Chapter 137: Crossroads
*
“It’s the High Priest’s command. From now until the situation is resolved, the travel permits for all heroes will be restricted to the Central Sea System, except in special cases.”
What on earth does this mean?
I couldn’t grasp the situation at all.
It’s only natural since events like this weren’t included in Sung Yoo-rang’s knowledge.
‘What’s going on?’
The High Priest’s commands are absolute for the heroes belonging to the Church.
You could say they are a price for various conveniences enjoyed by the heroes.
However, the problem is that such commands aren’t common.
“Hey! What’s going on here?!”
As if to prove that, heroes gathered around the permit staff began to swarm.
The staff, face pale with fright, shook their head in protest.
“I don’t know the details! This is all the High Priest’s command said.”
Nonetheless, amidst the gathering heroes, I kept racking my brain.
‘The High Priest must definitely have known I was going to Leim Kingdom.’
After all, I personally told her that.
Of course, thinking that the current situation was caused by me might seem a bit self-centered.
But still, the timing was just too impeccable.
‘Did she believe exactly what I told Gwen?’
I had told Gwen to go ahead since I would soon be heading to the Central Sea System.
But I thought someone of the High Priest’s caliber would be able to filter out that statement to some extent.
I even thought the Demon Kings wouldn’t take that statement at face value.
‘Right, she couldn’t have believed it completely.’
The High Priest had led the Church for hundreds of years, supported by her abilities.
There’s no way she wouldn’t have sensed my intentions.
That means this is part of her plan too.
‘Then I have no choice but to play along for now.’
Whatever her plan is, it probably isn’t favorable for the Demon Kings.
Moreover, there’s nothing I could do about a command that has already been issued by the High Priest.
Having made my decision, I reached out.
“To the Central Sea System, right?”
“Yes?”
I snatched the signed travel permit away.
“Then, thank you for your hard work.”
After offering some comforting words to the staff who would have to manage the increasing crowd of heroes, I checked on Yusera and Elsie.
Yusera looked pale among the crowd, while Elsie seemed a bit annoyed.
“Let’s go.”
“Sung Yoo-rang? But…”
Before she could say more, I grabbed her wrist and began weaving through the throng.
Elsie casually followed behind me and Yusera.
Thus, we managed to slip out of the Church Headquarters before the crowd swelled any further.
“I guess we need to hurry a bit more.”
Just as I was about to quicken my pace…
“Wait a second.”
Yusera asked.
“Suddenly heading to the Central Sea System?”
“Huh?”
Upon her question, I finally grasped the situation.
I then showed her my travel permit.
It clearly stated ‘To Leim Kingdom.’
“If it gets out that only we are heading to the Central Sea System, it’ll be trouble.”
“Ah.”
Since travel permits are issued per party, someone could stick to us saying they want to join our party.
That’s why I had purposely asked her if it was indeed heading to the Central Sea System, even though the staff had thankfully finished signing it for the Leim Kingdom.
Yet it seemed Yusera had fallen for it too.
“Elsie, you weren’t tricked?”
“Well, I would have judged the same way.”
At that, Yusera made a sulky face.
I said to her.
“Anyway, let’s hurry. The gates to Leim Kingdom and the Central Sea System are different. The sooner we leave, the less attention we will attract.”
Using Wind’s Power might seem overly suspicious.
But it felt necessary to pick up the pace a little more.
‘I don’t know exactly what the High Priest’s plan is, but…’
While I should play along, the priorities should be what I must do first.
Of course, the Central Sea System is important too.
Even if we block the Leim Kingdom, if the Central Sea System is breached, it’ll be dangerous.
Besides, even if the Leim Kingdom faces destruction from the 72nd Demon King, if we can hold the Central Sea System, saving Hailen is not impossible.
But…
‘I can’t give up on both.’
Because of the High Priest’s command, the responsibility of stopping the Leim Kingdom’s destruction now falls almost solely on the three of us.
To others, it may seem impossible.
But I saw a certain potential in it.
Not a very high chance, but still, until I try, I can’t prove anything.
Whether I end up fleeing disgracefully or not, attempting something is different from giving up without trying.
And the Demon Kings of the Central Sea System would also move once they confirm the awakening of the 72nd Demon King, so it won’t be too late to deal with it after stopping the Leim Kingdom’s destruction.
‘Maybe the High Priest intends to use that point to prepare more thoroughly.’
Interpreting that differently could mean we have time to counter the Central Sea System’s operations before the Leim Kingdom faces its destruction.
‘But I don’t want to do that.’
The High Priest’s intentions remain unclear in the end.
However, what is certain now is my path to the Leim Kingdom.
That place is Elsie’s precious hometown.
A place Libero would have wanted to protect with his life.
And a place where many people live.
So I wanted to ensure it was protected, no matter what.
*
“I meet the High Priest.”
In the High Priest’s chamber.
A figure draped in a white robe knelt on one knee.
It was an Apostle. However, Apostles, as mere hands and feet of the High Priest, had no name or number, so it was impossible to identify who the person was.
Only their duties existed.
“The list of heroes who have received the travel permits to proceed to Hailen as the High Priest requested.”
Following the mission assigned to him, the Apostle held out the list he had compiled from various gates.
As he did, the air began to ripple around the High Priest, and soon the list left the Apostle’s hands and reached the High Priest.
She unfolded the received list.
“I see…”
Then she instructed the Apostle.
“You may leave.”
As those words ended, the Apostle rose from his seat and exited the High Priest’s room.
Left alone in the room, the High Priest glanced at the list and said.
“So they’ve indeed headed to the Leim Kingdom. More ambitious than I expected.”
At that moment, the air rippled again.
The list disintegrated into particles and began to vanish.
“Nonetheless, that won’t be of great concern.”
Saying that, she stared vacantly into the space and murmured.
“Is it almost time?”
*
Outside the Leim Kingdom’s barrier, in a hidden place, the dwelling of the Demon King’s army.
A Demon King entered into the space prepared for the 33rd Demon King Levia.
It was the 54th Demon King, Laus.
“Sister.”
At his call, Demon King Levia turned her head.
“What is it?”
“I’ve returned after completing the errand.”
He spoke, a hint of discontent visible on his face.
After all, from checking the gate from Basilium to Sakh and then coming to the Leim Kingdom, he had nothing but errands to do.
But that was possible because, as a Demon King of a lower rank, he wasn’t easily recognized.
“You’ve taken longer than expected. Report.”
This task involved making contact with a spy from the heroes to secure information for the upcoming Demon King’s Meeting.
“Yes, I’ve confirmed that hero traffic has indeed been restricted to the Central Sea System.”
“So that information was true.”
“It was quite an extraordinary command, but there was no mention of Allen Pleuk in it. As a result, most heroes are in confusion, but rumors have started circulating that Allen Pleuk is heading to the Central Sea System, and heroes are beginning to leave for there one by one.”
This development could definitely disrupt the operation currently underway in the Central Sea System.
‘I might have to redirect most of our forces there.’
The operation concerning the Leim Kingdom had long since slipped from their hands.
Its conclusion depended on whether the 72nd Demon King could awaken.
And that didn’t concern them.
‘Then perhaps as a precaution against unforeseen circumstances, let’s leave only minimal forces behind.’
She asked Laus.
“What about the other thing I asked? How’s the intel on those who have entered the Leim Kingdom’s barrier recently?”
“Not much different from before. In the past month, only about five hero parties seem to have entered the Leim Kingdom.”
“Five, huh…”
That aligned with her plans.
She had advised the captain of the royal knights who succeeded in a coup with her help to use the long-standing cold war with Sakh as an excuse to enforce a national isolation policy.
That way, the citizens’ attention could be diverted from the royal castle to the common enemy that is Sakh.
As the Demon Kings started congregating in the Leim Kingdom, the Chaos Beasts that gathered could also be obscured as a ploy by Sakh.
The same went for the heroes.
Although they couldn’t prohibit entry due to the Church’s national authority involving the heroes, the worsening perception of foreigners caused virtually no heroes to wish to come to the Leim Kingdom.
“However… it seems there is a promising candidate among the hero party that just entered the Leim Kingdom, mentioned in this Demon King’s Meeting as well.”
“A promising candidate? Are you referring to the Steel Clan?”
“No, it’s the hero Yusera. The hero who triggered the challenge rule and displayed a strike on par with high-ranking heroes.”
At those words, Levia replied dismissively.
“Weren’t the costs of that strike related to a Relic?”
“Yes, but that was somewhat mitigated by receiving 24 Sacred Replicants from Heinz.”
“Sacred Replicants. They sound impressive, but in the end, they’re just fake holy swords. Of course, they’re excessive for any rookie hero, so they can’t be used recklessly.”
She didn’t consider Yusera a significant threat.
To that, Laus silently added more information.
“…Also, there’s a knight and an archer, but it seems the archer lost to the archer of the Rosemond Family in the graduation tournament, yet has inherited Hero Ludmilla’s bow.”
“Ludmilla’s bow, huh… Anyway, it’s a combination of two knights and one archer? What about a magician?”
“None.”
“Amateurs.”
The combination was a total mess.
Especially without a support mage, they would be completely defenseless against long-range attacks, and even if they bought potions at an inflated price, they would eventually encounter limits.
Moreover, forming a party with only three beginners…
“They’ll just disappear somewhere in the Chaos Realm.”
Three people are merely the minimum number required to form a party.
That means if even one of them couldn’t fight, it would be curtains.
They were a party not worth worrying about.
“Then let’s select only the Demon Kings to stay behind in the royal castle, and the rest hurry to the Central Sea System.”
“Understood.”
Laus accepted her decision.
However, his expression was a bit darker.
There was one thing he hadn’t mentioned to her.
On the way back from hearing intel near Hailen, he had sent quite a strong Chaos Beast after the three heroes traveling through a gate, hoping to take back something noteworthy to show to Levia.
But the outcome was catastrophic.
When the black-haired female knight slashed with her sword, the massive Chaos Beast was cut in half, only for another female knight to rush in and chop it into pieces.
It was a massacre that occurred within mere seconds.
And the black-haired male archer merely looked on with a calm gaze in the direction of the attack.
‘There’s no need to ruin my image by reporting a failed attempt.’
Yet their performance was quite different from Levia’s earlier assessment.
Whether that would affect the operation remained unclear, but at least he judged that they were not up to the task.
Even if each of those three possessed the strength of high-ranking heroes, thwarting the Leim Kingdom’s operation would be nearly impossible.
‘It doesn’t matter.’
*
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