NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 92
Chapter 92. Father, what on Earth… (2)
“You must know well what a Saint is. Not only do they wield powers equal to royalty, but their potential has reached its peak.”
“Honestly, I wish I never had to meet her.”
“I feel the same, but she is one of the top clerics in this sect. Just a single word from her can change everything here.”
When I think of Nebia Chromag, I immediately picture the ‘Fire Ant.’ They are incredibly aggressive and ferocious, biting until the very end once provoked.
There’s no mercy, regardless of whether one holds a grudge or not.
“She is described as ruthless enough to abandon not just foes but even close friends.”
On the surface, she appears as a Saint, wearing a kind and gentle mask.
However, underneath lies a monster that suppresses anything it dislikes with absolute power.
When Nebia is mentioned, an image automatically comes to mind: the villainess in a dramatic mess flipping items off tables when things don’t go her way.
That’s exactly the vibe.
“Be careful to avoid encounters with Saint Nebia. Among all the Saints in history, her temper is fiery, which makes safety a concern.”
This person seemed to understand Nebia’s temperament and gave me a warning.
Saints are supposed to embody a kind and devout image, akin to angels descended to the earth.
They are chosen by the gods to inherit great divine powers, serving as beacons of hope for the people.
But maybe the gods have gone blind. How could they bestow such ferocity on a little girl like her, aside from Angela?
And Nebia’s character doesn’t seem to evolve in the story either.
Rather than a redemption arc, she’s a villain who struggles and ends up dead—if that’s not tragic blindness, what is?
“I’ve heard she is quite a scary person; I can’t fathom what the gods are thinking.”
“I understand your sentiment too. But there must be a reason she was chosen. This light granted to our sect is the result of our long-standing faith, so it would be unreasonable to turn our backs on it.”
Regardless of her pointless demise in the main story, Nebia was undoubtedly a top talent.
If she were to be stripped of her title, other organizations would surely recognize and support her talent.
There would be groups with similar inclinations, or extreme devotees like the Archbishop who would rally behind her.
Cardinals are not just about Belion.
“By the way, do you happen to have Leviathan?”
“How did you know?”
“I heard it from Cage. He mentioned he relinquished his precious treasure to some student and sent me a letter. It was soaked with tears.”
Thinking back, I had heard that Cage had multiple connections within our sect.
One of them seems to be Belion.
But a letter soaked with tears? Could it be that he cried? Just over a fishing rod?
“Could I see it?”
I had no reason to refuse.
I raised my hand, and Leviathan automatically manifested in my grip.
Belion’s eyes lit up as he saw it.
“Ooooh… as always, it’s a splendid sight.”
“What?”
“Oh, I got a bit carried away. Can you show it to me?”
Like Cage, this guy seemed slightly off his rocker.
When I offered him the fishing rod, he placed his hand on it and began to imbue it with a divine aura.
While there were no significant changes to its appearance, a mist surrounded the entire fishing rod.
“I hear people say it’s used as a weapon, but it’s taken quite a beating. I worry about what will happen if it breaks.”
In this world, nothing remains unbroken.
Neither magical devices nor artifacts are exceptions, and as their usage extends, durability wanes, leading to breakage.
“This was initially intended for everyday use, so its durability is infinitely lower than a fine sword. Thus, it needs to be reinforced.”
The reason it hasn’t broken despite all the swinging is solely due to the ‘Phantasm Swordsmanship’ skill. Without that, no matter how sturdy Leviathan was, it would have cracked long ago.
“That should do it. I’ve increased the fishing rod’s durability, so it’s tougher than before. It’d be unfortunate if such a precious holy sword broke.”
“Excuse me, but this isn’t a holy sword.”
“Perspectives vary from person to person. A fishing rod is always beautiful in any context.”
Looks like this guy also had a few screws loose.
Just like Cage. Why are these middle-aged men so obsessed with fishing?
It’s as if they’re planning to take up fishing on the side.
*
Honestly, standing in front of someone of such lofty status was a bit surreal.
I had to refine my usual cocky manner into something more dignified, which was quite the conundrum.
While I had managed to deal with ‘Dana ka’ in the army, remembering the confusion surrounding honorifics was a nasty headache.
It took me some time to adapt to these things as well.
Making a blunder in front of high-ranking individuals would surely invite sour glares—that alone is torture.
I’ve heard that Saints receive special training to maintain proper demeanor in front of others.
It must be why they appeared more mature when we reunited after a while.
Nebia Chromag was no exception.
“Nice to meet you, Radon Crawler senior.”
“….”
As I returned to Angela’s room, I found the last person I wanted to see waiting for me.
The silky green hair was quite familiar.
Like Angela, she wore a rather tight nun’s habit that outlined her figure, and a two-split flowing skirt made an impression.
“Nice to meet you.”
Nebia, another Saint from the Holy Cross Sect, greeted me.
She reached out her hand for a handshake, but I had the urge to cross my arms behind my back. Yet, I couldn’t defy her here, so I shook her hand.
“Likewise, I’m glad to meet you.”
Nebia smirked as we shook hands.
Her greeting showed zero warmth, and after finishing, she plopped down on the sofa.
“I was curious about Angela’s sister and other acquaintances, so I came to check. Things seem moderate, I suppose.”
The room, which had been buzzing before I left, now bore an oppressive silence.
Angela was casting wary glances towards her as her demeanor turned stoic. The other group members were also swallowed by the atmosphere, finding it hard to speak.
“Though you were designated a candidate two years after me, you’ve earned quite a reputation, Angela. Truly impressive.”
On the surface, her smiling face could be mistaken for a compliment.
But considering her true intentions, it was far from genuine flattery.
“And this… it’s tastier than I expected. I doubt there’s a place in this tower that makes such a thing. Who made it?”
Nebia pointed to the last remaining rice ball and popped it into her mouth.
At her question, all eyes turned to me.
Seeing that reaction, Nebia quickly connected the dots.
“If it’s not too much trouble, could you make more? It’s difficult to eat such common food, even if it’s delicious.”
Nebia bore a sense of inferiority towards Angela in the story. She was designated a candidate later yet possessed better lineage and magical power.
To her, filled with ambition and distorted desires, Angela was a nauseating presence.
Thus, she wouldn’t casually barge into Angela’s room.
Let alone feeling the need to meet the Aligieri Student who helped on a mission.
‘Is it because of me?’
I didn’t know much about her past. If what Cardinal Belion said was true, it was likely she bore resentment towards me.
It was my father who truly wronged her, and yet it made sense she’d want to take it out on his son.
‘It’s time to use this skill.’
– Ma’an Lv1
——————————
< Nebia Chromag >
Race: Human
Class: Saint
Divine Power: Level 7
Mana: 40/40
Divine Spirit Power: 180/180
Disposition: Authoritarian/Arrogant
Feelings towards the user: Friendly (Medium)
——————————
Huh? Friendly?
That was a rather shocking outcome.
It felt as though something I had presumed had instantly slapped me in the face.
How strange. There’s no way she could harbor any good feelings toward the son of the person who prevented her mother’s aphasia from being treated!
Could it be another variable at play, just like before? But I couldn’t pinpoint anything.
Creak—
At that moment, the door opened again, and Maid Leona entered.
“This time, the rest of the students excluding Radon Crawler are requested to meet the Cardinal.”
Indeed, Belion had mentioned he would call them too, but the timing couldn’t be more coincidental.
“I’ll be back. Radon.”
“Okay.”
Starting with Jenny, one by one, they began to leave.
Now the only remaining person was Angela, but even she had no choice but to leave due to the atmosphere.
“Angela, could you step out for a moment? I’d like to have a one-on-one conversation with this person.”
“What kind of conversation are you going to have?”
“Nothing strange; don’t look too suspicious.”
Could she have thought that I was the one causing friction? Angela stood up and exited just like that.
Angela’s wariness towards Nebia stemmed solely from rumors about her fiery personality. At this point, she still hadn’t grasped the core of who Nebia really was.
That might be why she didn’t give me a warning before leaving.
“What do you want to talk about?”
The moment for a tête-à-tête arrived, and before silence could take hold, Nebia came straight to the point.
“Several years ago, do you know about the Crawler Count who visited Kreuz?”
“I know him well. I heard the details from Cardinal Belion just a moment ago, so there’s no need for a lengthy explanation.”
“Then let’s get straight to the point, Radon Crawler.”
Nebia’s lips curled as she spoke.
“I quite like you.”
“….”
“You might not understand, but I’m grateful to your father, Rotas Crawler.”
It felt strange to find out that she bore goodwill not just towards me but towards my family as well.
“Is it alright that my mother is still suffering from aphasia?”
“Of course, it’s fine. That was nothing compared to my mother’s situation.”
“Huh?”
When I asked what she meant, something I was oblivious to slipped from her lips.
“I was never the kind and benevolent Saint from the beginning. I was merely a dropout from a slum in the northern part of the continent. My mother used to vent her frustrations on me whenever things went wrong. My only hope was my brother, but…”
He died alongside my father.
The stress on the pair of remaining mother and daughter must have reached its peak after they both died.
“Due to the worsening circumstances, my mother always raised her voice. She would scream at me to the point it felt like her throat would tear apart over trivial matters. The reason for her aphasia? Simple. It would be strange not to develop it after so much screaming.”
Nebia had an innate sharpness to her hearing.
She could read her mother’s terrifying emotions through those ears, which resulted in a lifelong trauma.
Now, just by looking at her mother’s face, the chills ran down her spine, fearing another outburst.
“Thanks to that aphasia, I experienced a bit of happiness from the lack of loud noises. Plus, after I was chosen as a Saint and arrived at Kreuz, I thought a flowery path awaited.”
“….”
“But the sect was too kind. They went out of their way to relocate my mother to Kreuz and attempted to cure her voice.”
The sect was unnecessarily kind.
They believed that bestowing any benefits to the one who gave birth to a Saint would be rewarding.
No matter how much of a Saint she became, she couldn’t shake the fear of that voice.
Every time she heard it in a dream, she would wake up covering her mouth and rushing to the bathroom.
“Of course, I tried to stop it. But the sect argued that it was against their doctrine to show disrespect. Even when I explained what that man had done to me, there were plenty who were determined to heal her just to fill a line of faith.”
They thought that treating the mother of a Saint would grant them blessings.
It was a typical mindset of a religion that believed doing good would inevitably make one benevolent.
“But a savior appeared. At that time, your father purchased most of the sacred relics of Kreuz, thus eliminating any means to cure that woman.”
As a result, her aphasia worsened, leaving her forever unrecoverable.
If Rotas Crawler hadn’t appeared, Nebia would have likely been hearing that voice by now.
“I don’t know what your relationship with Angela is, but I feel gratitude towards your father.”
It was an unintended rescue. At that time, my father only cared about lifting the curse from the liar; nothing else mattered to him.
“How about joining me as an ally?”
She stepped lightly closer, speaking softly.
At first, I expected her to be hostile and issue a threat—but what is this strange turn of events?
Even if it’s shameless… Father, could he be a god?
Surviving as an Academy Scammer.