The Yellow Universal Ticket, Registration Card- Argus’s Eye (2)

Staring blankly at the message floating in the air, I glanced at Shio, gauging his reaction. Should I really show him absorbing the book?

“What are you looking at, you rascal? Why? Did something pop up? I heard messages appear in the air for your representatives, is that it?”

“…No, it’s not.”

“Don’t lie. The moment you held that book, I couldn’t tell the nature of it, but I felt the power flowing. Go on, try it.”

When I looked at Shio with a blank expression, he smiled brightly, his eyes gleaming.

“The ‘transmission’ I gave you is also my unique power, just like Jimnas. I was called a battle horse because of it, you rascal!”

Though he pretended otherwise, Shio’s voice was full of disappointment.

However, revealing secrets just because someone else is disappointed is too worldly for me.

That said, outright refusal isn’t a good approach either. A flurry of thoughts passed through my mind in a brief moment.

“…I’ll learn it.”

In that brief moment, a level of thinking unimaginable before took place in my mind, and the conclusion I reached was to reveal part of it to Shio and gain some benefit.

Whoosh.

The thick book vanished in an instant, turning into light.

Shio’s eyes flickered with light as he alternated his gaze between the disappearing book and me.

“Oh, so you’re that kind of representative? Hmm… interesting.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. It’s the first time I’ve seen this type. Acquiring skills without reading the book, using your own technique. That’s impressive. It’s a good ability. You can further develop the skills you learn that way, right? Otherwise, you’d be too much of a jack-of-all-trades.”

“…I suppose.”

“So that’s what you mean. Hmm… I’m getting interested. Tsk! I’m someone who shouldn’t move recklessly, so I can’t follow you around and watch from the side. Drop by often. I’ll have things ready that might help. This place is beyond the gaze of those damned gods. Indeed!”

“…?”

Shio’s playful expression turned serious.

“Don’t be mistaken in thinking all transcendents hate the Heavenly Gods and Demon Gods. There are also those who are their lackeys. The ones you’ve introduced to your comrades so far are fine. However, out of the 112 transcendents, eight are lackeys of those two, and unlike me or Jimnas, 33 have no interest in those two. When you visit later, I’ll personally prepare the documents for you.”

Indeed, it was impressive. Though his actions were restricted, in Exorsus, Shio was like the Avalokiteshvara, who sees and hears all the sounds of the world.

“Thank you, Master.”

At the polite bow, Shio nodded deeply with a genuine smile, not a feigned one, for the first time.

I would visit the library again soon. There was still much to learn.

I left the library and slowly moved toward the north gate.

As I moved toward the north gate, the representatives who had been occasionally visible were no longer in sight, and families and children who seemed to be from the continent were running around or moving for their livelihoods.

Sometimes, people who recognized me would suddenly bow or hand over herbs or food they were holding.

I didn’t refuse anything given by those who shared from their meager possessions, and after accepting, I handed them potions or gold coins in return as I moved northward.

“Sir, please try this fruit. It’s a rare fruit from the Forest of Spirits, and I’ve picked the best one for you.”

A man, grinning broadly like the others, handed over a fruit wrapped in paper.

‘Insight’ activated.

Calluses, gait, and muscle distribution that don’t match a fruit vendor. Estimated to be a mid-level knight or martial artist.

‘Huh? Confirm.’

“Thank you.”

I casually offered his thanks, handed over a gold coin, and moved on.

I slowly released the ‘chaos’ dormant within myself, gradually expanding my domain around me. The cacophony of noise and the overwhelming influx of real-time information.

In the past, I would have been overwhelmed by a headache, but thanks to ‘Argus’s Eye,’ I felt no burden at all.

Moreover, despite constantly observing the representatives of Heavenly Gods and Demon Gods, except during the time I was ‘taught’ the skill.

The characteristic of chaos is that it possesses all four attributes of divine power.

So, like spreading a spirit, I continued to walk, spreading it over a wider area.

But then, I sensed something strange.

Multiple presences moving as if encircling me from a distance, centered around where I stood.

Seeing the constant movement of divine power from them, they might be maintaining communication with somewhere.

‘But did I know about this?’

A feeling that was awkward yet not awkward to me.

As I walked leisurely, I unwrapped the paper around the fruit and found writing on the inside of the packaging.

To the representative Kim Han, the protagonist of the Three Gods’ Manifestation.

I am Benialis, the representative of the Heavenly God Amos.

I heard that the Holy Union made a mistake towards you, representative Kim Han. To apologize for that, if you have some time, could we meet briefly? I will be waiting at ‘You’re Already Drunk’ on the west side of the square.

“Look at this guy? He just notified me?”

Even after reading it again, it was a one-sided notification. Does that mean this guy is… is… huh? Is he ignoring me?

It felt like hearing my own thoughts from someone else, a strange sensation.

In my previous life, Benialis maintained politeness even if the opponent was an enemy. He never easily revealed his true intentions.

He was plotting something even until the moment of his death.

But the content revealed in this note was a one-sided notification.

The conclusion is that it’s not me who’s being careless, but this guy.

The conclusion was reached, not by anyone else, but in my own mind.

“Is this… talent insight?”

Even with a reasoning ability over 100, it couldn’t be called ‘wise.’

Only in combat did I feel my reasoning ability expand. I could think of countless possibilities in a short moment.

However, in daily life, I remained unchanged, and I didn’t think much of it…

A video confirming the conclusion reached by my newly changed mind was playing on one side of my vision.

Benialis was drinking wine in a room completely sealed off from the surroundings.

A knocking sound was heard, and the man who entered after opening the door was the one who had handed him the fruit.

“I delivered it.”

“Really? Then if we wait, he’ll come. How long will it take?”

“Well, won’t he have to think about it?”

“Heh. I assure you. It’ll come today. If there’s a fool who talks about mercy in the ‘Battlefield of the Gods,’ definitely. Hahaha.”

“Look at this bastard?”

Judging by the feeling of the muscles around my mouth moving, he must be smiling.

And I felt better than I expected.

It’s a feeling I never experienced before, standing above a smart guy and looking down on him, something I never felt when I was obsessed with simple battles.

“Hoo… Well then, shall I become the greatest pushover among all the representatives?”

Confirming that there were still beings observing me from around… I ran. Not moving by using divine power, but literally swinging my arms back and forth, running earnestly.

“Huff huff. Heh.”

As if I was doing my best, I briefly made breathing sounds with my mouth and held my breath as I got closer to my destination.

The moment I entered the tavern, I exhaled the breath I had been holding, my face turning red and my breathing becoming rough. Just like a sprinter who had run with all their might.

As soon as I entered the tavern, pretending to pant with my hands on my knees and bending over, a deep male voice came from above my head.

“Have you arrived?”

The man who had handed me fruit and appeared in the video.

“Oh?!”

I successfully completed the act of pretending to be surprised without it seeming awkward to him.

He revealed his white teeth with a friendly smile and led the way, saying he would guide me.

As I moved through the tavern, I continued to spread my divine power to check my senses, feeling the presence of those who didn’t move at all in various places. Anyone could tell they were ‘guards’ by their senses.

Entering a room located deep inside the tavern, a guy who looked like a gigolo stood up and greeted me enthusiastically.

I had already decided what kind of pushover I would transform into on my way here.

“Ah, hello. I’m Kim Han.”

“Oh my! The esteemed representative is bowing too much to me.”

Benialis said that, but he never stopped me. It’s just words, only words.

“Oh, no. I heard you’re the representative of a Heavenly God.”

“Haha. Please, have a seat.”

“Yes, yes.”

Come to think of it, there was no need to worry about acting like a fool. Around this time before, I was a true fool.

I rushed to the Heavenly God’s representative’s call so quickly that I was sweating, and I sat far away at the end of the long table.

Benialis sat at the head seat, and I sat at the very end, the lowest seat.

Viewing Benialis through the eyes of the Heavenly Goddess Amor, a privilege granted by the Creator, I always observed this half-elf, hearing only my voice but not seeing my distant figure.

I kept bowing so much that my back was bending, and when asked about future plans, I spouted nonsense about wanting to make everyone happy solely through alchemy.

At first, Benialis seemed to be probing, but now occasionally shows an openly disdainful look.

As the atmosphere slowly wrapped up, I channeled a greedy merchant and brought up the previous story of the Holy Nation’s envoy.

“That’s what I’m saying, does that even make sense? Priests who serve ‘Amor’ being humiliated in front of the Dark Empire like that! Of course, I haven’t told anyone about the gift I received from the Dark Empire yet. It wasn’t what Amor wanted, after all.”

“Indeed.”

“Yes, of course. Since you’re from the side called a Heavenly God, wouldn’t you naturally be prepared?”

“…Tsk. I’ll handle that myself, specially.”

“Pardon? Ah, yes. I’m sorry.”

“…It’s fine.”

Now, he openly showed his displeasure by speaking informally.

What was he dissatisfied with? Was it because the fool was greedy? Or was it because I mocked Amor, the god he served?

I bowed until I exited the tavern, then walked past the square towards the north gate.

I tried to extend my senses to the limit, but unlike before, no one was following me this time.

Only when I arrived in front of the shabby house near the northern wall did I allow the muscles around my mouth to move freely.

“Puh, hahahahaha! Crazy fool! Kekekekeke! Oh dear!”

Those who think their own minds are superior to others. They don’t believe there could be someone smarter and more capable than themselves.

In my previous life, the reason the Heavenly God faction lost to the Demon God faction was precisely because of such arrogance.

In the final battle, Lee Hyo-ju completely dismantled Benialis’s scheme and handed it over to the Demon God faction, leading to a massacre.

Of course, even as Benialis was dying, he sowed discord between us and the Demon God faction, and we were caught off guard and ambushed, leaving us in chaos…

After shaking off a bout of laughter in front of the shabby house, he carefully opened the door, which was barely worthy of being called one, fearing it might break, and went inside.

As soon as I entered, a sharp yet musty herbal smell assaulted my nose.

Even after looking around, there was no sign of anyone.

Despite spreading my senses widely to move cautiously, nothing was detected.

“Should I just wait…? Tsk.”

“Who are you?”

“…!”

I spread my senses widely. As soon as I entered the house, I quickly scanned around.

But until I heard the voice from behind, or even now, I couldn’t detect any presence with my senses.