I Became the Narrow-Eyed Henchman of the Evil Boss – Chapter 157

Chapter 157: The Scale (2)

Orthes deliberated long and hard over the lightning giant’s final question.

The relationships he had built, and the relationships that had shaped him—they were important. But Orthes set aside his personal emotions to focus on the question at hand.

He needed to ask, “Why pose this question at all?”

From what the ancient priest of Phoibos had hinted, the priest seemed to regard Carisia as a living embodiment or personification of the Ten Commandments. In contemporary terms, her role might best align with that of a Tower Lord.

Thus, the Phoibos priest was convinced Orthes was meant to oppose Carisia.

Yet the thunder giant’s question seemed unrelated to this line of thought. If the goal was to determine whether Orthes sided with the Mage King, there was no reason to frame the question so indirectly.

The peculiar aspect was that returning home had been placed opposite Carisia’s destruction on the scale. If Orthes returned without confronting the Mage King, the ancient priests’ grand designs would almost certainly fail.

“A counterweight to returning.”

The giant’s true purpose, Orthes hypothesized, was to identify what might bind him to this world.

With this hypothesis in mind, Orthes considered testing its validity by probing the giant’s thoughts. He hoped that the relic’s accumulated memories over centuries were simple and orderly enough to analyze.

***

“Do not proceed,” the giant finally spoke, reacting for the first time.

“Why not? The priest of Estia said I had the qualifications to act freely,” Orthes replied, feigning audacity. If the giant could speak bluntly, so could he.

“The living manifestation of the Ten Commandments is also within the relic’s domain. Observing the relic will lead to observing her.”

Orthes gleaned the implication: while his Eye could handle the influx of knowledge, his mind likely could not endure it.

“Carisia? What made you involve her in this? Have you lost your mind?”

Orthes massaged his temples, exasperated, envisioning Carisia’s likely reaction—destroying the relic the moment she awoke.

The thunder giant’s silence suggested guilt or at least weariness. Sensing an opening, Orthes pressed further.

“I imagine you summoned me as some countermeasure or assassin to face the Mage King. This whole relic-testing process is probably just your way of ensuring your ultimate weapon is trustworthy.”

“Trustworthy? In what sense?”

“Let’s call it… ‘character screening.’ A test to ensure I won’t betray you and side with the Mage King. When the priest of Estia read my memories of Earth, it was likely part of this vetting process.”

Since his encounter with the ancient priest of Phoibos, Orthes had mulled over the intentions of these spectral priests. Though the Estian priest had claimed ignorance, Orthes resolved to uncover their secrets this time.

“Originally, our meeting would have been more structured,” Orthes speculated.

The Phoibos priest had appeared directly in the real world, unlike the other priests, who manifested in dreams. Orthes theorized the difference stemmed from the relics’ locations.

“I found Phoibos’ relic in the sanctum of its temple. Presumably, the other relics should also have been found in their respective temples. More importantly, I was supposed to wake near a relic that would guide me on my journey.”

There was a pause. The giant furrowed its brow—or rather, its lightning face twisted to resemble a furrowed brow.

“What makes you so certain?”

“This is your grand endeavor, isn’t it? Surely you wouldn’t just throw some random person into the world and say, ‘Go kill the Mage King!’ You’d at least provide some guidance and indoctrination first.”

Orthes shrugged, his tone biting. While he described it as “indoctrination” to be polite, he pointed out it was essentially brainwashing. Their sole objective had been to create a “final weapon” to oppose the Mage King.

“But here’s the issue: the place where I woke up was a mess. The Ten Towers likely swept through it during a skirmish. The relic I was meant to encounter first probably went missing, and the remaining relics were either looted or hidden during the war. That’s why the relics ended up scattered and displaced.”

Only Phoibos’ relic had remained intact in its original location, allowing its priest to appear directly. The others, however, had no choice but to manifest in the liminal space of dreams.

“That’s hypothesis number one. Any objections?”

The giant raised the scale instead of answering, signaling that Orthes would have to respond to its question first. But Orthes had no intention of playing along with its riddles.

“I’ve answered enough of your questions. Whatever your plans are, they inevitably hinge on defeating the Mage King. While I acknowledge the necessity of that goal, I won’t indulge in these games any further. Answer mine instead.”

Orthes doubted the giant would comply. He wasn’t genuinely seeking an answer, either.

Now that he knew Carisia was present within the relic’s domain, he reasoned he could bypass the issue by observing the scale in her absence. He prepared his Eye for a precise observation.

But the giant’s next words caught him off guard.

***

“Is that your answer?”

“What?”

“Both questions have been answered. The scale has rendered its judgment. Now, the weights shall be unified.”

A blinding flash of light consumed the dreamscape.

The illusionary world conjured by the relic turned stark white. The two realms where Orthes and Carisia had resided collapsed into a single unified space.

***

“These damn priests… No wonder they’re ghosts now.”

Dragging someone into a dream without consent was one thing, but pulling unrelated people into it? That was idiotic.

Carisia waved at Orthes with an expression so cheerful it bordered on innocence. Orthes, well aware that his boss could unleash death beams with that same expression, returned the wave cautiously.

He wasn’t worried about her attacking him; her temper might just obliterate the thunder giant before they could extract any answers. Orthes hoped the giant’s existence could be extended by a minute or two, at least.

“What did you choose?” she asked.

“Hmm? Were you given a choice as well?”

“They kept shoving choices at me, making me pick between two options,” Carisia replied.

Her answer shed light on why Aegio’s Scale had only activated now. Unlike the first two encounters, which focused solely on Orthes, this one also questioned Carisia.

“Did it take two participants? Because of the symbolism of a scale, or for some other reason? I can’t say,” Orthes mused.

“I was told to choose between what I wanted most and something else I valued deeply. I hesitated, but before I could decide, the thing declared it had my answer.”

“Hesitated, huh…”

Carisia blinked a few times. Orthes tried to read her expression, but for once, it was difficult. He prided himself on his ability to understand her thoughts, but perhaps his skills had dulled during his frequent fieldwork.

***

“The verdict shall be pronounced.”

The thunder giant reappeared, parting the clouds. Its right side was faintly translucent—likely a consequence of Carisia’s earlier assault.

“You regard each other with equal weight. Thus, the scale’s true power shall be revealed.”

“Excuse me?”

The golden scale in the giant’s hand gleamed before disintegrating into particles of light. The golden dust flowed toward Orthes, merging with him.

As the light settled, the knowledge of how to use the relic’s power flowed into Orthes’ mind. When he had first acquired the scale, he hadn’t fully analyzed it, content to understand its name and surface-level abilities.

The apparent power of Aegio’s Scale was the Authority of Fate.

One could swear an oath upon the scale, declaring an intent to achieve a goal. In exchange for accepting specific restrictions, the scale would grant heavenly favor, manipulating fate to ensure a critical success at the opportune moment.

However, breaking the imposed restrictions would unleash a backlash that could strip away more than was gained.

…That was merely the surface power.

The true power, as revealed by the priest, was an inversion of this principle.