Chapter 129
Chapter 129
Ch. 129 .｡.:✧ Hostage (1) ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Thank you. For seeing me so suddenly…”
“Not at all. Please come again if you need any advice, Saintess.”
Cornelia smiled brightly and waved.
I returned her smile and left the office.
Cornelia’s demeanor had changed recently. She seemed more confident. Something was different.
‘Is she seeing someone?’
She had mentioned that her late husband was a terrible man. They say the wounds inflicted by a man are healed by another man.
Perhaps that was the case with Cornelia. And perhaps it was the same for Yoo-jin. Maybe he had been spending time with other women to cope with the stress I caused him, with my nagging and harsh words.
It was all my fault.
I was the one who had been unfaithful, yet I was the one who got angry.
How ridiculous must he have found me?
The more I thought about it, the more foolish I felt.
“This won’t work.”
After talking to Cornelia, I realized that I couldn’t keep pursuing Yoo-jin like this, even if I desperately wanted to see him.
I had acted rashly, blinded by my desire to see him, to be with him.
I had used the excuse that I needed his help urgently, but had I even tried to solve the problem myself? Hadn’t I been relying on him from the start?
Thanks to Cornelia, I could finally question my actions.
I decided to withdraw the complaint. I had been too hasty, almost ruining our future relationship just to see him.
I had to slow down and show him that I had changed. I couldn’t repeat the same mistakes I made when I bombarded the entire continent with spam mails.
‘Even if Yoo-jin was here, there’s no easy solution for the white smoke. Whether he investigates or I do, it won’t make much difference. I’ll do it myself. I won’t hurt him anymore…’
I had to stand on my own.
I wasn’t a helpless fool who couldn’t do anything without Yoo-jin.
Well, perhaps I was… I felt anxious and lost without him… But I had to overcome it. He wouldn’t like me this way.
Change began with self-reliance.
“Cornelia, I’m going out. To withdraw the complaint.”
“Good thinking.”
Cornelia smiled, genuinely happy for me. It was all thanks to her.
I thanked her and left the Briam Mansion, heading towards Cologne Cathedral.
Even though I hadn’t informed him beforehand, the bishop greeted me warmly.
“Greetings, Saintess. Will you be attending mass?”
“Yes. And I’d like to meet with Cardinal Nicholas.”
“His Eminence’s office is on the second floor. I’ll escort you.”
“Thank you.”
We reached the second floor. As the crowd thinned, the bishop leaned closer and whispered.
“About the demonic energy found in former Mayor Lawrence… It seems to belong to a high-ranking demon, unlike any we’ve encountered before.”
“A high-ranking demon… You mean an Archdemon?”
“Yes.”
Cornelia had tried to keep it a secret, but due to my position, I had learned a lot about her former husband.
I thought he was just a demon contractor, but he had made a pact with an Archdemon…
“So, the Archdemons are interested in the human world. Why now, after all this time…?”
“This is just a hypothesis from the Magic Tower, but the mages believe there’s a connection between the Archdemons and the monsters from another world that have appeared recently.”
Monsters from another world… were they actually from the demon world? No, that couldn’t be right.
It was more likely a rogue Archdemon acting alone.
An Archdemon colluding with beings from another world to invade this world? For what purpose? I didn’t know.
There was too little information to even speculate.
“This is troubling.”
“Indeed.”
“But we’re actively exchanging information with the Magic Tower and Elvenguard, so the truth might be revealed soon.”
Now that they had a lead, it wouldn’t be long before they uncovered the truth.
There had been an incident recently where the remains of a sentient monster were stolen from Elvenguard, but other than that, things seemed to be under control.
“This is his office.”
“Saintess, about His Eminence… um…”
“Yes?”
“It’s nothing. I’ll go prepare for mass.”
“Okay. I’ll be down soon.”
The bishop left.
I stood in the silent hallway and knocked twice.
No response.
I waited for twenty seconds and knocked again.
“Your Eminence, it’s Jill Diner. May I have a moment?”
“…”
Still no response.
There was no ‘out of office’ sign, so he must be inside.
Puzzled, I tried the doorknob. It was unlocked.
Inside the office, stacks of papers were scattered everywhere. Cardinal Nicholas stood by the window, his back to me.
“Your Eminence…?”
He stood motionless, as if frozen.
I called out again, but he didn’t respond. Had he fallen asleep standing up?
I cautiously approached him.
His eyes were open, and he was standing steadily, but he was completely unresponsive, like a corpse. His face was pale, almost deathly.
“Huh?!”
I checked his pulse and recoiled in shock.
There was no pulse! He was dead!
Thud!
I stumbled back, bumping into him. He fell sideways, like a mannequin, his posture unchanged.
Terrified, I turned and fled.
As I passed through the doorway, a chill ran down my spine. A cold wind seemed to brush past me. And the moment I stepped into the hallway…
“Saintess?”
“Y-Your Eminence?”
I peeked back inside.
The cardinal was standing up, brushing off his clothes. He had been stiff and lifeless just moments ago, but now he was moving and speaking normally, color returning to his face.
Had I imagined it?
“Do you… sleep standing up…?”
“I have a condition similar to narcolepsy. It often surprises people. Ha ha ha.”
“I couldn’t find your pulse…”
“Perhaps it was weak at the time. Would you like to check again? It should be fine now.”
He was right.
I checked again, and his pulse was strong and steady. I had been mistaken.
What a shock…
“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”
“I’m here to withdraw the complaint.”
“The attempted rape case?”
“Yes. I’ve reached a settlement with the person involved. I’d like you to stop the investigation.”
“You met with him…?”
Cardinal Nicholas narrowed his eyes.
His expression was unsettling, and I hiccuped involuntarily.
“How?”
“That’s a secret. Everything worked out. It was a misunderstanding on my part, so he’s innocent. I’d appreciate it if you would close the investigation and withdraw the warrant.”
“Very well. If the parties involved have reached a settlement, I’ll grant your request.”
“Thank you. For accepting my rash complaint and for withdrawing it so readily…”
“Ha ha ha. It’s a request from the Saintess. No one thinks it was rash.”
The cardinal smiled and pulled out a piece of paper from the stack of documents. It was a copy of the warrant with his seal. He stamped it with another seal and handed it to a bishop.
“This order is no longer valid. Cease the investigation. And expunge Yoo-jin’s identity from the records.”
“Yes, Your Eminence.”
“This is what you wanted, Saintess. Are you relieved? Ha ha ha.”
“Yes…”
Everything was resolved. Everything had gone as planned. Yet, I couldn’t shake off this uneasy feeling.
What was it? Why did the cardinal seem so strange today?
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If anything suspicious was happening in Cologne, it was happening in the sewers.
That’s what the players said.
Cologne’s sewers were considered a demon’s lair. It was a vast network of tunnels, and parts of it had once been a dungeon.
If I were a villain, I would definitely use the dark, deserted sewers as my base of operations.
So, Undecided and I were exploring the sewers…
“Ugh! This stench is unbearable! I should have bought a gas mask!”
“…Scumbag.”
“Is your nose okay?”
“…Scumbag.”
“Seriously, how long are you going to keep saying that…?”
“…Scumbag.”
The stench was overwhelming.
The section of the sewers I had visited during the dungeon raid must have been relatively clean.
The deeper we went, the worse it got. It wasn’t just the smell, it was the toxic fumes. It was hard to breathe.
I felt like I was going to suffocate.
In the end, we had to give up and escape back to the surface.
“Hey! Who are you?!”
“Are you the sewer manager?”
“Yes, I am.”
“We have a question. Have you seen anyone suspicious entering or leaving the sewers recently?”
“No one besides you two… but one of my colleagues said he saw something floating in the waterway.”
“I see.”
“Hey, who are you?! Don’t run away! Hey!”
“Undecided, run. No, just hop on.”
“Okay…”
It was impossible to search the entire sewer network within 24 hours. I had to trust the manager’s words that no one suspicious had been seen.
‘Something floating in the waterway?’
Did they travel through the waterway? No, that couldn’t be right.
The water was contaminated with sewage and chemicals. There were sections that required complete submersion.
A living person couldn’t survive that.
‘Wait. If a living person can’t pass through, then what about a corpse…?’
The suspects were blood ghouls, or the Necromancer, whose body was made of spirits.
Luna, one of the Four Heavenly Kings?
“Not enough evidence…”
There wasn’t even any proof that a Heavenly King was involved. Or that there was even an enemy to begin with.
Everything started with Jill’s story about the white smoke. I needed more concrete evidence. I had to identify the enemy, their location, and their plan. And the only one who might know the details…
‘Damn it, it’s Solra.’
Solra, the Holy Knight who was colluding with the Heavenly Kings.
The problem was, he was currently buried alive, and the moment I dug him out, he would attack me.
Jill didn’t seem to know much, so contacting her would be pointless. Then who else could I use as an informant?
“…Tired.”
“Me too. Running around without rest, struggling to breathe… I’m dying of thirst.”
Completely exhausted, we collapsed onto a bench.
Undecided, with her usual expressionless face and steady breathing, looked fine, but her eyes, flickering with a reddish glow, betrayed her exhaustion.
She was close to collapsing and trying to forcefully drain my blood.
“Would… you like some water?”
“Oh, thank you.”
A young man offered us a glass of water.
Judging by his neat apron, he was probably an employee from a nearby shop.
I gratefully accepted the glass and drank. Now that I looked closer… this handsome young man… he looked familiar.
Blonde hair, clear blue eyes… the typical handsome protagonist look… He resembled someone…
“What’s your name?”
“My name? I’m Xenon Artemisia.”
“Ah.”
Artemisia.
Now I remembered.
He was Solra’s younger brother.
“Nice to meet you. I’ve been meaning to meet you.”
“Huh? Oh? Yes? W-Who are you?”
“I’m a friend of Solra’s. You’re his brother, aren’t you?”
“Ah…! Yes! That’s right!”
‘Hostage acquired.’
I had just gained leverage against Solra.
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