It was a meaningful smile.
And at Hugo’s smile, the scribe smiled along.
That smile was unmistakably malice.
‘Clearly, the switch has been flipped.’
It meant success.
But he couldn’t let his guard down just yet.
On the surface they looked like mortal enemies, but it wasn’t for nothing that Hugo had once been Lee Geon’s comrade-in-arms, sharing thick and thin.
In a sense, a cockroach-like bond of camaraderie—more affectionate and tenacious than even a married couple—might ruin everything.
In fact, Hugo spoke.
“Still, he’s a friend. How can you talk about killing him?”
At that, the scribe, who had been watching Lee Geon’s reaction, pulled Hugo into a corner and whispered.
“Don’t forget. Your life got twisted because that bastard showed up.”
“!”
“Honestly, if it weren’t for Lee Geon, wouldn’t you be enjoying wealth and honor as one of the respected Twelve Saints?”
He’d tried to drive the final nail in, but Hugo’s voice changed.
“So what you’re saying is, I should have betrayed Lee Geon like those bastards too?”
The atmosphere shifted in an instant.
And at the gaze that was even extremely displeased, the scribe broke out in a sweat.
That wasn’t what he meant.
‘Damn, I didn’t realize because all I ever saw was him getting pushed around every day.’
So this guy could make a face like that too.
To make things worse, it seemed linking him to the Twelve Saints, whom Hugo despised, had backfired and provoked resentment.
In the end, the scribe placated Hugo, saying he was sorry, saying that wasn’t what he meant.
“It’s not that. Objectively, I just thought you were being treated like a total pushover.”
“?”
“Think about it. You said it yourself, twenty years ago you handled every last bit of Lee Geon’s dirty work.”
Hugo flinched at that and gave a small cough.
“Well… I learned some things from him too.”
In the first place, wasn’t it because he’d been captivated by Lee Geon’s skill after Lee Geon saved him that he’d followed him around like a puppy for a whole month, refusing to take no for an answer, barely managing to become his disciple?
He’d felt sorry for pestering him into it, and that was part of why he’d been even better to Lee Geon.
“Anyway, as a disciple to his teacher…”
“Hah, teacher? He taught you a tiny bit of combat technique, then practically worked you like a slave. He even made you nurse him through that brutal illness. But has he ever once said thank you?”
Hugo flinched.
And at that look in his eyes, the scribe smiled.
“I get that you feel gratitude, but that’s all it is. You just learned a skill for the job. Hunting monsters is your line of work. And Lee Geon simply raised you because he needed an extra pair of hands; he didn’t pass on his skills specifically for your sake!”
“……!”
“What? You think it might not be true? Ever since you became his disciple, hasn’t he exploited you more? For example, sending you out to hunt in his place so he could watch his dramas?”
“…….”
Had he witnessed everything back then?
At that expression, the scribe spoke as if to say, See?
“At any company you join, you learn the necessary skills. But just because they taught you how to do the work, do they not pay you? Someone like you was practically worked like a slave. These days, if you spout that nonsense about having to pay them back for teaching you skills, you get arrested, you know?”
Hugo flinched, but still spoke as if that wasn’t right.
“Still, thanks to Geon…”
“In the first place, even without Lee Geon, you were the kind of guy who would have made it big anyway. You’re a Combat God Seat. More likely, he thought, ‘A guy who’ll grow strong on his own is following me around calling me master—what a windfall.’”
Hugo fell into serious thought.
No, considering Lee Geon’s personality, it was quite plausible…
“Seongjae never stops bragging about his uncle. You know how much the Saints get pushed around by the Holy Gods. Ah, if it weren’t for Lee Geon, Seongjae and Yuha would have entered the Divine Archer’s Seat too.”
At those words, Hugo’s eyes flashed.
As his tie pin began to emit an ominous energy, the cockroach hiding in the scribe’s pocket let out a cheer.
It couldn’t help it.
[Hatred toward Lee Geon: 101%]
It had exceeded 100%!
It was certain.
[He has become a perfect ally! With this, he will surely kill Lee Geon.]
They had succeeded in driving the final nail.
And sure enough.
Hugo picked up the butter knife on the table.
As the magic power of the Divine Archer’s Seat poured into it, the butter knife transformed into a lethal weapon in an instant.
The scribe inwardly marveled at the power.
‘He really is strong.’
No wonder he was the head of a God Seat that, even on a small scale, held its own against large-scale God Seats.
Then, as if trying to keep his killing intent from Lee Geon, the magic power that had coalesced on the knife vanished in an instant.
That was perfect stealth!
At this, the cockroach was overjoyed.
[With that, we can surely catch Lee Geon off guard!]
And it was then.
“What’s this? What kind of combination are you two?”
Lee Geon walked over to the cafe terrace where Hugo was.
“Why the secret meeting? You two aren’t that close.”
At Lee Geon’s suspicious gaze, the scribe flinched and cried out.
“He came to ask me about the Bible. Cheon Ji-u is a fellow scribe, you know!”
“Really?”
“Yeah. So I asked him to meet.”
The tip of Hugo’s butter knife was pointing toward Lee Geon’s body.
At the same time, the scribe and the cockroach both felt it.
Killing intent.
And they were certain: the moment Lee Geon approached, he would stab him in the stomach with that knife.
And sure enough, just as Hugo’s blade was set and Lee Geon came right up next to him—
“Oh, Taek-su. I bought chicken for dinner. You want some?”
“……!!”
Hugo flinched.
He looked as if he’d heard the most shocking words imaginable.
“C-chicken?”
“Yeah. Chicken.”
At that, the scribe and the cockroach looked at Hugo, saying things like: What, at a crucial moment like this? Like fried chicken is going to do anything? Enough, just stab him already!
But.
“So, you’re saying you’ll give me chicken. That you bought with your own money?”
“Yeah. Don’t you want it?”
Hugo seemed to be in tremendous shock.
And how could he not be, when Lee Geon was giving up chicken to him?
And that moment.
[Hatred toward Lee Geon: 90%]
As the hatred plummeted, the cockroach was horrified.
[What! Why is his hatred dropping just because of chicken!!]
But to Hugo, it was something else entirely.
Because with Lee Geon’s usual character, such a thing would never happen.
So that alone was deeply moving to Hugo.
But that wasn’t all.
“Oh, I’ll give you the drumstick too.”
[Hatred toward Lee Geon: 30%]
The cockroach screamed.
[No, why is his hatred falling for something like this!!!]
This was absurd. Human hatred couldn’t possibly drop over something so ridiculous.
Of course, Hugo wasn’t reacting like this simply over a chicken drumstick.
It’s just that he knew: Lee Geon was the kind of bastard who, far from giving up the drumstick, would even steal your chicken wings.
So after a moment of brief emotion, he scowled.
“Be honest. You did something wrong to me, didn’t you?”
[Hatred toward Lee Geon: 40%]
Simultaneously, Lee Geon said as if in disbelief.
“What are you talking about? Can’t I think of a friend? Just eat it. I’m giving it to you because I thought of you.”
[Hatred toward Lee Geon: –100%]
The cockroach screamed.
But Hugo looked like he’d been KO’d, covering his face with his hand.
The killing intent that had been imbued in the butter knife was long gone.
That left the scribe utterly incredulous.
In reality, a Hatred stat of 101% in a human meant a grudge so deep they’d kill on sight.
Yet it had collapsed from nothing more than a few empty words!
‘Unless the target harbors an enormous amount of good will…!’
At any rate, realizing this couldn’t go on, the scribe quickly turned toward Hugo.
Then, spotting something, the scribe’s voice rose in fury.
“Ah, what! This! It’s boneless fried chicken! How can there be a drumstick in boneless chicken?! Did you buy the wrong thing on purpose so you could palm it off on him?!”
“Ah. Busted.”
Hugo, who had been KO’d, opened his eyes wide.
[Hatred toward Lee Geon: 50%]
But soon after, Hugo accepted the boneless chicken, thinking it was possible.
And whatever the intention, it was a gift from Lee Geon.
[Hatred toward Lee Geon: 10%]
“Thanks. But before that, I have something to say.”
When Hugo looked at the scribe, the flustered scribe desperately grabbed him and whispered.
“Hey, if you let this slide, that bastard might end up your son-in-law for real, not just your friend!!”
Hugo sneered.
“…Our Yuha is already…”
“No! I saw it, I tell you! Yuha was really looking at a wedding magazine! She even covered her sleeping uncle with a blanket and kissed him on the cheek!”
Of course, the kiss was a complete lie, but the effect was perfect.
[Hatred toward Lee Geon: 150%]
At the same time, the cockroach hiding through the scribe’s information-distortion ability was aghast.
[Good heavens, I’ve never seen a bastard whose stat skyrockets like that!]
But thanks to that, the monarch’s power activated in earnest.
[Nurtured by Abundance]
Hugo’s tie pin turned completely black, and that power seeped into Hugo’s magic power as well.
The color of his eyes subtly shifted too.
And the magic power rising from him was undoubtedly the monarch’s power.
Perhaps because of that.
‘!’
Hugo summoned his bow and aimed it at Lee Geon.
Seeing this, Lee Geon looked at him like he was crazy.
“What’s with this bastard now?”
“Enough. Step down from the position of Holy God. Because of you, Yuha and Seongjae have become strange. It’s all your fault!”
Soon, when Hugo formed an arrow, Lee Geon flinched.
At first, he’d thought the bastard was going on a rampage over his kids like usual, but no.
The attack was laced with killing intent.
So even Lee Geon, who had his arms crossed, instinctively uncrossed them and went on guard.
Because no matter what, if Hugo got serious, he couldn’t take it lightly either.
Let his guard down and he’d be done for.
And it was then.
[Young Serpent-nim!]
A Maiden Constellation’s vassal deity appeared before Lee Geon.
[The task you assigned has been successful; we have extracted the Scales’ Divine Vassal Deity!]
[Kevin has it.]
[If you go to the sanctuary now, you will be able to find it.]
But the goddesses seemed to have come for another reason.
[However, Kevin—no, the condition of the Master’s servant is poor, and so we earnestly request that you grant healing…]
“What? Why did he get hurt again? Fine, I understand. To the sanctuary…”
At this, the listening cockroach flinched.
‘This is bad. If Lee Geon joins up with them now.’
Lee Geon would end up taking the Scales’ precious divine vassal.
And that was a top-tier vassal deity that even the monarchs coveted.
‘That belongs to the Monarch.’
And perhaps seeking the stolen divine vassal, he felt the presence of the General, who seemed to be heading that way.
Ultimately, in a panic, the cockroach sprang out.
Right onto the scribe’s shoulder.
At the same time, the cockroach directly used its power on Hugo.
It was the power of Abundance, which amplified attack power!
With that black magic power, the cockroach shouted to Hugo.
[Seed of the Monarch! With the power of your one-hit kill, slay the Maiden Saint and his servants! Before Lee Geon leaves, kill them and seize the Scales’ Divine Vassal…]
Bang!!
Before the words were even finished, the scribe’s eyes went wide.
The arrow had shot right past his face, pierced through the tiny cockroach, and vanished.
At the same time, the hidden monsters flinched.
[What in the…!]
Hugo’s eyes flashed.
“Ah, finally found you. Little cockroach bastard.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than arrows flew into every corner of the building.
Bang! Bang!
Simultaneously, the monsters’ heads exploded in an instant!
[The Divine Bow’s arrows execute the intruders attempting to infiltrate the sanctuary]
Soon, Hugo shouted as if furious.
“I don’t know why, but I could sense their presence. Just couldn’t find them. That was driving me nuts.”
“Y-you…!”
“Geon. That thing’s telling him to kill you. Do something about your minion management.”
At his cry, the monsters were flustered.
[Why isn’t the Monarch’s power working!]
[The Hatred clearly rose to 150%!]
The scribe also flinched.
“If Hatred is 150%, then Faith should be depleted to at least negative…!”
At that, Lee Geon let out a laugh of disbelief.
Hatred 150%? Deducted from Faith?
He didn’t really know what that meant.
“Even if you subtract all that, his is still at 400%.”
Faith, that is.
“……!!”
That’s why Lee Geon was dumbfounded.
He’d sensed killing intent oddly from Hugo, but his Faith was like that.
Anyway, since there seemed to be something going on, he’d played along.
But the scribe who’d heard this seemed beside himself.
“Before, you said his Faith had dropped by half!!”
“Ah. That day, when I gave him alcohol, it recovered.”
“??!!”
Well, whatever. That was fine.
Bang! Bang!
[Through the power of the Absolute Master Archer, a portion of the army of Abundance 10 km away has been annihilated]
[Converted to God Seat experience]
[The proxy of Abundance is sensed nearby]
Lee Geon grew curious at the presence he felt.
Perhaps that was why.
“Hey, turncoat.”
The scribe, who’d been trying to flee, froze stock-still.
At the same time, the Snake Lord smiled chillingly.
“How about a little chat with me?”
(Continued in next episode)