Salvation Through Delusion C75

Chapter 75

“The relic vault? You’re telling me that place was raided?”

Yan, the administrator overseeing all of Borhumi’s main castle, clenched the gold coin in his hand at the report.

Lately, the profits from selling water had been delicious. He was so thrilled he would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night just to count coins like a rabid squirrel.

He was greedy enough to gorge himself on others’ suffering, yes—but he was not stupid.

If the drinking water crisis continued, the Duke of Borhumi would eventually find out. He could not blind the Duke forever. He only needed a few months more—a short window to satiate his greed, nothing more.

‘The Duke of Borhumi will soon ascend the imperial throne. Only a few months remain. Just avoid making problems until then. Your only job is not to interfere—do you understand my meaning?’

That was what his benefactor and powerful mage, Dorgo, had instructed him. Blind the Duke if needed—just do not disrupt him.

And Dorgo’s commands were absolute. He simply had to avoid trouble for a few more months. But now…

“We must verify if anything was stolen. To do that, we require the artifact list, but as you know, removal of the relic inventory requires His Grace’s direct appr—”

“Why was it raided in the first place?! What were the guards doing?!”

Yan roared, and the subordinate stammered under a sheen of cold sweat.

“The guards stationed outside were found unconscious nearby. They woke, but recall only being ambushed by unknown individuals appearing out of nowhere.”

Yan jerked upright, then paused mid-motion.

“Wait—then the intruders might not have come from inside the relic vault?”

“But the guards were positioned very close to—”

“That’s only circumstantial. No one saw the vault open, did they? Then don’t blow this up.”

“…Understood.”

The subordinate turned to leave, uneasy. Yan’s voice cut him off.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“…Sir?”

“I said don’t make a fuss. I never told you not to fix it.”

Yan’s tone sharpened like a drawn blade.

“Send soldiers. Quietly. Find them. Bring results to me by tomorrow morning. Understand?”

He only needed to endure a few months. To do that, he could not allow a tiny problem to snowball. This obsessive vigilance was precisely why he had risen to this position.

“Especially check anyone who left the castle. Any suspicious faces.”

You’re going to Crystal Lake?

The blacksmith who had escorted us out looked horrified as she hurriedly warned us.

A tall palisade had been built around the lake years ago, taller than a man, and several watchtowers erected. Anyone approaching casually would be seized and disappear without a trace.

The more she explained, the more curious I became. What was so special inside that lake?

‘The soldiers guarding it say the lake looks unchanged. But whenever someone tries to get close… they vanish.’

Calamity followed by ghost stories. In hard times, rumors bred like mold. Exaggeration or not, we had every reason to be cautious—as that was exactly where I intended to go.

After she left, I chewed the remaining bread and mentally instructed Mo:

Show me a map.

He projected a map centered on Crystal Lake. Not detailed like those in my world—more like a political map focusing on cities and walls, the forest around the lake drawn as vague brush strokes.

This was useless. Cartographer clearly didn’t give a damn about wilderness.

I was lamenting when suddenly a face pushed right into my field of vision.

“What—what?!”

I jerked back. Tyroc stared at me for a beat, then offered water. Why did he keep staring at me like that? Suspicious. I drank mindlessly.

Gulp, gulp.

Apparently bread alone had made me thirstier than I realized.

“If you’re hungry, tell me.”

“Even if I said that, bread won’t magically appear.”

I wiped my mouth—then froze at his reply.

“I’ll get it.”

With what, wizardry? I almost scoffed—then hesitated. Could he conjure bread with magic?

[No.]

Right. He wasn’t Jesus.

…But also, Mo only butts in to ruin my comedic timing. Why does he do this?

[…]

Exactly. Pretends not to hear when I insult him.

Lost in thought, I suddenly realized I’d ignored the man standing in front of me.

“It’s fine. I’m an adult. I can secure my own food.”

He stared at me, expression unusually serious.

“What do you see?”

“I see the Duke saying ‘What do you see?’”

I had hoped he’d laugh. His mouth didn’t even twitch.

Few things sting like a joke that faceplants. I immediately composed myself.

“Nothing else.”

“Side effects, then? You blank out sometimes.”

Was he… worried? No way. He was waiting to mock me.

“It’s not side effects. I just space out sometimes.”

He still looked unconvinced, so I hurried on.

“Anyway, sleep. I’ll stand watch.”

“No need.”

“We must. By now the missing vault guards will be discovered. Soldiers will be searching. The blacksmith will talk once found.”

“You don’t trust her.”

Of course not.

“She owes us nothing.”

He smiled faintly—pleased? Why was he pleased about my paranoia?

“At least I have basic survival instincts.”

“You didn’t before.”

“If I die ag—”

“Yes, yes—you came back from the dead.”

Exactly. I met his eyes defiantly. Surely he believed me by now—

Nope. Suspicion still there.

“I’ve seen many survive death. None changed like you.”

“There must be more cases.”

He laughed quietly, disbelieving. Annoying.

“Anyway, we should move. This hut isn’t safe.”

He muttered, “You talk just like my sister.”

“…Me?”

“Adeye Lantua always says ‘quickly, quickly.’ Claims efficiency matters most.”

Well yeah—that’s just being Korean—

Ahem. I cleared my throat.

“Family resemblance, I guess. Anyway, if you don’t need to sleep, let’s go.”

“It’ll be dark soon.”

“I have good night vision.”

Wrong answer. He tilted his head, puzzled.

“You don’t know this terrain. What about food? Water?”

“Your Grace.”

I sighed at his constant testing.

“You went to find honey. Of course you secured food and water too. And clearly you know the land.”

Shameless? Yes. But his expression brightened—unexpectedly flattered.

He was such a secret sucker for praise it was almost adorable. In a homicidal way.

“To follow me, you’ll have to camp outside.”

“That’s fine. It’s only sleeping outdoors—”

I stopped.

Right, nobleman. Camping was not normal. I bit my tongue, blaming Mo.

You could’ve stopped me.

[Adeye Rue often engaged in outdoor play regardless of time or location. However, due to an incident involving gravel and injured knees during a rear-entry scenario, gravel surfaces are avoided.]

…Thank you, Rue. You depraved, majestic disaster. I hope wherever you are, you are at peace nestled between men’s thighs, fondling balls to your heart’s content.

“Still think it’s no big deal?” he murmured.

I jolted upright.

“No. As long as it’s not gravel, I’m fine. Camping is fine.”

“…”

“It’s just my nature. Not because I ‘came back wrong.’”

“I know.”

He replied lightly, then smirked.

“You always liked rolling in the grass with men since academy days.”

“…Yes. That’s me.”

He accepted me as Rue—yet somehow it made me feel worse.

As I turned away in disgust, I noticed his expression also clouded.

Why did he look upset?

Like he had suddenly remembered just how depraved Rue truly was.