Chapter 180
Chapter 180
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 180
Chapter Title: Small World (5)
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The weak, or pity.
One of those two seemed to be the element dragging him into the pit of impulse.
‘Or maybe both.’
If there was one common peculiarity in K’s actions, it was his typical strong-against-strong, weak-against-weak disposition.
‘He doesn’t yield before the strong and grows even fiercer, but becomes endlessly gentle and yielding before the weak.’
Like a mirror, K’s attitude shifted according to the demeanor shown by the other party.
When Ahel realized that fact, he was genuinely delighted.
Because it gave him hope that he might escape this damn quagmire by earning K’s sympathy.
So he had hoped that state of K’s would continue.
But at some point, K’s tendencies had tilted slightly toward the water element side.
It was something Ahel didn’t welcome at all.
‘Those who handle water-element mana tend not to be swayed by emotions, making them hard to deal with.’
It was a change that offered no help to Ahel’s plan of building rapport with K and then stimulating his sympathy to secure a way to survive.
‘And I still don’t even know the principle behind how gates operate.’
He had prided himself on being a fairly skilled space-element mage, but his investigation into the gate yielded dismal results.
With his abilities, he couldn’t uncover the operating principle of the gate.
Thus, replicating a magic with the same function was impossible.
‘It’s a phenomenon involving a power far more advanced than mana—divinity is at play.’
He had tried various contacts with a sliver of hopeful expectation.
But from the start, the gate seemed designed so that beings born and raised in a world like Ahel’s couldn’t use it.
Foreigners could come here.
But they couldn’t go to the foreigners’ world.
In the end, he hadn’t found a way to escape this damn quagmire on his own this time either.
Ahel squeezed his eyes shut tight and then opened them, frustration weighing on him.
“Looks like it.”
At that moment, K, who had been deep in training, suddenly spoke up.
Ahel snapped his eyes open as if he’d never closed them and stared in K’s direction.
“I’ll have to pay Gemail another visit soon.”
K had set aside even his beloved training and was quietly glaring into empty space.
His eyes, somehow shimmering with a blue glow, drew the gaze inescapably.
He even seemed a bit pleased, for some reason.
‘Why does my spine feel chilled...?’
His eyes were sharp enough to cut someone down, yet his lips were curled up slightly.
As Ahel fixed his gaze on this unfamiliar expression of K’s, Kim Yul spoke to him.
“It’s because of that investigative unit, right?”
“Yeah, now that the field agents have been selected, it’s time to get moving in earnest.”
“What about that garlic-loving uncle?”
At Kim Yul’s question, K let out a deflating snort of laughter.
It was a laugh full of contempt, as if he found it utterly ridiculous and didn’t know what to do with it.
“You think I’d just go without any preparation? No need to worry.”
“Then good.”
Only then did Ahel realize what that spine-chilling laugh from K had meant.
‘Gallonic Hogg is done for now.’
Recalling Gallonic, whom he occasionally ran into when following Rashar to the church headquarters, a smile crept onto his face unbidden.
‘Now I won’t have to see that obnoxious bastard’s face even when I go to headquarters.’
He was so looking forward to the man’s impending downfall that he started humming a tune.
It was a shame he wouldn’t witness it firsthand.
‘Should I give Rashar a recording crystal?’
She’d surely be involved in some schedule related to that investigative unit.
She’d probably scold him for suggesting something so bizarre if he asked.
But capturing Gallonic Hogg’s downfall on video wouldn’t hurt.
As Ahel hummed兴兴, 흥흥 away, plotting something, K turned to him.
“Ahel.”
Right on cue, K looked back at him and said,
“Training’s over. Let’s head back.”
K’s bronze eyes were so cold they seemed pointed.
‘Oh boy, he looks ready to stab someone with those eyes.’
Swallowing a sigh, Ahel dusted off his rear and stood up.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
At least until he found another lifeline, he had to stick by his side.
That way, he’d have a chance to earn sympathy from the picky guy.
For the time being, he’d just put up with being treated like a convenient teleportation magic circle.
* * *
The emperor of the Atar Empire had one aunt, and despite being imperial royalty, she had married a modest baron rather than a great noble.
‘She was shipped off to a powerless family to nip any imperial succession disputes in the bud.’
They had severed all her political limbs to ensure she could never covet the throne.
That was how she had been essentially exiled into marriage—she was Gallonic Hogg’s birth mother.
In other words, Gallonic was both the son of a low-ranking noble and an imperial with succession rights recognized up to the second generation after leaving the family.
‘An imperial born into a powerless house.’
It was the perfect setup for him to become a plaything for the sons of powerful high nobles.
Indeed, it seemed he had often been bullied by the children of great nobles in his youth.
His ambiguous position changed after he began associating with Princess Isola.
At some point, the emperor started favoring him greatly because Isola took a particular liking to Gallonic.
Though he had entered the church as a second son, there were no special restrictions on priests of Bihar marrying or accumulating wealth.
In short, after gaining familiarity with Isola, he had enjoyed considerable privileges.
In fact, he had leveraged his imperial status to form close ties with influential figures in politics and business.
On top of that, his position as a priest allowed him to exert influence over both church authority and society at large.
‘That’s about the extent of what I investigated.’
Even this much made it clear why targeting Gallonic outright for investigation would be tough.
‘Claiming he’s suspicious and pushing for a probe wouldn’t have gotten anywhere.’
Coming from a mere foreigner, such a claim would have been even easier to dismiss.
‘The church itself couldn’t do anything about him and just let it slide.’
There was no reason stepping in would resolve everything at once.
‘I did throw a preemptive punch to keep him from acting out.’
But properly investigating him was a separate matter.
At first, I had considered compromising there.
‘My goal was the Chinese players anyway, not turncoats.’
If he got in my way, I planned to cling on somehow.
But if he just cut tails and slipped away, I figured I couldn’t stop it.
‘That’s reality.’
I knew that full well.
Yet, strangely, as time passed, I couldn’t bring myself to let it go.
Imagining him slinking back with that sleazy face after escaping the net made my blood pressure spike—I’d jolt awake even in my sleep.
After a few days like that, I gave up on giving up and changed my thinking.
‘I haven’t tried everything yet.’
From that day, I mobilized every means and method at my disposal.
In the end, I felt like praising my past self for not giving up.
I’d found an unbelievable card at an unbelievable timing.
‘If I’m going to touch him, do it thoroughly.’
I had to crush him so completely he couldn’t dream of making a comeback.
For that perfect strike, I held my breath and waited.
Quietly, until the official documents for the investigative agency came down and the selection of field agents with authority wrapped up—nearly a month of patience.
Finally,
“Even for the harmony of our two worlds, I swear to eradicate this heinous crime.”
Five investigative units of 30 members each were formed, and starting from today’s inauguration ceremony, those units could legally scour all territories under Bihar’s law.
I attended the ceremony as the leader of one of those rare five units.
The event proceeded smoothly without incident.
Afterward, the afterparty began.
Honestly, it was more like a picnic than a formal banquet.
“Everyone was so worried, but this is really a relief.”
As the mood lightened, Rashar, who had been with me since the ceremony, spoke up.
Instead of looking at her, I kept staring straight ahead and gave a curt reply.
“Yeah.”
This was all largely thanks to Princess Isola.
And she’d play a big role in what was to come.
I checked the direction where Isola, who had personally attended even the afterparty, was.
‘Later, when she steps away briefly, that’ll be the moment.’
Gauging the venue’s atmosphere, I decided to wait a bit longer.
“Um, that is...”
Then Rashar beside me opened her mouth again, like she had something to say.
Wanting to avoid talking with her, I quickly brought up another topic.
“By the way, what about Lord Gretman?”
“...Still no news.”
“It’s a shame I couldn’t pay my respects since I came all the way to Gemail. Let me know when he returns.”
“...Got it.”
Time facing Rashar felt uncomfortable.
The reason was, of course, the conversation we’d had about a month ago.
- Anything you use for long becomes more proficient. Authority is no different.
- It’s embarrassing to say it myself, but honestly, I can hardly be called a proper apostle.
- Lord Gretman, on the other hand, has fulfilled his apostolic duties for nearly 40 years.
- Rumor has it he can even see possibilities beyond possibilities...
- Perhaps he saw the possibility of charity in you.
The look and expression Rashar had given me then.
As if expecting something from me.
Recalling that moment, I swallowed a sneer.
‘Charity?’
What a ridiculous notion.
I know myself well, and the me I know isn’t the type to devote myself to helping others just because I pity them.
I’m not so petty as to ignore someone in need when I have the means.
‘But I’m not the self-sacrificing type who’d unconditionally give myself away.’
If helping someone was certain to harm me, I wouldn’t do it.
What possibility could she have seen in someone like me?
Gretman’s actions and words from the imperial banquet day kept churning in my mind.
‘Does he plan to force me to live by the doctrine of charity?’
If dragging me to the capital was for such coercion.
‘I do owe him.’
Thanks to Gretman, I overheard Gallonic and Leitan’s secret talk, and used Princess Isola to smack Gallonic from behind.
Plus, I’d made connections with key figures in the Atar Empire.
Especially, the contact with the spirit stone mine owner opened possibilities for acquiring more attribute mana.
I’d already said it myself, so I had to repay the debt.
But even a month later, no word from Gretman.
If he expected me to follow charity’s doctrine as payment, it’d be problematic in many ways.
‘Pretending to dispense charity wouldn’t be hard.’
But if he wanted genuine sincerity from the heart’s depths, it was impossible.
That was beyond my abilities.
What to do about this?
Should I contact Gretman first and negotiate?
‘No.’
He might want something else.
‘I don’t even know where he is.’
It felt uncomfortable leaving a debt unpaid, but waiting seemed right for now.
As I finished sorting my thoughts alone.
“Though calling myself a substitute is a stretch, since you came to Gemail, how about a meal with the High Priest...”
“No.”
Glancing sideways at Rashar, I cut her off firmly.
“I have to leave right after this.”
Seeing Rashar now kept bringing back that conversation.
But I couldn’t meet her expectations.
“Oh... okay...”
She must have picked up on how uncomfortable I was with her by now.
At the end of that awkward severance, Isola finally moved.
“I’ll step out for a bit.”
“Ah...”
Leaving Rashar behind, I headed toward where Isola had gone.