< 29 : Apostle of Thunder (1) >
-[Second Apostle: Evan Allemier] has become your apostle.
-Due to the effect of <Apostle Selection>, you will share your magic power with the selected apostles.
-Due to the effect of <Apostle Selection>, you will be able to send separate messages to the selected apostles.
It had been a few days since I started spending time to convert Evan, whom I had chosen as an apostle.
Maybe my bold investment over the past few days paid off.
As soon as Eutenia entered the cave to persuade him, Evan accepted <Apostle Selection> as if he had been waiting for it.
Even though Eutenia didn’t say much, Evan quickly gave up and put down his sword.
The [Divine Artifact: Astraphe] that was sealed by accepting <Apostle Selection> was also completely liberated.
“I finally became an apostle.”
I made Evan, who used to be a paladin, my apostle.
He was incomparable to ordinary characters.
If he used the [Divine Artifact: Astraphe] that I created by consuming karma, he would surely become a much more powerful being than most characters.
I immediately opened my inventory and checked the effect of [Divine Artifact: Astraphe].
The divine artifacts that I created using <Apostle Selection> had different characteristics attached to them.
“Blue Flash? It sounds like a very good characteristic just by reading the description.”
The [Divine Artifact: Astraphe] that was bound to Evan had a characteristic called <Blue Flash>.
<Blue Flash>.
The effect of this characteristic was twofold.
One.
It continuously consumes magic power and transforms the user’s body into lightning for a certain period of time.
Two.
It shares all the skills that inflict lightning damage with me.
In other words, it was a characteristic specialized in inflicting elemental damage.
“So you’re going to be a magic swordsman instead of a paladin.”
A sword imbued with light and a sword imbued with lightning.
I didn’t know which one was stronger.
But considering Eutenia’s precedent, it was certain that Evan would become incredibly strong after receiving the divine artifact.
I dragged an item from my inventory and placed it in front of Evan.
[Divine Artifact: Astraphe] was a piece of equipment shaped like a light gauntlet.
Thud.
As the divine artifact fell in front of Evan, Eutenia picked it up and handed it to Evan’s hand.
Evan looked at Eutenia with a puzzled expression as he received the divine artifact.
-“This is…”
-“It’s a proof that the great one has chosen you.”
-“Proof?”
-“You are now an apostle who serves the great one.”
Evan, who was looking at the dark gauntlet, nodded his head and put it on his hand.
As soon as [Divine Artifact: Astraphe] was worn on Evan’s hand, blue lightning burst out and a speech bubble appeared above Evan’s head.
By wearing the divine artifact, I was able to send messages directly to Evan.
The current flowing through Evan’s body showed why the characteristic was called <Blue Flash>.
Evan’s eyes sparkled as he wore Astraphe.
-“…An apostle of God.”
-“Did you like his gift?”
-“To be honest, I don’t think I deserve to receive such a thing.”
Crackle. Crackle.
Evan, who was sparking lightning around him, picked up the sword that had fallen on the ground.
As soon as Evan gripped the sword with the gauntlet on, blue lightning burst out from the sword he was holding.
The light of lightning overflowing enough to blind the eyes.
He looked at it and lifted his sword.
Evan Allemier.
He spoke with a devout expression as he looked at his sword.
-“Still, I will ask you.”
-“O God who looks down on the earth. What fate should I accept?”
Maybe it was because he used to be a character who was a paladin.
Evan showed me a polite attitude even when facing me.
Every word that came out of his mouth was holy.
Maybe he would show me the same blind loyalty that he had for the goddess.
As I wondered what to answer to Evan’s question, I noticed his face soaked in fatigue.
“Come to think of it, I’ve been pretty rough on him.”
I had been disturbing his sleep and blocking his movement for days.
It was quite a long time in game time.
If he had been starving and trapped in a cave for a long time, his fatigue would not be ordinary.
He used to be my enemy until recently, but now he was a character who moved for me.
It was right to treat him well, since he became my character.
That way, he would bring me more things that would benefit me.
Just like Eutenia, whom I had spent time and raised before.
“First, eat something.”
I dragged a bread from my inventory and placed it in front of Evan.
Thud.
Evan caught the baguette that fell on the opposite side of his hand.
Evan’s eyes looked up at the sky as he held the baguette.
I looked up at the sky and gave him a plausible impression using the message function.
“It’s a meal that I personally give you.”
It was a baguette that cost 7,000 won. No, it was 8,000 won now.
It was not something I gave lightly.
Maybe my answer was a bit lacking in dignity.
The speech bubble translator repackaged my message and delivered it to Evan.
-“I will fill your hunger and quench your long thirst.”
-“Then witness the truth.”
It was just a word to eat something first.
It felt like a god-like speech that I couldn’t help but admire.
Seeing my message, Evan asked me again.
-“Truth? What exactly is the truth?”
“That’s right. What is that truth?”
That was a word that the speech bubble translator spit out on its own.
I was curious about what the truth was, too, because of the exaggerated answer.
Of course, the speech bubble translator also prepared an answer for that, and fluently replied to Evan.
-“Harvest the wicked ones. Then I will use them as food and return to my rightful place.”
-“Destroy the idols of false faith and erect your faith in their place.”
Evan tore the bread in silence at the translator’s unique answer.
He seemed to have nothing more to say at the textbook-like answer.
It was amazing how the AI’s performance felt more and more amazing as I watched it.
*****
I, Hus Allemier, a second-class investigator of the imperial execution agency, Cloud, looked at the documents with a tired gaze.
It had been a month since I requested help from the holy city to unravel the mysterious disappearance cases.
And the one who came to help me was my brother, Evan Allemier, a heretic inquisitor.
I had to spend a few days in exhaustion, watching out for Evan who came in person.
But even after Evan left, who was investigating the surroundings, my mind was never at ease.
The cult of the evil god was moving.
I heard it directly from Evan, the heretic inquisitor.
Since then, I had to tremble every day with anxiety that the cult might move.
It was something that even the heretic inquisitor admitted.
It was almost a fact that the cult was showing signs of movement near here.
“Another disappearance case.”
My gaze, which was looking at the disappearance cases with him, also changed.
It was a case that happened several times a month, but still, I couldn’t help but suspect the cult’s movements.
There was a cult that offered people to the evil god.
If there was a suspicious group nearby, it was natural to suspect them first.
But just because I suspected them, I couldn’t go around searching recklessly.
I had already lost one investigator.
If I forced an investigation with insufficient power without forming a subjugation team, I couldn’t rule out the risk of being attacked by the cult’s fanatics.
If I lost more troops, I wouldn’t be able to avoid responsibility.
Even if I couldn’t stand it in the branch office of the frontier, it was obvious how my brothers and family would look at me.
“Sigh… It’s frustrating when I’m not sure.”
But if I kept still, I would be scolded from above.
It was a dilemma.
Hus sighed and reached out for a piece of paper nearby.
He intended to ask Evan about the progress of his work in the holy city.
Evan had gone to report that the cult had appeared himself, so by now, the holy city must have reached a conclusion.
He felt like he could focus more on his work if he heard that a subjugation team had been formed in the holy city.
“I wonder if they have reached a decision in Crossbridge…”
Hus’s hand stopped as he picked up his pen to write a letter to Evan.
He felt a sudden pain in his right arm as he tried to write a letter.
He put down his pen and rolled up his sleeve on his right arm.
A black mark appeared on his skin as he rolled up his sleeve.
He opened his mouth wide as he saw the familiar mark on his arm.
“This is…”
A black feather pen tilted slightly.
As far as Hus knew, who was from a prestigious family, the picture on his right arm was the mark of the Temple of Knowledge.
There was only one case where the mark of the temple suddenly appeared on someone’s arm.
Hero emergence.
The mark given to heroes who resisted the advent of the evil god.
“Does this mean I’ve been chosen as a hero?”
Hus’s finger stroked the feather pen engraved on his arm.
The fact that he had the mark of knowledge meant that Hus Allemier had been chosen as one of the most important people of this era, a hero.
It was not any other temple, but the Temple of Knowledge.
The place that revered wisdom and magic would make him a great mage.
He recalled the image of the temple located in Crossbridge and smiled faintly at his lips.
“A hero… This is not a bad story.”
He put back the paper he had taken out.
There was no need to write a letter to Evan anymore.
He could go to the holy city himself now.
Besides, he didn’t need to work as a second-class investigator of Cloud anymore either.
Hus was a hero chosen by the goddess of knowledge herself.
Who would dare stop him from going to the holy city as a hero chosen by the goddess?
It was also his last day to see the annoying face of his branch manager today.
“Most of all, I’m looking forward to seeing my brother’s expression.”
What he was most looking forward to was his brother’s reaction when he faced him.
Evan was a heretic inquisitor of the holy city.
And Hus was one of the most important people in the holy city, a hero.
How would Evan look at his brother who became a hero?
He certainly wouldn’t be able to keep his stern face as before.
Hus looked forward to meeting his brother with a satisfied face and pushed away the documents in the corner.
He felt like he would be happy all day today.
