◈ Episode 138. Believe in Me (2)
There had not been many items on the agenda.
And yet the aftermath of the Round Table Conference was by no means inferior to that of the first session.
After the chief and senior mages left the Crystal Hall one after another.
Those who remained began to converse in earnest.
“Where on earth does that confidence come from?”
A skilled mage, Jibril.
As one could tell from her flamboyant hairstyle, Jibril was always brimming with confidence.
But Chief Lee Hoyeol’s was “something” beyond confidence.
“He’s entering the Arcana Continent alone?”
There was no need to explain the danger at length.
Why, just looking at the ruptures was enough.
The demons had not been satisfied with taking over the Arcana Continent.
They were now stretching out their claws to devour the adventurers’ world as well.
Shaking his head—“Honestly, I have no idea what he’s thinking.”
The shoulders of Linne, the skilled mage who loved to put on airs, trembled.
“Everyone in the Magic Tower knows the Chief is incredible, but isn’t this going too far? The Arcana Continent? That’s incomparably more dangerous than a rupture, isn’t it?”
“Linne does have a talent for saying unpleasant things, but I can’t refute that.”
“Exactly! I’m right, aren’t I— Huh? What do you mean, unpleasant things?!”
Bickering.
Amid the verbal sparring, Jibril stroked her chin. ‘There’s no way he doesn’t know how dangerous it is.’ If anything, Chief Lee Hoyeol knew the situation on the Arcana Continent better than they did.
And unlike them, who possessed middling ability, he must also understand his own capabilities and limits with precision.
“!”
Then, as expected?
Jibril’s eyes sparkled.
“What if he has a reason great enough to take on that immense danger?”
Saying this was why bumpkin nobles were no good.
Asking where she had sold off her manners.
Linne, who had been in the middle of a childish quarrel, turned her head.
No matter what, she could not miss Miss Jibril’s words.
“Pardon? What did you just say, Miss Jibril?”
“It’s nothing. Please, continue your fight, Linne.”
“Huh? Miss Jibril, I believe there’s been some misunderstanding. This isn’t a fight, but something akin to a duel to protect the honor of my house…!”
Linne’s excuses.
There was no way they would reach Jibril’s ears now that she had caught the scent of something interesting.
Before she knew it, Jibril had spotted Cle at the entrance of the Crystal Hall.
She was being jostled by the crowd.
Abruptly.
“You startled me! Jibril?”
Linking arms with Cle, Jibril asked subtly.
“Miss Cle. Did your conversation yield anything?”
Bellier and Senior Mage Matisse had come to the Crystal Hall belatedly after Chief Lee Hoyeol’s declaration.
Naturally, they must have come because they had some idea about something, no?
Unlike Jibril, however, Cle had not thought that far.
“Yield? Really, I don’t know anything!”
What was Jibril suddenly talking about?
And while poking her in the side, no less.
Cle whimpered in an aggrieved voice.
“Aah, that tickles! Really, I really don’t know what you’re talking about!”...
‘I don’t understand. Why, all of a sudden?’
Bellier quickened her steps.
What was he in such a hurry for?
Chief Lee Hoyeol had left as soon as the Round Table Conference ended.
She was trying to catch up to him.
Formality and etiquette.
She knew he never held meetings that had not been arranged beforehand in ordinary times, but…
Right now, Bellier had no room to concern herself with procedure. ‘There must be a reason.’ Was that reason the one she was thinking of?…
If it was.
Bellier bit her lower lip. ‘At the very least, I can’t simply stand by and watch.’ Setting aside the Chief’s abilities, it was far too dangerous.
Bellier knew.
She knew of the existence of the High Demon King, before whom even the elder mages called Karimzeva, the demigods, had lowered their tails.
It was said that the resurrection of a High Demon King required an overwhelming sacrifice, but wasn’t the Arcana Continent already little different from a living hell? There must have been more than enough sacrifices.
A High Demon King.
Or a being on par with one. The probability that such an existence had appeared on the Arcana Continent was sufficient. No, that had to be why the continent had fallen into the demons’ clutches. ‘…
I don’t think I’ll be of help.’
If it was an enemy that formidable, even if Bellier joined him, nothing would change. But this was a matter of the heart. Even if her head understood, her heart could not remain still.
Knock, knock.
Bellier knocked on the door to the Chief’s office.
“This is Bellier Yusia.”
Her gaze was solemn.
Soon, the man who had caused no small disturbance at the Round Table Conference.
As if feigning ignorance, a calm voice answered.
“You may enter, Senior Mage Bellier.”
Click—When Bellier opened the door and stepped inside, the scene that met her eyes was the same as always. A restrained office. Hoyeol seated at his desk with posture so upright it seemed excessive.
As expected, facing Chief Lee Hoyeol was not easy.
But Bellier had steeled herself.
Because this concerned none other than Marcelo.
“I apologize for coming to see you without an appointment, Chief.”
“I accept that apology.”
“Also, I ask your forgiveness in advance for coming here to commit a discourtesy. Chief Lee Hoyeol, there is one question I wish to ask you.”
Hoyeol lifted his head.
Bellier faced him.
Not swayed by joy or sorrow.
A face that revealed not even a single emotion.
Confronted with that face, her doubts only deepened. ‘Is it truly because of my application to leave the tower…?’
That he intended to enter the Arcana Continent?
When she had known nothing, she would have considered it impossible.
But Bellier had clearly seen it with her own two eyes.
—“Elder Mage Senios…”
Hoyeol mourning Senios more earnestly than anyone.
It had only been for an instant, but she had glimpsed, however faintly, what lay within him.
Bellier was able to state her business.
“I want to know why you intend to enter the Arcana Continent, Chief.”
It was Hoyeol who had put her application to leave the tower on hold.
He would understand the intent of her question better than anyone.
Bellier’s prediction was correct.
Clack—“……?”
She had thought she had followed him in immediately.
Yet in that brief gap, when had a teacup ended up in his hand?
After setting down the teacup, Hoyeol answered.
The answer was clearer than anything.
“Because the House of Simaurd is there.”
“……!”
Just as someone once said they climbed the mountain simply because it was there....
Even if he told no one else, he needed to tell Bellier the reason.
If not for Bellier’s application to leave the tower, he would not have learned that Marcelo was suffering from a terminal curse.
Nor would he have been able to carry out the quest related to it.
“Because the House of Simaurd is there.”…
But as always, the problem is this crooked mouth of mine, truly.
This mouth that twists words even when they’re perfectly fine has finally caused trouble.
I vow once again.
Even if there is no book in this world one should be picky about reading. ‘…
I must never, ever open a book of famous quotations.’
In any case, thanks to her coming here, she had saved me some trouble.
Because there were various things I needed to ask Bellier.
Not only about Marcelo’s current condition, but also about the quest [The House of Simaurd’s Request]. I needed information. But for some reason, Bellier’s reaction was unusual.
“…
Haha.”
A small laugh escaped her.
Could it be that she had noticed my shallow quotation of a famous saying?
For a moment, I felt a stab of guilt.
“…
I’m sorry, but there is one more thing I must apologize for.”
“?”
“I thought ahead on my own and jumped to conclusions.”
Before I could question her about anything.
Bellier continued in a solemn voice.
“Chief Lee Hoyeol. I will enter the Arcana Continent with you as well.”
Marcelo and Bellier.
I neither knew nor wanted to know the details of their relationship. But I could tell that Bellier was genuinely worried about Marcelo.
Just the fact that she had submitted an application to leave the tower made that clear. ‘Right. There’s nothing bad about going together.’
How nice would it be if neither I nor Bellier had anything left weighing on our hearts?
But as I said, this wasn’t a situation where that was possible.
Nor could I explain the effect of the item and the title to Bellier.
“Regrettably, I must refuse your request.”
“Chief Lee Hoyeol, I…!”
“I can guess how you feel, Senior Bellier.”
Which meant I had no choice but to spout words in my own style once again.
“Even so, trust me.”
Of course, even if she was not accompanying me, I needed Bellier’s help.
“And I, too, have something I wish to ask you.”
“…
I will answer.”
“I need information on the House of Simaurd. Their exact location, as well as the approximate composition of the family. More specifically, I would like to hear about the Countess of Simaurd.”
“……!”
When I asked, only then did Bellier raise her head, which had been lowered in dejection. Then she began to lay out the information she knew about the House of Simaurd and the terminal curse.
Only after her story ended did Bellier seem to realize it.
“Though we were close from a young age, I may also be mistaken or misinformed about certain things. So I think asking the person himself would be the most accurate.”
On that matter, my pride had reacted before I did.
Marcelo Simaurd.
Was it truly right to obtain information about his family through a third party?
In ordinary circumstances, my pride would never have allowed such behavior.
However, as long as demons were involved.
Even this could be part of a demon’s scheme.
Because demons were that kind of race. ‘If it’s true that the terminal curse is related to demons.’
What would happen when Marcelo learned that truth? At that point, Marcelo’s quiet anger toward demons might become an uncontrollable rage. ‘I’m not confident I could stop something like that.’
To put it bluntly, if Marcelo took up his magic tools and set out to exterminate all demons, who could stop him? Moreover, such negative emotions ultimately become power for demons.
I compressed those complicated reasons into a single sentence.
“No.”
“……?”
“Violent emotional upheaval is not good for him.”
In that instant, Bellier’s pupils trembled.
Matisse was the same.
As expected, once someone reached the level of senior mage, communication came easily.
Ah, except for that one person, Bensch William.
His applications to leave the tower were more bothersome than spam messages.
A flowing silence—After a short silence, Bellier opened her mouth.
“I understand the reason, and I understand why you think so. But…”
This time, her concern turned toward me.
“Even so, for you to shoulder such a burden alone…!”
“There is no need for concern.”
No, I’m telling you, there’s nothing to worry about, isn’t there?
I have the effect of the [Last Adventurer] title.
But this time as well, I had no choice but to speak in my own way.
“To live is, by nature, to swim through solitude.”…
Please, don’t package a dark past so plausibly, Grandfell.
Do you not pity me, the one who has to swim and live through that dark past?...
I desire a conversation with the Evil Dragon Hunter, Lee Hoyeol.
Skal’s bombshell declaration after showing himself for the first time in a while.
Naturally, it was more than enough to draw the public’s attention.
Unofficial Rank 1, Lee Hoyeol.
Official Rank 1, Skal.
Would a meeting between them come to pass?
Those more alert to it than anyone were the rankers.
“Doesn’t it seem like there’s something tangled up between them?”
“Evil Dragon Hunter. To begin with, how did that bastard Skal even know it was an evil dragon? It was buried in the labyrinth, so no one could even tell if it was a lizard or a dragon, right?”
“Considering Skal’s class, it’s most likely related to his Dragon Knight [Class Quest].”
Shining.
Rox, Camilla, and Dmitri held a constructive conversation for the first time in a while.
Because they understood the weight carried by a meeting between Lee Hoyeol and Skal.
Dmitri shuddered.
“Skal’s class quest? That’s the creepiest thing I’ve heard all day.”
Hidden class, Dragon Knight.
Moreover, thanks to Skal’s insistence on secrecy, the abilities of his class remained veiled. But anyone could tell. The potential of a Dragon Knight was boundless.
“Let’s see. Brings back memories~”
Back when Arcana was nothing more than a game.
Camilla had once aimed her bowstring at Skal.
It wasn’t that she bore him any particular grudge.
She had simply been caught up in a quest and had no choice.
At the time, what Skal was riding was not a dragon, but an ordinary steed.
“But I didn’t land a single shot, you know? I was so pissed I thought I’d die, for real.”
Skal had evaded countless arrows and spells raining down on him and commanded the battlefield.
Watching that scene, Shining had reached a conclusion.
Skal, if he were truly a [Dragon Knight] who commanded a real dragon...
if he were reborn as one, there would be no player in Arcana who could stand against him. No, no guild.
Dmitry spoke in an aggrieved voice.
“Yeah, sure, you’re a precious hidden class! Incredible potential? I get it. And it’s called Dragon Knight, sure. But how are you supposed to ride a dragon that’s sitting at the top of the Zero Mountains? I’ll be honest, I’ve laughed about it behind your back before. But……!”
Lee Hoyeol.
The moment that name left Skal’s mouth.
Dmitry froze solid.
“If it’s Lee Hoyeol, then you never know! It’s impossible for Skal or us to hunt a dragon, but look at what Lee Hoyeol did in the Tefferun Labyrinth this time! What did they call him? A single ray of light in the endless darkness?!”
Normally, Camilla would have snapped back at Dmitry.
But even Camilla nodded seriously this time.
Because this wasn’t something they could just laugh off.
“Just suppose. What if Mr. Hoyeol cooperates with Skal?”
“Hey, don’t say something that terrifying……!”
“And what if that lets Skal escape being a half-baked Dragon Knight?”
“Damn. I’m tired just hearing it.”
“Never mind you, Dmitry. Rox, what do you think?”
Rox, who had been silent, opened his mouth.
“Dragon Knight. Its potential would be comparable to [Archmage].”
“……!”
“Rox, is that resentment talking?”
Archmage.
That was Jesse’s class.
Jesse Heinness, who had now left the nest called Shining.
“It’s not resentment. I’d call it a cold assessment of our situation.”
If Jesse had stayed, there would have been no need to worry in particular.
But now, their circumstances had changed.
Rox continued in a low voice.
“All we can do is keep an eye on the situation too.”
More intently than the public did....
But being rankers didn’t mean they were all in the same position.
Nam Taemin.
Leoni.
Hisagi.
The three guild masters of the Great Alliance.
The moment those three heard Skal’s declaration, they thought.
First, Leoni couldn’t hide her shock.
“Look at that crazy bastard?!”
What did Lee Hoyeol hate the most?
Rudeness.
And yet he had mentioned Hoyeol’s name in front of the media.
Skal must have lost his touch after living in seclusion. Evil Dragon Hunter? He wanted to meet Hoyeol? She didn’t know what he wanted from him, but.
“That bastard. He’s done for in this life.”
As for me.
I’m going through hell just to get a single cup of tea from him.
And that’s the attitude of someone asking for even greater cooperation?
“Tsk, tsk.”
Leoni clicked her tongue.
Beside her, Hisagi nodded vigorously.
“Ms. Leoni is right. Skal has the wrong idea.”
Hisagi and the guild members of Inazuma.
They had experience.
The experience of nearly being turned away at the door by Hoyeol in the Yusra Kingdom.
So, as seniors in etiquette education, they had something to say.
“As a rule, before beginning any conversation, the proper procedure is to bow your head respectfully first.”
“……You’re saying all the right things.”
To think the day would come when I’d agree with Hisagi.
Nam Taemin’s thoughts weren’t much different from the other two’s.
I don’t know what business he has with Mr. Hoyeol, but.
“Seems like you made a pretty big mistake there, doesn’t it?”...
That was right.
The three of them had predicted accurately.
Soon, Hoyeol appeared at the Magic Tower portal.
A countless crowd swarmed toward him.
Gulp—the reporters looked desperate to thrust their cameras and microphones at him at any moment. But this was no one else; this was Hoyeol they stood before.
Swallowing dryly, the reporters carefully asked their questions one by one, observing proper form.
“What do you think of Player Skal’s declaration?”
“Mr. Skal referred to you by the title Evil Dragon Hunter…….”
“Do you perhaps know that the being that must not be awakened is a dragon…….”
Hoyeol quietly listened to their questions.
But there was no further kindness.
At the end of countless questions.
Hoyeol opened his mouth.
“From this point on, I will consider this interference.”
“……!!!”...
As if I didn’t already have enough to worry about.
And yet, what?
Evil Dragon Hunter? You went and spread that all over the neighborhood?!
It seems our connection is over before it even began, Skal.
I continued in a voice colder than usual.
“Would you step aside? I have no time to waste.”