232 – Shale Bridge (1)
There is a distance from the Vatican to the portal customs clearance office.
All important facilities are located away from the portal customs office.
The carriage provided by the Pope was not flashy, but it was luxurious and comfortable.
I boarded the carriage comfortably, not knowing what would happen in the future.
“… I’m glad.”
It was obvious that it was Danya’s words.
She has already breathed fifteen sighs of relief.
Not only her, but also Elena, Lina, and Sylvia’s reactions were similar.
Silvia’s eyes were filled with a little more respect.
“When you return, please explain to me how you were cleared of the charges in the witch trial.”
Silvia’s expression was earnest as she asked that question. Like a puppy with her food in front of her. I smiled without realizing it and then nodded her head.
There was something I wanted to ask instead.
“Why was she in prison? If I had made a mistake, I would have passed by without knowing she was in prison.”
“Infiltrate to rescue Mr. Ian…”
“… It seemed like that. Sylvia, you know that it’s not at all easy to bring out someone imprisoned as a witch in the Vatican.”
Sylvia kept her mouth shut for a moment and then nodded her head.
“I know. It’s close to impossible. But…”
“?”
“More than anything else, it was important that Ian not die.”
She nodded her head as if everyone agreed with what Sylvia said.
“But wasn’t it too dangerous?”
“More than anything, even if it were you, Ian, if any of us were trapped, you would have come to save us.”
Lina hit the nail on the head.
Well.
I think I would have done the same if it were me.
“Thank you. For jumping into such a dangerous place to save me.”
No matter what the outcome is, I am grateful.
At the same time, I was worried.
“Still, if you guys get caught because of me, I’ll be so sorry. I can escape somehow, so from now on, only move when it seems safe and possible.”
Hey!
It was Elena who responded to my words.
“Actually, it wasn’t that there was no possibility. Sister Sylvia came up with a plan, but I wasn’t sure about the direction…”
“You came in through the ventilation shaft under that old tree, right?”
“How did you know?”
It’s a pretty famous trap passage there.
It was also the first trap I fell into when I received a mission to infiltrate the Holy See.
A trap passage composed of clever illusions.
Perhaps something was secretly leaked from the Vatican toward the Numina denomination.
‘Now that I think about it, I guess we’re slowly starting to establish internal discipline.’
With this summit meeting between the Pope and the Emperor, the possibility of a war between the two countries has virtually converged to zero.
Therefore, they will try to crack down on the inside more thoroughly.
The Pope will try to resolve the conflict that has reached its peak between the Celeste and Numina denominations.
‘The empire will focus a little more on the battle for succession to the throne.’
Who will become the next emperor between the first princess, the second prince, and the third princess Astria?
Of course, I am rooting for Asteria.
The position of the first princess is strong as she receives strong support from high-ranking nobles. Moreover, the second prince is so obsessed with her that he will do anything to obtain the throne.
If we were to distinguish between good and evil, he is clearly a person close to evil. He had close ties with the upper class, led by Raymond, along with the fledgling nobility.
He is clearly at odds with me… Well. He wants to self-destruct as quickly as possible.
If possible, with Emilia Raymond.
But more than anything, there is something that creates tension in this succession battle.
This is Asteria.
She is the one who will not hesitate to turn against her in order to take the throne.
‘I won’t cause treason anymore.’
At least since there is a high possibility that I will be involved in her path, I should encourage her to make a more stable choice.
More than anything, her talent can be said to be most suitable as an emperor.
In the end.
Whether it is Holy Constantine or the Empire, every effort will be made to control each family.
In this situation, if Shaleam Bridge moves to expand its power, they will work together to block Shaleam Bridge.
The reason is simple.
There is no cleaner way to organize the inside than with an external enemy whose ‘evil’ is clearly clear.
‘The minimum requirements for the final chapter have been completed to some extent.’
An environment where everyone’s windows can face Shaleam Bridge at any time.
In that situation, it can be said that the minimum requirements for preparing for the final chapter have been met.
At least that much strength is needed to deal with the final boss.
“Mr. Ian, have you heard any news about Miss Aria? I also received intelligence that the saintess exam will also be held at the same time.”
“You secretly have good information?”
“Because the Vatican is our main client.”
This is an answer that has many different meanings.
Well, there are plenty of secular people among priests.
“Aria failed the saintess trials.”
“That’s right. Actually, looking at it objectively, it looks like we’ll be eliminated soon…”
“No. It failed just before the last step.”
Everyone looked quite surprised.
Well, I really couldn’t believe it at the time.
Aria, mentally broken, makes it to the final ordeal.
Something that never happens in games.
She was pushed to her lowest point and ended up with a completely unexpected result.
That is also based on his obsession with me.
It’s a pretty burdensome situation.
‘There is still a good chance that Aria is the culprit.’
Some circumstantial evidence we have about Arya.
Her reaction to the ‘Despair’ ordeal.
I can never get rid of her suspicions about me.
However, at the same time, it is true that the regret she already has and the despair she is experiencing are approaching in a somewhat stable manner.
Even if she is a criminal, there is an expectation that she will be able to be used in some way.
Being a saint is useful in many ways.
‘Rather, the worst is Emilia.’
Those attitudes that looked down on me as if they hated me.
Although the petition came out of nowhere, it made me wonder if I had misread their attitudes.
‘What if even that is a calculation?’
The person who can fully calculate that is Emilia Raymond.
He is a being that cannot be easily cleared of doubt.
That was when my thoughts flowed to that point.
“Hmm…?”
Suddenly a coolness enveloped my skin.
Something was strange.
Has the movement of mana stopped?
I was filled with the feeling that my surroundings were becoming empty.
“Ian?”
Someone asked me that.
Even the sound comes slowly, as if in slow motion.
It feels like the flow of the world is slowing down.
I heard it at the same time.
— Dang, dang, dang.
It was three bells.
This is my first time hearing it, but maybe my third time hearing it.
◆
First, the flow of magic power stops.
Next is air.
Even if we stand still, there is bound to be some subtle movement.
Every time we feel the air.
Just the moment when all the air stopped.
“……”
Maybe that will be the moment when everyone stops.
Feeling everything for the first time.
For the first time, I watched the surroundings freeze like that.
— Slither
A sign of popularity can be felt from far away.
The bright red coat of arms flutters alone in a world that has stopped.
I can’t even hear a sound.
It was natural. Because the air is still.
I instinctively stiffened my body.
I was able to move differently than before, but it was a momentary decision.
It doesn’t matter if you roll your eyes.
I have seen a woman approaching from afar with her long sleeves fluttering.
“It’s been a long time.”
This is a walking method that allows you to walk, but does not feel like walking.
The distance became closer in an instant, as if space was folding.
She was smiling.
The lips, as red as a long cloth, contrast with the pure white face and look truly magical.
The bright red eyes seen between the narrowed eyes shine beautifully and lethally like jewels made from only fresh blood.
Samjonwi of Hwalam Bridge.
Among the most power-crazed groups, they were among the three most proficient.
“You have grown once again? No. Can this be called growth? You have surpassed the limit.”
There was a sharp side to the greeting that came out of nowhere.
I feel like I jumped over a pretty big staircase recently.
The opportunity was to interpret Evan’s technique.
“As expected… You are so brilliant, after all.”
Her eyes flashed red.
It was clearly greed that filled it.
Greed for me.
‘… It’s a crisis.’
It was clearly an extremely dangerous situation.
Shale Bridge is a group that ultimately grows by absorbing its opponents.
Without having to go through complicated processes such as training, he simply absorbs the opponent’s life force, blood, and energy in various ways and turns them into his own.
Sarak.
A seductive sound was heard once again.
No – it won’t be a sound.
I just feel that way based on her appearance.
Now that I have realized that what I hear is her voice, it is not a voice, but a voice that is directly plugged into my brain.
“Do you remember?”
Soon, the blood girl stood in front of me.
She lifted her long, white fingers.
Cold and beautiful hands.
“A promise we made on the third day we met.”
She definitely felt like a spider to me.
I am prey caught in the blood woman’s web.
And so the third day arrived.
“The main lady promised to take you with her.”
The prey that roamed around inside the spider’s web gained enough weight.
The day to retrieve that food has arrived.
It would be meaningless to ask why that day is today.
I was always prey.
It is the spider’s job to choose when to eat its food.
“Stay still. I’ll take you to a cozy place in no time.”
The blood woman whispered into my ear.
The voice was sweet.
Sarak.
Consciousness was stained black.