Chapter 158
Chapter 158
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: Mountain over the Mountain
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I could feel Archbishop Luminol staring at the angel from within the veil, his face etched with extreme bewilderment.
From their perspective, it must be utterly bewildering.
The person who should have bellowed the moment they sensed demonic energy was now frozen stiff, staring only at me.
“...Messenger?”
Even as the archbishop uttered those words, the angel continued speaking with eyes still trembling faintly.
“...”
And from my standpoint.
Jackpot.
The human who would have fled even if I sought them out was now squarely in front of me.
[You, you, why, why are you here...]
Just hearing that quivering voice echo 'in my head' made it obvious.
Angels have a duty to always maintain a reverent and dignified aura whenever they manifest in the material world.
Yet even someone in such a position couldn't suppress their groan—I'm a walking trauma for that fallen angel.
They nearly got devoured by a demon because of me, after all. How could they not be?
“...Didn't you just say it had been a while?”
“Has that guy met the angel before or something?”
Murmurs like that began rising one by one from the surrounding spectators.
The angel's face seemed to grow even paler upon hearing them.
“...”
Only Eliya, standing beside me, alternated her gaze between me and the angel with an expression that suggested she knew something.
She had been with me during that moment when the angel and I crossed paths, after all.
“...Teacher.”
“Hm?”
“I've been around you for quite a while now, so I've gotten somewhat decent at reading you.”
“Yeah.”
“...You're making the face of someone planning the most trash-tier scheme in history right now.”
“...”
I've had the feeling that her instincts were sharpening for a while now.
Ever since she acquired that Truth's Eye or whatever, it's practically mind-reading.
What the hell is that ability, anyway?
[What the hell do you want from me now? And what's with that sleazy look?!]
“...”
Or maybe my face right now reeks of rot so badly that anyone could tell.
‘Nothing much.’
Just like with Kaliban, it seems I can communicate telepathically with this one simply by thinking.
Convenient.
What I'm thinking right now would require tremendous courage to voice aloud.
‘Some people keep blocking me from even getting to the starting line when I'm trying to handle important business.’
No, seriously.
It was like that at Elpante, and in the Crucible of Conflict too—I was running myself ragged trying to keep the world from shattering because of demons.
But there are just too many who keep interfering to satisfy their own selfish desires.
In this case, it's the Holy Empire.
So.
Let's prepare a line that'll royally screw them over.
‘I'd appreciate it if the angel could just testify on my behalf here.’
[...Testify? What are you talking about?]
I telepathically convey the necessary details.
The reaction was dramatic.
[You inhuman piece of trash—!]
“...”
[How, how am I supposed to say that with my own mouth?!]
Well.
They'll do it anyway.
With that thought, I manipulate the spear to forcibly apply the skill to the fallen angel.
The fallen angel, floating in the air, folds their wings and gently descends to the ground.
[Wh-what? What's this?!]
I've just used a precious 'command token usable directly on an angel.'
So.
It's only natural to make them utter some rather intense words.
“...It's really been a while.”
[Why, why is my mouth moving on its own?! What the hell did you do to me—]
The fallen angel's voice whined shrilly in my head.
But before the words could even finish, the line I'd 'requested' echoed through the arena.
“I've missed you, ‘Master.’”
The moment those words dropped.
“This lowly servant is prepared to heed any command.”
The vast plaza.
Was instantly engulfed in silence.
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[System Message]
[ Target ‘Fallen Angel A1101’ now recognizes you as an archenemy! ]
[ Negative impression is imprinted! ]
[ Negative imprint stacks twice! Special effect activates at 3 stacks! ]
[ Skill: Dominion of Evil activates. Gain 1 command token usable on the target! ]
Wow.
The command token duplicated.
I chuckle softly as I gaze at the window floating before me.
The moment the fallen angel uttered those words, Archbishop Luminol hastily banished them back, so I hadn't had time to gauge their reaction—but this is satisfying enough.
I'd been worried about what to do if the command tokens didn't refill, but it seems calling a material world's human ‘Master’ was enough to properly shatter the angel's mentality.
For a human equivalent, it's like calling your pet owner ‘Master’—utter humiliation.
[...Is the Boy King asleep right now?]
‘Pretty much? Why?’
That one stays mostly silent anyway.
Unlike the chatty Kaliban, they're fundamentally quiet.
Seems like they're holed up preparing something alchemy-related again, but it'd be nice if they showed their face occasionally.
[Yeah. This would've been the perfect moment to clap together.]
“...”
[Love seeing how you don't feel any guilt unless it's one of the girls around you. Consistent as ever—total fan—]
I ignore the nonsense and turn my gaze to the desk.
“...Bomb dropped.”
The words slip out as I look at the newspapers hyping up yesterday's events.
“Wow... This is insane...”
Eliya, lounging on the sofa and skimming the materials I'd passed her secondhand, lets out a similar groan in response.
“You said I'd get famous, but isn't this a bit much?”
She reads off a few headlines from the articles.
[ Angel's Declaration of Submission: Holy Empire Remains Silent— ]
[ Archbishop Luminol Suggests Possibility of ‘Mass Hallucination’— ]
“...Even they're seriously floating ‘mass hallucination’ as an idea? Must've been one hell of a shock.”
Yeah, probably.
From the Holy Empire's standpoint, it must be a nightmare.
Most of their position and influence stems from producing the ‘First Hero’ and receiving direct endorsement from ‘angels’—their religious authority.
But for an angel to call out whose legitimacy they themselves questioned ‘Master’ and such? Utter humiliation.
Sure, they could leverage their collective influence to officially hush it up, but they can't seal the mouths of everyone who witnessed it.
The buzz about my connection to the angel will spread like wildfire from here on.
And.
The notoriety of the ‘Hero Candidate’ with such a person as their ‘attendant’ will skyrocket accordingly.
“So, thoughts on becoming one of the hottest names across the continent?”
“...Honestly, not feeling it yet. Sure, the buzz is high, but nothing's changed around me immediately. I was already getting plenty of attention inside Elpante anyway.”
“...”
Must be nice being a social butterfly.
For various reasons, I'm still stuck with images like ‘shady guy,’ ‘sleazy bastard,’ ‘friendless loner,’ ‘but weirdly surrounded by women anyway.’
A far cry from the ordinary academy life I dreamed of when I first enrolled.
“...Teacher? Why are your eyes misty?”
“My gaze is just that luminous.”
“...”
Anyway.
At least now, the Holy Empire and Papal See have zero room to trip me up during the entire Hero Selection.
That's good, but.
“...What exactly have you been doing since earlier?”
The words slip out unbidden.
No, forget that—she barged into my room, ignoring her own, seized my furniture, and now she's been clipping things out of newspapers with that snip-snip.
“Collecting photos of you and me in the same frame.”
“...”
“Oh, this one's good.”
Why do that specifically in my room?
Even I, not the sharpest on this stuff, can tell she's blatantly ‘trying to appeal.’
‘...She's been way more aggressive lately?’
No, seriously, recently she's been constantly—
As I stare at Eliya, at a loss for words, a voice comes from the Soul Linker.
[Can I ask one favor?]
‘Sure?’
[When you two tie the knot, please do it somewhere I don't know about.]
‘...’
[I'm barely hanging on as is; seeing that would kill me a second time for real.]
‘...Won't happen.’
Tie the knot? What knot?
The trauma of getting bisected by Yuria is still fresh; if I did something like that, the other demon vessels would dice me into over 20 pieces and it'd be no surprise.
Sighing at Kaliban's drivel, I turn my eyes to the documents Atalante delivered.
They contained the rough schedule for the Hero Selection, which should have been announced to everyone during the opening ceremony.
The events during the ceremony were such bombshells that everything got derailed, but it seems the relevant documents were still distributed to the participants.
‘...The most important part...’
Is the list of candidates participating in the trials alongside me.
A list of rivals, too.
A roster of people I need to piss off enough to charge at me with murderous intent.
And.
The part most likely to produce massive ‘variables.’
Looking back on my actions so far, these sections always—
‘Tribal Alliance has two twin berserkers. Empire has Eliya and...’
Painol Ripek.
The name hits, and a wry smile tugs at my lips.
Think about it.
[Quest Info]
[ Main Quest ]〖 Chapter 4 – Night Raid 〗
[ Related event will occur soon! ]
The main event progressing this chapter is ‘Hero Selection,’ but the Main Quest setting the chapter's backdrop is ‘Night Raid.’
It's the chapter where Painol appears as the final boss, sure—but the issue is why he ends up as the ‘final boss.’
“...”
During the selection, something triggers him to go berserk.
Stopping that is my job.
[Can't you just fix it quick like always?]
‘If there were no variables, yeah.’
[Oh?]
‘When it comes to demon-related stuff, besides the Holy Empire, there's another group that always sticks their nose in.’
Ones far more vicious at disrupting my smooth scenario progression.
With that thought, I flip to the next page.
Anyway, up to here is a list I already know. It matches exactly the lineup from the game.
Undoubtedly powerful foes, but ones I can still handle.
“...”
The problem.
Sprang out while scanning the Holy Empire's list.
The ‘variable’ I'd been so wary of was shoving its face right in my grill.
Candidate No. 1. Top of the Grand Temple's first class. Textbook pick. I could applaud it as a solid choice.
The issue is the other one.
“...Go easy, damn it.”
A groan escapes as I stare at the face in the profile.
One guy with a blatantly frivolous vibe. Looks like a playboy who chases skirts.
But even so.
“...”
The moment I see him, dizziness hits.
Eyes practically blurring.
Feels like the world is blatantly screwing me over by tossing in this wildcard.
That's who he is.
“...Game-breaking bullshit.”
A monster that turns the entire Hero Selection into ‘child's play.’
Toker.
The Foreseer's loyal subordinate.
The guy who can overpower even a two-piece Elnor was right there, plain as day.
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