Chapter 323: Political Maneuvering (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 323: Political Maneuvering (2)
Villain.
A name for the wicked who have turned their backs on the world, each for their own reasons.
Beings who threaten modern society, stopping at nothing to achieve their goals.
Because they are so dangerous, there is no place for them to stand on sunlit ground.
So, is there no place for them?
No.
Even for those who have forsaken society, there is a place to rest... though perhaps not comfortably.
In a hidden place ordinary people can never know or reach—the shadows.
Another world where villains, who could casually betray someone they were laughing and drinking with just an hour before, can rest while remaining wary of each other.
A small commotion broke out in that place.
“…You all saw the post on the deep web, right?”
“Yeah, I saw it.”
It all started with a single post on the deep web, a place they frequented.
[Title: To all you eunuch bastards who hold a bone-deep grudge against the Purity Cult.]
[Author: HaremKing]
Everyone gathered at this round table was a eunuch.
And not just any eunuchs, but men who had tragically lost their function at the hands of the Purity Cult.
That’s why they couldn’t just ignore the post.
They smelled the scent of the revenge they had been eagerly awaiting.
The content was simple.
At midnight tomorrow, all the protection magic surrounding the Purity Cult in Gangnam would be disabled. They were told to use that opening to achieve the revenge they'd dreamed of.
“But is that actually possible?”
“Who knows.”
It was hard to believe.
The protection magic installed on the Purity Cult's building was a top-tier defense system, created by high-level mages using A-rank mana stones without restraint.
To bring down such a system all at once was impossible for someone of ordinary skill.
For that reason, opinions among those gathered were split fifty-fifty.
One group prepared for revenge as the post suggested, while the other insisted they should consider the possibility of a trap.
As they argued fiercely, one man stepped forward.
“Doesn't matter if you believe it or not, does it?”
As everyone's scowling gazes focused on the unpleasant voice, which sounded like scraping metal…
The man continued.
“We wait nearby. If the magic circles disappear, we attack. If not, we retreat.”
A simple, yet clear method.
They were still half in doubt, but they came to an agreement.
They would go to the Purity Cult around midnight tomorrow and observe the situation.
As they began revealing the cards they'd been holding to prepare for any eventuality…
“But… just because the protection magic is gone doesn't mean all the threats are gone, right?”
A voice full of worry dampened their excited mood.
He was right.
The protection magic surrounding the church building wasn't their entire defense system.
In fact, the true shield protecting the church was something else.
“The Paladins…”
Paladin.
The cult's greatest military power, composed of experts who were at least A-rank Hunters.
They were the true shields protecting the church.
The atmosphere sank, weighed down by the overwhelming presence of the Paladins, which they could vividly imagine.
In the midst of it, another man placed his foot on the round table, provoking the others' pride.
“If you're scared, you can back out.”
The atmosphere changed drastically at his words.
He fully absorbed the killing intent surging toward him and continued with a scornful laugh.
“It was written in the post, wasn't it? That any cowards scared of the Paladins should stay away.”
It was true.
Even if the protection magic disappeared, the Paladins would remain.
So it said that only those willing to fight the Paladins, or those for whom revenge was more welcome than death, should come.
That's what was written in the post.
“If you're gonna back out, get lost now.”
Despite the order to leave, not a single person stood up.
The Paladins were fearsome.
But not as fearsome as the thought of throwing away this chance they had finally gotten after enduring for so long, all for the sake of revenge.
With that resolve, they remained in their seats and silently prepared for tomorrow.
* * *
Night, when the darkness had settled deep.
“Hmm, a night walk is always nice.”
The older I get, the more I prefer the gentle moonlight over the brilliant sunlight.
“Then again, maybe it's not my age.”
To be precise, it might be because of my popularity.
No matter how I cover up, someone always recognizes my face in the sunlight, but under the moonlight, most people walk right by without a second glance, even if I'm not in disguise.
But even this darkness loses its power in the dazzling city center.
“Why is it so bright here, day or night?”
Gangnam.
The most bustling and expensive piece of land in the Republic of Korea.
Walking against the current of streets filled with all sorts of lights, a faint tranquility can be found.
The administrative district, a street of civil servants who clock out sharp at six p.m.
Going a little further up from there, I arrived at the church.
Before entering, I took out the mask I'd prepared and covered my mouth and nose.
It wasn't an ordinary mask, but an artifact embedded with perception-hindering magic.
It was a single-use item that only lasted five hours, yet it cost a whopping 5 million won.
Maybe if I learn enchanting in more detail later, I could make these and sell them on the Black Market for a tidy profit?
Contemplating my future business venture, I faced the firmly shut main gate.
“Hmm.”
Through my half-opened eyes, a field of vision unique to me, invisible to others, came into view.
Signal magic, buried like landmines everywhere.
From here, if I imbued my eyes with mana and focused my mind a little more…
“Ah, I see it.”
I could see the magic circles faintly drawn on the gate and the ground much more clearly.
So clearly, in fact, that I could list in order the amount of mana used to draw them and the sequence in which they were drawn.
Someone might ask, what difference does it make if you can see it?
It makes a difference. A very big one.
“Shall we get started?”
The mana released from my fingertips, traveling through the circuits in my body, seeped into the gaps of the magic circle.
In the blink of an eye, the mana that had taken control of the interior first shut down its function.
Then, it traced the drawing sequence of the magic circle in reverse, overwriting it.
The moment the two opposing flows of mana collided and canceled each other out…
「Dispel.」
The magic circle lost its power and vanished without a trace.
“Hah, it actually works.”
This is the answer to the question from before.
A trick that no other mage could imitate, possible only for me, who can see mana with my own eyes.
When this trick becomes more familiar and reaches the level of mastery…
I'll be a mage, and at the same time, I'll reign as the natural enemy of all mages.
“Or becoming the king of mages wouldn't be so bad either.”
Natural enemy or king. It doesn't really matter.
Either way, I'll be able to crush her, the one so full of pride in her magic.
Anyway, I'll think about that later.
“Now then… next up.”
After removing all the signals on the ground, I faced the church's outer wall.
Only after I disable the defense magic plastered all over this place will our vengeful fiends make their move.
“Such a bunch of cowardly bastards.”
Yesterday, I put up a post on the deep web where the villains hang out.
It was about recruiting vengeful fiends to exact their revenge on the church once its protection magic was down.
I made sure to shove the word 'eunuch' in there to reopen their wounds, so they should have shown quite a bit of interest.
The problem is that these guys are being cautious, which doesn't suit their station.
“…Is it natural for them to be cautious because they're criminals?”
I don't know. If they were that cautious, shouldn't they have avoided becoming criminals in the first place?
Anyway, the guys who showed interest in my post are definitely spying on the church from somewhere around here.
To see whether the protection magic will be disabled as the post said.
As I thought of them, the mana that had taken over the entire wall began to erase the magic circles one by one.
Soon, the building's outer wall was a complete blank slate.
Now, there was no longer any protective barrier to stop the fury of the eunuchs whose sexual functions had been destroyed.
At least, not from the outside.
“Hmm… this probably isn't enough.”
Those who dream of revenge are usually cowards.
For the sake of perfect revenge, they'll let a golden opportunity slip by if there's even the slightest thing that seems suspicious.
To summon such cowards…
“I'll have to fire a celebratory shot.”
I have no choice but to throw the first punch.
While I had my hand on the outer wall disabling the protection magic, I'd already grasped the internal structure.
The direction is from bottom to top.
I condensed the seething red mana, which looked ready to explode at any moment, and gave it form.
What I materialized was a single spear.
A tragic weapon born from Chinese mythology, which had established itself as their representative weapon, only to be stolen by a villain years ago.
「Treasure Spear of Fiery Point.」
The spear, twisting like a preserved, blazing flame, yet with an incomparably sharp tip, shot through the air and slammed into the church's roof.
KABOOOM—!
Shattering bricks and the flames bursting out from between them created a deafening roar.
“Kyaaaah—!”
“Uwaaah!”
Screams soon followed.
But no one was hurt.
I made sure to fire it that way from the start.
No matter how crazy this all is, I still have to draw the line somewhere.
Ah.
They probably weren't injured, but there were a few guys exposed to the collapsing roof fragments and flames.
“Kuuugh…!”
“Who dares to do this!”
CRASH! CRUNCH!
Two men emerged all too easily from the building debris that covered them.
I borrowed a little help from the Paladins to ensure there were no casualties.
I'd carefully adjusted the angle so that even if the building collapsed, the debris would fall toward the Paladins' quarters.
Unless I'd hit them with a direct shot from the Fiery Point Spear, those guys are so tough that mere building debris wouldn't even scratch them.
While the two Paladins, their bodies unharmed but their moods thoroughly soured, were gearing up…
“Let's gooo!”
“Uwooooh!”
Finally, the cowards hiding near the church began to creep out.
“Okay.”
Using the chaos as cover, I naturally slipped out of the church and hid myself.
Now that all the main actors I've cast have appeared, the director just needs to film from behind the stage.
“We've waited for this moment, Purity Cult!”
“I'll revive my dead dick with your blood!”
“Kill them, kill them all—!”
The villains charged from all directions, their rage spilling over into madness.
There were about twelve of them.
In contrast, the church's forces blocking them consisted of two Paladins.
Numerically, it seemed like a mismatch, but that wasn't quite the case.
“How dare you apostates trespass on the Goddess's land…!”
“This time, you will pay for your sins with your lives!”
As befitting Paladins of the Purity Cult, a pure white dawn-like light enveloped their silver armor.
And so, the 12-on-2 battle began.
CLANG! BOOM! THWACK!
Just as you can't cover the sky with your hand, the two Paladins alone couldn't block the villains' attacks pouring in from all sides.
And so, the magic, gunfire, and sword strikes the villains unleashed battered the Paladins' bodies.
“Hmph—!”
“Chaat!”
But their bodies were unharmed.
No, even their armor wasn't dented.
The power a Paladin wields is divine power.
It has the property of exerting greater strength when defending than when attacking.
What does that mean?
“These damn Pala-roaches!”
“They're relentless, damn it.”
“Just break already!”
“Not a chance, you apostates!”
“As long as the Goddess shines upon us, we will never fall!”
It means they're so tough that most attacks can't even scratch them.
It's no wonder the saying that follows Paladins is, 'The guys who always win if the fight drags on.'
Of course, that didn't mean the situation was entirely in the Paladins' favor.
“Even those bastards will die if we keep hitting them.”
“Keep pouring on the attacks!”
“Use everything you've got!”
“Fuck, I'll kill those bastards even if it bankrupts me.”
The villains, too, had been sharpening their blades for this day of revenge.
The fact that Paladins are tough is common knowledge; there's no way they wouldn't have prepared for it.
RIIIP!
A scroll containing a curse that weakens the target's body was torn.
BANG—!
A bullet specialized for piercing protective barriers tore through the air and penetrated the armor.
“Keuk…!”
“Gasp, gasp!”
With each crack that appeared on the Paladins' armor, the villains' stamina was chipped away in chunks.
Just as they reached a tense moment where it was impossible to tell who would win…
“Ahem, ah. Ah.”
After clearing my throat, I unleashed my magic toward the bastards who were glaring at each other as if to kill.
My very own original magic, created by drawing out mana into long threads, reinforcing their strength to make them incredibly durable, and adding adhesiveness so they couldn't escape easily.
「Catching Crayfish by Draining the Ditch.」
A massive net shot out and captured everyone, Paladins and villains alike, trapping them all.
“Keok…!”
“W-what is this!”
“It's stuck to me! It won't come off!”
“Even a knife can't cut it!”
Watching them struggle desperately in the net just made me want to laugh.
As if they could ever break my special net, exhausted as they were.
Suppressing the laughter that threatened to burst out, I roared at them.
“How dare you commit an act of terror against a holy church! You are all under arrest as criminals caught in the act!”
Hahahaha.
With this, I won't have to worry about this month's performance quota. Nope.