‘Apostle of Truth….’
Any gamer who had delved deeply into the Midland Quest would recognize the name. The Apostle of Truth was not only the leader of the followers of Truth but also the grand magus who played a pivotal role in the collapse of the Magic Tower.
“Are you certain that the Apostle has taken an interest in me?”
Khan didn’t bother to hide that he knew about the “Apostle.”
Tilly wasn’t someone who would nitpick over such trivialities. Instead, Khan sought to ensure the reliability of the information, and she nodded affirmatively.
“It’s rare for the Apostle to directly communicate his opinions internally. However, he made an exception and instructed us to investigate the being who disrupted the experiments in the kingdom.”
It was almost a confirmation of his interest.
Tilly’s added explanation was essentially a final endorsement. The Apostle of Truth is a peculiar type of Named character in “Midland Quest”—an antagonist leader yet a neutral NPC. What does that mean?
He is an extremely enigmatic and mage-like figure, driven solely by his interests.
Leading a mage group capable of rivalling the Magic Tower, he had no regard for maintaining his faction.
For instance, after annihilating most of the Seekers, players could still receive a quest from the Apostle, which spoke volumes.
‘… No need to rush into a decision.’
The Apostle’s interest could be both a blessing and a curse.
While personally burdensome due to the attention from one of the continent’s top powers, it could also be an opportunity to uncover the world’s secrets through dealings with him.
However, caution around the Seekers would be necessary.
Seekers were desperate for any crumbs the Apostle might throw their way. These mages, capable of rivaling Magic Tower Lords if teamed up, might target Khan as a tribute to the Apostle, making it a matter he couldn’t take lightly.
‘So, what’s the best course of action?’
Based on his experience from the game and the Apostle’s behavioral algorithm, Khan made his decision.
“They’re likely still gathering information on me, correct? And I doubt you’ve disclosed much.”
Tilly affirmed with her silence, making Khan’s thoughts align. Aries might have described the slight smile on his face as the one he wore when preparing to swindle someone.
“Tilly, you must have personal reasons for collaborating with the followers of Truth.”
“Yes.”
Tilly’s straightforward affirmation let Khan delve deeper into his strategy.
“Here’s what we’ll do. You’ll continue to act as you have, giving them only minimal information. Meanwhile, I’ll set up measures to handle the Seekers and prevent any surprises. We’ll see how much the Apostle’s interest can be turned to our advantage.”
Khan’s plan was to utilize Tilly’s inside position while preparing for any potential threats from the Seekers. By keeping the Apostle intrigued but at bay, he could exploit this unusual interest for greater, long-term gains.
Tilly’s involvement added a crucial layer of strategy, balancing the line between cooperation and self-preservation.
“Of course, asking you to openly oppose the Apostle would be a difficult request for you to accept.”
At the same time, Tilly was wary of the Apostle of Truth directly intervening and obstructing Khan’s path. If that happened, Khan’s goal might become unattainable. Unlike the partially resurrected Areolus, the Apostle of Truth was indisputably among the continent’s top echelon of power.
Thus, this particular aspect of the plan would likely secure Tilly’s cooperation. In some ways, it was a mutually beneficial arrangement for Tilly as well. Because—
“Report to the Apostle that my actions and rapid growth in the Argon Kingdom are suspicious.”
Rather than asking Tilly to betray or oppose the Apostle, Khan was advising her to actively carry out the Apostle’s orders.
“If possible, insist that you, and not other Seekers, personally gather information on me.”
Though Tilly tilted her head in curiosity at Khan’s seemingly disadvantageous request, his resolve was unwavering.
‘This is the right move.’
A creature as cunning as the Apostle would never carelessly ruin an unusual entity like a “barbarian warrior with an unreal growth rate” merely by poking around without reason. More likely, he would take measures to ensure that other Seekers wouldn’t rashly target Khan, preserving his curiosity.
And in the future, when Khan eventually bared his fangs, the Apostle would realize:
A cunning gray wolf had been sharpening its teeth, using his curiosity as a shield all along.
***
“Then, I trust you’ll handle it well.”
“Fufu. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard such words from you.”
With those final words, Tilly, still dressed in her maid’s attire, stepped out of the room.
Creak—
As soon as the door closed, her presence behind it vanished completely.
“I apologize.”
Shortly after concluding his dealings with Tilly and preparing to relax, Khan was interrupted by someone bowing deeply in apology. The person was dressed in uniform and tried to present a tidy appearance, but the weariness on his middle-aged face was still evident.
“You’re up?”
It was the Black Wing Duke.
‘Did Tilly intervene?’
Khan had heard that the Duke had been poisoned by an unknown toxin and was lying unconscious like a corpse. Seeing him here, albeit with a gaunt face, suggested that Tilly had taken measures before coming to meet Khan.
‘Since she administered the poison, she must be able to withdraw it at will.’
“After all that bravado, I ended up shoving everything onto you. I have no face to show.”
Khan didn’t try to console him with empty words such as “it couldn’t be helped”.
Such platitudes wouldn’t do anything for the pride of the kingdom’s strongest knight. Instead, Khan left him with a firm, almost commanding request: “When the time comes that I need your sword, come without hesitation.”
To that, the Black Wing Duke responded with an equally weighty promise.
“Not just myself, but the Argon royal family will act.”
Even after the Black Wing Duke left, the stream of visitors didn’t cease. It was a testament to the many connections Khan had made within the kingdom.
“It’s good to know my choice has been useful. I’ve obtained quite a decent position thanks to it. Princess Delphina appointed me as her personal guard. From a mere mercenary to a bodyguard of the princess—quite a promotion, no? They say it’s because I informed them about Prince Alan’s movements in advance, preventing the slaughter that would have occurred with the hydra in Nordic. I don’t know the full story, but I believe it’s all thanks to you.”
From Diego, who had provided invaluable assistance at an unexpected moment.
“I’ve come as an envoy concerning the events in the capital. I represent the Northern Provisional Council.”
“That uniform really suits you.”
“At first, it was overwhelming, but seeing the transformation in the North has inspired me. I’m determined to make all northern cities as safe as the border town.”
“You’ll succeed. I believe in you.”
Neria, the half-elf town chief of the border town.
『One day, return to Hoarfrost Gorge and show them your current self. The Grand Warrior will be delighted to see how you’ve become such a great warrior.』
Pashantu, who seemed bent on pushing people into hell.
“Hehe. I knew my eyes weren’t deceiving me. To keep receiving your intel, White Crow will have to expand even more.”
“You sneaky bastard. Keep your secret fetishes to yourself. Anyway, my influence outside the kingdom won’t be of much use. For most matters, you’ll handle them with ease, but you hate being bothered.”
“The Empire is still beyond our reach, but for neighboring kingdoms, White Crow’s network will extend soon enough. It won’t be long.”
“I’ve issued a golden token in your name. It should suffice as an identification substitute.”
Along with the White Crow, the owner of the intelligence guild, came Kal Elson.
‘How on earth did they know…?’
Perfectly timed visits left Khan astounded. If they had been slightly late, they might have missed the chance to meet him.
“Then, it’s time to go.”
Declining Princess Delphina’s request to hold a modest banquet in honor of the hero who saved the kingdom, the group left the capital, seen off by the crown prince and princess.
The reason for their hasty departure was straightforward.
A message from the Mercenary Guild had reached him: ‘We’ve made more progress than expected. If you’ve secured even one relic of Mortalia, hurry back.’
Having obtained a relic from the royal treasury, lingering in the capital was unnecessary. As soon as the situation was settled, they headed straight to the Eastern Forest of Inverted Cross.
“Glad you’re here. I needed one more relic.”
“Have you already completed the research on the other relic?”
“Yes, in fact, we’re a bit late. I discovered something interesting.”
“Interesting?”
“I’ll tell you what’s interesting after verifying the relic you brought.”
At Ludmilla’s insistence, Khan removed the “Mortalia’s Disguise Robe” that was layered on the “Snow White Wolf Pelt” and handed it over.
Eager to get her hands on the long-awaited research material, Ludmilla practically snatched the Disguise Robe from Khan’s grasp and hurriedly opened the door to her personal workshop.
“Give me the Orb.”
“Here it is.”
Taking the Orb from Khan, Ludmilla flicked her fingers.
A table slid across the floor, and various relics of Mortalia that Ludmilla owned were orderly placed on top.
She set the Orb atop the table.
“It’s still just a guess…”
Muttering softly to herself, Ludmilla picked up the semi-transparent Disguise Robe and examined it closely. To Khan, it might have looked like Ludmilla was staring blankly into space, but she was observing something entirely different: the mana patterns unique to Mortalia’s relics.
She was using this process to unlock the Orb.
“Indeed, I was right.”
After about fifteen minutes of silence, Ludmilla finally spoke. There was a hint of excitement in her voice.
“The spatial distortion emitted by this Orb, which I thought was a type of security system, seems to be something else entirely.”
Despite her self-critical tone, Ludmilla’s face bore an unmistakable smile.
Even in an age where magical civilization reached extreme development, Mortalia’s prowess as a mage was of an incomparably supreme level. Ludmilla felt a sense of kinship with that.
“This Orb wasn’t created as a vault to protect something. On the contrary, it’s the opposite. The spatial distortions that occur when mana is injected in a specific pattern aren’t a security system but the Orb’s original function.”
These were difficult words to grasp immediately.
As though anticipating such a reaction, Ludmilla quickly clarified her conclusion.
“This is a key. Specifically, a key to unlock a hidden subspace.”
What does this imply?
“Somewhere on this continent, there’s a subspace left by the mage. A subspace that can only be unlocked with this Orb.”
To even realize the existence of this subspace, one would need multiple relics, the Orb, and an extraordinary mage capable of deciphering Mortalia’s mana patterns.
Undoubtedly, fulfilling those conditions would be nearly impossible.
So, what could be lying dormant in such a securely hidden subspace?
‘It’s likely the knowledge left behind by the mage. Perhaps even forbidden knowledge that should never fall into the wrong hands…!’
Khan’s eyes gleamed with the intensity of a predator.