Chapter 171
Chapter 171
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 171
Chapter Title: Chapter 32: Tail Chase (3)
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Priests rarely ever left the regions they were assigned to after their ordination.
They were sent there to manage the followers of that area in the first place, and there were strict rules preventing them from straying.
At best, permission was only granted for a parent's funeral or a direct relative's wedding.
That was why Vellego had spent a fortune just to leave Chedaltman.
On top of that, he'd had to beg other nobles for an invitation to the suddenly announced imperial banquet.
‘Those who used to grovel before me when Father was alive!’
It was only natural, given that the Protlam family controlled most of the goods heading south.
But even that was just past glory.
A bitter sense of defeat welled up as he realized his changed circumstances anew.
What infuriated him even more was Raytan's reaction upon his arrival at the palace after enduring all those humiliations.
‘He has to know I came here because of him.’
After spotting Vellego, Raytan had shaken his head slowly without a flicker of expression.
It was blatant disregard. No matter what Vellego did here today, it posed no threat to him.
Every time he recalled Raytan's eyes looking at him with pity, he couldn't hold back his curses.
"Damn it, damn it…."
Muttering the curses he couldn't swallow, Vellego hurried onward anyway.
To chase after Raytan, who had vanished into the crowd just moments ago.
‘He definitely went up to the second floor.’
The only things there were lounges for banquet guests to rest.
Spaces away from the crowded hall where they could chat with acquaintances or drink quietly.
Chasing after them would make overhearing their conversation difficult.
‘Have to eavesdrop secretly.’
Fortunately, the venue for tonight's banquet was the Full Moon Palace.
Most people didn't know, but every lounge in the Full Moon Palace had a secret space attached.
‘Heh heh heh, you couldn't even dream of this.’
Though not from the Atar Empire, Vellego knew quite a bit about the palace's layout.
Before coming of age, he'd followed his father in and out of the empire, staying as an honored guest.
While his father held private audiences with the emperor, Vellego's role had been to play with the princess, who was only three or four.
Being dragged around by her had made exploring the palace his daily routine.
Thanks to that, he'd discovered quite a few secret spots with her.
And the place he was heading to now was one of them.
Through there, he could spy on Raytan, who was somewhere in the second-floor west corridor, without anyone knowing.
‘No matter how you fly or leap, you're still in the palm of my hand.’
Snorting, Vellego soon arrived at his destination.
Past the first-floor hall, at the end of a narrow corridor leading west—a small storage closet for servants' cleaning supplies.
Running his hand along the wall, he quickly found the seam.
‘Heh heh.’
Pressing hard beside it, the wall creaked unpleasantly and began to move.
It looked like an ordinary wall, but it was actually a door made of thin brick slices over wooden panels.
Passing through led to a narrow passage between the outer and inner walls.
‘It's still here!’
The Atar Empire's princess, at just four years old, had discovered this place.
Of course, she had no idea what it meant.
She'd only seen it as a spot to hide from servants in her childhood.
But Vellego, who learned of it while playing with her, was old enough to grasp its purpose.
‘It's for surveilling all the lounges on the second floor.’
Proof was that entering here let you peep into every lounge through full-moon-shaped decorations.
‘I was worried they might've sealed it.’
Luckily, the princess hadn't told anyone about her secret base.
She might not even remember it, since it was from when she was four and using it as a playground.
‘The fact that it hasn't been repaired or touched means even the emperor doesn't know.’
If he did, he would've at least secured it against unauthorized use.
‘Well, lucky for me.’
Now he could spy on Raytan without getting caught.
Vellego squeezed into the roughly one-meter-wide passage between the outer and inner walls.
"Oof."
His belly fat brushed the sides, making it precarious.
Compared to his days frequenting the palace, he'd gained a lot of weight—it was only natural.
"Argh, what kind of ordeal is this?"
Why was Raytan making him suffer like this, dragging him all the way to the palace like a damn crab?
Muttering complaints about Raytan's movements, Vellego proceeded carefully.
The narrow corridor ran straight past stairs to the upper floor, with side paths branching off midway—each leading to a narrow spot overlooking a lounge interior.
‘From inside the rooms, the full-moon decorations look like opaque mirrors.’
But from this corridor, the rooms were visible.
Vellego checked each lounge whenever a side path appeared.
Some were empty, others occupied by people drinking.
Some had men and women tangled in debauchery.
After about eight misses.
‘Found him!’
Vellego spotted Raytan's familiar—infuriatingly so—back of the head.
But Raytan wasn't alone.
‘That guy….’
A high priest of Senoa.
‘It’s Gallonic Hog.’
A leading candidate for the next High Pontiff in the Senoa Church.
Seeing his face cleared up the long-standing mystery since his father's death.
‘So that’s why the sponsorships got cut.’
He'd heard that after Raytan inherited the title, the Protlam family's contributions to the Agnotia Church had dwindled sharply.
Was it all because Raytan had ties to some high-ranking power in the Senoa Church?
He might even switch patronage churches entirely at this rate.
‘That spineless bastard.’
Abandoning a long-time ally for power.
"Hmph."
Unlike the cowardly Raytan, he'd stayed loyal and converted to Agnotia.
He'd even received formal divine protection and was attracting more donations than expected.
Unlike Raytan, who had nothing but his inheritance, he was steadily building position and reputation in the church through his own efforts.
If he exposed that guy's corruption and shady connections this time.
He could reclaim his father's legacy and the family title entirely.
‘Just you wait—I’ll drag your true colors into the light!’
But his grand plan hit a snag from the first step.
‘…What are they saying?’
Aside from being eligible for divine protection, Vellego was no different from an ordinary person.
He had no special ability to eavesdrop on whispered conversations.
The decorations let him see inside clearly, but it didn't help much.
Vellego had never learned ventriloquism.
At this rate, he'd return empty-handed.
‘Can’t let that happen!’
What was the point of chasing that crab all the way here with all that money?
Anxiously, Vellego pressed his ear close to the full-moon decoration.
Of course, no effect.
"— ———."
"—Later— ———."
The two were speaking so softly, wary of listeners.
At best, a word or two came through.
‘Damn.’
He'd come this far and gotten nothing.
Pouting, Vellego muttered.
"Argh, why do they have to whisper like that?"
Their side couldn't hear this side either, so it should be fine.
Of course, if he'd known it'd get a response, he might've kept quiet.
"Want me to tell you?"
"Urk…!"
Startled by the whisper right by his ear, Vellego nearly yelled.
Luckily, a rough hand clamped over his mouth, averting disaster.
"How about handing over the ones who won't listen and having them dealt with, he says."
Rolling his eyes, Vellego saw a shadowy figure beside him.
A knight sent by Raytan? Or from Gallonic's side?
Was he about to be assassinated? How to escape?
Terror grew, his body trembling.
Then, oddly, the thug covering his mouth loosened his grip.
"What're you so scared of."
Now the near-whisper sounded familiar.
"Thanks to you today, I promise not to hassle you."
Turning his creaking neck, sure enough.
"Relax, young master."
His hair neatly slicked back, dressed in flashy noble attire like any young lord.
Kay was coldly watching the lounge.
* * *
The last time I'd seen Vellego was at the temple in Chedaltman Castle.
‘When I went to squeeze him for orphanage startup funds.’
After that, I'd heard he was peddling the orphanage story everywhere to rehab his image.
‘So I sent letters demanding periodic "usage fees" for name-dropping it.’
Worried I'd badmouth him, he sent money promptly.
I figured we'd never meet again.
Though I planned to keep his leash on just in case.
‘And here he is again.’
Startled by the unexpected encounter, I'd kept tabs on Vellego without thinking.
That's how I realized.
He was trailing a skull-faced man closely.
The issue was that the man had glanced toward Gallonic's direction before leaving the hall.
Right after, Gallonic vanished to the second floor where the man had gone.
It could be coincidence.
But I already knew Gallonic had gotten an extra invitation and sent a telegram to someone.
I'd suspected he'd meet someone here.
So I couldn't dismiss Gallonic leaving the hall with a time lag as mere chance.
That's why I'd chased Vellego—who left after Gallonic—instead of my original target.
‘He moved like he knew exactly where to tail them.’
In the end, that impulsive choice had been spot-on.
‘The skull guy definitely had an attendant with him.’
But now, only Gallonic and the skull were in the room.
Meaning the attendant who'd gone up with the skull was likely guarding the door.
‘Mana detection would confirm it, but….’
No magic allowed inside the palace, so I relied on senses alone.
‘I can feel someone shuffling outside, so probably.’
That made approaching the door impossible for me.
Eavesdropping from afar, without alerting the guard, would've been tough.
Especially since Gallonic and the skull were whispering.
‘Even gold ears wouldn't pick that up.’
Sounds smaller than the hall's noise would drown.
Well, luckily, Vellego's variable created an opportunity.
"But what if they talk?"
I focused on the lowered voices of the skull and Gallonic.
"If you're that worried, just kill them clean."
"Too risky. What if sending someone leaves evidence against us?"
"Hmm, then plant our guy in the investigators. Say they resisted arrest and got shot."
"You think the others will just sit idle while I plant someone? They'll surveil mine for sure."
"Sheesh, not this, not that—what do you want?"
"That's why I called you—to figure it out!"
I hadn't caught it all from the start, but the context was clear.
‘They’re plotting countermeasures.’
Damn system