Chapter 319
Chapter: 319
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 319
>Chapter Title: Change (4)
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Cadmos.
The great first Holy Emperor, once even called a demigod.
He was now trapped in a mortal human body of the regular world, reduced to a pitiful state, but that didn't mean one could carelessly underestimate his power.
‘When we first faced off in the palace, it felt like his aura was almost on par with Father's.’
That didn't mean he thought his father would lose, of course.
‘But that's not all there is to Cadmos.’
There was something more. For some reason, Sungjin was certain of it.
Even though countless restrictions clouded his perception, there was no mistaking the faint presence churning deep below—a storm of power so vast it bordered on barbaric.
‘If Cadmos could fully escape Seise's body...’
No, if he could break free from the Holy Emperor's crown altogether. Just how strong could he become then?
As Sungjin stood there blankly staring at Cadmos, gauging his latent power, the man suddenly bellowed at him again.
[You there! Are you even listening to me!? How dare you ignore me!]
“Uh, sorry.”
Did he say something important to me?
Your usual nonsense has been so consistent that I haven't paid much attention to what you say.
But before Sungjin could respond further, Siselle snapped at Cadmos in indignation.
“Cadmos. Why are you picking a fight with some random person out of nowhere?”
Siselle's cheeks, usually as clear as a crystal fragment, flushed bright red. She was genuinely outraged, which was rare for her.
Cadmos stammered in flustered confusion.
[N-No, picking a fight...? Descendant! I'm only thinking of your safety...]
“If there's anyone here threatening my safety the most right now, isn't it you, Cadmos?”
[That's...]
“Besides, what did Brother Mores even say to make you accuse him of bewitching me or having ulterior motives? He was just listening to my concerns!”
Cadmos gaped foolishly. Looking back, it was true that Sungjin hadn't said much.
In the end, he awkwardly rolled his eyes before mumbling in a deflated voice.
[...You mustn't underestimate their power, descendant. The wicked ones can beguile humans simply by existing and ultimately cloud their judgment. So...]
But his excuses fell on deaf ears with Siselle.
“At least it's clear now who has the cloudiest judgment here. After all we've done for you, you can't even show gratitude? Have some shame!”
[What? What do you mean I've indebted myself to that thing...?]
“Then think about the massive food expenses you're racking up every day in the Pearl Palace. Whose budget do you think covers that enormous cost flowing down to the Pearl Palace?”
[......!]
Oh. Sungjin was a little impressed.
Nothing stings quite like being guilt-tripped over meals.
“Excellent work, Siselle. You sure know how to twist the knife right in the sore spot.”
“This isn't the time for flattery, Brother.”
Siselle pouted as she said it. It was a somewhat sulky expression, unfamiliar yet oddly fitting for the saintess.
It was good that she was shedding her doll-like demeanor and showing more expressions lately. But where did she pick up that weird face?
“Didn't you tell me before, Brother? Strike first, seize power before enemies attack, and drag them down. So why are you just putting up with that ridiculous accusation?”
“Hmm...”
To be precise, it wasn't so much putting up with it as not caring much.
Sungjin placed a hand on Siselle's shoulder with a serious expression.
“Siselle. Let me impart another important lesson to you.”
“What is it?”
“Listen well. Verbal daggers lose their edge and weaken the more you swing them around publicly.”
The little saintess tilted her head.
“But it's just words. Why would that happen?”
“Because they're double-edged swords that erode your character and reputation with every use. That's why you aim them at the most opportune moment, at the most worthy target.”
“The most worthy target...”
Sungjin nodded solemnly, meeting her sparkling clear eyes.
“As a member of the imperial family going forward, you'll face endless needless scandals. Even beggars rolling in the slums might curse you without reason. Are you going to verbally spar with every single one of them?”
“Then what?”
“Ignore them. No matter how hard they try to bare their fangs, their attacks are too feeble to even scratch you. Responding would only tarnish your own reputation. They're not worth the effort.”
At this point, even Cadmos could tell who Sungjin was shading.
[What did you say? How dare you...!]
His face was a spectacle of red and purple fury. Sungjin glanced at him and drove the wedge home with a sly curl of his lips.
“Got it, Siselle? So when some powerless, pitiful soul who can't affect the world barks at you, just look at them with warm pity.”
Gack!
Cadmos staggered, as if struck deep in the chest.
“Cadmos is powerless and pitiful? He's the first Holy Emperor, after all.”
“Why not? He's already wholly dependent on Seise just to exist. No one outside of us even knows he exists, leaving him with zero political standing. All he can do is yell at his descendants and throw tantrums.”
“Hmm...”
“And without clinging to Seise, he couldn't even fend for himself properly, right? The guy's a total cripple. Wasting time responding to him is pointless. Not worth the breath or the tongue movement.”
[......!]
Siselle gazed steadily at Cadmos, whose face had gone deathly pale from the shock.
“Yeah. Thinking about it that way, he does seem a bit pitiful.”
Cough... Gack!
Another blow straight to the heart.
After reeling for a while and finally regaining his senses, Cadmos locked eyes with the siblings and felt fresh rage boiling up.
[Urgh...!]
And rightly so. The pair of identical gray eyes, as if stamped from the same mold, gazed at him filled with deep pity!
-Poor thing.
-Yeah. Really pitiful.
[Look at those insolent faces! That wicked thing has properly poisoned my descendants! You brats...!]
Leaving the furious old man hopping mad in place like a backyard grouch, Sungjin and Siselle resumed their conversation.
“By the way, you sure it'll be okay? Both saintesses leaving at once—will the Council approve it so easily?”
“Of course. The pretext of aiding Cypress is solid, and by now, the Council probably wants me to rack up some visible achievements anyway.”
[Hey! Listen to me, you lot!]
“The Council? Why?”
“Think about it, Brother. It's not been long since they recognized me as an ‘Apostle,’ right? So they need more solid proof to back their decision—evidence that I'm someone specially chosen by the Lord.”
[Don't you dare ignore this body!]
“I see. I still don't get the Orthodox Church's inner workings.”
“You've hardly dealt with them, Brother. Plus, my guess is the Foreign Affairs Department will back me this time too.”
[Arrrgh! Ack!]
“Foreign Affairs? You mean Cardinal Cesare?”
The head of Foreign Affairs, Cardinal Cesare.
Wasn't he the one who led the charge in slandering the kid in the Delcross Chronicles? Why would that guy suddenly support her?
When Sungjin asked puzzledly, Siselle replied with confident conviction.
“Yeah. It's a chance to get rid of us pesky Orthodox saintesses for a while, even if temporarily. Cardinal Cesare's probably thrilled deep down.”
“But when you return with real achievements, won't it ultimately strengthen the Orthodox Church and Archbishop Wesker?”
[You punks...]
“You think he'll expect me to actually shine? Even if I do something decent, it'll get overshadowed by the Lilyum Subjugation Force's flashy reputation.”
“...”
Sungjin fell silent for a moment, staring into Siselle's deepened gaze. He didn't miss the faint, youthful competitiveness hidden beneath her calm eyes.
“...But you plan to come back with major accomplishments, don't you?”
Siselle let out a soft chuckle.
“Yeah. Just watch. I'll give Cardinal Cesare and those Orthodox geezers the shock of their lives.”
[Tch! Fine. Your pitiful, powerless ancestor will take his leave! You insolent...]
“What if you unnecessarily provoke his wariness?”
“He's someone I have to face eventually anyway, right? Better to make him cautiously probe me instead, keeping him from acting rashly for a while.”
Planning a frontal assault without hiding. Sungjin looked at the little saintess with renewed eyes.
“I thought it back at the birthday celebration fiasco, but you're surprisingly bold.”
“Yeah. All thanks to you, Brother.”
...R-Really?
“That's not all. I'm always learning from you, Brother. Someday, I'll master agitation and fabrication as naturally as breathing, just like you.”
“...Uh, um. Glad I could help.”
Sungjin felt a strange twinge of guilt.
He hadn't intended it, but it seemed he'd undeniably influenced the innocent kid in a big way.
“Anyway, be careful. Getting carried away with ambition and overreaching could backfire spectacularly.”
“Huh?”
She tilted her head innocently, rubbing her forehead.
“What do you mean? Why would my forehead suddenly catch fire?”
“Uh, nothing. Forget it.”
Sungjin glanced at Seise's eyes, now returned to their tawny brown, and thought.
Well, with Cadmos tagging along too, it'll probably be a smooth subjugation trip overall. No need to warn Sir Sharon ahead of time, then?
* * *
That night, in the Green Zone of Pangea Chronicle.
Dexter and the Silent Villains gathered at their usual rendezvous point as always, but they sat there for a moment feeling an inexplicable emptiness.
[...Lee Sungjin really not coming. So very lonely.]
[There's an old saying: 'You don't miss the filled seat, but you know the empty one,' right?]
[They have that saying there too? Similar to Earth. Turns out all proverbs are pretty much the same everywhere.]
With that, the group fell silent for a bit.
How could the absence of such a tiny baby goat feel so vast?
[...By the way, where's Owen?]
[He logged in briefly earlier and left. Said he has tons of things to sort out before heading home.]
[Even Owen's visits are getting sparse? My heart aches with loneliness!]
In that subdued mood, they roamed the fields a little before parting ways earlier than usual.
“......”
And in the Elder's workshop.
Dexter opened his eyes from the full-dive machine, slowly rising as he reflected anew on Lee Sungjin's words.
-Dexter. Won't you come visit Delcross after all?
Yeah. If he'd known they'd part so suddenly, he should've at least set a proper visit date.
-Actually, my father's the Oracle of Cornseim. The one and only person you dream of meeting, who can create a milestone.
He wanted to verify the truth of that claim properly. Not just that, but Lee Sungjin's exceptional abilities lately—and the more he learned, the less ordinary the guy seemed.
‘I was going to ask the Elder about Lee Sungjin right away...’
Unfortunately, the Elder hadn't been sticking around the workshop much lately. He seemed caught up in something urgent, constantly off somewhere all day.
There'd been no chance to catch him for a talk.
‘But I can't put it off any longer.’
Fiddling with the half-finished milestone in his hand, Dexter steeled himself and started walking.
‘I need to properly ask the Elder about Lee Sungjin. If I can't see him now, at least leave a note.’
And check again if visiting Delcross is possible.
With that resolve, Dexter removed his goggles and hurried out of the workshop.
“...Ah, Elder!”
Lucky break.
Heading to the Elder's room, Dexter spotted him bustling off somewhere just in time.
[Oh, hello, Dexter. Nothing eventful lately?]
“Yes, all thanks to your care, Elder.”
Bowing politely to the majestic ancient dragon, Dexter earned a satisfied smile in return. The Elder treasured this clever dwarf engineer enough to hand over his entire workshop.
[But what's this? You seeking me out first—must be something up.]
“Ah, nothing major. Just something I wanted to ask.”
But the smile was short-lived. Upon hearing Dexter's business, the Elder's face hardened into something terrifyingly stern.
[...What did that creepy thing say to lure you in this time!]
“Pardon?”
[No, nothing.]
Ahem.
Composing himself quickly, the Elder spoke in a measured tone.
[Dexter. Let me make this clear first. There's no good in getting close to that thing, so forget it. I don't particularly want to discuss it in detail either.]
“Yes?”
Flustered by the unexpectedly strong reaction, Dexter listened as the dragon continued firmly.
[And your visit to Delcross is impossible.]
“...Why is that?”
Being flatly denied sparked his curiosity instead.
“Elder, couldn't I just observe from afar? I swear, I won't affect Delcross's people or their technology at all. Just like you said before—no meddling with dimensional causality.”
Dexter added that, but the Elder looked somewhat troubled.
[You're misunderstanding something, Dexter. This is all for your safety.]
“My safety?”
[Yes. How to explain this...]
Frowning in thought for a moment, the Elder eventually let out a quiet sigh.
[Dexter. Regrettably, Delcross's souls are already all subjugated to the high demon lords. Would you still recklessly set foot in such a dangerous place?]
...Subjugated to high demon lords? What does that mean?
Dexter blinked in confusion, and the Elder gave him a wry smile.
[Understand? It may look functional now, but that precarious world is already crumbling from within bit by bit!]