Chapter 291: Sense of Mission 1
TL/Editor: raei
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The southern disturbance was swiftly resolved, thanks to the 4★ Inquisitor and a divine artifact that discerns sin.
Although we hadn't yet caught the witch in collusion with the locals, Raphael frantically gestured, urging us to stop.
“No, heroes. You've brought such a willing collaborator already; we can't possibly ask for more. Let us handle this.”
"Really?"
"Well, we need to climb the tower anyway. Tracking down a witch whose whereabouts are unknown would be annoying."
-Se-ah, enough with the side quest. Let's climb the tower!
-But I'm going to miss the little ones when we leave the South.
-Isn’t there a barbarian thief sister with charming chocolate abs who could help us navigate through traps?
-What the hell is a barbarian thief?
-An inquisitor queen in leather armor and a garter belt?
Whether he was driving a carriage or tormenting people with a divine artifact, Raphael stopped us with the same playful smile.
As Han Se-ah and the viewers had joked, this quest seemed like a tutorial designed to reveal the existence of divine artifacts.
He argued that it was his job to track down the evil witch through Yulia's cooperation.
The party, including Han Se-ah, perceived it as if the Temple was showing consideration for the hero... but I quickly realized it was a different kind of consideration.
'...The eyes are different.'
Though his smile was broad, the corners of his mouth curled up more in a snarl than a smile.
It's a distinct murderous aura that naturally emanates from those not just used to back alleys but mired in muck.
Raphael, disguised as a coachman, would spout nonsense and even make jokes in front of the innocent... but he was, after all, an inquisitor.
And not just any inquisitor, but an experienced one, always carrying a divine artifact.
If Temple Knights hunted monsters and monks subdued bandits, inquisitors dealt with heretics and warlocks.
It was hard to count how much blood a veteran of such a profession had on his hands.
After all, he was 'Rack Maker' Raphael.
What kind of rack had he built, and how many had he hung on it?
“...Sir Roland, you seem to have noticed?”
"Well, I make a living from this, after all."
"With someone to balance the hero's party, I, Raphael, feel much lighter~"
It was impressive how naturally he furrowed his brow at the scent of blood and chuckled apologetically.
It was as if he had a personality switch, controlling his murderous intent at will.
As for me, I remained stuck in a petty bourgeois mindset, unable to control my emotions until my anger subsided.
Watching him switch personas in an instant... it was as fascinating as watching a skilled actor.
“So, is this the end of our work in the South?”
“Yes, thanks to the heroes’ efforts, we managed to identify the greedy and unfortunate brothers and the evil witch.”
“...And the adulterous couple too.”
-lol Se-ah, was that necessary?
-The Goddess might have forgiven them, but who knows if the husband will
-But what about the swarm of bugs? They were everywhere on the way here.
-Now that the existence of an evil witch is confirmed, what happens next?
-By the time we reach the 50th floor, there might be rumors of the South going to hell.
"Yeah, right? Weren't we called here because the Temple Knights were too short-handed to kill all the bugs? ...But what happens to the bugs if we just leave?"
"Bugs? Oh, right."
As Raphael was seeing us off, Han Se-ah suddenly turned her head as if she just remembered something.
There seemed to be no solution for the swarm of bugs in the jungle.
The reason we had come all the way to the South was that they were short of people to solve a case here, and now they were telling us to leave.
In this bizarre situation where the roles of host and guest were reversed, the party's gaze turned to Raphael, who was still grinning broadly.
Their eyes were filled with uncertainty, wondering if it was really okay to leave things in his hands.
Perhaps because of his chatty image as a coachman, even possessing a divine artifact, he still seemed somewhat unreliable to our group.
Seeing his menacing demeanor, however, it seems we might actually be able to trust him.
But perhaps our young ones were too naive to recognize the subtle menace he harbored; it wasn't directed at them but was still present.
To them, he might just seem like a frivolous young man.
"Ah, don't worry too much. Now that we've discovered the bugs are due to our brothers' malice, we can call someone to help."
"...Then what about the coachman?"
"I've already brought my junior to take over."
Raphael reassured our party members as if to say, go ahead and climb the tower.
He waved his hand languidly, and from afar, someone hurried towards us.
Unlike the slim Raphael, this was a muscular man with broad shoulders.
He ran from the direction of the temple and naturally climbed up to take his place in front of the carriage at the mansion of the Lord of Antibes.
I realized that if Raphael stayed here, there would have been no one to drive the carriage.
As I marveled at this unforeseen detail, Han Se-ah stealthily approached the man at the coachman's seat.
"Hello? What's your name?"
"It's Raphael."
"Junior, I've already used that name."
"Then, from now on, it's Gabriel."
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Raei Translations
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The journey finally started after Raphael MK.2 received a scolding from the original Raphael.
I'm used to dropping out halfway through an investigation, but it seems our party members are somewhat uneasy.
Typically, an adventurer's job involves passing tasks to knights, mages, and nobles, handling various odd jobs before dropping out.
However, for Han Se-ah, it must feel like leaving a quest unfinished without seeing the end.
Grace, Katie, and Irene seemed concerned, perhaps out of a sense of responsibility.
"Is it really going to be okay?"
"Still, it looks like they've gathered the inquisitors, so it should be fine."
"It will be fine. While you heroes were at the mansion, they were planning to relocate our converted brothers."
Hmm, so that's how it's going to be.
From the standpoint of the Lord of Antibes, what needs protection are only the local citizens and the converted villages.
It doesn't matter to him if barbarians are threatened by witches or if swarms of bugs infest the jungle.
Since the Temple generously funds those who convert, there's no need to venture deep into the jungle to maintain a decent standard of living.
It would be a problem if those creatures overflowed and invaded the lands, though....
A domain worthy of the name should be able to fend off monsters of intermediate level, at least.
A few benign witches might also lend a hand.
Some might even end up being conscripted by Raphael after getting stabbed by a divine artifact.
"So don't worry too much. The inquisitors always move with thorough plans."
"Right, that must be the case."
What's more concerning is Irene's visibly restless demeanor.
Had the inquisitor relayed some information through the Temple?
Ever since our last unfinished conversation in the forest cabin, she seemed to be lost in thought multiple times a day.
Her expression must be a dead giveaway because not only Han Se-ah, who's been told by the viewers, but also Grace and Katie looked at her with concern.
She sighed deeply and took a heavy breath.
After looking in my direction, she quickly turned away—it was hard not to notice.
Honestly, the sight is so endearingly beautiful that it’s fun to watch, even though it was a bit frustrating.
"Is something bothering you?"
"Ah, well... suddenly facing the divine artifact has left me feeling unsettled. I wonder if it would have been better to have tested myself, to seek validation."
"Ew, even after seeing that scene? ...Well, Irene, you could stand to have some confidence."
Still, as I watched her barely manage to make that excuse, I felt no urge to pry further.
Grace had the vibe of a sly friend, and Katie seemed like a naive junior, while Irene appeared resolute yet also quite timid, something that made her hard to define.
Well, perhaps she was difficult to define because we weren't that close yet.
It seems they might be conspiring to give Irene some space.
It looked like they were both quite curious and interested in what was happening with Irene.
-So, when will Irene confess her love?
-Ah, sh*t, please don't mess with our dear Irene like that.
-Stop treating her like that, obsessive nerds. A saintess seducing a hero, damn.
-Instead of that, how about seeing Roland as like our dad?
-Not 'dad', maybe more like 'daddy.'
The viewers need no further mention.
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