Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Visitation #02
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‘Phew... Calm down. Compared to the old fogeys in the church, this is nothing, right?’
Olga let out a deep breath and kept her benevolent smile as she recalled Arthin’s radiant grin.
“Prepare one more dose of the drug that works on Arthin. You know what I mean, don’t you?”
“...I do.”
Kaiyen Silversword couldn’t possibly not know. Once someone became a unicorn’s contractor, they gained strong resistance to ordinary drugs or poisons.
And the drugs that could affect a unicorn’s contractor were mostly extreme poisons capable of harming the contractor themselves.
Mongyuhyang was one of the rare few among countless drugs and poisons that could neutralize a contractor without harming them—a precious item indeed.
Kaiyen knew this fact all too well.
Back in his second regression, while wandering the Undercity, his overflowing desire to share a bed with Arthin—who was always glued to his unicorn—led him to hire a back-alley information guild to investigate.
...For the record, he’d never used it. He’d seriously considered it, but they’d both been assassinated with poison before he got the chance.
“It’s not like we’re short on Mongyuhyang. We seized over twenty from those corrupt pigs... no, from the cardinals who tried to kill Arthin.”
“Then one more shouldn’t—”
“I’m not worried about running out of Mongyuhyang, Kaiyen. I’m worried whether you can actually show some restraint and be satisfied.”
It was a lie.
What mattered to Olga was chaining Kaiyen as her puppet. Mentioning restraint and satisfaction was just her way of taking control in this rare situation where he was showing greed.
“I can handle it. Nothing happened last night.”
Another lie.
Even now, Kaiyen’s mind was awash in pink, itching to test how far he could push things today.
“Then promise me, Kaiyen. Promise that today will be the last time you use Mongyuhyang. I might arrange another opportunity later, but three days in a row isn’t good for Arthin’s body.”
Kaiyen nodded silently. Arthin’s condition that morning had looked pretty rough even to him.
Of course, skipping it today would be best, but sixteen years of obsession couldn’t be quenched by a single night’s indulgence.
“And I’ll say it again: don’t cross the line. As I told you before, the body destined to become the Hero must uphold the goddess’s virtues. Chastity is the most important one.”
Kaiyen flinched!
“...Kaiyen?”
“Of course. I won’t cross it. I’ve got to be appointed Hero in three days, right?”
Those words hit a nerve, but since there’d been no penetration, he spun his happy circuit into overdrive and answered hastily.
“...Fine. Then let’s discuss the visitation. Violet and Princess Marianne are coming at 1 p.m. today.”
Kaiyen’s reply felt a bit off, but Olga inwardly sighed in relief at finally shifting to the important topic. Conversing with this man was always unpleasant.
Besides, she was fed up with these unnecessary hassles. How had it been when dealing with heretics?
Agnes? Violet? Shaomei? She could’ve kidnapped the annoying harem members, pressured them politically, poisoned them, or assassinated them—just like with the heretics.
But Olga hadn’t. Why? Simple.
Destroying something Arthin cherished would leave him with deep scars and might turn him against her.
Her goal was to make Arthin her husband, not collect him as a pet or slave. Antagonizing him was the last thing she wanted.
Plus, with other women regaining their memories just like her... If she resorted to kidnapping or threats now? And if a new life began again?
‘...It’s fine. Starting today, I’ll slowly melt Arthin into my embrace. And if that doesn’t work, I have my last resort ready.’
Still, Olga brimmed with confidence, certain of victory.
Her secret weapon was something that would force Arthin to take ‘responsibility’ for her, no matter how things played out. She was sure she’d be the final winner.
“Cooperate with me until 1 p.m. We’ll prepare countermeasures for the visitation. Kaiyen.”
She hadn’t expected anyone to pass Thomas’s insidious test, but if she could just eliminate that arrogant, meddlesome Violet, victory was hers.
‘Princess Marianne... I’m not sure. In my memories, she wasn’t that close to Arthin...’
According to reports, she’d guided Arthin at Imperial Princess Agnes’s request. Was this visit also at Agnes’s behest?
‘If not, then even that lioness is just a female in heat.’
Olga flashed a sly smile, lifting her teacup as she grilled Kaiyen for info on the other women.
No matter how thoroughly Violet and her harem had prepared, she would win. This was a toast to victory.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Um... Lady Violet?”
“Yes! What is it, Priest Thomas?”
“You’re here for the visitation, correct...?”
“Yes! That’s right!”
Ten minutes before 1 p.m., Violet arrived at the Northern Diocese lodging, beaming as she waited for Thomas to let her in.
But Thomas struggled to smile back at her.
“First, what are those enormous packages filling both your hands...?”
“These are things Imperial Princess Agnes asked me to deliver to Arthin. You didn’t say deliveries were prohibited, did you, Priest?”
Before Violet could respond, Princess Marianne stepped forward to face Thomas.
The imposing aura and charisma radiating from her dignified presence made even those facing her shrink back.
“Not everything can be brought inside. Hand them over, and we’ll sort what’s permissible and deliver it.”
“Ha! You think you can peek into secrets from an imperial princess and a royal princess?”
“It’s my duty, so I trust the noble descendants of great bloodlines will understand.”
But Thomas was no pushover.
True to the mad stickler who’d pushed the visitation schedule without even informing Olga after Violet passed the test, he stood firm even before Marianne, who could intimidate demons.
“Besides, inspections aside... there’s something more important. Lady Violet?”
“Yes, what is it, Priest Thomas?”
“Who is the woman standing to your left?”
Thomas turned his gaze to the spot opposite where Marianne stood.
There, a woman dressed as a sultanate dancer suppressed her demonic aura as much as possible and bowed politely in greeting.
“Greetings! I’m Lady Violet’s familiar, Al’Miraz—”
“Who brings a demon to visit in the goddess’s devotees’ lodging?!”
“Oops... Busted? She’s a good girl, though... Can’t she come in with us, Priest?”
But no amount of suppression could fool one of the highest-ranking priests, the Angel Doctor.
A demon in the Hero’s lodging? Thomas couldn’t hide his shock. If she weren’t a witch who’d passed the Orb’s trial, suspecting her as a Demon King’s spy wouldn’t be amiss.
“There was no rule against bringing attendants or porters to a visitation.”
“We choose visitors carefully—no way we’re letting random attendants or porters in willy-nilly. And that thing isn’t even human; it’s a demon!”
“Violet says she’s good. Isn’t it fine for a witch to bring her servant demon?”
“It’s a problem here! No demons or demonkin allowed, no matter how ‘good’!”
“How can you say something so discriminatory? Our Al’Miraz is such a sweet demon!”
As Thomas launched into a sermon on how evil demons were in response to Violet’s words, Marianne—who’d been boldly defending her with shameless bravado—locked eyes with the now-rigid Al’Miraz.
Truth be told, even Marianne thought demanding to bring a demon into the visitation room was absurd.
‘Why did I even agree to that request...’
She had no choice. Lately, her condition had been abysmal.
Ever since that spar with Arthin, she’d been plagued by bizarre lucid dreams or fleeting memories of unlived pasts, leaving her adrift in vague emotions.
How bad was it? Her little brother had come asking if something was wrong. And she was aware of it—that was a huge red flag.
So when Agnes visited to explain the plan and ask for help, Marianne nodded without refusing.
‘I said I’d help because meeting Arthin felt like it might give me a clue...’
Agnes’s plan was simple: somehow get Al’Miraz into the visitation room and have her speak up loudly on Violet’s behalf from her side.
‘Violet doesn’t even know the plan... Is this really a proper strategy?’
Marianne wasn’t devout herself, but as someone who trusted the Northern Diocese, she doubted letting a demon into church grounds.
If it weren’t a request from her dear friend and junior—famous for her deep faith—Agnes, she wouldn’t have gotten involved.
“No! We absolutely cannot let a demon inside!”
“How can you say something so mean? That’s demon discrimination!”
As the two continued bickering, the door Thomas was blocking burst open.
He hadn’t opened it—why was it suddenly ajar? Had the demon tampered with it?
Whipping his head around, Thomas spotted who’d emerged and bowed hastily.
“Saintess Olga! Lord Arthin! Lord Kaiyen!”
“...What’s all this commotion, Priest Thomas?”
Clack. Clack. As the benevolent saintess stepped out from the door, Marianne raised one eyebrow. So the rumors of a saintess at the academy were true?
“...Saintess Olga?”
And Violet’s expression shifted from its earlier warmth to stone-cold blankness—enough to shock Marianne further. Her voice calling the saintess was frigid enough to freeze frost.
“Oh my, Lady Violet. Long time no see. Shall I say that?”
“Yeah... It really has been a while. I’m so thrilled I can’t control my face.”
‘...What the hell?’
Arthin, who’d been cheerfully waving to Al’Miraz and Violet, looked baffled as he sensed the tension between them.