Ch. 165

"The Emperor certainly was imperial."

After the audience with the Emperor, upon returning to the lodging, Zain, who had been holding his breath until now, said admiringly. Zain and Troy didn't exchange words with the Emperor, but it seemed to have been quite an impressive meeting for both of them.

"Just sitting there, yet the spirit bearing down and the overflowing dignity!"

Especially Zain seemed to have become a fan of the Emperor, constantly praising the Emperor.

"Moreover, Her Majesty the Emperor is still without religion. When the Diego Church has almost seized the Imperial Palace, to see her firmly maintaining her beliefs is admirable."

It seems the reason Zain liked the Emperor was exactly this.

'If the Diego Church really wanted it, they could have used the Curse of the Black Butterfly to brainwash the Emperor, yet why didn't they do that.'

I thought about it carefully. But no reasonable reason came to mind. If I had to choose one, perhaps they judged there was no benefit to gain even if they brainwashed her like that.

'The Diego Church already possesses many things.'

Without necessarily obtaining the Emperor, they could replace that position anytime.

'In other words, right now the Emperor isn't of great help to the Diego Church.'

On the other hand, the Emperor wants to remove the Diego Church anytime. The Diego Church knows that fact yet leaves the Emperor alone. Because they know well that she won't be a threat.

'Still, there are those with considerable power among the Emperor's close associates.'

Of course, as someone sitting in the position of Emperor, quite remarkable people were positioned around her.

The problem was that they were absurdly weak when compared to the Diego Church's apostles.

'Still, if we make those people our forces and share Kyros's power…….'

Perhaps we could obtain soldiers as strong as Grandmother without directly training them. Because among the Emperor's close associates, there are even several Sword Masters.

'Well, this is a problem I can think about later anyway.'

I organized my thoughts and entered my room. Inside was the portal I had set up yesterday.

'There's no more schedule today.'

For now, I was thinking of going around each region's temples through the portal and handling backed-up work.

***

After having an audience with the Emperor yesterday, there was no schedule the Imperial Palace particularly forced until the Religious Harmony Day event, so I went around each region's temples through the portal and handled backed-up work. And by the time the moon rose high in the middle of the night, I finally returned to the lodging with my tired body and went to sleep.

When I opened my eyes, the sun was high in the midday sky. Anyway, the Religious Day event was scheduled for tomorrow, so today was a free day.

"So let's tour the capital!"

When I was roughly holding bread in my mouth, Zain shouted at me like a child. I told them to rest as each pleased, but he stubbornly made a fuss about touring the capital with me.

"You can go alone."

I replied roughly and drank milk. However, Zain didn't give up.

"We came all this way. So let's go around once."

"It's bothersome."

"Master! Please!"

If he wants to go out that much, he could just go and come back alone, yet why does he want to go around with me. At the continued pleading and Troy's gaze as if to say it's fine to just go once, in the end, I nodded.

"Alright, let's go. Go."

Only then did a smile bloom on Zain's face, and Troy also smiled faintly.

'There's hardly anyone in the capital who would recognize us anyway, so we can walk around comfortably.'

After simply finishing the meal, I washed up and prepared to go out. Just in case, I even wore glasses and put on a robe.

"So where are you going?"

"Let's just tour the capital for now. I'm thinking of going to the central plaza, market, and shopping district."

Zain said with an excited expression. I nodded and left the lodging.

At that moment, I felt the energy of the Evil God from afar. Goosebumps rose all over my body in an instant, and my mood rapidly worsened.

'At this level of energy, it must be apostle-level.'

The level of unpleasantness I felt was comparable to when I was beside Terdius.

But the problem was that when there should be enough to raise vigilance with just one, I felt another energy of similar size.

'……Is there more than one?'

Definitely in the original, only the 2nd Apostle attended the Religious Day event alone. However, due to the variable of the hidden route, one more person seems to have come.

'Who came.'

If it's someone close to the 2nd Apostle, it would at best be the 1st Apostle. But the 1st Apostle mostly spends time at the Diego Church main temple, so he wouldn't attend such an event.

'Surely not that guy.'

Terdius also doesn't particularly welcome attending such events. Khalid and Rawin have similar tendencies, so it wouldn't be them either.

'Then they must be people who aren't greatly interested in me or the Kyros Church.'

Even if they're interested, no big problem will arise. The Diego Church was quite conscious of people's gazes.

So they couldn't harm us in the capital where there are so many people. If they did that, they couldn't avoid the 1st Apostle's punishment.

'If worst comes to worst, there's also the Guardian Barrier.'

Thinking that, my mind became much more comfortable.

Before long, without even thinking an unexpected encounter would happen.

***

I was dragged around by Zain for roughly five hours.

As soon as we started touring, we attended the Winter Tree Festival held at the central plaza and admired trees gathered from all over the empire, and visited the market to look at all kinds of food ingredients.

"As expected of the capital, there's so much substantial information incomparable to Holden Estate."

"I'm very sorry there's no substantial information."

Zain was especially busy gathering various information at the market. Because of that, Troy and I, just the two of us, went around the market, which felt no different from Troy's eating tour.

"Church Leader, aren't you eating? It's delicious."

"……You eat a lot."

The guy ate so much food even after having a meal that I wondered where it all went.

After that, we headed to the shopping district. In the capital's shops, there were lots of stores popular within the empire.

Most handled only high-priced items that nobles would visit, and Zain's eyes were turning as if he wanted to ransack the stores right away.

Troy and I grabbed Zain and barely stopped him. We almost got caught by the Imperial Palace for theft before attending the Religious Day event.

After spending most of the daytime like that, now I.

"Welcome!"

"Please try our chicken skewers!"

Was at a night market. The night market full of all kinds of delicious food smells and numerous people was held at the central plaza.

They say it opened in commemoration of this Religious Day event, but honestly I don't know what connection the night market has with that event.

'Still…… it's not bad.'

Since this was my first time visiting a night market in this world, I was somewhat excited.

"Let's each go separately here!"

Zain waved the 'allowance for behaving well' he received from me and shouted.

"Right! Going separately would be better!"

Troy also seemed to agree with Zain's idea. He seemed unable to resist the food smells flowing to his nose since earlier.

Well, there are quite a lot of people, but nothing will happen. I can't tell the two guys who look so excited that it's absolutely not allowed, so I nodded.

"Alright. Let's each act separately. However, if anything happens, make sure to contact me anytime."

"Yes, Master."

"Don't worry!"

Zain and Troy disappeared from my sight as soon as they finished answering. I looked at the spot that quickly became empty and sighed lowly. And I looked at the people walking around the night market street and lamented softly.

'Should I have worn a mask too.'

The night market held in the imperial capital uniquely had people walking around wearing 'masks'. Like a masquerade ball.

Various masks filled the streets, and there were also people like me who didn't wear them.

'I didn't wear one because I'm already wearing glasses so I don't particularly need it.'

Zain and Troy also didn't wear masks, but now that I'm separated from the guys, I felt unnecessary regret.

'Should I buy one now.'

My location was still the beginning of the night market. Moreover, mask merchants were selling various masks near the entrance. I walked trudgingly toward a mask shop.

—My child, that rabbit mask would suit you well!

Kyros, who had been at the temple until just a while ago, suddenly appeared and spoke.

'Is that so? I think that black cat mask over there is better.'

At least a dark color seems more comfortable, and the pattern was the least flashy, so it looked just right.

—Hmm. But that looks more like a panther than a cat, so it's not cute.

'It doesn't necessarily have to look cute.'

—But seeing cute things makes you feel good!

'……That's true. But I'll be wearing it, so I won't really have occasion to see it.'

Kyros earnestly urged me to buy the rabbit mask. Listening to the nagging was also bothersome, and I won't see the mask I'm wearing anyway, so I just decided to follow Kyros's words.

"I'll take this one."

I handed money to the merchant and received the mask. Then regret washed over me. Really, he wants me to wear this cute thing?

'Really…… I don't want to. If only it wasn't a god.'

Thinking that, I fiddled with the rabbit mask and walked through the night market street. That's when it was.

'……!'

When did he approach this close. I felt a huge amount of the Evil God's energy nearby. If the energy is this big, it must be an apostle's.

'I let my guard down too much.'

I was drunk on the night market atmosphere and chatting with Kyros, so I didn't even notice the Evil God's energy approaching.

—Oh my, my child. Be careful! I sense the snake's energy.

Seeing that Kyros also noticed it similarly to me, it's not just because I let my guard down. Then he must have suddenly approached from a somewhat distant location.

'What is it?'

Surely he's not looking for me. Just as I was thinking that. Someone wearing a fox mask appeared in front of me. He appeared to be a man who was quite tall.

It was certain. The Evil God's energy was felt from the fox mask. No matter how much I thought they wouldn't harm me, I never expected to encounter one in a place like this.

'Who is it exactly?'

His face was covered by the mask. And belatedly, purple hair tied in one bundle entered my field of vision.

"Long time no see, pretty one."

At that moment, he lifted the fox mask slightly and greeted me.

The owner of the fox mask was none other than Khalid.

"I happened to feel your energy. Want to tour the night market together?"

Khalid asked me with a fresh smile. But I felt cold sweat flowing down my back.

'Why is this bastard here?'

The guy who finds attending things like the Religious Day event bothersome!

'Ah, don't tell me he came just to tour the night market because it's close to the main temple?'

Since he's a guy whose thoughts are incomprehensible, if it's him, there's a possibility he'd do that. Damn, I let my guard down too much.

'Still, it won't be a big problem.'

This place, the central plaza where the night market is held, is close to the Imperial Palace, and there are considerable crowds of people around.

No matter how crazy this guy is, he can't cause a disturbance here. If he did that, he couldn't avoid the 1st Apostle's punishment.

"Why no answer? Do you not want to?"

Khalid put the fox mask back on and took one step closer to me. It was impossible to step back because there were too many passersby. At that moment, Khalid's face came very close.

"You'd better think carefully. If you don't want those friends of yours to get hurt."

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