TOM Chapter 15

"Ah, boring, boring, boring."

A frivolous high-pitched voice.

Some woman was drawing out her words like melted cheese.

"10th Elder, I can't even sleep and I'm dying of boredom. How long do we have to wait for this?"

10th Elder?

Most high-ranking families had elder councils, but...

I wanted to see Kruelo's expression, but all I could see was his broad back.

"Less than 20 minutes left. And don't call me that outside."

"Ah, I'm already annoyed enough, don't nitpick every little thing."

I carefully lowered my body and looked down at the floor.

Through the gap, I could see two people.

Their physical characteristics were so distinct that I reflexively recalled 《Destiny》.

One was a woman with a sharp voice.

She appeared to be in her late forties at least, with orange hair short enough to touch her nape.

「9th Elder, Qudil's speech and behavior were no different from back-alley thugs. She ran a trading company in Whitedesert and didn't hesitate to deal in illegal goods. She also served as a bridge connecting the capital and the duchy.」

"We don't know when a tracker might come anyway. If information leaks out carelessly, those above won't just sit still either."

"Bullshit. Is your higher-up your weapon? I'm your superior."

The man in front of her was a giant approaching 2 meters in height.

His face wasn't visible due to a mask, but his build was as massive as a bear's, and stiff black hair covered the top of his mask.

「10th Elder, Ares was the youngest elder, strong enough to crush stones with pure physical strength alone. Moreover, despite his unbelievable size, he was extremely stealthy, having assassinated many people from the shadows.」

This was definitely Whitedesert's elder council.

Neither was at the very top, but both were powerful figures who ranked within the top five.

What were they doing here?

"Don't overinterpret. I am..."

Suddenly, the 10th Elder, Ares, moved his upper body greatly.

A blade flew upward.

Through the ceiling toward us.

Right in front of my eyes!

Crack.

It was so close I couldn't even focus on its shape, but soon its form became clear.

A dagger... it was.

"Whew."

I took a thin breath.

Fortunately, I wasn't hurt, and no blood dripped through the ceiling gap.

It was primarily thanks to my quick reflexes, and secondarily thanks to Kruelo yanking me out of the way.

Somehow, even in that cramped space, he had managed to twist his body around, and I found myself pulled against his chest.

How unexpectedly nimble of him.

"What are you doing?"

"...Nothing, it just didn't feel right."

"I thought you were showing off your martial prowess or something."

"How could that be."

"Don't be so sensitive and just keep watch. I've wrapped detection magic all around—wouldn't I know if some rat came in?"

There are two things bigger than rats in here already.

I glanced sideways at Kruelo.

Since I hadn't done anything regarding infiltration, not being detected must be thanks to Kruelo's magic.

I already knew from 《Destiny》 that he was skilled, but why had he gone to such lengths to enter here?

Another question piled up.

"I'm bored out of my mind and now my mood's shot too. Look, I'm just heading out."

"Company Leader."

"You deal with it. I've already done everything I was supposed to do, and the person who's actually supposed to be in charge is hiding away in their mansion, so why the hell am I the only one running around like some kind of idiot?"

"This assignment was specifically delegated to you, Company Leader. Defying direct orders is a serious offense."

"Ugh, what a snitch."

Qudil picked at her ear and headed toward the outside.

Ares called to her several times, but she didn't even pretend to listen, and soon the sound of a door opening could be heard.

The man left alone ground his teeth.

"Really, all kinds of nonsense."

Ares glanced at his watch.

Then he began walking inward.

Watching him disappear from view, I grew anxious.

There were two elders here, and we couldn't even capture and interrogate them?

I should have escaped from prison before Kruelo came earlier.

Then I could have at least tried something.

Regret welled up belatedly.

"Why do you look like that?"

Kruelo whispered and asked.

Oh right, I was still being held.

When I turned my head, our gazes met at a closer distance than I had expected.

His eyes were very strange.

They held no warmth whatsoever, as if he were looking at some specimen rather than a person, and what had taken its place was... an unsettling kind of curiosity.

"You're thinking 'I can't let this one get away,' aren't you?"

"...No, I'm not."

"Do you know those two people?"

"Do you, Your Grace?"

When I swallowed dry saliva and asked back, Kruelo smiled.

His beautifully crafted expression was exactly like an angel's, but equally artificial.

He answered innocently.

"I don't know."

"That's a lie—"

"Exactly. Lies are immediately obvious. So why pretend not to know?"

Kruelo tilted his head.

As he did so, he slowly brushed the dust off my shoulder.

"A blade flew at you, but you weren't even scared and your movements were strangely quick."

"..."

"Darling—"

Just then.

Woooom, a heavy vibration resonated throughout.

What I felt from its source was a wave of mana.

A force so great it made every hair on my body stand on end.

It was intense from the start, but it was growing stronger by the second.

What on earth were they doing? At this level...

"Even people in the capital will feel this."

I glanced up.

Then I remembered a fact I had forgotten.

Right now, a massive magic circle was operating in the capital.

The fireworks display was a performance created with magic, and the flow of mana would be just as active.

So they had deliberately chosen this day.

To scheme in the shadow of the lamp.

"The passage going down from here—!"

"Shh."

The moment Kruelo put his index finger to his lips, footsteps came from below.

Again, it was Ares.

Having activated some device and come out, he left without looking back.

The sound of military-like, disciplined and heavy footsteps grew distant.

The vibration, which had continued to intensify even until his figure finally disappeared, now shook me to my core.

My ominous premonition reached its peak.

I didn't want to do this in front of Kruelo, but...

"Move aside."

I pushed Kruelo away and kicked through the ceiling gap, breaking it.

Jumping down into the revealed space and landing lightly, I ran in the direction Ares had come from and saw a huge door.

The door had grooves carved into it, and complex magic could be felt centered around those parts.

Did I have to cast spells in front of Kruelo too?

At that moment, Kruelo reached out from behind, and click, the door opened.

"What did you do?"

He showed me a pass with a distinctive pattern.

Where did he steal that from now?

"Qudil is careless, so she's easy to steal from."

He strode past me.

I also moved urgently.

Crossing through the door, the stuffy and hot atmosphere became much stronger.

Beyond the door was a long spiral staircase.

The further down I went, the more my heart constricted.

Finally, when I had descended all those stairs, I saw a massive magic circle drawn across the entire floor and walls.

Looking at what would be the Korean text structure, here's a slightly more descriptive version that flows smoothly:

A deep crimson circle, slightly smaller than the one we'd seen in the plaza.

Above it stood rows of glass tubes filled with murky green liquid, all positioned upright.

What floated suspended in that liquid were sacred creatures.

"Oh god."

They were all divine beasts.

The instant I let out that involuntary gasp.

A brutal headache slammed into me as if a hurricane had torn through my skull.

My vision began to waver like ripples on water, and then—

[Save them.]

A revelation descended.

Divine words were carved clearly into my mind.

Countless emotions overflowed and poured out.

The anger, sadness, despair, and resignation of the sleeping divine beasts.

Though it wasn't my pain, my eyes grew hot with anguish.

Shedding tears, I headed toward the circle like someone possessed.

Just before entering it.

"What are you doing?"

Kruelo grabbed me.

He was frowning.

"You don't look well—do you want to test how much worse you'll get if you go in there?"

"...What is that thing?"

Kruelo seemed bewildered and a bit angry, but otherwise fine.

The divine beasts were suffering and my sacred power was stirring, yet he, being a mage, was unharmed.

So I could be certain this was a circle related to sacred power.

My guess was, more specifically...

"This is a circle that extracts sacred power, isn't it?"

"..."

"And you brought me here to confirm whether I would react to this circle?"

Somehow knowing this, had he suspected I was someone from the temple side?

Kruelo was silent for a moment, then affirmed.

"...I needed to be certain you weren't someone from the elder council's side."

Because someone connected to the temple couldn't possibly be on the same side as the elder council.

Now it made sense.

I was also certain that Kruelo was on a different side from the elder council.

When tears welled up enough to obstruct my vision and I wiped my eyes, my heart became much calmer.

Conversely, Kruelo looked a bit anxious.

"Let's get out of here first. We'll stop the magic circle's operation and then talk."

"It's too late."

Even if we stopped it, they wouldn't be safe.

The moment I spoke those words, a sound like glass shattering came.

When I turned my head, there was an animal somewhat familiar to my eyes.

A pale sky-blue cat the size of a palm.

The winter lynx had lost its color and frozen, transformed into pure white crystals.

It was a form I had seen from afar.

"Is that Beatitudo?"

"...You have good eyes."

The smuggled goods that Count Genium had handed over at the puppet theater.

The item that was doubly prohibited by both the imperial family and the temple.

Indeed, it deserved to be.

An energy source created by extracting sacred power from divine beasts and solidifying it.

Since Beatitudo was divine power transformed for human use, it couldn't be obtained through normal methods.

The instant I understood this, a wave of contempt washed over me.

And then, once more.

[Save them.]

The words branded in my mind burst into flames.

I know, I know already.

I shook off Kruelo's hand and entered the circle.

Immediately, nausea welled up.

Ugh, I feel like I'm going to vomit.

Let's resolve this quickly.

It bothered me that Kruelo was right behind me, but when a god commands, what can you do?

Even without a revelation descending, I would gladly ruin the elder council's work, but in any case, this was something I couldn't avoid.

"What are you trying to do?"

To Kruelo's question, I answered.

"I have to reverse humanity's sin."

I knelt down.

I placed both hands on the circle that was desperate to solidify my sacred power and closed my eyes.

The hands touching the magic circle burned as if on fire.