Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Secret Meeting (2)
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The first place they stopped was a cozy little cafe.
Despite the medieval fantasy setting, Carlyle savored the coffee with its rich bean aroma as he gazed at Felix seated across from him.
Covering her face was a magitech mask for disguising her identity. A famous figure like the Gray Cardinal walking around would draw eyes in an instant.
“It’s cozy.”
That was the impression that came to mind first.
“What’s cozy about it?”
“But for someone the Cardinal’s age, I figured she’d go for something much more...”
...What to say.
Something far more mature. Yet she chose a spot that any ordinary young couple might pick.
Hearing that, Felix furrowed her brow.
“I’m in my late twenties.”
“...”
To Carlyle blinking vacantly, Felix’s blunt words flew once more.
“Late twenties. Exactly as I look.”
Her tone seemed to demand he wipe that incredulous look off his face, prompting Carlyle to speak in a flustered voice.
“...But Lady Gray referred to you as an old lady?”
“Gray believes that. My actual age is late twenties.”
“...”
“I spread rumors of being older on purpose. If word got out a high position like Cardinal was late twenties, plenty would scoff.”
After pouring out that explanation, the Cardinal took a sip of her coffee.
“...Uh.”
Unsure how to respond, he muttered blankly, and the Cardinal sighed before continuing.
“I can’t use divine power—not even a fingernail’s worth. How could I possibly look younger than my age?”
“...Pardon?”
“I can’t wield divine power. Any miracle skills I pull off are cheats and tricks. I’m just baseline human.”
Now it clicked.
This woman truly planned to hide nothing from Carlyle.
‘...Hero. That thing you just heard.’
[No clue. None at all.]
The Holy Sword groaned in reply.
A church high official like a Cardinal unable to handle divinity.
If that leaked, it’d be a scandal to flip the world upside down.
She’d just casually laid bare her greatest weakness to Carlyle.
“...I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.”
“Even if I shouted it everywhere, few would buy it anyway. No big deal.”
“Still, I don’t get why share this with me.”
“Call it fondness. I said from the start I came to seduce you, right?”
“Doesn’t feel like we’ve built enough rapport for that.”
Felix chuckled.
“You don’t mince words. You saw what I’m capable of just now.”
“...People often call me a bit odd.”
Gray certified: utterly fearless of death.
Truth was, after so many regressions, the first shift anyone noticed was ironclad nerve.
“The reason... for that fondness...”
Felix drew something from her pocket.
“You resemble someone I knew. Looks, mannerisms, all of it.”
A locket with a photo tucked inside.
She extended it toward Carlyle.
“Well? Similar, no?”
“...Yeah?”
He had no choice but to agree—the likeness was striking.
Uncannily so, like a snapshot of his pre-regression self. His adult visage to a T.
“Who’s this?”
“...”
Felix went quiet.
After a long pause, the Cardinal smirked.
“Family.”
“Ah. Younger brother?”
“Dad.”
“Old photo, then?”
“No. The last one.”
“...”
The man in the locket’s photo looked younger than present-day Felix, no angle about it.
A photo that youthful being her father’s ‘last’...
“...My condolences.”
“Nah. Ancient history.”
She had a knack for dredging up the most awkward topics.
As Carlyle rolled his eyes, the Cardinal set her sloshing coffee cup on the table.
“...Ugh—coffee’s no good. How about we move spots?”
Truth be told, Carlyle still doubted about half of Felix’s words.
But her divine power claim has rang undeniably true.
Missing a waiter who was approaching from behind and colliding with them? No ability user would make that blunder.
A faint yelp escaped from them as their body was sprawled amid the bystanders.
The hot drinks that was in transit, splattered on the Cardinal’s arm.
“—Ow?!”
She clutched her arm amid the pain.
The burn was clear as day to any onlooker.
The waiter made an outrageous face because of the blunder.
There were many flustered glances at Felix and her arm, with eyes squeezed shut, the waiter snapped.
“...Watch where you’re going next time!”
“...”
...Holy hell.
Carlyle tensed, flicking eyes between Felix and the waiter.
It was mutual fault by all accounts, yet phrasing it so, sparks needless conflict.
She’d pulverized Red Alex with just one call—what made him think he could pull this and handle the fallout?
But surprisingly.
“...”
Felix merely stared down the waiter.
Silently, appraising him from head to toe.
Then.
“...Yes. My apologies. It was my fault for not paying attention.”
Her words came out polite, she fished some bills from her pocket.
With a neutral smile on her face, as if she were the guilty party.
“This is for the cleaning costs.”
As politely as possible, she pressed the bills into the stunned staffer’s hand.
Clutching the cash, the waiter gawked blankly as Carlyle and Felix exited the shop.
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“Hey, easy—aaagh, easy!”
“...No fussing over the ointment.”
On a park bench: ointment was being spread on the Cardinal’s arm, with some added bandage wrappings.
“What was that back there?”
“Hm?”
“Why did you let it slide? It doesn’t really match your vibe.”
“Circumstances, probably. Did you catch his look?”
“...Pardon?”
“Rough skin, exhaustion etched deep. One of those work-obsessed type, a person with zero self-care.”
“...”
“Him pinning the blame on me? Likely it was desperation. Mutual fault means he pays too. He was probably in dire straits with his income.”
“...”
All of that, observed and deduced in seconds?
More than that.
She was compassion incarnate.
She got hurt herself, yet she put others first.
It was worlds apart from her Red Alex takedown.
“Ordinary folks—that’s my fight. I should always shield the weak, so how could I ignore their plights?”
“...”
An epic line dropped, as if reading his mind.
He’d heard as much. Gray even echoed it.
Carlyle gave a wry smile.
“Anyway, as a Cardinal I truly can’t wield such violence.”
With divine power or otherwise—she never would have had her skin burned either way.
Felix shrugged.
“I was simply born that way. With xero ability affinity.”
Magic, miracles, curses...
The control of mana, the root of all power, yet it was absent from her since her birth, she stated flatly.
“It's not odd. Ability users are rare. The majority are like me, stats-wise.”
“And you rose to be a Cardinal like that? Remarkable.”
Superhumans exist in this world, thus you could say the world moves on might.
Those without power would inevitably get crushed by them.
A horde of sheep can’t fell a raging lion.
But she was smashing that 'law of the world' head on.
“My path to reach here was quite ordinary—but that’s how I climbed here.”
“Pardon?”
“There's nothing I can do. So how do you think I reached here?”
Do you lack talent? Source it from others.
Magic is your shortfall? Woo the Mage Tower. Is advanced tech need? Rope in some scientists. Is there a combat gap? Enlist some superhumans.
No pull to your cause? Bribe them. Bribe fails? Threaten them. Threats flop? Clash with them, to completely destroy them.
Skip the futile grasps at impossibilities—‘own’ the capable instead.
This is how frail human's ‘pack’ power.
Felix had a natural talent there, plainly.
As proof of it, her high renown is known by many, even Carlyle knew.
A human that the Hero dreads. The Gray Cardinal.
“Throw anything at me. For the everyday lives of the ordinary, I’ll stomp those fantasies flat.”
Magic or divinity or demons or heroes.
To those mighty beings, this was an ordinary human’s calm vow.
“Countless were sacrificed for me; my hands buried tens, hundreds-fold of my foes.”
While tapping Carlyle’s bandage work, Felix pressed on.
Normally, humans are bereft of divine gifts.
Yet even with their ordinary frailty, thir pettiness can always be weaponized.
Especially against world-quaking might.
Was it arrogance? Or madness? Maybe even a noble oath?
Yet her voice was hollow.
An utter calm, with fact-stating serenity.
The conviction of one who has weathered outcomes galore.
“This is my way to guard humans, Carlyle Bellfast. Even if I will lose at end? Still I will fulfill my vow.”
So to speak, the Cardinal is always looking ahead.
Despite being human, she seemed like a big player in the world.
Her charisma was simply that great.
“...”
Carlyle sighed inwardly.
Frankly.
‘She’s the real Hero here.’
[...I won’t deny her greatness.]
She was filthy, someone who wallowes in mud to achive her objectives.
Yet: her path was to shield humans, unyielding foe be damned.
Such is her creed.
Her resolve: a soul oath to become a guardian.
“So, to make most of our time. I'll tell the real reason why I’m here.”
“Pardon?”
“Team up with me. In my people-protecting gig.”
The cardinal grinned.
“As for your reward: how about everything I’ve got.”
“...”
“This is my seduction ploy. Just saying it upfront.”
Gray, she...
What hopeless explainers, both of them.
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