Chapter 287: The Soup is Salty (1)
Chapter 287: The Soup is Salty (1)
After listening to the Third Sage’s explanation, Oliver spoke up.
“Wait a moment, Third Sage. Then how do the Holy Knights and priests pass through that barrier?”
At Oliver’s question, the Third Sage nodded and replied, “The Aegis barrier allows those possessing Divine Power to pass.”
“Ah…”
“But look at us. A mage, a knight, a magic swordsman, and a Great Demon.”
“I feel like one of those things is not like the others.”
“Regardless, aren’t we all individuals with no connection to Divine Power?”
This meant that with their current lineup, they couldn’t penetrate the Aegis barrier to make contact with the Pope.
“Uh, then what if we ask Sir Antorius Denar to lure His Holiness outside?”
“Lure the Pope out?”
“If we can’t go in, isn’t that the only way?”
At Matthew’s suggestion, Patrick shook his head vigorously.
“Stew. Oh, Stew…”
“It’s Matthew.”
“Whatever. Anyway, you’re saying we should tell Antorius that the Pope has been brainwashed by a Dark Mage, and since we’re going to free him, he should just bring him outside for a bit, right?”
“That’s… right.”
“Do you think that’ll work?”
“…Would it not?”
Hearing it laid out like that, it did seem like a bit of a stretch.
Actually, on second thought, there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell. No matter how much Antorius had been hanging on Patrick’s every word lately, this was asking too much.
“I really thought he was the smart one at first.”
This guy’s gone weird, too.
Patrick’s remark stabbed into Matthew’s heart like a dagger.
‘Who… Who have I been hanging out with that made me turn out like this?’
It seemed he was at least aware of his own degradation.
Regardless, the lure tactic was a bust. If they tried it half-heartedly and Antorius freaked out and reported it to the higher-ups, it would be game over.
“Divine Power… Divine Power, huh…”
Patrick pondered for a moment before turning to the Third Sage.
“Sage. That Divine Power is the power of a god, right?”
“Indeed.”
“Then would Kalaron’s power work instead of Yupinel’s?”
“…Theoretically, it should be possible. In the end, it is the power of a god all the same.”
“Right. I thought so.”
Having said that, Patrick stood up from his seat.
The Third Sage asked, “What are you thinking?”
“I have a hunch. If things go well, I think I can solve this.”
“Surely you aren’t suggesting you can use Divine Power as well?”
“Heh. Of course not. But everyone…”
Patrick pointed a thumb at himself.
“Who am I?”
His companions answered as if they had been waiting for the cue.
“A Great Demon of Hell.”
“The incarnation of destruction and chaos.”
“A ghost obsessed with money and gold.”
“Patrick Schneider.”
Ouch. That last one was the harshest.
Patrick made a sour face at their ruthless and cruel evaluation.
‘I’m the idiot for expecting anything from these guys.’
Patrick let out a sigh and scratched his head.
“Anyway, leave it to me. I think I’ve found a way.”
“Hey, stop right there.”
“Don’t do it! I don’t know what it is, but don’t do it!”
“Let’s think about this logically and calmly. Stop for a second, Double Dragoooooon!”
If he could be stopped by mere words, he wouldn’t be Patrick Schneider.
Patrick threw himself over the terrace railing and vanished into the distance. Everyone left behind watched him go with hollow eyes.
“What kind of trouble is that lunatic going to cause now…?”
Oliver’s words likely spoke for everyone present.
* * *
Patrick ran.
He didn’t stop until he had cleared the Holy Kingdom’s villa and even the outer walls of the capital, Promise. He only came to a halt once he reached a secluded, empty clearing.
The first thing Patrick did there was…
“Hey, come out.”
He suddenly called out to someone.
Naturally, no one appeared. The only response to Patrick’s call was the chorus of insects chirping under the moonlight.
“I said, come out.”
Patrick called again, but still, no one emerged. Then…
“So, this is how you want to play it?”
The corners of Patrick’s mouth curled into a crooked smirk.
He drew the swords in both hands and declared, “Refusing to come out when I tell you to is the twenty-ninth thing I hate most in this world!”
In an instant, Patrick’s fiercely swung blades sprayed sharp Sword Qi in all directions. Then…
Pang! Pop! Swish!
Something moved in the darkness, dodging and blocking Patrick’s Sword Qi.
Slowly, figures began to reveal themselves.
A middle-aged gentleman with a pale complexion wrapped in a black cloak.
A dark-skinned Elf woman wearing an outfit so revealing she could be mistaken for a dancer.
A Griffin, a demonic beast with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion.
And finally, a woman with fox ears and nine tails swaying behind her, covering half her face with a fan.
Among them, the pale middle-aged man stepped forward.
“First, I wish to ask one thing.”
“What? ‘Since when did you know?’ Let’s skip those obvious and cliché questions, shall we?”
“No, not that.”
“Hm? Then what?”
“Why is the list of things you hate so long?”
“……”
Ah, it had been a while.
Perhaps because the people around him lately had adapted to him, fewer people questioned him so bluntly. However, Patrick puffed out his chest and spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“I’m a sensitive man.”
“You mean picky?”
“Same difference.”
“……”
“Ahem!”
Though they had only just met, the man thought, ‘What kind of human is this?’
Letting out a sigh, he spoke to Patrick.
“Do you know who we are?”
“I don’t know the details, but I can guess you were sent by those three friends who are close with that spotted cat.”
“……”
Surprise flickered across the man’s face. Just as Patrick said, they were the familiars dispatched to Patrick by the apostles of Kalaron.
They had been monitoring him from a distance in case something happened, but it seemed he had known all along.
“I shall introduce myself formally. I am Edward Philion, a familiar of the Reign of Terror and a Noble of the Night.”
Noble of the Night. That was the title vampires used when introducing themselves.
The others followed suit.
“I am Luna of the Dark Elf tribe, a familiar of the Living Calamity.”
Dark Elves. In the world, it was commonly believed that Dark Elves were Elves who had fallen and turned into demons.
But that was a misconception. While fallen Elves were sometimes called Dark Elves, they were closer to corrupted demons. True Dark Elves existed as an independent race serving Kalaron, much like the Orcs.
The next to greet him was a peerless beauty with fox ears and nine tails swaying behind her. She bowed politely toward Patrick.
“This humble one is a familiar of the Galloping Death. My name is Su Daji. It is an honor to meet such a great hero.”
Patrick paused upon hearing her name.
“…Wait, are you?”
“Shh.”
She gave Patrick a seductive smile. It was a smile possessed of enough magical charm to make any man’s heart race—a smile that could topple kingdoms.
She whispered, “A woman is more beautiful when she has secrets.”
“……”
“If you are curious, please call for me privately. I will come running at any time, without hesitation.”
He really did have a lot of questions, but for now, he decided to finish hearing the introductions.
The last to greet him was the Griffin, the only one who didn't have a human form. Normally, Griffins couldn't speak. However…
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Great One. I am Storm Spear, a familiar of the Falling Despair.”
This fellow spoke quite fluently.
Patrick looked slightly surprised. “Could Griffins always talk?”
“I am an Elder Griffin, a race far more evolved than ordinary Griffins. Furthermore, upon becoming a familiar of the Falling Despair, I embraced divinity and evolved even further.”
“You look pretty ordinary for all that talk, though.”
The Griffin named Storm Spear didn't look much different from a normal Griffin on the outside. Although Griffins were rare monsters, Patrick, having grown up in the Schneider Duchy, had seen them before—and had even sliced a few. He also knew exactly how much those claws and feathers fetched on the market.
“Um… why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. More importantly… how are you different from a normal Griffin?”
“Rather than explaining… I shall show you.”
Light radiated from Storm Spear’s body, and in an instant, his size tripled. A red glow began to emanate from the feathers covering his body.
“Ooh…?”
“This is my true form.”
Watching Storm Spear boastfully spread his wings, Patrick was genuinely impressed.
“Wow… this really is amazing.”
“Hehehe. I am glad you recognize—”
“You look way more expensive now.”
“……”
‘What kind of human is this?’
‘What kind of human is this?’
It was likely no coincidence that everyone thought the exact same thing at that moment.
* * *
Once the introductions were over, Patrick spoke.
“So, you’re all familiars of the Four Great Divine Beasts, who are servants of Kalaron?”
“That is correct.”
“Sub-sub-contractors, then. Tsk, tsk. How pitiful.”
“……”
The faces of the four turned sour. It was technically true, but did he have to put it that way? All of them were considered major figures within the Great Forest.
Regardless, Patrick moved on to his own business.
“The reason you were sent to me is that, right? To help me because I’m the Man of Prophecy?”
“Similar, but not quite.”
“What’s the difference?”
“We were indeed dispatched for your sake, but we received no orders to ‘help’ you.”
“What kind of fresh nonsense is that?”
“The orders we received were to protect you in case something happens to you.”
“Huh?”
“Meaning we have no obligation to follow your instructions. We are merely protecting your person autonomously.”
“In other words, you’re my bodyguards, not my lackeys who do whatever I say. Is that it?”
“You understand perfectly.”
“……”
“For your information, the only one who is certain you are the Man of Prophecy is the Galloping Death. The others are still in the stage of doubt. Therefore…”
“Therefore?”
“Please be careful. In many ways.”
An arrogant smile. A stiff neck. A condescending voice.
Seeing this, Patrick nodded.
I wondered why their attitude was so arrogant and insolent. So that was the reason.
‘These guys are looking down on me, aren’t they?’
Having assessed the situation, Patrick smiled brightly.
“I see. I understand.”
“I am glad you underst—”
“No, don’t misunderstand.”
“What do you mean?”
With a radiant smile on his face, Patrick said, “I mean I finally understand that you’re the type of guys who only listen after getting your asses kicked.”
In an instant, the expressions of the four crumpled.
To the group, whose faces were now a mix of anger, displeasure, and absurdity, Patrick bared his teeth in a grin.
“Hey, you punks.”
“You human…”
“Shut up!”
Boom!
Patrick stomped the ground hard and beckoned them with his hand.
“Come at me.”
“……”
“I’m going to fix this hierarchy right now.”