When he came out of the office, Kim Lee-hyun had a satisfied smile on his lips.
It was a very intelligent and constructive negotiation. Even monsters are monsters, so I was able to communicate with the priest quite well.
As a result, it was organized in the form of a 'request' as before. In other words, the priest promised a separate reward in addition to the items needed to conquer the godmother. A price more valuable than a thousand gold coins.
The accessory worn around Kim Yi-hyeon's neck was just like that.
'I didn't know there was such an item.'
A necklace with an old gold coin on a leather strap. It seemed to be an item traditionally given to Vidia's benefactors. For example, a stallion who worked hard for a long time to breed Vidia, which is only female.
To put it simply, it was a 'help ticket'.
You can borrow Vidia's power once.
'They don't give it in the game.'
It means that the priest has eaten the professor's food.
I'm glad I didn't pass it on to the professor.
'To be honest, I don't have high expectations….'
It is unknown how actively they will cooperate. If only Altair could lend a helping hand when the time comes, I would be very grateful. Even that would be a great loss for Vidia.
This is because there are restrictions on the Vidia species from the beginning. They cannot arbitrarily intervene in worldly affairs. This was one of the reasons why Kim I-Hyeon was able to go out like this.
I followed Altair's instructions and entered the empty room.
"Please wait a moment while the priest prepares the ceremony."
"Does it take a ritual to just give something away?"
"The sacred relics of the foreign gods are kept in a secret place. This is the ritual that leads them there."
"Huh. I see."
Asterike nodded and sat down on the chair. As an original member of Dustborn, she was familiar with the appearance of Kim Ihyeon from earlier.
On the other hand, Altair's gaze towards Kim Ihyeon was filled with bitterness.
"As the priest said, truly. You are extraordinary."
"I've never heard anything like that in my life."
"Have you no fear?"
"What should I be afraid of?"
When asked, Altair looked around.
"We are witches and this is the home of witches. We believe in the outside world and the sanctuary, so we must seem eerie to outsiders. We also know that the environment is not normal…."
A room where only torches softly illuminate the darkness.
Ominous purple eyes stared at Kim Yi-Hyeon.
"How can you be so calm?"
It was a statement that could be taken as a threat. Asterike's muscles tensed in the tense atmosphere. She had not let her guard down from the beginning.
Altair thought that was a normal reaction.
You never know when the shady witches might show their teeth.
However, Kim Lee-Hyeon did not lose his composure.
"Are you sure that we will not be hostile to you, Mr. Hyun?"
"You, do your best. We have received an official request from the priest."
In the midst of an uneasy atmosphere.
Kim Lee-hyun snorted.
"There is some evidence."
"...What is the basis for this?"
"You have been neglecting your godmother until now, considering her a nuisance. Now that you have been given the go-ahead, you have started to take action in a hurry, but you still haven't taken action yourself."
I've made a number of inferences based on the game's settings.
"It's not that I'm optimistic about the situation, it's just that it's impossible. If you could handle it on your own, you would have done it a long time ago. Why would you hesitate when you already know the location?"
"...."
"It's probably one of two things. Either there's a penalty for interfering with worldly affairs in the first place, or you can't kill the Godmother. Maybe it's both."
He summarized it simply.
"So, it's you who are feeling sorry."
That was the source of confidence.
There is no reason to be shy or scared.
For a moment the room became quiet.
Despite the somewhat rough tone of her speech, there was no discomfort on Altair's face. Soon, she smiled bitterly as if she had been hit on the nail on the head.
"You're quick at calculating."
"Well, that's because he has a broad perspective. He has no choice but to learn as much as he has suffered."
We grow by bumping into things and breaking things.
It was a story that had nothing to do with Vidia, who lived in stagnation.
"If I may be so bold as to say, you guessed correctly."
Altair rolled up her wide sleeves. Asterike's eyes, which had been watching her every move, frowned.
"What's wrong with that?"
His forearms were discolored black.
The texture on the outside was as hard as iron. It was a symptom that even Asterike, who had been to various places, had never heard of or seen.
"This is the punishment for our own people using the sanctuary for their own gain. We are sharing the punishment for Deborah's sin. Of course, this was not our will."
"What are you talking about?"
"Deborah was once appointed as a priestess and inherited the authority of the current priest. As such, she is closer to the sanctuary than anyone else, exerts strong influence, and can even turn the tide of opposition."
He covers his arms again as if he is ashamed.
"The power we have is like a firefly compared to Deborah's, just as you have pointed out. Therefore, the priest has staked the fate of his servant on you."
"I guess you drank some of the water outside."
Kim Lee-hyun chuckled lightly.
"You don't have to burden me like that. I'll try to do something."
"You are really sharp."
Altair laughed out loud for the first time. The dryness that had been like sand grains was not felt this time. It seemed that he had somehow won over his favor.
After a while, she turned her head toward the door.
"Please go slowly. The ceremony seems to be ready."
* * *
The top floor of the tower.
Instead of stained glass, the walls were filled with grotesquely shaped engravings. There was not a shred of the sacred atmosphere associated with the word ritual.
Witches who were hiding somewhere surrounded Kim I-hyeon. They all held candles in their hands. The candles swayed uneasily on the wick.
From afar, Asterike looked at him with a look full of concern. Kim Yi-hyun waved his hand, saying that it was okay. Although it was eerie and uncomfortable, he believed in 'Polaris'.
The priest strode forward.
"How are you prepared?"
"Wasn't it just a matter of bringing the items?"
"That's right. It's not difficult. It's just scary to step into the unknown."
"The world is in such a state that it's hard to be afraid of everything."
Next episode. Twist in the scenario. Enemies yet to be met. People who may become enemies. The possibility of mutation due to Helixivir. A fundamental question about the reality of Polaris.
You can overcome small fears right now because there are more scary problems piling up. Kim Yi-hyun has always done so. It is a pity that he himself has to throw himself into various situations.
"It doesn't seem like a bluff. However, there is a procedure that I didn't inform you of in advance."
"You came all the way here to talk?"
"What, it won't take long."
There was a scene that suddenly came to mind.
The only power left to the priests.
A power similar to, yet opposite to, the Saintess of Shamalshina.
She is the character who digs into the 'eye' of a professor who has forgotten his past.
'I thought it would just pass quietly…'
A hand was placed on Kim Yi-Hyeon's head.
The purple irises gave off a faint glow.
"Child of the world. Let me look into your abyss."
In an instant, my vision was filled with darkness.
* * *
The child understood my situation at a young age.
He realized that people like him were called orphans in the world. In a world of reckless children, the label of not having parents was more severe than one might think.
If we only consider whether the parents were alive or not, they were alive. They just didn't need the child. Due to an irresponsible decision, the child was left to grow up in the care of the grandmother.
All my childhood I thought 'mother' and 'grandmother' were the same thing.
The child's grandmother was a better person than the child she had borne herself. She may not have given affection to the abandoned child, but she did not abandon him twice.
The grandmother just waited for her child to grow up and become independent.
The child also naturally set the same goals as his grandmother.
After going through a slightly more unfortunate teenage period than most people.
The two people reached their long-awaited twenties.
That day, the two went out to eat for the first time.
It was a place to congratulate each other.
In the eyes of the world, the child was an orphan, but legally, he was not. His parents were perfectly healthy, so the duty was given as a duty. He was judged to be active duty, saying that the family was not severed.
I came across a game in the military.
The man was quite absorbed in the game. Perhaps because he had lived a miserable life, he was strangely drawn to the miserable world. However, he did not want to ruin the rest of his life, so he kept trying.
I moved into a goshiwon with the money I had saved up diligently.
I studied, looked for a job, and worked part-time at the same time.
I got a decent job and moved into a studio apartment.
I was able to live as well as other people.
Since I didn't spend a lot of money, I had the luxury of investing in hobbies.
I was living a satisfying life in my own way… … .
I never imagined that my life would be turned upside down.
"If you've seen everything, please step aside."
The priest took a step back at the angry voice. She closed her eyes for a moment and enjoyed the afterglow. Kim I-hyeon, who didn't like that either, clicked his tongue.
"So are you satisfied?"
"It wasn't boring."
His eyes, half-open, glanced at Kim Yi-hyeon.
"Everyone's life seems similar, but if you look closely, it is very different. It was a good stimulus for us because we live a uniform life. This time, it was especially so."
The priest saw Kim Yi-Hyeon's past. It was much deeper and more detailed than Albatross's anima. However, she did not suffer any mental confusion. This is because her composition as a living being is different.
Polaris was also present in the glimpsed past scenes.
"The expression 'child of the world' should be corrected."
Kim Yi-hyeon was truly a being who could be called a human being of the world beyond the world. Kim Yi-hyeon also understood the meaning contained within. He had no intention of revealing it to anyone, but he was caught in an absurd way.
I don't think it's that big of a deal.
It wasn't a completely unexpected situation.
I'm just curious.
"Don't you have any thoughts? You must have known where I came from."
"I see that your life has had its ups and downs."
The priest did not criticize his rude tone. Instead, his eyes were filled with a deeper interest than before. There was even a faint warmth, as if he was looking at a child in distress.
"Don't rush. I'll answer you after the ritual is over."
Oh my.
Kim Yi-hyeon let out a deep sigh. He had been thinking that there was nothing a priest could do, whether he was caught or not. But when he actually looked into it, the reaction was closer to goodwill.
It was just embarrassing for him.
"Yes, please begin."
The priest stepped aside.
Soon, Vidia took out her dagger and cut off my arm holding the candle. Blood flowed down the floor with geometric patterns. The stream of water was heading towards the center of the room where Kim I-hyeon was standing.
Recite the blessing as if reciting the Lord's Prayer.
The change was immediate. The ground of the chapel became covered with swamp, and Kim Yi-hyun's body began to sink. Kim Yi-hyun felt his ankles being pulled and closed his eyes for a moment.
When he counted to ten and opened his eyes again, he was in the dark. He couldn't tell the difference between up and down, let alone the distance. His body was just lying in the abyss.
No, there's one more thing.
'Is that it?'
An object placed on a pedestal like an exhibit in a museum.
Evidence of a divine being, extremely rare in Polaris.
I picked up a book that was said to be a sacred relic of a foreign country.
I came face to face with a hideous human face stuffed in leather.
"Look at that bloody thing."
[Necronomicon].
I got my hands on a dagger to kill my godmother.