Chapter 94: Tip of the Iceberg - IV

In the Layers Beneath.

Silence blanketed the group after Kuvie’s admission. Clementine just looked at her dear old friend and sighed.

Taylor and Aventine... were outsiders in this conversation. So, they both stepped towards the periphery with a tacit understanding:

’Let’s watch the show?’ Aventine asked with his eyes.

’Let’s give them space?’ Taylor asked at the same time.

For a moment, the human pair paused before Taylor awkwardly looked away. On the other hand, Aventine looked away and began spacing out.

He’d begun looking into <Angel’s Bane> while Kuvie was close by and the remains of a Wolfman were somewhere deeper in the Layers Beneath.

The main characters of this event, Clementine and Kuvie, were in a heavy discussion about the latter’s double life. Even Taylor, whose perception was not as grand as Aventine’s, could tell that the two myriad race women were vexed.

Clementine’s arms were crossed. Her gaze was cold, and her level tone hid a trace of seething betrayal. The heartbreak of learning about her dear friend’s secret in this manner was quite the sting.

Kuvie felt aggrieved and indignant. She hadn’t meant to go against her own friends, but the mere fact that she kept such a secret for so long was finally backfiring. Sweat fell from her scrunched brows. Her lips almost bled from how hard she was biting them.

That was all Taylor could perceive from what was occurring. He was not well-versed in lip reading, nor was he capable of piercing through the magic that barred his senses.

Indeed.

The Satyress had cast a simple sound-isolating magic spell to keep the discussion between herself and the Snakespawn.

There was no need to drag outsiders into her problems.

Of course, such a magic spell was meaningless to Aventine.

The Info-Hunter had no qualms about eavesdropping, using every one of Kuvie’s surfacing memories as a springboard for his searches. Many of her memories were wrapped tightly in threads of <Fate>, making this the best time to infiltrate

"What led you to join such an organization... and when?" Clementine asked, feeling a tremor in her brain.

"...It was eighty-six years ago. I—" Kuvie sighed. "It was the only way to escape something far worse."

Clementine’s cold expression turned into a deep frown. "Something worse?"

Kuvie shook her head. "I can’t say anything about it. If I do, they’ll find me. They’re worse than <Angel’s Bane> when it comes to culling their traitors. Luckily, <Angel’s Bane> don’t really care as much. The moment we joined, we passed the point of no return."

There was no redemption for those who directly opposed the angels of this world.

Aventine found this intriguing. After all, the Hero of Leisha usually had an angel sealed into the <Sword of Light>.

’Wait...’

Expending a huge chunk of the <Wyrm With No Name’s> mana, Aventine threw his senses far, far West. There, he found Lila beheading a minor demon with a pair of swords clad in light-attributed mana.

Narrowing his gaze onto the <Counterfeit Sword of Light>, Aventine took a discreet look at the injured angel within.

After a glance at the angel’s wounds, he discovered something.

—[ "Hm? Who is it?" ]

...And just as the angel sensed his gaze, Aventine cut the connection.

’So it seems like <Angel’s Bane> has been active recently. That angel’s injuries were tainted by human blood—probably the result of being struck by a powerful Blood Art.’

Amused, Aventine’s senses returned to the Layers Beneath.

"So... How do you plan to explain all of this to Reazue?" Clementine was in the middle of wrapping up the conversation.

"Can you help me?" Kuvie’s eyes were watery after the recent exchange.

Clementine sighed. "Of course, Kuvie. We’ll figure out how to extricate you from <Angel’s Bane> later on... Unless you actually want to stay?"

Kuvie chewed on her lip, her eyes darting to Reazue’s face for half a breath before becoming more resolute.

"<Angel’s Bane> can help me get revenge. I still have a lot I want to achieve with them."

"I see... Then let’s deal with it as we go forward. Was your mission this time because of the <Ritual of Blasphemy> happening nearby?"

Kuvie’s eyes widened. "You encountered the Treasure Gnomes? Wait—"

She stepped back in shock. "How do you know about <Blasphemy>?"

When Clementine spoke about <Blasphemy>, it was done with the Walvaskaz intonation that spoke of a proper noun. Clearly, she knew exactly what the <Blasphemy> was, and was not merely speaking of regular old ’blasphemy.’

It had the ring that resonated with mana.

Thus, Kuvie couldn’t help but suspect that Clementine was also hiding a secret life.

"Kuvie... I’m not like you, keeping secrets and all that. I learned about <Blasphemy> from that guy." With her chin, Clementine pointed at the young human adventurer.

Kuvie looked over and saw Aventine waving at her.

"...The Info-Hunter? Wasn’t he just a D-Rank adventurer? Why would he know something about that?"

—[It’s because I am the <Info-Hunter> that I know. It would be a disgrace if I did not.]

Aventine mouthed a reply before Clementine and Kuvie could react.

"..."

The two went silent, realizing that their entire conversation had been an open secret.

"I guess only Taylor has been left out." Clementine chuckled wryly. "I should have known that your magic wouldn’t be enough to block that human’s senses. This one’s on me."

"Don’t tell me..." Kuvie suddenly stiffened up.

—[Yup. I also know that you’re the mermaid I fought before.]

Aventine mouthed another reply before Kuvie could even finish her thought.

"Ah..."

For some reason, Kuvie felt more seen than if she had walked the city streets naked. Her friends knew that she lived a double life. A stranger had listened to her pour out her heart over her life’s many woes and worries. And now it seemed like the secret organizations she was a part of were no longer as secret as she thought.

The concept and practice of <Blasphemy> that had terrified her to her core... was apparently common knowledge in this group of five.

Kuvie glanced at the blank-looking Taylor standing beside Aventine.

’At least there’s someone here who still has no idea.’

In Kuvie’s mind, Taylor’s impression had risen a notch. She could at least maintain an air of mystery in front of him.

As for Reazue... Kuvie had a feeling that the Werebat race, as they were, would be familiar with such a dire concept as <Blasphemy>, as well as its acts and rituals.

And this was just the tip of the iceberg.

—[Miss Kuvie, I understand your worries. I can help you fully terminate your relationship with the Tea Party.]

Clementine watched as Kuvie nearly choked on her own spit.