Chapter 686

Chapter 686

It wasn’t difficult to discern their characteristics by observing them. However, the last one was gripping his hood and running. With his right hand pressing down on his hood, his face was not visible.

“Damn, the last person—I’m not sure. A sword. I can see a sword hilt sticking out from the left side of his waist, but other than that...”

The movement feels subtly unnatural. The fact that the left side of the cloak was fluttering excessively caught my eye, but that was all. They disappeared into the forest.

“Tch.”

Leeha let out a click of his tongue. He was only disappointed that he hadn’t been able to extract perfect information, especially after having shouted at Kidd.

‘But it’s not over yet.’

Leeha still had some leads left. If he could reveal the identities of at least two, he could also uncover the yet unknown last one. Leeha sent a quick message to Ram Hwayeon. What if it’s not enough? There’s always the Holy Grail.

Now, only 12 hours were left.

※ ※ ※

“If it’s an outsider who uses multiple daggers, the most famous one is the ‘Happy Marten.’

He’s skilled at fighting without closing the distance with his opponent, even from 15m away. But white hair? A scar? I haven’t heard of such features. He’s a young guy with narrow eyes.”

“Hmm, so not him, then... Is there no one among the rankers? What about the person who uses two wands?”

“Nope. Among outsiders or among rankers, there’s no one with the features you described. Well, if we look lower, there might be someone.”

“We obviously have to look lower!”

“Aha, you? At your level of 100-200, why worry about finding an opponent?”

“Uh, well... It’s comforting to hear you say that.”

Ram Hwayeon spoke indifferently, but Leeha felt somewhat at a loss, as if he didn’t know what to do with himself.

‘Praise? No, it sounds like praise, but there’s something—this feeling, what is it?!’

Was it because it had been a while since he last spoke to Ram Hwayeon? Excitement? Thrill?

“I’m just telling the truth. You’re asking me because you actually feel threatened, right?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. How did you know?”

“It’s obvious. You only look for me when you need me. I’m just like an internet search to you. Now, you don’t even visit, just a quick message.”

Of course, that wasn’t the case. Ram Hwayeon had been thoroughly irritated with Leeha for not keeping in touch more regularly.

The feeling that it was praise yet not praise, straddling the boundary of mockery and commendation, had struck because of that.

Suddenly, it hit Leeha like a bolt of lightning.

“No way! Oh, I didn’t tell you? Among the spoils I brought back from Toon, there was something perfect for you, Ram Hwayeon. I forgot to give it to you.”

“Huh? What? What is it?”

“Well, it’s...”

“What is it?”

Leeha hastily opened his bag. Something useful for Ram Hwayeon? He couldn’t possibly have thought to bring something like that!

However, driven by a survival instinct (?), he blurted it out without thinking!

“Ah, right, you asked for a claw, didn’t you!? Not a fingernail, but a toenail! There’s a toenail, and, well, firstly, there’s a toenail and—meat! There’s meat. Toon meat, have you ever tasted dinosaur meat? I’ve smoked it to perfection! I extended its preservation period just to bring it to you, Ram Hwayeon!”

“Yes. But it seems Minis and Shazrashian accepted the situation similarly. Perhaps it’s because the Pope’s decree is considered supreme.”

Leeha pondered over the list provided by Fernand.

Something has happened! The attendees from Fibiel always gave off that feeling, so there was nothing unusual.

“Lotzak... Lotzak once blocked Headmaster Browless’s trip to the New Continent.”

Kidd had mentioned it, and even Browless himself had told him. Even using the excuse of a royal summon, Browless was taken to the palace and after several excuses were made, was simply sent back.

Browless was enraged enough to almost forget his rank and charge at Lotzak. It was an incident of such magnitude.

“And Elizabeth, she’s deeply connected with Brown. One of the most critical figures.”

The king of Minis was naturally in attendance, but another individual’s name who was attending stood out conspicuously.

“The Fox of the Prairie, Ewin. He’s closely related to Chiyou.”

Fernand had passed on some information.

The concern in the Ezwen Theocracy was Browless’s “defection.”

Both the Second Human-Demon War and the assassinations that Browless was well-known for, if letters from his former comrades led him to become part of the Demon King’s Army, not a single high-ranking individual on the continent could sleep soundly even for a day.

“Kidd and I thought it was all nonsensical...”

But such thoughts were only possible because they were users who had trained under Browless. Indeed, even Fernand, with whom Leeha had conversed, considered the possibility of Browless’s defection to some extent.

“If Elizabeth and Brown are indeed trying to make Headmaster Browless change sides-“

The content of the letter itself might be nonsensical. Among those attending the meeting tomorrow, there might be a dangerous individual attempting to approach Browless, trying to deliver a different message.

Under such scrutiny, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to consider all individuals close to Chiyou as a dangerous entity.

Kidd: “But that alone is not enough.”

Leeha: “Hmm?”

Kidd: “What if Elizabeth and Brown are actually urging him to cross over to the new continent? If so, declaring Headmaster Browless a traitor and attacking him there would make those shouting for justice the most dangerous.

Leeha: “Ah, I see that perspective... No, wait, then what about the suspicious individuals we saw today? If they’re shouting for justice, would they really skulk around hooded, attending that meeting?

Kidd: “Maybe they’re planning to ambush the Headmaster without attending the meeting... Ah-those claiming justice are doing so?”

Leeha: “Hmm... It seems we might be stretching it too far, Kidd.”

While conversing with Browless, Leeha and Kidd kept exchanging ideas through whisper. The quest’s ambiguous content and the perplexing situation were leading them into a labyrinth.

Thoughts would shift depending on the perspective; every angle seemed both right and wrong. In a situation where logic could not prevail, Leeha and Kidd found it impossible to come up with a clear answer.

“Are you staying here for the night? I think I need to head back.”

“Ah, yes. Headmaster, you should get some rest. You need to leave early in the morning.”

“We’ll stay a bit longer before leaving.”

“Alright, understood.”

Browless packed his belongings and left the academy. Leeha and Kidd couldn’t part ways just yet. Unable to find an answer, parting was difficult. In the end, there was only one option from the start.

Leeha and Kidd spread out the map of Ezwen once again. The significantly zoomed-in location wasn’t perfectly marked on the map. The geography within the Vatican was a strictly guarded secret for security reasons.

Upon that spot, Leeha took out another piece of paper and placed it on top.

“Indeed, is this the situation?”