Chapter 29
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Apostle of Thunder (1)
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- Second Apostle: Evan Alemier has become your Apostle.
- Through the effect of Apostle Selection, you will now share your mana with your chosen Apostles.
- Through the effect of Apostle Selection, you can now send private messages to your chosen Apostles.
Several days had already passed since I began spending time trying to convert Evan, whom I had selected as an Apostle.
Perhaps my bold investment over the past few days had paid off.
When Yutenia entered the cave to persuade him, Evan accepted the Apostle Selection as if he had been waiting for it.
Despite Yutenia having only spoken a few words, Evan quickly showed signs of giving up and lowered his sword.
With Evan's acceptance of Apostle Selection, the sealed Divine Artifact: Astrape was also completely unleashed.
"He's finally an Apostle."
I had turned Evan, a former Holy Knight, into my Apostle.
I had made a being incomparable to any ordinary character my own Apostle.
If he used the Divine Artifact: Astrape, created by consuming Karma, he would undoubtedly become a being far more powerful than most characters.
I immediately opened my inventory to check the effects of the Divine Artifact: Astrape.
This was because each Divine Artifact created using Apostle Selection came with its own unique trait.
"Blue Flash? Just from the description, it sounds like a really good trait."
The Divine Artifact: Astrape, now bound to Evan, possessed a trait called Blue Flash.
Blue Flash.
This trait had two main effects.
One: To continuously consume mana to transform the user's body into lightning for a certain period.
Two: To share with the user all skills that inflict lightning-attribute damage from me.
In other words, it was a trait specialized in dealing elemental damage.
"Is he going to become a magic swordsman instead of a Holy Knight now?"
A sword imbued with light versus a sword imbued with lightning.
I had no idea which would be stronger.
Still, considering Yutenia's precedent, there was no doubt that Evan, having received a Divine Artifact, would become immensely powerful.
I dragged an item from my inventory and dropped it in front of Evan.
The Divine Artifact: Astrape was a piece of equipment shaped like a lightweight gauntlet.
Thud.
As the Divine Artifact landed before Evan's eyes, Yutenia picked it up and placed it in his hand.
Evan, receiving the artifact, looked at Yutenia with a puzzled expression.
- "This is..."
- "A symbol that the Great One has chosen you."
- "A symbol?"
- "From now on, you are an Apostle who serves the Great One."
Evan, who had been staring at the dark gray gauntlet, eventually nodded and slid it onto his hand.
As the Divine Artifact: Astrape was equipped on Evan's hand, blue lightning sparked, and a speech bubble appeared above his head.
With an Apostle equipping a Divine Artifact, I was now able to send messages directly to Evan.
The current flowing through Evan's body was a testament to why the trait was named Blue Flash.
A strange light gleamed in the eyes of Evan, who had equipped Astrape.
- "...An Apostle of a god."
- "Are you pleased with His gift?"
- "To be honest, I do not believe I am worthy of receiving such an item."
Crackle. Sizzle.
Evan, sparking with ambient lightning, picked up the sword that had fallen to the ground.
As Evan, wearing the gauntlet, gripped the sword, a blue flash of lightning began to erupt from it.
A blinding light of overflowing electricity.
Facing it, Evan raised his sword high.
Evan Alemier.
He spoke with a reverent expression as he looked at the sword.
- "Nevertheless, I shall ask you."
- "O God who looks down upon the earth. What fate must I accept?"
Was it because he was once a Holy Knight?
Evan maintained a polite demeanor even toward me.
Every word that came from his mouth was sacred.
It was even possible that he might show me the same blind loyalty he once directed toward the Goddess.
As I pondered how to respond to Evan's words, his weary face began to catch my eye.
"Well, I have been treating him pretty harshly."
For several days, I had disrupted his sleep and blocked his movements.
In game time, that was a considerable period.
Having been starved and confined in a cave for so long, Evan's fatigue must be extraordinary.
Though he was my enemy until recently, Evan was now a character who moved for my sake.
It was only right to treat my new character with the respect he deserved.
That way, wouldn't he be more likely to bring me items that would be even slightly beneficial?
Just like Yutenia, whom I had previously spent time raising.
"First, eat something."
I dragged a loaf of bread from my inventory and dropped it in front of Evan.
Thud.
Evan's other hand caught the falling baguette.
Evan's gaze, holding the baguette, turned toward the sky.
Using the message function, I put on a plausible air of magnanimity toward the sky-gazing Evan.
"This is sustenance I personally bestow upon you."
A whole 7,000 won. No, now it was an 8,000 won baguette.
It wasn't something I gave away lightly.
Perhaps my message lacked a bit of dignity.
The speech bubble translator rephrased my message once more before delivering it to Evan.
- "I shall satisfy your hunger and quench your prolonged thirst."
- "Then, you shall witness the truth."
It was just a way of telling him to eat first.
The phrasing truly made it sound like a god was speaking.
Upon hearing this, Evan asked me again.
- "The truth? What on earth is the truth?"
"Yeah. What on earth is that truth?"
That was something the speech bubble translator had spat out on its own.
The overly exaggerated response made even me curious about what this "truth" was.
Of course, the speech bubble translator seemed to have an answer prepared, as it replied fluently to Evan's question.
- "Harvest the unjust. Through them as sustenance, I shall return to my rightful place."
- "Tear down the idols of false faith and establish your own belief in their stead."
At another one of the translator's characteristic replies, Evan fell silent and tore into the bread.
It seemed he had nothing more to say to such a classic, profound-sounding response.
To think that "eat first" could be transformed and output with such dignified content.
The more I saw it, the more marvelous the AI's performance felt.
Hurs Alemier, a 2nd-grade investigator for the Empire's executive agency, Cloud, stared at the documents with weary eyes.
A month had already passed since Hurs requested assistance from the Holy Land to investigate a series of mysterious disappearances.
And the one who had come to help was his brother and Inquisitor, Evan Alemier.
For several days, he had spent his time uncomfortably under the watchful eye of Evan, who had come in person.
However, even after Evan left after searching the area, Hurs's mind could not be at ease.
The cult of the evil god is on the move.
He had heard that fact directly from the mouth of the Inquisitor, Evan.
After learning the truth, Hurs had to live every day in fear that the cult might make a move.
This was information acknowledged by none other than an Inquisitor.
It was as good as a confirmed fact that the cult was active in this area.
"Another disappearance."
Along with that, Hurs's perspective on the disappearance cases had also changed.
Although they were frequent occurrences, happening a few times a month, he couldn't help but suspect the cult's involvement.
There is a cult that offers human sacrifices to an evil god.
With such a suspicious group nearby, it was only natural to suspect them first.
However, he couldn't just recklessly conduct a search based on suspicion.
He had already lost one investigator.
If he were to press on with the investigation with insufficient forces, unable to form a proper subjugation team, he couldn't rule out the risk of being attacked by the cult's fanatics.
If he lost even one more person, Hurs would not be able to escape responsibility.
If he couldn't even hold his ground at a remote branch and was kicked out, it was obvious how his brother and family would view him.
"Hah... It's frustrating without any certainty."
But if he continued to do nothing, he would be reprimanded from above for that as well.
It was truly a dilemma.
With a sigh, Hurs reached out and picked up a nearby piece of paper.
He intended to ask Evan at the Holy Land about the progress of the matter.
Since Evan himself had gone to report the cult's appearance, a decision should have been made at the Holy Land by now.
If he heard that a subjugation team had been formed, he felt he could focus on his work with a bit more ease.
"The results of the discussion should be out from Crossbridge by now..."
Hurs's hand, which had picked up a pen to write a letter to Evan, froze.
He had felt a sudden pain in his right arm as he was about to write.
At the sensation in his arm, Hurs put down the pen and rolled up his right sleeve.
On the exposed skin, a black symbol was appearing.
At the sight of the somewhat familiar symbol, Hurs's mouth fell open.
"This is..."
A black quill pen, engraved at a slant.
As far as Hurs, a man from a noble family, knew, the image engraved on his right arm was the symbol of the Temple of Knowledge.
There was only one reason for a temple's symbol to suddenly appear on a person's arm.
The appearance of a Hero.
It was a mark given to the heroes meant to prevent the descent of the evil god.
"Does this mean I've been chosen as a Hero?"
Hurs's fingers traced the quill pen engraved on his arm.
The fact that the Mark of Knowledge was engraved meant that Hurs Alemier had been chosen as a Hero of this era.
And not just any temple, but the Temple of Knowledge.
That place, which revered wisdom and magic, could make him a great magician.
A faint smile appeared on Hurs's lips as he pictured the temple located in Crossbridge.
"A Hero... This isn't a bad story either."
Rustle.
Hurs picked up the paper he had taken out and put it back in its place.
There was no longer any need to write a letter to Evan.
He could just go to the Holy Land himself.
Moreover, the need to work as a 2nd-grade investigator for Cloud had also vanished.
Hurs was a Hero of the era, chosen by the Goddess of Knowledge.
Who would dare stop a Hero chosen by the Goddess from visiting the Holy Land?
Today would be the last day he had to see the branch chief's tiresome face.
"Most of all, I'm quite looking forward to my brother's expression."
What he looked forward to most was his brother's reaction upon seeing him.
Evan was an Inquisitor of the Holy Land.
And Hurs was a Hero, one of the most important figures there.
How would Evan view his younger brother who had become a Hero?
He certainly wouldn't be able to maintain his usual stern face.
Hurs pushed the documents to the side with a satisfied look, anticipating his reunion with his brother.
It felt like today was going to be a delightful day all around.