Chapter 41

Jae awoke in the early hours of the morning.

He was slightly annoyed that there was no encounter with the Sinful God, but not disappointed because he never expected it in the first place. As he prepared himself, he let Rena and Bailey sleep peacefully and went downstairs.

Upon arrival, he was greeted by the same receptionist as yesterday.

"Good morning, sir. Did you have a pleasant stay?"

"Oh, yes, thanks. Is there a breakfast menu?", he asked curiously.

"There is, sir. Would you like to order now?"

"No thanks, I'll probably order in a short while once the kids are up."

"Very well."

"Oh, and excuse me, but may I ask how long I rent the room for?"

"Until noon, sir. When the reserved time expires, you have a limited time offer to extend the booking if you so wish, which comes with a special discount as well as included lunch, or, you can declare your departure from the establishment. For the latter option, it means you will have to book a room again at full price if you wish to stay at least another night."

As Jae listened, he could clearly recognise the clever marketing schemes used by the inn; the terms 'special discount' and 'limited time offer' especially stuck out.

...Even though most of everything else was partly similar to Earth, I didn't expect even things like corporate scams to be here as well... This is a fantasy world, isn't it? Well, at least marketing doesn't seem to be as widespread here, so I guess it's fine.

"I'll inform you by noon, then, of my decision, if that's okay."

"Of course, sir. Do remember that every evening for another 6 days, there will be special appearances of the Southern Devil in this establishment only, and so our rooms are likely to be fully booked. If you cancel your booking, I cannot guarantee that there will be another room available before the week is over."

Of course. I have plenty of experience with in-your-face marketing from my time on Earth, thank you very much, so I won't be swayed by simple temptations like unique opportunities. It's clear the experience of the marketers in this world is severely lacking.

In the end, Jae's choice wasn't going to be decided by the receptionist's attempt at marketing, try as she might.

After all, he had something to figure out before that.

"By the way, does the Southern Devil stay in this inn for the week?", he asked with a cautious tone.

He didn't really expect to receive an answer, but before the receptionist event had a chance to react to his question, words were suddenly spoken from behind him.

"Say, were you asking about me?"

Jae turned around in a panic when he heard the voice.

How did I not sense him!?

Ignoring both the receptionist and Jae's flustered appearance, the one Wrath called a Sand Devil spoke again.

"Hey, you. You are curious about something, right? I'll be here all week, so there's no need to rush, but I understand: a lot of people like to ask questions. It won't be an issue to talk for a short while before breakfast. And there's something I wanted to ask you anyway. So..."

―He smiled.

"Wanna chat outside for a bit?"

"..."

Jae couldn't refuse. He silently nodded, "...Alright then.", to which the Sand Devil's smile widened slightly.

"Okayy~ That's good. I'll make us inconceivable so nobody disturbs us. Oh, but before that. Miss Receptionist?"

"Y-yes...?", the receptionist stuttered in surprise as she didn't expect to be called out to. Especially by the Southern Devil, who was like a living legend in this town.

"You won't inform anyone of our chat, will you?"

The Southern Devil spoke with a warm smile, but the look in his eyes was not friendly in the slightest. It was clear what would happen to the receptionist if she happened to leak any details of what was about to occur.

"O-o-of course, I-I would never...", she gulped, anxiously, and instinctively squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them, however...

"...E-eh...?"

The Southern Devil and Jae―both were gone.

"You seem to be nervous. I suppose starting with introductions would be for the best, wouldn't it?"

The two walked side-by-side through the early morning streets of the town. Since it was so early, there were few others out and about, but still enough for a child to get lost in the crowds, as the town was quite large.

Because the Southern Devil used some unknown technique, however, none of the passers-by could notice them.

Everyone I meet now is using some kind of unknown bs I can't recognise or understand...

"I'll start, then. My name is Nazar 'Itrai-Aram' Faisel, also known as the 'Southern Devil'. Of course, since it's quite lengthy, I implore you to call me by my first name, Nazar."

He spoke with a continuous smile plastered on his lips, and it made Jae wonder, Is this a Charm effect?

Jae couldn't help but ask himself that question, as the man who called himself Nazar was the most beautiful man Jae had ever seen in his life. Although Jae was certainly not gay, he simply could not keep his eyes from being drawn to him, and the charming smile he wore only served to strengthen the influence, whether it was planned or not.

"I'm Jae. It's nice to meet you, Nazar."

―Nevertheless, it didn't prevent Jae from keeping his calm and holding a conversation. After all, Jae's Trait was specialised in defending against negative Mental Status Effects such as Charm.

"Oh, definitely. It is my pleasure... Now, I realise you have questions for me. And I'm glad to answer them! For a price, of course."

Jae gently narrowed his eyes, but Nazar continued without minding it.

"I have a plethora of questions I would love you to answer. So, how about this? We take it in turns. Of course, you can ask first, and I will ask second; we shall swap each time, just like that. How does that sound to you, Jae?"

He thought about it and quickly came to the conclusion that he wouldn't get a better deal than this, so Jae easily accepted the 'game'.

This is the type of 'game' that won't end until he is satisfied... Since he seems to have a lot to ask, and if I can answer his questions in a vague enough manner that he isn't completely satisfied by each one, then I'll get a lot of chances to ask whatever I want.

"Okay, that sounds good. So I go first?"

"Yes, it's your turn, then mine. Feel free to ask aaaanything you want."

Jae nodded and immediately asked his first question.

"Then, how are you preventing my skill from working?"

―His dead-serious eyes scanned through the wall of system notifications that had been sitting in his peripheral vision ever since he first laid eyes on Nazar this morning.

Skill「Envy」has activated Skill「Envy」has been blocked Skill「Envy」has activated Skill「Envy」has been blocked Skill「Envy」has activa... Skill「Envy」has been... Skill「Envy... Skill...

Wrath hasn't been saying anything this entire time either. Has he been silenced somehow? Is all this related to the technique he used to make us imperceptible, or is it something different? ...Perhaps, the time pausing yesterday was the same, or at least a similar technique? Nazar...

Nazar, on the other hand, only smiled broadly before casually replying.

"I am from an ancient race known as the Aram, who originate from the southern continent of Laquada. We, the Aram, have an innate ability―"

Nazar locked eyes with Jae, causing a chill to run down his spine, and the world around them to change.

Everything slowly ground to a halt: the people, the birds, the clouds―the entire world had stopped in this one, prolonged moment.

"―An innate ability we call 'Evil Eyes', and it allows us to accomplish many wondrous feats, such as what you witness before you."

He broke eye contact, allowing the speechless Jae to look around at the world, frozen in time.

"..."

'Nazar'...... Was his name merely a coincidence?

Jae couldn't know for sure, but it wasn't long before the world "unpaused", and everything went on as if nothing ever occurred. And along with it, Nazar acted the same.

"I assume my answer was sufficient enough? Now it is my turn."

This quickly brought Jae back to the reality of things. He paid every attention to Nazar's words, listening anxiously.

"So, what's the deal with the kids? You don't seem like a father of 5+ year-olds, and the races are all completely different anyway. Not to mention the discrepancies in appearances. What's with you acting as their guardian? Is it simply because you feel bad, that they have no home, or parents or something? Or is it something else...?"

"...I thought you were supposed to ask only one question."

"Oh! You're right! My bad! Sorry about that, I just got a little carried away. So then, my question...... What is your relationship with those kids?"

With the same unsettling smile on his face, Nazar asked his question.

For Jae, it was the type that caused him to ponder for a while. To respond properly to Nazar required a well-thought-out and honest answer. It also made him realise just what kind of questions Nazar might ask in this whole exchange.

Of course, he still fully intended to get as many answers out of him as possible.

"They are my pupils, I guess.", Jae replied calmly. Nazar responded as the inclination of his smile shifted slightly.

"Be that as it may, isn't there a chance that there is a part of you―however small it may be―that feels something more than a mere student-teacher relationship?"

"...I--"

Jae was thinking and was just about to reply seriously when he realised.

"Wait, that is a different question to what you originally asked."

Nazar shrugged, "I was only curious. It doesn't affect me what relationship you three have, be it a master-pupil one or a parent-child one. Anyway, that's fine. It's your turn now."

Nazar was very nonchalant about it, which somewhat relieved Jae.

Unfortunately, he was too preoccupied with thinking of what questions to ask to notice that this very indifference to Jae's answer signalled just how leisurely Nazar was taking this exchange.

Jae asked his question after some thought.

"Are you my enemy?"

Nazar put a hand to his chin which tilted back, "Hmm~ Now, I don't think so? Personally, I would love to get close with you, but..."

His eyes locked Jae in place and the world froze again before he continued.

"Whether or not we are enemies depends on your actions, I'd say."

His constant, unnerving smile, made Jae feel intimidated. Although he could not currently use「Envy」, Jae was certain that the man in front of him was at least one league above himself, not to mention his "Evil Eyes".

"Anyway, I trust you don't want trouble just as much as I, so I don't think there is any need to worry about such a thing. Back to my turn. Hmmm, where are you headed? The capital, perhaps?"

...Damn. How do I...?

"...Yes, we're going to the capital city."

Eventually, Jae gave up on trying to deceive Nazar. It was too mentally tiring to keep up, and it seemed like he already knew the answer to his questions anyway.

"Wow, really? Me too! Unfortunately, I have to stay here for a week so I'm afraid I can't come with you, but might I meet you there?"

"Well, maybe... I have some things to do there, so I might not."

I really hope it doesn't happen.

"Is it my question then?"

"Is that what you want to ask?"

Hah...

"Nevermind. Give me a second..."

"Of course, take as much time as you need."

Jae fell into deep thought. It was still a while before the time that the kids usually wake up, so there was indeed time to think. As well as this, it appeared that the world beyond the two has slowed down considerably―presumably, it was Nazar's doing, so that more questions could be asked.

What do I ask? I can't waste these chances.

Jae was unsure. It wasn't that there were no questions on his mind; on the contrary, it was a simple case of 'too much choice'. There were so many answers he wanted that he had no idea at all what to begin with, or what he needed the most right now.

He didn't want a repeat of what happened with the Sinful God. Jae selected his questions carefully, yet was mindful to not be too picky about them in order to reduce the time wasted on thinking.

Damn it. I can't ask about the Sins or the Gods...

He immediately ruled out certain subjects.

In the first place, it wouldn't be a great idea to ask a random person about something like the Sins, Virtues or Gods of the world, since, what are the chances they would actually know anything about it? It would also just be giving away invaluable information for absolutely nothing.

Furthermore, talking about anything even remotely related to such subjects could cause a bad reaction with Nazar, what with his race's war with Wrath's race or whatever it was.

What about...... Uh?

Suddenly, an ideal question popped up.

That seems... decent. Alright then.

"―What is your business in the capital city?", Jae asked his question, to which Nazar's smile noticeably stiffened. He hesitated a bit before answering.

"...You see, I'm not really supposed to be leaking important information like this, but for you, Jae, I am willing to go this far."

Hah. Bullseye.

"Sorry for this.", he said with a slight smirk.

"No, no, it's really a good question. There's no need to feel bad or anything, though you put me in a slight bind. On the other hand, I commend you. Anyway."

Nazar softly cleared his throat before resuming. His face was unbelievably handsome even whilst troubled, and it made Jae a little jealous for a second.

"The truth is, I have business in the Demon King's Palace. Or should I say, Queen? Either way, there was an urgency request secretly sent out to all international commanders recently, so everyone's been called back. I'm one of those said commanders."

...What is he talking about? Is there an emergency?

"An urgency request? This sounds serious."

I wonder if it's just the whole rebellion thing, or something else... Well, whatever's going on, I only hope that it doesn't impede us.

"Mmhm. I can tell you more if you want. Would you like to borrow a question to use early?"

Jae's smirk grew a tad as he replied, "Is that your question?"

"Hahahaha! No, no, that isn't my question."

Nazar chuckled in a delighted, almost cartoonish manner. Even that was charming, though Jae was already fully used to beautiful people thanks to the years he spent with Aphy.

"My real question, ah, shall I hit you with a reverse card? What is your business in the capital?"

It was easy for Jae to lie here. However, for one reason or another, he ended up not doing so; perhaps it was because Nazar was honest with all his answers, or perhaps it was something else entirely. If you were to ask Jae, he would reply with a simple "I felt like it.".

"My business... is similar to yours, actually. I've got something to do in the Queen's castle."

"Oh, really?"

"We've both been truthful the whole time until now, right? It'd be a great shame to disgrace ourselves at this point."

Nazar seemed surprised at first, but his expression quickly reverted back to a smile.

"I like you, Jae. You have good qualities."

...That's a bit weird, but I guess I'll take it as a compliment.

"Thanks."

Nazar said nothing more and moved on to a different matter.

"Anyway, I won't ask more about that. We'll probably meet again there. Before that, then, I suppose we can have one more round each?"

Jae nodded, "Alright. Then..."

This time, he didn't think as seriously before, as a second meeting was guaranteed when they arrived at the Queen's castle. This fact calmed Jae down a great deal and allowed him to pose a question that he otherwise might have never even considered asking.

"...Do you follow a God?"

It came somewhat as a surprise to Nazar, who responded rather interestingly.

"Religion? Huh... In both my homeland and in Asphal, I know there are many people who consider themselves faithful to a specific God, as it is common knowledge that gods exist... However, I would have to say no, I myself do not see myself as one of those... people."

There were many hesitations in his reply, which indicated to Jae, just how carefully he thought of the matter.

"Anyway, is that sufficient enough for you?"

Jae affirmed that it was, and so Nazar opened his mouth for the final question of the 'game'.

"Yeah, that's fine."

So he's not an outright enemy of Reius, at the very least... Though it isn't entirely confirmed. Damn, I should've asked if he held any negative opinions towards a God or the Gods in general...

"For the grand finale, I suppose I should pose a fitting question. Do you agree?"

Jae had a bad premonition, but felt like he couldn't refuse.

"...Sure...", he reluctantly agreed.

"All is well then. Jae, what I want to ask you, is something that has been on my mind ever since I first laid eyes on you."

―At that moment, Nazar's smile had broadened considerably, and it turned into one of mockery and great satisfaction; as if he knew he had already won.

"―――Are you, perchance, the Apostle of the Sinful God?"

".........."

Jae was utterly speechless, and after his mind went blank for a few moments, it was as if his flip had been switched.

...This motherfucker......

「Wrath」has activated