Chapter 174
Chapter 174
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: Chapter 32: Tail Chase (6)
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As soon as I slipped out of the banquet hall, Berego, who had followed behind me, sidled up and asked slyly.
“Is it true that came up in the meeting? That the church arranged it?”
Of course, instead of answering his question, I spun around and reached out.
Thud—!
Outside the banquet hall, in a deserted corridor, Berego was slammed against the wall, my hand gripping his collar.
“Gah! W-what the hell are you doing?!”
Berego pressed his cheek against the wall, grunting as he tried to wrench free from my grasp.
I easily subdued his struggles with one hand and asked in a low, menacing voice.
“What was the name of that priest bastard from earlier?”
Berego flinched, his body trembling. His reaction only solidified my suspicions.
Now I just needed to turn that suspicion into certainty.
“Tell me.”
As I pressed my forearm against his throat, Berego let out a choked gasp.
But with his windpipe already compressed, there was no way he could draw breath.
He struggled more fiercely than before, but a mere ordinary man like him stood no chance against my strength.
I stared down at Berego with cold, unfeeling eyes.
“Last chance. That priest’s name.”
Did he finally realize I meant business?
Instead of opening his mouth, Berego stubbornly held his silence—until.
“---!”
Once again, I faced that bizarre situation where his words were utterly inaudible.
That was the moment my hunch became conviction.
The name of the man who had commissioned Berego to kidnap me was Somir Isha.
I released my grip, stepping back a pace, and Berego collapsed to the floor, hacking violently.
Still gazing down at him with icy eyes, I sorted through my thoughts.
‘He’s not the brains, that much is clear.’
But he was definitely part of the tail, so I just had to follow it upward.
At the end would be the head who had ordered my abduction.
‘Giselle, the princess’s maid, was named Isha too.’
And I couldn’t forget that she had separately contacted Garonic.
Piece by piece, the puzzle was falling into place.
‘Patience really does pay off.’
I twisted my lips into a smirk and opened the chat window.
I’d dig up everything there was to know about those bastards.
As I furiously messaged, dredging up old grudges, a voice came from behind me.
“Talk about bad timing.”
I hadn’t sensed a thing, yet an unfamiliar voice spoke right at my back.
I whirled around to find a man standing in the corridor opposite the banquet hall.
The instant I took in his face, I didn’t hesitate—I summoned Kerax’s spear without a second thought.
I didn’t care that this was the imperial palace, where weapons were restricted.
Even Gretman had warned outsiders against drawing arms from sub-spaces, but now wasn’t the time to quibble.
For the same reason, I had no bandwidth to worry about Berego scrambling away in panic.
‘That’s him.’
Mid-20s, dark black hair, golden eyes—the stranger whose apostle visage I’d glimpsed through Mephroseta’s power.
We hadn’t been formally introduced, but I had a good guess who he was.
‘Kalos’s second apostle, Gilenios Begram.’
The man who’d been seeking ways to meet me from the shadows.
Kalos had shown me favor, but that didn’t translate to trust in this guy.
After all, this one was the guy slated to carry off my unconscious body later, babbling about gods.
I gripped the spear tightly, tensing my muscles.
‘What the hell?’
Had Yang Tae-ho already met him?
‘But hyung-nim’s face had no scars.’
Or had he run into me first, then approached Tae-ho hyung?
My mind tangled in an instant.
The man who’d complicated everything seemed utterly unperturbed, though.
“Well, whatever. Since we’re here, let’s just wrap this up.”
I’d shown clear hostility bordering on enmity.
Yet he didn’t bat an eye, rattling off what he had to say.
As if he’d anticipated my wariness all along.
“You don’t seem the patient type, so I’ll just cut to the chase.”
I tightened my grip on the spear, wondering what nonsense he’d spout next.
The obvious apostle extended his hand toward me and said.
“Let’s just shake on it.”
I was so caught off guard my expression slipped.
‘What?’
Showing up out of nowhere to ask for a handshake?
Even after seeing me on high alert?
Did he really think I’d go along with that ridiculous proposal?
My already muddled head grew even messier.
My opponent remained nonchalant as ever.
“Jeez, you’re bristling like a scared kitten. Relax, I’m not here to hurt you.”
My guard only sharpened; it didn’t dull for a second.
As I kept my defenses up, the man rummaged in his coat pocket and pulled something out.
“You can use that, right? Take a look.”
With a flick, something sailed toward me.
I reflexively swung my spear to bat it away, but there was no clash of metal.
‘Flutter?’
It was the rustle of paper flapping.
Blocked by my spear, a scrap of paper fluttered to the ground.
I snatched it before it hit the floor, and the words scrawled there were beyond belief.
[Agnosia’s Power Use Voucher: 1 Time]
“I went through all sorts of shit to get that one.”
I clutched the power voucher tight, eyeing the man suspiciously.
‘You think I’m insane enough to use this?’
It wasn’t even system-issued—who knew if it was legit.
Seeing I wouldn’t drop my guard, the man scowled and grumbled.
“I get that I look shady, but your paranoia’s a bit much, don’t you think?”
“Better overcautious than careless.”
“Oh, you can talk? I figured you for a mute!”
“You’re the one blabbering nonstop, mouth like a sewer.”
“Hah, what a temper.”
He snorted derisively.
But he seemed anxious that I wasn’t playing along.
Proof came as he crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently: tap-tap-tap.
“Of all the picks, they had to go with a guy like that…”
Then he suddenly glared at me and clicked his tongue.
Everything about this sudden intruder grated on me from the get-go.
If this was really Kalos’s apostle?
‘I’d start questioning Kalos’s judgment.’
Scowling, I demanded of the man.
“Why show up out of nowhere demanding a handshake?”
“Well, to sell you… uh, can’t say that? Fine, fine, my lips are sealed.”
I got a half-baked answer that trailed off.
It left me speechless with absurdity.
Meanwhile, the man kept yapping like a hyper kid.
“You’re really not gonna use it? Then I’ve got no way to earn your trust.”
He’d just opted for silence and evasion over explanation—now he wanted to talk trust? Contradiction city.
“No matter what you do, I’m not trusting you.”
His words might ring true enough to lend credence.
But trust in the man himself? No way.
I replied in a voice cold as ice, and he sighed, scratching his head vigorously.
“Doubting’s fine, but that’s pathological.”
“Nothing wrong with my life on the line.”
“What if you wreck the place? Moderation, buddy. Moderation.”
He twirled a finger by his temple, grinding his teeth as he snapped.
Pointless, of course.
“Unnecessary worry. My mental game’s rock solid.”
“Argh, won’t shut up for a second!”
Roaring, he suddenly kicked off the ground.
I backpedaled at nearly the same instant, opening distance.
Our speeds matched. The ground we covered was about even.
Meaning our physical prowess was in the same league.
‘Not on Gretman or Horpe’s level.’
Good. Now I just had to watch for his powers.
Unclear which of the Seven Gods, but high odds it was Kalos.
‘No head-on fight.’
Fleeing back to the banquet hall was an option, then.
Plenty of bigwigs there; even a maniac like him wouldn’t go wild.
And if he did, knights among the crowd could help hold him off.
‘They might manage.’
I slid my foot back, ready to bolt if needed.
But the man had no intention of letting me go easy.
“Pretty quick on your feet, huh?”
“Top five among outsiders, believe it or not.”
“Why waste that talent on me? Just one handshake. It won’t wear out—c’mon, make it easy.”
I dodged his renewed charge, swinging my spear.
Not a mere feint—this was a strike laced with killing intent.
“You were seriously trying to stab me?”
“If you keep threatening me, gladly.”
Patience apparently spent, he yelled “Waaah!” and stomped the marble floor furiously.
“Hey! Didn’t they say it’d be a quick wrap if we met?! Does this look easy to you? I’m already pressed for time sneaking out!”
Then he started ranting incomprehensibly.
Sounded like he was chewing someone out…
‘What the hell is wrong with this psycho?’
Fuming and thrashing about, he was quite the spectacle.
A total loose cannon who couldn’t control his own emotions.
How the hell did I end up tangled with this guy? My frown deepened.
“Of all the choices, they pick a paranoid freak like you!”
Right on cue, he thrust his hand forward and shouted.
“Fine, screw trust—let’s just settle this easy!”
Golden light gathered in his palm then.
‘Kalos…’
I’d experienced it firsthand just days ago. No doubt—that was Kalos’s power.
‘So he really is Kalos’s apostle.’
First one was over 60, so this had to be second apostle Gilenios Begram.
As I confirmed Gilenios’s identity, the golden light in his hand took shape.
Staring at the object, Gilenios muttered in bewilderment.
“…Why’d this come out?”
Curious, I glanced over—and it looked just like what I held.
‘A power voucher?’
Not certain, but the edge of the paper scrap vaguely showed a ‘Power’ character.
“No, I used a power and got another power back? Hey, Kalos, what’s with your power? Is it busted? Things aren’t going to plan and I’m seriously pissed! You gotta fix this—pull that guy to my side or paralyze him at least, right?”
That in his hand was a Kalos power voucher? From Kalos himself?
My hand twitched involuntarily at the explicit name-drop.
Gilenios caught it, his expression shifting.
Staring me down, he suddenly unfurled what he held wide.
[Kalos’s Power Use Voucher: 1 Time]
My eyes twitched at the sight.
“Hoo…”
Gilenios then held the voucher out at arm’s length from his body.
He waved it around frantically, left-right-up-down.
Like dangling a toy to snag a cat’s attention.
My cheek twitched.
‘This bastard…!’
Everything Gilenios did scraped at my nerves.
Provoked, I clenched my teeth so hard they ground audibly: grind.
Gilenios, meanwhile, grinned to himself, muttering away.
“Aha, got it? Yeah, makes sense it came out now.”
Giggling under his breath, he raised his hand again.
He shook the voucher teasingly and said.
“Want it?”
Then extended his empty hand forward.
Hand it over if you want the power.
Staring at Gilenios’s empty palm, I asked myself.
Was it worth risking this unknown danger for Kalos’s power voucher?
No need to agonize. My answer was set.