Matan’s Shooter

“Son! Have you eaten?”

“I’ll eat later.”

“You said that this morning and skipped, at least have lunch.”

“Okay. But I’m really not hungry right now. I’ll eat a bit later. Don’t worry.”

Seeing his smile, Leeha’s mother did not urge him further, for his expression was slightly awkward, more of a grimace than a grin.

Sigh…

Despite having slept through the whole day, his thoughts were still a tangled mess. Leeha remained unable to connect to Middle Earth, instead wandering through online communities.

“It feels like it’s been more than a week in game time…”

Certainly, no short period. Yet, it seemed hardly enough for the commotion of Middle Earth’s first major event, the Demise of Pope Ezwen, to settle down.

[Title]: Why did my Ezwen affinity suddenly drop?*

[Title]: Any Fibiel users here?*

[Title]: LOL, because Fibiel killed the pope, that’s why*

[Title]: As if it’s my fault*

[Title]: Who will be the next pope? Conclave set for 2-10.*

[Title]: High chance the New Continent policy changes depending on the pope’s inclination (with evidence)*

[Title]: Ezwen priest users are having a fierce faction conflict LOL*

[Title]: If the cardinal I support becomes pope, it’s gonna be insanely good, obviously*

Sigh…

The community was still plastered with discussions about Ezwen.

The pope’s death was a significant incident indeed, and this contributed to Leeha’s headache.

After missing Kaztor, Leeha had to return to the Vatican to coordinate with representatives of various countries and only managed to log out after.

The problem was the changes this event would trigger.

“Fibiel’s affinity with Ezwen plummeted. Anyone who hadn’t maintained over 50% affinity with Ezwen is probably facing negative values now.”

In truth, bL was also a victim.

When Kaztor used a mass of magic to destroy the council room, the captain of Fibiel’s royal guards was near death.

“It wasn’t a simple mana explosion; healing spells or potions didn’t work. By the time I logged out, the captain was literally carried away. I wonder if he has woken up by now. If not, bL’s royal palace is in for a disaster. Their barrier and ward were no match for Kaztor’s explosion.”

The captain, being closest, suffered significant injuries.

But was that all?

“Two cardinals from the Council of Nine died. It was a stroke of luck that the chairman survived. Minis had light injuries, Kraven saw the death of an attendant, and Shazrashian had seriously injured attendants, with the president only suffering light wounds.”

Thanks to [Kojobu’s Spy Glasses], Kidd, who managed to avoid any item inspection, quickly took all the protective items he could carry and was ready to move.

It was fortunate that Browless, protected by Kidd, and Fernand, who always carried various armors for adventures, were safe.

However, there were certainly casualties apart from the pope, and someone had to take responsibility. Fibiel was naturally the first to be blamed.

Having brought Lotzak/Kaztor into the country without identifying his true nature was an oversight.

“If a cardinal or someone of equal rank to the Council of Nine had died, or worse, a king from another country…”

Would the New Continent even matter then?

In the old continent, an event transpired that could have easily reignited a war between nations. In a critical moment, the Pope sacrificed his life to unlock the seal on the mana flow – a divine move for the sake of humanity.

“Especially Minis– Cheka, was it?… Truly a force to be reckoned with physically.”

Should gratitude be in order? It was said that Cheka played a vital role in mitigating the damage to Minis thanks to that Ewin only recieved moderate injuries.

“Not a barrier, but he was wrapped in some sort of cloak,” they said. Although the cloak’s breadth was limited, failing to cover Ewin entirely and leaving him with minor injuries, it was still remarkable. It was an item possessing defensive capabilities on par with the Cardinal Class of Ezwen, meaning its defensive power rivaled that of high-ranking ecclesiastical officials.

“The cloak’s damage absorption, along with its defense, is around 50,000. It might even be superior to Jellypong. If only I could acquire such a cloak–”

There are still unknown items out there! And many yet unnamed figures wielding such items make recent times, filled with somber events, somewhat exciting for Leeha.

The uncertainty whether Cheka was an NPC or a player remained.

“Ugh, I need to log in regardless. Whatever the case! Oh dear, there’s also setting up a resistance organization against the creatures of the New Continent… Busy, so busy. Ah, I need to stop by Gaza City for that as well.”

Leeha’s steps towards the Middle Earth login device suddenly halted.

“Ah, right. Let’s have a meal first, eat and then!”

What’s done is done. Regrettable as it may be, dwelling on the past serves no one. Resolved to shake it off with a meal and return to Middle Earth with a refreshed and vibrant spirit, Leeha chuckled.

“Hehehe, see, my friend? Without the Holy Knight, everything falls into place, doesn’t it? Huh? Isn’t it so?”

Bluebeard slapped the bandage-wrapped back of Ghibrid. Ghibrid neither stopped nor looked at him. The sight of one revealed eye between the bandages was more than enough to disgust Chiyou.

“I was better off locked in that crystal. How can the pressure be this intense…”

Though Chiyou could handle Bluebeard with her slyness, Ghibrid was impervious to her tactics. In fact, since Ghibrid’s awakening, Chiyou hadn’t exchanged a single word with him.

Could they even communicate? Did he understand human speech? Though she desired to dissolve any hostility, it was questionable if communication was possible with such a being.

Chiyou found Ghibrid utterly inscrutable. To her, this kind of entity was the most challenging to deal with.

“Hah, if only the Holy Knight were still here, we wouldn’t have lost the so-called ‘delegate of God.’

Pff! But who in the world did it? Have you found out, Chiyou?”

“Well– Not yet.”

“Oh? Even with your network, there’s something you can’t find?”

“Ah, it’s not that I couldn’t. There’s a nation, Fibiel. I’ve found out that a person named Lotzak, who served as the Chief Mage there… But the reasons and circumstances behind his actions are still unclear, hence ‘not yet.’”

Chiyou quickly masked her expression, feigning nonchalance. However, any Middle Earth player could have learned what Chiyou shared by simply visiting the community forums.

The original Shinobi-Gumi should have easily acquired information on Lotzak=Kaztor. After all, Fibiel had numerous spies feeding her information.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it! Because of that damned fool–!”

The issue was the current state of affairs. With the war against the creatures mediated and Leeha mentioning Shinobi-Gumi, along with the exposure of real names of players who joined the Demon King’s Army, Chiyou had to significantly reduce her activities in the old continent.

This, in turn, led to Shinobi-Gumi’s powerful information network failing to recognize the existence of Kaztor. To make matters worse, Yamato suffered defectors recently.

For Chiyou, this was a painful loss of strength, leaving her without the leisure to say “This is why Middle Earth is interesting.”

She was in a difficult position indeed.

“Kaztor?”

“Yes. Yes?”

“Did you just mention Lotzak?”

“That’s correct.”

Bluebeard’s gaze became sharper. It was brief, but Chiyou did not miss it.

“Huh… is that so. So that was it. That idiot…”

“By any chance, does the Count have an acquaintance with Lotzak?”

“Acquaintance? Yes, though not a particularly good one. Well, you might see for yourself soon enough. After pulling off something like that, he can’t stay there any longer. Heh heh.”

“What??

Chiyou tilted her head.

She was aware that Lotzak was the commander of the Fibiel Mage Corps and had participated in the Second Human-Demon War. However, the reaction from Bluebeard… was not just familiarity.

It was not merely about knowing; it indicated an old connection. Chiyou was able to shake off her unease in an instant.

“If I’ll see him soon, what should I prepare, Count? Should I prepare something he would like, or…?

“Ha, quick-witted, I see. Fine, go ahead and prepare. I’m not sure what that mad sorcerer would like, but nothing that could come back to bite me. As long as the ‘chess piece’ he can handle continues to be in my grasp, I would set off to find Pyrot-Cocri right this moment.”

Something he would like. A chess piece he could handle. With these two clues, Chiyou deduced, ‘A traitor, Lotzak? And not just any traitor but one holding a significant ace… Seems to have a somewhat deep relationship…even mentioning Pyrot-Cocri, huh?’

Chiyou bit her lip slightly.

‘It feels similar to her.’

The way Bluebeard talked about Lotzak felt ‘horizontal’ rather than ‘vertical,’ which reminded Chiyou of someone. Naturally, it was Prea, the sorceress with white eyes.

Chiyou: Sasuke, any new information on Lotzak?

Sasuke: Ah, none yet. Sorry, oka-san.

Chiyou: What about the Fibiel Royal Palace? Still no entry? No word from the spy we planted in the magic corps?

What could Lotzak’s ‘chess piece’ be?

Chiyou started asking Sasuke about the vital details, organizing her thoughts.

Sasuke: Currently, the entire Fibiel Mage Corps is detained and under investigation. Lotzak’s room and laboratory are so tightly secured that even royal family members cannot enter. No one can get in, not even us…

Chiyou: Can’t be helped. Alright, forget about that… How about Prea? Any word on her whereabouts?

Sasuke: That, uh… that too is still… It wasn’t just that.

An absent player, Prea. The fact that she vanished from Bluebeard faction has been quite bothersome for Chiyou.

‘Where on earth did Prea go? Back to the old continent? No, that can’t be.’

Considering the weakened state of the Shinobi-Gumi’s power in the old continent, it was unlikely that she went there to hide.

Prea initially came to the New Continent with a purpose. Meaning, it was more probable for her to stay in the New Continent until she obtained what she wanted.

‘So, she’s in the New Continent, but escaped our surveillance? Anyway, this guy, that woman-‘

Chiyou clenched her teeth. While still clueless about the whereabouts of the ‘item’ Prea initially sought from Chiyou, losing sight of her in the meantime was an issue.

What would happen if a player, not fully allied with the Demon King’s Army, returned to humanity’s side? The absolute powerhouses like Bluebeard or Ghibrid might not worry, but for a player affixed to the Demon King’s Army, it was a concern.

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