Ch.158158. Mountains Beyond Mountains

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Luminol Archbishop appears visibly flustered as he stares at the angel from within the Veil.

I suppose it must be quite disconcerting from his perspective.

Someone who should normally be shouting at the mere presence of demonic energy is now frozen stiff, staring only at me.

“…Lionheart?”

Despite the bishop’s words, the angel continues with trembling eyes.

“…”

And from my perspective…

I hit the jackpot.

Someone who would normally flee at the sight of me is now sitting right in front of my eyes.

[Y-you, w-why, why are you h-here…]

The trembling voice entering “my mind” makes it obvious.

Angels have an obligation to maintain a dignified and majestic presence whenever they manifest in the material world.

However, I am such a trauma to this Fallen Angel that they can’t help but groan in distress despite their position.

No wonder they’re terrified—they nearly got devoured by a demon because of me.

“…Didn’t you just say it’s been a while?”

“Are you saying this person has met the angel before?”

Such murmurs began rising from the spectators around us.

Hearing this, the angel’s expression seems to worsen even more.

“…”

Only Elia Krisanax, standing beside me, looks between the angel and me with an expression suggesting she understands something.

Of course she would—she was there when the angel and I first encountered each other.

“…Um, teacher.”

“Hmm?”

“I’ve been with you long enough that I can sometimes figure things out.”

“Yeah.”

“…Right now, you have the expression of someone planning something absolutely terrible.”

“…”

I’ve felt her intuition has improved for a while now.

Since obtaining the Eye of Truth or whatever it was, she’s practically using mind-reading.

What kind of ability is that, anyway?

[What are you after this time? And what’s with that sinister expression?!]

“…”

Or perhaps my face is just obviously reeking of mischief to anyone who looks.

‘Oh, nothing special.’

Like Calivan Chrysanyx, this person can also respond to mental communication just by thinking.

That’s fortunate.

What I’m thinking right now would require tremendous courage to say out loud.

‘There are people who keep interfering when I’m trying to do important things, preventing me from even getting started.’

Seriously.

It happened at Elphante Academy, it happened at the Crucible of Struggle—I’m literally running myself to death trying to prevent demons from destroying the world.

And there are too many people interfering for their own selfish reasons.

Here, it’s the Holy Empire.

So.

Let’s prepare a statement that will utterly humiliate them.

‘I’d like the angel to make one testimony on my behalf.’

[…Testimony? What are you talking about?]

I transmit the necessary content mentally.

The reaction was dramatic.

[You inhuman piece of garbage-!]

“…”

[H-how could you ask me to say such things!]

Well.

You’ll have to.

Thinking this, I manipulate the interface to forcibly apply a skill to the Fallen Angel.

The angel, who had been floating in the air, folds their wings and gently descends to the ground.

[W-what? What is this?!]

I’ve just used the precious “command authority that can be used directly on an angel.”

So.

It’s only natural that I’d make them say something rather… extreme.

“…It really has been a while.”

[Why, why is my mouth moving on its own?! What have you done to me-]

The angel’s voice whined in my head.

But before those words could finish, the sentence I “requested” echoed throughout the venue.

“I’ve missed you, ‘Master.'”

As soon as those words fell…

“This humble servant is ready to obey any command.”

The vast plaza.

Was instantly covered in silence.

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< System Message >

[ Target ‘Fallen Angel A1101’ now recognizes you as a mortal enemy! ]

[ Negative influence is being imprinted! ]

[ Negative imprint 2 stacks! A special effect will occur at 3 stacks! ]

[ Skill: Evil Dominion activates. You gain 1 command authority usable on the target! ]

Wow.

The command authority gets duplicated.

I look at the interface appearing before my eyes with a smirk.

As soon as the Fallen Angel uttered those words, Luminol Archbishop hastily recalled them, so I didn’t have time to observe their reaction, but this is satisfying enough.

I was worried about not getting a command refill, but apparently having an angel use the word “Master” to address a human in the material world was enough to completely crush their mental state.

In human terms, it’s like the disgrace of calling your pet “Master.”

[…Is the Boy King sleeping right now?]

‘Pretty much. Why?’

That person is usually silent anyway.

Unlike the lively Calivan, he’s fundamentally always quiet.

He seems to be holed up preparing something alchemy-related again, but it would be nice if he showed his face occasionally.

[That’s what I’m saying. This would be the perfect moment for a round of applause.]

“…”

[It’s nice to see you’ve reached the point where you don’t even feel guilty unless it involves women around you. I really appreciate your consistency-]

Ignoring the nonsense, I turn my attention to the desk.

“…A bomb has dropped.”

Looking at the media publications extensively covering yesterday’s events, I can’t help but say that.

“Wow… this is insane…”

Following my words, Elia, sitting on the sofa and skimming through the materials I’ve already reviewed, also let out such a groan.

“You said I’d become famous, but isn’t this going too far?”

Elia said that while reading aloud some of the headlines.

[ Angel’s Declaration of Submission, Holy Empire Remains Silent- ]

[ Luminol Archbishop Suggests Possibility of ‘Mass Hallucination’- ]

“…They must have been pretty shocked to seriously suggest something like ‘mass hallucination.'”

I’m sure they were.

For the Holy Empire, this is truly a nightmare.

Most of their standing and influence comes from having produced the “First Hero” and the religious authority of being directly acknowledged by “angels.”

But now, an angel has uttered words like “Master” to someone they themselves questioned the qualifications of. It’s the ultimate humiliation.

Of course, they can use their collective influence to officially suppress such facts, but they can’t silence all the numerous people who witnessed the scene.

The topic of what relationship I have with angels will spread with terrifying momentum from now on.

And.

The recognition of the “Hero candidate” who has such a person as their “attendant” will also skyrocket accordingly.

“So, how does it feel to have become one of the hottest topics across the continent?”

“…Honestly, I don’t really feel it yet. Even if my popularity has increased, nothing has changed around me immediately. I was already getting a lot of attention within Elphante anyway.”

“…”

Good for you, being popular.

For various reasons, I still can’t shake off perceptions like “suspicious guy,” “lewd human,” “friendless loner,” and “yet somehow suspiciously surrounded by women.”

This is already light-years away from the normal academy life I dreamed of when first enrolling.

“…Teacher? Why are your eyes moist?”

“It’s because my gaze is radiant.”

“…”

Anyway.

At the very least, this completely eliminates any possibility of the Holy Empire and the Pope interfering with me throughout the Hero selection.

So that’s good, but…

“…What have you been doing all this time?”

I couldn’t help asking that.

I mean, she abandoned her own room, barged into mine, and has been occupying my furniture.

She’s been cutting something out of the newspapers with a rustling sound.

“I’m collecting photos where you and I are in the same frame.”

“…”

“Oh, this one turned out well.”

Why does she have to do that in my room?

Even someone as socially inept as me can only think she’s doing this to obviously “appeal” to me.

‘…She’s been particularly aggressive lately, hasn’t she?’

Seriously, lately she keeps—

As I stare speechlessly at Elia saying such things, a voice came through the Soul Linker.

[Can I ask one favor?]

‘Yes?’

[When you two finally do the deed, please do it somewhere I can’t see.]

‘…’

[I’m already dying here, and if I see that, I’ll truly die a second time.]

‘…That won’t happen.’

What deed is he talking about?

The memory of being split in half by Yuria is still vivid, and if I did something like that, I’d be dismembered into more than 20 pieces by other Demonic Vessels.

Sighing at Calivan’s nonsense, I turn my attention to the documents Atalante delivered.

They contained the general progression plan for the Hero selection that would have been announced to everyone during the opening ceremony.

The event-disrupting incident was so explosive that everything became muddled, but it seems the relevant documents were still delivered to all concerned parties.

‘…The most important thing is…’

The list of candidates participating in the trials together.

It’s also a list of competitors.

And a list of people I need to somehow provoke into attacking me.

And.

It’s also where the biggest “variables” are likely to explode.

Looking back at my past experiences, it’s always in these areas that—

‘The Tribal Union has twin berserker warriors. The Empire has Elia and…’

Faynol Leiphec.

A bitter smile crosses my face as soon as I see that name.

Come to think of it…

< Quest Info >

[ Main Quest ]〖 Chapter 4 – Red Night 〗

[ Related events will occur soon! ]

The main event progressing in this chapter is “Hero Selection,” but the name of the main quest serving as the chapter’s background is “Red Night.”

That’s the chapter where Faynol appears as the final boss, but the question is why he becomes the “final boss.”

“…”

During the selection, something will trigger him to go berserk.

And stopping that is my job.

[Can’t you just solve it quickly as always?]

‘That would be the case if there were no variables.’

[Hmm?]

‘Besides the Holy Empire, there’s another group that always sticks their nose into demon-related matters.’

A group that’s far more vicious than them when it comes to interfering with my comfortable scenario progression.

Thinking this, I turn to the next page of the document.

Anyway, this list is one I already know. The lineup matches exactly what appears in the game.

They’re undoubtedly powerful individuals, but still manageable.

“…”

The problem.

Emerged as I scanned through the Holy Empire’s list.

The “variable” I’ve been so wary of was blatantly showing its face.

Candidate #1. Top student from the Grand Temple’s First School. A very orthodox selection. I can applaud it as an excellent choice.

The problem is with another person.

“…Let’s take it easy.”

Looking at the face in the profile, such words escape like a groan.

A man with an obviously frivolous impression. Outwardly, he looks like a playboy who’s good at seducing women.

But even so.

“…”

Dizziness overwhelms me as soon as I see him.

I feel like I might faint.

It gives me the bitter feeling that the world is too obviously throwing variables at me just to mess with me.

Because this guy’s true identity is…

“…This breaks the balance.”

A monster capable of reducing the Hero selection itself to “child’s play.”

Talker.

The Luminary’s right-hand man.

Someone capable of subduing even a two-fragment Elnore is brazenly showing his face there.

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