Episode 25

Translator : missme Editor : Aru

I arrived at the place I was aiming for. I sighed as soon as I entered the room of The High Priest.

“Huuu.”

I looked around the room. The space was large, but the furniture was simple and small.

It was the same as I saw in the temple of time.

I soon got to the side of a bookcase and pushed it hard.

No, I just pretended. But Ash helped me a lot.

In the past, it was hard when I was doing it alone, but Ash helped me, and the bookshelf was pushed back very easily.

And a new space appeared as if it had been waiting in there.

‘That was good.’

The joy elated inwardly. It was no different than when I stole beads.

In any sense, I stepped out into the secret, narrow space that looked like a secret space and suddenly heard Ash laughing sound from behind.

“……why?”

“No, it looks like fun.”

Me? ……or the situation?

Instead of interrogating him, I moved my steps. Apart from the smoothness of this situation, we did not know when the prayer of the High Priest would end, so we needed to hurry.

Inside the secret space, there was a wide podium, as tall as a child. And a square box was placed on it.

An ivory box with no pattern. At first glance, it looks normal, but that box is actually surrounded by divine power.

If you try to open it with force, it will never open. But instead, if you touch the surface and arrange the letters on the surface to guess the set password, the lock will be released and the box will open.

It was a kind of magic.

‘This is quite familiar to me.’

Why? It is just like a smartphone lock or a touchscreen door lock.

I touched the box with my hands, thoughtlessly.

Then, on the surface of the box, white light and a subtle text came out softly.

I picked up scattered letters one by one and dragged them with my fingers to start mixing them in the centre.

‘The same goes for the code.’

It’s the name of God.

Asimor, the god of love here.

I finished the arrangement and waited for a while. Soon the text will disappear and the message will open.

Suddenly, the letters were scattered all over again, and the box began to make a loud noise.

“…….!”

Wha, what is it?

‘Was that wrong?’

It was the first time I experienced it, but I could tell by feeling it. This means I typed the wrong answer.

‘No, why?’

But it couldn’t be wrong. If it’s not his name, then what? I remember reading in a book that writing God’s name in code in the temple is like an implicit promise between them.

‘Is it different?’

Quickly, I moved my hands again. Eros, Cupid, I’ve typed all the other names of the God of Love I know.

However, the response to it was all wrong and the box remained unchanged.

I got nervous. The sound was too loud. At this rate, it would be only a matter of time before people would come.

“There was a noise here!”

Oh, damn it. Right, as soon as I think about it.

I let go of the box and pulled Ash in a hurry first. And we hid behind the podium as soon as possible.

The sound snapped as soon as I hid.

“…… this way?”

“I don’t think anyone’s here.”

Following the footsteps, there was a sound of conversation. I held my breath in close contact with Ash behind the podium.

“Are you sure? Wasn’t that wrong?”

“No, I’m sure this is the right place…….”

“If I didn’t mishear it, they might have already escaped. Go out and take a look at the outside.”

“Okay!”

Soon I heard some people busily getting out of the room.

I was still holding my breath as long as I could without moving. At that time, the bookshelf that I had closed was pushed back.

“Ugh, by any chance, here?”

It was a grave voice giving instructions. I held my breath for a moment.

The opponent seemed to look inside for a moment. Soon after, he murmured to himself.

“What……it can’t be. It’s a place that only a few people know. Uh-huh, this is so heavy.”

Then the bookshelf closed again.

“…….”

I breathed out the breath that I had held back only after a little more time had passed after I heard the bookcase closing.

“Whoa.”

The air-filled the lungs at once. Ha, thank God. It was a close call.

The low height of the platform gave me the strength to lift myself up because I hid in a sitting position. Then I slipped.

“Ack.”

“Are you all right?”

“……Uh, uh.”

I could see Ash’s face just in front of my nose.

Only then did I realize how close I had been to Ash since we hid behind the podium.

The sound of a heartbeat seemed to be heard suddenly. There was a clear ringing in the ear. I wonder if I’m still nervous.

Without knowing why I tried to turn my head in a hurry to avoid looking at him, but I hesitated.

Hold still.

‘Don’t tell me?’

When I saw Ash’s face up close, I suddenly remembered something.

I jumped to my feet, grabbing the podium. Then I touched the box again.

Next, I matched the text.

Riar.

Not the god of love, but the god of beauty, and this time there was no loud noise. Instead, the white light shone more brightly at the moment. Then, click– the box opened.

“……..”

I’m speechless.

Oh, my God. Is this real?

‘Isn’t this God of Love temple?’

I entered the name of the god of beauty because the moment I saw Ash’s sculptural face closely, I suddenly remembered a priest who guided us.

She couldn’t take her eyes off Ash’s face from the moment we entered the temple, and I remembered what she had said that ‘Beauty is a gift from God’.

‘Ha….’

This is absurd. Is beauty more love? Is the face that important? I’ve known it since I uncovered my money, but these snobs.

“Done?”

asked Ash, who had followed me. I nodded as I pulled the cloth out of the open box.

I wanted to slowly appreciate the enchanted cloth that I met in person, but not here. I had to get out of here. I felt a bit impatient, perhaps because I almost got caught.

It doesn’t mean much, but I put another cloth I brought in instead. Then I closed the box and pushed the bookcase.

This time again I just pretended.

“Oh, Ash. Take off your jacket, please.”

I left the High Priest’s room, and this time I sneaked back to the prayer room.

Ash took off his coat obediently and handed it to me, so I put it on my body and hid the cloth in it.

Soon after, we went back to the prayer room, Ash suddenly said,

“If that was what you needed, you should have told me earlier at the mansion.”

“Huh?”

“I would have given it to you,”

How did you…?

I couldn’t imagine Ash carrying out a mission to infiltrate alone as I did.

So if he’s taking a break from work, uh, maybe.

‘Would he have kidnapped the High Priest, threatened, forced to deliver it, then killed him to shut his mouth…..?’

He’s my family but it’s so plausible that I’m speechless.

Mmm, no, no. I’m a pacifist even though I steal things.

“No, ‘cause it’s worthy to do it myself.”

I don’t think that’s right, but anyway.

Soon I opened the door of the small prayer room with Ash and went out.

As she said, the priest, who was waiting calmly in the hallway, welcomed us with a puzzled face.

“How was your prayer? Oh, it must have been a little cold in the prayer room.”

The priest’s eyes fell on Ash’s coat I was wearing.

I had a cough.

“I had a slight cold before I came here.”

“Well, it’s still time for the seasons to change. Would you like some warm tea in the reception room?”

I shook my head. Then, I became more immersed in acting as if I was sick, which I had already mastered in my previous school days.

“Thank you, but I’m fine. Now that I’ve finished praying, I’m thinking of going back now. I’d love to see more, but I’ve just had chills.…..”

“Ah.”

There is usually some kind of a healing shrine in the temple, but as far as I know, they were only able to treat the injury but were powerless to disease.

“I can’t help it.”

The priest seemed very sorry to let us go as it was -maybe it was because of Ash- but she could not hold back a sick person and led us back to the entrance.

Ugh. Honestly, I didn’t have the guts to look at the temple with the enchanted cloth hidden in my body.

It was when we almost moved to the entrance.

I checked inside the jacket to make sure the enchanted cloth was still there, and suddenly I hesitated.

‘Oh, the donations.’

I touch the pocket money with the tip of my hand. Come to think of it, I forgot I should have left it in the small prayer room.

‘What do I do?’

In fact, you might wonder what’s wrong with not paying the donations when my purpose of visiting was for stealing.

But it was on my mind. It’s a bit of a guilty conscience for stealing the cloth.…..

“Wait a minute, priest.”

Eventually, I called in a priest. Then I said to Ash.

“I’m going to the small prayer room for a while. I’ll be right back, so please wait.”

“Let’s go together………”

“No, I’ll be here in a minute. Priest, I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right. Go ahead.”

With a decent expression, I left the priest and Ash, and diligently stepped on the corridor where I came.

At this moment, it was a bit awkward to see because there was an etiquette that said, ‘a nobleman shouldn’t run’.

‘I’ll leave soon. So, no problem.’

Where else is a shameless thief like me? By the way. That’s what I thought.

It was right after that I bumped into someone who was coming from the other side.

“Ah!”

“Oh, are you okay?”

“It’s all right… oh.”

My eyes almost popped out when I answered. Huck! Attractive!

A light blue cloth shaped like a muffler was dangling at the feet as if it had been dropped as I was smashed.

I tried to pick it up in a hurry, but my opponent was a step faster than me.

A man’s hand with calluses, but at the same time, long and straight fingers picked up the cloth first.

As if he thought I was originally wearing it, he naturally wrapped it around my neck with a calm touch.

Only then did I see my opponent right.

Clothes that are naturally eye-catching with patterns embroidered with sleeves and gold threads on white fabrics and gorgeous decorations.

When I first saw the clothes, not the face, because of the height difference, I wondered where I had seen them.

Is that what used to be in a fashion popular in society these days?

No, it’s not……..

“That suits you.”

I raised my head as I listened to the man’s voice.

I knew why the clothes were strangely familiar at the moment.

“My God.”

The opponent looked familiar.

“The Crown Prince!”

Brilliant blondes resembling the sun’s rays, the green eyes that seem to have attracted all the recordings of the world.

This world male protagonist, the lover of Agrita in the book, and the current Crown Prince, Igret, who will later be crowned as the emperor.