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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 173
Verdan let out a hollow laugh as if he found the situation absurd.
“Heh, I don’t think that’s something you can just gloss over as if it were nothing.”
Ian casually brought up the request he had received from the Inoria Foundation. However, Verdan's eyes flashed from the very beginning.
“Investment. Hold on. I had something to ask about that too, but first, explain the platinum coins. I was going to call you separately after seeing the amount you spent, but I forgot.”
“There’s a merchant I trust.”
Wellington Winters. A merchant of misfortune. However, in the future, despite the world falling into chaos due to the Outer Sea, he would become a leader of a major trade caravan.
Even if he had nothing to his name now, time would reveal his true worth. But Verdan’s expression remained grim.
“…Ian, I don’t think you’re that naïve, but have you never considered the possibility that you’ve been scammed?”
No matter how unlucky someone was, failing in trade meant a lack of ability.
Verdan’s gaze carried concern—had Ian wasted his money on something foolish?
“I drafted a formal contract, so don’t worry.”
“Don’t worry? You really don’t get it. Swords and pens hold different kinds of danger. Bring the contract later. I need to check if it was written properly.”
As if expecting this, Ian took out the contract he had prepared in advance and continued speaking.
Verdan took an interest in the power of the Angel’s Key, which the Inoria Foundation coveted.
Even with the drawback of having to wield a spear, the ability to forcibly complete a Level 6 body was undeniably enticing.
“This Angel’s Key… there’s more than one, right?”
“Considering it has a ranking system… it seems like there are quite a few similar ones.”
“That’s something we should look into as well. Alright, keep going.”
However, after listening in silence for a while, Verdan let out another sigh near the end of the conversation.
“…Could you stop sighing? It’s frustrating just watching you.”
“If you were in my position, you’d understand. My younger brother isn’t some hero, hasn’t reached transcendence, and isn’t even a ruler—yet he’s caught the attention of an Outer God. Do you know how horrifying that is?”
“Hmm.”
“And wasn’t there another Outer God aside from the Fallen Star? That… what was it? The incident at Helrem Fortress.”
“The Faceless One?”
“…Sigh. Right, not just one, but two. And there’s a good chance more will show up in the future.”
Ian couldn’t hide his own bitterness—he felt the same way.
“That’s possible. Given the speed at which I’m growing, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
“You’re quite the optimist.”
“Well, I have to be if I want to survive in this harsh world. Though, the fact that fanatics are looking for me is a bit unsettling.”
Wouldn’t it be better to deal with them before they fully gathered and started acting?
There was no reason to wait for the enemy to come to him.
Ian lifted his teacup, which was nearly empty, then set it back down.
“Hyung.”
“What.”
“These fanatics… did you catch them, or are you in the process of catching them?”
“We’re in the process. They’re recruiting followers and performing human sacrifices. The Pantheon is also preparing to intervene. They requested our cooperation this time, but due to external affairs, it’s difficult. Are you thinking of going?”
“I’m considering it. If I’ll have to face them eventually, it’s better to handle them in advance.”
Since he had killed Talion, the Fallen Star’s forces wouldn’t grow as large as they had before the regression, but they were still an annoyance.
“If possible, the Pantheon… no, the best option would be if the Arbiter contacted us.”
“Oh, the one from the Flames of Karma?”
"Ah."
Ian had entrusted the task of purifying the Dragon of Death’s mana stone to the Inquisitor, Eor, in exchange for taking on one of his missions. However, there had been no word from him.
Instead, the invoices kept arriving on time.
It would be best if nothing came of it, but Verdan stood up, walked over to his desk, and started searching through some documents.
Judging by his actions, something had arrived.
"Found it. This one's addressed to you. Someone named Michael brought it a while ago."
He was a priest assisting Inquisitor Eor.
Ian tore open the letter, which had a pure white envelope adorned with golden embellishments. Inside, however, the paper was a dark color, contrasting with the envelope.
Blessing of the Flame.
The phrase was written at the very top of the folded paper.
"What does it say?"
"Hold on. I'm reading."
Ian soon burst into laughter. There were no unnecessary embellishments—just a straightforward statement of the mission and location.
"Guess I'm lucky. Everything keeps going my way."
"Yeah, it's better to think of it that way."
"It says to investigate and eliminate the fanatics you mentioned. As for their purpose, if my guess is right, it's obvious."
"Eliminate… as in making sure they can never act again?"
"Seems like it. Just taking out the obvious ones should be enough."
"By when?"
At Verdan’s question, Ian skimmed the mission directive again, tilting his head.
"Not sure. There's no specific timeframe mentioned. It doesn't even state whether success or failure matters. Are they just leaving it up to me?"
"Guess they're trusting your judgment."
"Hmm."
"But I don't understand why they'd entrust you with rooting them out. Are they assigning you a priest?"
"No, there's nothing about that. Last time, they told me to join up with a dispatched unit, but this time, there's no mention of anything like that. Here, take a look."
Ian handed over the paper bearing the Grand Temple’s seal. Verdan furrowed his brows as he scanned through it before letting out a dry chuckle.
"Is this how the Cult of Hellfire operates? No support, no proper intel for someone taking on an Inquisitor’s mission… It really feels like they just dumped this on you. You took on a mission for them last time too, right? You didn't slack off, did you?"
"What are you talking about? The Inquisitor was impressed back then."
"Or maybe even the Grand Temple doesn’t have solid information."
"Do you know anything?"
"Not much. The fanatics worship an Outer God called the 'Fallen Star.' They infiltrate communities, spread mental corruption, and perform human sacrifices. They work as mercenaries, keeping their identities concealed with eerily clean-cut appearances. They're skilled enough at escaping to evade pursuit teams."
"Tough."
"Yeah. There are too many mercenaries to search through one by one, and even if we find them, that creates logistical problems."
Ian leaned back in his chair and spoke indifferently.
"Verdan, do you know of any suitable ruins?"
“…What?"
"If I’m really the reason they started making moves, then shouldn’t I be the bait?"
"…Are you insane?"
Ian was serious. Seeing Verdan frown at him, he spoke with exaggerated frustration.
"Why overcomplicate things? If they won’t come out of hiding and they’re too hard to track, then we just need to draw them out."
“Couldn’t innocent people get caught up in this?”
“Of course, we need to set things up properly. And as long as it’s a controllable ruin, it should be fine. But if someone comes without any sense of decency, can they really be called innocent? They’d just be thieves snooping around, hoping to snatch something.”
“Hm.”
“Besides, I’m already working as a mercenary. A labyrinth was discovered in an excavation site. After much deliberation, the exploration team decided to hire Ian Berger as their guide. Doesn’t that fit perfectly? I think it works well—what do you think?”
“…I agree that this problem needs to be dealt with. But are you sure? You’ll be the bait. They’ll be coming for you.”
“I have to. No matter what, it’ll only become more troublesome later. This might actually be the best timing. It’s not like I can refuse the adjudicator’s request, and I already have other commitments later.”
Verdan pressed his lips together, lost in thought with an indifferent gaze. His eyes remained fixed on a single point, completely still, as if he had fallen asleep.
“There are two excavation sites currently being explored by our family that could work… but spreading rumors might be tricky.”
“There’s that, but they’ll also know that the Red Spear Knights are guarding the site. Would they even come? I doubt they’d make a move so easily.”
“If they’re fanatics, they wouldn’t back down just because of a little risk. Let’s go with this plan. Just in case, I should inform the head of the family as well.”
“…Father, too?”
Ian widened his eyes and asked back. Verdan, resting his chin on his hand, tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest.
“We’re using a direct heir of the family as bait, and there’s a chance the excavation site could be destroyed. And since you said you’ve caught the attention of an Outer God, we need to prepare for the worst.”
“You’re thorough.”
“These things require thoroughness. Alright, the plan is coming together. We’ll need to hire some mercenaries too. In three days, word will spread that you’ve become the guide for the ruins. Since we’ve had some success in recent expeditions, there shouldn’t be any unnecessary suspicion.”
“Isn’t the schedule a bit tight? Even if you decide to hire a mercenary group, you won’t be able to gather them that quickly.”
“That only happens when people try to save money. Not enough time? Then we just invest more funds. It’s not something you need to worry about—that’s my job.”
Verdan slowly stood up.
“You should go now, Ian. Don’t wander too far. Make sure you’re back before evening.”
“Why?”
“Let’s have a meal together as brothers for once. And we should visit Mother, too.”
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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