Chapter 218
Chapter 218
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 218
Chapter Title: ACT.42 The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend? (3)
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“…An ally?”
“Indeed.”
Was this really something that warranted such a declaration?
[Why not? What’s good is good.]
‘That’s true, but.’
When a reaction is excessively positive compared to what you expected, you can’t help but be suspicious.
I remained silent for a moment.
Then, Xie, who had been momentarily dazed, hurriedly interjected.
“Wait. Why are you getting ahead of yourself? Our Bonghwang Guild shares the same opinion. Whenever you need strength, we will surely help you.”
[Why are they competing?]
It seemed the top two of China’s top three factions were vying to be of assistance to me.
I had expected them to offer, at most, a single request for support.
‘Is this also a reward for the increased difficulty?’
A faint smile appeared on my face.
I had no reason to refuse.
“Alright. I look forward to working with you.”
“Hmph.”
I shifted my eyes slightly to observe Xie.
She didn’t seem to have any ulterior motives, but I couldn’t forget that she was originally a member of Salvatio.
Getting close to Xie meant my information could leak to her side.
If I wasn’t careful with my actions, it could lead to a difficult situation.
‘If she’s truly on my side, then the opposite would be true.’
I could also obtain information about Salvatio through her.
Still, either way, if Xie wanted to earn my trust, she would have to leak some information first.
‘Should I approach it from there?’
After organizing my thoughts, I casually approached Xie.
“Oh, right, there was something I needed to tell you.”
However, before I could even speak, Xie beat me to it.
“Do you happen to know what the Order is up to right now?”
Xie lowered her voice considerably.
I hadn’t expected her to be the one to bring it up.
Xie didn’t know about the Dimension Stones.
Which meant she was about to talk about something else.
I immediately focused on her words.
“What is it?”
“It seems you don’t know. A spy we planted in the Order informed us recently…”
As Xie continued to speak, my expression hardened.
‘That crazy bastard…’
It was about a dangerous plan by the Order that, in the original game, only existed in theory and was never executed because they lacked the ‘means,’ so it was eventually buried.
And she was telling me it was being put into action now.
“I recommend you find out the details for yourself.”
“That’s enough. You’ve been a great help.”
It wouldn’t be good for information about the Dimension Stones to spread.
From what Xie said, it seemed Salvatio didn’t know much about them either.
Uncovering the truth myself was what I wanted as well.
“Well then, since the quest has disappeared, we’ll be heading back.”
“We should get going too. Who knows what those jackals trying to take our spot have been up to.”
“Ah, Xie. Wait a moment.”
“Hm? Is there something else?”
“Do you happen to have any incredibly good liquor?”
“…I do, but why?”
“Let me have one. I know someone who absolutely loves alcohol.”
“It’s not a difficult request, but…”
Xie nodded, though she looked puzzled.
Afterward, she had one of her subordinate guild members bring over an elegant bottle filled with liquid.
“Will this do?”
“This is perfect.”
I read the Hanja characters written on the bottle and smirked.
This would be enough to make that old man’s eyes pop.
***
Gwisalju (Demon-Slaying Liquor).
A liquor so potent it was said to kill even ghosts.
Or, a liquor so delicious that you would keep drinking, unaware that you were drinking yourself to death, and become a ghost yourself.
This would be more than enough for my purpose.
As I watched the liquid slosh inside the bottle, I thoughtlessly took a sniff, then grimaced and jerked my head back.
Whoa, this is…
[Is it that strong?]
“Take a whiff.”
[Let’s see… Bleaaargh!!!]
So devils can vomit.
Another piece of useless knowledge acquired.
[The ‘Devil Who Mocks the Heavens’ is curious about the taste of the liquor.]
[The ‘Angel of Benevolence’ advises you not to drink it, saying it is not yet your time to come here.]
[Whoa. Ugh. That was rough. What in the world is this stuff?]
“Some people like this kind of thing. Ah, or is he not a person?”
[From what I can tell, even a Russian would shake their head at this.]
“…I doubt it.”
He wasn’t a major character, but wasn't that S-rank from Russia a heavy drinker?
He was the type to trust his Player's body and down all sorts of high-proof liquor.
If I gave him a gourd as a gift, he’d probably treat me as his lifelong benefactor.
For reference, that man once spontaneously combusted from drinking liquor over 50 proof and had to be rushed to the hospital.
He really would have died if he weren’t a Player.
“Are you curious about the taste too?”
I turned my head and tilted the bottle in that direction.
“I can give you some if you want.”
“Not at all. I don’t care for alcohol.”
“For religious reasons?”
“Let’s just say that’s the case.”
The woman approached, sweeping her long, fine, golden hair back.
An overwhelmingly suffocating divine power.
There was only one being capable of this.
“The person who was supposed to become the true saintess is nowhere to be seen, and instead, the one who usurped her position has arrived.”
The woman said nothing and stopped a short distance away.
So she avoids unfavorable questions.
I clicked my tongue briefly and put the Gwisalju into my inventory.
“How did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“I’m asking how you were able to defeat the Disaster of Apostasy.”
I glanced over the woman’s shoulder.
She hadn’t come alone.
All A-ranks… and there was one S-rank, too.
This was less of an escort and more of a special forces unit.
“Isn’t it polite to introduce yourself before asking such questions?”
“I am the Saintess.”
“Who doesn’t know that? I’m asking for your name.”
“I’m sorry, but you’re not my type. I don’t feel like telling you my name.”
My request to know her name was refused for an unexpected reason.
[Pfft.]
“Is it funny?”
[N-No. Something just went down the wrong pipe. I was just coughing, just coughing. Pffft.]
I shouldn’t have even asked.
I clicked my tongue briefly.
“If you’re going to be like that, then I have nothing to tell you either.”
I turned my body away with a jerk.
I could faintly sense the Saintess’s surprise.
I’m not the one in a hurry here. She is.
I had already confirmed her name with Extreme Eye.
“You’re playing quite hard to get. Aren’t you the least bit curious about who I am and what my purpose for coming here is?”
“Nope.”
“…If you knew what kind of information I was planning to trade, you wouldn’t be saying that.”
“Nope.”
“…”
Without even making eye contact, I did my best to convey my ‘disinterest’ with my entire body.
It seemed to be effective, as the muscles on the Saintess—Emiliana’s—smiling face twitched… or so Besial told me.
There was no way for me to know since I wasn't even looking at her.
“I have more important things to do, so I’d appreciate it if you stopped talking to me.”
“And what might that important business be?”
“Whatever it is, it's more important than talking to you, right? Besides, your very presence here is a nuisance. You could at least hide your aura and presence. Are you trying to show off, begging for attention? And what’s with all these people you’ve dragged along? You planning to do something to me if you don’t like me?”
[Ooh, she’s glaring daggers. I can see her teeth.]
Looks like it’s working.
I chuckled inwardly.
I had already heard about Emiliana from Seong Woo-hyeon and Lee Min-hwa.
I had a good grasp of her personality, so I had decided to handle her this way from the start.
‘And I do have something genuinely important to do.’
I had already been waiting here for about 20 minutes.
It was about time they showed up.
Could it be that the Saintess’s appearance had made them more cautious, and now they were just testing the waters?
“…Hah.”
Emiliana let out a short sigh.
“Fine. We’ll do it your way.”
As the Saintess raised her hand, the presences of those hiding nearby receded.
Simultaneously, the Saintess’s own aura dropped sharply until it was barely perceptible.
She looked like she wasn’t even a Player unless you looked closely.
“You have an interesting item.”
“It’s a necessity. More importantly, since I’ve complied with your request, it’s now time for you to answer my question.”
So that’s why she agreed so readily.
If she put it like that, it was a bit hard to just ignore her.
“Alright. I’ll answer one simple question. If I think it’s too deep, I’ll just ignore it.”
“If you’re going to judge it subjectively, you could refuse to answer even if I just asked for your name. How can I trust your word?”
“I won’t do that. I’m not that shameless.”
I shrugged.
“I understand. Then my question is…”
“Hm? I’m not going to answer.”
“…What did you say?”
“You already asked, didn’t you? ‘How can I trust your word?’”
[Oh. That’s the first time I’ve actually seen a vein pop on someone’s forehead.]
While I maintained a bright smile, Emiliana was desperately straining her facial muscles to keep from losing hers.
My, my. The blood has rushed to her face, making her beet-red.
[Kim Se-hyeon. I think they’ve appeared.]
Besial tapped my shoulder and pointed towards the coast.
Turning my gaze from the strangely heated Emiliana, I saw two people, presumably my targets, casually strolling along the shore.
I’d killed time well until what I wanted showed up.
Now, shall we get down to business?
“Just kidding. I’ll answer your question after I’m done with my business. I have something urgent right now.”
“Wait, hold on…”
*Thud!*
I kicked off the ground, shot out from my hiding spot, and rapidly closed the distance.
The eyes of the two people walking along the coast, still affected by the black mud, immediately turned to me.
A man and a woman.
The woman with long blonde hair.
She was the one I had been waiting for.
“Stop!”
The man beside her immediately moved to block me.
Contrary to my expectation of easily slipping past him, the man matched my explosive speed and threw a punch.
*Kwaang!*
The punch that missed me struck the empty air.
A rock some distance away in the same direction suddenly crumbled with a loud roar.
The attack had landed despite the fist not making direct contact.
“They say the culprit always returns to the scene of the crime. The old sayings are never wrong, are they?”
“You don’t mean you were waiting for me?”
“For about 30 minutes?”
“How polite.”
The woman covered her mouth and laughed.
“I told you, to wait, just now, I shouted, and you ignored me again… *Haah, haah*.”
And now Emiliana was here too.
A typical mage type with low stamina.
Thinking it was a good opportunity, I immediately shouted.
“I’ll leave her to you!”
“What, are you, trying to drag, someone into this…”
“Hmph? It’s the Saintess, isn’t it? Why is the Saintess with you? Hey, you said you were here to meet a woman, but how could you bring another one along?”
“…You are.”
Emiliana’s eyes hardened frighteningly as she looked at the woman.
This was the first time the smile had completely vanished from her face.
“Shurue Foreigner…”
“Looks like you’ve played the game a bit.”
“I’m sure you don’t think I obtained the position of Saintess by chance. The fact that I’m maintaining this position should be answer enough.”
That was true.
Meeting the person who was supposed to become the Saintess and learning her story was something that happened in the mid-to-late game.
Emiliana changed the subject, saying, “More importantly.”
“You don’t mean to say *this* was what you were waiting for?”
“The Order is more than a little suspicious. They were the ones who enhanced the Disaster of Apostasy this time, too. I had a tough time because of it. Well, it wasn’t to the point where I couldn’t clear it.”
When I deliberately added the last part, Emiliana’s brow furrowed.
“That’s strange. There’s no way my name could have gotten out. Isn’t that right, Spade?”
“…”
The man called Spade took his place beside Shurue.
Both were S-ranks, but Spade was a figure I had never seen in the game.
Knowing that Spade was an alias didn’t mean much.
Even after finding out his real name through ‘Extreme Eye,’ it didn't provide any clues.
“Besides, enhancing a disaster… there’s no way something so absurd is possible, is there?”
A smile and a tone like she was placating a child.
Any ‘progressor’ who knew Shurue would know that a completely opposite monster lurked beneath that facade.
My gaze shifted to the area around Shurue’s neck.
From the necklace she was wearing, I could feel the aura of several Dimension Stones.