Chapter 119 : Chapter 119

Chapter 119 - Hourglass (3)

Ropin's examination took about two hours.

“Hah… I’ve never seen a condition like this in my entire life.”

Clatter.

Ropin, who had taken off his runic glasses, rubbed his eyes and removed the lenses from the glasses.

He then put the lenses in a cupboard where other lenses were collected.

“Your body is in top condition. You’re as healthy as can be.”

“Then, am I okay?”

“No, I can never say that.”

Artier was frustrated, but Ropin seemed even more so.

He took out various diagrams of the human body and examined them, while frantically scribbling notes with one hand.

“Two abnormal phenomena are currently being observed in your body. One, as you know, is that divine power is stored inside your body, and the other is that the divine power is concentrated in your abdomen.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Divine power is, after all, a type of mana. Mana is usually stored in the head. Since we think with our heads.”

Ropin showed him a diagram.

It was a picture showing the passages through which a person’s mana circulated.

“In other words, it’s as if you have a head in your abdomen as well.”

“That’s a bit bizarre.”

“This is important, so focus!”

Ropin tapped the diagram with the staff he was holding.

“The problem is, with my knowledge, I have no idea how you’re alive right now.”

“Isn’t it because of the Divine Conversion skill?”

“No, your skill has no function to protect your body from divine power.”

Ropin said firmly.

“The order is reversed. It’s not that you gained the skill and became able to hold divine power in your body, but because you were able to hold divine power in your body, you gained a skill that could utilize it.”

Ropin said that in his eyes, he could see an unknown power enveloping the divine power in Artier’s body.

“This is literally a miraculous state. But in my opinion, that state is currently unstable.”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. The power is cracked and thin in places. It can’t withstand the force of the divine power being released and is slowly scattering.”

Every time Artier used Holy Magic, or converted divine power into mana, the unknown power couldn't overcome the immense force and was slowly scattering.

“If even a tiny hole were to be pierced in this power…”

Ropin gulped and said with a groan.

“You will slowly die. You might even affect those around you.”

“Is that so.”

Artier, who had been standing there blankly, opened his mouth a moment later.

“So, for now, there’s no problem, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then that’s fine.”

He was the protagonist.

And as far as Artier knew, there was no ending where the protagonist died for a reason other than combat.

Of course, in all his many playthroughs, there was no instance where Artier had learned Holy Magic.

But he wanted to believe.

‘Destiny revolves around me anyway.’

Artier forcibly suppressed his creeping anxiety.

“Is there no other way to know my body’s condition?”

“Unfortunately, there is no place with better facilities than here.”

Of course.

This was the Papal State in the capital, after all.

It was a place that had to care for the Emperor’s health, so it was natural.

“But if you ask if there is a better physician than me, it’s not that there isn’t.”

“Who is that?”

“A close friend of mine.”

At Ropin’s words, a person came to Artier’s mind.

“Could it be Rototo-nim?”

“That’s right. How do you know him? He doesn’t reveal his name publicly.”

“There’s no way I wouldn’t know.”

Rototo of Light.

That’s what the users called the old man.

And that was because his first impression was so strong.

‘You have a hole in your stomach.’

As soon as he said that, the enemy, who had reflexively looked down at his stomach, really did have a hole in it.

The scene of him, with his thin body, brandishing a huge spear and overturning a great mountain was so impressive.

“…But I’ve never heard of him treating anyone.”

Artier searched his mind to see if there was any instance of Rototo healing someone.

But all the scenes that came to mind were of him brutally blowing away enemies.

He had no connection to healing.

“Ah, I suppose that’s inevitable.”

Ropin neatly folded his priest’s hat and set it down.

“Rototo is someone who has learned combat-oriented Holy Magic. You could say he’s the originator of the Sacred Knights.”

“Ah?”

“And it was Rototo who taught me the path of healing. He’s just hiding it now for some reason, but Rototo is definitely a more skilled healer than me.”

It was a hard fact to believe, but Ropin wasn't one to lie in a situation like this.

Artier decided to believe him for now.

However, there was still a problem.

“Isn’t Rototo-nim missing right now?”

That was that Rototo’s main area of activity was the northeast of the continent.

In fact, Rototo was an NPC who didn't appear in the story until he came to find the protagonist himself.

“Of course, that’s true. But there must be a way. I can’t easily imagine Rototo dying, of all things.”

Ropin, who said that, seemed somehow enlightened.

“For now, I’ll look into this, so you go and do what you have to do in the meantime.”

“Yes.”

“Just in case, don’t release any divine power for the time being. You know what I mean, right?”

“I understand.”

Click.

The door to the infirmary closed, and Artier was left alone in the hallway.

As he was walking quietly, he was suddenly startled by a sharp pain in his stomach and froze on the spot.

Grumble.

“Ah, I was just hungry.”

…How long would he have to live with this feeling?

The meaningless question made his chest feel empty.

‘How long will I be okay?’

Until he saw the ending? Or maybe even shorter than that?

‘Should I not have learned Holy Magic?’

There was a time bomb in his stomach.

An unknown bomb that he didn't know when or how it would go off.

‘Let’s say, by a miracle, I’m okay until the ending… what about after that?’

The future he knew was only up to the ending.

But even after the ending, Artier would continue to live.

What would happen to him then?

The questions continued, one after another.

***

It was late in the evening when Artier arrived at the Mercenary Guild.

“Why are you so late?”

Jeina, who had been slumped over the table, jumped up and approached with a bright smile.

However, the moment she saw Artier’s expression, she erased her smile.

“Little brother, did something happen?”

At her words, Artier hastily shook his head.

“Nothing happened. More importantly, is everyone here?”

“We’ve been here for a while. We’ve already eaten, you know? Aren’t you hungry?”

“I’m fine. I don’t have an appetite.”

“Alright, alright. Sit here!”

The atmosphere had already wound down.

The plates were all empty.

“What did you talk about up there that made you so late?”

As he sat down, Tersion asked.

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Aren’t you coming from the Papal State? Collie said you were giving some kind of report.”

“Ah, that…?”

Should he talk about his physical condition?

Surprisingly, the deliberation was short.

‘I can’t say that I might get weaker in this situation.’

Morale has a great impact on war.

Now that he was considered quite strong among the group, if not the best, information about his condition would be a sensitive topic for his comrades as well.

“I was just confirming the expected date of the Hellmorphs’ advance. They said they would attack within a week.”

Still, he couldn't lie.

Instead, as he spat out the information he knew, everyone’s expression hardened slightly.

“Then we have to finish the private soldier contract before that.”

“Considering the preparation time, it has to be even faster than that.”

“Hmm, but are there any good places?”

Jeina pointed to the Mercenary Guild’s bulletin board.

“I already looked over there, but it was full of names I didn’t know. Did our archer friend know any?”

“I know a lot. But I don’t know which family treats their private soldiers well. There’s no reason for elves to investigate such trivial things, right?”

Well, there was no reason for an elf to become a private soldier of a human noble, so it was natural.

“I have information on which families were kind to our elves, want to hear it?”

“Before I hear it, let me ask one thing. Are you going to reveal that you’re an elf when you join?”

“Are you crazy?”

“Then it’s useless!”

In the end, the plan to use Tersion’s information was rejected.

“What about Gerard?”

“Hmm…”

Gerard, who had been lost in thought, shook his head a moment later.

“I can’t think of anything right now either. There’s a saying among mercenaries to avoid nobles if possible. I’ve been avoiding them in the first place, so I don’t have much information.”

“In that case… I think there are about five options.”

In fact, it might have been faster for Artier to name the nobles he didn’t know than the ones he did.

He already knew which nobles would remain loyal to the end, and which families would betray them.

“The first is the Cranman County family. You’ve all met them, right?”

“Ah, that mister we saved? I like him!”

“Mister?”

“If he heard that, you’d be executed on the spot for insulting a noble, you know.”

Jeina cheerfully ignored the glares from Tersion and Collie.

“I’m against it.”

“Why?”

“That man knows our situation and abilities well. Therefore, he might try to use us as more than just ordinary private soldiers.”

Nobles are cunning and clever.

The only thing Count Cranman had promised on his honor was not to reveal their identities, but using them was not included in that.

“The Pope has made preparations, but it’s a different case if we go directly under him. They can create loopholes as much as they want.”

“I think so too.”

As even Tersion agreed with that, Artier mentally crossed out the Cranman County family.

“The second is the Domitri Marquis family.”

“Ah, that’s a no-go.”

Jeina drew the line before Artier could even finish his sentence.

“They’ve already finished recruiting there. Three hours before you came?”

“I guess so. Then what about the Corti County family?”

“There too. In the first place, that place is famous, I hear?”

“What? Then don’t tell me…”

Every time Artier mentioned the names of a few families, Jeina shook her head.

The private soldier recruitment for any decent family was already over.

“Then how many families are left?”

“Probably…”

Every time he heard the names of the families Jeina listed, Artier reflexively shut his eyes tight.

They were all either supporting families that were eliminated early on, or ones whose future was visible with their hopeless allowances.

“It seems I was too late.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“That’s right. And there are still about two days left, right? More private soldier contracts might come in during that time!”

Jeina and Gerard offered words of comfort, but it didn’t get much better.

Tersion was making it clear that she was full of complaints, and Collie… was dozing off because he was sleepy.

“You know about our promise, right? You have to do that quickly too. I think the council is starting to get upset.”

“Really? Hah, I get it.”

“You can do it, right? You have to finish the private soldier contract and resolve my promise within three days.”

“Even if I can’t, I have to make it possible. I’m the one who started it.”

He said that, but he couldn’t help the throbbing headache.

With all these tasks suddenly coming in like a vine, he was at a loss as to how to solve them from the start.

“Gerard, can you stay at the Mercenary Guild from today and let me know if any additional families are recruiting private soldiers?”

“What if there are none?”

“We’ll have to pick the best one from what we have now, what else can we do.”

As Artier said that, Gerard was lost in thought for a while and then opened his mouth.

“I have a proposal, would you like to hear it?”

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