◈ Episode 110. It’s Too Late to Regret

I checked the quest that came to mind.

[Class Quest: Extermination of Akshan].

Extermination of Akshans and Demon Hunters.

The last of the Demon Hunters.

Uncover the truth about the Holy War.

─Train your weakened body. (Repeat)

Identify the forces that participated in the Holy War. (Ongoing)

Encounter a saint of the Goddess Church. (Ongoing)

Identify the original sin of Magic Tower. (Successful)

Wait, what does this mean……?

It means that the Magic Tower was involved with the Holy War.

The one that led to Akshan’s destruction.

‘No, maybe it’s not surprising.’

The Chief.

It was the majority of the Demon Worshippers, including the Elder Mage, Karimzeva, who decided what was big or small in the Magic Tower. I could understand.

Besides, the Magic Tower was not an active participant in the Holy War.

“I realized from watching you, sir, that turning away is no excuse. As you said, with great power comes great responsibility.”

In Marcelo’s words.

The Mage Tower simply ignored the holy war.

As he had been doing all along.

Marcelo adds

“I’m sure you already knew all of this, but now that I’m finally confessing, I’m speechless. Magic Tower owed you, and Akshan, a great debt of gratitude.”

No, not to Akshan, but…….

……You don’t have to apologize so politely to me.

If it weren’t for the Holy War and the quest, I wouldn’t have known.

I mean, I have years and years of gaps!

But everything is guided by the heavy pride in my heart.

I answered Marcelo.

Shamelessly, without changing my face.

“I understand you. Marcelo.”

Don’t pretend to be gentle, Grandfell.

You may not realize it, but I do.

The absurdity of social life.

‘If the top is rotten, what can the bottom do?’

If it’s black, it’s black.

Even in the temple, Marcelo had no voice.

But from my point of view, nothing bad.

Goddess Church.

Tens of thousands of paladins are on standby in the Holy Land, Muon.

To take on such a huge force.

I figured I’d have to be the big guy.

“My Lord, why don’t you leave this to me?”

I never thought that a force even more powerful than the Goddess Church would make a move…….

Marcelo showed me his willingness by using the word “formal” as if it were not an empty word.

My response was simple.

“If it is the pride of Magic Tower, I will grant the request.”

Oh, thank you.

It’s enough to make me bow my head.

You act like you’re invincible.

But it’s only a day or two of admiring myself for my iron skin.

Instead, I rolled my eyes.

‘If only we could get the tower to move.’

Maybe we wouldn’t have to go back so hard.

Parachutists and elites are treated differently, even by the same chief.

For one thing, unlike me, Marcelo has a reputation.

The Muons might turn against us.

For the sake of Magic Tower’s reputation.

Still, wouldn’t they at least listen to Marcelo’s story?

With that in mind, I said to Marcelo

“What I question is the very existence of Freyja.”

Even on a quest.

She was a saintess, Freyja, who showed unacceptable behavior for the pride of Grandfell.

But am I the only one with a suspicion?

‘It’s only natural that I’d want an explanation.’

Unless you want to be hunted down by the Goddess Church for blasphemy…….

I thought.

“I understand, my lord, you are suspicious of her.”

As usual, Marcelo had overestimated me.

I mean, not even raising the slightest question.

Marcelo didn’t hesitate.

“Well, then, I’m off.”

He turned and walked away.

……What? You’re going? Don’t you have to prepare yourself?

I was concerned, but Marcelo had already left the lab.

All I could do was watch and wait.

‘I’d prefer to resolve this verbally if possible…….’

And then I saw the breaking news.

Marcelo appeared on Muon.

At the same time, the gates of the city, which had been firmly closed, opened wide.

The paladin bowed his head to greet Marcelo.

……Is this a true story?

I know the greatness of the tower better than anyone.

As its parachute.

I was the one who saw the halo more than anyone else.

But I’m still not the same as the real Chief.

Of course, regardless of my thoughts, I raised my teacup.

click-

Watching him, I said nonchalantly.

“As a knight, you have at least some formality.”

The beads of formality on my pupils.

Of course, formality doesn’t mean that questions about the Goddess Church go away.

Marcelo’s conversation with the paladin didn’t last long. Soon enough, a portal appeared.

Back in the tower, Marcelo recounted his conversation to me.

“You were right to be concerned.”

……My fears were confirmed?

“The leader of the Paladins, Talim, says that even he has never seen the face of the Saintess, Freyja.”

It was true.

Freyja, Saintess of the Goddess Church.

She has only spoken and prophesied from beyond the veil.

Naturally, my response was simple.

“That’s not exactly polite behavior.”

There are degrees of disrespect for humanity.

‘……No, we’re not being polite here.’

Let’s use common sense.

“It’s just plain bad, isn’t it?

It’s bad enough that you locked the gates of Muon.

A mysterious entity, Freyja, who hides her identity even from her entourage.

I could tell.

‘She definitely smells like the demon.’

How could the Goddess Church be fooled by the words of a self-proclaimed saintess whose face they could not even see? That, too, could be explained by demon power, by an [status abnormality].

It’s a [status abnormality] that was valid for demigods and elder mages.

‘…… This must be difficult in its own way.’

Do you think a demon that cautious would show up easily?

Of course not.

It specifically says “until Judgment Day.”

I don’t see Freyja showing up before then.

‘Even if you can access the muons…….’

Once inside, everything is clear.

The effect of the Demon Hunter’s unique skill, [Natural Enemy], is sharper than ever. If there is a demon inside the muon, I should be able to sense it.

But.

Marcelo’s next words stunned me.

“As you say. I suspected her identity as well.”

Up until that point, I understood.

You’d think it was weird if you asked Vanguard Tom.

What saint in the world would never reveal her true identity?

“That’s why I’ve invited the saintess, Freyja, to join us at the Tower.”

So when I heard that.

I wondered if I’d misheard.

Marcelo must have guessed that Freyja wouldn’t accept the invitation.

But I’d forgotten for a moment.

I’d forgotten who the Magic Tower was.

“If she doesn’t accept, we have a reason.”

The words hit me like a ton of bricks.

Yes, the Magic Tower are the most powerful military organization in Arcana.

When they wanted something, nothing stood in their way.

Either they disappear from the Arcana continent without a trace, or they get out of the way before they do.

For those who faced it, the choice was clear.

The realization hit me hard.

Such an enormous Magic Tower.

I’m just trying to be polite to myself……!

But the self-consciousness of the Grandfell was also enormous.

Can you feel the pressure on me?

I said, without wavering.

“We’ll just have to see how they react.”

And so it was.

In this moment, the pressure wasn’t on me.

Someone else was on a real shit train.

I’m talking about you, self-proclaimed saintess Freyja.

*

Talim, Paladin of the Goddess Church.

He knelt before the veil.

The shadow of the holy woman, Freyja, flickered beneath the curtain.

Talim laid it all out on the line.

“……Magic Tower, they have come to Muon.”

A paladin to protect the saint.

Talim had no face.

He hadn’t expected to face the Magic Tower in this world, let alone on the continent of Arcana.

Not even in the continent of Arcana, much less in this world.

“I had no choice but to break the Saintess’s rules.”

Just thinking about it made him feel dizzy.

“!”

If he hadn’t already seen the face of Marcelo, the chief mage of the tower, in his memory……. Muon would have been destroyed with a single wave of Marcelo’s hand.

Mages of the Tower, knowing what they were capable of.

Talim had no choice but to step outside of Muon.

He spoke to Marcelo.

“They wanted to talk to the saintess. The chief mage, Marcelo, has conveyed his desire to officially invite the saintess to the Magic Tower.”

Talim tilted his head in thought.

“Why would the Tower want to speak with the Saintess?”

Just as he was beginning to piece together the reasons himself.

He heard the voice of Freyja, a saintess.

“And what do you think, Talim?”

There was power in that languid voice.

“!”

Enough to clear the thoughts that were running through my head.

A strong force that cannot be resisted.

“I believe that the Saintess’s will must take precedence.”

The answer came from beyond the veil.

“If that is so, Talim, then why did you seek me out?”

“……that.”

“I know, you were afraid.”

The priestess was right.

The Magic Tower were a force to be reckoned with.

But Talim realized he was wrong.

“I’m afraid you lack faith.”

“Mee, I don’t lack faith. That’s not it, Saintess……!”

“No, no. I can understand your confusion; you must be confused too, after all, our holy land, Muon, has fallen into an unfamiliar world, if demons weren’t enough. But don’t worry, Talim, you know that, don’t you?”

“……?”

“Even in this strange world, the Goddess still cares.”

“!”

At those words, Talim remembered.

The Goddess’ care and miracles.

The reason Muon is called the Holy Land, the Tears of the Goddess.

Yes, Freyja was not wrong.

Talim grunted.

“I realize the meaning of those words.”

“Indeed, Talim, and what shall you do?”

“I am…….”

The words trailed off.

An intense thought flashed through Talim’s mind.

It was the occasional revelation from the Goddess.

Talim spoke.

“I will open Muon to the …… revelation. I will prove the miracles of the Goddess to the world and spread the greatness of the Goddess Church. I will unleash a force that not even the Tower can stop.”

The veil stirred finely at Talim’s declaration.

Somewhere.

A satisfied chuckle escaped him.

*
──────

[Breaking] Goddess Church’s holy land, Muon, is now fully open!

[Breaking News] Is this the Magic Tower Effect? The closed gates of Muon have been opened……!

[Breaking] Player says, “There is a miracle spring in Muon……!”

──────

The flow was unstoppable.

It was no surprise that Marcelo, the chief mage of Magic Tower, appeared in Muon. A few hours later, Muon would open the gates.

“I can only assume that Magic Tower is involved with Muon in some way. That’s what I think.”

“But it’s strange, isn’t it, before the Cataclysm and after. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Magic Tower act so out in the open like this.”

“That’s right. Even the President of the Republic of Korea……. No, isn’t it Marcelo, the Chief Mage, who didn’t even show himself in public when the governments of the world came out in force?”

I wondered what had happened to Magic Tower.

What could have changed his attitude?

There was only one possibility.

-The Homen

Magic Tower, past and present.

The only thing that changed was the Chief Mage.

The only thing that had changed was Ho-Yeol’s presence.

And he hadn’t even shown himself near Muon.

The interest in him was overwhelming.

No matter what channel or community you went to, there was talk about him.

-If this isn’t the Nobel Peace Prize, I don’t know what is!

-When the Guyver fell, I thought it was really bad;;;

-It was a big mistake.

-If you’re going to do it, you’re going to do it right.

-You’ve done something that’s hard to do properly at the same time.

For all that attention to detail.

It’s still just fresh blood.

There was one piece of information that spread quickly.

There was also a piece of information that spread quickly.

A lake in the center of Muon.

It talked about the spring water that filled it.

“…… That’s a pretty cool spring water effect, brothers.”

“The paladins didn’t call it a miracle of the goddess for nothing.”

“Hey, this effect makes me want to convert to the Goddess Church!”

Blah blah blah.

The news of the spring water in the lake spreading.

No words were needed to describe the effect.

The effects of the lake were being broadcast in real time via livestream.

As if the lake’s spring water really was a rejuvenating elixir. It was making the netizen’s skin glow.

Himself.

And, just as importantly.

Interest in the miracle of the goddess, the spring, was skyrocketing.

Naturally.

The ritual of checking in on the whole affair was the same as always.

Straightening her outfit in front of the mirror.

Such passion soon moved on.

Another angle.

Toward the muons.

.

.

.

You’re a bit of a puncher for a self-proclaimed saintess.

I didn’t think she’d open the muon herself.

It was a despicable tactic.

It was obvious they were trying to frame her……!

The media was actually talking about it.

It was all thanks to Marcelo, the tower, that Muon was opened. And by extension, it’s because of me who made Marcelo do it.

Yeah, that’s what Freyja was after.

If something happened in the open muon, the blame would be pointed at Magic Tower.

and by extension, me.

But this makes it even more clear.

“What a despicable people.”

Only a demon could come up with something like that.

Well, I don’t know what kind of demon it is, but it’s a good one.

It’s not enough that it devoured a whole muon.

And now you’re trying to frame the Tower in the name of the Goddess Church.

What’s more?

A rejuvenation potion?

I don’t understand how people can be so crazy about something that’s good for them.

Is that how you’re going to recruit followers, or hostages?

This almost made me tired.

In that sense, I guess you could say it was good to try.

Of course.

“There’s nothing worse than not knowing your subject.”

I said.

Even with your holy war bullshit.

A nemesis you sought to erase from existence.

If you weren’t a demon hunter.

[The skill ‘Natural Enemy’ is activated.]