STM 171

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“If Ma Hoiga still hasn’t arrived after ten minutes, you must leave immediately.”

Enya, who had followed me into the reception room, said in a firm voice. I glanced back at her standing behind me.

“He’ll come.”

I understood her concern. Tairok had left to attack Sarne, the entire Tubain could soon become a battlefield. But Tairok had said he’d end it as quietly and quickly as possible.

That’s why he chose a surprise attack. Fortunately, Sarne bordered Borhumi directly, allowing him to feign moving troops there. Yet Enya’s voice betrayed her displeasure, reflecting her lack of trust in me.

“I don’t know what basis you have for such confidence, but lingering here longer is dangerous in this situation.”

“Enya, the lord naturally has grounds for his confidence. No matter how dangerous the situation, it’s no problem. If you don’t understand, just stay quiet.”

I was flustered by Haas’s sudden interruption. What grounds? There aren’t any? To my surprise, Haas stretched out his hand.

“Because the divine beast is right behind us.”

No, it’s not behind us, nor is it in front. He probably thinks that if danger arises, it’ll knock everyone down, just like at the imperial palace party. But how unpredictable is a divine beast? It’s not some snake you can summon at will, and there was no way to summon it.

“Haas, there must be some misunderstanding…”

I tried to tell him the truth, but the door opened and the person we were waiting for appeared. The moment Hoiga’s blue eyes met mine, they filled with murderous intent.

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‎

That day, the vast plaza before the Grand Temple was crowded with people. The appearance of Salvation who had replenished the Crystal Lake was enough to stir the entire Tubain, and the awe for the divine beasts that granted the miraculous power naturally grew.

As a result, people flocked to the temple. While this was welcome news for the temple, they couldn’t be entirely happy. After all, it was Adeye Lu who had performed the miracle.

The Adeye family was currently angry with the temple over the fire that had reduced their home to ashes. The temple desperately wanted to make contact with Adeye Lu, so they had been continuously sending people to the Adeye side.

And today, the hand of reconciliation finally arrived. The Adeye family had contacted them, stating they would participate in today’s event.

From the temple’s perspective, things were going well up to this point. However, trouble arose when a high priest came out personally to greet the Adeye family. The carriage that stopped before them bore the crest of the Ma family, not Adeye’s.

As expected, the people stepping out of the carriage were members of the Ma family. The high priest, unable even to approach and greet them, flew into a rage at the attendant.

“What is going on here?! Why are members of the Ma family here?!”

“We were instructed to bring Lord Salvation’s family, so we did exactly that.”

The attendant pointed outside, looking rather aggrieved.

“Aren’t those people Salvation’s family? Ma Hoiga is the Salvation recognized by the Montaine family.”

The high priest was so stunned he lost his words. He couldn’t possibly present them as Salvation’s family before the public now. Yet he couldn’t very well turn away the head of the powerful Ma Trading Company, influential throughout Tubain. As the high priest agonized, the attendant cautiously asked.

“Shall we escort the Ma family members inside the temple?”

Inside? Yes, inside at least meant they wouldn’t be seen by the crowd gathered in the plaza.

“Escort them to the lounge and find a suitable reason to prevent them from coming out. Under no circumstances must people see the temple aligning itself with the Ma family. Do you understand?”

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‎

“Lu, you look happy.”

The moment Hoiga saw me, his first greeting was to mock my expression. I must have been smiling too much. But seeing those eyes brimming with malice and venom, I simply couldn’t hide my laughter. But I still denied it.

“Not really. This is nowhere near enough.”

“Well, I hear the Adeye matriarch is still hovering between life and death?”

Hoiga’s provocation got under my skin, but I maintained my smile. It was just too obvious he was trying to provoke me, it was funny. I got to the point.

“Pay the bet. If you know any clues to lifting Kun’s curse, tell me everything.”

“…….”

“What? Did you think I came here just to look at your face?”

Hoiga stiffened and didn’t say anything more, probably searching for a reason to refuse. I hadn’t expected him to spill the beans willingly. But I held onto the hope that, if he had any conscious energy left, he might speak.

“I have no reason to follow a bet you arbitrarily set. If you want to lift Kun’s curse, tell the person involved to come himself. I don’t want to discuss Kun’s important matters with an outsider like you.”

At Hoiga’s words, I heard the two people behind me moving as if they were getting angry. Hoiga’s gaze briefly turned to them, then back to me

“Whether you’re here to look at me or not, if you have something to say, send those two away.”

“No. How can we know what you might do to Lord Salvation?”

Haas, now my ardent follower, interjected. Enya grabbed his arm, though she too looked displeased with Hoiga’s demand. I complied with Hoiga’s request.

“Both of you step outside for a moment.”

Haas immediately protested.

“But leaving him alone with you is dangerous.”

“It’s fine. I have a weapon.”

Haas, devotee of the club, immediately agreed with that statement. Then he dragged the reluctant Enya away. As soon as I was alone with Hoiga, I asked him again. This time, I calmly stared straight at him.

“This is your last chance. Tell me everything you know about the clue to lift Kun’s curse.”

“Lu.”

He stared at me and asked in a low voice.

“Are you really Adeye Lu?”

‎

‎

Adeye Lu had almost died from a monster attack. When he first heard the news, Hoiga hadn’t taken the incident seriously. He habitually verified those who had been on the brink of death, he’d gone to meet Lu with that same mindset.

Because the name ‘Adeye Lu’ wasn’t written on the scrolls. Before coming to Tubain, Hoiga had been a researcher and had verified every scroll that had come through the Eye of Hell.

Only the names written there were used as coordinates to send nanobots. So, only those people needed verification. Hoiga had spent a long time in Tubain, investing considerable time and effort investigating whether there were other informants.

The Lu before him was not a coordinate, so he could never be an informant. But what on earth was that changed personality, like someone else’s? Even as he suppressed his humiliation and faced Lu, this question persisted.

His change was on the level of another soul possessing his body. If Lu was an informant, there was only one possibility. Hoiga repeated the question he had asked Mo many times before.

‘Since I arrived here, is it possible a new informant entered Adeye Lu’s body?’

The answer he always heard came from Mo once more.

[No. I was the last nanobot sent from the Central Research Institute, and at that time, the institute was collapsing under monsters attacks. Other potential research facilities were also in ruins from assaults. At that time, the only place capable of sending nanobots through the Eye of Hell was the Central Research Institute.]

‎

‎

Hoiga’s eyes, as he questioned me, wavered in confusion. Perhaps he was asking the nanobot to confirm the possibility that I came from Earth. I already knew the answer his nanobot would give.

It would say there was no possibility. That all the research institutes had been destroyed. That’s why I could mock him so leisurely.

“You asked that before. Do you know how to change souls?”

He flinched. Hoiga reacted far too obviously. Then he clenched his jaw, pretending nothing was wrong.

“That’s impossible.”

“You shouldn’t say ‘impossible’ when you don’t know everything.”

I gritted my teeth.

“There are many miracles in this world you don’t know about.”

“Ha, many?”

There are plenty. I kindly gave him examples.

“Me communicating with the divine beasts, saving Tubain from monsters, even becoming Grand Duke Kun’s companion, all of it had to be miracles.”

They were all things Hoiga had desperately wanted. Especially when I mentioned Tairok, his pent-up rage became palpable.

Yeah, get angrier and more furious. The more malice you direct at me, the better.