Chapter 169

Chapter 169. Playing Catch-Up (1)

Fortunately, the distance wasn’t so far that I couldn’t hear.

“We were told earlier to inform you immediately if someone arrived from Santorna…”

At the words of the low-rank priest, garonik’s shoulders flinched and trembled.

As soon as I sensed movement in his head, I turned my body.

Instead of looking directly at Gallonic, I faced Kim Yul slightly.

One might think this sudden behavior was odd.

However, Kim Yul, prepared as if he had anticipated it, glanced around the conference hall and murmured.

“He’s not coming out. What should we do… Should we wait?”

Our content was something that wouldn’t be strange for us to discuss standing here.

Even if Gallonic came out of the conference room and overheard our conversation, he wouldn’t find anything suspicious.

‘He’s quite perceptive.’

He adjusted to my actions perfectly, which increasingly pleased me without needing lengthy explanations.

“You decide.”

I swallowed a smile, focusing on the sounds behind me.

Soon, the footsteps quickened and started to fade away.

Then, after a bit, the sound changed slightly and became blunter.

‘He turned the corner of the hallway.’

I turned to confirm no one was standing in the stretching corridor.

Only then did I start to follow the path Gallonic had taken.

Because I quickened my steps, the two people had already gone quite far in a short time.

But the senses of the Gold Rank caught some of their voices despite the distance.

“… This should be enough. What were the features of the person who visited?”

“They were wearing a hood…”

“That will do.”

“But what about the banquet in the capital tonight? Lady Giselle keeps asking repeatedly. She’s urging for a quick response…”

“Tch, what a nuisance… No, maybe this is good… I need to secure more invitations, so contact Giselle.”

That’s as far as I could hear, as I had reached the corner of the hallway and had to stop.

There was no guarantee that Gallonic wouldn’t turn around once he reached the end of this corridor.

Beyond this hallway was a long, straight corridor that took about five minutes to walk from end to end.

Since I had taken the same path while coming to the conference hall, I was sure.

Even if I used Invisibility, the symbol above my head would remain, and there were no structures to conceal it.

‘I don’t need to get caught following them.’

I stood at the corner of the hallway, listening to their voices grow fainter.

“Ah, yes! But what about your attendance…”

“I’ll be there, so stop urging me! I need to send a telegram first.”

“And, uh, what kind of attire should we prepare…?”

Soon, their voices became softer and harder to distinguish from those remaining in the conference hall.

‘Santorna, the capital, banquet, Giselle, attendance, telegram…’

While I etched a few keywords into my mind, Kim Yul approached and spoke.

“Doesn’t it seem a bit off to you?”

More than a bit, to be honest.

“It seems quite off.”

“Do you think they’re associated with them… or perhaps colluding?”

“It’s not certain.”

I said it vaguely, but the possibility was there.

Kim Yul’s gaze darkened slightly.

He seemed to recall the horrific scenes he had witnessed in the past.

“Do you think the Order suspects them? They can’t be completely unaware, right?”

Kim Yul’s voice was uncharacteristically sullen.

“Who knows…”

I leaned against the wall of the hallway, arms crossed, lost in thought.

‘It’s not a massive shock that the traffickers are in cahoots with the monster side.’

They’re just those kinds of people doing those kinds of things.

It wasn’t something I found shocking or disappointing.

However, if members of the Order were entangled with the traitors…

I swallowed a sigh as I raised my head, seeing a massive statue of the World Tree carved in white marble.

The sculpture was as tall as a 10-story building, visible from anywhere in the Central Temple.

Its presence was quite powerful.

‘Then what’s the use?’

When the 7 Great Orders, which should be united under the banner of harmony, are in such disarray.

How aware are the 7 Great Gods of this chaos?

Without any answers to those increasingly burdensome questions, stopping to ponder wasn’t an option.

I lowered my gaze slightly to organize my thoughts.

‘I’m quite certain about some collaboration between certain Orders and the traffickers.’

At the very least, some high-ranking officials affiliated with Senoa and Agnotia were definitely cooperating.

Since the lives of players affiliated with those Orders were at stake, they wouldn’t lie.

‘On the other hand, it’s too soon to confirm the Order’s collaboration with the traitors.’

There was no clear evidence.

‘Unlike the previous case, there is no testimony.’

Yet, there were too many suspicious aspects to completely dismiss the doubt.

‘Leaving the investigation to the Order would just be pointless.’

Gallonic’s support overshadowed everything; an investigation wouldn’t achieve anything.

Besides, I didn’t have the means to investigate him myself.

‘If I mishandle this, today’s meeting might become useless.’

There’s no guarantee that Gallonic’s backers wouldn’t press the Order’s headquarters.

If I let my guard down, I might get blindsided.

With my forehead creased, I tapped my temple with my finger.

Absorbed in grappling with elusive thoughts, I didn’t even realize my external senses had dulled.

“Hyung.”

It wasn’t until Kim Yul, standing next to me, tapped my shoulder that I became aware of the situation.

“K, you haven’t left yet.”

“Priestess Yuria.”

Yuria and her party, who had emerged from the conference hall, were right next to us.

Smiling as warmly as ever, she gestured slightly toward the conference hall and spoke.

“It seems everyone is getting up from their seats.”

It seemed like her subtle way of telling us to leave now. It was a considerate gesture.

Other priests were starting to discuss leaving just as the meeting concluded, according to what I had initially stated.

In reality, priests were beginning to leave the conference room en masse.

Yet, my feet found it difficult to move.

I hesitated over whether to follow Gallonic down the hallway.

‘He did say he was attending the banquet in the capital.’

There’s no guarantee that trailing him to the capital would result in catching him, nor do I even have a means to travel to the capital.

So, the option to follow Gallonic wasn’t even under consideration.

However, as I kept mulling over what Gallonic had said, a lingering unease remained.

Eventually, I saw priests approaching upon noticing me, but I refrained from leaving and spoke.

“Sorry for the suddenness…”

“What is it?”

“Is there any way for me to visit the capital?”

“The capital?”

Yuria looked surprised at my abrupt question.

But soon after, her puzzled gaze met Lario’s.

That exchange alone was sufficient as an answer.

‘As expected, it won’t be possible.’

Indeed, in a world where the emperor remains alive and well, entering and exiting the capital at will wouldn’t be easy.

No players thus far have entered the capital of the Atar Empire because there are legitimate reasons behind it.

‘Although there seem to be some who have visited Gemal through portals.’

Such visits were focused purely on sightseeing.

Even so, the attention drawn by the player’s symbol often pressured a prompt return.

I was about to retract my request before Yuria could uncomfortably refuse it.

“Since the second prince mocked the disappearance of the Goddess, the Order of Palao hasn’t interacted with the Atar royal family.”

However, before I could open my mouth, someone else spoke up.

“The emperor subtly dismissed us, so severing ties was simple.”

The unfamiliar voice came from the opposite direction of the conference hall, where Gallonic had departed.

There, a man with tousled golden hair and golden eyes stood.

His tattered cloak and shoes covered in dirt present a stark contrast to his striking eyes.

‘Around his early fifties, roughly.’

Judging by the sword at his waist, probably a knight.

Whether it’s fortunate or unfortunate, I recognized the man’s identity without needing an introduction.

“Gretman, you’ve returned.”

Yuria directly introduced his name to me.

“Yes, have you been well, Yuria?”

The man called Gretman moved towards Yuria and me without making a sound with his footsteps.

“Thanks to the Goddess’s grace, yes. Have you been well yourself?”

“I, too, have been well thanks to the Goddess.”

I focused my gaze on the man exchanging words with Yuria.

‘Gretman Rohil Angrimart.’

The last remaining direct descendant of the Angrimart Empire and the first apostle of the Order of Palao.

But among all the terms describing Gretman, his origin or affiliation isn’t what stands out most.

A brief glance downwards revealed thae sword, the most spectacular and threatening element of his background.

‘The strongest among the Biharin.’

The only human capable of matching top warriors of other species, like Horfe.

‘At this level, is he even still considered human?’

Honestly, even now, with a Gold Rank, I don’t feel confident in prevailing over someone like Horfe or Breche.

They were born fundamentally different from humans.

Merely having a lot of mana doesn’t ensure you’re strong enough to be compared with other species.

Yet, that man caught up to that daunting difference solely with his sword.

‘I heard it’s rare to see him because he’s seldom with the Order.’

I never imagined I’d meet the greatest human swordsman quite out of the blue.

‘Unexpected, but not unwelcome.’

Thanks to him, all the priests stealthily approaching from the conference hall halted en masse.

As Gretman glanced at them, unable to meet his gaze, they turned away.

“Wherever you go, it seems there’s never a shortage of ants.”

“Gretman, as always, mind your words. The Goddess is watching.”

While Yuria reprimanded Gretman, I deeply resonated with his blunt words.

So much so that I laughed unconsciously, without realizing it.

Perhaps in response to that laughter, Gretman’s gaze landed on me.

I flinched as something other than his gaze seemed to sweep over me.

But I didn’t need to deliberate what it was.

‘He’s using divinity.’

The sensation was identical to what I had felt several times the first time I met Rashar.

Back then, I didn’t realize it was Palao’s divinity that was observing me.

Having experienced it several times now, I could distinctly recognize Palao’s divinity.

‘I don’t particularly exhibit any traits of charity.’

For some reason, Gretman continued observing me with divinity activated.

As time passed, a confrontational atmosphere began forming.

There was no point in observing each other in silence indefinitely.

“My name is K. Thanks to you, I managed to avoid some trouble. Thank you.”

“Honesty is good. Judging by your expression, it seems you know who I am.”

As I introduced myself, Gretman responded with a handshake.

I grabbed his hand, nodded, and shook it firmly.

“Yes, Sir Gretman. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“I, too, have heard much about you.”

Even after, Gretman’s golden eyes continued scrutinizing me up and down.

“Is there a reason?”

Although I asked for a reason, he neither answered nor evaded.

Resisting the urge for my gaze to shift towards Yuria, I shook my head.

“No, just out of curiosity…”

“I could take you to the capital, though.”

Damned System

TL’s Corner:

To the capital.