Chapter 173 - Bribery
The jingle of the bell echoed in the café as two foreigners entered and glanced around.
It was a pleasant café, with people sitting comfortably, perfect for conversation.
"Jeffrey, where's the Prophet?"
"I don't know. He doesn't seem to have arrived yet, from what I see."
"Well, there's still 30 minutes left until the appointment."
Nathan and Jeffrey headed to the café mentioned by the Prophet as soon as they arrived in Korea.
Although Nathan didn't like coffee, he didn't mind sitting there.
He had come to apologize to the Prophet today and was willing to accommodate his preferences.
"Sit here."
"Yes. Do you want me to order something to drink?"
"I'm fine. Go ahead and order your coffee."
"No, thank you. If the cleric doesn't take it, I don't want it either."
Nathan smiled satisfied, but only for a moment.
"It seems that this seemingly calm guy could reach this situation because he was excited."
He couldn't help but think of the audio file threatening the Prophet.
"Why did you do it?"
"What? What are you...?"
"I thought you were a killer with a cold heart. But you got unusually hot-headed with the Prophet. Why?"
"Didn't I already say? I wanted to help C..."
"So you used such a stupid method? Also, in your voice, you didn't show coldness, but anger, like an irrational beast."
"..."
"Were you idealizing my daughter?"
Jeffrey felt a knot in his chest, but he struggled to keep calm.
"No, not at all."
"No, then why did you lose your mind? Like a love-struck fool."
"I have no excuse..."
Jeffrey simply hung his head, knowing he had nothing but excuses.
Jingle...
Jeffrey, who casually raised his head at the sound of the door opening, was left speechless.
"Oh, you're here."
Nathan turned his head to see a short Asian man walking towards them.
"The first impression isn't very impressive."
Nevertheless, Nathan, who assessed him as weak and without muscles, didn't care much.
After all, what did the impression matter?
He was the Nostradamus of this era, capable of foreseeing the future.
"Hello, Prophet."
Nathan greeted first with a friendly smile, and Ryu Min responded with a brisk nod.
"You're Nathan, right? Christine's father."
"Yes, that's right. Please, sit here."
"Pleased to meet you, Prophet."
Ryu Min glanced at Jeffrey as he greeted.
"I'm not very happy with you."
"I'm very sorry for what happened then. I truly committed an unforgivable sin against the Prophet."
To lighten the Prophet's mood, Jeffrey began with an apology.
He bowed deeply, showing sincerity.
"In Korea, bowing like this is an effective form of apology."
He had learned that information through Korean dramas.
Although it wouldn't serve much for someone like Ryu Min, who could read minds.
"Die then."
"What?"
"You said you committed a sin worthy of death. Then go out and die."
"No, Prophet. Your words are too harsh..."
"Too harsh? How strange. It's only been a few days, did you forget already? Isn't it less severe than threatening to stab and kill with a knife? Do you remember? Or should I play the audio file here to refresh your memory?"
"......"
Jeffrey's expression stiffened at the harsher reaction than expected.
After bowing as if to say "It's okay, ha, ha. It's over now," he hoped Jeffrey would smile and forgive him, but it was surprising.
Nathan also seemed surprised, unlike his appearance, to see the prophet raise his voice.
"Hmm, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I made a mistake a hundred, a thousand times."
"Why are you apologizing so much? I don't even feel your regret."
"...."
What had just happened was a provocation and a kind of test.
To easily read Jeffrey's true feelings.
And it was.
-This annoying little prophet. I can't easily kill him.
Jeffrey showed no signs of regret.
Of course, Nathan was standing next to him, simulating calmness outwardly.
'Tsk, that's why you shouldn't easily trust yellow-haired beasts.'
It wasn't surprising.
He had expected some resentment to remain.
'We can't leave variables like this, not knowing where they'll go.'
He had already decided to eliminate the variable.
From the beginning, there was no room for apologies.
Not even Nathan, who was standing by, knew that he had already prepared a gag.
"Ah, the prophet seems very angry. It seems that I also got very angry when I heard the audio file... But I think we should stop here and forgive each other generously. After all, I scolded him quite strongly and made him promise not to do it again. I don't know if you know, but the weight of an oath for those who serve the gods is different from that of a common person..."
Because his words were too long, they didn't enter his ears.
Ryu Min, who knew a bribe had been prepared, only hoped he would open it quickly.
Fortunately, Nathan read his calm expression and pulled something out of his bag with an "Ah."
"It's a five-carat diamond. In terms of Korean won, it's an amount that exceeds 300 million. Please, accept it."
"Why this?"
"It's a gesture of apology."
"The mistake wasn't Nathan's, right?"
"No, it's my mistake. Jeffrey is like a son I raised from childhood. He's almost like a son to me. Who else would you blame for a child's upbringing but the parents? So it's basically my mistake."
Ryu Min stared at the diamond silently.
For him, it wasn't a large amount of money, as he was full of money, but for others, it was such a luxurious object that it almost exceeded necessity.
'Well, there's no reason not to accept it. It'll be useless for me, so maybe I should give it to Min Juri.'
If he gave the diamond to Min Juri, she would probably take it as a debt and become even more loyal to him.
Being able to buy Buffer's heart for only 300 million wasn't a waste.
"Alright. I accept your apologies."
Ryu Min smiled as he accepted the diamond.
Although it seemed mundane, he didn't mind.
Nathan must have also included in his gesture the desire for him to take good care of his daughter.
'A deal between us, a deal.'
Although he received a bribe, there was still one thing left to receive.
"I'll go to the bathroom for a moment."
When Ryu Min rose from his seat, Jeffrey's expression quickly shifted to one of discontent.
"What the hell did that prophet say? He's hard to appease."
"It's better if you don't say that. Christine can live thanks to the presence of the prophet."
"You're overlooking important information and yet what more can you do to save her...?"
"Jeffrey."
Nathan looked at him with threatening eyes.
"I don't care if you have complaints or not. Just make sure to control your tongue in front of the prophet. Don't ruin the relationship we've barely recovered. Understood?"
"Yes, of course. Don't worry."
Though Jeffrey said not to worry, he still harbored resentment inside.
Until Yamti appeared before him.
"Hello."
"What's up?"
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's a bit noisy while we're talking. Could you speak softly, please? Please."
She appeared and disappeared in an instant, but that was enough.
To put Jeffrey under Yamti's control.
"What's going on? Who's that woman? Do you know her?"
Nathan asked Jeffrey while looking at Yamti.
When Yamti nodded, Jeffrey also turned his head.
"I don't know. I don't know that woman."
"You should be able to understand what she's saying, right?"
Then Ryu Min returned from the bathroom.
Though Ryu Min and Jeffrey glanced at each other, they didn't show hostility as before.
'He's under Yamti's dominion.'
With this, the variable was eliminated.
Detailed orders will be given by phone.
Ryu Min, with a satisfied smile, spoke kindly.
"Alright, so for the sake of reconciliation, would you take a coffee or something? I'll pay."
"Y-yes, of course."
Only Nathan, who couldn't drink coffee, frowned.
---------------
After the tenth round, the sky turned completely.
All because of the disappearance of the archangel Remiel.
"Speak honestly. Is that true?"
"Yes. I saw with my own eyes when they entered and exited the Akashic Records."
"Was that the last you saw of the archangels?"
"Yes, that's right."
Upon hearing the soldiers' testimony, Michael, the archangel, furrowed his smooth forehead slightly.
"Understood. Go investigate."
"Yes!"
Michael, with folded wings, sank into his thoughts.
He had gathered all possible information through the soldiers' testimonies.
'I've always heard of a player who summons and kills angels at the Altar of Trust. But...'
Interestingly, it was at that moment when Remiel disappeared.
The last time the soldiers saw her was when she left the Akashic Records and went somewhere.
'Is it possible that she also descended to the Altar of Trust following the player?'
Then why hasn't she returned to heaven after several days?
Why hasn't she received any communication from the archangel with absolute power among the seven?
The only hypothesis that came to his mind in the end was:
'Is she dead? Remiel?'
Did she die fighting the player who claimed to be killing angels?
'Although it's hard to believe. Was the archangel of the seven defeated by a player who was still in the tenth round?'
But apart from that, there were no other reasonable hypotheses.
'In the end, should I go see the Akashic Records?'
He already knew that Remiel frequently visited the Akashic Records.
She often said she would go listen to other stories from different dimensions when she was bored.
'After leaving there, she went straight to the Altar of Trust. As if she had heard beforehand information about angels being killed.'
The only way to hear news beforehand from the Akashic Records blocked for external connections is one.
"Surely she heard something from Rubuahi."
The sentient being enjoyed making noise, so perhaps it told Remiel the story of Earth.
Flash-
Michael, who arrived in front of the Akashic Records through teleportation in an instant, opened the door.
Creak- Empty!
Upon entering, the door closed, and he could see Rubuahi standing as if waiting.
"[Archangel above the Archangel, I present to you Michael]."
"Did you know I would come?"
"Yes. The Akashic Records, a collection of information from incomparable higher dimensions in the universe, truly reveal many things."
"Then surely you'll know why I've come."
"For Remiel."
"That's right. You'll already know, but she's disappeared. It would be good if you told me honestly what happened."
"Have you heard of Black Scythe?"
The unexpected statement made Michael's eyebrow raise.
"What's that?"
"You haven't heard of him. He's the player currently ranked first."
"Is he the criminal who slaughtered the soldiers?"
"That's right."
"An uncouth fellow. To dare to have the intent to kill an angel."
"Not just soldiers. Remiel fell to him too."
"......"
Though he expected it, hearing it directly was somewhat shocking.
"A group of seven archangels who can take on a hundred first-class angels was defeated by a simple human? Is that possible?"
"Regardless of whether it's possible or not, it has already happened."
"......"
Rubuahi wouldn't lie.
"Black Scythe... an unusual one among humans."
It had barely been ten rounds and he had already become strong enough to kill an archangel.
"An extraordinary human being. However, that's only until today."
He wasn't a soldier, and now that an archangel had died, like Michael, the leader, he couldn't overlook the issue.
"We should kill him before he grows stronger."
"Black Scythe is still on Earth. In a few days, round 11 will begin."
"Then we should target him when round 11 starts. Opening and manifesting through the dimensional gate would be too heavy a burden."
"That would be best. But I would recommend you wait not for round 11, but a little longer."
"What's the reason?"
Rubuahi, who had been silent for a moment, opened his mouth.
"Because that will be much more useful in achieving Michael's cause."
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