“…Acolyte Priest rculurt.”
“Yes, Head Priest.”
“Do you really think that makes any sense right now?”
At Eliya's sudden request to issue The Order's Trait, ‘The Chosen One’, the Head Priest's face crumpled noticeably.
Of course, Eliya wasn't making things up.
It was true that a system existed within The Order to directly issue the ‘The Chosen One’ Trait, though it was extrely rare, and there were indeed active Heroes who possessed it.
The problem, however, was that the last ti The Order's Trait had been issued was a staggering 100 years ago.
Triggered by an incident that occurred 100 years prior, The Order had begun to reconsider the dangers of ‘Traits issued by The Order’ itself.
And so, amidst a hushed consensus, the was effectively abolished.
The incident had been so shocking that The Order considered the history of issuing the Trait a disgrace, even issuing a gag order and keeping the records under wraps.
For an ordinary priest, just knowing about it was strange.
And Eliya was a fledgling among fledglings, having just been appointed as a novice Acolyte Priest.
From the Head Priest's perspective, he couldn't help but frown.
He couldn't understand how Eliya knew about The Order's Trait, and if she did know, he couldn't fathom the ulterior motive behind making such a request despite knowing its gravity.
Did she have any idea of the Head Priest's complicated feelings?
Eliya stared directly into the Head Priest's face with her bright, clear eyes and stood by her opinion.
“Of course, I know what you are concerned about, Head Priest. However, the Plane Transcendent under my care possesses such extraordinary qualities that I am willing to make this request even if it ans taking such a risk…”
“rculurt.”
The Head Priest called her by her last na again.
This ti, the title that had been attached to it was missing.
His voice was even lower.
Followed by.
“I said no.”
He murmured, his face hardening.
Eliya flinched for a mont at her superior's resolute voice, but she felt she couldn't back down here.
If you draw the sword, you must at least cut a radish.
Even if the request was rejected at The Order's headquarters, she wanted to at least try to make it.
“At the very least, the request…”
However.
Rustle, rustle—
Riiip—
The Head Priest suddenly pulled a sheet of earthen-colored paper from a drawer, tore it, and a magic circle ford. Her voice lost its function.
‘This is…?’
Silence.
From the general feel of it, it seed to contain the magic of a Starless-grade (☆) , the lowest level.
Though Eliya possessed the Dispel ability to reverse-engineer and cancel a morize spell that wasn't even 1-star, she chose not to.
The reason was simple.
This wasn't a true attempt to forcibly shut her up, but rather a roundabout way of telling her to shut up to maintain his dignity as the Head Priest.
Indeed, the Head Priest's voice had grown even lower.
“Seo U-jin. From the Lower-Dinsional Plane, Korea. Male. 28 years old. Killed 193 Orcs in the First Gate.”
“……”
“Killed 32 Black Frenzy Hounds in the Second Gateway. Killed a Cyclops. Triggered the early closure of the Gateway. And……”
“……”
“t the All-Marking condition.” [T/N: ‘Interest’ will be referred to as ‘Marking’ from now on.]
Screech—
The Head Priest stood up from his seat as he recited U-jin's record.
“As you may know, rculurt, I am in charge of overall monitoring while the General Head Priest is away. I have already read the summary list of that brilliant Plane Transcendent you are managing.”
“……”
“Of course, it's incredible. It's unprecedented, and while it's difficult to compare absolute data, it's probably the highest level in history. We had prepared counterasures for all contingencies, but killing a Cyclops was sothing we never anticipated, so we had to rush to close the Second Gateway early.”
“……”
“However.”
He then turned to the mirror behind his desk and adjusted his clothes and hair.
…Of course, his mouth didn't rest even as he tidied himself up.
“The influence of The Order's headquarters in the War against Demons is imnse. Far greater than you can imagine.”
“……”
“Every Star Cluster and Constellation in the Upper Plane pays attention to The Order's headquarters. The nuance of the headquarters becos the will of the Allied Forces of The Order, and the stance The Order's headquarters takes maintains and twists the tides of war.”
“……”
“Therefore, The Order must be extrely cautious when making any choice… especially when reversing a choice once made.”
Having finished tidying up, the Head Priest slowly approached Eliya and held up his index finger.
“So, to request the exceptional issuance of a Trait for this Plane Transcendent nad ‘Seo U-jin’, one more thing is needed besides exceptional skill.”
Finally, he pointed to the door behind Eliya and said.
“…The strategist of the Demon King's Army that the Allied Forces of The Order are currently struggling with.”
“……!”
“He must prove his ‘trustworthiness’, that he will not turn traitor like that man… Do you understand?”
***
“……”
My eyes snapped open to the sight of the pure white background of the Boundary of the Gate.
Simultaneously, several scenes flashed through my mind like a revolving lantern.
『The Cyclops, on its knees, sagging, with every ligant in its body severed.』
『 I, sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath that had reached my chin.』
『A shallow pool of blood.』
『The torn and mangled Black Frenzy Hounds.』
And finally.
『G-get up… Seo U-jin-ssi……. T-this is…….』
Kim Sia, trembling like a leaf, fumbling to use her healing ability.
It seed my unconscious self had sohow succeeded in taking down the Cyclops.
Wiggle, wiggle—
‘…Not bad.’
Seeing that my body was in better shape than I expected, it seed either Kim Sia or Eliya had taken care of afterward.
‘But… why is there no reaction.’
Sensing an awkward silence, I looked around for Eliya.
I spotted her figure, squatting by the right side of my head.
“Uh… hi?”
[Ah……!]
“I’m awake……”
[Oh, my goodness… I an… I’m glad. You’ve worked hard.]
“……”
Scratch, scratch—
Her reaction was markedly different from when I woke up in the First Gate.
She should have either gotten angry at for being so reckless.
Or been astonished, asking how I managed to kill a Cyclops.
It should have been one of the two, but this reaction was ambiguous.
It felt like her mind was elsewhere.
Worried that sothing might be wrong, I scanned my own four limbs, but nothing seed to be cut off or amiss.
Next, the summary list.
■ Oral administration of Black Olive.
■ 32 Black Frenzy Hounds killed.
■ 1 Cyclops killed.
- [Strikes: 1,492]
- [Hits Taken: 1]
- [Dodges: 295]
- [Final Cause of Death: Exsanguination]
- [Combat Ti: 4 hours, 22 minutes, 58 seconds]
■ Small intestine rupture, internal bleeding, exhaustion, etc. comprehensive physical damage occurred.
■ Total Sponsorship: 620 Coin
■ Interested Constellations (★) 101/101 (Full Capacity).
The summary list was flawlessly brilliant.
A perfect report card where every part of my plan had succeeded without fail.
‘No problems here either……’
Sothing was definitely up with her.
Even though she knew I was awake, she showed no intention of getting up from her squatting position.
It seed her attention was focused elsewhere.
She had forced herself to act fine and respond to .
As I wondered what could possibly make her act like that, she suddenly opened her mouth, her eyes still downcast.
[Hero.]
“Huh? Oh, what is it?”
[You’re the best, Hero.]
“……?”
A sudden complint.
It was baffling to be praised in such a joyless tone.
“…What’s that all of a sudden?”
[It’s just as I said. You probably don’t know how incredible what you’ve done is, Hero.]
“……”
[Perhaps, even if you gathered all the Plane Transcendents in history, it would be among the top… it’s an amazing feat. To hunt a Cyclops… and to receive a Marking from every Constellation.]
Her face was still tinged with gloom.
Around that ti, I was able to guess.
Why she was so sulky, and… who she was sulky with.
[That bastard Head Priest…….]
At her honest mumble that she couldn't hold back, I couldn't hold back my laughter either.
Pfft—
[Would it kill him to just file the request… Is he the only priest? I just got ordained, too.]
This was unexpected.
To think she would go and request the ‘issuance of The Order’s Trait’ on her own while I was unconscious.
[Bucket List #4]
『Obtain The Order's Trait, ‘The Chosen One’.』
‘…Things like this make think I really lucked out with my Acolyte Priest in my past life, too.’
My third bucket list item, ‘Receive marking from all Constellations’, existed essentially for the sake of this fourth item, ‘Obtain The Chosen One Trait’.
It was a bucket list item I'd written down because about 100 years ago, The Order had stopped its ‘Trait Issuance System’ and inserted a practically unattainable clause into the issuance conditions: ‘All-Marking’.
Of course, that wasn't because they intended to give it to anyone who achieved it, but rather a clause inserted for a ‘de facto abolishnt’, so achieving it didn't an the ‘The Chosen One’ Trait would be issued.
Even if the condition itself was t, the managent priest team assigned to the Gateway Zone would have likely dismissed the request to headquarters.
Spouting plausible excuses about ‘trustworthiness’ or ‘gravity’.
That's just how people are; more sensitive to the potential losses from taking an action than the losses from inaction.
…Besides, it was only natural for a massive organization like The Order to not welco unexpected variables.
‘…I was planning to request it myself after finishing the Third Gateway.’
[It’s just… I thought I could prepare sothing for you, Hero, but I’m just a little upset that I have to give up without even being able to try.]
She confessed her feelings in a confession that wasn't quite a confession.
At this point, even without her saying the words ‘The Chosen One’, I could clearly see what had happened while I was unconscious.
“Frankfurt.”
I called her na, looking at her face, which was still not free of gloom.
[…It’s rculurt.]
“Do you happen to know this saying? It's popular in the Lower-Dinsional Plane.”
[…What saying?]
“‘It will be, it won't be’...”
Her head tilted to the side.
A sign that she didn't know.
I shrugged and explained the aning a bit more simply.
“It ans a guy who’s ant to succeed will succeed no matter what, and a guy who’s ant to fail will fail no matter what.”
[…I understand the aning itself, but why are you suddenly saying that…….]
“Which one do you think I am?”
At my sudden question, Eliya let out a small laugh.
It seed she thought I was asking a question with an answer I wanted to hear already decided.
[Well, you’d be the one who’s ant to succeed…….]
“Wrong.”
[……?]
“The correct answer is ‘the one who must succeed’.”
Her brow furrowed.
It seed this untily riddle wasn't very welco.
But this really was the answer.
Whether my fate was to be one who succeeds or one who fails, I would only find out at the very end of this second life.
But what I knew for sure was the fact that I was soone who must succeed.
With so many things I absolutely had to do before I died, I couldn't even die as I pleased.
I couldn't even fail as I pleased.
“…So it will happen. Whatever it is. If it’s on my bucket list.”
…Because it had to.
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