assistirfilmes Chapter 163
Chapter 163
After stopping the sinister scheme of the Hunter Followers and bandits, the Knight Order of Lontan began preparing for a full-scale war.
Their target—stopping the Giant of the Snowy Mountain.
Even the ever-confident Knight Commander adopted a more serious tone as she focused on crafting the operation plan.
The previous disaster, which came from underestimating the enemy, clearly made her determined never to repeat such a mistake.
Humans tend to be most vulnerable when overly confident.
Just as high energy states are labeled unstable, excitement often leads to errors.
“For this operation, the most important role will fall to you, Raydan Tantan.”
The Knight Commander pointed her chin at me as she spoke.
The officers in the room all nodded solemnly at her words.
An enemy that couldn’t be defeated by human strength alone.
Coming from someone who had experienced that firsthand, it was a reality no one dared question.
“So, Tantan, how many external gods are currently in contact with you?”
The Vice Commander, holding a sheet of paper and a pen, looked at me—clearly ready to document my response.
“One being close to a Greater External God, four Greater External Gods, and additional support from the late Empress.”
It was the first time I’d ever revealed the full extent of my forces.
Hearing it directly from me instead of observing indirectly must have surprised them. Murmurs rippled through the officers.
Especially after mentioning the Empress’s support, the atmosphere grew even more charged.
“The late Empress? Are you talking about the External God woman who assassinated the Emperor?”
“She’s helping us? That’s...hard to believe.”
Their skepticism was understandable.
Gaia’s schemes ensured that the Empress’s true story never reached the people.
I could only hope the Empress’s tale—of standing vigil over the Emperor’s corpse—would spread one day.
“The Empress is merely a victim of conspiracy. Even now, she silently watches over the Emperor’s remains.”
“What...?”
The knights looked puzzled—none of them had heard such a story.
One officer furrowed his brow and voiced his doubt.
“If I explained it all now, it would only weigh heavily on your minds. Personal emotions lead to hesitation. You’ll learn the full truth when this is over. For now, I’ll just say that the Empress will be a reliable ally.”
A man commanding five deities beyond human comprehension.
And that man openly supporting the Empress who allegedly murdered the Emperor.
It was enough to fill the room with unease and whispers.
Some looked at me as if I were some dangerous mutant.
Yet not a single one of them dared to challenge me outright.
Given everything I had done to protect Lontan, trying to discredit me would only make them look foolish.
After all, the very powers they despised—those of the external gods—were what I had wielded to shield them.
And considering that the Demon God had once served as the Vice Commander of Lintpia, they couldn’t be entirely ignorant of what external gods truly were.
Amid the murmurs, the quiet sound of the Vice Commander’s pen filled the room.
Once she finished, she smacked the table with her palm, drawing everyone’s attention.
“This is a strategy meeting. Leave your personal feelings out of it.”
“But Vice Commander, we’re talking about the power of external gods. It’s not that we don’t appreciate Tantan’s efforts—we do. But we can’t ignore how uneasy this makes us.”
One of the officers spoke in a calm tone.
Good words deserve good answers.
The Vice Commander nodded, seeming to acknowledge the sentiment before speaking again.
But that also meant we could fully utilize their power in more flexible, incidental circumstances.
Like when Oko and Aftha supported me in dealing with the interrogator.
Realization finally dawned on the officers, and they let out sighs of understanding.
The Vice Commander grinned and spoke up.
“Let’s take a short break. It looks like we’ll need to meet with the External Gods soon.”
Her words caused another stir in the meeting hall, but the Knight Commander and Vice Commander left without hesitation.
I didn’t want to get caught up in the inevitable flood of questions, so I quickly followed them outside.
Break
Standing on the rooftop furnace of the headquarters, I once again gazed at the stunning scenery.
When I first saw it, I thought it was beautiful.
Now, knowing that the snow expressed Her Highness’s loneliness and how helpless she felt watching it fall, it only seemed melancholic.
While lost in thought, I sensed someone approaching.
Turning to look, I felt my stomach sink slightly.
Muyeon was walking toward me, her expression nervous.
“Mu-Muyeon?”
“Raydan.”
Fidgeting with her fingers, Muyeon hesitated before suddenly fixing me with a determined look.
Her body trembled slightly—probably because she was trying to follow through on what she had said during the battle against the bandits.
“You remember what I said, don’t you?”
“Uh, yeah, but right now...”
“No! I have to say it now! It took me forever to get this far, and—do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?!”
Wait, wait.
Not now.
Not here.
Oh no.
Ignoring my protests, Muyeon pressed on and finally blurted out what she’d been holding back.
“Raydan! Ever since what happened in the Gardener’s Garden, I’ve liked you! S-So...”
She said it.
Muyeon actually said it.
I nervously glanced back toward the headquarters, unsure of what to say.
Muyeon’s face fell as she saw my hesitation.
“So... you don’t like me back?”
“No, that’s not it...”
Blinking in confusion, Muyeon turned to follow my gaze—and finally noticed what had left me speechless.
The officers had come outside for their break.
They were now peeking at us from behind the door.
Among them were none other than the Demon God and Baek Gamyeon.
The Demon God burst out laughing.
Muyeon turned red—so red it looked like her head might explode.
Baek Gamyeon, meanwhile, smirked at me.
“You really are a sinful man, Raydan.”
Damn it.