127th Episode
Alesya trembled with betrayal after being blindsided yet again.
“Who would have thought Florya could be so lascivious! And here I am, still having never been kissed!”
It was because Ray hadn’t kissed her.
It wasn’t as if she were tied up and asking to be hit; she just wanted a simple kiss, but every time, Ray avoided her.
“Yet Florya has already been doing more than just kissing…”
“That’s not true! Please stop making such strange accusations!”
Ray covered Alesya’s mouth and gently shook her.
“Why do you always show up at the strangest times? It’s not like you’re following me around.”
“But that’s exactly what a woman’s intuition is! When I sit quietly, I just know my knight is being unfaithful, so I come to check.”
“It’s a misunderstanding. Don’t believe it anymore.”
“There are countless women who ignored their intuition and ended up losing their men.”
“That’s something out of novels.”
“Most of those novels are based on real-life stories. It even says so in the first chapter.”
“99% of works that claim to be based on real events are fabricated.”
On the contrary, works emphasized as fictional often had a higher probability of being true.
Sighing, Ray muttered under his breath.
“I should probably inspect your room sometime.”
There might be books similar to [Lucia, the Wind Spirit: Imperial Travelogue] lurking in the corners of her room.
Of course, upon hearing Ray’s declaration about inspecting her room, Alesya panicked immediately.
“Ray! How dare you talk about inspecting my room when I’m this age!”
“Then maybe you should act your age.”
“I feel wronged! I tried to live modestly, but my knight ignored me and spent time with other women!”
“That’s not true.”
“My knight is a liar!”
While Alesya grumbled, Ray forcibly calmed her down and left the room.
Florya, who had been watching quietly, grabbed her temples with a pained expression once the two were out of sight.
Ray wouldn’t change his stance—that much was clear to Florya, who understood him well. Straightening her clothes and composing herself, Florya resolved to handle the situation.
Clemens, the head of the Tarannis family’s trading company, hadn’t been sleeping well for several months since arriving in the Osiris Countdom. His insomnia only worsened.
Living in fear of potential bloodshed day by day caused him to lose weight drastically.
The Tarannis family had always harbored sinister secrets, and Clemens himself suffered from a hereditary condition, so he understood the family members’ anger.
However, sometimes their depth of darkness seemed too overwhelming, leading Clemens to distance himself from the family entirely, refusing to delve into their abyss.
Still, despite his efforts, he couldn’t defy the growing power of the family’s orders and found himself bound here.
During his tenure as the head merchant, Clemens deliberately avoided dangerous information and stayed away from risky situations.
Thus, he didn’t fully understand the exact circumstances unfolding within the Osiris Countdom.
All Clemens could do was create a few “holes” that might seem survivable, one of which was establishing contact with Ray.
Contrary to Clemens’ anxiety, the situation unfolded positively.
Despite some minor hiccups, the Tarannis family successfully concluded its transaction with Duke Matthias.
The atmosphere during the final agreement was cordial, with little animosity between them.
‘Have I… misjudged the situation?’
Clemens had speculated that his family might be causing unrest and conflict with the Empire.
However, with everything concluding smoothly, doubts arose about his initial assumptions.
Perhaps the Empire had indeed suspected the Tarannis family but ultimately found no substantial evidence against them.
Ray might truly have been an imperial spy or could have approached Clemens for another purpose altogether.
‘Regardless, it’s fortunate.’
Clemens detested living in constant uncertainty, never knowing when disaster might strike.
He preferred the safety of a small, controllable pond rather than the vast and perilous sea.
Once this voyage concluded safely, he intended to further distance himself from the family.
With this resolve, Clemens focused on completing the remaining schedule.
Managing connections as a merchant was a top priority, so before departing for the kingdom, he reached out to old acquaintances to arrange a farewell dinner.
Today, he was scheduled to meet Florya privately over lunch.
As the youngest daughter cherished by the Count of Osiris, Florya was a valuable connection worth investing both time and resources into.
Upon arriving at the manor and being guided by a servant, Clemens tidied his attire before entering the room.
“Thank you for inviting me…”
Clemens stopped mid-sentence upon seeing a familiar face beside Florya.
It was Ray.
Ray smiled warmly at Clemens, who stood frozen.
“What are you doing? Won’t you take a seat?”
Clemens hesitated briefly before sitting down.
After waiting for the servant to move far enough away, Ray spoke again.
“Do you have a spouse or children?”
The question was abrupt, direct, and incredibly rude.
Clemens glanced at Florya, but she remained silent.
Understanding the tension, Clemens responded cautiously.
“…Neither.”
In his younger days, he had opportunities to start a family, but as he aged and experienced worsening symptoms of his hereditary condition, he chose not to pass his suffering onto future generations.
Nodding slightly, Ray popped a cookie into his mouth and chewed slowly.
His next question was equally rude.
“Are there any long-time acquaintances aboard the ship returning to the kingdom?”
Clemens had hired many talented individuals to lead the trading company, but most of them were replaced temporarily for this voyage.
Their positions were filled primarily by people sent from the Tarannis family and the kingdom.
However, there were still a few longstanding associates aboard.
Assessing Clemens’ expression, Ray remarked coldly.
“It would be ideal if you were selfish enough to abandon them.”
“What?! What kind of rudeness is this…!!”
Suddenly, a sword materialized in mid-air, pointing directly at Clemens’ chest.
Gripped by the silver-white blade, Clemens fell silent instantly.
Before he could recover from his shock, intense beams of light erupted, binding them together.
The temperature in the room plummeted sharply, and steam rose from their breath.
Focusing all his energy on staying conscious, Clemens fought to keep from fainting as a deadly sword aura aimed straight for his heart.
Even Florya, caught in Ray’s oppressive aura, turned pale.
[Kruu…]
Clemens’ spirit emerged boldly, baring its teeth at Ray.
Quickly retreating his spirit back, Clemens gasped for air, realizing his opponent carried a top-tier artefact stored in an a-space—a graduate-level wielder.
This was not someone to engage in a trivial contest of strength.
“Uh, what do you want…”
“The Empire intends to dispose of your kind. However, since you’ve done some good, we’ll give you a chance to save your life.”
“A chance…? What exactly can I possibly do…!”
“The Empire wishes to conclude this matter quietly. If you assist us, we will show mercy.”
Clemens bit his lips hard, drawing blood that froze upon hitting the table.
The moment he had hoped to avoid had finally arrived.
Though the situation was dire, surrendering his life was not an option.
Clemens wanted to live, and given that this was within the Empire’s control, he had only one choice.
Templar Albert.
Albert wasn’t particularly skilled with a sword, but he excelled in praying and consecrating weapons.
Revered among templars for his piety, Albert knelt alone in a makeshift prayer room, lost in thought.
What exactly had he witnessed?
The holy chains meant to burn sins had ignited on their own.
What did this phenomenon signify?
Everyone sins, including those who serve the deity at the highest levels of the church. Perfection is impossible.
Yet the sacred chains had burned on their own.
Who had sinned?
Had Albert committed a sin?
Was imprisoning and judging that person an unforgivable offense in the eyes of heaven?
“Am I carrying out El-Lam’s will?”
Muttering to himself, Albert slowly stood up.
Even though this was a temporary prayer room, proper attire and decorum were expected.
Nevertheless, Albert didn’t reprimand the cloaked figure before him.
Facing the person whose face was obscured by a dark robe, Albert asked.
“Who are you?”
“…”
“Can you tell me where you’re from?”
“What would you do with that information?”
Ray continued confidently.
“I’d appreciate it if you kept your identity hidden. Having your face and name revealed would only complicate things unnecessarily.”
Albert had to agree with Ray.
Just the current artifact trade deal alone had drawn political pressure from various quarters, skipping several sacred procedures as a result.
If the person standing before him were genuinely blessed by divine power, revealing themselves would inevitably attract greed.
Meanwhile, Ray confirmed his suspicion based on Albert’s reaction.
Something unusual happened when he broke through the barrier, and the templars likely noticed it.
Ray straightened his neck proudly.
If he was going to boast, he might as well do it properly.
“Even though it wasn’t intentional, you interfered with my work, so you’ll need to help me.”
“…Speak your request.”
“How far can your consecrated spear reach?”
It wouldn’t fly hundreds or thousands of kilometers like a ballistic missile.
Albert had to think carefully about Ray’s question.
He hadn’t quantified the distances of divine techniques derived from blessings, but based on experience, he could estimate.
“Up to 10 km, I believe. Beyond that, I cannot guarantee.”
“That’s sufficient.”
Beyond 5 km, it would exceed the horizon, and at 10 km, they could launch a surprise attack undetected.
Of course, one crucial condition was necessary.
“Can the spear carry a person?”
“…?”
“If a person were onboard, what would the maximum range be?”
“Hold on.”
Realizing what Ray meant, Albert stammered.
“Once the spear is launched, deceleration isn’t possible.”
“Ah, that’s my problem. Just answer whether it’s possible or not.”
(Continued)
