The Celestial God.

No. Could Adin Press have felt any more displeasure than this?

Mide Mohan had taken back Agril from him.

And that wasn’t all.

He had forced Adin to reveal the “true face” he thought was long buried. He had thrown him to the ground. He had reminded him, once again, that he was trapped in this cramped, filthy earth.

But today, he felt just as foul as back then.

Because of the man before his eyes.

That man looked up at his mountain-like figure and spoke slyly.

“Would you mind shrinking down a bit? My neck hurts.”

“Velosian. What brings you here?”

“I will answer, but please shrink. Conversation is meant to be held face to face.”

“Hmph.”

Adin changed his appearance.

From blinding white light into the shape of a human.

His face became that of the old man Mide had once seen.

Velosian smiled.

“Much better.”

“You dare show that shameless face to me.”

“Why so angry?”

“You really ask because you don’t know?”

Clack.

Adin sat down upon a golden throne, resized to fit his smaller shape. He crossed his legs and spoke.

“You told me before, didn’t you? That if I wanted to help Idria, I had to clip Mide’s wings.”

“I did.”

“And you pushed me to kidnap Agril.”

“Yes. But in the end, you were the one who accepted the offer. Don’t lay the blame on me.”

“I’m not blaming you for that. But…”

He let out a low growl.

“Didn’t you also say this? That even if my strength diminished from exceeding ‘passive cooperation,’ Mide and his party would be easy enough to deal with?”

“Hmm, I suppose I did say something like that.”

“And I’m enraged because you were wrong. Mide subdued me while I was weakened.”

Velosian whistled lightly.

“Phew. That is surprising.”

“No. You already knew.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because I’m bound to the starting point and can never leave, while you can roam freely. You have been visiting Idria lately, haven’t you?”

“…”

“Then of course you would have looked into Mide’s strength. And despite that, you still told me to abduct Agril. That was a clear mistake.”

Velosian bowed his head slightly.

And in a voice completely devoid of remorse, he said:

“My apologies. I must have miscalculated.”

“Hmph.”

“Now, will you set your anger aside? We have much to discuss, and fury won’t get us anywhere.”

“Discuss, you say.”

Adin stroked his beard once, then murmured:

“Is this about Impelium, perhaps?”

“You already know?”

“I suspected Mide might be tied to Impelium. Just before leaving the starting point, he threw his sword at me and actually staggered me.”

Indeed, the blow had landed. He had stumbled!

And this was after the restrictions of the Law had been lifted.

Inside the starting point.

At his full condition.

Yet Mide had still made him falter.

“Besides, when Mide first came to me, he said: ‘If you don’t hand down an oracle, Impelium will come for you.’”

“You have told me that already. You hurriedly gave the oracle afterward. If only you had waited and consulted with me first.”

“If I hadn’t issued one right after Idria’s fake oracle, I feared Impelium truly might appear.”

“Still afraid of him, are you?”

“Of course. In many ways.”

Velosian nodded lightly. He couldn’t deny it.

Adin went on:

“Look at Mide’s astounding growth. From a mere mercenary to a man who could make even the Celestial God stagger. That’s not a power allowed to humans.”

“Impelium was human too, wasn’t he?”

“Ha. And what are you suggesting? That Mide is Impelium?”

“No. That can’t be.”

“Of course not. He is the one we…”

Adin cut himself off awkwardly.

But Velosian caught the thread with a sly smile.

“…killed.”

“…”

“Why that face? After all these ages, do you still feel guilt?”

“Not guilt. But it’s far from pleasant.”

“Yet you sit on that throne thanks to it.”

Velosian shrugged.

“In any case, I will take care of Mide. You needn’t worry. That’s the real reason I came today.”

“Ha.”

“Why laugh?”

“You can roam freely, yes. But outside that place, you can’t use your true power.”

Velosian answered lightly:

“Weakened or not, I can handle someone like Mide.”

“I thought the same and I paid dearly.”

“Hmm… Well, then I will borrow Idria’s hand.”

Adin’s expression grew doubtful.

“Mide shook even me for a moment. Do you really think a Demon King could handle him?”

“This time, I will lend proper help. Its true, I can’t wield my real power outside, but scheming? That I’m quite good at.”

“That I can vouch for. I have benefitted from it enough.”

“Thank you, but it’s just experience.”

The two exchanged a smile of hidden meaning.

Velosian stepped back, speaking:

“Rest well. Next time I visit, I will bring good news.”

“Don’t grovel. It doesn’t suit you.”

Velosian gave a thin smile, bowed, and disappeared.

Adin stared at the empty space where he had stood, and muttered:

“How much longer will the name Impelium torment me?”

----------------------------------------

We returned to the Tetra territory. There, we reclaimed the wagon we had left at the inn.

Xenia hurried to check the cargo hold.

“No damage. Thank goodness.”

“I told you, I enchanted the meat before we left.”

“Yes. Neril, your role in our party is truly immense. Thanks to you, we can always eat fresh meat.”

“Being acknowledged for something like that doesn’t exactly make me happy.”

Well, meat aside, I was satisfied too.

I had grown attached to this big wagon and the horses before I even realized it.

Just as Idria’s base was some hidden cave, our party’s hideout seemed to be this very carriage.

At that moment, Neril waved her hand lightly. Instantly, a screen appeared.

Append View. A spell that records and replays the vision you desire.

Neril clicked her tongue.

“The footage from Havel territory is gone too.”

Sure enough, all we saw was a blank, white screen.

When Neril cancelled the magic, Offense spoke up.

“Mide, back in Gabriel territory, when Append View got blocked, you said it was probably that Velosian fellow’s doing.”

“Yeah.”

“And Velosian is the one Grade said he met, the man who built the door beneath the Imperial Palace. Shouldn’t we summon Grade and hear the full story?”

“Right. He may not have much to tell, but it’s worth a try. We have got nothing else to do right now anyway.”

Just then, Lisel shifted uneasily, as if about to vanish into Spirit Form again.

I was about to stop her, but Mime’s voice came first.

“Is there really any need to avoid it, my King?”

“Mime?”

“I have long since given up on turning you back into a complete spirit. Now, once that hero over there turns you into human, you will surely meet Grade again someday in the Underworld.”

“…”

“To keep it from being awkward then, it’s best to untangle your feelings now.”

Adwin cut in, sounding surprised.

“Wow, Mister Mime, you’re suddenly being kind?”

“Mister?”

“Mister Mime.”

“That’s a fresh title. Honestly, this party has far too many clowns.”

Offense frowned, clearly displeased.

“And why exactly are you calling both me and Mime ‘mister’?”

“So you were bothered by it.”

“I told you from the start! I have emphasized over and over I’m younger than Mide…”

“Anyway, Lisel noona. I feel the same way as Mister Mime.”

Adwin cleanly ignored Offense’s protests and turned to Lisel.

“Remember what I said before? Every time I summon Grade into my body, I can feel his emotions. Do you realize just how much he longs for you? How dearly he treasures you?”

“…”

“This time, instead of running away, why not face him?”

Lisel couldn’t answer right away.

Grip.

Serein took her hand gently.

“It’s not like you have to meet him one-on-one. We will be right here with you.”

Lisel seemed to make up her mind. After a deep breath, she said:

“Alright. Adwin, call him.”

Adwin began chanting the spell without hesitation. Soon, his arm shone brightly, and his voice changed.

It was Grade.

When he spoke, his tone was soft, so soft it was hard to believe this was the man who used to brim with arrogance.

“Lisel.”

“Lord Grade.”

“…It’s truly been a long time.”

“It has.”

And then silence fell between them.

I had no choice but to cut in.

“If you don’t know what to say, perhaps we should first deal with the matter at hand.”

“Still as insolent as ever, servant.”

That’s funny, I was just thinking the same about you.

“Fine. Speak.”

“Lord Grade, you once mentioned meeting a mysterious man named Velosian, the one who gave you the secret door beneath the Imperial Palace.”

“Yes.”

“What did he look like? And did he ever tell you anything unusual? Any detail at all could help.”

Grade closed his eyes, as if recalling a distant past.

“He was a frail-looking man, delicate features, utterly ordinary. His manner of speech was extremely polite, unlike yours. As of course it should be.”

See? Arrogant.

“When he gifted me that secret door, I was stunned. I had never even heard of such a thing existing, let alone someone capable of creating it.”

“…”

“So I questioned him relentlessly. But naturally, he said he could reveal nothing.”

Just as I was about to feel disappointed, Grade continued.

“You know I was searching for a way to make Lisel human again.”

“Yes.”

“I thought a mysterious figure like him might know something. So I asked. And do you know what he said?”

“What?”

“He said, ‘If Lisel’s soul were adjusted a little, something might be possible.’”

‘Tampering with her soul?’

“But he told me he was busy then, and that I should return to him later. He said if I could find him again, he would make Lisel human.”

“…”

“And then he stepped into the door.”

We all opened our mouth.

“The door, do you mean the one beneath the Imperial Palace?”

“Yes. I tried to follow him immediately, but you know what I found.”

“Tens of thousands of doors.”

“Indeed. From then on, I abandoned food and rest, and began opening them one by one.”

Xenia suddenly recalled something.

“In records, they said Lord Grade disappeared every night. That was because…”

“Yes. By day I ruled the Empire, by night I searched those doors. Hoping to find Velosian among them.”

“…”

“At the time, rumors ran rampant. Some said the Emperor roamed the capital in secret, indulging in decadence. Others said I was mingling with the people to learn their hearts.”

Lisel looked at him with a faint blush.

“I never knew. I knew you left sometimes, but not that it was for my sake.”

“I wanted it kept secret. I didn’t want to burden you with worry.”

“But at least when you were with me…”

“Of course, I always made time for you. Preparing for the future mattered, yes, but my happy moments with you mattered just as much.”

“Ugh. Adwin is here too, you know. This is embarrassing.”

“You mean the brat whose body I’m borrowing? Don’t fret. Kids his age know all there is to know.”

He doesn’t. Find the newest release on ⓝovelFire.net

In any case, it seemed Grade never did found Velosian. Age and exhaustion wore him down until he finally gave up, ready to let Lisel go.

But in other words, he had searched relentlessly for decades without once giving up.

“You mean even after decades of searching those doors, you never found him?”

“Hm. That’s what troubles me. I could swear I opened every last one of them.”

“With your willpower, I believe it.”

“Then either Velosian lied, or his door was hidden in some special way.”

At least we had a lead now.

Velosian’s base is beneath the Imperial Palace.

Just as our hideout was this wagon, Idria’s was some cave, and the Celestial God’s was the starting point.

Velosian’s hideout lay within those tens of thousands of doors. And behind one of them, he was waiting.

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