The names Evelina listed.
All of them were extraordinary things, and they had a point in common.
They were objects that appear in myth, and at the same time they possessed the property of healing.
Of course, in the fine details there are slight differences. Lifespan increases, injuries and wounds disappear, fatigue vanishes and stamina rises.
But it is a clear fact that they fall within the category of recovery and healing.
“Are you saying the Golden Apple is the aggregate of all those things?”
“Something like that. Do you understand why Aphrodite wanted the Golden Apple so badly?”
“......I didn’t, but hearing this now, I can roughly guess.”
Aphrodite was injured and had her feet tied to the capital. By a wound even the one who suffered it didn’t know. It is the same wound as Poseidon’s.
If the Golden Apple possesses all the effects Evelina rattled off, then the wound Aphrodite suffered would also recover.
Evelina said,
“But even Aphrodite did not know the true identity of the Golden Apple. She only knew the effect.”
“Why? If she’s a Greek goddess, she should know well about Nectar and Ambrosia.”
Those two are the drink and food of Greek myth. There’s no way Aphrodite wouldn’t know.
There Evelina raised a finger.
“Because of Ragnarok.”
“!”
“After Ragnarok, the Golden Apple had all manner of mythic things mixed together into it. I don’t know the exact reason, but the Greek Golden Apple is no longer merely a gift to a goddess. Of course Aphrodite knows Nectar and Ambrosia, but she wouldn’t have known they had been mixed into the Golden Apple.”
The Greek Golden Apple, which originally had no properties other than that symbolism.
That has now been transformed into something like a god’s medicine that appears in every myth.
“How is it that Ahop has this?”
As far as I know, the Golden Apple is under the Paladins’ management. But Ahop should be at odds with the Paladins. It’s hard to think the Paladins gave it to Evelina. To begin with, whether their usual relationship is hostile or friendly, they wouldn’t have given it.
Evelina said,
“We stole it.”
“......Pardon?”
“Ordinarily it is an object that would be kept under the Paladins’ strict guard. But think about the situation at the time.”
Most of the Paladins had gathered in the capital because of the vote.
All of them were hit once by Frondier’s Ecleksis, and among them two showed up as demons and knelt to Frondier.
“No matter what, if the situation was that chaotic, stealing a single item is not difficult.”
“......I wasn’t asking about the possibility.”
I don’t know how much power Ahop possesses.
And from the feeling of facing the Paladins myself, the Paladins are strong, but they’re not on the level of the Zodiac.
I don’t think stealing would be impossible. The facilities they manage themselves could be extremely stringent, but that’s something I can’t know.
“Why did you steal it?”
“Of course, to give it to you, Lord Frondier.”
“.......”
I looked at Evelina with cold eyes.
No matter what, asking me to believe that answer is taking me far too lightly.
Hmph.
How should I make this woman become honest,
“No, I’m joking. Truly. Please don’t make that face.”
About sixteen methods occurred to me, and then Evelina suddenly hunched her shoulders and spoke.
It’s truly fortunate it was a joke.
“So why did you steal it?”
At my question, Evelina let out a troubled sigh and said,
“Of course, at first it was for us Ahop to use. The effects of the Golden Apple would be of great help to our organization.”
That would be so.
If it shows absolute performance in recovery and healing, any organization would covet it, not only Ahop.
“But we couldn’t use it.”
“You couldn’t use it?”
“Exactly as I say. Please check it yourself.”
I received the Golden Apple from Evelina. It felt a little strange to call it a Golden Apple while looking at the ring of a circle.
Naturally, my eyes store this in the workshop.
The moment I checked the abilities, I knit the corners of my eyes.
[???]
·Rank : Divine
·Description : Something that was originally a Golden Apple. By Zeus’s remark, ???
Details of Ability >
‘It looks like some kind of bug has occurred.’
Evelina wouldn’t be able to see this description, but I can roughly guess the reason she said she couldn’t use the ability.
This is like when it was Ares’s spear and shield—the ability is not visible. However, the situation is different from then.
‘Ares hid the ability intentionally. But this really seems like some accident happened.’
There’s almost no proper description, and there isn’t even a name.
Even the name “Golden Apple” seems unacknowledged, written only with question marks.
“We obtained information and knew that the object regenerates the body. But by any method we could not feel the efficacy.”
Evelina said.
If what she says is true, then the word “Zeus” I’m seeing is probably the only hint.
‘While everything else is treated with question marks, the fact that Zeus’s name is visible suggests that Zeus’s influence itself continues as is, regardless of the myth having been fused.’
It’s probably because of Zeus that Evelina can’t use the power of the Golden Apple.
What restriction was set, or whether there’s a condition.
“Can you use it, Lord Frondier?”
Evelina’s words held something like a faint expectation.
I quietly looked at the ring of a circle and put it in my bosom.
“I don’t know.”
“.......”
“Still, thank you for the gift. I’ll put it to good use.”
“......Please don’t give it a second thought.”
Evelina lowered her head again like that.
By giving me this gift, Evelina expressed her intention to maintain a friendly relationship with me.
But it’s not as if she, the head of Ahop, is playing at being friendly with me without any particular reason.
‘Because they took no part in this vote and the fight with the gods.’
My companion Gregory helped Colin, one of Ahop’s members.
But Ahop still hasn’t done anything for us.
While we were protecting Palma’s home ground, Ahop could not take either side and watched from the sidelines.
Now, having sized up the situation, and seeing me look dangerous, she’s trying to win my favor—there’s no way that would look desirable to my eyes.
‘But well.’
No matter how it looks, no matter what thought brought her to me.
If something looks usable, I tend to use it.
And to me, Ahop looks more usable than the Paladins.
‘Unlike the Paladins, who have to come out before the public and move, Ahop are not people exposed to the public. Their information power moving in the dark will be far ahead.’
Besides, Evelina, the head of Ahop, had tightly hidden both her face and her name.
Until she revealed herself to me today.
“Ms. Evelina.”
“......Yes.”
“I’ll say the words you want to hear.”
“.......”
Evelina did not answer. She can’t very well admit that there are words she wants to hear.
“Raise your head first.”
Evelina lifted her head accordingly. I spoke toward that face that seemed a little tense.
“I will accept Ahop’s intent. There will be no case where my and my companions’ blades are directed at Ahop.”
“......!”
In truth I hadn’t intended to do so anyway.
Since the head herself got pricked for no reason and came to me, it won’t hurt to pretend to be generous.
At that Evelina said,
“In that case, going forward as well, toward having good exchanges with us Ahop,”
“That will be difficult.”
“Why, why is that?”
“A promise not to touch each other, to that extent is fine. But if you wanted a friendlier relationship beyond that, if Ahop needed my strength.”
Seuk-
I raised my hand.
Heukcheon’s mist lightly wrapped around her.
Seureuk─
Immediately after, the “mask” Evelina was wearing fell off. Heukcheon had sliced only the surface of the thin mask.
“!”
Evelina was flustered. Her real face was bared to me and she froze.
Hm, the real face is much more youthful than the image.
“Come again.”
“......Ah.”
“You spoke of courtesy in revealing yourself in person. While wearing a mask. You still aren’t someone I can trust.”
“Ugh.”
Evelina, steeped in embarrassment, averted her gaze. Even so, she did not try to cover her face.
I turned my back and walked to the car.
This transaction had a light conclusion and a light breakdown together.
Behind me, Evelina’s urgent voice was heard.
“I, I had no intention of deceiving you, Lord Frondier......!”
“Of course I know.”
I wasn’t being sarcastic; I truly know.
“You’re just being prudent. For the head of Ahop to reveal her face and meet someone, it’s not a decision easily made.”
I have no particular feelings about Evelina. I wasn’t hoping for help to begin with.
Because I have no particular feelings, my choice was obvious.
“I # Nоvеlight # understand you. So you will understand me, who cannot trust you.”
“......Ah.”
“Come again. Let’s make a deal then.”
I got into the vehicle.
The car moved slowly forward, passing Evelina, who had moved aside.
Arald, who was driving, asked,
“Will that be all right?”
“What will?”
“If Ahop becomes our side, it will be reassuring. From what we’ve learned of their information network, at least with regard to Palma and its surroundings, they had complete control of the information.”
“Right. Information that not even rats and birds hear of.”
Truly an area even Gregory cannot reach. Ahop is the one manipulating what is hidden within.
“It’s fine. That person Evelina, she resembles someone.”
“Resembles who?”
“Ms. Philly.”
“Who is...... ah.”
Arald realized whom I was referring to and closed his mouth. With the feeling of not knowing what to say.
“If I saw correctly, that type prefers capable people over people convenient to them.”
In any organization, the person in the leader’s seat wants talent.
They want someone commensurate with their ability, or superior, someone they can face as an equal, and at the same time someone easy to use. That contradiction.
And Evelina rates me quite highly.
To hand over the Golden Apple just because she couldn’t use it—this is not the usual choice.
In that case it’s better to make a display of capability.
If you extend a hand to form a good relationship right now, the handshake at that time may be concluded, but it’s light.
“More than anything, if you don’t notice that she’s covering her face, she might feel slighted.”
“......I don’t think she would feel slighted about that.”
The car went on like that.
***
A short while after the vehicle Frondier was riding in, and the two vehicles of his companions following behind, passed by.
A black sedan stopped in front of Evelina.
Evelina got into the back seat and let out a sigh.
“See, I told you. Either hide completely, or reveal everything.”
The driver spoke to her.
It was Colin.
Having faced Frondier in person, he knew well how to deal with him.
“......How do I talk while hidden? We don’t know how he will think of us.”
“Then you should have revealed everything.”
“How do I reveal everything? I’m the head of Ahop.”
“......And the result is that, while giving him the Golden Apple, we gained nothing, and even the face you tried to hide got exposed. The loss is enormous.”
“I’m sorry, but could you complain with something I can argue back against? I get really hurt.”
Evelina sighed again.
Colin’s words were right. It would have been better to reveal everything. It was foolish to wear something like a mask.
‘No, how did he catch this mask! There hasn’t been a single time it was ever caught until now!’
The mask she wore was of course a top-grade product obtainable. It had never been caught by anyone.
But are there exceptions.
In fact there had been a clear signal.
Colin’s clear warning, a master at reading people. From the moment she didn’t listen to that, this future must have been set.
“Colin, how did you know? That the mask would get caught.”
“It’s not that I knew that; I just knew that if you use a half-baked trick against that person, you only incur losses.”
“I’m asking how you knew that.”
“A hunch, I suppose.”
“Is that really your answer?”
“Since you met him yourself, you must have felt it too. You’ll be telling the same thing to someone else just like I did, won’t you?”
......Well, that’s true.
That bizarre feeling can only be explained as a “hunch.”
Thinking in reverse, even so, it’s at least a relief that we obtained a “nonaggression” promise.
After thinking for a moment, Evelina asked,
“......Frondier is going to Atlas, right?”
