Chapter: 397
“Sorry! My eloquence failed me, and I couldn’t persuade the guild members.”
The pervy apostle, who returned to the reception room, looked unusually stiff and serious, quite unlike his usual laid-back and cheeky demeanor.
It seemed he hadn’t expected things to turn out like this.
I felt just as perplexed by the situation. Just a little while ago, these crazy kids were clamoring around me, and now they said they couldn’t trust my words!? Seriously?!
Are you kidding me?!
If you can distinguish between work and play like this, couldn’t you keep your head straight on the street too!?
I was so dumbfounded that I ended up sealing my lips, and Alsetin cautiously posed a question on my behalf.
“Prete, was it really a trust issue? Given the materials I provided, one should be able to understand the situation was suspicious enough.”
The materials Alsetin whipped up in no time were remarkable. Anyone could see that the situation was off.
Sure, my words as a mere kid from an aristocratic family might not be trustworthy, but there was no reason to dismiss Alsetin’s research!
The pervy apostle forced a stiff laugh before brushing his hair back and lamenting.
“It’s a bit awkward for me to say this, but the members of the Art Guild are quite irrational when it comes to matters related to the Evil God.”
“…Ah. I see. So that’s the issue.”
Why are they talking in circles as if only they understand? I frowned at this and noticed the pervy apostle cautiously elaborating.
“You might not know this, Young Lady, but our Art Guild hasn’t been established for very long. Just a few decades ago, it was regarded as a place that could vanish at any moment.”
The Art Guild he spoke of resembled the one I knew from the game, small in stature.
Sure, there were a few events, but there wasn’t really a reason to visit.
Eventually, it would become a place that even the Crow Goddess would get annoyed with and not want to visit.
That was the Art Guild I knew in the game.
But the current Art Guild was different.
It had grown strong enough to stand against the Church of the Lord.
“The reason we could grow this big is not just due to the efforts of the current guildmaster and priests, but also because we became a sanctuary for those who lost their way.”
Since being chosen by the goddess, the pervy apostle had been roaming the continent ceaselessly.
Many thought this wandering was due to his pervy nature, but that wasn’t the case.
Most of his travels followed the guidance of the goddess.
He invaded places where the followers of the Evil God ran riot and, in the process, rescued many people.
“Those who survived hell have mostly lost their homes and forgotten their reasons for living. I couldn’t just leave them behind.”
So, the pervy apostle brought those who survived the Evil God’s followers to the guild.
By showing them his art, he gave them a reason to live.
He brought hope into their lives.
As this continued, the Art Guild naturally expanded its influence and eventually became a place of considerable power among various churches across the continent.
“Most of the people holding positions in the guild today are survivors from the past. So, they can’t help but be fierce when it comes to matters related to the Evil God.”
The pervy apostle shrugged, claiming that while they might sense the absurdity with their heads, they simply didn’t want to accept reality.
“It’s just that things didn’t go well this time. If I keep persuading them, they’ll listen eventually. After all, I’m an apostle of the Art Guild.”
Seeing him, who usually clings to me like a madman, being serious like this made me realize why he became an apostle.
He wasn’t just artistically talented; the pervy apostle was undoubtedly a noble person.
If he had shown this side of himself regularly, I wouldn’t be so disgusted now.
Letting out a small chuckle, I stood up instead of responding to the pervy apostle, who was trying to figure something out.
“Pervy apostle, where are all those creepy perverts from the Art Guild hiding?”
“You don’t need to go there yourself. I…”
“Hey. Perv! Why aren’t you answering and talking nonsense? Do you want me to stomp on you on purpose? If that’s the case, it’d be better to bury your head in the ground and beg for me to stomp on you, alright?
You might even get so pathetic that I might just go easy on you.”
The pervy apostle, who had been staring at me blankly, soon returned to his usual grin.
“…I’m sorry. They should still be discussing things in the meeting room right now. Not everyone opposed me.”
“Oh really? That’s great. Now I don’t have to waste time with those disgusting dudes.”
I had no hesitations as I moved my feet. After all, I had come prepared for this scenario.
I did feel a little uneasy about walking back into that bunch of perverts.
But even if things didn’t work out, I could just smash someone’s head.
As long as they don’t die, we can heal them, so it’ll be alright.
“Lady Alrn.”
Just as I was about to step out with my impulsive plan, the pervy apostle grabbed me.
“Will you really stomp on me if I put my head down and beg for it?”
…Should I deal with this guy before breaking anyone else’s head?
*
“Are you saying we should give up the opportunity to defeat the followers of the Evil God just because of the unproven claim of a little girl!?”
One of the current bishops of the Art Guild raised his voice, causing the murmuring in the meeting room to swell. The effects of the pervy apostle’s recent message still hadn’t faded.
“The priority is preventing unnecessary casualties over defeating the followers of the Evil God. If there’s even a possibility of a trap, it’s wise to withdraw.”
“Nonsense! What about those who might be suffering there right now!”
“Didn’t the apostle say it’s better to pull back? We should confirm a bit more…”
The individuals in the meeting room were at a standstill, refusing to yield an inch.
One side cried out to take some risks to save those who might also be suffering like they did in the past.
The other side shouted that if innocent victims emerged due to unprepared actions, what would that matter?
As both sides believed their opinions were correct, the discussion began to spiral into a battle of emotions.
“Everyone, calm down.”
Amidst the fight, the guildmaster of the Art Guild hoped the apostle would return soon.
Even if these folks were emotionally at odds right now, they would at least pretend to maintain some decorum in front of the apostle.
Knock knock.
“Excuse me. I’ve brought a guest. Is it alright to come in together?”
“Of course! Come in quickly!”
Hearing the guildmaster say they had a guest, they looked confused but ultimately welcomed them inside.
Hoping that this guest would calm the heated situation.
Not long after the door opened, the guildmaster was momentarily speechless upon seeing the girl standing right in the middle of the entrance.
…When I heard about the commotion in the streets earlier, I thought it must have been a hallucination. But looking at her now, I can somewhat understand their sentiments.
How could we expect our guild members to remain composed when such a living artwork was standing in front of them?
He recalled how the members had been discussing whether they could establish a statue, create a doll, or even paint a picture of her, and decided to support the effort if Lucy Alrn were to grant them permission.
The rest of the assembled members also stood frozen, gazing at Lucy.
Even those who had just treated her like a brat, claimed she was unreliable, or deemed her merely beautiful—all of them were overwhelmed by the presence of Lucy Alrn.
With just her appearance, Lucy captured control of the room and stood in the center with a playful smile.
“I won’t bother with introductions. Seems unnecessary to tell fools who are dying to throw away their lives my name.”
“…What do you mean by that, Lady Alrn?”
As the guildmaster barely came to his senses and queried, Lucy’s gaze narrowed.
“How do you know my name when I haven’t even introduced myself? This kind of attention is creepy, and I don’t like it.”
“How could the head of a faction not know the name of a guest?”
“So you’re the guildmaster? That’s fascinating. I never knew someone who looked like that could become such an important person in the Art Guild?”
“…About what you said earlier, could you please explain in detail?”
Despite feeling a bit heated about Lucy’s prior comments, the guildmaster didn’t raise his voice.
The rude tone and the disdain laced in it were indeed irritating, but that became irrelevant given the profound impact Lucy’s voice conveyed.
To be honest, what the guildmaster was genuinely struggling with at the moment was not enduring anger but suppressing the artistic inspiration he felt.
“Why? Didn’t you all want to die? I thought you were trying to crawl into a trap after I warned you. Turns out you’re just stupid? Hahaha. How pathetic.”
Lucy spoke with a condescending tone, looking down on everyone in the room, yet no one voiced their anger. Everyone in the meeting shared a similar thought to the guildmaster’s.
While they all endeavored to uphold the decorum befitting their positions, Lucy, observing the scene, locked eyes with someone and tilted her head.
Her expression was full of uncensored curiosity, devoid of contempt or mockery.
However, that was only for a moment. In the blink of an eye, her playful demeanor deepened as she approached one of the elderly bishops.
“Excuse me, grandpa. I have one question for you.”
“…Yes?”
“Why are you staring at me like that with those creepy eyes you can’t even hold back?”
As Lucy asked this, looking genuinely perplexed, the elderly bishop’s face flushed red, and just then, Lucy burst into giggles, revealing her true nature.
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