Chapter 82
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: A Taste for Easy Prey?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Ah."
Cloi, who had been dozing off, opened her eyes.
Looking around, she saw her office, now far more understated than before.
This was actually more to her taste.
The previous opulence had been for the employees who'd stuck with her—to instill a sense of pride.
But now they were gone, and flaunting extravagance to the new arrivals would be like showing off a flea liver.
"Ugh, my head."
Cloi swirled the coffee in her silver cup a few times with a silver spoon before dumping the rest into her mouth.
It was cold anyway.
"Looks like the urgent stuff is mostly wrapped up..."
Not long ago, the auction house she'd run with the count had wrapped up successfully.
In the process, Cloi had been meeting dignitaries left and right, expanding her network to the max.
Her biggest rival, the Arovati Merchant Guild, had stopped meddling.
Adolf, the guildmaster, was watching the count's mood closely after the incident at the Bolcatornik Mage Tower.
Whether the count appreciated her efforts or had never cared in the first place, he hadn't laid a hand on him.
"The family support's solid too..."
Riding the count's coattails had yielded visible results, even from the Gilenoi Merchant Guild's perspective on the surface.
So her grandfather, Gilenoi Jake, had sent full backing.
Return gains proportional to results shown—that was Gilenoi Jake's way.
Thanks to that, a snazzy new Gilenoi Merchant Guild branch had gone up again in the Black Forest Fortress.
She'd lost plenty, but gained plenty too.
And it had all started with one mage.
"So, is it about time to call that guy in?"
But for some reason.
The mage himself hadn't been in touch for months.
She'd heard he'd headed to the third layer's aptitude zone, then radio silence.
'Hiding out quietly till my stuff wrapped up makes sense.'
But no contact at all?
At least the client—the Ariclotos Church his employer belonged to—had confirmed the job was done and paid up.
The amount was surprisingly hefty, which raised eyebrows.
'Anyway, it's resolved, so he'll be back soon.'
That's when it hit her.
That evening, a letter arrived for her.
From the Ariclotos Church, like the last one.
But penned by someone different.
"Jun?"
Cloi read through the long letter, then clutched her forehead again.
"Quiet, my ass."
The contents were too wild to process quickly.
But she was a born merchant.
She quickly linked it to profit potential.
"Whew, fine. At least he's safe."
She focused on the new workload.
The pounding headache faded fast.
The predator-taming was complete.
It no longer sucked Jun's blood willy-nilly when hungry.
Instead.
Squeeze...
It signaled hunger.
By clenching his hand once in a tantrum.
"Hang on a bit. I'll feed you something tasty soon."
Jun glanced at his sides.
"Hoo... Just one hit, one solid hit..."
Aiden, eyes faintly bloodshot for some reason.
"That's almost ready. So help out already."
And Maya, muttering to thin air in her native tongue.
Their common thread: an invisible resolve burning in their eyes.
And their target: the level 7 holy knight, Bern.
"Hahaha! Fine energy you've got!"
Over the past month and a half, Aiden and Maya had died to Bern countless times.
Nearly triple digits, so their wish was simple: land one critical blow on him.
'How hard did he drill them, anyway... Aiden...'
Maya aside, Aiden looking this feral was new.
Bern was genuinely skilled at teaching, beyond expectations.
He'd show a lowered limit on purpose, then raise it whenever they tried surpassing it.
And every time, their heads exploded from his battle hammer.
"Sunbae... I want to win..."
Aiden's teary plea somehow made Jun crave basketball.
Even though he'd never touched a ball.
"Yeah, I don't fancy my skull cracking either."
He was already pushing [Demon God Body] past limits daily, suffering overheating.
Melting bones were bad enough; exploding skull? Pass.
"Ready?!"
Bern grabbed his battle hammer and shield.
The three charged at him, wills aflame.
That wrapped the sanctuary's final training.
"They've left."
Pope Elahim murmured low, gazing at the now-quiet sanctuary.
"Feeling lonely, brother?"
Bern grinned beside him.
Elahim hadn't seen that smile in ages.
Not since that day twenty years ago; Bern rarely smiled around him.
"Heh. Loneliness is an old friend to us geezers. But rowdy company has its joys too."
Like the hush after a festival, Elahim's smile seemed weary. But fleetingly—he eyed Bern mischievously.
"You seem the disappointed one."
"How could I not? Tasting that youthful vigor up close."
Aiden and Maya alone lacked something.
Their heat was unmatched, but raw, unrefined.
With the mage? They transformed.
Bern recalled the throat-slash sting recently.
Thrilling.
Their passion was once his.
But reality had forced him to shelve it.
Twisted choices, warped faith.
They'd keep theirs longer.
A wise mage walked with them—unlike his past.
"Why not join them?"
"Heh, you know I'd just hinder. Crystal clear."
"Fair point."
The White Whale Mercenary Corps was like wildflowers mid-bloom.
Wildflowers thrive in the wild.
Bern hovering would rot their roots.
He wanted no such end.
Elahim's words? Probably about Eleanor.
"Worried about Eleanor?"
"I've died plenty too. Showing my hand to you."
Senior priestess, Eleanor.
She'd chosen the outside over the church.
Elahim hadn't stopped her. No right to.
"She chose to step out and change herself."
"Aye. Time's a fleeting bastard."
"True. Old timers like us struggle with the currents. World's lost its romance."
"..."
"But our seat demands action, not waiting."
The recent crisis drove it home for Elahim.
The church must change.
Twenty years late post-that event.
"Ilias left emptily, but taught us well."
Stagnation blocks change. Ditch the past; read the times.
Elahim eyed the letter in hand.
Fancy-embossed paper.
"Gilenoi Merchant Guild..."
Should've moved sooner; faith in the world lacking.
Without that mage, doom before realization.
Acknowledging it, Elahim mustered courage in his old bones.
Eleanor joined the party.
Unforeseen, but no one objected.
Just why a senior priestess eyed a mere silver-grade merc group?
Her answer:
"Needed to sort my heart."
Last face-off with Elahim—she'd vented brutally.
But not enough to stay.
Issues lingered.
Outer god traces in her soul; she needed a fix.
"Till then, I'll tag along."
This mission yielded much.
Biggest win: fixed healer aboard.
"Now just snag a tank..."
No proper tank yet, but this lineup was absurd already.
'Me aside, two named NPCs... and a healer who's future world-quest boss-tier.'
What a freakshow party.
Then Eleanor asked:
"So, captain. Where to now?"
"Merc work's obvious. Escort gig."
"Safe to head out now?"
Jun nodded at Aiden.
They'd laid low while the count danced his blade tango.
Two months later, blowback wouldn't hit White Whale.
"Swapped letters with Cloi recently. Got the reply."
"Ooh..."
Aiden's eyes sparkled expectantly.
He knew he'd grown leaps past a month ago.
Itched to test it.
"Mission deets?"
Maya cut to chase.
"Standard escort."
"...Really standard?"
"Content-wise, yeah."
Maya squinted suspiciously.
"Hey, that look at the captain's rude."
"Won't drag us into mess again?"
"Grown from it, haven't we? Youth's for seeking hardship."
"Fresh bullshit."
True, Jun nodded. Who seeks pain in survival mode?
"This won't be cakewalk, but y'all know: four months till season end."
Yep.
Four months, Blackout season closes.
"Prep for next needs our limits clear."
"Time flies..."
Aiden stared at his hands, recalling entry day.
Less than a year: chaos galore.
Survival first, so teamed with Jun.
Still, death's door multiple times.
Never blamed Jun.
'My wandering nature.'
He hated stagnation.
So paralleled Jun's path.
This moment precious.
-Clarify why you grow strong. Follow that path. Or lose your way like old me.
Bern's sparring wisdom; Aiden heeded.
"Target?"
Maya asked.
"Ortacus War Plains."
Jun replied.
"Pardon?"
Aiden startled.
"Sunbae, that's fourth layer, right? Too soon for us?"
But Eleanor shot him a baffled look.
"Planning to squat third with that skill? Why?"
They'd toppled a level 7 holy knight.
Bern held back holy power, sure—but still level 7 elite.
Yanghak taste or what?