Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Secret Meeting (2)

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Their first stop was a cozy café.  

Despite being in a medieval fantasy setting, the coffee’s rich aroma filled the air as Carlisle studied Cardinal Felix across the table.  

She wore a magitek disguise mask—necessary for a high-profile figure like the Gray Cardinal to avoid attention.  

“Cozy place.”  

That was his immediate impression.  

“What’s so cozy about it?”  

“But for someone of Your Eminence’s age, I’d expect…”  

⋯⋯How to put this?  

He’d expected more mature venues, not somewhere young couples might frequent.  

Felix frowned at his implication.  

“I’m in my late twenties.”  

“⋯⋯”  

As Carlisle blinked dumbfounded, Felix continued flatly,  

“Late twenties. My apparent age is real.”  

Her tone demanded he drop the subject immediately. Flustered, Carlisle stammered,  

“⋯⋯Young Lady Gray calls you ‘old hag‘ though?”  

“That’s what she believes. My real age is late twenties.”  

“⋯⋯”  

“I spread rumors about being older deliberately. A Cardinal in their late twenties would invite underestimation.”  

The Cardinal sipped her coffee after this explanation.  

“⋯⋯Ah.”  

Unsure how to respond, Carlisle’s blank expression prompted a sigh from Felix.  

“Besides, I can’t use a drop of holy power. How could I appear younger?”  

“⋯⋯Huh?”  

“I’m powerless. Any ‘miracles’ are just tricks. I’m completely mundane.”  

Now it made sense.  

She was truly hiding nothing from Carlisle.  

‘⋯⋯Holy Sword. What we just heard—’  

[I didn’t know. At all.]  

The Holy Sword sounded pained.  

A high-ranking Cardinal incapable of wielding holy power—  

—would cause an earth-shattering scandal if revealed.  

Yet she’d casually exposed this weakness.  

“⋯⋯I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”  

“Doesn’t matter. Nobody would believe you anyway.”  

“But why tell me at all?”  

“Consider it attraction. I did say this was a seduction attempt.”  

“We haven’t interacted enough for that level of fondness.”  

Felix chuckled.  

“Bold words after witnessing my capabilities.”  

“⋯⋯I’ve been called eccentric before.”  

Gray herself had declared him ‘utterly fearless of death’.  

Endless regressions did that to a person.  

“As for reasons for attraction…”  

Felix produced an object from her pocket.  

“You resemble someone I knew. Looks and mannerisms.”  

A locket containing a photograph.  

She slid it toward Carlisle.  

“See the resemblance?”  

“⋯⋯I suppose?”  

The similarity was undeniable—it could’ve been his own adult self from a past regression.  

“Who is this?”  

“⋯⋯”  

A long silence followed before Felix smiled faintly.  

“Family.”  

“Ah. Younger brother?”  

“Father.”  

“An old photo then?”  

“No. The last one.”  

“⋯⋯”  

The man in the locket appeared younger than current Felix.  

For this to be his ‘last photo’…  

“⋯⋯My condolences.”  

“Ancient history.”  

She had a knack for uncomfortable topics.  

As Carlisle rolled his eyes, Felix set down her coffee cup.  

“⋯⋯Bitter. Let’s move.”  

Frankly, Carlisle still doubted half her claims.  

Except her inability to wield holy power—that much was undeniable.  

No supernatural practitioner would’ve failed to notice the approaching waiter before colliding.  

A yelp echoed as both tumbled, scalding liquid splashing across Felix’s arm.  

“-Yowch?!”  

She clutched her arm—clearly burned.  

What stunned Carlisle was the waiter’s reaction.  

After a panicked glance, the man snapped,

“⋯⋯You should’ve watched where you were going!”  

“⋯⋯”  

⋯⋯Unbelievable.  

Carlisle tensed, glancing between them.  

Clear mutual fault, yet provoking unnecessary conflict—especially with someone who’d just destroyed Red Alex over a phone call?  

But—  

“⋯⋯”  

Felix simply studied the waiter.  

Silently assessing.  

Then—  

“⋯⋯My apologies. That was careless of me.”  

She even smiled while retrieving compensation from her pocket.  

“Here—for dry cleaning.”  

The bewildered employee stared as they exited.  

◆  

“Easy with the—ow ow ow!”  

“⋯⋯Stop whining over ointment.”  

In a park, Carlisle bandaged Felix’s arm.  

“What was that back there?”  

“Hmm?”  

“Why no retaliation? Doesn’t seem like you.”  

“He had his reasons. Did you see him?”  

“⋯⋯Huh?”  

“Dry skin, exhausted face—clearly overworked with no self-care.”  

“⋯⋯”  

“He shifted blame because he couldn’t afford shared fault. Desperate people act desperately.”  

“⋯⋯”  

She’d deduced all that in seconds?  

More strikingly—  

Compassion.  

Prioritizing others despite her injury.  

A far cry from the Red Alex annihilator.  

“Ordinary people are why I fight. How could I protect the weak without understanding them?”  

“⋯⋯”  

As if reading his mind, she continued,  

Gray had said something similar once.  

Carlisle chuckled while applying bandages.  

“Anyway, you really can’t use anything, can you?”  

No holy power meant no injury prevention.  

Felix shrugged.  

“Born powerless. No supernatural abilities whatsoever.”  

Magic, miracles, spells—  

All required magic manipulation she lacked from birth.  

“Not unusual. Most people are like me.”  

“Remarkable you became Cardinal despite that.”  

In a world of superhumans, might inevitably ruled.  

No flock of sheep could defeat a lion.  

Yet Felix defied this axiom.  

“My normalcy got me here.”  

“Huh?”  

“I can’t do anything. So what?”  

Lacking skills meant borrowing others’.  

Need magic? Recruit the Magic Tower. Technology? Employ scientists. Combat? Hire superhumans.  

Recruitment failing? Persuade. Persuasion failing? Threaten. Threats failing? Crush them.  

Own what you cannot possess through collective strength—  

—the power of unity available even to the weak.  

Felix’s natural talent for this had forged her reputation—  

—the Gray Cardinal even the hero feared.  

“Come at me however. To protect ordinary lives, I’ll trample any fantasy.”  

Magic, divinity, demons, heroes—  

A mundane human’s declaration to all supernatural forces.  

“Countless allies died for me. I’ve buried tenfold, hundredfold that number in return.”  

Tapping her bandages, Felix continued—  

A powerless human.  

Using humanity’s wretched, underhanded strength.  

Defying those who could crush her like an insect.  

A mantis blocking a chariot. An egg smashing against stone.  

Call it recklessness, madness, or noble resolve—  

Her tone held only calm certainty.  

The conviction of proven results.  

“I’ll protect humanity my way, Carlisle Belfast. Even in defeat—this is my oath.”  

In that moment—  

—she seemed gigantic.  

Awe-inspiring charisma weighed upon him.  

“⋯⋯”  

Carlisle sighed inwardly.  

Frankly—  

‘She’s more heroic than the hero.’  

[⋯⋯Can’t deny her greatness.]  

Filthy, wallowing in mud—  

—yet vowing to protect humanity by any means against any foe.  

A guardian’s oath etched in bone and soul.  

“Which brings me to my request—the real reason we’re here.”  

“Huh?”  

“Work with me. To protect people.”  

Felix grinned.  

“My everything as payment.”  

“⋯⋯”  

“Like I said—this is seduction.”  

Between her and Gray—  

—they shared a spectacular talent for terrible explanations.  

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