Chapter 875
Chapter 875
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 875
Chapter Title: God's Atlantis
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It looked like things had gone south.
I locked eyes with Seira. She had seen the system message too, her face full of bewilderment.
"……."
We stood frozen, staring at each other. But nothing else happened. The surroundings stayed quiet. No monsters suddenly went berserk and charged. There weren't any nearby, after all.
My paused hand started moving again. I grabbed Seira's breast. Her hardened nipple poked into my palm.
"K-Kyung. Shouldn't we stop here? It seems her Divinity isn't pleased with our actions... Hnnght."
I pinched her nipple between my thumb and forefinger, rolling it back and forth. She trembled, reacting sensitively—it was a sight to behold.
"It's fine. Nothing's happening. Might as well enjoy it since it's come to this."
That was when it happened.
My senses picked up something flying in from the sky. It was moving fast. I panicked, pulling Seira into my arms and dodging to the side.
Thwack!
An arrow embedded itself where I'd been standing. I glared warily at the sky. No one was around, and anyone skilled enough to fool my senses wouldn't bother with a warning shot like that. The culprit was the False Moon Hunter.
I slipped my fingers into Seira's panties.
"Ah...!"
Seira jolted. And another arrow came whistling down from the sky, aimed at me.
"...Kyung. We should hold back here. If we go further, you might be in real danger."
Seira's expression turned serious as she pushed me away and calmly straightened her disheveled clothes.
"Can't be helped. But... a kiss should be okay, right?"
"Mmm... ."
I pressed my lips to hers. Needless to say, my kisses were sticky and intense. Our tongues tangled once, then parted. A string of saliva stretched between our lips before snapping.
I sidestepped with flashy footwork. Another arrow slammed into where I'd been.
"We should head back."
Seira touched her lips, murmuring. She didn't look pleased. If the opponent weren't a Divine Seat, she might have unleashed her fury.
I stared at her hand. It was the delicate, pale, noble hand of a frail lady who could barely hold chopsticks.
'In my memory, Seira's hands weren't this pretty.'
The hands that swung a greatsword larger than herself during training were covered in calluses and small scars. Seira had always been proud of those marks. But now, her hand was flawless—no scars, no calluses.
'She healed them with magic and potions.'
I chuckled. Whatever glorious reason she'd had for cherishing those scars and calluses, the real motive was obvious. She wanted to look pretty for me.
"Seira. Your hands look beautiful now."
Seira's face flushed redder than when we'd kissed. She flailed her hand in the air flusteredly.
"Th-this is just because I started taking care of them properly for my debut in high society. As the Duchess of Arphis's daughter, I can't let others look down on me... It doesn't mean much."
"Got it. Shall we hold hands?"
I grinned and took her hand. Before the flustered Seira could react, an arrow flew from the sky. I clicked my tongue and let go.
Damn old spinster wouldn't even allow innocent hand-holding.
"...Is she always like that?"
I muttered irritably. Seira flinched—she'd heard—but quickly pretended not to when she realized I was talking to the Divine Seat.
I wanted to show the Moon Hunter the taste of a man too, of course. But I had no way to do it. She was clearly up on the moon, not in this space.
'No way to get to the moon. And even if I did, it'd be an avatar, not the main body.'
I returned to Elena and the paladin with Seira. The paladin stood tense. Being alone with the Imperial Five and a duke wasn't something to take lightly. It was like an employee stuck with the company president.
Elena, sitting by a tree stump, flashed a mischievous smile when she saw us.
"Back sooner than expected. Looks like what I imagined didn't happen."
"...Elena. What are you talking about?"
Seira shot back as if insulted. She was surprisingly good at acting, but couldn't hide her slightly flushed face.
"What do you think? A monster attack."
"……."
Seira whipped her head away.
As we prepared to trek through the forest again, Elena was looking in a different direction from me.
"Yu-jin. This way."
"Your Grace. Did you notice something?"
"While you were flirting with Seira, I used magic. We could've been spotted this way too... but it was better than wandering blindly. Thanks to that, I found some suspicious folks."
I glanced at Elena, then at Seira—a silent question if it was okay with her around. Elena wiped the playfulness from her face and looked at Seira seriously.
"Seira. I got info that there's a shady group targeting the Third Prince. Stopping them is my goal—and Yu-jin's."
"...The Third Prince? Why not inform the Imperial Family and handle it yourself?"
"Can you trust the Imperial Family?"
"……."
Seira fell silent. Who benefited most from the Third Prince's death? It didn't take much thought.
Of course, she had no clue it was the Third Prince's own scheme. Elena saw no need to mention the truth.
"Seira. Choose. I've decided the Crown Prince can't ascend, and I'll pull him down. What about you?"
"I..."
"We're not kids anymore. Don't say you can't decide because you're not the Duchess of Arphis. Saying the Arphis family has no stake won't fly. You are the Duchess of Arphis's daughter."
Seira bit her lip. She looked around. I wasn't in a position to help, and the paladin bowed her head respectfully.
"...I think the same. The Crown Prince is too arrogant. If he becomes emperor, he'll rule the Empire as he pleases."
"Knew you'd see it that way."
Elena smiled faintly.
"...Elena. You brought up the Arphis family, but don't forget my views differ from Father's."
Elena's smile shifted—more arrogant, almost playful.
"They're the same. I've already confirmed the Duchess of Arphis's will."
There'd been no need to ask Seira. If the Duchess decided, Seira would follow.
"...You damn woman... ."
A curse slipped from Seira's lips. Realizing she'd said it aloud, she glanced at me sheepishly. I smiled and pretended not to hear. Childhood friends cursing was normal, nobility or not.
"...Ahem. Elena. Toying with people is your bad habit."
"Wasn't toying. Confirming your true feelings was real. Now, let's move."
???
As we pushed through the forest, obstacles appeared—monsters. Fueled by the Moon Hunter's rage, the monsters in this area treated me and Seira as enemies. Creatures that should've fled from our overwhelming power charged fearlessly.
"Just this much? Not as bad as I feared."
Seira gripped her greatsword and swung. The sheer wind pressure sent monsters—and surrounding foliage—flying.
"Still fighting like a brute, Seira."
"You're the one fighting slyly."
Elena and Seira bickered. I stayed out of it. That was their friendship.
Crackle.
I hurled lightning from my hand. A steel-horned deer charging at me took it head-on, convulsed, and collapsed.
Every time I used lightning, a message from the Moon Hunter popped up. She really hated me using it.
I stepped back.
Whiiiiiish.
Thud!
An arrow from the sky hit where I'd stood. The Moon Hunter especially despised me. She shot arrows whenever she got the chance, like she was dying to kill me.
"Because of you, Lord."
"Not a compliment."
I belatedly sensed something off. Even if the Lord of the Skies had failed to pounce on the Moon Hunter, this level of humility didn't add up. He represented a mythology—his stature far surpassed hers.
I had a gut feeling something else was at play.
"What exactly did you do?"
No intention of spilling.
"You're hated by the Moon Hunter."
Elena remarked.
"You're right. I am. Got me thinking. Any way around it?"
"None. From what I know, she despises men to the point of loathing. She shows mercy only to virgins."
The Moon Hunter was like a unicorn bitch.
Then it hit me: Elena and the paladin hadn't faced any interference. As my and Seira's companions, it wouldn't be odd if the Moon Hunter's wrath spilled over. But they were unscathed...
'Because Elena and the paladin are virgins.'
I hadn't checked personally, but I was sure.
"There they are."
Elena whispered. Thanks to her magic, we'd spotted the enemies before nightfall.
We held our breath, watching where she pointed. About ten people clustered together. Odd for a solo hunting tournament. And they all wore masks, hiding their faces. Highly suspicious.
"...Elena. You planning to just watch?"
Seira gripped her greatsword tighter, exuding menace. She looked ready to charge and slaughter them.
"We'll watch. They're suspicious, but no proof they're terrorists after the Third Prince. Plus, they might have more allies."
Elena made excuses. Truth was, she hoped the Third Prince's scheme succeeded. Interrogating them could wait.
As dusk fell, the suspects checked their gear.
'Good, no arrows from the Moon Hunter. Seems okay if I skip lightning, like the Lord said. And...'
I glanced at Seira. She was looking my way too, so our eyes met. We both looked away. Any skinship here would draw an arrow, exposing our position.
"Enemies are moving. Follow carefully."
Seira rose cautiously. Elena poked her tense neck.
"!!"
Seira's eyes widened in shock as she glared at Elena.
"Hehe. No need to be that tense. I've hidden our presence with magic."
"I-I knew that."
I could say Seira hadn't known. Because even I hadn't noticed Elena's spell.
The party hesitated briefly, but I wasn't fazed. I already knew this from the original story.
'The Moon Hunter's rage will make it more annoying.'
The alerts weren't over.
Hunting Tournament Score Rankings: 1st to 5th
