Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Telling the Truth
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After finishing their meal and cleaning up, Rachel and Enoch left the kitchen.
“What are you going to do now?”
“I couldn’t talk properly on the way here because Father was with us. First, I think I need to tell you the truth, Enoch.”
Rachel spoke as she walked down the corridor. At her words, Enoch, who had been matching her stride beside her, blinked his golden eyes once.
“The truth?”
“Yes. I said I could see unfortunate futures, but that’s not actually the case.”
“Then what’s your real ability?”
“Regression.”
“Regression?”
“Yes. When I die, I return to a specific point in the past.”
Enoch blinked twice at Rachel’s confession. His footsteps stopped. Staring into her eyes, he asked,
“Why haven’t you told the others?”
“The results weren’t good when I revealed it to others before. Besides, I have to tell the person we’re about to meet soon anyway.”
“Are you explaining this to me reluctantly because of that person?”
Rachel read a hint of hurt in Enoch’s calm expression. He was trying not to show it, but his transparent-looking eyelashes were cast downward.
“I wanted to tell you first, before telling that person.”
At Rachel’s response, life returned to Enoch’s eyes. His eyelashes lifted upward again. Rubbing his neck, he replied,
“I see.”
The sulky look completely vanished from Enoch. His halted steps began moving again.
As they walked down the corridor, Rachel briefly explained the events she had experienced so far.
Enoch listened to the explanation, tapping his fingers repeatedly. The hesitating fingers pointed upward when they reached the door. Soon, his long arms enveloped Rachel.
Suddenly pulled into Enoch’s embrace mid-step, Rachel felt his firm chest and looked up at him.
“Enoch?”
“You must have had a hard time all by yourself. And I, your friend, didn’t even notice!”
“No, I didn’t tell you, and I’ve received a lot of help from you so far! And I’ll continue to in the future.”
No one knew how Enoch interpreted her words, but he nodded slightly and replied.
“In the future, don’t hesitate to ask for my help. Helping a friend and dealing with the Black Sorcerer—both are important to me.”
“Yes. Don’t blame yourself for not noticing my ability. It’s only natural you wouldn’t know.”
“It’s not necessarily so.”
At Rachel’s words, Enoch gently pushed her away from his embrace and denied it in a small voice. Rachel wondered what exactly wasn’t so.
“When we first met, you looked unsteady even just standing, but in just a few days, your posture has changed.”
Rachel immediately realized that the omitted subject in Enoch’s words was herself.
“Suddenly becoming so stable, it’s like you’ve had long-term posture training.”
Rachel was impressed by Enoch’s observation. He was right.
The body of Rachel, who had been buried in books before possession—as far as she could guess—would likely have grown into a hunched posture with forward head if left alone.
As she started physical training, she heard from Evelyn and Enoch that her posture was bad, and she received corrections from both of them.
“Usually, when posture changes so suddenly like that……”
Enoch trailed off. Rachel prodded him, caught by his subtle way of speaking that piqued curiosity.
“What is it? Tell me quickly.”
“It’s when someone is deliberately acting.”
“Hm?”
Rachel tilted her head in question.
“It’s a tactic Black Sorcerers often use. The neighbor you thought was a weak, hunched old man turns out to be a young Black Sorcerer…… They deliberately hunch their back and shoulders to avoid suspicion.”
“So my sudden posture change must have seemed strange?”
“It looked good, though.”
“Yes?”
His answer to her question was so odd that Rachel asked again, but he didn’t elaborate further. Instead, he changed the subject.
“So now we’re going to meet the one who’ll help us?”
“Yes. We’re going to meet the information merchant Abyss. He suspects me of being a Black Sorcerer, so I need to go with a priest. Luckily, he seems to already know you, Enoch.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Enoch fiddled with his holy artifact. The fact that Abyss knew him seemed to bother him.
“What did he say about me?”
“He didn’t say much specifically, just that we should get along?”
She had called him an unexpected person, but that was probably because there was no particular connection with Rachel.
“And about you, it’s better to hear it directly from you, so I didn’t ask anything else.”
“Rachel.”
“Yes?”
“Even if I’m no longer part of the temple, can we still be friends?”
Enoch asked in a stiff tone. Rachel noticed he was tense.
There were others his age at the temple, yet he had called her his first friend.
She didn’t know the reason, but it seemed he had grown up in an environment where he couldn’t make friends, and thus valued his first friend, Rachel, specially.
Recalling his past statements, Rachel guessed he held the word “friend” dear and nodded.
“Of course. We’re already friends. Well, if you left the temple and became a Black Sorcerer, I’d have to think about it.”
“That will never happen!”
He vehemently denied it in horror at her words. Facing him, Rachel smiled brightly.
“Right? Then there’s no way we won’t be friends. What exactly are you trying to say with this question?”
Enoch closed his eyes. He seemed unable to meet her gaze. Rachel waited patiently for now.
‘Mother too, and people from the temple have so many secrets. They probably aren’t even a big deal when you hear them.’
After a long silence, Enoch finally spoke.
“Um, I might receive a high title later.”
“Really? Congratulations!”
By principle, divine authority and royal authority did not interfere with each other.
One could not hold both a noble title and a clerical position. Unless in special circumstances, even a noble’s child was considered to have abandoned worldly status upon entering the temple.
However, a king’s legitimacy required the Pope’s approval upon ascension, and nobles respected the temple due to the holy power of its clerics.
Yet the temple did not grant high titles regardless of one’s status there.
‘I’m curious why Enoch would get a high title.’
In short, it wasn’t an ordinary matter for Enoch to receive one.
‘But in the game, Enoch dies.’
No matter the status, one had to be alive to enjoy it. Honestly, Rachel didn’t think Enoch receiving a title would change much from now.
“Please don’t say something like we can’t be friends because my status changes later.”
Enoch shyly uttered those words. Rachel found his attitude so cute she didn’t know what to do.
‘Worrying by himself that his attitude might change if his status rises! He’s too adorable.’
“You won’t say we’re not friends, right?”
“Of course not. If my friend rises to a high position, I’ll stick to you like glue!”
Rachel grinned playfully at the fidgeting Enoch. At her attitude, he seemed relieved, his eyes curving like crescent moons.
***
Afterward, the two left Flora House and walked the streets.
“Even if I take you to a strange place, don’t misunderstand.”
“A strange place?”
“Yes! I absolutely don’t have those intentions. The information merchant is disguised in a unique shop.”
Rachel warned him in advance, in case Enoch might misunderstand.
“Yes, I won’t misunderstand.”
But those words crumbled when they arrived in front of Abyss’s shop.
“This place……”
“You said you wouldn’t misunderstand!”
“Not that, but is that Abyss guy really upright? Even if it’s a disguise, this kind of shop……! It’s too suspicious.”
Having been raised purely in a certain sense at the temple, he panicked, unsure if he knew what kind of shop this was, with its signboard alone in a remote alley.
Seeing his reaction, Rachel flustered as well.
“But there’s nothing on the first floor!”
“So you’ve been here before.”
“I didn’t know at first. Let’s just go in!”
Rachel pushed Enoch from behind. Enoch reluctantly moved his feet.
As before, a sweet scent stimulated their senses. Then came the harpy’s greeting.
“Welcome. This is Abyss’s Trinket Shop, where we make love. Oh my!”
The hooded harpy let out an “Oh my!” as if surprised by Enoch and Rachel’s presence.
“I’m sorry, but we don’t allow visits from those who aren’t adults yet.”
Was it because she came with Enoch? She said something she hadn’t before.
Ignoring the harpy’s words, Rachel stated her business.
“Miss Harpy, I’m here to see Abyss.”
Clang!
“What are you doing?”
It happened in an instant. The harpy leaped from the counter, trying to stab Rachel with a stiletto. Against this attack, Enoch urgently amplified his Divine Power with his holy artifact to block it.
“Divine Power?”
At Enoch’s shout, the harpy muttered as she retreated.
The warm white light was unmistakably Divine Power, so the harpy dispelled her attack intent. She pushed back her hood, revealing her face.
“Sorry. But things aren’t great for us either.”
“It must have been startling for a stranger to act familiar. It’s my fault for thinking you wouldn’t attack after recognizing Enoch. So, are you not coming out, Abyss?”
Rachel spoke toward the door behind the counter. Enoch put away his bent holy artifact and drew his sword.
Soon, the back door opened, and a blue-haired man appeared. It was Abyss.
With a pipe in his mouth, he scanned Enoch and Rachel upon exiting, then exhaled smoke.
“The knight boasted by the temple and a girl seeking me on first meeting—quite the combination. Interesting. So, what brings you here?”
“First, let me introduce myself. Rachel Emporus. You know who I am, right?”
As Rachel revealed her name, he snapped his pipe in two.
“What’s your game?”
His words carried the implication of whether Paris Emporus had sent her. Rachel shook her head.
“That’s not what you should be asking. Why do you think I came here with Enoch?”
The situation was completely different from when she first visited.
Back then, Rachel had been at a disadvantage information-wise, but now she held the upper hand.
Perhaps because of that, Rachel wore a confident expression.
Abyss glanced alternately between Enoch and Rachel. He gestured to the harpy.
‘That’s the signal to call comrades.’
“What are you going to do calling comrades? Is there someone here stronger than Enoch?”
At Rachel’s question, Abyss faltered. He didn’t flinch visibly, but his pupils shook.
“By the way, I know sign language because I learned it from you.”
“That’s not a…… lie.”
He had been about to shout not to lie, but seeing Rachel’s eyes, he realized it wasn’t.
“You know better than anyone it’s not a lie. And you must be curious?”
“You know my ability. So what’s your identity?”
Finally, Abyss revealed his curiosity. Having drawn it out, Rachel smiled brightly and answered.
“I’m a regressor. I returned from the future to overthrow Paris Emporus.”