Chapter 416 – Vulcan Rockhead -4-

“Atra?”

“Tsk! Yeah, yeah…?!”

The saintess, who had been dazing her eyes, suddenly came to her senses when she heard Roman’s voice.

“Are you feeling uncomfortable? You don’t look well.”

“No. It’s okay… It’s okay…”

“Are you having trouble eating?”

She shook her head weakly. Anything more than this is impossible.

Even if you ask with such concern, Atra’s only answer is that it’s okay right now.

It was fortunate that Roman didn’t try to check his complexion too much.

I can’t come to my senses and at the same time look down at the plate.

I can’t give a long answer because my voice seems to be shaking so badly.

I’m grateful that they wait while I try to figure out exactly what’s going on, but Atra himself is frustrated with his confusion and lack of direction.

‘Come on? ‘No way… Isn’t it?’

No matter how ignorant and distant Atra has been when it comes to relationships with the opposite sex.

She is a reader who has read novels filled with fresh emotions from time to time and a girl who dreams, and when she gets to this point, she begins to doubt one thing.

However, she runs wild with a high stake in the opposite sex, which means that she should not let her thoughts come to fruition.

‘No, this is it!’

A dependable figure who carries out his duty as a guard without being swayed by any temptation. She must have made up her mind there.

She was jealous after hearing her conversation with Marbella, or she was relieved to see Roman hitting her iron wall, or she instinctively thought that she might be the target of that iron wall.

You have to have a firm belief, like faith, that it won’t be something so presumptuous.

There is no time in her life for her to seek out extravagant emotions like her affection.

Didn’t she believe that there would be no empty space in her heart if she was filled with devotion and service rooted in faith?

Because it is an extremely holy and sublime feeling.

Because she believed that she must grow up with the mindset that she is someone worthy of the name saint.

‘Done. ‘Finished organizing.’

Atra bit down on her tongue as she finished whipping herself.

Her aching pain spreads inside her mouth.

‘Goddess. I’m sorry for being so lacking in faithfulness…’

After Atra was sure she had an untroubled expression painted on her face.

Lifting her head, she cleared her throat and uttered her voice.

“I’m sorry for causing you worry. I have something to think about for a moment…”

“If you’re not feeling well, I’ll at least find a place to rest.”

“No, it’s really okay.”

“···.”

I thought she did a good job of drawing the expression on her face that there was no problem, but maybe it was showing up somewhere.

Roman, who was sitting next to me, kept an uneasy silence.

“···I’ve eaten enough, so let’s move on after you finish eating.”

“Likewise, I am ready.”

Roman got up from his seat and looked for Varian who was sitting in another seat.

After hearing that they were ready, Varian took the lead again and walked down the hallway to guide the two.

··
··

Vulcan was sitting like a stone statue in the same chair as before.

The difference is that Theodore, who was lying comfortably next to him, cannot be seen.

Looking at Roman and Atra sitting on the chair that Varian had placed, Vulcan moved his heavy chin and started a conversation.

“I don’t know if I enjoyed the meal.”

“It was a great place to be able to taste precious ingredients that are hard to find in the Empire.”

“That’s good. So… What do the guests who came a long way want to ask this old man?”

In response to Vulcanus’ question, Varian, who was the only one standing in this space and waiting, busily moved around.

I handed out the papers I had in my arms to Roman and Atra.

He brought a large table from the corner and placed it in front of Vulcan, neatly laying out a large piece of paper on it.

“Varian had a hard time this time too.”

“Not at all. It’s something I enjoy doing, so I had fun preparing for it.”

“Please be kind to Theo.”

“···It is an honour!”

An item with the same content but specially designed to make it easier to read.

Vulcan slowly moved his sharp nails and crusty fingers and read his contents with concentration.

After a while, your finger leaves the paper after reaching the end of the content.

Vulcan raised his rock-like head and sighed.

“Hmm… Is it Nema Natas…”

“Vulcan, do you know about Nema Natas?”

Vulcan, who was making a clicking sound with his chin, responded positively to Atra’s question.

“There are a lot of things you can hear when you sit here, so it would be a lie to say you don’t know. I’ve heard it even when it was busy outside.”

“May I ask if you have ever encountered one?”

“After living for a long time, I have encountered warlocks, but I killed them all without talking to them, so I don’t know if they were Nema Natas.”

Even though it contains information about ceasefire and non-aggression, it mainly mentions Nema Natas.

Feeling that this was a positive sign, Atra controlled her breathing and began to explain.

“Nema Natas is growing as a parasite in the depths of power… I am confident that if this group is not eradicated now, not only the Empire and the Federation, but the entire continent will become sick.”

“Hmm…”

“The reason I stopped by the Federal Bureau this time was to cooperate with the Federal Bureau of Denomination to build a network to raise awareness of the dangers of Nema Natas and to deal with its criminals.”

“I’m listening, so please continue.”

“Thank you. Next, Nema Natas–.”

Should I say that Atra’s attitude was more earnest than when she informed the saint of the Federal State?

Even though it was explained clearly, I felt the desperation of struggling not to miss the right opportunity.

“···That is all.”

After finishing her long explanation, Atra took the bottle of water handed to her by Roman and moistened her dry mouth.

Afterwards, Varian mentioned some additional points from the Federal Bureau’s perspective.

Only then did Vulcan begin to answer in a cautious voice.

“I understood the background of the talk about the ceasefire, and I also understood why things did not work out in a good direction with the Federalist Order.”

“Thank you.”

Vulcan lifted his blade-like claws and scratched his chin, making a crackling sound that echoed through the space.

“As you know, it has been a custom for some time for us to have a Jangsaengjang sit at the head of the religious order. The impression itself is different from that of the Empire. I think the reason it is not easy to change that impression is because there are many Jangsaengjongs.”

“···.”

“At some point, the impression became stronger that the church was in charge of realistic aspects such as the supply of healing consumables to the battlefield and the deployment of personnel with divine powers. In order to properly take responsibility for this, a certain level of position is essential and connections are also necessary.”

“Yes. I understand that too.”

The reason why the Federation’s denomination cannot smoothly join forces with the Empire’s denomination is because the direction they pursue is different.

In reality, Nema Natas is not as active as the Empire, so there is no need to go out of your way to get along with the enemy.

Vulcan explained that part in a slow tone. Atra listened intently and responded.

“It will be the same in the future, because there are still old people like me alive who experienced the confusion and frustration of the early days of the religious order when polytheism disappeared. That is the problem.”

“···.”

“Unless someone who hears the voice of the Goddess appears, it will not change easily. In war, there are many times when people with shrewd insight are needed rather than people with strong faith.”

“Thank you for broadening my perspective.”

At any rate, I have no intention of preaching about the direction the federal government took the time to decide.

I just wait for a clear answer to come out of Vulcan’s mouth.

“Hmm…”

Vulcan, sitting in his chair, lets out thick drool and closes his eyes.

Everyone in the room stayed silent and waited, knowing that he was thinking about it.

After a while, I slowly open my eyes.

The revealed eyes of the Yongin tribe moved in search of their close friend’s loyal subjects.

“Varian.”

“Yes!”

“If these guests have lost their right to stay in the federal country, give it up in my name.”

“We will check and take action quickly.”

“”!””

Roman and Atra’s eyes widened in surprise.

Vulcan, who made a face that seemed to smile for the first time as he looked at the two people, continued his backstory with his jaw making a harsh sound.

“If you came as a guest of the church and things didn’t go smoothly, it would be obvious. They would be preparing a trap called a name to chase you out or catch you.”

“Thank you···!”

The start was better than expected. Since he had become so out of touch with the saint, it was difficult to call him a guest of Juberois Blanc.

If the saint had cut off their right to stay, the two could have gotten caught up in an unreasonable situation.

“It would be difficult for even an exhausted empire to reject the name of peace on the continent. There is only one thing that this old man can gain by agreeing to the big issue of a truce.”

“···.”

“I think it’s okay if Theo doesn’t get mentally ill. If this condition continues and his mind breaks down, or if he runs out of patience and starts going on a rampage in the Federation or Empire, there would be no hell like that.”

Vulcan’s eyes turned to Roman, who was sitting next to Atra.

Since it was clear that he had to hang out with Theodore at least once for the story to continue, Roman nodded his head in affirmation.

Only after receiving that signal did Vulcan follow with a satisfied look on his face.

“To sum it up, if a motion is made in the name of this old man and Theo intervenes, I think it will be possible to ignore the opinions of other races and force a truce.”

“!!!”

“But there are things you have to endure as long as you ignore all opinions. You will get caught up in troublesome things.”

Atra glanced at Roman with a guilty expression and nodded.

“I heard something in advance, so I have expectations…”

“One more thing if you expect it and take it, it’s even better if you have evidence for the motion.”

“If you say evidence… Are you talking about something like the corpse of a warlock?”

“It’s similar. I think the representatives of dwarves and humans are likely to vote in favor of opposing the elves if there is convincing evidence. Isn’t that right?”

“It is as you said, Vulcan.”

Varian also agrees with almost certainty on that point.

“It is too early to give any more definite answers than this right now… When Theo returns, we will have a proper conversation and give him an answer.”

“Thank you for your consideration!”

“I need to talk to Varian about how to select what to submit as evidence with the motion. Can you come back tomorrow evening?”

How could you refuse?

Atra repeatedly expressed his gratitude, asking me to call him anytime.

Finally, Varian apologized, saying he had something to share with Vulcan, and sent another dragon to see them off.

Roman and Atra returned to the inn where they had stayed in a dazed mood.

*****

Atra returns to the inn.

She hugged her jelly and rolled around on the bed.

“Hmm… Really…!!!”

Because she is a saint.

We should be the most happy person in the world because we have reached the conclusion of a ceasefire.

But I don’t know. I’m happy, but my heart is heavy because some scenes fill my mind.

‘She must have been angry… No matter how you look at it, she’s a strange woman…’

From the time she ate until she returned to the inn, I did not see her face once. As soon as she arrived, she entered the room as if running away.

It is clear that he gave off an atmosphere of intentional avoidance, so how bad must Roman, the person involved, feel?

If there is a place where I can confess, I feel like jumping in right away.

At this time Atra was lying on her bed, clutching her jelly and whimpering.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

– This is Roman.

“!”

He came.