Godslayer

The moment I arrived at the clubroom, I was enveloped in an inexplicable sense of unease. It was the same clubroom I saw every day. The backdrop of the clubroom was already as familiar as it could get. I could close my eyes and walk straight to the sofa without fumbling around.

I felt like something had changed, but I couldn’t quite grasp what it was. Perhaps it wasn’t a big change after all. Maybe it was just the feeling I got because of the new wardrobe that had taken its place.

Thinking that way, I was sitting at my desk, organizing the things I had to do during the vacation, when Estelle suddenly came to the clubroom.

It was perhaps natural that the club members would cast interesting glances at the timid and lovely senior who seemed to have no connection with me at all. Luna just kept looking back and forth between me and Estelle with a strange gaze.

Estelle, who was so nervous that she was hyperventilating, whispered softly so that only I could hear.

,”Co, come to Modiste.”

It seems impossible to explain any further in this place. Leaving those words behind, Estelle fled the clubroom as if running away. If Estelle came to find me in person, it must be important. If I made her wait, she would curse me out.

When I told Luna that I was going out for a while, Aria, who was eating snacks next to her, dropped the snack she was holding as if acting, and trembled.

,”Su, surely you’re not going to confess… an affair with a senior- Ack!”

-Ttak!

I flicked Aria’s forehead for talking nonsense, told Luna that I would be back soon, and left the clubroom.

***

,”Finally, Bella has requested a meeting with the Lily Society at Modiste.”

It had been a while since Estelle had gotten straight to the point as soon as I sat down. Did she fix her bad habit of grumbling about anything? Estelle is improving too.

,”The purpose of the meeting is probably the improved portal that was decided to be revealed at the gathering, right?”

I said that and drank the warm herbal tea that Ember gave me.

,”Of course. From the Crown Princess’s point of view, the mere existence of an improved portal is a huge headache. If the prototype is revealed at the gathering, the competition will surely become excessive because of the greedy nobles, so she’s trying to negotiate with the Lily Society before that happens.”

The current portal magic is strictly managed by the Imperial Family on a monopoly basis. The net profit earned from the portal station every day could not be matched by any noble.

But what if a more efficient and cost-effective portal appears? It’s like a fire has fallen on the Imperial Family’s feet.

Estelle seemed very satisfied with the current situation and was more relaxed than usual. It seems that Modiste has gained a lot of profit from acting as an intermediary between the Lily Society. If the improved portal is sold, the money they will get will be enormous.

I suddenly became curious and asked.

,”Won’t the Order aim for the money from selling the improved portal?”

Estelle raised one corner of her mouth.

,”Modiste is an independent group. The Order only gets the information obtained here as a ‘guest’.”

At Estelle’s words, I stroked my chin.

,”…Why did the Pope let Modiste operate? It’s not even a lower group, and he guarantees autonomy so that they can move independently.”

From the Order’s point of view, Modiste is not helpful. They don’t make money, and they don’t bring in new believers. I wondered if the Pope was planning something secret.

As if reading my thoughts, Estelle made a tsk- sound.

,”That was the condition for accepting the restrictions.”

,”For creating Modiste?”

,”Yes, my grandfather, who negotiated with the Pope, thought that the family’s mission should be maintained even if he was bound by restrictions. My grandfather was considered the only one who could reach Godslayer at the time. So the Pope accepted the offer without taking the risk of annihilation.”

At Estelle’s words, I frowned for a moment. The unfamiliar word Godslayer, which suddenly popped out, bothered me like a thorn in my throat.

,”What is Godslayer?”

At my question, Estelle answered in a serious voice.

,”It’s the mission left to our family. Godslayer is the highest level of assassin that the founder of the family, the Parel family, reached, capable of killing even gods. Modiste was created to find information to reach Godslayer. And also to find the family that was scattered because of the Order.”

Another story had been added to the setting of Modiste that I created. Did plausibility work?

More than anything, I was bothered by the fact that a person could reach a level where they could kill a god. Is that really possible? Even the munchkin Roel has never fought a god. In the first place, the ‘god’ mentioned in this novel is a vague being that exists everywhere and nowhere. To kill such a god. It’s like cutting the air.

Estelle sighed at my questioning expression.

,”You stupid bastard! It just means that’s the level of skill, do you think it really means they killed a god? Why are you taking it so seriously?”

At Estelle’s criticism, I scratched my head and nodded obediently.

,”I’m glad Modiste is safe though.”

At my words, Estelle crossed her arms and scoffed.

,”I won’t do anything that would make you worry about me. So just relax.”

I nodded at her reassuring words and continued to drink my herbal tea.

,”Anyway! I want to meet Bella this time. Of course, the purpose of the meeting is not a deal, but simply to raise the price. The Imperial Family, who is eager, will surely offer a huge amount of money. I’ll secretly leak that to the participants of the gathering and stimulate their competitiveness, and we’ll make a lot of money… Hehehe.”

That’s a good idea. I wouldn’t mind if the improved portal I created was sold at a high price. Unless the Golden King comes forward himself, Bella will eventually be the buyer. As a service, I will be able to get a few things I need from the Imperial Family’s warehouse. I’m the super ‘Gap’ right now.

,”Okay. Then… I will go to Bella’s personal laboratory myself sometime in the afternoon after the closing ceremony.”

,”Heung, are you sure? Knowing Bella’s personality, she might threaten you with force?”

,”She’s not stupid enough to make such a self-defeating move.”

,”That’s true. But just in case, should I hide nearby?”

I shook my head at Estelle’s suggestion. Bella is not a stupid person. The deal for the improved portal was not related to Roel, so she will definitely act rationally.

Estelle shrugged her shoulders.

,”Well, you’re not a complete trash anymore. You’ll know how to do it. Then I’ll tell Ember to contact her. What time should we set the appointment for tomorrow afternoon?”

At Estelle’s question, I smiled.

,”I told you, sometime in the afternoon.”

,”So, you have to tell me exactly when sometime in the afternoon is…”

Estelle, who trailed off, stroked her mask and said.

,”…Are you going to take the initiative?”

I guess she finally understood what I meant. I smiled and nodded. It was an arrogant suggestion to keep the entire afternoon open because she didn’t know when I would visit the laboratory.

It was also a preemptive strike that I would not trade unless the Crown Princess, who is busy without a break, invested her entire afternoon in me.

It means you have to act like an ‘Eul’ if you want to trade with me.

Estelle nodded leisurely and said in a satisfied voice.

,”…You’re like a dank pig, but I like this! Okay, I’ll tell her that!”

***

I bought snacks to eat with the club members and ran into Navia on the way back to the academy. Navia, who found me, approached me with a face that couldn’t hide her joy.

,”Ross! What are we going to do for our date this month?”

Talking about a date as soon as we meet, is this what the life of an Inssa is like…! A strange sense of pride made the corners of my mouth go up.

,”Is there any need to decide in a hurry? It’s vacation anyway.”

At my words, Navia said with a look as if asking what I was talking about.

,”Didn’t you know? As soon as the closing ceremony is over tomorrow, I’m going straight back to Solareon. If you want to go on a date this month, you have to come to Solareon.”

I scratched my forehead with a dumbfounded face at the unexpected words. But there was no big problem. I was planning to go to Solareon during the vacation anyway.

,”It’s okay. I was planning to go to Solareon with my teacher to learn the formlessness of the main family.”

At my words, Navia’s eyes lit up with anticipation.

,”Are we going on a mysterious and adventurous date to uncover the secrets of the past again this time?”

It seems that the incident at the lighthouse was quite memorable. It’s difficult, but there are quite a few opportunities that can be obtained in the North. Even ‘those’ will be sleeping there.

After thinking for a while, I couldn’t ignore her expectant gaze and nodded.

,”Well, I’ll try.”

,”Try desperately! We’ve never had a proper date before!”

It wasn’t wrong, so I scratched my head with a sorry heart. I’m glad Navia has a good personality, if it was Estelle, I might have been grabbed by the hair. As we were talking about this and that and going back to the academy, Navia suddenly asked.

,”Oh, did you hear about that? The alchemy department warehouse on the 5th floor was robbed.”

The topic of the conversation a little while ago was definitely what dessert is delicious to eat with milk…. It was a sudden question, but I knew about it, so I nodded obediently.

,”I accidentally heard it in the faculty room. How did you know?”

,”I heard a senior who went to the 5th floor warehouse complaining about being investigated.”

Navia, unlike me who nodded roughly, had her eyes shining with interest.

,”So I went to the seniors who were investigated and asked them? But one senior said that he heard a knight muttering. The record of the 5th floor warehouse door being opened and the number of people who used the corridor on the 5th floor stairs are different…! The number of users has increased by 1.”

That’s a lot of activity. She has the qualities of an assistant. I’m a comfortable armchair detective.

But the number has increased by 1. Then the culprit opened the alchemy department warehouse without using the corridor on the 5th floor stairs? Wait, that means….

Navia’s excited voice overtook my thoughts.

,”The warehouse was a locked room…!”