Chapter 186
Chapter 186
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 186
Chapter Title: Chapter 34 Fishing (6)
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‘If there’s anything different, it’s just that it’s far larger and clearer than what I received.’
After staring at the glass shard for a while, I picked up the golden piece.
[Part of the Sacred Fragment of Palao, Whose Owner Has Been Lost]
A very brief system window appeared, with no rank or detailed description.
‘Owner lost, huh...’
This implied something had happened to the god of Palao, the owner of this divinity.
‘I’d suspected as much ever since I heard the priests were no longer receiving blessings.’
It was right then that Lashar’s presence behind me felt especially prickly.
‘Tch.’
I clicked my tongue inwardly, pushed my suspicions aside, and closed the box’s lid.
The moment it clicked shut, the divinity flowing out from inside vanished.
It seemed the box had some kind of mechanism.
While I calmly examined the box, Lashar openly displayed her fury.
“Why does the Agnotia Order possess Lord Palao’s divinity?! Could it be that Lord Agnotia harmed Palao?! This cannot stand! We will lodge a formal protest through the church!”
“Watch your words. Lord Agnotia merely found it where Palao’s traces had vanished.”
“Then why didn’t you inform our order the moment you discovered it?!”
“Ha, with the affairs of the gods so mysterious, how were we to know what was happening within your church and just hand it over?”
“That’s...!”
“Moreover, Lord Agnotia instructed that it be given not to the Palao Order, but to this outsider. There must be a reason for that.”
Watching this one-man comedy unfold, the corners of my mouth curled up.
‘In a world with gods, the value of divinity can’t possibly be low.’
Proof of that: Lashar was furious solely because it had been in Agnotia’s possession.
And yet, they handed it over just like that?
Palao’s divinity, right in front of Palao’s apostle, to an outsider affiliated with Palao?
‘Lashar definitely didn’t bring it here of her own volition.’
Which meant they had forced it on her side.
Whether by ripping open her belly or making her roll on the floor.
They’d created a situation where Lashar, unable to use extreme measures against fellow priests, had no choice but to yield.
‘Coming here on their own two feet to hand over Palao’s divinity...’
The intent behind this brazen, almost vulgar act was obvious.
‘They’re trying to cut a backroom deal with me.’
Offering Palao’s divinity as payment to halt the ongoing investigation.
I couldn’t think of any other reason they’d shove something this precious in my face.
‘But what to do about it.’
It was too late—way too late.
I already knew what those bastards had planned to do with me.
After locking Somir Isha in a pitch-black solitary cell for about ten days without a scrap of light, she spilled everything on her own.
‘Solitary cells in prison aren’t divided by rank for nothing.’
And adding the element of darkness made it worse.
Darkness is more cruel and threatening than one might think.
Especially thick darkness where you can’t even see your own hands or feet.
‘The constant disconnect of feeling something but not seeing it builds dissonance.’
Your senses stop functioning properly.
Left alone in that state for too long, you inevitably start doubting your own existence.
And most people reach the same conclusion.
‘That spilling your guts is your only remaining value.’
You just want to reaffirm your existence.
A priest from a respectable noble family with a long history, raised well-fed and socially elevated—she couldn’t possibly endure ten days in that darkness.
The fact she hadn’t gone mad was impressive enough.
In the end, Somir Isha, unable to endure solitary, confessed everything she knew.
‘At first, she tried to act proud and negotiate a deal.’
But when I moved to drag her back to solitary, she begged on her hands and knees and told me everything.
The reason they tried to kidnap me, the personal details of everyone involved— all of it.
Among them was a name that truly surprised me.
‘Reitan Protoram.’
I recalled Reitan’s face, whom I’d seen only once in the imperial capital of the Atar Empire.
‘He keeps getting tangled up in this somehow.’
What exactly did that guy have going on?
As I fiddled with the box in silence, Romeo spoke first.
“Lord Agnotia specifically said to deliver it to you, Kay-nim.”
When I turned my gaze to the box toward him, Romeo poured out his words.
“So, to deliver it quietly, we asked the son of the Protoram family, with whom the church has ties, to arrange a meeting.”
“......”
“But he misunderstood, and this unfortunate incident occurred.”
“......”
“Afterward, we tried several times to meet with you, Kay-nim, but you refused all visits, making it hard to offer a formal apology.”
I showed no reaction.
Perhaps growing anxious, Romeo’s explanation dragged on.
“For now, this matter was classified even within our church. That’s why Priest Somir placed a restriction on Priest Belego. Priest Somir herself didn’t even know why she received those orders. Whatever she said, she was just a low-ranking priest spouting nonsense out of fear, unaware of the full details...”
“Kh.”
It was really hard to hold back the laughter.
A sneer slipped out, crumpling Romeo’s face.
Before he could protest, I pinpointed the lie embedded in his words.
“Unfortunate incident?”
“Well, when Priest Belego previously... with you, Kay-nim...”
Romeo trailed off, flinching and trembling as he answered.
He seemed to realize his mistake.
“What did Priest Belego do to me?”
The kidnapping attempt had never surfaced publicly.
‘Officially, Somir Isha is under investigation by the Central Inspection Team for bribery.’
Belego was the briber, and she’d placed a restriction on him to cover up the exchange—that was the story agreed upon by the investigation team and the Central Inspection Team.
I hadn’t fabricated it that way to go easy on Belego.
It was bait to draw out the brains behind Somir Isha.
‘No one but an idiot would confess to ordering my kidnapping and silencing it with a restriction.’
Knowing that, I’d slapped on a convenient pretext and hauled her in.
To make the mastermind behind her panic at her capture.
‘But still, to fall for it this easily.’
I eyed Romeo with a touch of emptiness.
In the process, my hands grew even more leisurely as they toyed with the box.
‘For now, no need to let on that I know the full story.’
They could guess I’d learned something through Somir Isha.
‘But not exactly what, or how much.’
So there was no reason for me to spell it out.
‘Tracing the tail to the head ended up easier than expected.’
Now it was just a question of how to deal with them.
‘Divinity, divinity...’
I rubbed my finger over the box’s glossy surface, calculating.
‘The moment I accept this, whatever flimsy excuse they brought, I have to play along.’
Even if every word from start to finish is a blatant lie, I’d have to let it slide.
‘Even to someone as clueless as me, this thing’s worth that much.’
Should I let the mastermind I’d cornered slip through my fingers, or just crush them?
The dilemma didn’t last long.
Like Kim Yul usually did, I opened my mouth with a bright smile.
“With a show of sincerity like this, it feels rude to just refuse.”
Romeo, who’d been anxiously chewing his lips, widened his eyes in surprise.
No wonder.
“As you said, Priest Somir knew nothing. It must’ve truly been classified.”
Just moments ago, I’d called out his lies, and now my attitude had flipped.
Exactly as they wanted: I’d bury the matter involving Somir Isha.
As those words left my mouth, Romeo’s expression brightened.
‘I don’t know why they sent such a sloppy guy.’
For the time being, I’d play along with their clumsy scheme.
Romeo and I wrapped things up with smiles.
I wanted to kick the guy out of my space ASAP.
And they probably wanted to wrap it up quick before I changed my mind.
“Soon, the misunderstanding about Priest Somir will clear up. Accusing her of taking bribes? What nonsense.”
I’d taken their divinity, so I’d give them what they wanted.
With that firm assurance, Romeo finally stood.
After Romeo left.
“This...”
Sure enough, Lashar, who’d been quiet after her initial outburst, reacted.
As the victim, I’d taken the lead, so she’d waited without interrupting.
“This can’t just be swept under the rug. The prior incident with Belego Protoram, and now Priest Somir... I only learned a few days ago she was involved in the kidnapping. Then and now, we can’t bury the injustices you’ve suffered like this!”
Had the wait been that agonizing?
Her words poured out in a breathless rush.
I furrowed my brow slightly and said,
“Enough.”
“What...”
“Stop talking like I sacrificed myself for the church’s gain. It’s your delusion.”
My sharp gaze made Lashar’s shoulders flinch.
“Why are you so sure I’d sacrifice and devote myself for you all?”
“......”
“What’s the reason you project your wishes onto me and build these expectations? Pressure to meet them? Or just a way to ignore your current predicament?”
“......”
“Whatever it is, today’s the last time I tolerate it. Glorifying me like some saint is more unpleasant than you’d think.”
At my edged warning, Lashar’s face paled.
Even so, she hesitated several times before forcing out words.
“Then why...”
Instead of answering right away, I opened the box in my hand again.
No matter how many times I looked, it was definitely Palao’s divinity.
“You don’t think this is all there is, do you?”
“......What?”
The fact that Agnotia’s side had brought this to me willingly still nagged at me.
‘Even if Palao is from another church.’
This was a god’s divinity.
Somir Isha had confessed that delivering it to Agnotia was her final objective.
Wasn’t it strange they’d hand over something like that so easily?
“These bastards have more.”
Probably an even larger piece than what they gave today.
That would explain handing it over so generously.
‘I’ll make them bring out the rest and completely derail their plans.’
As the saying goes, isn’t it manners to repay grudges tenfold?
That’s why I’d play along for now.
‘Just keeping them on oxygen until I track down the remaining divinity.’
Agnotia’s radicals were already doomed.
Imagining Romeo and Reitan’s faces as they headed back to the church, I sneered.
‘Run all you want.’
No matter how hard you try, you’ll stay in the palm of my hand.
I stood, stacking new plans one by one.
Glancing back, I saw Lashar looking dejected.
But ignoring her, I picked up the box with the divinity and left the base.
“W-Wait!”
Lashar snapped to and followed, but I didn’t turn.
I headed straight to the temple and took a portal to the central temple.
I’d thought of this the moment I realized it was Palao’s divinity.
My final destination was the shrine at church headquarters, where Palao’s statue was enshrined.
It held no special powers, just strong symbolic meaning.
Lario, who’d rushed over upon hearing I’d arrived, accompanied me briefly.
Upon reaching the shrine, the church’s homepage orb floated there, just as I’d heard.
Without a moment’s hesitation, I approached the orb and opened the box.
“Hup!”
As Lario showed alarm, I’d already pressed Palao’s divinity against the homepage orb.
Moments later, the divinity smoothly seeped into the orb.
‘I’d hoped, and sure enough.’
I stared at the now-empty spot before asking,
“Anything changed in the homepage management screen? Like more points added, or a new function unlocked... Oh, or maybe the recruitment cap lifted?”
“......We can increase the numbers.”
Lario swallowed hard and answered.
‘Right when third-wave players are joining.’
Judging by community post frequency, about 20-30% had joined so far.
Perfect timing to lift the church’s recruitment limit.
‘How convenient.’
Palao Order recruits were already making names on various battlefields.
We’d filtered for talent and given them attribute military training, so it was expected.
If we increased their numbers and pushed exclusive missions without delay.
‘Cultivating elite forces half again—or maybe twice—as strong as regular players isn’t impossible.’
Finishing my thoughts, I said firmly,
“Max it out.”
I was the one who’d nearly been kidnapped, tracked down Somir who orchestrated it, and raided Agnotia.
Retrieving Palao’s divinity was my achievement.
No one would defy what was more command than suggestion.
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