Chapter: 368
[The second queen is still trapped in her past. Eliminate the regrets deeply engraved in her heart.]
[Have the second queen meet her old friend.]
[Reward: +10 to desired stats.]
As I was scanning the quest window while Karia tormented Kurz Newman, I froze at what the reward stated.
A +10 boost to desired stats! That means this single reward could easily push four stats over 100!
No, wait. I can think of it like using an elixir to boost my divine stat over 200. Once one stat exceeds 200, it triggers several changes.
Those changes are likely to be more intense now in reality than they were in the game.
Hmm, come to think of it, that’s actually not that great either. As a divine apostle, it wouldn’t take long to exceed that 200 threshold.
What’s more important right now is what I need at this moment. I should focus on what I lack. So, let’s boost my intelligence.
Will it really change anything if it goes from 58 to 68?
Not really. Honestly, it’s definitely an inefficient move compared to boosting other stats I could actually use. In fact, if I were still on the other side of the monitor, I wouldn’t even be considering such a pointless choice.
But you know what? I don’t want to admit that I’m an idiot! Sure, I might be a bit dull compared to others, but that doesn’t mean I should accept being labeled a moron with an intelligence of 58!
“Hey, employer. You listening?”
Lost in my own stupid thoughts, I returned to reality after Karia’s words broke through.
‘Eh, sort of.’
“I can hardly hear that shrill voice of yours, so I was half-listening.”
“Sounds like you weren’t listening at all.”
Karia held her forehead and sighed dramatically, before continuing her explanation.
Two days after the end-of-term party, where I had that spat with the second queen, she reached out to the Newman family first.
While I’m not exactly sure of the exact nature of my relationship with the Newman family, she suspected I had ties to them, intending to use them as mediators to seek an apology and propose a deal.
The Newmans, being tied to the power players of the royal palace and the duke’s family, welcomed this exchange with open arms, thinking they could lay the groundwork for a deal between me and Serene.
But their plans didn’t go as intended. Before they could execute their scheme, Karia intervened.
“I was going to ignore it as long as it wasn’t too bad, but he just had to cross the line.”
“Hey! That’s a misunderstanding, Karia! Our family operates mostly in the shadows, but we aren’t scoundrels! We just took what is necessary for the mediation…”
“Listen up, Kurz. If you keep talking like that, I’ll spill everything I know to Benedict. Can you handle that?”
“…I’m sorry.”
As Kurz Newman recoiled sheepishly while scrambling for excuses, I felt a complex wave of emotions wash over me.
The first time I met Kurz Newman months ago, he seemed like a haughty and sinister noble with a ruthlessness typical of the underworld. But now he stood there like a common idiot.
“Anyway, getting back to the point, I came to you because I wanted to give some advice regarding this deal. If you don’t have anything to gain from the second queen immediately, I’d appreciate it if you listened to me.”
Noticing the seriousness in Karia’s eyes, I nodded instead of spouting unnecessary words.
Right now, I’m positioned to easily obtain most items, and being on the holy knight route, I don’t have anything I must accomplish using the queen’s status.
Indicating my willingness to follow her suggestion set a smirk on Karia’s face.
“Well then, let’s cut to the chase. I’d like you to ask the second queen about the first queen’s movements.”
Karia’s suggestion was essentially to put the first queen under surveillance. She figured that living within the palace alongside her would allow for a more robust watch than we could provide. This way, if the first queen made a move, we could respond promptly, and there was a palpable hostility towards the first queen.
Since she’s already deceased in the game, I didn’t have much knowledge about her, but I could still tell that Karia’s extreme animosity stemmed from something significant. But I agreed with her idea; it’s clear the first queen represents a potential danger.
‘Alright, let’s do this.’
“Do what you want. If that pitiful, rotting old maid has any dirt, I’m sure she’ll handle it well herself.”
“I understand that might sound odd from your perspective. Well… huh? What?”
It seemed Karia couldn’t let that comment slide, and she blushed a deep red as Benedict hurriedly grabbed her shoulder.
“Let go, Benedict. Do I look like someone who’d get angry over this?”
“To say that, you should at least move your hand away from that dagger.”
“I’m not touching a dagger; that’s just the handle of the next item next to it.”
“Isn’t that essentially the same?”
As the two playfully bickered, I noticed Kurz Newman sweating profusely, realizing that many divine entities were spread throughout the area, making me tilt my head in confusion.
That’s odd; there weren’t this many priests around the Bardronel Territory yesterday. What’s going on?
“Karia, I have a question…”
“Hey, rotting old maid. Cut down on the irritation. I’m asking. What’s going on in the area where the perverted masochists live?”
At that careless question, the table fell silent. It hit me then that the reason everyone had gathered first thing in the morning wasn’t for some trivial discussion about a deal.
‘What’s the deal?’
“I didn’t say anything about being loud, yet you just shut up. That’s that kind of clarity in understanding that can be downright creepy. Seriously, what’s going on?”
Benedict was awkwardly avoiding my gaze; Newman was scanning Karia’s expression before shutting his mouth tight; and Karia remained silent, seemingly pondering what to say.
[Girl, if they’re not speaking up, they probably have a good reason for it, right?]
Hearing my grandpa’s words, which were about respecting those who care for me, I let out a weak laugh.
He probably meant well, but that sentiment solidified my own suspicions.
Ignoring Benedict’s awkwardness, if even Karia was withholding information, there’s only one reason for it.
A death related to me.
Karia and my grandpa knew I wasn’t the kind to be mentally weak. Even in the face of serious happenings, I would grumble instead of crumble or cave in.
But when it comes to death, it’s different. I’ve shown many signs of being sensitive to that topic up till now.
If there’s a sense of the divine in the area, it means it’s a matter involving the clergy. Considering there are lots of divine presences, it’s not a mere ordinary death, and seeing that the divine is spread over a large area indicates there was more than one.
Recently in the Bardronel Territory, among those who could take out important figures from the church without hesitation, there’s only a few confounding factors, especially someone connected to me.
Even with an intelligence of 58, I can see where this is heading.
Lasha. She must’ve killed priests from the church while in the Bardronel Territory. And she did it for me.
To decipher it, it likely went something like this.
The clerics witnessed the rise of divine power meant to block Lasha’s attack, and seeing me in power, Lasha resolved to silence them before their report could reach me. Hoping I’d be spared from the church’s scrutiny.
I’m suddenly saddled with her favor, but I don’t feel thankful at all. I’ve never once wished to protect myself at the cost of someone else’s life.
Ah, was this what Erin felt when she said I could take a break? An undesired act of kindness can be really disgusting.
“Uh, Lucy? You alright?”
Benedict, seeing my face wasn’t looking good, tried to gauge my mood, but instead, I turned my glare at Karia.
“Where the hell is that dumb muscle pig off to right now?!♡”
“…Can you not be a little more subtle about this, employer?”
Her snippy response confirmed my suspicions. Lasha really has been up to no good.
“Even though she’s getting old, isn’t she still with it?♡”
“What are you planning?”
I didn’t answer Karia’s question. It wasn’t that I had nothing to say; I just didn’t know what I would do when I met Lasha.
I wanted to get mad about her meddling in my business. I wanted to tell her to mind her own business. I wanted to infuriate her as much as I was annoyed, but if I had to get specific about what I wanted, then I drew a blank.
But one thing was clear. I must meet Lasha.
“She’s moving towards the military district.”
The answer arrived from an unexpected source. Kurz Newman, sweat pouring as he stood between Karia and Benedict, mustered the courage to speak.
“There’s a woman making a name for herself in the military district. She’s definitely headed there to confront her.”
“Hey, Kurz.”
“Count Newman, you.”
“…As I said before, I owe a great debt to Young Lady Alrn. So if it’s for her, it’s only right to fulfill her wishes.”
It was hard to tell if there was another motive behind his words, but there was a certain nobility in the way he held himself in front of the uncomfortable pair.
So she’s gone to hunt stronger prey, huh? That makes things simple. If I just camp out next to that strong target, I’ll eventually run into Lasha.
The military district, huh? Perfect. I need to head that way to address Senar’s request anyway.
I should take along my friends as well. There are plenty of interesting ones among the mid-sized dungeons nearby. If I conquer them one by one, my dungeon conquest abilities will improve significantly.
Hmm. This way, if I can annoy Lasha as much as I’m annoyed, everything should work out fine.
Lost in thought with my arms crossed, I suddenly had a great idea. How can I annoy someone who makes hunting strong prey their life’s joy? By preventing them from hunting strong prey.
As that thought crossed my mind, I immediately directed my question at Kurz.
“Count Newman…”
“Pathetic old lord, what can you tell me about that pathetic piece of garbage making a name for himself in the backwater military district?”
“Of course.”
As I listened to Kurz’s explanation, a fierce grin of excitement crept across my face at the prospect of making my plan a reality.
Alright then. Let’s try and snatch that prey from under Lasha’s nose.
I’m curious how much her irritation will spike once she realizes she’s lost her targeted prey.
Heh, just the thought of it brings me joy.
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