TL note- Hello, dear readers! It’s Nosha, I’ll be using title for Kael as ‘Archmage’ from now on. Sorry for you inconvenience!
“It’s amazing.”
Eyes and hair as black as jet.
Impeccable features arranged in perfect harmony on a flawless, snow-white face.
Elongated eyes and lips painted in crimson.
If Johann symbolized light, then this man was entirely consumed by darkness.
He exuded an aura of both decadence and debauchery.
At the same time, there was a palpable sense of intimidation and cruelty about him, as if he would swiftly dispose of any slightly bothersome presence without hesitation.
With a mere gaze, he could suffocate his opponent.
‘If demons existed, they would surely resemble him. Utterly captivating and terrifyingly beautiful.’
She felt as though she knew who he was. There was only one nobleman renowned for such appearance.
‘I heard he’s handsome… No, he’s bloody handsome.’
Second Prince, Dante Luna Taycan.
‘But why is he staring at me?’
There was no warmth in his eyes.
No discernible emotion could be detected in the gaze fixed upon her.
‘He probably reveals more emotions when looking at objects than when looking at me.’
Is he provoking me? That thought briefly crossed my mind, but in that instant, he smiled.
His previously enigmatic black eyes narrowed into slender slits, and his lips gracefully curved in a smile.
In an instant, the man’s entire demeanor transformed with that single smile.
Shifting from a representation of darkness, he now exuded a captivating charm that ensnared those around him.
– Anonymous Holy See: Wow, what’s up with him again?
– Anonymous Holy See: Oh no, this could be troublesome. *sigh*
– Anonymous Holy See: Just give me a moment, Baba. I’m feeling confused.
– Anonymous Holy See: I’m abandoning my shares in Johann and going all-in.
– Anonymous Holy See: ┗You should consider diversifying your investments.
‘That smile is a heart-wrecker. It’s dangerous… so dangerous…’
Chomp. Chomp.
I chewed on the last remnants of candy while locking eyes with Dante.
He, who had smiled like sweet poison, suddenly wiped away his expression and stood upright.
As if nothing had occurred.
“Astel-nim! You’ve come with Alex-nim?”
Startled by the sudden voice, I turned my head.
Johann and Kael stood by my side, seemingly appearing out of thin air.
“Ah, Johann-nim.”
“You arrived on time. I imagine the traffic must have been congested due to the number of attendees.”
“It was fine.”
Kael also greeted me and Alex.
“Lady Astel, it’s good to see you again.”
“Yes, Archmage.”
“How is Lord Marquis faring?”
“It’s been a while, Archmage. I believe this might be the first time we’ve met since I started lecturing at the Academy.”
Amidst the conversation among the three men, I couldn’t help but release a sigh.
The weight of people’s stares bore down on my back, making their presence palpable.
Even the nobles who had been engrossed in their gossip turned their heads, gaping at me in astonishment.
“It can be uncomfortable to have such acute hearing at times.”
Whispers of “crazy lady” resounded from various corners.
Now, it seemed that not just a few nobles, but everyone in the vicinity had become aware of my existence.
“I had planned to slip away as soon as the quest success message appeared.”
Thanks to the prominence of the three men, I found myself subjected to unnecessary attention.
“I expected the Holy Knight to be like this, but I never imagined the Archmage would attend such an event. It seems he possesses a softer side than I had thought.”
“I came because of a quest.”
Kael firmly retorted to Alex’s teasing remark.
“A quest to attend a funeral ceremony? Wasn’t it just me who received it?”
Listening nearby, I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
“Sorry for interrupting, but I just need to clarify one thing. Kael-nim, you received a quest, right? Did Johann-nim also receive one?”
“No, I haven’t received anything.”
“And what about Alex?”
“I did.”
Some received the quest while others didn’t. What could account for the difference?
“Archmage, were you planning to attend the funeral ceremony originally, before receiving the quest?”
“I can’t stand being in large crowds.”
“So, does that mean Johann-nim?”
“I had already been confirmed to attend as the temple representative. Personally, I had intended to attend as well… Ah, it’s starting. Astel-nim, Alex-nim, let’s make our way to our seats.”
“…Sure.”
Kael and Johann made their way back to their assigned seats.
Lost in deep thought, Alex asked me quietly, “Astel, what’s going on?”
“Were you planning to attend the funeral ceremony?”
“Do you think I have spare time? Of course not.”
“So, you attended because of the quest?”
“That’s correct. Is there a problem?”
“The quest only appeared for those who were planning to be absent from the funeral ceremony.”
“…What does that mean?”
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Read from the original site [ https://moonlightnovel.com/ ]
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It couldn’t be that only Kael, Alex, and I received the quest.
There must be hunters who had no intention of coming but received the quest and attended, somewhere in the main square.
“It’s almost as if they’re trying to gather the hunters in one place…”
Just then, the representative of the victims ascended the podium.
His voice reverberated throughout the entire square, amplified by a magic spell.
“We shall now commence the funeral ceremony. First, let us observe a moment of silence for the departed.”
[System: You have successfully completed the quest «Attend the Funeral Ceremony»]
[System: You have obtained a voucher for an item exchange at the store ]
[You can check the acquired item in your inventory]
As the funeral ceremony commenced, a notification indicating the successful completion of a quest flashed before me.
Without delay, I promptly accessed the store.
[System: Are you interested in utilizing the store item voucher?]
[ACCEPT] / [DECLINE]
“Phew…”
I selected ‘Accept.’
[System: The store item voucher has been activated ]
[System: 00:05:00 remaining until expiration ]
‘Only the sword type! Sort by highest score!’
A tremendous surge of items went through a transformation, reorganizing themselves according to my specifications.
“Quick, quick!”
Among the weapons available, the most valuable one carried a price tag of 1 billion points. However, the challenge lay in the fact that there wasn’t just a single item of this kind.
Not only were there various types of weapons, but there were also many that stood out due to their exorbitant prices compared to other items.
[System: 00:02:13 remaining until expiration ]
I scanned through the list intently, without even a momentary blink, yet I failed to locate the desired item.
‘What should I do? It appears that there are more than 1 billion ones.’
My confidence started to wane gradually.
I couldn’t even ascertain whether I had examined everything thoroughly. It was possible that I might have overlooked it while scrolling. Tears welled up in my numbed eyes.
[System: 00:00:58 remaining until expiration ]
Time was slipping away rapidly. Instead of squandering the voucher in vain, I needed to make a choice, any choice.
‘Wait, what if I accidentally end up with a cursed sword?’
Among the 1 billion items, both divine swords and cursed swords were intermingled, but there wasn’t enough time to peruse the detailed descriptions.
‘I cannot determine the attributes of a sword solely based on its name…’
‘Failed! Just anything…!’
The countdown displayed only 12 seconds remaining, and those final moments were etched into my sight, with five characters engraved.
<Aarondite>: 1,000,000,000 points.
‘Oh dear! This one!’
[System: Would you like to utilize the exchange voucher? ]
[YES] / [NO]
‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’
[System: You have obtained «Aarondite»]
[Acquired items can be viewed in the inventory ]
‘Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god’
Alex, who had been motionless, furrowed his brows and took gasping breaths.
“What are you doing all by yourself?”
“You… Well, you don’t need to know.”
How could someone of his low level comprehend the battle I had just fought?
“Phew…”
A surge of elation reached my forehead. When the overpowering emotion threatened to overflow, I fiercely bit my lip.
“…Huh?”
A slight tremor ran through the ground.
Was it only me who sensed it? Alex whispered softly.
“The ground just shook. You didn’t… Are you alright?”
A tear rolled down my cheek. I blinked my stinging eyes, as if struggling to maintain control.
“It’s just dust. I felt the tremor too.”
Did anyone else perceive it?
I scanned my surroundings, searching for any signs.
However, in the midst of the pensive crowd, several individuals, including Johann, had already stood up.
“What’s happening? Are they all priests?” someone wondered aloud.
The faint vibration, which could have easily been mistaken for an illusion, suddenly intensified.
The ground cracked, and chairs trembled and shook.
It was only at that moment that murmurs began to ripple through the people. It was undeniable, even to those who were most oblivious.
Alex furrowed his eyebrows and swiftly rose from his seat.
“What’s going on? Is it an earthquake?” he questioned.
And then, it happened.
A fissure appeared in the sky above the square, and a radiant brilliance burst forth.
The light was so awe-inspiring that the thought of fleeing didn’t even cross anyone’s mind.
The onlookers stared blankly, captivated by the luminosity.
Amidst the astonished crowd, a priest cried out.
“The gate has opened! Everyone, run for your lives!”
“The… the gate?” someone stammered in disbelief.
“Ahh!”
“Ahh! Make way! Move aside!” voices pleaded urgently.
“Run, run away!” echoed the desperate cries.
“Please, save us! Mom!” pleaded a terrified individual.
The square, once consumed by mourning, transformed into a chaotic scene.
The masses began to run as if possessed, trampling over fallen bodies in their desperate attempts to push past the elderly figures obstructing their path.
Overwhelmed by fear, everyone had lost their sense of reason.
Among the scattering crowd, there were individuals who stood motionless, akin to statues.
‘ Hunters.’
They all received the same message.
