STM 91

Thud thud thud.

The ice chunks falling to the ground with a noisy sound were out of season. Without the forecast, it would have been a perfect situation for many to regard as an ominous sign.

The already ominous situation in Borhumi, with the rift and the monsters invasion, is already threatening. What chaos must it be to add an unseasonable hailstorm? Yet, all this ominousness was transformed into hope by the word “Salvation.

“Your Grace.”

Even when his secretary called, Kilu didn’t take his eyes off the window. The suddenly pouring hail made its presence known with a noisy sound in an instant, then soon stopped.

However, even in that short time, there was enough of the white ice chunks to cover the ground. Otherwise, no one would have believed it was hail.

“You must enter the conference room soon.”

He didn’t respond this time either, but the secretary could tell he was in a good mood.

“Now everyone will believe in the Salvation’s existence.”

“Isn’t it quite dramatic? Salvation appearing at the critical moment when a rift opens.”

“If that Salvation supports Montaine, everyone in the world will acknowledge who the true master of Tubain is.”

“Yes, if only ‘Salvation’ accepts my proposal at this meeting.”

“Surely he’ll accept?”

The secretary had run around quite a few places these past few days for that matter. Instead of putting pressure directly on Salvation, he’d targeted those around him.

“Everyone around him supports Montaine. If he doesn’t accept Your Grace’s proposal, he’ll be abandoned by his loved ones, so it would be difficult to refuse.”

“He might do that difficult thing. We mustn’t let our guard down.”

Kilu erased the smile on his lips and coldly brought up one person’s name.

“I hear he’s showing interest in Tairok.”

“But Kun has no divine beast. No matter how much his heart leans toward Tairok, he can’t choose him now.”

The secretary assured him, but Kilu didn’t let down his guard. How many people had he seen bewitched by Tairok? Moreover, there was another unsettling factor.

“He said he’d tell everything at the White Branch meeting. He’s definitely hiding something…”

“Surely it can’t be important enough to betray Montaine.”

Right, how dare anyone betray Montaine. But he still felt uneasy.

“We’ll need collateral to keep his heart in check during the meeting.”

He turned to his secretary and ordered.

“Detain High Priest Cheki.”‎

‎

‎

We stayed in the carriage for quite a while to avoid the hail, but even after the dark clouds cleared, we still didn’t go outside.

The place where our carriage was stopped was a prime spot. Very suitable for surveillance.

From here, we could see at a glance those getting out of carriages arriving here and entering through the main gate. The traitor must be among them.

“Will you be alright?”

Only then did I notice I was clenching my fists so tightly my hands were trembling.

“I’m a bit nervous.”

When I answered honestly, Solongo took out a potion bottle from her pocket.

“It’s medicine that stabilizes mind and body. Would you like some?”

No thanks, what medicine? I refused and asked without thinking much.

“There’s medicine like that?”

“The matriarch developed it. It’s medicine whose main ingredient is a lump that forms in an ox’s gallbladder.”

…Cheongsimhwan? I immediately held out my hand. (traditional Korean/East Asian medicine)

“Give it here quick.”

And just as I was uncorking it to gulp it down in one shot, I saw a familiar face out the window. Solongo must have seen it too as she acknowledged them.

“It’s High Priest Cheki. As expected, she came with her disciple.”

She spoke and looked at me.

“Does he look like the traitor to you?”

Solongo asked, but I kept my gaze fixed outside the window, concentrating. Especially on Ariona standing obediently behind High Priest Cheki with lowered eyes.

When the two people got out of the plain, small carriage, two soldiers approached and said something to High Priest Cheki. High Priest Cheki frowned but spoke briefly to Ariona and moved elsewhere following the soldiers.

The remaining Ariona looked around in confusion, then followed temple people who approached late and entered the building. It was a scene without any major problems, but it bothered me considerably.

“…No.”

I belatedly answered to Solongo’s question.

“Pardon?”

“He’s not the traitor. There aren’t many people around him. If he were the protagonist, they wouldn’t treat him so coldly.”

Ah. Solongo nodded as if convinced but offered a different opinion.

“Couldn’t it be a disguise? To avoid standing out. Didn’t you say there’s a high possibility the traitor lived holding their breath to avoid revealing their identity? In that sense, Ariona’s position is quite appropriate.”

Not standing out. This was a condition I’d picked from the start to identify the traitor. Since the traitor has a cautious personality, of course they would have.

“Lord Lu, you must get out. We can’t delay any longer.”

At Solongo’s urging, I eventually got out of the carriage and followed the guidance to the conference room.

The entire time, this condition wouldn’t leave my mind.

That the traitor is someone who doesn’t stand out. It must be right…

Why does it bother me? Then I met someone on the way.

“Adeye Lu?”

When I heard my name, my steps automatically stopped, and a stranger greeted me.

“Long time no see. First time since graduating school, right?”

Probably a school classmate, so I immediately requested help from Mo.

Mo briefly showed me the person’s information, someone I’d only exchanged a few words with as a student.

What would the real Lu do with this person at a time like this?

Mo immediately displayed the answer.

[I recommend Adeye Lu’s reaction as follows:

1. Look the person up and down, realize they’re not your type, scoff and turn away.

(In this case, stroke from the inner thigh to the crotch to show off your beauty.)

2. Abruptly beg them to tell you about and connect you with the good-looking friend among their classmates.]

The options I was seeing after a long time were still shitty. I appropriately chose ‘1’. And squeezing out my acting skills, I briefly looked him over and said one thing.

“You’re the same. Hmph.”

I quickly turned away worried I’d be caught, but fortunately the bad acting worked. I heard the classmate’s admiration from behind.

“Wow, I heard you’d changed, but not at all.”

There was no greater compliment than this in the world. As expected, thanks to Mo… Huh?

I stopped mid-thought. Come to think of it, the traitor also gets help from nanobots, right?

The traitor would have followed the nanobot’s instructions more faithfully than anyone because they didn’t want their identity exposed.

Even if it’s someone as terrible as Lu… As I thought this far, I got goosebumps as if cold water had been poured on me.

When I stopped walking, Solongo, who was walking beside me, looked confused.

“What’s wrong?”

“Solongo. If you need to protect yourself while gathering as much information as possible, what should you do?”

She was puzzled by the sudden question but seriously pondered before opening her mouth.

“It would depend on what the priority is. If information is the priority, I’d spend big money to deploy people. But if hiding my identity is the priority, no matter how much money I have, I can’t easily use people. That eventually becomes a weakness. Then I’d have to move directly…”

Solongo thought for a moment before opening her mouth.

“To get information, you can’t help but be exposed among people, so the best approach is in a form that others won’t pay attention to. What do they call it? A pushover? People don’t need to be careful in front of such people, so they just pour out information.”

Right. Someone to let your guard down around. And since the traitor couldn’t trust anyone, they would have gone out directly to find information. While thoroughly disguised enough that even Doctor Kim didn’t notice.

If such a person heard rumors that Adeye Lu had strangely changed? And after surviving a near-death crisis at that. They definitely would have checked with their own eyes directly.

So I’ve already met the traitor.

A shiver ran down my spine as if my body temperature had suddenly dropped.

One person came to mind. I swallowed the scream about to come out and asked Mo.

‘Mo, among the people I’ve met, who fits the traitor’s requirements best?’

As I anxiously waited for Mo’s answer.

“Ma family people have come. But… why did so many come?”

At Solongo’s words, I turned my gaze. As she said, a group of people was walking toward the entrance.

The formation was as if they were surrounding a very important person. But Solongo was surprised by something else.

“Huh? Today that person’s appearance looks quite different.”

At the same time, I heard Mo’s answer. It was the name I expected.

[It is Ma Hoiga.]