Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Veronica
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Veronica.
To be honest...
I didn't really want to get tangled up with Veronica.
Sure, I'd stolen her chastity, but hadn't she brought this on herself by trying to brainwash me?
To me, it had been unavoidable self-defense.
She might feel wronged from her perspective, but she had no business doing that.
...Well, she doesn't seem like the type to care about something like that anyway.
Veronica's face was flushed with shock.
She looked like she hadn't even considered that I could be the Thief Hero candidate.
...I'm not dying to be treated like a hero on a whim.
Still, seeing her like this made the title seem almost worth it.
Not that I'd take it even if they begged, of course.
"W-Wait, this guy's the thief?"
"Hm? Oh, you must not have seen him fight. He wields a sword like a demon, but yeah, he's a thief."
"No way... And he still... Wait, does that mean even when he did that to me...?"
"Did what to you?"
"Y'know, that!"
Volkan pressed her, and Veronica panicked.
Then she shot me a sullen glare.
"Then why'd you turn down my offer?"
"Suddenly wasn't in the mood."
"Why not?!"
"Suddenly got a headache..."
"What, faking it now?"
Volkan eyed me with clear annoyance. Veronica, rather than staring me down like that...
"Healing, Cure, Purify."
...suddenly channeled holy power into me. Unlike with Rozenta, my body healed almost instantly.
...Oh, wow.
My body felt refreshed. Like I'd slept like a rock and woken up at peak condition.
"If you accept this commission, I'll provide everything."
"Not really tempted."
"Why not! I'm offering money, a house, and even holy power infusions from the greatest Saintess alive!"
Veronica stomped her foot, her face twisted in frustration.
And honestly? It was tempting.
A house? Whatever, I've got money.
Sure, having her around would save cash, but it wasn't like I was broke.
In real-world terms, I had a pretty hefty sum in my pocket. No need to take a job from someone uncomfortable just to save a buck...
Volkan's presence makes this awkward.
Of course, I'd have to turn down her commission anyway.
"Hm? Wait, are you worried about me seeing?"
"No, but after what she tried... master and disciple or not..."
I wished they'd both drop that phrasing.
It made me sound like some reckless idiot who didn't give a damn about bystanders.
Come to think of it, I haven't even caused any trouble here yet.
I hadn't even screwed up, and they were already looking at me like that.
It was downright depressing.
"I don't know what nonsense you're thinking, but this guy's one I hand-picked myself. Nothing like what you're imagining will happen."
"What exactly?"
"Oh, all sorts. She's spoiled, hot-tempered, mentally fragile from all the pampering... but she's not ungrateful."
"Can't you say something nice to my face for once? Not behind my back."
"Fine, to your face then. Point is, she knows a favor when she sees one."
...She sure didn't look like the grateful type.
But if Volkan vouched for her, it was worth hearing out.
Plus, I've got one burning question.
What if...
the church was the kind of place I suspected?
It could be even more dangerous.
A church was the perfect spot to quietly dispose of someone like me, no questions asked.
Infiltrating that was basically a death sentence.
Hell, suicide might be kinder than whatever torture they'd dish out.
Infiltrate a place like that?
I took pride in my stealth skills.
Even Labyrinth monsters usually only spotted me once I attacked.
But this was different.
The Labyrinth's dark, after all.
The church, by contrast?
Dedicated to the Goddess of Light, it was bright around the clock.
Id' tried sneaking in once before.
In Cradle at night, the brightest spot wasn't some red-light district—it was the church, too blinding for me to infiltrate.
"Oh, don't worry about that."
"No, even I was thrown off back then."
Veronica declared confidently.
"Even the greatest Saintess in church history makes mistakes sometimes."
She puffed out her chest proudly.
I could only gape in disbelief.
"So, what's the job?"
"First, find the church's proxy Saintess they made in my place."
"Proxy Saintess?"
Veronica unfolded a sheet of paper.
"You'll know her on sight. She looks a lot like me."
"Even lookalikes have distinguishing features..."
"It's not 'a lot.' She's my spitting image."
"...?"
"Can you believe the greatest Saintess ever shares a face with some condition-matched knockoff? Shy, bespectacled, head always down—that's her. Me, basically."
Veronica chewed her lip as she spoke.
"My commission's simple: investigate her. Anything, no matter how trivial. See if she's Saintess material to replace me."
"Why?"
"Hah, no way the greatest Saintess loses to her... but something feels off. Like she's hiding something."
"Short version: she's worried about her twin sister."
Volkan translated Veronica's words.
"What?! That's not it!"
"Sigh, I'm getting old. The kid who used to show me proper respect now torments me like this."
"Pretty sure it's just rude..."
Veronica shrieked, and Volkan and I exchanged whispers in unison, staring at her.
She scowled, hand to her forehead.
"Anyway, that's the deal. Dig into her."
"Pass."
I said flatly.
"What?! I'm offering this house! Do you know how much it's worth? Two hundred platinum!"
That'd buy it, sure.
Not that I'd want this ridiculously huge place.
Too big for one person, and cleaning it'd be a nightmare.
And above all...
I don't like it.
She knew she'd messed up.
But she didn't seem sorry toward me at all.
She still planned to brainwash me into her pawn.
And she was brazen about it.
I didn't want to deal with someone like that.
Couldn't trust her, either.
Volkan kept her in check, sure.
But someday, she'd turn on me.
Mostly, it was just a hassle.
That was why I refused.
Couldn't say all that outright—would embarrass Volkan.
So I summed it up in one word.
"Hassle."
Go find someone else.
"Ugh!"
Veronica stomped and glared daggers at me.
*
There are two human empires.
One in the East, one in the West.
Ignore the distant Eastern one for now. Power-wise, there's one empire,
and then the Alliance.
The Alliance formed for non-humans to resist humans: orcs, elves, beastkin, dwarves.
Then the five weakest kingdoms' coalition.
That's the rough setup.
And the empire...
'Even on the surface it's weak, but internally it's on par with Cradle,' they say.
Ridiculous.
Shouldn't a human empire outshine Cradle?
But it made sense, too.
Cradle was built to contain the Labyrinth, which in turn empowered adventurers.
Its mana strengthened people, elevating their soul ranks for level-ups.
So why were the empire and Cradle equals?
Most key figures propping up the empire came from Cradle.
Adventuring highs enjoyed, now seeking stable retirements.
Or family honor, or imperial rewards.
Whatever the reason, Cradle and the empire were tighter than you'd think.
Five hundred years ago, the empire started pouring facilities into Cradle.
State-of-the-art training grounds, Mage Towers and libraries for wizards, funding workshops galore.
That's how modern Cradle took shape.
Or so Volkan and Ermé explained.
"The Mage Tower and library are insanely popular."
"Yeah?"
"Wizards treat the spellbooks there like gold."
"Spellbooks..."
"Yeah. In a kingdom, one'd cost dozens of gold. They're everywhere there."
"...Spellbooks are cheap?"
"Dirt cheap now? With Cradle booming, a single gold buys a level 10 spell. Y'know, like what Marcel uses."
"Hmm, interesting."
Now I wanted to learn some.
Sure, parties shared buffs, but Marcel could only handle four at once.
If I could cast my own, I'd cover one slot.
"You could learn magic, Yuseong."
"Me?"
"Talent's key for mages. But even if you did, you wouldn't hit thief peak. Wouldn't recommend it."
"Yeah?"
"Humans are vessels for souls. Soul and body hierarchies differ, but you've got talents to reach the top as a Thief Hero."
—...This woman—what's her deal? How does she know the secrets of the Three Guardian Gates upholding the World Tree?
Rishiel eyed Ermé suspiciously at her words.
If Ermé said it, it was probably true.
"Why the sudden library trip?"
"Just curious."
Truth was, Veronica's story nagged at me.
Newbie that I was, I knew squat about Cradle.
Perfect chance to learn.
"Aha, got it. Then let's tour Cradle on a date today."
"... "
Ermé beamed suddenly.
We soon reached the library.
"This is Cradle's library. Proof tag for entry?"
"Here."
"Oh... You're the pair stirring up Cradle lately. Welcome to the library."
A quick adventurer check at the entrance, and we were in.
Vast shelves of books everywhere.
Some pulsed with mana.
Books with mana?
—Handle carefully. Those often choose owners or devour them.
Bad vibes from those. Better not touch.
"Huh, Silri's here?"
"Silri?"
Who...?
Familiar face. Kid around twelve.
Dug through my memories—got it.
The girl kidnapped from Rozenta's church when we recruited her.
Ermé's target Mage Hero candidate.
There she was.
And a blue window popped up before my eyes.
📜 ENCOUNTER QUEST 📜 You have encountered the demonkin, Bellua.
📍 Objective: Capture her interest somehow, erase it, or kill her for the best reward.
🎁 Reward: ??
⏰ On Failure: No penalty.
"... "
The system always offered me choices.
Forced connections, sure, but with growth in mind.
Generous rewards for any action.
Lately, not so much.
...Too on-the-nose.
Kill her?
I scanned the area first. Nothing nearby.
No, one person.
But she wasn't my enemy.
Silri, one of the Mage Hero candidates.
Yet the system called her demonkin Bellua.
What the hell?