Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Main Scenario (5)
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The familiar Lashar took the lead, with an unfamiliar man following close behind.
He had black hair, copper-colored eyes, a sleek yet well-balanced sturdy build, and sharp eyes.
Greg's hand twitched ever so slightly, unnoticed.
His resolve to stay calm and neutral felt meaningless in that instant.
The moment he laid eyes on the man, the word "foreigner" flooded his mind.
The man had skin subtly different from theirs.
While Greg observed the man, the man calmly scanned the entire office.
He looked quite young, yet those eyes were remarkably steady.
Their mutual sizing-up was brief.
Lashar snapped to attention with a crisp salute.
"Second Company Commanding Officer Lashar Bennett, reporting back after completing the prisoner rescue operation in Sector 13."
"I've already been briefed on the success of the rescue. I'd love to commend you, but with more pressing matters at hand, I hope you understand the delay."
Thud, thud. Greg approached right up to Lashar and patted her shoulder with his large hand.
"And thank you for returning safely."
"I apologize for causing you worry."
Only after exchanging a few words did it become the guest's turn.
"I'm Greg, overall commander of the garrison here at Habor. Pleased to meet you."
He extended his hand as if for a handshake, and the man hesitated for a moment.
Then, with a slight furrow of his brow, he glanced downward before meeting Greg's eyes again.
Just 3 or 4 seconds. After that brief pause, the man shook hands with Greg.
"I'm Kay."
"So, you're the foreigner?"
"Yes, I'm from another world."
"Hm?"
"I wasn't given the details. I was just told to go to a temple here."
Told by whom?
Even with the unexpected response, Greg didn't falter.
He intended to calmly delve deeper into the topic.
But Kay didn't give him the chance.
"According to Lashar Bennett, the same conversation happened here too, right? No need to drag this out, then."
"Hm?"
"Can we skip the chit-chat and head straight to the temple?"
Straight to business after a curt greeting.
"He's impatient.'
Greg released Kay's hand and spoke.
"No rush. Take it slow."
"..."
"You're a guest. We have time for a brief chat."
As Greg finished speaking, one corner of Kay's mouth curled up.
"Sorry, but I'm busy."
Greg's mustache twitched.
"I figured you all must be in a hurry too..."
Kay tilted his head slightly, adding a word with a coldly set expression.
"Seeing how leisurely you are, looks like you don't need reinforcements after all?"
Not just Greg, but his adjutant waiting in the office and even Lashar who had entered with Kay.
Everyone except Kay widened their eyes in shock.
Reinforcements!
It was a sweet word that made them swallow hard.
But Greg secretly gulped and feigned composure.
No need to show desperate eagerness just because help was mentioned.
"That's news to me. Tell me more..."
"I already told you. I wasn't given the details either."
Greg consciously relaxed his furrowed brow to avoid grimacing.
"Kay, you never mentioned anything like that before. Why..."
"You didn't tell me everything from the start either. Don't act like I'm the only one holding back."
Lashar, who had blurted it out confrontationally in her haste, fell silent.
"More than that, my situation's different from yours. Nothing was certain."
"What do you..."
"It was all just my assumptions. To confirm, I need to go to the temple."
Kay, who had glanced at Lashar for a moment, locked eyes with Greg again and continued.
"So send me to the temple right now. That's the only way to get a clear answer."
There were plenty of ways to force Kay to talk if he wanted.
Just overpower him physically.
Judging by the mana emanating from Kay, it would be effortless.
He'd open up if he didn't want to die.
But instead of the easy choice, Greg fell silent.
He felt a resonance echo through his mind in that instant.
"..."
It was the presence of a god.
Greg's gaze drifted to the window.
Beyond it was the prayer room built for the headquarters staff.
'They're watching...'
Beings with divinity couldn't descend to the earth.
But they could convey their will through temples that could withstand divinity.
The fact that they made their presence known meant they wanted him to know they were watching.
Greg glanced at Lashar.
She was still looking troubled at Kay.
'She felt nothing.'
It wasn't strange, considering her age.
She had only become an apostle two years ago.
'She's still green.'
With no chance to consult her on this, he had to decide alone.
The Seven Gods had shown no reaction to self-proclaimed foreigners in the past.
Why would this time be different?
Was this young man truly the foreigner from the oracle?
If so, he couldn't lightly dismiss the mention of reinforcements.
If things went wrong even by a slim chance, he couldn't escape responsibility.
Greg made a cautious yet swift decision.
* * *
"You seem really in a hurry."
"As I said, I'm busy."
"Then it would be rude to keep you."
Greg, who had been dragging out the time to test the waters, changed his attitude.
"I'll guide you personally."
Neither Lashar nor Greg had asked why I wanted to go to the temple.
To them, it was only natural that I would seek it out.
'The temple is definitely holy ground.'
It was something I'd vaguely guessed.
That's why I'd thrown out the empty promise of reinforcements.
Just that one word had completely shifted Greg's demeanor.
'In case of emergency, he can't risk the support falling through because of him.'
It was just words, but too tempting to ignore outright.
These people had spent over a year desperately searching for a foreigner based on a prophecy alone.
I'd been confident it would work, and it did.
'Those with much to lose are always sensitive to accountability.'
I had no complaints about Greg's reaction. If anything, it was a relief.
Thanks to it, I could head straight to the temple instead of getting bogged down in nonsense.
Now it was time to prepare for the next step.
Before coming to meet Greg, I'd been mulling over what Ahel had left me with.
-Palao.
Why had he said it at that exact timing?
After agonizing over it, the answer came quickly enough.
'He pointed me to the temple I should go to.'
In this world, religion meant the Seven Precepts and the Seven Gods.
Seven gods meant seven denominations.
'That many naturally breeds competition.'
Comparing who's better, who's worse—it's inevitable.
I didn't know about the gods above, but intelligent beings like those I knew could never achieve perfect harmony without a single discord.
'From the moment they're born, they're isolated from others. Of course.'
The group with Lashar that I'd observed for days was utterly ordinary.
With seven denominations, conflict and strife were unavoidable.
Thus, all eyes would be on which temple the foreigner from the oracle chose.
It wasn't something to brush off as a personal whim.
'It was the first political move by the foreigner.'
Did Ahel, a native of this world, not know that?
'No, he knew the local intricacies I didn't, so he tipped me off.'
Probably to score points with me through it.
'No need to ignore the tip.'
Regardless of how I felt about Ahel, his advice was worth considering.
His greed for my mana was genuine.
"Since you're in such a rush, let's go right away. Lady Bennett, I'll take over the guiding from here. You go back and rest."
Greg left the office as soon as he finished speaking.
I glanced at Lashar, then followed Greg.
"May I ask which god's temple we're heading to?"
As we walked the corridor, I asked flatly. Greg's gaze briefly met mine from ahead.
"It's a place that honors all Seven Gods. A spot where soldiers can pray to those they serve at any time."
No sooner had I wondered if that really counted as a temple than Greg added an explanation.
"It bears the emblems symbolizing the Seven Precepts, of course, along with the World Tree insignia signifying harmony. Priests dispatched from each denomination stay there to manage it. I've met Lady Temoria there myself many times."
So, don't worry unnecessarily—that seemed to be the intent.
I nodded along silently, following in Greg's footsteps.
I couldn't help but tense up a bit, wondering if he'd lead me somewhere secluded.
Everything that made up this world was alien to me.
But with no idea where the temple was, I had no choice but to follow.
Fortunately, we soon arrived at a building white as snow.
Greg led me inside without hesitation.
The first thing visible was a white statue in the center of the building.
'A tree...'
Each leaf was sculpted with delicate realism, as if real.
Beyond the tree statue stood seven doors arranged in a semicircle.
As I surveyed the space, system messages piled up steadily.
「You have proven the existence of a Player to the lords of the New World!」
「Fame increases by 20 as a reward for leaving your mark.」
「Visit the prayer room to unlock the Main Scenario!」
'Main Scenario.'
It was the title of this hidden mission.
I stared blankly at the message—familiar despite not wanting it to be—and asked.
"Could I visit the prayer room?"
"The whole place is the prayer room."
Greg stroked his mustache and glanced around.
Seven doors, each emblazoned with a different emblem above.
No further explanation was needed.
"...Where is Palao's?"
"Is there a reason you chose Palao's temple specifically?"
"Is there a reason I shouldn't?"
It would have sufficed as an answer that if they didn't explain properly, neither would I.
Lashar, Greg— we all had plenty hidden from each other.
Sure enough, Greg flashed a subtle smile and pointed to the leftmost door.
"In order: Humility, Charity, Kindness, Patience, Chastity, Temperance, and Diligence."
The chance of Greg lying here was.
'Low.'
Until the reinforcements issue was settled, the initiative was mine.
'Not that I'm letting my guard down.'
These people, clinging desperately to a mere prophecy, weren't ready to gamble yet.
Proof came when I opened the second door—Greg added.
"I've brought you here without further questions or arguments."
"..."
"So now it's your turn. Get a firm confirmation on that matter you mentioned earlier."
He'd gone along with my lead so far, but things would change once I entered and exited.
Ignoring Greg's warning, I stepped forward without pausing.
As I entered the prayer room and closed the door, the system window appeared.
[Main Scenario: Would you like to unlock The Opening Tale? (Y/N)]
It felt like the path I'd walked so far scrolled by in an instant.
Bracing for the worst of the worst, I pressed the button.
My vision went black in a flash.
Damn System