Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Verona's Night of Terror
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The Superior Executive Business Suite on the top floor of the hotel.
...Just as its long name suggested, it was the priciest room, and a gasp of admiration escaped the moment I stepped inside.
It was spacious enough to feel burdensome for one person, furnished with elegant antique pieces that seemed handpicked by a discerning designer.
The view from the three full-length windows was none other than the Arena di Verona.
The city's iconic landmark—a Roman-era amphitheater and venue for the opera festival.
"Nice, real nice."
Part of me wanted to grab a cold beer and gaze out endlessly, but that was just wishful thinking.
No time for lounging around, so I unpacked first and slumped onto the sofa.
[Hayul, still combing through all of Nice, but it's not easy. Need more time.]
I checked Cheol-su's text and replied right away.
[Got it. Thanks for the help.]
[Don't worry. I'll find them somehow.]
[Appreciate it. And...]
[And?]
[Never mind. Don't sweat it.]
I felt bad always owing him favors, so I'd almost asked if he wanted anything, but held back.
I knew better than anyone what Cheol-su needed.
Probably speed boosts, expanded capacity, miniaturization, and such.
He must be scouring sites daily, envious of laptops embedded with multiple magic enchantments.
Sure, he'd rake in tens of billions in salary once his skills were recognized in the future, but right now, he was just a student.
Since I couldn't head out immediately anyway, I was browsing prices for decent laptops when—
[How about now?]
Reina's text came in.
...
Pretty sure this was our first text convo, and sure enough, typos galore.
She was fluent only in speech. A natural tech dunce with shaky spelling to boot.
[I've arrived at my room too.]
For reference, Reina's roommate was Cheon Seo-yun.
No one had meddled; it was just fate's prank, clumping the protagonists together.
[Let's wait a bit more. Haven't pinpointed the location yet, so no point.]
[Got it.]
[Oops, mistake. Understood.]
[...Yeah. But can you sneak out tonight?]
I broached it carefully, expecting resistance.
Dragging the Saintess out alone at night? Cheon Seo-yun's nosy personality would have her prying nonstop.
[Just say it's church business.]
But Reina was unfazed.
She probably didn't know Cheon Seo-yun well yet.
I warned her in advance so she wouldn't be shocked.
[She's nosy but not a bad person, so get along.]
Then I glanced up to check the time.
It was 9:30 PM.
The original story's event was about to kick off, but no big bad showing up or anything. Just an acknowledgment arc, nothing too stressful.
[Rest up for now.]
I tacked an emoticon onto the simple message.
A teddy bear mumbling "Well then" and bowing its head.
I didn't use them much usually, but her fumbling sparked some childish mischief.
Showing off that I could pull this off too.
"Gotta lie down for a bit."
I chucked my phone onto the bed and followed with a dive.
Splat, splat.
The cushioning enveloping my body was no joke.
As expected of the Superior Execu... whatever.
Anyway, it lived up to the price tag.
* * *
At the same time, an awkward vibe hung in the twin deluxe room assigned to Cheon Seo-yun and Reina.
Cheon Seo-yun had felt uneasy since the roommate draw, and Reina wasn't one to approach first, plus she was naturally quiet.
...
But staying silent like this was awkward too. Cheon Seo-yun hated the quiet more than the discomfort.
So she spoke up first.
"Which bed you want?"
Reina, who had been glancing at her phone, answered flatly.
"Doesn't matter."
"For real?"
"Yes. I sleep fine on the floor."
"Then I'll take the window-side bed."
Cheon Seo-yun tossed her bag onto it to claim her territory.
Reina got up from the sofa and settled on the aisle-side bed.
And silence again.
This damn silence that wouldn't lift...
Ugh, frustrating.
She was about to call it and hit the hay early when—
"...May I ask something?"
Reina, fiddling seriously with her phone, spoke up again.
Cheon Seo-yun, half-standing awkwardly, sat back down and replied.
"What?"
"Well..."
Reina hesitated uncharacteristically before continuing cautiously.
"The emoticon... Do you know how to send them?"
"Huh?"
"The moving pictures. The ones that dance, bow, wave..."
"Oh, that..."
But why doesn't she know?
It's just a tap away.
Puzzled, but knowing she'd explain kindly if asked, Cheon Seo-yun took it slow.
"On the right, there's a face icon? Tap that and..."
"There isn't."
"Huh? Gotta be there. Bottom right of the message box..."
"No."
"No way it's not there. You using K-Talk? I am too."
...Mine must be defective then. No."
"Aargh, defective my ass. Gimme your phone. I'll find it."
Fed up, Cheon Seo-yun reached out.
Reina bowed her head gratefully and handed it over... then—
"Ah, no. I'll do it myself."
Snatched it back just before it touched Cheon Seo-yun's hand.
She'd realized handing it over would expose the chat history.
"Huh?"
But Cheon Seo-yun couldn't have missed the clearly visible contact name.
Especially since she knew it, her eyes sharpened.
Come to think of it, there was that suspicious history.
One party swore it was their first random encounter, but they'd been spotted strolling Taehak together.
What exactly were those two...
Curiosity bubbled up suddenly.
And Cheon Seo-yun wasn't one to ignore that itch.
So she asked.
"You close with Park Ha-yul?"
"Pardon?"
"Not that I was snooping, but..."
As Cheon Seo-yun eyed the phone, Reina caught on.
But it wasn't like she'd tried to peek; Reina had shown it herself...
No reason to hide, so she answered honestly.
"No. Not yet..."
"Not yet?"
"Yes, we haven't known each other long."
But Cheon Seo-yun was persistent.
"So not yet, but you want to be? You like him?"
"Well..."
Pressed again, Reina trailed off.
She did feel fondness, but the driver was the holy flame dwelling in her body.
An obligation she must fulfill as a Saintess, or as a devotee serving the Church...
Hadn't she insisted on tagging along for this trip for the same reason?
Satan's whereabouts were still murky, and she couldn't let Reina tackle such a dangerous mission alone.
But she couldn't reveal that to an outsider.
So she countered.
"And you?"
"M-Me?"
The unexpected question made Cheon Seo-yun's shoulders twitch.
"...Yes. I happened to see, but you seemed to train together. Looked pretty close. Right?"
"W-Well..."
It was Cheon Seo-yun's turn to fluster when—
KABOOOM
A deafening blast grazed their ears, followed by the floor trembling faintly.
"What?!"
"...?"
Both heads snapped toward the window.
* * *
KABOOOM
Lounging on the bed, I bolted upright.
Approaching the window and peering down, sure enough...
Just as scripted, sporadic flashes erupted across the city streets.
Seizing the opera festival's distraction, an Italian anti-government group—one of the mafia factions—had launched a terrorist attack.
Their goal: sabotage the festival and expose government incompetence, targeting the ancient amphitheater.
The Arena di Verona, stage for the opera.
So the protagonists had no choice but to get involved.
Our hotel was less than 1KM from the arena.
But no need to tense up.
Quelling the terror was just a bridge to new encounters.
The main event: clashing with Italy's primary strike force during the suppression.
The Guard Knights.
The conflict with them, and the ensuing incidents, that was the core.
Rattle.
So focus, but no rush—I flung the window wide open.
Whirr.
Dispatched all four flies to locate the protagonists, my eyes—sharp as flies—tracking the chaos.
First spotted: Cheon Seo-yun wielding a bizarre wooden club, and Reina in mask and hat.
They quickly reached the disturbance's source, encountering a mafia squad heading for the arena.
Cue a 5-vs-2 brawl.
...
All awakened mafia goons, but noobs gonna noob.
As Fly D buzzed close, ear-piercing screams and crunching bone snaps echoed vividly.
"Oof."
The pain felt contagious; even I winced, so I pulled Fly D back.
Meanwhile.
"Let's split up."
"'Kay. Be careful."
Fly C caught their voices brushing my ear.
Baek Sa-young and Lee Dae-ho.
Baek Sa-young, fresh from a shower with damp hair whipping, dashed off swiftly.
The other Taehak students joined sequentially.
No one prodded them; they stepped up voluntarily to save Verona in crisis.
Grrrr—
And similar stirrings from the arena's opposite side.
Italy's tricolor knights in full plate armor—red, white, green—emerged.
Italy's pride, the Guard Knights, deployed to crush the terror.
The pincer sweep on the mafia soon converged.
Unaware of Taehak's club visit to Verona, the Guard Knights pegged the students as suspects and moved to subdue.
"No, we're here to help you!"
"We're Taehak students. Staying at the hotel just ahead..."
Baek Sa-young and Cheon Seo-yun's indignant shouts rang out.
But it fell on deaf ears.
A barrage of unintelligible Italian, blades drawn sharp.
In the chaos, armed suspicious Easterners? Subdue first.
"Why point your sword at me?"
"Argh, seriously..."
Collision became inevitable.
Now it was a free-for-all.
Moonlight hazy on this night of all nights: mafia, Guard Knights, Taehak.
Three factions tangled in melee.
Reina, unable to reveal her identity, floundered trying to de-escalate until a Guard Knight leader appeared.
Square jaw, short goatee, handsome with soulful features—she bolted.
I got her situation.
Axel, was it?
As Italy's rising star doubling as a Vatican Holy Knight, they knew each other.
Anyway, that Axel was this episode's key player.
Long harboring rivalry against Taehak, he used this clash to abruptly propose—
A formal 4-vs-4 duel.
It was really bait to draw Reina's observation.
She'd dropped into Verona for the event, heard of the duel, infiltrated incognito.
Assessed the protagonists' skills, then resolved to join Taehak—that's the original plot.
Well, this run she'd already sided with Taehak somehow...
Still, the duel was separate; probably proceeding as planned.
"Time to join the fun."
I stretched lightly and fired a silk thread at the opposite building.
Confirmed it latched firm, then climbed atop the window frame.
"Whoa..."
Note: 30th floor.
Gale whipping my clothes wild, people like ants below.
But high-rise leaps? A dream challenge.
Just like that movie Spider-Man.
So, let's do it.
Huuu.
Deep breath, then kicked off.
Vrooom.
Gravity yanked me down, plummeting freely before the silk yanked me into a soaring U-turn.
Aaaargh— the scream burst out on its own.