The Second Coming of Gluttony (WN KR)
Chapter 70: A Mystery

Bringing Maria into the fold was an excellent development in various ways.

There were two gods that a Priest could choose to serve. Firstly, the Order of Luxuria, the goddess of lust and in charge of healing, dispelling, as well as support spells.

The second one was the Order of Invidia, the god of envy who preferred to repulse the enemy with holy powers and governing over the operations of divination magics.

Cho Hong was an Earthling that basically straddled two separate paths of Invidia and Ira, while Maria chose to walk the lone path that Luxuria had carved out ever since she was Level 1. You’d already be treated like an aristocrat if you were a Priest, but more than that, you’d be treated almost equal to a Sorcerer if you focused on the healing side of your chosen profession.

A Level 4 High Priest was capable of healing regular injuries with a proverbial flick of her hand. And since Earthlings had a tendency of greatly prioritising saving their necks above all else, not only would they react positively at your team with such a Priest as a core member, they would also try to become friends with you.

Seol Ji-Hu was successful in recruiting a Priest, but he didn’t rest after that. His next stop took him to the city’s library, rather than back to Carpe Diem’s office.

Didn’t matter which city it was, the city library could be called the repository of all the amassed information. The Ramman village extermination request happened frequently, so he figured that there must be past records of the mission itself, just like how Alex’s report on the Mole’s appearance showed up on the city’s noticeboard soon afterwards.

Cho Hong, as usual, was full of swagger, loudly declaring that they only needed to look the part, as she alone would be enough to sweep all of their enemies away. But he couldn’t readily accept that.

He developed a certain habit ever since he nearly got killed from the siege of the skeletons back in the Neutral Zone. And that would be to prepare as much as humanly possible in the matters where his life might be on the line.

And so, as he immersed himself in searching for the relevant information, he ran into someone quite unexpected in the library.

“Hoh? I didn’t expect to see you here, my man.” (Ian)

An older man with greying beard and wearing a conical hat typical of wizards reached out for a handshake.

“Ah, hello there.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu politely shook the offered hand.

“I’m also surprised to see you here. What brings you to the city library, Master Ian?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Ehehe. I think you might be the only Earthling in history to ask a Sorcerer what’s his business in a library.” (Ian)

Ian giggled and asked back.

“So, my man. How have you been?” (Ian)

“Well, it was okay, nothing special to speak of. I tried my hands at being a courier, and I am still training everyday, too.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“It’s good to hear that you’re enjoying a peaceful life so far. Oh, right. Did you get the spear?” (Ian)

“Ah, that. I’ve completely forgot to thank you and the princess for it. How is she doing nowadays?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Don’t worry about her. Her Majesty Princess Teresa is always pink, pink, if you know what I mean.” (Ian)

Ian threw him a knowing wink. He then grinned at the youth panicking somewhat at the seemingly innuendo-ridden word of “pink”, before leaning in closer to whisper something else.

“Fufufu. This is a secret only I know, but allow me to share it with you.” (Ian)

Before he had time to realise it, Seol Ji-Hu was paying attention to the older man’s words.

“The truth is, there are many, many variations of colour pink, you see?” (Ian)

“….Eh?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“For instance~. Princess Teresa’s colour is much closer to ‘baby pink’, you see. Yes, indeed. Mm, mm.” (Ian)

“….Master Ian.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Oopsie. I was just messing with you, young man. Just a joke of poor taste from an old man. I definitely didn’t use X-ray magic to confirm so you shouldn’t look at this old man that way now. If you form a grimace like that, you come across as a total stranger and that kind of scares me a little.” (Ian)

Ian waved his hands about and guffawed out loudly. Seol Ji-Hu could only leak out a sigh. He let his guard down and got fooled again.

“I’m sure she won’t mind normal types of pranks, but isn’t it a bit much making sexual innuendos to a princess?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“You say that because you don’t know what she’s really like.” (Ian)

“?”

“Earlier today, I cracked a simple joke to her and she responded back with ‘yours can’t even stand up again, so why are you asking me that?’ To be honest, my feeling’s been kind of hurt, you know.” (Ian)

“…………”

By now, Seol Ji-Hu had forgotten what he wanted to say.

“Okay, that’s enough of small talk. What brings you here, my man?” (Ian)

“Well, I was given a mission, so I was hoping to find relevant information here.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu took a bit of guard against the older man and made his reply.

“A mission?” (Ian)

“Yes, it’s a request issued by Ramman village.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

A certain glint flashed by Ian’s eyes.

“Dylan and Hugo shouldn’t be able to participate in that. Does that mean it’s you and Cho Hong forming the team?” (Ian)

“Basically, yes. Master Ian, you heard about that, as well?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“I’m also participating in that ‘mission’, so indeed, I know of it. Dylan has given you the leadership role, then?” (Ian)

Hmm, hmm~. Ian carried a somewhat contemplate expression, but then, he suddenly formed a mysterious smile.

“Fufufu. Oh, Dylan, you one sly….” (Ian)

He muttered to himself and shifted his gaze back to the youth.

“My man. Can you spare me a bit of time? I only need around five minutes.” (Ian)

“Of course.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Alright. I’ll be right back, so please wait for me.” (Ian)

With a serious expression now etched on his face, Ian hurriedly went over here and there in the library. And precisely five minutes later, he showed up back again, now carrying an armful of scrolls and various documents.

“Take these. These are all the historical records pertaining to the extermination mission you’re about to take on. And this is….”

The older man pulled out a ridiculously thick book just as Seol Ji-Hu barely managed to receive them all.

“This here is the recorded history of the region. You don’t have to read everything, of course. I’ve made a bookmark somewhere in the middle, so you only have to browse that.” (Ian)

“You have?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Mm. It has been a long time ago, but you see, I also participated in the extermination mission before. The thing is, the Ramman village’s matter is one of the most endearing mysteries of Haramark, so once upon a time, I was rather interested in solving it, you see.” (Ian)

Ian sounded philosophical.

“Well, it all ended in failure, though. Back then, I thought I had caught onto a pretty solid lead, and I felt confident of my suspicions. But in the end, I still couldn’t uncover the origin.” (Ian)

“People are telling me the same thing so far. I’d probably end up the same as you.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“I wonder about that. We’ll have to wait and see first, no?” (Ian)

Seol Ji-Hu smiled embarrassedly, while Ian was stroking his beard in contemplation.

“Us walking out of the Forest of Denial alive, the famous forbidden zone, and then, us miraculously recovering the fortress that everyone thought was a lost cause – both of them were events easily exceeding one’s wildest imaginations.” (Ian)

“Thank you for your kind words, but I think I just got lucky.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“No, not true at all. Your actions were responsible for both of those events, not lady luck.” (Ian)

Ian formed a warm expression.

“Apologies for burdening you even further like this. But, if you manage to solve this mystery, it’d be the same thing as you aiding with the overall stability of the entire Haramark region, so you should be able to earn a substantial amount of ‘achievement points’. And the royal family might reward you something extra on the side, too.” (Ian)

“I’d feel so much more confident if you were to accompany us, Master Ian.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“I’d love to do that. Unfortunately, I have a prior engagement to fulfil, you see. Even the Sicilians are involved now, so it’ll be difficult to extricate myself out of this one.” (Ian)

“There’s no helping it, then. Thank you for these records. I’ll study them right away.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu smiled refreshingly.

“I’ll pray for your success.” (Ian)

Ian raised his tightly-clenched fist up high and cheered on.

*

Cho Hong returned to the office late at night, her current mood absolute worst.

For whole day, she went around looking for a Priest, only to meet with rejection at every turn. So, when she spotted Dylan drinking tea in the office, she loudly complained and said, “Are you going to do nothing and spectate from the sidelines?!”

But then, she was rendered completely speechless after Dylan informed her of Seol finding a Priest already.

“For real?!” (Cho Hong)

“Mm. He himself went to talk to the Priest, apparently.” (Dylan)

“Who is it?” (Cho Hong)

“It’s Maria Yeriel.” (Dylan) (TL note at the end.)

“Whaaaat?! That b*tch?!?!” (Cho Hong)

Cho Hong’s voice became even louder. Dylan calmly covered his ears and nodded once.

“I agree that it’s somewhat unbelievable, but how about lowering your volume a bit? Seol is in the middle of work, you see.” (Dylan)

“….Work?” (Cho Hong)

“Right. I wondered if there was anything I could help him with, but there was no need, judging from how he was handling it. He doesn’t even look like a newbie anymore from the way he’s taking care of things.” (Dylan)

There was a content smile on Dylan’s face now.

“Look. Do you know for how long I wanted a team member like Seol to join us? That’s why, if we can’t help him, we should at least not bother him, right?” (Dylan)

Too bad, Cho Hong wasn’t someone who’d heed such an advice. Her thudding steps led her directly into the shared bedroom. She found Seol Ji-Hu sitting by the desk, quietly jotting and studying all by himself.

“Hey.” (Cho Hong)

“Oh, you’re back?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu replied without looking back.

“I heard you found us a Priest?” (Cho Hong)

“Yeah.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu nodded.

“By the way, why is Miss Maria a b*tch?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Because, she is a b*tch, that’ why! How did you even manage to sweet talk that girl? I mean, that crazy b*tch’s infamous for having a re~ally high standard and all.” (Cho Hong)

“Please stop swearing for a second. I knew her from the Neutral Zone, actually.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Hey, you! You are supposed to look at the person you’re talking to!” (Cho Hong)

Only then Seol Ji-Hu turned around half way. He leaned against the chair’s back at an angle and continued.

“Ah, right. What about Archers and Warriors? Did you ask around?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Cho Hong faltered a bit where she stood.

“N-no, not really? I was busy searching for a Priest, so, like….” (Cho Hong)

“But, I told you I’d find a Priest?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“I didn’t know you’d find one this fast! I felt bad just dumping you with the responsibility, so I wanted to help out, too! So what!” (Cho Hong)

Cho Hong yelled at him. Seol Ji-Hu formed a wry smile.

“Fine, fine.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

He turned back towards the scrolls laid out on the desk.

“Don’t worry about it. Miss Maria’s supposed to meet me tomorrow at the ‘Eat, Drink, and Enjoy’, so let’s search together.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Cho Hong didn’t say anything else to that. Nevertheless, she wanted to show off for a bit since she was supposed to be more experienced in these sorts of things, but just as Dylan had alluded to earlier, Seol Ji-Hu was doing admirably well all by himself. She did feel a tiny bit apologetic in her mind, too.

“….What are you doing?” (Cho Hong)

When she got closer to the desk, she spotted lots of unfurled scrolls and documents. There was even a thick book there, too.

“Oh, these? Historical records of Ramman village’s extermination missions.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Annnd, this?” (Cho Hong)

“Recorded history of the kingdom. Master Ian gave it to me, saying that I should check it out.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Wait, you ran into that geezer?” (Cho Hong)

“Yeah. Happened by chance.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Cho Hong took a sneak at the book and immediately grimaced in shock.

“Euhk~. Imma get sick just from looking at this thing. You actually feel fine reading this?” (Cho Hong)

“Really? I thought it was pretty interesting, though?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Is there a need to go this far? I mean, all we have to do is go there and kick some a*s, right?” (Cho Hong)

“Well, those monsters will most likely show up again in the future. If it’s possible, I want to prevent that by finding out the root cause and eliminate it. Which means, we need solid leads.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Reading those things won’t get us anywhere, though?” (Cho Hong)

Cho Hong sourly remarked. Seol Ji-Hu yawned and stretched his arms high up above his head.

“Maybe. But, there are a couple of suspicious…. No, hang on. Let’s just say that there are a few things here that don’t feel right.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Don’t feel right? How?” (Cho Hong)

“I can’t be sure of it, yet. It’s just a working theory of mine.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu covered his mouth to yawn again. Cho Hong’s sigh was so long that the ground might have caved in from that.

“Argh, I don’t know. Do whatever you want. I’m going to bed. I’ve been walking around the whole day, and I’m pooped out, you know.” (Cho Hong)

“You worked hard. Get some rest.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Cho Hong lay sprawled on the bed. For a while, she stared at the ceiling with a bit of a pout, before sneaking a glance at him.

“Aren’t you going to sleep?” (Cho Hong)

“In a little while. I have an illuminating stone with me, so you can turn off the lights if you want.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“….No, I’m cool.” (Cho Hong)

Cho Hong didn’t fall asleep right away, though. Her coy eyes were fixed on the youth sitting by the desk studying the contents of the thick book. His sleeves were rolled up, his expression one of deep concentration and seriousness; silent and determined glint flickering within his eyes. She thought he looked refreshingly different.

‘This is so weird, isn’t it?’ (Cho Hong)

Cho Hong whispered to herself “Been only a short while since you joined up, yet….” and lightly hugged her pillow. She then stared into his wide-open back that seemed more dependable today for some reason. Only until she fell asleep, of course.

*

Next morning.

As promised, Seol Ji-Hu met up with Maria. If there was one thing he didn’t entirely count on, that would be her attire: she seemingly only wore an oversized white shirt that was probably very, very easy to move around in. And secondly, that she also happened to be an old acquaintance with Cho Hong. Not in a good way, either.

“Hiya~, so it was true. Just what’s gotten into Miss I Love Money that she decided to join in our little mission?” (Cho Hong)

Those words were the opening volley Cho Hong fired as soon as she saw Maria. The latter slightly cocked an eyebrow as those sarcasm-laden words pricked her ears, before forming a refreshing smile.

“Oh, my? I was hoping against hoping because it was Carpe Diem, but no. How unfortunate that you had to be accompanied by a dumba*s mouthy little b*tch famed for her thick-headedness.” (Maria) (TL: Yep, straight from the raw.)

“Your runny mouth is as same as always. I’m curious, will you still be able to yap like a little birdie if I rip that mouth wide open?” (Cho Hong)

“Well, I’m sure it’s not as runny as your famous brainless fart of a head. Don’t you wanna crack open that empty head of yours and prove it to the world?” (Maria)

Thick veins popped up on Cho Hong’s forehead. A threatening grin of a beast, fangs bared and all, formed on her lips.

“See, I told you. She’s a b*tch. Her mouth is a trash dump.” (Cho Hong)

“Well~, sure, my lips are a bit dirty, I admit. But it’s not as loose as your other lips, though.” (Maria)

“Stop, please stop! Cho Hong, you too.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu hurriedly jumped in between the two ‘smiling’ females and their verbal assault rifles. Cho Hong had already pulled her mace out while Maria was ‘lovingly’ caressing a crucifix in her hands. If he left them alone like this, no doubt a scuffle would have broken out.

“Heng.”

“Hmph!”

As they spun their heads away in opposite directions, his shoulders drooped lower and lower. It felt like things were heading the wrong way from the get-go.

His sorrowful state only lasted for a short while, though. When he entered the pub along with two ladies by his sides, Seol Ji-Hu realised that the attention of all the patrons was focused on him in an instant. It was similar to back when he went on dates with Yi Seon-Hwa.

Actually, he had to position himself in between two irate ladies in order to prevent a fighting from breaking out. Which also meant that, outwardly at least, he had two beauties in each of his hands. These ladies were blessed with great looks, after all.

‘….Hm, hm.’

Seol Ji-Hu couldn’t help but stand up a little taller, his shoulders opening up a bit more. Even his expression relaxed greatly. He tried his hardest not to look smug. Of course, he had no idea what the others were really thinking about.

“Look at that guy. Now that is one hell of a weird combination.”

“You’re right. He’s mixed up with two of the Six Crazies.”

“Yo, hold up. That dude, didn’t he show up here with Agnes not too long ago?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Three out of Six Crazies? Whoa, man. That friend’s got a pretty particular taste, if you know what I mean.”

He wouldn’t even have dared to dream that others were sharing such conversations about him right in that moment.

Maria and Cho Hong settled down around an empty table, and as if they had made a prior arrangement or something, began shouting at the same time.

“Li-quor! Li-quor!!” (Maria)

“Al-co-hol! Al-co-hol! Al-co-hol!” (Cho Hong)

They were like a pair of new born chicks yapping noisily for food. Seol Ji-Hu slowly facepalmed.

“…..Order whatever you want.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Kyaha! Hey, over here! Bring me all the rum and vodka you got!” (Cho Hong)

Cho Hong possessed unparalleled skill when it came to mixing various alcohols. She expertly blended rum and vodka like a pro, before pouring several cups to distribute it all around the table. Obviously, Seol Ji-Hu didn’t even touch his, but well, Maria one-shot hers and shivered grandly from pleasure.

“Keo-heuh! Now that will wake you up real good!” (Maria)

“It’s fine if you want to enjoy your drinks, but please don’t forget, we’re here to scout the rest of our team.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“No sweat. Mister leader, step aside and enjoy the show. I’ll take care of everything.” (Cho Hong)

Cho Hong confidently declared and poured another cup. Seol Ji-Hu could only rest his chin on his hands and watch the two females acting like long-lost bosom buddies.

Quite some time had passed by like that. More and more empty bottles filled up the table, and as Cho Hong took another manly gulp of her cup, she suddenly stopped moving.

“Hey.”

She sent a signal, and Maria glanced at the entrance. Two men and one woman was entering the pub. Maria leaked out an interested Hnng~, and nodded her head, before shrugging her shoulders.

“They aren’t complete trash. Do what you want.” (Maria)

“Okay, cool. Hey, Mikhail!” (Cho Hong)

Cho Hong waved her hand, and the man in front of the group waved back, his eyes resembling round dots. He was a lanky fellow with short, neatly trimmed hair.

“You were still alive??” (Mikhail)

“You trying to jinx me or something?” (Cho Hong)

Mikhail smirked and asked the duo behind him to wait for a little while. He walked closer, and Cho Hong started talking to him.

“How have you been? I heard that you’re about to reach Level 4 soon.” (Cho Hong)

“And that sh*t’s been killing me lately. I only need a bit of experience, but the problem is with the money. I mean, the cost of equipment is just too d*mn ridiculous, you know?” (Mikhail)

“Well, yeah. The price jumps up ten times higher and all.” (Cho Hong)

Cho Hong grinned and agreed with him.

“That’s why I wanted to ask you about something here. Wanna go for a mission with us?” (Cho Hong)

“A mission, is it?” (Mikhail)

Mikail asked back as his gaze scanned the table, only to form a surprised expression.

“Maria? What are you doing here?” (Mikhail)

“Obviously, it’s for work. It’s nothing big, just enough for some pocket money.” (Maria)

Mikhail whistled, evidently impressed now.

“Sounds good. Okay, let me hear it out first.” (Mikhail)

He looked behind him and gestured at his comrades to join them as well. And so, three more people settled around the bottle-filled table.

“Okay, so. What work are we talking about?” (Mikhail)

“Don’t be hasty. Enjoy a drink on us.” (Cho Hong)

“I respectfully decline. Hell, I ain’t touching anything you mixed even if it’s for free.”(Mikhail)

“Che. It’s nothing major, just the monster extermination request from Ramman village.” (Cho Hong)

“Ramman village?” (Mikhail)

Mikhail immediately looked disappointed.

“Hey, it really was nothing….” (Mikhail)

He then looked at the two women as if he failed to understand something.

“Why are you two stepping up for something this small? Isn’t this way too over the top?” (Mikhail)

“Argh, why are you talking so much like this? It’s simple. You in or out?” (Maria)

Maria voiced out her annoyance. Mikhail seemed to be pondering something, before casting his gaze to his side. The woman he came in with had her arms crossed and her brows furrowed in a tight knot, making her look a bit temperamental. When she shook her head, her black waterfall-like hair danced about a little. Mikhail spoke up next.

“Tserp. Sorry, but looks like we’ll have to pass.” (Mikhail)

“Give it a second thought, okay. The distance’s short, right? Think of it as you earning a bit more experience in return for killing a couple of days.” (Cho Hong)

“Eiii. I already participated in it once before, you know? Besides, killing a few variants won’t do much in our levels, no?” (Mikhail) (TL: the raw said “variants/mutants”, not monsters. Left as is.)

Cho Hong licked her lower lip. She sneaked a glance at Seol Ji-Hu, and he opened his mouth after getting her signal.

“That may not strictly be the case this time.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Mm?”

Mikhail turned towards him. Cho Hong made the introduction.

“Sorry about the late intro. This is Seol, the newest Carpe Diem recruit. And the leader of this mission, too.” (Cho Hong)

“Seol?” (Mikhail)

Mikhail stared absentmindedly for a bit, before clapping his hands.

“Ah!! You, from the Arden Valley!! Yeah, you, from the Arden Valley, right?” (Mikhail)

“Oh, you heard about that?” (Cho Hong)

“What do you mean, I heard about it? We were actually there! Hyah, I really didn’t expect to run into a celebrity today.” (Mikhail)

Mikhail reached out for a handshake, his face brimming with a smile.

“Hiya. It’s really nice to meet you. Really. I’m Mikhailov, a Level 3 Sword Runner. And this here is….” (Mikhail)

“Veronika. Level 3 Sharp Ranger.”

Veronika the temperamental woman finally spoke up. She too seemed a bit more interested now.

“And this guy over here is Gierszal. He’s a Level 3 Guard.” (Mikhail)

The last guy raised his hand briefly, still refraining from saying anything.

“I still can’t forget the sight of you luring away all those bugs, you know? I thought you were a madman at first, but whew, you really surprised me back then.” (Mikhail)

Mikhail lightly chuckled and pulled the chair closer.

“Okay, so, what did you mean just now? Something about not being the case?” (Mikhail)

Seol Ji-Hu thought about what to say next. Since both Maria and Cho Hong agreed, then that could only mean this trio had to be rather decently skilled in their professions. In a way, this talk was only possible with those two ladies and their intervention. Now that they got the party started, it was his turn to perform the leader’s role.

“By any chance, do you know of the special characteristics of the Ramman village’s request?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Special characteristics? What are those?” (Mikhail)

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“First of all, variants appear.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Yeah, we know that.” (Mikhail)

“Secondly, different species appear with each new mission issued.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Really? But, they didn’t seem all that strong?” (Mikhail)

Mikhail tilted his head.

“And thirdly, the scale of the extermination team gets larger and larger with the passing of time.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“….What do you mean by that?” (Mikhail)

Sensing that something strange was afoot, Mikhail’s voice became hushed.

“Mister Mikhail, you said you participated in this mission before, yes?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Yeah. It was maybe a year or so ago. I can’t be 100% sure, but it was around then.” (Mikhail)

“Did you realise that the scale and the quality of the team taking on the mission keeps getting higher every year?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Mikhail kept blinking his eyes.

“Take a look at this.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu produced a sheet of paper.

“Ignore the kingdom’s own subjugation forces and take a closer look at the very first mission issued, all the way to the last mission. As you can see, this mission used to be taken up by Level 1s in the beginning, but then, Level 2s started taking it, and before long, it’s Level 3s. And this time, the request came to Carpe Diem, of all teams.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Mikhail’s eyes narrowed to a slit.

“Wait a second. Which means?” (Mikhail)

“The variants that will appear this time will be quite a different breed from what you fought the last time.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Hmm…. So, that’s how it was. That’s why Maria and Cho Hong is….” (Mikhail)

Mikhail rubbed his chin.

“You used the records from the city library, so this can’t be all fake. Yeah, I guess I get your point, man. Oh, I see. That’s why the reward on offer kept creeping up by a little every year.” (Mikhail)

The other party agreed to his assessment. It was here that Seol Ji-Hu sensed the right time to pull out the final bait had arrived.

“That’s not all. If it’s possible, I’m planning to expose this mystery once and for all.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

At that precise moment, the light in Mikhail’s eyes intensified. He too was an Earthling who had spent a fair amount of time in Haramark. So, he knew what Seol Ji-Hu meant by that.

Solving this mystery was on another scale altogether from simply carrying out the extermination mission. Many, many countless folks failed to solve this mystery, so his fame would get a healthy boost simply from being a part of the team that exposed the truth. In other words, this could easily turn out to be a huge career move. If he said he wasn’t tempted, you’d be looking at a liar.

“Oiii. I don’t think you’re cracking a joke with these two ladies by your side, but I still gotta ask you. Are you sure about this?” (Mikhail)

“Actually, no. If I’m honest with you, I can’t be 100% certain. However, someone very reputable gave me an important piece of the puzzle, you see.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

“Someone reputable? Who?” (Mikhail)

“Ian Denzel.” (Seol Ji-Hu)

That landed the final nail.

“Master Ian did? Really??” (Mikhail)

“You’d find out the truth if you ask him directly, so why would I lie to you?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Mikhail let out a heavy gasp and began chewing on his lips. One could see how much of a dilemma he was in. Veronika lightly ribbed on the side, and Gierszal coughed while fidgeting with the cup.

“There’s no need to worry about this. The village is only a half a day’s travel away, anyway. At minimum, you get a bit of experience points, but if we get really lucky…..” (Seol Ji-Hu)

Seol Ji-Hu deliberately let his words drift away. He was implying that, if they wanted to hear the rest, they should be more straightforward with their opinions next.

“So, how about it?” (Seol Ji-Hu)

He locked his fingers and smiled refreshingly.

“….Well, I’ll be. You sure know how to tantalise your audience, don’t you.” (Mikhail)

Mikhail grumbled.

“If we were only talking about your way with words, then I’d definitely believe that you’re a high ranker, dude.” (Mikhail)

In the end, he raised his hands up in surrender.

“Okay. Let’s go somewhere more private and discuss the more… delicate details, shall we?” (Mikhail)

***

Early next morning.

The expedition – no, the extermination team, met at Haramark’s southern exit. Seol Ji-Hu and Cho Hong holding hands arrived first and found the two carriage drivers and two porters on standby there.

They waited for a little while longer, and soon enough, Maria showed up wearing the same white Priest garb as she wore back in the Neutral Zone. Veronika and Gierszal, led by Mikhail, arrived soon after.

Four warriors, one Archer, and finally, one Priest. Their average Level, 3.2. Considering that the mission itself was nominally not a tough one, this was a rather good team composition.

A short while later….

Two carriages with three members each energetically left the city’s southern exit.

< 70. A Mystery > Fin.

(TL: Okay, I’ve encountered a problem here. The author wrote Maria’s full name as “Yeriel Maria” in the raw, suggesting that Maria is actually her surname. I only know ‘Maria’ as a given name, and if there’s a surname version of it, then it should be spelled differently somewhere. There’s also the thing about Korean names starting from surname and then the given name, so the author could’ve stuck to that convention, as well. The question is, is it Yeriel Maria, or Maria Yeriel?)

(If only the author was more consistent with naming his western characters – Dylan and Hugo are surnames, while Agnes and Ian are given names….)

(I’ll stick with Maria Yeriel for the foreseeable future. You can sound off your thoughts on the matter in the comments or on my Twitter feed.)