Salvation Through Delusion C95

Chapter 95

A broad smile hung on Killu’s lips, yet his eyes were the complete opposite—ferocious, fixed on Hoiga as though to tear him apart. Hoiga stiffened his jaw, forcing himself not to shrink, and met that gaze head-on.

“It’s truly fortunate to be of one mind with Your Grace. Then may I take your words to mean that Montaine is willing to actively assist in summoning the other families’ Divine Beasts? If so, the solution is simple—you need only grant me access to Montaine’s ancient records.”

Hoiga made the request, clearly hoping Killu would back off. Indeed, the smile Killu had so carefully maintained vanished for an instant. But the words that left his mouth were the opposite of what Hoiga hoped for.

“Of course. For the Savior to appear at a time when Tuvine stands at the brink of catastrophe—is that not truly the will of the gods? Naturally, we will provide all information you require.”

Ttak.

Hoiga stepped back, his expression stiffening at the unexpected reply. But Killu swiftly seized his wrist.

“However, there is one unfortunate matter. Montaine’s ancient records may only be viewed by members of the Montaine house. Thus, there is only one method.”

He raised Hoiga’s hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it.

“Ma Hoiga, will you become my consort?”

The abrupt proposal fell like a bucket of cold water. Silence swept through the chamber, and every gaze turned toward Hoiga.

“I…”

He finally opened his mouth, taking a step back. Killu tightened his grip on Hoiga’s hand and spoke as if the thought had just occurred to him.

“Ah, do you perhaps require permission from someone akin to your master—High Priest Chegi? Then allow me to inform you: she already knows of my intentions and has granted her approval.”

At the mention of Chegi’s name, Hoiga’s face drained of color.

It was a threat disguised as a question. Accept my proposal.

Hoiga’s hand trembled. But the words he managed to force out were not the answer Killu wanted.

“I—I will confirm that later. For now, I must first request something from the Grand Duke of Koon. The Koon family, having long led the Divine Beast clans, is most likely in possession of crucial information.”

It was a roundabout explanation, yet unmistakably a refusal. And when he even tried to slip his hand free, Killu’s eyebrow twitched sharply.

“Your Grace.”

Hoiga called out firmly, clearly asking to be released. Killu glared at him but—aware of the eyes watching—finally relented.

Ttak.

He let go and stepped back.

“So you require Koon’s ancient records… Yet those are kept within the Koon family’s main stronghold, where no outsiders may enter. I wonder if the Grand Duke can truly be of assistance to you.”

At last, he shifted aside, and Hoiga found himself facing Tyroc. A wave of inexplicable unease washed over him.

There was no urgency, no greed, not even anger in Tyroc’s eyes. Still the gaze of a spectator.

Why? I’m the only one who can break the curse…

Without realizing it, Hoiga stepped forward.

“If I can break the curse, will you grant me access to the ancient records?”

Killu’s brows twisted in displeasure. Tyroc, on the other hand, tilted his head slightly, lips curling faintly.

“Koon’s records, too, may only be viewed by family. Just like Montaine’s.”

Tyroc’s voice was neither loud nor forceful, yet he drew more attention than anyone else. His relaxed posture, low tone, and detached expression—all so unlike the other Divine Beast families—compelled every eye toward him.

“Thus, even for the Savior… one must become a member of House Koon.”

As he rose from his seat, all eyes followed him upward. During that brief motion, Hoiga felt his breath stop; even a finger would not obey him.

In contrast, his heartbeat pounded as though it would burst. At any moment, the proposal he had longed for felt ready to spill from Tyroc’s lips. Expectation swelled inside him like an expanding balloon.

He focused so intensely that he could perceive even Tyroc’s smallest movements—such as his gaze flicking, momentarily, somewhere else.

Huh? Where is he looking…?

Hoiga tried to follow that gaze, but Tyroc shifted his eyes again—this time back to Hoiga. Yet something was wrong.

Tyroc still hadn’t spoken, but the blazing anticipation that had filled Hoiga to the very top suddenly drained away like a receding tide.

As if his instincts recognized the answer before it was spoken.

He’s… going to refuse me?

Hngh.

A breath snagged in his throat as Hoiga’s heart plummeted.

N-no… that can’t… please…

His internal cry trembled with fear.

And just as his powerless eyes fixed on Tyroc’s opening lips—

A new voice cut in.

“I’ll gladly become a member. After all—I am the real Savior!”

I never thought of myself as impulsive. But after fighting monsters for so long, my improvisational instincts had sharpened. When your life is at stake, you don’t get the luxury of planning several steps ahead.

Perhaps that’s why—the words I blurted out now felt not the least bit embarrassing. That’s how urgent the situation was.

There was no universe in which I allowed that traitor to become Tyroc’s partner. Over my dead body.

Ttak, ttak.

As I strode quickly toward the center, countless eyes followed me. Yet I saw only one person.

Only his expression mattered. And good—perfect, even. Hoiga stared at me with widened eyes, overflowing with shock and disgust.

Ahh, so you really did despise Adeye Rue all this time?

I nearly burst into laughter, but restrained myself. Instead, I feigned surprise.

“You’re a Savior too? Wow—me too!”

“Rue, what on earth are you—”

“Who knew prophecy was part of the Savior requirements? I can do prophecy too!”

Mo wasn’t helping me, but with the traitor right in front of me, the crude tone slid out naturally. Around us, scoffs erupted from the onlookers. Annoyance and scolding echoed in every direction.

“Tch, Adeye Rue.”

“I heard he’d come to his senses, but he’s exactly the same. Barging in anywhere just for attention.”

One person openly shouted at me.

“Do you know where you stand? Step back at once!”

The Borhumi representative. I flashed him a wide grin.

“Would you like to hear my prophecy? It’s about the Borhumi Divine Beast.”

He flinched. Even someone who looked completely out of his mind could not be dismissed so easily when their Divine Beast was mentioned.

“What nonsense—”

“Adeye Rue! This is not your place. Step down immediately!”

Someone from Sarne snapped at me, but I ignored him and addressed the Borhumi representative again.

“The Borhumi Divine Beast will return. Because it did not perish.”

“No.”

The denial came not from Borhumi, but from Hoiga—his eyes still filled with hatred. I turned to him with a smile I had been waiting to show.

“No?”

“Yes, no. I… I don’t know why you’re doing this but if the Divine Beast didn’t disappear, then the monster rift wouldn’t—”

“If the Divine Beast abandons Borhumi, it can.”

Hoiga’s eyes, full of contempt for my earlier words, shifted—becoming slightly more serious.

“What are you talking about?”

“The Borhumi Divine Beast ended its contract and left. Its protection is gone. What, aren’t you the Savior? You didn’t know that?”

I gave him the most obnoxious smirk I could muster.

Maybe because of my attitude, everyone looked bewildered and irritated—yet unable to dismiss my words outright.

Truth didn’t matter. What mattered was making the traitor suffer—whether through anger, despair, or humiliation.

Hoiga, despite distrusting me, asked seriously:

“Why would the Divine Beast end its contract?”

“Why do you think?”

I spoke briefly and then turned my gaze toward Borhumi’s side.

“You imprisoned your Divine Beast after being deceived by a black mage, ignored the sacred lake, and complained endlessly as its power weakened.”

I paused, then voiced the true reason I had only guessed at before.

Why had the Divine Beast appeared before me to declare the contract over? Likely because of something that spilled from Zab’s mouth at that very moment. Those whining words—

“Damn it, this training—If training was ever going to work, we wouldn’t have needed to imprison the Divine Beast! I’m done with training, you hear me?”

And now I understood something clearly—

what the Borhumi Divine Beast liked.

Training.

It wanted the human who received its power to at least cherish that power.

A small, simple condition, really.

“Why shouldn’t a Divine Beast abandon someone who receives such immense power yet can’t be bothered to do something as basic as training?”

Borhumi’s representatives glared at me with hostility.

“Adeye Rue. Are you saying the Divine Beast did not vanish but simply will not grant power to Borhumi again? How could you possibly know that?”

“I heard it from the Divine Beast.”

The words fell carelessly from my lips as I turned back to Hoiga. Silence blanketed the chamber—before incredulous laughter spread among the crowd.

Only Hoiga did not laugh. He stared at me.