Chapter 265: Who are you? (5)

Chapter 265: Who are you?
(5)

Earth
Mother Goddess Order, Eden Branch.

Even
here, where available resources were more limited than on the ground
in Valerus, the pure white temple stood tall.

It
was only natural, being one of the most influential forces in this
labyrinth city, but it was truly difficult not to exclaim in
admiration at the majestic building.

While
admiring the temple that seemed to fill one with faith just by
looking at it, I asked.

“What
kind of person is Louis Jellicy? I only know their name.”

In
response to my question, Beer and Hope explained while rubbing their
chins.

“They
oversee the Eden branch of the Earth Goddess Order, successor to
Senior Bishop Coolid. Oh, and additionally, they’re a lion beastkin.”

“…A
lion beastkin, you say?”

“Yes!
They’re a person with beautiful, lush golden fur who is both
beautiful and brave!”

A
lion beastkin. It was unexpected information.

As
evident from Serif and Hitolis, the Earth Goddess Order had a
surprisingly high ratio of beastkin. Especially feline beastkin.

“Although
they’re currently a mid-rank bishop, in just a few more years, they
might follow behind Serif, who became the youngest and most recent
high-rank priest.”

Louis
Jellicy must have quite a good reputation within the temple, as Hope
and Beer continued with sparkling eyes.

“Moreover,
as a personality that values gratitude, they even asked a swordsman
who saved their life in the labyrinth to become their guard paladin!”

“Hmm.
Priest Hope. Are you perhaps talking about Giltear?”

“Yes!”

“Certainly,
Ms. Giltear’s skill with a rapier is amazing, but honestly, I find
her rather off-putting. It’s like she’s difficult to approach… No
matter how skilled she is or how much trust she receives from
Jellicy, something about her feels suspicious.”

“Isn’t
that simply because Ms. Giltear is prettier than you, Beer?!”

“……”

Beer,
who was already rumored to like Hope by the Amel party, maintained
silence for a moment, then cleared her throat and continued.

“Ahem.
Anyway, Jellicy is a veteran bishop who has experience going down to
the lower entrance. I’ve accompanied Jellicy several times when they
went on expeditions. They’re someone you can fully trust.”

However,
the words of the two followers became suspicious the moment I sensed
the faint magi at the door.

[Kuk.
As expected of those who believe in the likes of the Earth Mother
Goddess. Both their eyes and noses for smelling are completely messed
up.]

Bunny
snorted in derision, mocking Hope and Bier, but I couldn’t bring
myself to blame them.

‘Hope
and Beer told me the truth.’

I
couldn’t detect any of the unstable gazes or gestures typical of
those who tell lies in their behavior.

Everything
they told me was sincere, coming from their hearts.

It
was a pure answer, not thinking at all that someone hiding magi had
infiltrated the temple. Moreover,

‘If
I hadn’t raised my Finesse, I wouldn’t have noticed the magi at all.’

It
was quite different in texture from the magi I had encountered so
far.

For
example, the Elder Lich or the demon worshipper Gott who worshipped
anger.

Unlike
that sticky magi that caused disgust and revulsion just by
encountering it, and instinctively felt unpleasant.

The
magi emanating from the reception room where Louis Jellicy and their
guard paladin were said to be gave the impression that such disgust
and repulsive energy had been thoroughly excluded.

In
terms of scent, it was colorless and odorless.

Not
a clean absence of scent, but closer to the feeling of numerous
fragrances overlapping to numb the sense of smell.

Even
I, whose Finesse stat was approaching 30 and whose perception ability
had greatly increased, only felt a sense of discomfort, so ordinary
people probably wouldn’t have noticed at all.

But
on my back now was Bunny, who had absorbed the magi of sloth and had
several additional abilities strengthened… for instance, a stronger
sense of smell for detecting magi.

[They’ve
hidden the magi well, but they still couldn’t escape the limitations
of a lesser being.]

Her
mockery added certainty to my feeling of discomfort.

‘In
there is a minion of a demon worshipper.’

I
had come with a light heart, but now the situation had changed and I
made a small resolution internally.

Perhaps
a battle might break out here.

Creeeeak—

Finally,
as Beer opened the door, the scene of the reception room came into
view.

It
was a reception room that gave a neat and luxurious atmosphere like
Serif’s secret lesson room.

My
eyes fell on a golden-haired lion beastkin sitting on the sofa next
to the table, and a woman with green eyes standing behind her as if
guarding.

After
examining the golden-haired lion beastkin sitting on the sofa, I
tilted my head inwardly.

[Louis
Jellicy LV.46]

[Current
blessings and curses possessed by Louis Jellicy: 4]

‘…What
is this?’

Something
was strange.

“Grrrr…!
Finally, you’ve come!”

The
golden-haired lion beastkin, wearing a neat priest’s robe and making
beast-like sounds with every breath, approached me.

Louis
Jellicy removed their gloves and extended a hand to me.

“A
bishop who will become the brave light of the great Earth Mother
Goddess Order. I am Louis Jellicy! Grrrr!”

I
stared blankly at the hand that was no different from an actual
lion’s, with a much higher animal ratio than an ordinary beastkin.

“Grrrr.
Are you perhaps a racist who doesn’t shake a beastkin’s hand?”

“Ah,
no, that’s not it. I’m Balkan.”

Feeling
somewhat bewildered by the atmosphere that was quite different from
what I had expected, I shook her beast-like hand.

Then
Louis Jellicy raised the corners of her mouth and squeezed my hand
firmly.

A
grip strength that was hard to believe from a bishop with almost no
combat ability.

‘…With
this grip strength, she’d be right below Jubeel.’

Although
Jubeel, who handled the swift sword technique, had more technique
stat than strength, she had above-average strength even among
mid-rank explorers.

It
was certainly surprising for a bishop to have such strength.

Could
she perhaps have strengthened herself with a miracle?

“…Hoho?
Your expression doesn’t change at all.”

“Should
I pretend to be in pain?”

“What
did you say? Grrrrrrrr!”

When
I calmly asked if she had expected me to show pain while holding my
hand, Jellicy howled in a boisterous voice.

Seeing
her grab their stomach and lean backward, it seemed like she was
laughing hard.

“Grrrr!
Beer’s words weren’t completely nonsense after all! I was honestly
half-skeptical when she said you caught an Elder Lich that handles
magi on your own!”

“When
did I ever talk nonsense? I only spoke the truth.”

In
response to Beer’s retort, Louis Jellicy laughed heartily again and
looked at me.

“Grrrrrrrr!
I’m sorry. I couldn’t contain my curiosity. I squeezed your hand as a
sort of test, but I never expected this kind of reaction! The
strength I felt was extraordinary! You have an incredible body!”

“Um…
thank you?”

Setting
aside how to take body compliments from a bishop, it was a much more
positive reaction than expected.

And
above all.

‘I
can’t feel any magi.’

I
couldn’t feel a speck of magi from the bishop in front of me.

[It’s
not that one.]

Bunny
murmured slowly to me as I was puzzled.

[It’s
that one over there.]

“Grrrr!
Giltear! What do you think of this fellow?! In my opinion, he seems
quite good!”

Louis
Jellicy turned around and asked.

Only
then did my gaze turn to the other person in this space, the
red-haired, green-eyed guard paladin who was protecting Louis Jellicy
from behind.

[Cleassia
LV.52]

[Current
blessings and curses possessed by Cleassia: 5]

She,
with a name completely different from the one Jellicy called her,
stared at me with green eyes.

[Despite
trying hard to hide it, the stench of a follower of envy is wafting
strongly to me. Look. That woman is targeting me.]

More
precisely, me and Bunny whom I was carrying on my back.

A
gaze that seemed to say, ‘Why is that thing here, and why is it with
you?’

I’ve
seen that gaze before.

When
I first met Belle, the worshipper of gluttony, I saw that expression
then too.

Cleassia,
who quickly erased her surprised expression, spoke in a polite voice.

“…Indeed,
he’s an interesting person.”

“Right?
I thought you would think so! You pretend to be indifferent, but you
like tests of strength! Grrrrrrrr!”

Cleassia,
who approached me past the heartily laughing Jellicy, naturally
extended her hand.

“I
am Giltear. With Jellicy—”

“It’s
a connection we’ve maintained for over 2 years already! Grrrrrrrr!”

“Haha.
Yes. Well… that’s right.”

Cleassia,
who introduced herself as Giltear, smiled awkwardly at Louis
Jellico’s words, but.

Her
green eyes were watching only for my reaction, without a trace of
laughter.

“…I’m
Balkan.”

I
answered in the calmest voice possible.

As
I naturally shook her hand and checked Cleassia’s status window, my
suspicion became certainty.

[◆
Blessing of the Three Pieces of Envy]

— You
can induce emotions in targets who think deeply of you.

— However,
it is limited to three targets who have affection for you.

[◆
Blessing of Deception]

— You
can store up to five appearances.

— You
can change your appearance according to the stored appearances.

— Maximum
usage 3 times per month. Remaining uses: 2.

Most
of it would have been censored if I were as I was before catching the
Elder Lich, but thanks to my significantly increased level, some of
the blessings and curses she possessed were exposed nakedly.

‘It
wasn’t Jellicy.’

The
one harboring the magi of envy is this woman and, the moment I
recalled her name, a spark flew in my mind.

‘I’ve
heard it somewhere.’

I
remember seeing the name Cleassia in none other than in the notebook
Serif gave me.

—Please
find a person for me.

A
mysterious individual with numerous aliases and faces, whom Serif had
asked me to report if I ever encountered.

—She
was the successor to the high bishop who brought me to the temple,
but now as you can see… she’s a foolish one who has fallen into the
path of corruption.

Someone
who was once highly regarded but now has fallen to be treated as
trash even by outlaws who are considered trash in the labyrinth city.

A
person whose alias was on the Explorer Union’s wanted list.

‘…This
is truly messed up.’

Such
a person had gained the trust of a mid-rank bishop with various
expectations… and secured the position of guard paladin.

It
meant she was openly spying, relying only on the Blessing of
Deception, which could change appearances.

Of
course. In a normal situation, there would be no way to discover her
blessing or alias…

Cleassia,
who felt the grip strength of my hand and smiled grimly, said.

“I’ve
heard rumors many times, but this is the first time meeting you in
person.”

“You’ve
heard rumors about me?”

“I’ve
been consistently hearing stories ever since Balkan came to Eden a
few months ago. The prodigy who is the disciple of the great Idelbert
and single-handedly annihilated an outlaw clan.”

“I
was just lucky.”

“Haha.
How could that be done with luck? It’s all impossible without your
excellence. How it’s possible… I’m really, really curious about
many things. I’d love to have a time to talk honestly with you,
Balkan.”

“…Haha.
I welcome that.”

I
nodded outwardly, but there was no chance that this criminal’s wish
would actually come true.

Cleassia
And I held each other’s hands tightly, having such a conversation
with expressionless faces.

“Grrrr.
What, what is it with you two? Did you fall in love at first sight?”

Taking
advantage of the confused Jellicy who noticed the subtle atmosphere
between me and Cleassia.

I
rummaged through my pocket and pressed the button on the notebook
Serif had given me.

-Zzzzing.

With
a small vibration, a signal that an enemy had been found was
transmitted to Serif.

“Nate
Elin.”

“Yes!
Serif!”

“Prepare
for departure.”

Serif,
holding a wand, glared at the labyrinth with cold eyes.

The
location from which the tracking device and security bell she had
given him sent a signal was the Eden branch of the Earth Goddess
Order.

Serif
knew very well what that meant.

Sincerely
hoping for his safety, she commanded in an icy cold voice.

“We’re
going to execute a renegade who has abandoned her faith.”