Chapter 45
Fern still had not recovered.
She screamed toward the door.
“Bishop Melson!”
Her voice shook.
“C-Come inside!”
She shouted again.
“Hurry!”
But it was useless.
The door opened.
And instead of the bishops...
Kim Hyuna entered.
She looked at Suhyeok.
“Old man.”
“Everything outside is handled.”
Through the doorway...
Several bishops could be seen unconscious on the floor.
Behind them...
Dozens more people lay collapsed.
Fern’s eyes widened.
“H-How...?”
While Suhyeok attended the auction with Taesu and Yumi...
Hyuna had been given another task.
Free the imprisoned barbarians and elves.
Suhyeok looked at Fern.
A cold smile appeared.
“Unfortunately...”
“It seems no one is coming to help you.”
Hyuna closed the door and left.
A dark shadow covered Fern’s face.
Her head turned stiffly.
Then...
She saw Leon.
He slowly raised his spatula.
Fern flinched.
Leon smiled.
[Hehe.]
[Why are you so surprised, nya?]
He stepped closer.
[After a few hits, you’ll wake right up, nya.]
Then he added cheerfully,
[Of course, it’s been a while for me.]
He tightened his grip.
[So I might accidentally put a little extra strength into it, nya.]
Fern panicked.
“W-Wait...”
SMACK!
Time passed.
Eventually...
Fern was kneeling politely on the floor.
Her posture had become remarkably respectful.
Leon now sat on the sofa instead.
Suhyeok looked at her.
“It’s unfortunate you couldn’t repair your Holy Relic.”
Fern trembled.
“You must have a difficult life.”
Suhyeok’s tone remained calm.
“Living with those headaches every day.”
Then he asked,
“Isn’t that right?”
Fern stared.
“H-How do you know all of that...?”
Her sleeve had shifted.
A faded golden bracelet was visible around her wrist.
A Holy Relic of the Church.
At least...
That was what people called it.
In reality...
It was closer to a demonic sword in bracelet form.
The longer someone wore it...
The more it consumed their Mental Power.
Eventually...
The wearer became insane.
Every Saintess throughout history had met a horrible end.
She knows that.
That’s why she’s desperate.
Suhyeok pulled a contract from his inventory.
He dropped it in front of her.
Fern stared.
“W-What is this?”
It was the same type of slave contract he had once used on Bens.
Of course...
There was another reason Suhyeok had stolen God’s Blessing.
Sacrifice was an excellent healing ability.
It could be useful for future emergencies.
But more importantly...
To eliminate discrimination against other races...
He needed the Saintess’s status and influence.
Suhyeok looked at Fern.
“I’ll make you an offer.”
He pointed at the contract.
“From now on, follow my orders.”
Fern swallowed.
“B-But without the Box of Reincarnation...”
“My ability can’t...”
Suhyeok interrupted.
“I’ll solve that.”
Fern froze.
“Not with some temporary measure like the Holy Relic.”
He continued,
“A proper solution.”
Fern stared.
“No...”
She shook her head.
“That can’t be possible...”
She quickly picked up the contract.
She began reading.
It was impossible for Suhyeok to lie about the agreement.
Even the party holding the dominant position in a contract...
Could not violate the stated terms.
Fern hesitated for a long time.
Then carefully asked,
“I-If I refuse...”
Her voice shook.
“What happens to me?”
It was nearly the same question Bens had once asked.
Suhyeok glanced at Leon.
Leon immediately understood.
WHACK!
He hit Fern on the back of the head with the spatula.
Leon glared.
[What do you think happens, nya?!]
He raised the spatula again.
[You think refusing is actually an option, nya?!]
Fern squeaked.
“H-Hik!”
Then sponsorship messages appeared.
[‘God of Tricks’ has sponsored 10,000 Coins.]
[Message: Serves her right lol. More! More!]
[‘God of Death’ has sponsored 10,000 Coins.]
[Message: I’ve thought this for a while, but you really love contracts lol.]
[‘Ruler of the Battlefield’ has sponsored 10,000 Coins.]
[Message: The brats are playing around again.]
Sponsorships had continued pouring in since the auction.
Suhyeok had accumulated far more Coins than expected.
Including the 500,000 Coins stacked from the auction payment...
He now had over one million.
Meanwhile...
The elf who had been watching silently approached Suhyeok.
She looked at the back of his hand.
“...I knew it.”
Her eyes widened.
“That mark.”
She was pointing directly at the World Tree’s symbol.
Something even Leon could not see.
Suhyeok spoke to her through sound transmission.
Not now.
We’ll discuss that later.
The elf’s eyes widened.
Then she quickly nodded.
Suhyeok turned back to Fern.
“It’s time to decide.”
His gaze became cold.
“Be grateful I haven’t killed you already.”
Then he added,
“If your ability weren’t useful...”
“You’d already be dead.”
Fern’s hands trembled.
Eventually...
She signed the contract.
Then...
The door opened.
Taesu entered.
“Hyung.”
“Everything outside is ready.”
He smiled.
“Loading them took a while, but we can finally leave...”
Then he stopped.
His eyes widened.
“Huh?”
He stared at Fern.
Her face was swollen and bruised.
Taesu looked horrified.
“H-Hyung!”
He rushed forward.
“Even if she’s an enemy...”
He pointed at her face.
“Was it really necessary to beat a woman this badly?!”
Then Taesu added sincerely,
“At least leave her looking somewhat human!”
Leon immediately turned invisible.
Then he started whistling innocently.
Suhyeok sighed.
He ignored Taesu.
Then stood and looked at Fern.
“Come.”
Fern flinched.
“You’re coming with us anyway.”
She immediately nodded.
“M-Me too?”
Then quickly corrected herself.
“Y-Yes!”
“I understand!”
Taesu watched her repeatedly nod.
Then muttered quietly,
“Just how badly did he beat her...?”
Meanwhile...
At the Crafton Ducal House.
Calahil looked worried.
“Rose.”
“Are you truly feeling alright?”
Rose smiled brightly.
“Yeah.”
She stretched.
“I actually feel strangely good.”
Her eyes shone.
“I want to get better soon and go outside!”
Calahil gently placed a hand on her head.
He smiled.
“...Alright.”
“If you keep taking the medicine properly...”
“Then we’ll go outside.”
After leaving Rose’s room...
Calahil went directly to the Duke’s office.
The Duke looked up.
“You came.”
“Yes.”
The two sat.
An empty Elixir bottle rested on the table.
The Duke spoke first.
“...So.”
His eyes narrowed.
“The person who gave you this medicine...”
“Was the Player from those rumors?”
Calahil nodded.
“Yes, Father.”
The Duke stared at the empty bottle.
He had tried everything to save his daughter.
The Crafton family even belonged to the Imperial faction...
Yet they had still begged the Saintess of the Church for help.
The answer had always been refusal.
The reason?
Their turn had not yet come.
Eight years had passed.
What exactly is he?
A top-grade Elixir unlike anything the Duke had seen.
And a method to mass-produce it.
That was far too much knowledge for an ordinary Player.
The Duke asked,
“...How is Rose?”
Calahil smiled.
“The physician called it a miracle.”
He looked relieved.
“If she keeps taking it...”
“They believe she may fully recover.”
For one brief moment...
The Duke’s cold expression softened.
Then he asked,
“What did he demand in exchange?”
His eyes sharpened.
“He must have asked for something valuable.”
Calahil shook his head.
“There were no unreasonable conditions.”
“He actually requested a mutually beneficial relationship.”
Then Calahil hesitated.
“However...”
“There was one demand.”
The Duke waited.
Calahil answered,
“He wants the law discriminating against other races abolished.”
Silence.
The anti-race discrimination laws were not a small issue.
This was not simply a request for help.
Aside from the few remaining members of the Imperial faction...
The Church held overwhelming influence.
Suhyeok was effectively asking them to overturn the entire balance of power.
For decades...
There had been repeated calls to abolish discrimination against other races.
Every time...
The Church branded them heretics.
Then stirred public hatred.
With Imperial authority weaker than ever...
It was practically impossible.
The Duke spoke.
“...If Elixirs become commercially available...”
“We may weaken the Church’s authority temporarily.”
Then he shook his head.
“But only temporarily.”
His expression became grim.
“Their roots run too deeply throughout the Empire.”
“We cannot simply cut away something so rotten.”
Calahil remembered saying nearly the same thing to Suhyeok.
And Suhyeok’s answer.
Yes.
You’re right.
That alone won’t be enough.
Calahil had frozen.
...Then you have another method?
Suhyeok had answered simply.
Calahil repeated those words now.
“He said...”
The Duke looked at him.
“Rather than completely cutting away the rotten flesh...”
Calahil’s smile became faint.
“He’ll use it as fertilizer for new sprouts.”
In other words...
He had no intention of completely destroying the Church.
He planned to use it when necessary.
The Duke laughed despite himself.
“...What a strange man.”
Then his eyes narrowed.
“Or perhaps reckless.”
Calahil smiled too.
“I think the same.”
Then he added,
“Extremely reckless.”
His expression became serious.
“That’s why I’m willing to bet on him.”
The Duke raised an eyebrow.
Calahil smiled.
“Isn’t the world usually changed by people like that?”
Clatter. Clatter.
Suhyeok was traveling by carriage with the elf and Fern.
Taesu, Yumi, and Hyuna had already departed toward the Crafton estate with the rescued barbarians and elves.
The elf introduced herself.
“My name is Arwen.”
She looked at Suhyeok.
“Before the World Tree reached the end of her life...”
“She gave a prophecy to my grandmother, the previous Chief.”
Arwen continued.
“She said that several hundred years in the future...”
“Someone who crossed the past would come to save this land in the present.”
Then she added,
“And she said I would become that person’s guide.”
The World Tree’s prophecy.
As expected...
It referred to Suhyeok.
He showed Arwen the mark on his hand.
“You can see this?”
Arwen nodded.
“Yes.”
“I was told only elves can see it.”
She smiled faintly.
“That may also be why I unconsciously felt goodwill toward you.”
The Constellations chatted.
[Was the World Tree really that powerful? That’s different from what I know.]
[Isn’t that almost on the level of those old women who weave fate?]
[The World Tree was ancient, sure. But comparing her to them is too much.]
[Agreed.]
[Wrong. All of you are wrong.]
[It was clearly a prophecy telling him to marry an elf.]
[Bro.]
Meanwhile...
Seong-a sat on Arwen’s lap.
Apparently...
She had completely forgotten that she previously disliked her.
She kept smiling brightly at Arwen.
Leon looked extremely unhappy.
He lay sideways and tapped his foot against the carriage floor.
[Ha.]
He crossed his arms.
[Unbelievable, nya.]
[She treats you nicely for a little while and you immediately switch sides, nya?]
Leon glared.
[Not a shred of loyalty, nya!]
Seong-a ignored him completely.
It was possible because elves were naturally close to spirits.
Suhyeok asked Arwen,
“Was that all the World Tree said?”
Arwen shook her head.
“No.”
Then she answered,
“The World Tree specifically told me to guide you to the Church.”
Suhyeok’s eyes moved naturally toward Fern.
Fern shrank.
Her shoulders tightened.
Suhyeok smiled faintly.
“That won’t be difficult.”
He looked at Fern.
“We happen to have a very convenient entry pass.”
Fern squeaked.
“Eek...”
A short while later...
They arrived at the Church.
A massive white building stood in the center of the city.
It was majestic.
Sacred.
Extravagant.
Fern, wearing a mask, gestured through the window.
The huge gate opened.
Sponsorship messages appeared.
[‘Miracle of Three Days’ has sponsored 5,000 Coins.]
[Message: Quite magnificent. Yet overflowing with luxury. Tsk tsk.]
[‘One Who Bloomed from the Lotus’ has sponsored 5,000 Coins.]
[Message: Like you’re one to talk lol.]
The three stepped down from the carriage.
Fern slowly took a step backward.
Then another.
She whispered,
“F-From here...”
“You could probably go without me...”
Suhyeok looked at her.
“Quiet.”
Fern instantly straightened.
“Y-Yes...”
They entered the building.
Inside...
It resembled a cathedral.
A massive statue of a goddess stood in the distance.
Then...
Something flashed.
Suhyeok’s eyes narrowed.
“That...”
A dark gem was embedded in the goddess’s right eye.
It looked familiar.
The left eye was empty.
Suhyeok immediately leaped onto the statue’s shoulder.
Fern panicked.
She looked around nervously to see if anyone was watching.
Slash.
Suhyeok cut the gem out.
Messages appeared before him.
[Obtained ‘Fragment of a Forgotten Constellation ×1’.]
[All ‘Fragments of a Forgotten Constellation’ have been collected.]
[A special condition has been fulfilled.]
[Obtained a map engraved with the location of a Hidden Temple.]
[The temple is located on the 25th Floor.]
