episode_0130

“Nice to meet you. I’ve been wanting to meet you for a while, and here we are.”

“Huh? Oh? Who are you?”

“I’m a friend of Sola’s. Aren’t you her younger brother?”

“Oh… Yes! That’s right!”

As their hands met, Zenon was momentarily taken aback, but soon smiled warmly and shook hands.

For a man, his hands were small and smooth.

Through his hand, one could feel that he had not endured much hardship in life.

He probably knew to some extent how much Sola had cherished and raised her younger brother.

‘If things get tough, I can use this guy as a hostage.’

He had been struggling without any leverage to threaten Sola.

But now, a hostage had willingly come into his hands.

Sola had dedicated her life solely to her younger brother, Zenon.

Originally, as a Swordmaster, she could have earned much more money by opening an academy, but she became a healing knight to mend her brother’s heart.

In the end, she abandoned her principles for her brother and became a powerful figure.

Zenon was not just Sola’s precious little brother, but also someone more important than his own life.

In other words, threatening Zenon as a hostage would definitely work.

“What about the person next to you…?”

“He’s just a slave.”

“Oh, I see. May I ask how you know each other?”

“Of course. I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Mijung. I met Sola on the battlefield. At that time, I was a merchant supplying goods to the Holy Knights.”

“Oh! I see!”

He had deceived them.

Whether it was because Sola had taken all the blame for him or because she was truly naive, she was incredibly gullible.

If I were a con artist, I could have committed insurance fraud right here and now with confidence.

Be grateful that I am a good person.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. They say you’re a very kind younger brother.”

“Oh, really? What else did they say about me?”

“They said you’re in a lot of pain… and they feel sorry that they can’t help you.”

“Oh, really? I don’t tell anyone else about my pain. They must be really close to you.”

“Well, yes.”

Before I knew it, I had become Sola’s close friend.

It would be easier to get Zenon’s cooperation this way.

“We were just chatting earlier, but your brother said he had to work because of a mission, so I came to send you back.”

“Hehe! Ahaha…”

“Why are you laughing?”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing. It’s just… calling him ‘brother’… Ahaha!”

“…”

“It’s strange. Even though we’re close, there are still some strange misunderstandings.”

“Misunderstandings? What do you mean by that?”

“You’ll have to figure that out for yourself. Hehe.”

Zenon suddenly burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.

Did I say something that funny?

Even when I asked why he was laughing, Zenon just waved it off, avoiding the question.

“By any chance… Have you noticed any changes in your brother recently if you’re so close to him?”

“Yes. He seems to have become a bit more irritable than before. Of course, Sola was known as a strict commander on the battlefield, with a demanding personality, but that was only in professional matters. In personal relationships, he was easygoing. But lately, he seems to be more easily annoyed. Something has definitely changed.”

“That’s right! I’ve been feeling the same way! I’m worried that something might have happened. I, um… Your brother always worries about me, but what I worry about is him. Even after I die, he will have to keep living… I don’t want to see him fall apart because of me. I’ve given up so much to take care of him all this time. I hope he can live the way he wants even after I’m gone.”

“…”

Despite his innocence, his mindset was mature and dignified.

Zenon already had a premonition of his own death and had accepted it.

Instead, he is worried about Solra after his own death.

What Xenon wants is for Solra to overcome pain and live happily after he dies.

I will do my best to fulfill Xenon’s wish.

I may not be able to make her completely happy, but I might be able to prevent her from falling into the abyss of evil.

And maybe even Xenon.

There is a very slim chance that he can be saved…

“Could you find out what your brother has been up to lately? I wanted to follow him, but I’m not feeling well…”

“Sure.”

“He said he’s been going to the Cologne Cathedral in his free time. I thought he had become very devout, but when I asked the bishops later, they said he had never been to the cathedral. So I thought he was lying, but they said they had seen him near the cathedral. So it’s not a complete lie… I’m curious about what he’s doing around the cathedral. Maybe it’s related to why he changed.”

“I’ll look into it.”

“Please do…”

Solra has been wandering around the Cologne Cathedral area recently…

I obtained valuable information.

“The surface is meaningless. What could be underground in the cathedral?”

Cologne was once the old capital of the Holy Empire.

If there is any suspicious activity on the surface, it will be exposed immediately.

So, Solra must be doing something underground.

Under the cathedral?

It’s a closed place.

“Oh. The storm drain.”

At that moment.

A map that had been discarded in the game came to mind.

Originally, there was a storm drain under the cathedral where an event was supposed to take place.

Due to delays in the development of that part, it was never implemented before the release date, and the storm drain was closed off.

Closed off and inaccessible to people, with a large space.

It’s the perfect place to hatch a conspiracy.

However, the problem is that even though it’s underground, the access point is on the surface.

Since it’s near the Papal Palace, there will be a lot of surveillance.

Solra may not be suspected much as a holy knight, but other archangels or monsters won’t be able to move an inch.

“Is Solra doing this alone? Or is there someone else who can avoid surveillance with her?”

Is there a collaborator of Solra within the Papal Palace?

There is still no certainty.

But now that I know the exact location, all that’s left is to defeat them.

“I should get back to work now that my break is over! If you want to meet me, my shop is over there! You can come by during the day. I’ll probably keep working unless I suddenly collapse.”

“I’ll come back after investigating.”

No matter who the opponent is, my task remains the same.

Catch Solra’s collaborator and thwart her plans.

Now, I can only hope that the fight doesn’t spread to the surface.

“I don’t need to take Xenon hostage.”

Thanks to that, I obtained valuable information.

It seems unnecessary to take Xenon hostage to threaten Solra.

“Oh, right.”

As I was about to head towards the Papal Palace.

I remembered that I am currently wanted for attempted rape.

And the escort who could prevent my arrest is currently buried in the ground…

What should I do about this?

“Mijung. I think I need your help.”

“…Yes.”

“Do you want to drink blood?”

“…Yes.”

There’s no other choice.

I have to force my way through.

***

“Thank you for attending the Mass even though it wasn’t on your schedule, Saint.”

“No, I should actually come more often… I’m sorry.”

After finishing the Mass.

I walked out into the corridor with the bishop, who kept bowing his head.

“By the way, Bishop.”

“Yes. What is it?”

Was Nicholas always prone to fainting spells…? Was he always in poor health?”

“Hysteria? I’ve never heard of it before.”

I explained what I had seen today to the puzzled head of the congregation.

The Archbishop Nicholas seemed to freeze up coldly as if dead, stiffening up.

And then, suddenly, his complexion returned, and he naturally resumed his usual demeanor.

At that moment, the head of the congregation whispered in even more confusion.

“I have never seen such a sight before. It’s strange. He seems to have a constitution where he stands and sleeps with such a weak pulse that it can’t be felt…”

“And do you feel like he’s become someone else?”

I didn’t have a particularly close relationship with Archbishop Nicholas.

We only met a few times at big events, exchanging greetings.

Despite the lack of contact, I felt that the him from before and the him I met today were slightly different.

It’s not that the person has changed.

It’s as if he has become an entirely ‘different person’.

“He has changed quite dramatically. He used to always dress in his original attire wherever he went, but these days, he seems to be dressing more casually. I choose to think of it as him becoming more modest.”

“Hmm…”

It seemed that not only I, but the head of the congregation also felt the same way.

No matter how much I thought about it, it was suspicious.

I should demand a focused investigation of Archbishop Nicholas during this inspection season.

An audit requested by the Saint herself is something that neither the Archbishop nor the Pope can escape from.

Even if they were to be thoroughly investigated, nothing would come out if they were confident.

Crash!

“Huh?!”

At that moment, a loud noise resounded from outside.

Is it a terrorist attack?!

The head of the congregation and I were startled and went outside to see what was happening.

The guards, on the other hand, were pushing in from outside to block us.

“It’s dangerous! Please evacuate inside!”

“No! We need to see what’s going on…”

“We will handle it! The safety of the Saint and the head of the congregation is our top priority!”

I was frustrated to no end.

In the end, I was dragged to the shelter and could only look outside through the window.

Soldiers who had rushed out in an instant seemed to be surrounding a certain area.

In that place, a girl in a hood was making strange gestures with her hands clasped together.

“…Field, deploy.”

“Magic?”

At that moment.

The girl’s figure disappeared like magic.

Even the soldiers seemed confused and flustered.

Some of the soldiers belatedly ran to where the girl had been, but she had truly vanished without a trace.

“Rune magic…”

Where the girl disappeared.

There was a faint trace of magic remaining.

Considering that there were no totems or cursed dolls visible, it seemed to be a method of inscribing magic directly into space using rune magic…

They are the most difficult ones even among the sorcerers.

But why would such a sorcerer come here?

Did they come to carry out a terrorist attack and then retreat due to the strict security?

“Oh. Wait a moment.”

“Why are you doing this, Saint!”

At that moment, I felt a presence.

A magical presence.

It was much fainter than the magic at the spot where the girl had been, so most people wouldn’t notice it.

But for someone sensitive to both magic and magical power like me, I could sense it.

That place is definitely…

“A passage leading to the sewer?”

Behind the cathedral.

There was a trace of rune magic that had been deployed and then released at the entrance to the sewer tunnel.

“I will pursue.”

Perhaps it has something to do with the white smoke.

I have to catch the tail no matter what.

“Saint! Where are you going! The shelter is this way!”

“I can feel magic coming from over there. Please follow me.”

“Saint!”

With that thought in mind, I led the guards and headed towards the back of the cathedral.

Although the alert had been raised on this side as well, the vigilance was strict.

But it seemed that no one had noticed this magic.

Moreover, it seemed that no one had even imagined that the enemy might have infiltrated the sewer.

“I’m going down.”

“This way is a dead end. The sewer tunnel is closed, so…”

“Then I will go down alone.”

“Ah! Lady Saint! Understood······. If you must go in, we will lead the way.”

Illuminating the darkness with glowing magic.

One by one, they descended into the old sewer through a ladder.

It would have been nice if it was just a dead-end as the guards said, and no one was below.

“Huh?! What in the world······!”

But of course.

The barricade blocking the way to the rainwater tunnel had collapsed without anyone noticing.

.

.

.

“Phew! Haah······. Manager. Can I take a break?”

“Sure. Take a break. You can rest without saying anything.”

Thud.

After serving for about 30 minutes without a break, Xenon collapsed on a chair on the terrace, feeling like his heart was about to burst.

He used to be able to work without a break for about an hour before.

But as time went on, he felt his stamina decreasing.

And he felt like his heart was dying.

The end was approaching.

“Xenon.”

“Huh? Master?”

When a voice called his name from behind, Xenon turned around and stood up.

It was Archbishop Nicholas, dressed in shabby clothes.

But the calmness in his attitude was gone.

For some reason, he seemed anxious.

“What’s going on here?”

“Xenon. Where is Solar?”

“Huh? Probably out on a mission?”

“Don’t you know for sure? Didn’t she come looking for you today?”

“No. I guess she’s too busy to visit.”

“Oh my god······. Where is Solar and what is she doing? I told you to watch her, but what have you been doing until she makes contact with the Saint······.”

Nicholas muttered in a voice so small that it was barely audible, biting his finger in frustration.

Xenon was puzzled by this.

It was clearly a different side of Nicholas than usual.

“It can’t be helped. I have to advance the plan. You must be the 666th, Xenon.”

“The 666th? What are you talking about?”

Nicholas looked at Xenon with a cold gaze.

Feeling a sinister aura, Xenon took a step back.

“Xenon! Xenon! What’s wrong? Weren’t you resting here? Did you go to the bathroom without saying anything?”

And a moment later.

When the manager came out to look for Xenon, there was no one on the terrace.