PRKE 39

CHAPTER 39……………………………..

“Eh? Why do you think so?”

Giovanni’s black eyes sank deep.

“The blazing sun. The heated ground. Doesn’t that remind you of something?”

“Oh, now that you mention it…”

Kitchev’s eyes widened.

Despite being not far from Riorza, the desert empire of Doverakan had such an extreme lack of rain that it was once even labeled by scholars as a cursed land. And that stigma still remained.

“Which means?”

“The kingdom might be experiencing desertification as well.”

“But why all of a sudden?”

“Has the empire’s desert ever needed a reason?”

Crunch. Kitchev, having devoured another sausage, fell silent for a moment, then nodded.

“If desertification spreads throughout the kingdom, even the king will have a headache.”

“Most likely. I wonder what measures the kingdom will take.”

“Unlike us, they have priests. It shouldn’t take long to resolve.”

“…….”

“Your Highness?”

Giovanni nodded belatedly, wearing an inscrutable expression.

[Our blood has carried the sun and fire for generations; if you go, the waterways of Riorza might dry up completely! Hahaha.]

Why did the Khan’s joking words to him as he departed for the kingdom come to mind?

Soldiers marched in orderly steps around the steep canyon.

Scholars, escorted by these guards, came and went from the canyon’s temple.

The temple’s excavation this time had been pure luck.

A minor earthquake caused the rocks outside the canyon to collapse, revealing a temple that had been hidden inside.

As is always the case with newly discovered temples, civilian access was strictly controlled.

“The security is stricter than I expected. I don’t think we can get through on our own.”

From a short distance, Kitchev, surveying the temple, glanced back at Giovanni. Folding his arms, he shook his head.

“Let’s watch a little longer.”

At that moment, a group of people emerged from inside the temple.

They were scholars wearing black cloaks and sturdy hats, cautious of potential falling rocks.

Giovanni’s eyes were drawn to the man standing in the middle of them.

“There’s a way.”

“Huh? A way?”

Giovanni nodded and focused on the scholars—more specifically, on that man.

Under a thick hat, his blonde hair and pale skin framed striking green eyes that radiated a cold brilliance.

A familiar face.

[It’s a pleasure to meet the glory of the empire.]

His greeting subtly revealed that he was well-informed about the empire’s affairs, which left a strong impression.

Though the words seemed trivial, they were spoken with a soft, gentle expression, creating a confusing impression.

Compared to other people from the empire, he had appeared delicate, almost weak, yet he was as handsome as a gentleman from a literary work—but it did not inspire warmth.

His slightly drooping eyelids and cold gaze prevented one from lowering their guard.

His eyes, partially hidden under thick laughter, seemed to mask contempt.

‘What a ridiculous man.’

Kitchev looked at Giovanni in puzzlement as he let out a small chuckle.

“What did you notice?”

“Hubert Lorenst.”

“Count Lorenst?”

“Yes. It seems he is responsible for this place.”

Kitchev, still unsure of Giovanni’s “way,” tilted his head.

“We have an excellent partner, don’t we?”

A few seconds later, Kitchev exclaimed in astonishment.

“Ah! Egrain ‘Lorenst’!”

He looked at Giovanni with eyes full of admiration.

“You anticipated even this situation? Honestly, I still couldn’t understand why that woman, but as expected of Your Highness.”

Kitchev’s respect deepened further, and Giovanni just smiled.

‘No way.’

He was not a deity; how could he have anticipated this situation? He had only thought she might be helpful.

At the time, he had just thought she was the suitable person.

He hadn’t expected to receive cooperation in this way.

The secret café, entered with black veils, was unusual from the entrance.

Ordinary handcuffs, handcuffs made of rabbit fur, and candles of various colors, whose purpose he didn’t want to know…

…amazing.

Suppressing the urge to look around, he entered the room assigned to him.

Not long after, Giovanni, whose face was also concealed, entered.

That person’s build served as identification—did he even need to hide his face?

As he idly thought this, the frowning Giovanni sat in front of him.

“You don’t look happy.”

“…Do we have to meet in a place like this?”

It was the first time Giovanni had complained, so he remained silent for a moment.

“It’s not good to be noticed by others.”

Giovanni’s gaze held some confusion. After all, they had gone on “forced dates” by royal demand before, so this sudden caution was unusual.

‘It would be bad if Princess Laratu heard about this.’

Networking was harder than he thought.

“Still, next time, somewhere else would be better.”

Giovanni glanced around the dark, reddish room uneasily and tapped a whip hanging on the wall.

The spikes on its tip rattled. Even behind the mask, it seemed his expression faltered.

Embarrassed, he quickly explained.

“I’m not a high-ranking noble, and I can’t enter anonymous salons. It’s a bit embarrassing here, but at least anonymity is guaranteed. Perverts are especially sensitive to that.”

“…I won’t ask how you know this place.”

At first, he didn’t understand. Soon, his face flushed.

“You can ask if you want.”

He gritted his teeth as he spoke, but Giovanni nonchalantly shook his head.

“Enough.”

That reaction felt even more unsettling.

“So, what did you call me here for this time?”

Suppressing his uneasy feelings, he asked, only to have a small box placed before him.

Expecting instructions to steal valuables or temple gems, he blinked at the sudden appearance of the box.

Giovanni said,

“It’s a gift.”

“What is this?”

Glancing at him for an answer, he studied Giovanni’s expressionless face and quickly understood.

“Oh, I see. It’s a map.”

“A map?”

“A map marking where to search. I’ve received assignments like this before. But the box is too small to be a map…”

Confidently, he opened the lid.

Inside was a small bottle wrapped in velvet.

“Huh?”

The bottle looked like a perfume. He carefully lifted the sparkling crystal bottle.

Though it looked like perfume, it surely wasn’t.

A potion, perhaps. Just as he knew a poor pharmacist in Amtein, Giovanni might know one too.

Could it be he realized I can use the priests’ powers?!

“Is this… a truth potion that makes one speak any truth after smelling it?”

Giovanni’s brow furrowed.

“What do you mean?”

‘Maybe not.’

Opening the crystal bottle, a floral scent spread gently. Nothing felt strange.

Glancing at Giovanni, arms crossed, he was watching him.

“Really… perfume, huh?”

“Yes. They recommended it as a gift for a woman. I thought it suited you, so I chose it.”

“….”

“A map, you said?”

He laughed awkwardly.

“I wasn’t expecting a gift.”

“It’s a token of appreciation for your work.”

‘I have worked hard.’

He really had been stealing diligently.

“I wasn’t expecting this. Thank you.”

Giovanni merely nodded slightly. Feeling a bit embarrassed under his gaze, he cleared his throat.

“You called just to give this? I thought there’d be another task.”

“That too.”

“Eh?”

Stopping to smell it, he looked up.

“Yes, I need your cooperation. Can you manage it?”

“As long as it’s not stealing from the royal family.”

“Really?”

“You know my skills, right?”

He grinned.

“Did you gain much from what I brought?”

Giovanni shook his head.

“Too bad.”

Though he had secured many objects close to divine relics, there was nothing useful to Giovanni.

‘That actually helped me.’

Since many items were connected to priests, he could absorb more of their powers.

Lately, no matter where he went, he kept seeing priests’ tattoos. He even wondered absurdly if the tattoos were calling to him.

Rain summoning had become easier, so his power must have grown.

Leo had said the priestly aptitude he possessed was “absorbing power.”

“Tell me. I’ll help as best I can if it’s something I can do.”

Spraying perfume on his wrist and smelling it, he asked.

The more he smelled it, the better he felt.

“I need the records of the newly excavated Western Temple.”

He almost brushed it off casually.

Paused.

“…Excuse me?”

The smile on his lips stiffened. He looked up slightly.

“You, as an empire person, may not know, but that’s not an easy task.”

“It’s not stealing from the royal family, right?”

“That’s true, but…”

Giovanni raised the corner of his mouth knowingly.

“You can handle it, can’t you?”

Damn it.

Now he understood why he received the gift.

A reward for his efforts.

‘Excavating the temple under excavation is harder than breaking into most wealthy homes.’

Because soldiers were everywhere.

Even after excavation, security would be tight; during excavation, it was like a royal palace.

After stealing, it would be even more problematic. The repercussions would differ from ordinary temples or wealthy homes.

‘Stealing this will be tough.’

He glanced at Hubert across from him. He looked exhausted, which made sense after over two weeks of outdoor work.

When asked to have tea, he agreed quickly. That was fine.

‘If I say I want to go to the temple, they might get suspicious.’

He had a feeling there was a clever way, but nothing clear came to mind. His thoughts were messy.

He resented Giovanni for passing such a difficult problem.

‘But the idea that the kingdom’s relics might be in an unexcavated temple is plausible.’

At first, he searched for relics at Giovanni’s request, but now he was genuinely invested.

Absorbing priests’ powers made him more curious.

Where does this power come from?

Why did the gods grant it to us?

Chasing relics might reveal a clue.

The undiscovered temple seemed like a perfect opportunity.