regarded me for a second. Don't look at her breasts. Don't look at her breasts. Don't-

Damn it.

My eyes slipped down for just a second, but it was enough. Needless to say, they looked quite large. And round. Like a nice, large, round, and squishy pair of fruit. Fruit... fruits have juices. I'm thirsty. Man I would kill for a juice box or something... I think this heat is making me delirious.

"Anon?" Her voice brought me back to reality. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine." God I hope she didn't notice me staring.

"Really? Here, have a drink," she reached into her bag and pulled out a waterskin, holding it out to me, "you must be thirsty."

I took off my helmet. "Thank you..." I tooled the waterskin and took a big swig.

I handed it back to her, and she smiled. "It's no issue." She drank some as well, and I immediately became conscious that this might have been an indirect kiss. I blushed, my face turning an even darker red. She didn't seem to think anything of it, so I shouldn't either, but I mean...

Walking with this caravan was hell. And it was only getting hotter. Perhaps adventuring wasn't all it was cut out to be-

My thoughts were cut off by a loud horn, the sound ringing in my ears.

"Raiders!" We heard a voice cry, and I unsheathed my sword. Agnes readied her flail, clutching her holy symbol.

We squinted, looking into the horizon as a cloud of dust began to appear in front of us. Several humanoid figures were riding on horses, approaching fast.

I felt some feeling begin to rise up inside of me. A familiar, burning feeling that seemed to envelop me. An aura of dark blue light surrounded me, and I looked to see Agnes was surrounded in the aura as well.

"Ooh, what's this?" She said, looking around, "I feel... way stronger than before." She smiled at me, "is this your doing?"

"I don't know," I answered, turning to look at the raiders. "They're coming in fast."

The raiders arrived, covered head to toe in white fabric, swinging around scimitars, approaching the caravan.

They shouted something out, and made a beeline towards the front carriage. Agnes smirked and raised her holy symbol. It began to glow with a blue light, and a dark blue beam of energy shot out from it, arcing through the air. It struck the leader of the raiders, sending them flying off their horse.

I booked it towards them, "behind me!" I shouted at Agnes, who just smiled at me.

The raiders on horses approached me, jumping off and swinging their scimitars. I raised my shield, deflecting several slices with a loud clang. One of them manage to get past my shield, but bounced off my armor uselessly.

Another stopped around twenty feet away from us, and brought out what appeared to be a crossbow, aiming it at Agnes.

Agnes turned and noticed them, and a smirk grew on her face as she rushed towards him. I heard the sound of the bolt flying towards her, but I was too far to protect her.

She leapt in the air, dodging the bolt as she swung her flail, clocking the raider right in the side of their head, sending them flying to the ground. The horse let out a loud, scared noise before running off into the distance, leaving its rider.

I was focused on the raiders in front of me. Five of them, all with scimitars.

I swung my longsword, cleaving into one of the raiders. I don't know how I know how to use this, but I just do. I felt another clang against my armor, and wheeled around to strike at the raider.

The first one went down to the ground, giving out a yelp of pain. I struck at the other raiders, hearing the clashing of my sword against theirs. Now this is action! I feel my adrenaline pumping, and I feel like I'm on top of the world!

I slammed my shield into one of them, sending them staggering back into their buddies, knocking three of them down. I swung my sword at the one still standing, and as I struck, my blade became encased in some blue light. It carved into their side, tearing through flesh. Blood spurted out from the wound, coating my armor and sword.

The other four slowly got to their feet, but they were blasted by some blue energy beam. I turned to see Agnes, dragging one of the raiders behind her, holding her holy symbol. She smiled at me, and then her expression turned to horror.

I screamed out in pain as a red hot pain surged through my midsection. The raider I hit first had gotten back up, and found a chink in my armor, and stabbed into it.

I turned and swung my sword towards them. It cleaved through their sword arm, and they cried out in pain.

I gritted my teeth, and turned to the other four, who were now scrambling backwards, right into the traders, who had gathered to watch the battle. They had weapons at their hips, and while I wondered if they could use them, I doubted that raiders wanted to push it.

The raiders, knowing when a situation was probably hopeless, surrendered.

Thank goodness.

Agnes threw her raider to the side. They were still breathing, looks like she just knocked them out, and raced up to me.

"You're hurt, let me look at it." She said, reached down to my side.

Her grip tightened on her holy symbol, and a blue light shone from it again.

The pain was gone, replaced by a weird feeling I couldn't quite describe as my wound seemingly patched itself back up.

Agnes hummed to herself, wiping sweat from her brow.

The traders took the raiders into one of the carriages. We managed to take them in alive, one unconscious, two in critical condition, but Agnes began healing their injuries. Unfortunately it didn't regrow this guy's hand, but whatever.

I sighed. Looks like I am capable of fighting after all.

"Good work." The caravan head said, "you guys are quite capable. We were lucky they were human. If they were monsters, that'd be a far worse situation..."

I could imagine. I saw what some desert monsters looked like in that book, and trust me, I'd prefer not to face any myself.

The rest of the day passed without much incident, however I'd bet that when night falls, me and Agnes'll have our work cut out for us.

As we sat down and made camp for the night, the traders regaled us with stories beside a campfire, telling us about legendary heroes and fantastical encounters with monsters and spirits.

Then, we heard another loud shout.