Chapter: 406
Thanks to the quest given by the Sloppy God, I figured out that the discomfort in the streets was caused by the Evil God’s Energy, but there was nothing I could do about it right away.
Even though my aesthetic sense informed me that something was wrong, it didn’t tell me exactly what was wrong.
If I couldn’t find the anomaly myself, moving around unnecessarily would just give my opponent the chance to react.
If my opponent were just ordinary Followers of the Evil God, both Grandpa and I could probably trace their energy and follow them. No, I would’ve sensed their presence right away without even needing to rely on my aesthetic sense.
But until my aesthetic sense pointed it out, neither I nor Grandpa noticed anything.
I might be okay, but lying to Grandpa, who has a sensitive sense, isn’t something an ordinary skill can do. It’s clear that this is related to the followers of the Void Evil God.
Just like I saw in the previous Arts Church, the Followers of the Void have the ability to erase their existence and mimic others. This ability boasts an overwhelming level compared to similar types of abilities.
But it’s not without drawbacks. Since their authority is specialized in infiltration, their individual force is quite shoddy.
So back when this was a game, they were famously known as the easiest fodder to deal with among the Evil God Forces.
What good is excellent infiltration? Users who have seen the ending countless times know exactly where and how they hide.
They were so easy that it became a norm to reload until the Apostle of the Void showed up during a speedrun.
But facing them in reality is indeed a hassle. They’re so specialized in infiltration that even finding them is difficult.
The current situation is so different from the game that it’s making me uneasy.
If I just act recklessly, they might notice the anomaly and hide deeper.
While I was pondering with my arms crossed, instead of aimlessly moving towards the discomfort, I headed to the alley.
Karina and Alsatine, who gather information in this street, would likely give me some intel about my unease.
“I’m sorry, Lady Allen. Both of them are currently unavailable.”
To sum it up, I hoped the two capable people would solve everything for me, but my wish didn’t come true. Both Karina and Alsatine were absent due to their own tasks.
Of course, their subordinates were still in the alley, but I couldn’t trust them. I couldn’t guarantee that there weren’t any Followers of the Void hiding among them.
However, pretending to not look for the Followers of the Void and asking for necessary information was tricky because I didn’t know what to ask for.
Argh! Why are both of them out of the place in this kind of situation? You guys should be here so I can trust you and delegate something!
“Uh, Grandpa.”
< I can give advice, but don’t rely on me too much. I never worried about things like this back when I was active.>
Grandpa’s words were annoying yet persuasive; no matter how desperately the Evil God’s followers hide, they can’t escape from their own senses, so he had never pondered how followers hide.
In his prime, Grandpa must have been a great holy knight compared to me.
A holy knight who faced the Evil God directly during the Age of Myth wouldn’t have such worries.
Ugh. It’s truly troublesome that even Grandpa’s answers are vague.
If only I had that Sloppy Fox next to me, I would’ve asked it to dig into people’s minds, but that’s not an option.
Even if I wanted to ask my friends for help, the only one present in the Academy right now is the Force One-Trick named Frey.
What should I do? Should I just trust my luck and intuition and cause a ruckus wherever?
I do have a place I want to smash to pieces anyway.
Or should I provoke each and every one of Karina’s people to see if they are Followers of the Evil God or not?
Oh. That sounds pretty good. If their emotions are disrupted, their authority won’t be sharp.
Alright. Then I’ll start by targeting the ruffian who’s been eyeing me.
Just as I was pondering this, the door to the alley shop opened, and an unexpected face walked in.
Jack, who had been dragged off by Karina a few months ago, met my eyes and slowly bowed his head.
“Lady Allen. It’s been a while.”
I don’t know what he went through following Karina, but Jack’s face was haggard after meeting me again after months.
Dark circles under his eyes had long invaded his cheeks, and his face looked sunken as if he hadn’t eaten well, and his forced smile had no strength.
“What on earth do you do to end up like this?”
He looks worse than when he was training in the Allen Knights. What on earth did Karina make him do?
“…I can’t really explain it. I can’t summarize it at all.”
Jack, who used to show a subtle noble arrogance in all his actions, was not in that state now. He looked like standing was a struggle, so there was no way he would care about his demeanor.
“I’ll explain it slowly later. For now, please excuse me. I have a task my master assigned me.”
“Master? Are you talking about that hysteric old maid?”
“Old maid… cough cough cough!”
After hearing the direct insult, Jack coughed for a long time before cautiously nodding.
“…If you’re talking about Lady Karina, yes.”
“What did she ask you to do?”
“That is…”
“Why are you hesitating? Do I seem worse than that old lady? This is getting annoying. Just spill it out…”
“I was asked to meet and negotiate with the son of the Newman Family! The Newmans are planning to set up shop here!”
The members of the Newman Family are coming here?
…Karina ended up completely swallowing that old man, Kurze Newman.
What happens if I hand over the Crow Seal on top of that without giving a seal?
Is that old man going to turn into a complete bald guy from stress-related hair loss?
Oh. That could be kind of fun. Should I test Kurze Newman’s disguise strength after handing it over?
While I was having such wicked thoughts, I was also surprised that Karina recognized Jack.
Karina has a pretty harsh personality towards her subordinates, you know? For her to allow Jack to call her master and even give him such an important task as negotiating with the Newman Family…
Seems like she finds Jack quite impressive.
…Wait a minute.
If he’s the son of the Newman Family, he must be talking about Chester Newman, right?
The little guy whose life I saved.
Has he already gained enough capability to be present at a negotiation even though he just recovered not long ago?
Frowning as I recalled his details, I realized that Chester Newman could be the person to solve my dilemma.
That little guy, despite his unnecessary diligence, has the talents of a Newman family member.
Even after I teased him a moment ago, he showed a shy reaction; he seems far from being a Follower of the Evil God.
Knowing his personality, he wouldn’t harm me after I saved his life either.
If I bring him into this, he’ll undoubtedly play a significant role.
Jack is the same.
Though I haven’t seen Jack acting as an informant, if Karina recognized him as a disciple, it must mean he has considerable talent.
If I explain the situation to him and Chester, they should be able to handle the situation pretty well, even if not as well as Karina or Alsatine.
Having thought that far, I immediately stood up to carry out what had come to my mind.
“Lady?”
“Wait here. I’ll bring the little guy you’re looking for.”
*
Finding Chester wasn’t that hard. The little guy was already walking this way after hearing from Kurze Newman.
Thanks to that, as soon as I stepped outside, I spotted Chester and grabbed his wrist, bringing him to the office that Karina and Alsatine originally used.
At first, Chester was confused and didn’t know what was going on, but as I explained the situation, seriousness gradually showed on his face.
“Are they Followers of the Void? If what you say is true, it’s a tough situation.”
“It’s right to believe what Lady Allen said. Young Master Newman.”
“If Lady Barrow said it, I need to think seriously about it.”
Despite it being their first meeting, there was no awkwardness in the conversation between Jack and Chester.
Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, the two immediately began to distinguish their roles and move accordingly.
The main role was taken by Jack.
Having been appointed by Karina, he began gathering necessary information using the people remaining in the alley.
Naturally, the folks in the alley were uneasy about Jack’s sudden command, but since I resolved that part, he could issue orders with ease.
How did I do that? I just kicked the most troublesome guy’s butt, and everyone quieted down.
Based on the information Jack provided, it was Chester’s role to discover what I needed.
He spread numerous documents across the desk, examined them, and then alerted me to a few suspicious locations.
“These three places are the most suspicious. The evaluation before vacation and now are different. While they can change their appearance, altering their very essence is difficult, so it’s likely to be here.”
[My conclusion is similar to this kid’s. Investigating those locations should yield something.]
The places Grandpa and Chester marked as suspicious included a shop I’d been considering raiding.
Considering my luck, I felt it’d be okay to strike such a place immediately.
But I couldn’t dismiss the possibility of Followers of the Void being in other locations, so it wouldn’t be wise to act alone.
While contemplating over the map, I took out a calling crystal from my inventory and infused it with magic.
As soon as a blue light flickered in the contact crystal, a figure appeared.
[Young Lady! What’s the matter?]
“Sloppy Saintess. Are you still lazing around, not coming to the Academy? Is that why you’re getting chubby?”
<…Have I gained weight?>
“Do you want to deny reality? Want to hear something you’d rather not?”
[Oh... I guess my clothes have been...]
While giggling at the pale-faced Phoebe, I told her to get her butt to the Academy street quickly.
Because if Phoebe is here, I can make use of people from the Jushin Church at will.
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