Chapter 85
Chapter 85
Episode 85
Though Eleanor had discovered her, Lucia didn't cut off the communication.
The situation had become strange, but her mission to monitor Oz and Eleanor remained unchanged.
At first, it was fine. Yes, it was definitely fine at first.
It didn't matter that the two were wandering around, oblivious to the current situation, flirting with each other. Wasn't the goal to relieve their stress?
Yes, even though she was buried in work, even though she was still gathering and organizing the incoming information and assessing the surrounding situation, even though she had to watch those two fools playing around in the meantime. Yes, it was fine.
But that thought didn't last long.
The trigger was simple.
-Just in case, you're not thinking of keeping it, are you? You already have one at home.
-Hmm... Well? I'm worried because that cat isn't cute.
-...Lucia will be sad if she hears that.
-You started it, Master.
Because the two were toying with Lucia. Normally, she could have laughed it off, but not now. It meant that they weren't the only ones stressed.
"Those damn lovebirds, I wish they'd just die..."
Lucia suddenly became irritated by the whole situation.
Did she really have to worry about their date?
Why her? She was busy. It was tiring enough to be tasked with monitoring those lunatics, Oz and Eleanor, but she had other work too.
"Seriously... I want to rest too. It's unfair that only those two..."
Perhaps due to stress, watching them play around together made her feel lightheaded and irritable.
"Lucia! Hello~ Didn't you miss me while I was gone?"
At that moment, a frivolous girl suddenly barged into Lucia's hiding place.
A girl with messy brown bobbed hair and black glasses.
"...Ulla."
[SR Gazing Owl]
Ulla Stylena
Ulla lightly jumped onto Lucia's back and clung to her. It wasn't particularly heavy.
It was just that Ulla's blatant attempt at sexual harassment was annoying.
"Why are you here when you should be monitoring the Fist King?"
All Tenebris members infiltrating Scientia had assigned missions.
The most typical of these was monitoring key figures in each country.
In Lucia's case, it was Eleanor and Oz, her classmates, and in Ulla's case, it was Alexios.
"Of course I came to see you."
"Leaving your post is a serious offense, Ulla. Hands up and surrender."
Lucia aimed her gun without a shred of doubt at Ulla's words.
It was trust built between them over a long time working together.
"Still so prickly~ As expected, cats should be haughty."
"You're not just light on your feet, but light in your actions too. Or has your head become light as well?"
"Laugh, Lucia. 'Nyahahaha'."
"...I don't laugh like that just because I'm a cat beastman."
"You were the one who said it would highlight your character."
"How long are you going to remember something from when we were kids?!"
"I'll remember it forever! Nyahaha!"
Ulla teased Lucia with her easygoing attitude and then suddenly pounced. Her target was Lucia's wrist holding the gun.
Ulla lunged like a bird of prey attacking its victim.
"Eek!"
And then she was counterattacked by Lucia and rolled on the ground.
"Too obvious, Ulla. How long are you going to use the same trick?"
"Hmm, you're even more prickly than usual today. Did something happen?"
"...Nothing in particular."
Ulla, rolling on the floor, looked at Lucia's irritated face and then rolled a few more times towards the communication device.
-Master, look at this. They're selling something strange.
-It's yukhoe.
-Do you eat it like this?
-You can also cook it halfway... like steak.
The two were still chatting through the communication device.
Ulla looked back and forth between the communication device and Lucia, then smiled slyly and said,
"Jealous?"
"...."
Lucia didn't offer any excuses. She simply looked down at Ulla with a look of contempt.
That was enough of an answer.
Ulla quietly shut her mouth.
"Now tell me why you're here before I really pull the trigger. Ulla, what about the Fist King?"
Ulla, still rolling on the floor, shrugged at the question.
"Lost him."
"Lost him? You? What...?"
Ulla had particularly good eyesight, even among Tenebris.
Just seeing far away was enough, but her true value lay in her ability to clearly distinguish distant targets.
That's why she rarely lost her target.
Unless the distance suddenly increased by kilometers, it was harder for her to lose someone.
"Well, he suddenly entered the Goblin Forest."
"Honestly..."
There wasn't a single target who didn't act unpredictably.
Lucia had a headache. But there was still something she needed to confirm.
"So you got permission from the Chief to join us?"
"Of course~ Did you really think I left my post without permission? I've been doing this for years."
"...."
Lucia actually thought it was possible.
Ulla's actions weren't an act. She always approached people with a casual and easygoing attitude. It was allowed because it was an effective way to catch infiltration targets off guard.
"Then it's really unfortunate, but from here on out, it's work-related."
"I'm not disappointed at all, so report quickly. Do you know how much time we've wasted?"
"Nyahahaha."
"...I told you not to laugh like that."
Lucia felt dizzy from the sudden onslaught of her dark past.
"You're looking for the gate to the Underworld, right?"
"Yeah... but the problem is, I can't find it no matter how hard I look."
"I found it."
"What...?"
Ulla, still lying on the floor like it was her own bed, subtly pushed up her glasses, revealing her eyes.
The eyes of an owl beastman, able to distinguish objects clearly even at night, stared directly at Lucia.
The moment their eyes met, Lucia grabbed Ulla by the collar.
It was a critical matter that could change the tide of battle in an instant. Yet she was acting like this. Wasn't she insane?
"Ack! Ugh, calm down, Lucia."
"Answer me quickly! Do you know how much we've been struggling with this?!"
"S-sky..."
"What?"
Lucia let go of Ulla's collar, wondering if she had misheard.
Ulla caught her breath, then spoke in a calmer tone.
"It's about 1,000 meters above us."
"Is that even possible?"
"It wasn't a completed gate, and I don't know where it will eventually open... but there's definitely a gate in the sky."
"Don't tell me..."
There were two conditions for a gate to open.
A place polluted by Demonic energy, or a place with traces of the [Death King].
There couldn't be a place polluted by Demonic energy in the sanctuary that was the Holy City. That's why everyone was looking for traces.
The gate to the Underworld could only open near a trace of the [Death King].
That's why Marie had wandered all over Scientia, leaving as many and as widespread traces as possible.
But the gate was opening 1,000 meters above ground.
Was there a trace somewhere in the sky? No, that couldn't be.
It would be strange if such a thing hadn't been discovered.
Then...
Then what if...
If the trace felt close despite being 1,000 meters in the air...
"...Damn it."
How wide would it be?
"Ulla, how many people know about this?"
"Right now, the Chief, you, and me. Now you have to tell the rest."
Lucia frowned at Ulla's easygoing attitude.
This battle wouldn't end with just a raid.
It would definitely become a full-scale war.
"...."
Seeing Lucia's serious expression, Ulla cautiously opened her mouth, trying to lighten the mood.
"Nyahahaha."
"I told you not to laugh like that! You little brat!"
It had the opposite effect.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After our outing, we decided to head back to the Holy City. Normally, I would have gone straight to my accommodations, but since I had spent time with Eleanor, I had to work.
-I found where the gate will open.
I couldn't just stand by anymore.
The location of the gate had been found. Even with [Contemplation] activated, I couldn't see it, but the gate would definitely be there. But could this be considered "found"?
If the scale was as Lucia said, the gate's range would likely encompass the entire Holy City.
Nothing had changed from the previous conditions.
It just proved that it was impossible to prevent the gate from opening beforehand.
"Sigh..."
"A sigh? Do you have something on your mind, Oz?"
"...."
Turning my head towards the voice, I saw Arietta.
Perhaps because I had been activating [Contemplation] so often lately, I was more startled than usual by her unexpected appearance.
I knew it was impossible to pinpoint Arietta's location within the sanctuary, but I couldn't help being surprised.
"Arietta. You're still practicing at this late hour?"
"Mmm... I don't get tired in the sanctuary."
Arietta replied with her usual gentle smile.
But her words were horrifying. She was saying that it was natural to push herself because she didn't get tired.
I could see how heavy the burden she carried as a Saintess was.
"But wouldn't you get mentally tired? It's not good to overwork yourself, Arietta."
"It's not very convincing coming from you, Oz."
"...."
Arietta delivered a sharp remark with a gentle smile.
She probably wasn't even aware that it was a sarcastic comment.
"Do you think I should rest, Oz?"
"Yes, Arietta. Although I'm not really one to talk... I'm worried that you're pushing yourself too hard."
"Then will you help me rest?"
"Yes...?"
I was busy. I didn't know what I could do right now, but I had to think about the scale of the gate to the Underworld and countermeasures for the upcoming battle.
I had decided to proceed differently from Oz this time. I even deliberately committed murder for that purpose.
They were the ones who attacked me, but I deliberately killed them just to get used to it.
I had steeled my resolve that much.
Yes, I definitely had...
"Just for a little while..."
For some reason, it was difficult to refuse Arietta.
It wasn't simply because of the high [Erosion Rate]. The [Erosion Rate] had significantly decreased since I forced myself to commit murder.
I wasn't as assimilated with Oz as before.
"Then could you hold my hand until we reach our usual spot?"
Even so, I couldn't help but take Arietta's hand.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
We arrived at the garden where I occasionally had tea with Arietta.
Even though it was nighttime, the faint white light of the divine power gently illuminated the surroundings.
"Mmm... It's been a while since I've made tea myself, so I'm not sure if I'll do a good job."
"I'll do it, Arietta. Please don't push yourself..."
"No."
Seeing how precarious she looked, I tried to take the teapot from her, but Arietta lifted it higher, frowning.
She was needlessly stubborn.
"I want to make it. I'll serve you, so just stay still."
"...Isn't this supposed to be for your rest, Arietta?"
"Hmm..."
Arietta started to ponder while shaking the teapot. I didn't know if it was something to worry about, but it was probably a serious matter for her.
"Then how about we each make half?"
"Is that really necessary?"
"Yes, I want to do it that way."
She was saying we should each pour tea for each other. A troublesome condition.
"...Alright."
Anyway, this was for Arietta's rest. It was fine to indulge her a little.
Rather, I didn't know what I was doing. This wasn't the time to be wasting time like this...
"Oz."
"Yes?"
"You said something before, right? About the First Angel."
"Ah... yes, I did."
I had brought it up to try to break the awkward silence. Back then, Arietta rambled and eventually said she didn't know.
"Actually, I secretly learned about the First Angel during my practice."
I was stunned.
I knew how busy Arietta was after returning to the Holy City.
She was the symbol of the Holy City.
Not only did she have to perform miracles in front of many people and promote the church, but she also had to continue her training as an apostle of God.
"You didn't have to go that far..."
If this wasn't the Holy City, overflowing with divine power and preventing easy fatigue, Arietta would have collapsed long ago.
Despite her busy schedule, she pushed herself to answer a question I asked to avoid an awkward situation.
Finding information was more difficult for her than anyone else.
She couldn't see, so she couldn't read the scriptures. So she must have traveled around, meeting countless people, for that trivial piece of information.
"Since you took an interest in my work, Oz, even if it was just small talk, I was happy."
Arietta said so and poured tea into my cup.
It was the scent of apple mint, her favorite, the scent that always clung to her.
"It's just a small answer to a small question... but if you have time, would you listen?"
"...Yes."
I couldn't let her efforts go to waste.