Chapter 259: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (3) |
‘This feels unpleasant.’
Lucion’s stomach churned as he stood surrounded by priests, facing Ravid Bahal, who regarded him with a quiet smile.
The situation felt eerily similar to the moment before Russell had disappeared at the hands of the priests in Lucion’s previous world.
His heart, steady just moments ago, now pounded uncontrollably.
Noticing the faint tremor in Lucion’s gaze, Hume’s expression darkened.
‘He’s struggling.’
Although Ravid had brought a considerable number of priests, it wasn’t an overwhelming force.
Even so, Lucion’s sudden shift in demeanor made Hume hesitate. Should he retrieve the medicine or wait?
“It is an honor to meet you, Saint. I am Ravid Bahal, the First Servant of the humble followers of the God of Light.”
—Ratta doesn’t like that person!
Ratta, who had been watching the flickering torches suspended in the air by magic, clung tightly to Hume and turned her head away in distaste.
-Haah…
Troy let out a deep sigh.
-He’s more than halfway consumed by corruption.
[Is that… really true?]
Bethel’s surprise was evident.
-It’s deeply rooted. I can almost smell the stench coming off him.
At Troy’s words, even Lucion flinched.
‘Veronia? He reeks of Veronia? Does that mean he could be possessed, like Hotram?’
His gaze immediately flicked to Russell.
[Still, it’s probably different from Hotram,] Russell answered Lucion’s unspoken question while scanning the area. [Even if he is half-corrupted, the light still exists within him. I told you before—those blessed by the light don’t lose anything except their light when they fall into corruption. He can’t be possessed right now… but he can still be manipulated.]
Despite his explanation, Russell knew he couldn’t simply tell Lucion not to worry—not when Veronia was involved.
“I am Lucion Cronia. Were you here to welcome me?” Lucion’s voice was warm, carrying the tone of someone genuinely pleased.
“The saint himself has graced Nevast with his presence. This much is only natural, is it not?”
Ravid’s words were laced with reverence, his gentle smile an attempt to elevate Lucion onto a pedestal.
‘Ah. He actually believes I came here to revel in my status as a saint? Perfect.’
The corners of Lucion’s mouth curled slightly.
[Lucion, look at Yones. Doesn’t his expression seem strange?]
Russell’s gaze was fixed on Yones, who had disembarked first. He half-expected him to secretly signal one of the priests, just as he had before.
However, Yones merely stood there, visibly shaken, unable to even open his mouth.
Prompted by Russell’s words, Lucion turned his attention to Yones.
“Thanks to Priest Yones, I arrived comfortably.”
“Is that so? I’m glad to hear your journey was comfortable.”
Ravid’s voice remained gentle.
“Well then, if I could—”
“Lord Ravid, I apologize for interrupting our first meeting, but may I ask you something?”
“Of course. Please feel free to ask anything.”
“Who decided that you are the First Servant?”
Lucion posed the question with an air of innocent curiosity, as if he were a child asking something simple.
Then, as if realizing he may have overstepped, he quickly added, “Oh, I apologize if my words caused any discomfort.”
—Lucion?
Ratta tilted her head in confusion.
“As everyone knows, I became a saint through the divine beast’s choice. Then, did you become the First Servant through the divine beast’s choice as well?”
With the question of whether he had legitimacy too, Ravid let out a smile mixed with a hint of mockery.
Of course.
The doubt that had lingered in his gaze softened just a bit.
“Unfortunately, I did not receive the divine beast’s choice.”
“Why not?”
“That is precisely what makes the saint so special.”
At Ravid’s attempt to flatter him, Lucion couldn’t help but chuckle.
‘That slipped out without me realizing it.’
Ravid’s desperate effort to glorify him was almost commendable. If he was going this far, Lucion felt obligated to play the part he was expecting.
“No one has ever spoken so openly before. It truly makes me feel good,” Lucion said, looking slightly embarrassed.
“I am pleased to know the saint is happy with my words. I even extinguished all the light in Nevast so that you would not be in danger.”
Ravid bowed his head slightly, as if his actions had been entirely natural.
“You truly turned off the lights for me?”
“The saint is our light. It was only right to do so, so please do not feel burdened.”
[What a load of nonsense.]
Russell’s dry remark made Bethel lower her helmet slightly, as if hiding a reaction, while Lucion struggled to keep a straight face.
At the same time, a satisfied smile graced Ravid’s lips.
Of course.
He was certain Lucion would be pleased by this gesture.
“But… isn’t that dangerous? If a warlock storms this place, it would be a huge problem.”
Lucion hesitated as he spoke, his voice laced with concern.
Shaela, unable to hold back her laughter any longer, turned her head slightly and pretended to sneeze.
‘He’s acting, isn’t he?’
‘I wish Father and Brother could see this. He’s too good at it. Why is he so skilled at this?’
With a quiet smile, she caught Heint’s gaze.
Heint, too, was struggling to contain his laughter. He bit his lip, his face contorted as he fought not to let it slip.
“This is nothing to worry about,” Ravid reassured him. “As I said before, the saint is our light. How could he not be precious to us?”
Lucion’s lips twitched.
‘This is my limit. If I speak now, I might actually burst out laughing.’
“We have prepared your lodgings in advance,” Ravid continued. “I must apologize, but the temple is quite a distance away. Would you mind reboarding the carriage?”
Lucion nodded, allowing Hume to support him as he stepped back into the carriage.
* * *
After checking the area around Lucion’s room, Bethel returned and reported, [There’s no one watching.]
“Anything unusual?” Lucion asked as he sat on the sofa, absentmindedly stroking Troy, who was curled up on his lap. Ratta rested comfortably against his left hand.
[Nothing. So, don’t worry.]
“Thank you, Bethel.”
Lucion smiled faintly.
Ravid had removed the light from the surrounding area, but he had attempted to spy on Lucion using ghosts. Naturally, Lucion had disposed of them.
[It will probably take about a day for them to realize their obedient ghost is gone.]
“That’s more than enough time.”
Hearing Russell’s reassurance, Lucion finally let out a small chuckle.
As soon as he had arrived, Ravid had personally selected the priests to serve him. However, Lucion, being cautious, had chosen Yones instead. At that moment, Yones had looked at him as if he were a savior, making it clear that he likely knew something—whether it was about the corruption of the divine beast or the holy relic.
[Be honest, Lucion. Did you nearly die trying to hold back your laughter earlier?]
At Russell’s teasing question, Lucion nodded.
“Yes. I genuinely thought I was going to die. It was almost unbearable to keep a straight face when they saw me as a naïve, clueless child.”
Since the carriage curtains couldn’t be drawn, he had been forced to maintain his expression even after boarding.
—Ratta didn’t hear anything because Ratta didn’t like Ravid.
Ratta grumbled as she curled up in Lucion’s lap.
—Ratta hates it here. Ratta wants to go home quickly.
“I feel the same way.”
—There’s sadness coming from over there. Ratta doesn’t like sadness.
Lifting her head, Ratta pointed her snout toward the right.
Lucion felt it too—a gradual wave of sorrow creeping in.
“I feel it as well.”
He stroked Ratta gently.
From the moment he had stepped into the Central Temple, he had sensed the presence of corruption and warlocks nearby.
-I’m sorry.
“Troy, let’s not do this again. You can sense where the divine beast is, right?”
-One has died. Two remain.
The divine beast that had helped Delos and the warlocks escape… had likely been killed.
Lucion’s hand, which had been stroking Troy, stilled.
-I’m okay.
Troy grasped Lucion’s fingers, offering him a small, reassuring smile.
Knock. Knock.
Lucion recognized the sound immediately—it was Hume.
“Young Master.”
Hume entered, followed by Heint.
“Where’s my sister?”
Lucion’s gaze darted around the room. Hadn’t she left with them earlier?
“Shaela is taking Yones around with the mages, setting up a temporary barrier just in case. It won’t be as effective as one made by a professional barrier master, but it should still help. She should be back soon,” Heint replied.
“How soon?”
“Well, she said she’d return soon, but I think it might take more than two hours.”
Heint stroked his chin before suddenly freezing.
“…You. No way.”
“I’m serious.”
Lucion chuckled before turning his gaze to Hume, silently urging him to report.
Hume hesitated before reluctantly speaking.
“Tomorrow morning… Young Master will be able to meet the divine beast. They’ve arranged a meeting in Nevast.”
“Lucion.”
“What?”
For a moment, Heint felt as if he were facing Hamel instead.
But Lucion’s expression remained calm and composed.
“What are you planning? I need to know if I’m going to help you.”
“There are three things I need to do today.”
“Three? That many?”
[You’re planning to do all of that?]
Russell sighed, lightly slapping his forehead.
“Yeah.”
Lucion took a sip of tea.
While checking the surroundings on their way to Nevast, Bethel had discovered something—part of a twisted world, similar to what had appeared in the Kingdom of Keortia. It had also been confirmed by a reconnaissance team from Cronia, which had been sent to investigate after hearing reports of unusual activity.
It seemed they had stumbled upon the same anomaly that Ratta had mentioned when extracting Twilo’s soul.
Before making any moves, Lucion needed to confirm through the darkness whether Veronia was present.
“There’s something that absolutely needs to be destroyed.”
Lucion finally spoke again.
“Destroyed? What is it? Can I destroy it?”
“You probably can’t. This is something only I can do.”
“Then what about the other two?”
“I’m going to rescue the warlocks—and save the divine beasts.”
“You plan to do both today? I know we don’t have much time left, but still…”
Heint ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply.
It was already clear he would have to stand guard at the door while Lucion left.
“Right now, the light in Nevast is weakened because of me. And just because there aren’t any watchers nearby doesn’t mean they’ve relaxed their vigilance. This is the best possible time to act—while all eyes are on me.”
“I assume you want me to stay and guard the room while you move the organization members?”
“That’s right.”
Feeling slightly more at ease, Lucion nodded.
Knock. Knock.
“I figured you’d say that, so I called Kran in advance.”
Lucion gestured toward the door.
“I’ll open it,” Hume said, stepping forward.
As the door swung open, Kran entered, disguised as a soldier. His frustration was evident as he spoke.
“Shouldn’t we just kill that priest—Yones, or whatever his name is?”
“No. You know why we can’t.”
Kran exhaled sharply, nodding. “Yeah, I know. I got carried away and said something I shouldn’t have.”
After quickly assessing Lucion’s expression, he took a deep breath and moved on to his report.
“Quate and the assassins have memorized the map you provided, Hamel-nim. They’re currently blending in with the patrol groups to learn the layout.”
Florence, a high-ranking priest of Nevast, had handed over the map along with crucial evidence. It detailed the locations of fallen warlocks—those deemed defective—as well as the imprisoned divine beasts.
“Good. Well done. But don’t move yet. There are unseen eyes everywhere.”
Lucion set down his teacup, absentmindedly fiddling with his fingers.
“I’ll be back soon.”
As Russell’s eyes gleamed with interest, Lucion casually shifted his gaze toward the window.
Beyond the glass, clusters of darkness had gathered, hiding in the shadows.
To eliminate the ghosts watching like an invisible network of surveillance, he needed the darkness’s assistance.
However, with so many warlocks in the area, distinguishing between ghosts and actual people was difficult.
The first step was to eliminate the abnormal phenomenon Bethel had discovered. Doing so would free the suppressed darkness and deliver a blow to Veronia.
“Where are you going?” Kran asked, startled.
“To break the invincible eyes.”
“Are you planning to go alone?”
“That’s right.”
“Hamel-nim, the priests are on high alert. Those eyes weren’t placed carelessly. Even with your abilities, one wrong move could spell disaster.”
“No, Kran. I’m going to visit somewhere other than Nevast for a moment.”
Lucion’s calm demeanor made Heint groan, rubbing his face in exasperation.
“This is driving me crazy.”
It was as if Lucion had developed a condition—one that made it physically impossible for him to stay still for even a single day.
“I feel the same way,” Kran muttered, deep furrows forming on his forehead.
Turning to Heint, he pleaded, “Sir Heint, please stop him.”
Heint sighed. “My sins are heavy, so I don’t have the right to do that. Otherwise, I’d have tied him to the bed or a chair by now.”
“The favor I owe him… is too great. How could I possibly raise my voice?”
Their troubled gazes met, and, as if resigned to their fate, both let out a deep sigh simultaneously.