Chapter 136: Vatican (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 136: Vatican (2)
In that thick, strange atmosphere, it was Cheon Yeo-wool who broke the silence.
She smiled softly, the corners of her lips turning up. Her expression seemed to say, Not yet.
It was 11 AM. Since we had used the portal around 6 PM, it was still daytime in the Vatican.
She had definitely said she’d let it slide, but only ‘for now.’
Whether that was because it was morning or for some other reason… I wasn’t entirely sure.
“The weather’s nice, isn’t it?”
Cheon Yeo-wool asked casually as she set down the bag she was carrying.
“What are you planning to do today?”
She had every right to be curious. Obtaining the Fragment was my objective alone; she had simply trusted me and accompanied me this far without knowing the reason.
So, I brought out the most plausible plan I’d prepared in advance.
It also seemed like we needed a reason to go outside.
“Since we came all this way, how about we blend in with the tourists and check out the museum?”
There were bound to be other tourists who had arrived before us. It would be good if we could naturally join them on their tour.
Because in this city’s museum, there was a Fragment.
“Sounds good.”
She nodded without hesitation. Her smile deepened slightly, as if she’d seen right through my true intention of wanting to get out.
We left our bags in the room and headed straight outside.
At the end of the hallway, a nun was standing perfectly still, waiting for us.
Cheon Yeo-wool approached her first.
“Sister.”
“Yes, shall I prepare a bath for you?”
“Oh, no. Not yet. Are the tourists on a tour right now?”
“Yes. They should be passing through the gardens and looking around the museum by now.”
Perfect timing.
I nodded and spoke to the nun.
“Could we possibly join them?”
“Of course. I will guide you.”
The nun led the way. The path from the residence was quiet.
Only clergy in black vestments moved between the cathedral buildings. Their attire and the exclusive surroundings made me acutely aware of where I was.
The architecture of the Ordinum Sect was subtly different from that of Arcadia.
We crossed through the cathedrals and headed toward the grand basilica where the museum was located.
As we neared the entrance, we could see a group of tourists gathered under a guide’s flag.
“Thank you for guiding us this far.”
“Thank you.”
After Cheon Yeo-wool and I offered our thanks in turn, the nun looked back at us one last time before leaving.
“If you should require a bath, please let me know at any time…”
“That’s quite all righ—”
Cheon Yeo-wool’s soft palm gently covered my mouth.
“We’ll be sure to let you know.”
“Very well.”
The nun finally left, seemingly satisfied. It appeared that was her duty.
When her hand moved away from my mouth, the faint, sweet scent that had lingered on her fingertips stimulated my senses.
We naturally joined the back of the group.
The guide’s explanation continued, but I wasn’t listening. I kept scanning our surroundings.
All my senses were focused on finding that one relic.
The exhibition hall was larger than I expected. Pretending to be a tourist, I nodded along, my eyes constantly moving.
Just then, the guide pointed to a stone tablet.
“This tablet is called Laconian.”
This was it.
The Laconian Holy Tablet.
It was a holy relic the Vatican had recently discovered.
The Fragment of Desire was nestled within this tablet.
In an intangible form.
The method of acquisition was simple. There was nothing I could do.
All Cheon Yeo-wool had to do was touch that tablet.
The guide gestured, beginning to encourage people to touch it.
The Vatican didn’t know the tablet’s true value. They considered it merely a relic imbued with holy energy and allowed tourists to touch it directly.
Something about letting them feel the sensation of a holy relic.
But the moment Cheon Yeo-wool touched the marble tablet on display, a Trial would begin.
It was something she had to endure entirely on her own, and I could not interfere.
I had a perfect grasp of her level of growth.
Having reached the initial stage of Dual Casting, she had completely fulfilled the condition.
The only thing I could do was stand guard outside.
In the end, the key to this fortuitous opportunity wasn't the method of acquisition, but the condition for acquiring it.
Because Cheon Yeo-wool had satisfied the difficult condition of Dual Casting, she would be able to pass the Trial itself without much trouble.
It was then.
“I should touch it, too.”
Cheon Yeo-wool stepped forward.
I quickly grabbed her wrist.
She turned to look at me, her eyes wide with surprise. We stared at each other in silence.
“Whyyy?”
Now that I had stopped her, I didn’t have a good excuse.
Of course, I had a reason. The moment she touched the tablet, she would faint. It was impossible to do it during the day, with tourists swarming the place.
What if Arcadia’s Saintess suddenly collapsed?
It would be enough to turn the entire Vatican upside down.
But I couldn’t explain such a complicated situation right now.
“…There are too many people. Let’s come back at night.”
That had been my plan all along.
The museum was connected to a park, making it practically open 24 hours a day.
Even at night, the Ordinum Sect wouldn’t restrict Cheon Yeo-wool’s movements.
“At night…? Okay.”
Cheon Yeo-wool whispered, the corners of her lips lifting.
She seemed to be misunderstanding something, but that wasn’t important right now.
It was then.
“They say this tablet was discovered in the deep sea a month ago… Isn’t it beautiful?”
Usually, the people who strike up conversations in places like this are foreigners.
But what I heard was perfectly fluent Korean.
When I turned my head, I saw a handsome man with neatly styled, dark black hair.
“It is.”
I answered curtly, not letting down my guard.
It was strange. I’d never seen his face before, yet I felt a strong sense of déjà vu.
“Who are you?”
Cheon Yeo-wool took a step in front of me, blocking him. There was an edge to her voice.
“Ah, my apologies. My name is Von Sek. I’m an Italian hero. I never expected to meet in person the people I’ve only seen on the news.”
He continued, wearing an affable smile.
“A famous couple who look so good together… I couldn’t help but want to say hello. I’ll keep this a secret.”
“A couple…? Ah… yes… Please do keep it a secret.”
Cheon Yeo-wool nodded, seemingly satisfied with his words.
But I didn’t let go of my suspicion toward him.
What was the source of this déjà vu?
Where had I seen him before?
Without anyone noticing, I quietly activated All-Encompassing Perception.
[Von Sek]
But there was nothing special. An ordinary hero. The flow of his mana, his aura—it was all perfectly normal.
Was it just my imagination?
It could have been a mistake on my part. A handsome face can sometimes give you the feeling you’ve seen it somewhere before.
“I was so surprised when I saw the news. Bulgaram… I expected it wouldn’t be easy this time either, but to think you’d pass in a single day.”
“I suppose word of that has already reached this far.”
“Of course. It was such a major event! Haha… In any case, I apologize for interrupting your date.”
With that, Von Sek bowed politely and left.
I watched his retreating back for a moment before dismissing the thought.
I naturally led Cheon Yeo-wool outside. She might have suddenly decided to touch the tablet, after all.
We had time to kill until nightfall anyway. I had no interest in anything besides the holy tablet.
Cheon Yeo-wool and I began to wander through the Vatican and the streets of Rome as if we were a real couple.
We admired the magnificent cathedrals and sat at an outdoor café, sipping espresso.
At one point, I bought a cup of gelato.
“There’s only one spoon.”
“Oh my, I’m sorry.”
Of course, it was Cheon Yeo-wool’s mistake. Though I wasn’t sure if it was a real mistake.
In the end, we fed the gelato to each other.
“Yum, yum.”
Watching her, I felt myself naturally forgetting about the holy tablet and becoming completely absorbed in the atmosphere.
As we walked, laughed, and talked for a long while, I had a sudden realization.
‘This is a real, actual date, isn’t it?’
Regardless of my objective, I realized that to any onlooker, we looked no different from a couple in love.
Before I knew it, the sun began to set, and the city lights started to flicker on, one by one.
We headed back to our residence.
*
Ding-dong.
After ringing the doorbell, Yoon Chae-ha took a step back.
Late in the evening, she had arrived at a building, looking rather rushed.
She was in quite a hurry.
Jung Hae-in had made a clear promise when they left the Workshop.
He would provide aftercare for the various things she had obtained inside.
But after they got out, he had completely dropped off the radar.
She’d let yesterday slide and waited all day today as well.
Still, there was no word from him even as late evening approached. Fearing he might never show up, she had come to find him herself.
Waiting wasn’t in her nature.
To be honest… she also just wanted to see him.
That was just an excuse to come here. In terms of importance, the former was 5% and the latter was 95%.
Having spent what felt like months together, her heart felt empty now that he was out of sight.
Just as she raised her hand to ring the doorbell a second time, the door opened.
“…?”
Yoon Chae-ha froze.
It wasn’t the face she had been expecting, not Jung Hae-in.
Instead, it was Ha Sion who had opened the door.
Her hair was slightly messy, her clothes somewhat disheveled.
But Ha Sion was just as surprised.
Jung Hae-in had left for the Vatican.
With the rest of the Vanquisher members also out, she had been lying alone in bed, stewing in her sense of defeat.
Then the doorbell rang. She had reluctantly gotten up…
Only to find an unexpected face at the door.
This was the Vanquisher building.
‘What is she doing here?’
But Sion quickly realized.
‘Ah, she came to see Hae-in.’
The surprise in Yoon Chae-ha’s eyes was all too honest.
Confusion, anticipation, disappointment—the unconcealed emotions were plain as day to Sion and her archer’s eyes.
Sion quietly swallowed a laugh.
It’s time you learned, too, isn’t it?
This is… a precious emotion, after all.
“Hae-in?”
When she asked lightly if that’s who she was looking for, Yoon Chae-ha nodded very slowly.
Sion then said calmly, “He went on a trip. To the Vatican.”
Sion waited for the next question.
Yoon Chae-ha. She was sure she would ask.
A brief silence fell.
Yoon Chae-ha blinked once, her lips parting as if hesitating to say something, before she finally added:
“…With whom?”
Only then did the corners of Sion’s mouth lift into a smile.
“With a woman.”
Yoon Chae-ha’s expression froze.
“Probably… just the two of them?”
The number of losers was always bound to grow.