Chapter 76: The Pale Priest and the Unspoken Truth

Come to think of it, Sephiroth already had a history of killing Doltec once during the main story quest. If Sephiroth, who has probably hunted every monster in Zelpia, said he enjoyed it, then Doltec must be a monster with truly excellent “impact feedback.”

Thinking about it that way, I kind of wanted to try hunting him myself.

“We have to keep the quest moving, so we should play along for now. We can kill him later.”

“Can we really?”

“Probably. He’s clearly a villain.”

“That would be great.”

“Do you really like the idea that much?”

At my question, Sephiroth took a deep breath.

“It was such a waste that I could only kill Doltec once back then, so I stayed with him for a long, long time. Regular mobs can be killed again once they respawn, but once this event is over, I can’t kill Doltec anymore. You know what I mean, right?”

No, I really don’t.

Calling it “staying with him for a long, long time” in such a romantic tone—isn’t that basically just torture? Thank God this world is just a game. I wondered if I should write a post warning people that Sephiroth might commit a crime in the future. I glanced up at him, looking like a ticking time bomb, and he just laughed cheerfully.

“What are you looking at? Making me blush.”

“Who’s blushing, you crazy bastard?”

“When you look at me with such intense eyes, I start to feel the heat.”

“F*ck, seriously…”

I couldn’t help but swear. Sephiroth cackled as if he were having the time of his life.

The address provided led us to a mansion in the high-end residential district I thought I’d never have a reason to visit again. I hadn’t realized I’d have to find a house just by its address, and my jaw dropped at the sheer number of villas. Beside me, Sephiroth was casually counting roofs.

“Didn’t you ever hear that Zelpia is a game of manual labor?”

“I did. But still…”

“Well, I’ve usually just told you where to go to solve things, so I guess this is your first time doing the legwork.”

It would have been easier if there were street names and numbers, but it seemed Hodelem hadn’t implemented such a system yet. We found our way by stopping NPCs to ask for directions and relying on the occasional signpost. I couldn’t hide my exhausted expression, but Sephiroth was as composed as someone doing a daily chore.

“Wow, do you really have to do this manually every time? This is insane.”

“If you’re going to keep playing Zelpia, you’d better get used to it.”

“I don’t really need to, since you’ll just tell me.”

I bit my tongue the second the words left my mouth. What am I saying? I covered my mouth and looked over at Sephiroth. If only this jerk hadn’t noticed, but hearing his light snort, it seemed hope was lost.

“No. That’s not what I meant.”

“You really want to keep hanging out with me, don’t you, our Blee?”

“I said no!”

I must be losing my mind. Why did I naturally assume Sephiroth would keep playing the game with me?

Technically, the two of us traveling together wasn’t anyone’s original intention. Sephiroth wanted to fight me, so he offered to help me level up. From the look of it, he probably only intended to carry me through the early stages, but then we got caught up in this ridiculous “Regression” special quest, and ended up like a fixed party.

So, logically, once this special quest ends, it would be normal for us to go our separate ways.

…Even knowing this, why did I subconsciously harbor the nonsensical thought that Sephiroth would keep staying by my side?

Aaaargh! I clutched my head and hurried ahead to avoid him. I wanted to find a hole and hide in it.

“Where are you going? It’s this way.”

Ah, dammit. Right, the quest…

I trudged back toward Sephiroth like a cow being led to a slaughterhouse. My feet felt like lead. I knew this jerk wouldn’t just keep his mouth shut, and as if on cue, his hand pressed lightly onto the top of my head.

“Let go.”

“Don’t be shy. Not between us.”

“There is no ‘us’… forget it.”

It was like talking to a brick wall. Why do I bother responding every single time? Sinking into self-loathing, I buried my face in my hands. Sephiroth lightly pulled my shoulder, wrapping an arm around my waist to guide my direction.

I wasn’t sure if I should call this kind or just plain teasing.

“Don’t go falling for your Hyung now.”

“…”

Definitely teasing.

I wriggled out of his grip. I thought he’d hold on, but he seemed busy reading the addresses and let go easily. After looking around, Sephiroth pointed to a specific house.

“That one.”

“That white house?”

“Yeah.”

He was pointing at a two-story luxury mansion made of white bricks. The deep red roof glowed like a sunset under the light. Under the perfectly triangular roof, white pillars stretched down to the ground. Being a luxury estate, there was a terrace on the second floor overgrown with ivy, but the wooden doors behind it were tightly shut. Every window on both floors had curtains drawn—a mossy green that felt gloomy despite the bright exterior. There was a small lawn in front of the mansion, and in one corner, a flower bed was meticulously tended, with colorful blossoms boasting their hues. A stone wall marked the boundary between this house and the next.

“Let’s go.”

“Sure.”

If Sephiroth said it was the one, it was the one. I didn’t even feel the need to cross-check. In the context of the game, Sephiroth moved with mechanical precision. I stepped up to the front of the mansion first.

“Is anyone there?”

I knocked on the wooden door. No answer came from inside, but I heard a faint rustling sound. Is the soundproofing in this house okay? I thought, knocking again.

“We’re here on a recommendation from Lord Doltec.”

“…”

Creak. I heard the sound of furniture moving, followed by footsteps approaching the door. However, the door remained closed, and I couldn’t hear the person’s voice.

I pulled out the recommendation-like item Doltec had given me. The item name was [Doltec’s Introduction]. Personally, if I were in a position of power, I’d never hire anyone recommended by Doltec.

Well, whatever, he gave it to us for a reason.

I crouched down and slid the paper through the gap between the wooden door and the floor. There was a moment of hesitation, and then the half-inserted paper was sucked through to the other side.

“Will that work?”

“How should I know?”

While Sephiroth and I whispered unhelpful comments back and forth, the wooden door cautiously opened.

Standing behind it was a human NPC, a rare sight lately. He was a man with long hair tied back, so streaked with white it looked grey. He wore a dark navy robe, which made his already pale face look even more ghastly white by contrast.

“Ah, hello. Are you… Priest Delwing?”

“…Come in.”

At the mention of his name, he opened the door and welcomed us. Judging by his tone and attitude, he didn’t exactly seem glad to see us. It felt more like he was tolerating our presence because of Doltec’s letter.

“First, we should probably feel out what kind of person this Delwing is, right?”

“We need to confirm if he’s actually the real Delwing, too. And his relationship with Doltec.”

While Sephiroth and I exchanged thoughts, the man walked toward the sofa by the fireplace.

The house with the dark green curtains was just as dim inside. Aside from the faint sunlight filtering through the fabric, the only light came from the fire in the hearth. A stuffed stag head was mounted above the fireplace, and to its right, several ornate magic staffs hung horizontally. It seemed mages in this town displayed their staffs the way warriors displayed swords.

A dark green sofa set sat before the fire—a single chair and a three-person couch. The larger one faced the hearth. A wooden coffee table sat in front, cluttered with various papers that made it look messy. Some of the papers had circular tea stains on them.

The cabinets held various nameplates and trophies, and the bookshelves were packed with thick volumes that looked heavy enough to be used as weapons. But in the dim lighting, nothing was clearly visible.

“…Would you like some tea?”

“Oh, no. I’m fine.”

“…What business do you have with me?”

Delwing asked, narrowing his eyes. I could see his grey pupils filled with distrust and wariness.

How was I supposed to phrase this?

The quest told me to find Delwing, but it didn’t tell me what to say. I thought he’d just start spilling information once I found him, but it seemed I’d underestimated Zelpia.

Un-ha, you’re in a bit of a tight spot! Delwing is clearly suspicious. Do you try the direct approach about Ignas, or do you play the “Doltec sent us” card to see if he slips up?

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