Chapter 204: Artemis's Silver Bow (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 204: Artemis's Silver Bow (4)
What could I use?
I cupped my chin, staring at the news article about Iano's Ring on my watch.
The plan had gone awry. In addition to Artemis's Bow, I now had to get my hands on that ring.
That meant I had to find another one of Iano's heirlooms, something valuable enough to trade the Three-legged Crow for both items.
As I’d thought before, the Cross and the Elixir were out of the question.
Even if I wanted to return them, it was impossible, as both had already been fully absorbed.
The problem was, I didn't know much about her—about Iano.
I only knew about the Cross and the Elixir, and that was it.
In that case, I had to comb through her profile in the setting book from the very beginning.
I opened my notes and began to carefully search through the book.
“Ia… Iano…”
I don't know how long I searched.
“Found it.”
I’d found the page containing her information.
Her birth, her upbringing... and even the artifacts she had used.
I scanned the list from top to bottom, crossing off the impossibilities one by one.
[Iano's Cross] - Inside Cheon Yeo-wool.
[Elixir] - Inside me.
[Iano's Ring] - Item for negotiation, slated to be mine.
“Ah.”
This is it.
[Iano's Shrine Maiden Robes]
[Grade: A+]
[The shrine maiden robes worn by Iano when she presided over rituals. Drastically amplifies the wearer's divine power.]
[Special Effect: Unique passive, 'Silver Bell Veil.' Unfurls a domain of purification around the wearer with the clear sound of a bell, weakening all spiritual beings and stabilizing the minds of allies.]
Perfect.
One might think Cheon Yeo-wool could wear it since it amplifies divine power...
But that wasn't the case.
Cheon Yeo-wool's power structure relied on borrowing strength from her external god.
If she wore these robes, the path to her god would be blocked instead.
And crucially, these robes covered the wearer from head to toe.
An incredibly conservative design.
There was no way Cheon Yeo-wool would like this...
That left only one conclusion.
‘Where is this thing now?’
I lowered my gaze to check the last entry.
[Estimated Location]
[Gaon Academy Central Vault]
“Hmm.”
So that's where it is.
I had a free-pass card from the Chairman, which I'd received for that commercial shoot.
He probably wouldn't notice if one little thing went missing.
“And if he does?”
Well, what could he do?
I could just pay him off then.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
*
The operation was set for the first day of the long weekend, when all the students and most of the faculty would be gone.
Frankly, trying to rob the vault on a weekday while the Chairman was watching like a hawk would have been a bit difficult.
So, during the week, I only confirmed its location.
‘It's there.’
Confirmed its actual presence.
On the first day of the holiday, before dawn even broke, I headed straight for the Gaon Academy vault.
The plan was to grab the item and bolt for Japan immediately.
- Beep.
I swiped the card, and the security door opened.
But.
“Oh? Student Hae-in. What brings you here so early in the morning?”
The Chairman was inside the vault.
He stared at me with surprised eyes, a dusty book in one hand.
I froze on the spot.
What the hell...
Does this man not rest?
I quickly bowed my head in greeting.
I revised the plan.
Since it had come to this, I had no choice.
I'd just have to make my request fair and square.
“Mr. Chairman, I actually had something to discuss with you.”
I raised my head and met his eyes directly.
“Among the artifacts stored here, there is one I desperately need. And it... probably won't be a loan.”
“...”
“I am prepared to pay any fair price.”
Even as I said it, I knew I sounded like a common thief.
But the Chairman just chuckled.
“Gaon's vault... holds quite a variety of items.”
He set the book down and continued speaking as he walked slowly among the artifacts.
His fingertips brushed past spears, helmets, and various other artifacts.
“This is humanity's legacy, passed down and accumulated by the chairmen before me.”
I listened in silence.
“To be honest, I didn't understand this place when I was young. I saw it merely as an accumulation of wealth left by my ancestors, a product of their vanity. And... until recently, I was nothing more than a guardian of these artifacts.”
He stopped walking, turned to me, and smiled.
“There is something my predecessors always told me.”
“'Everything has its purpose.'”
“Student Jung Hae-in. Gaon was founded to nurture the talent that will stand against the Evil God.”
His low voice resonated within the vault.
“This vault is no different.”
- Thud.
He struck the floor with the heel of his shoe.
In that instant, a mana wave radiated out from his feet in a circle, spreading throughout the entire vault.
Thousands of dusty, haphazardly placed artifacts rose into the air all at once.
Transparent shelves emerged silently from the floor and walls, reconfiguring the space into a perfect grid.
The artifacts settled onto their respective shelves as if finding their proper places.
It was the moment an ordinary vault transformed into a colossal display case.
“And you, Student Jung Hae-in, have defeated Belial.”
After Barcus.
Now Belial.
“Frankly, I didn't believe it. I thought the war with the Evil God would not happen again in my generation. And even if it did... I believed we could not win.”
He gave a self-deprecating smile.
“But I've had a change of heart.”
The Chairman spread his arms wide.
At his gesture, every artifact on the shelves resonated, emitting a faint light.
“For the talent who will stand against the Evil God, this vault will always be open.”
“What is it that you desire?”
“...”
I slowly extended my hand.
And pointed to the glowing shrine maiden robes.
The Chairman tilted his head at my unexpected choice but soon nodded.
He gave the staff he was holding a light swing, and the shrine maiden robes floated up, flying gently toward me until they were nestled in my arms.
“One of my predecessors appeared in my dream, shouting, 'Welcome the master.' That's why I came here so early this morning...”
He smiled, looking at me.
“It seems there was a reason.”
I understood the weight of his words and bowed my head, still holding the robes.
Just then, the Chairman's hand slipped into my jacket pocket.
He pulled out the card key I had received for the commercial shoot.
And then he tore the card in half...
...and held out a key to me.
“From now on, anytime.”
He pressed the key into my hand.
“There will be no threshold to this vault for you.”
*
Getting to Japan is simple.
You go through the portal.
That's it.
I'd obtained the shrine maiden robes much faster than I'd expected.
It was a completely different outcome from my original plan of robbing the vault.
Since I had a lot of time to spare, I waited for the girls at the portal checkpoint.
“...”
It was unexpected.
To be honest, I'd thought of Gaon's Chairman as just another character obsessed with money.
He was a character from the original story who appeared so infrequently I'd never paid him any mind.
But he was a completely different person from what I'd thought.
He had changed on his own, in response to my actions.
The sight of me subjugating Barcus and then Belial had changed his way of thinking.
As I was lost in thought.
I heard laughter from a distance.
The five of them were walking over together, looking friendly.
What's this?
Even if they weren't on bad terms, I didn't think they were close enough to arrive side-by-side like that.
They looked like a group of very close friends.
I slowly rose from my seat to greet them.
Every one of them was beautifully dressed up for the trip.
“You're here already?”
Cheon Yeo-wool waved and was the first to run up and greet me.
“Yeah.”
I smiled and returned her greeting.
I exchanged light greetings with the others as they approached.
Just then, Kang A-rin lowered her sunglasses slightly and spoke.
“You booked the accommodations, right?”
“Yeah, I've already reserved everything.”
I operated my smartwatch, pulling up the information for the ryokan I had booked.
Six single rooms, each with a private onsen to respect everyone's privacy.
The trip was meant for relaxing and enjoying the hot springs in the first place.
It wasn't the kind of trip the women in front of me were hoping for.
That's why I'd deliberately booked six single rooms, to make sure there was no way out.
“Here, look. Every room has its own onsen... and the rooms are huge...”
“Here, look. See? I told you.”
Before I could finish my explanation, Kang A-rin tapped my watch screen with her finger, turning it off.
Then she whipped her head around to the other women.
“You were right...”
Yoon Chae-ha replied quietly.
As if they had already come to an agreement, the other women began to nod one by one.
Then, Kang A-rin shoved her own watch in my face.
A completely different, new reservation was displayed on the screen.
The one and only penthouse suite in a top-tier luxury hotel.
Below, it read:
‘Equipped with a large indoor onsen, accommodates up to 10 people.’
“...”
Kang A-rin said with a mischievous grin.
“It's a trip we're all taking together. Shouldn't we all sleep together?”
There was nowhere to run.