chapter_0265

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
265

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
265

“…What do you mean by that?”

Phoebe blinked at me when I mentioned we would need to ‘sell our
dignity.’

I get it. If anyone else said something like this to me, I’d probably
call them crazy, too.

But it was something I had to warn her about.

The person we were about to meet, Isabel Artea, was a pervert
obsessed with the sacred power of the Lord. I had no doubt that she’d
have a similar reaction to Phoebe, just as she had to me.

Even if Phoebe was the Saint, she’d take quite a mental beating
just standing in front of that pervert. I had to prepare her
mentally.

And besides, there was always the chance that we would actually have
to sacrifice our dignity together. Better to get that out of the way
and avoid any resentment later.

‘Isabel Artea is… well, to put it simply, quite an odd person.’

“She’s a repulsive fanatic. If she senses divine power, she’d
lick a pit if that’s what it took.”

“The head of the Artea family?”

‘…Oh? Phoebe, don’t tell me—’

“Sloppy Saint, you know about that perverted zealot?”

“Of course I do. She provides substantial support to the Church of
the Lord. I’ve met her several times at official functions.”

Thinking back, that was true.

Isabel Artea had been deeply tied to the Church of the Lord for a
long time. Where else could she get the information on every sacred
artifact that was available?

She used her wealth to maintain ties with the church and purchase
countless relics through those connections. Naturally, she’d have
attended various events, and Phoebe would’ve met her there.

“The Lady Artea I know was always elegant and dignified.”

‘Her?’

“That insane woman?”

Elegance? Dignity? What part of that pervert could possibly be
described with words like that?

When I gave Phoebe a genuinely puzzled look, she offered me an
awkward smile.

Hmm. Did Isabel seriously do nothing to Phoebe? The moment she saw
me, her gaze practically screamed she wanted to lock me away.

Thinking about it, even in the game’s storyline, there wasn’t any
hint that Isabel had ever tried anything with Phoebe.

Was it because Phoebe was a false saint at that point?

“Anyway, we’re going to ask Lady Artea for a favor, right? I’ll
do my best.”

Phoebe, who seemed oblivious to Isabel’s true nature, clasped her
hands and declared her determination to be of help. Her innocence was
almost refreshing.

Alright, Phoebe. I’ll spare you the gritty details for now.

You’ll figure it out naturally once you truly become the saint.

And then you’ll understand what I mean today.

There were a few reasons why I had gone to see Phoebe before visiting
the Artea family.

Phoebe was important for the plan I had in mind.

She was someone I was closest to.

She was someone I could count on to help me.

And, among all these reasons, there was also the fact that she would
make it easier for me to get into the Artea household.

After all, it was only yesterday that I’d beaten up the Artea
family’s guards.

No matter how favorably the head of the Artea family might look upon
me—which wasn’t just ‘a little’ favorably, honestly—those
feelings probably didn’t extend to the guards. Another altercation
seemed quite possible.

But Phoebe? She was the face of the Church of the Lord, someone who
had been spreading kindness across the land. She was, in short, the
idol of the entire continent!

Who could possibly greet Phoebe’s smiling face with hostility?

If Phoebe led the way, we’d have no trouble getting into the Artea
household.

With this in mind, I had planned to leave dealing with the guards
entirely to Phoebe before we approached the household.

“Welcome, Lady Allen!”

““Welcome!””

“We sincerely apologize for the great inconvenience we caused you
yesterday!”

““We’re so sorry!””

Apparently, my concern had been completely unnecessary.

The moment the guards at the entrance spotted me, they immediately
bent at the waist and bowed their heads.

Strange. Yesterday, when I left, none of them had looked at me with
particularly friendly eyes.

What on earth did Isabel do after I left?

I was curious, but I decided not to ask. I probably wouldn’t like
the answer.

After such a warm welcome, Phoebe and I were immediately led to a
reception room.

We didn’t even have to wait. Before the servant could even finish
preparing the tea, Isabel Artea had entered the room.

“Welcome, Lady Allen. To think that you’d visit again so
soon—this is the greatest honor.”

Isabel entered the room and tried to offer a greeting befitting a
noble of her status, but her intentions missed the mark.

The immaculate clothes and reserved movements were good, but her
facial expression was the problem.

She looked excited, like her face might melt off. It wasn’t an
expression befitting a noble—or any human being, really.

It was, without a doubt, the face of a pervert.

Phoebe, who had been smiling, stiffened in shock.

“…Ah, Lady Saint. I apologize, I didn’t realize you were here
too.”

After mumbling some pleasantries at me, Isabel finally noticed Phoebe
beside me and hastily composed herself, sitting down across from us.

When it came to Phoebe, at least, she acted normal.

I guess it’s not the amount of divine power that matters, but the
quality of it.

…Damn. That means, in the worst-case scenario, I’ll have to be
the one to act as bait.

Fine. The only option is to make sure things don’t come to that.

After the formal greetings, Isabel took a sip of the tea brought by
the servant, eyeing both Phoebe and me.

Then, after placing her cup down, she focused her attention on me.

“So, Lady Allen, what brings you here today?”

‘I need a few things from you.’

“I figured you might have some items that are too valuable for a
perverted fanatic like you. I’m here to collect them.”

“Didn’t you say there was nothing else you needed besides the
slab?”

I had.

Isabel had tried to sway me by talking about various items, and I’d
told her I needed none of them.

But things had changed. To save Burrow.

To drive out the darkness lurking in that place.

To make another sun rise beneath the darkness.

I needed the sacred artifacts Isabel had gathered.

‘The situation has changed.’

“Still, I think those relics are far too valuable for someone like
you.”

“And which items, precisely, are you referring to?”

Instead of answering, I pulled out a piece of paper from my coat and
handed it to her.

Isabel glanced down at the paper in her hand, stiffened for a moment,
then forced a smile as she began to read out what was written.

“The Staff of Taornati. A staff once used by one of the ancient
saints. It’s of great historical value, quite an expensive
artifact.”

The Staff of Taornati.

I couldn’t care less about the historical value.

All that mattered to me was the function it served: once a day, it
amplified divine energy.

“The sacred water created when the Lord descended. It was extremely
difficult to acquire, considering it’s classified as a sacred relic
by the church.”

Even though Sloppy Lord was just a pervert who wanted to dress a
little girl in a bunny suit, he was still a God. Anything he touched
became a top-class catalyst.

In this instance, the sacred water would serve as the perfect medium
to link Phoebe’s divine magic to mine.

“The soil from what was once the Holy Land.”

The base for the miracle I was about to perform.

“Powder made from the wing of an angel.”

The material I would use to draw upon that soil.

“A sacred sword that has been blessed for over a hundred years.”

The central piece for all of the miracles we were about to perform.

“And lastly, the Lord’s essence, which you provided in exchange
for the slab.”

Lastly, the power that would fuel the miracle.

After listing everything I had written down, Isabel put the paper
back on the table and gave a hollow laugh.

“Each one of these is incredibly precious.”

She was right. Each of the items I had listed was, without exception,
an artifact of divine power.

Buying all of them would cost hundreds of platinum coins.

“I am wealthy, but I do not have the means to collect all of them,
Lady Allen.”

Yeah. Fair enough. These things aren’t exactly the kind of items
that money alone would buy.

‘But you do have them, don’t you?’

“You have them, right? I know you do, you foolish zealot.”

But Isabel, you’re not just a wealthy individual, are you?

You have more than enough wealth.

You have the power to be the first to approach when sacred artifacts
come into circulation.

And you have an obsession for relics that borders on madness.

With all that, of course you have them.

You might fool others, but you can’t fool me.

I’ve looted your lands enough times during my raiding days to know
better.

“Indeed. It seems I cannot deceive you when it comes to sacred
artifacts, Lady Allen.”

Isabel didn’t even try to deny my words any further. She nodded
without hesitation.

“Yes, you are correct. Every item written here is in my vault.
However, as you must understand, each one of them is incredibly
valuable. No matter how fondly I think of you, Lady Allen, I cannot
simply hand them over out of goodwill.”

I knew that. Even if Isabel Artea was an insane woman obsessed with
sacred power, she still had her limits.

She was, at her core, a merchant. There was no way she’d just give
away her vast collection without some gain.

“What do you intend to trade for these items?”

As shameless as I am, I wouldn’t expect her to hand over items
worth hundreds of platinum coins for free.

Of course, I came prepared with an offer that would make Isabel
drool.

Something no one else could offer or even think to offer.

‘The right to help me.’

“I’ll give you the right to aid me. How about it? Doesn’t that
sound like the kind of deal a perverted zealot like you would find
irresistible?”

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