Chapter 97 ….
Clack.
At Gildeti’s signal, Taksinel and Zerdik nodded and locked the door.
There was only one central entrance to the auditorium.
In other words, the place had become a sealed room.
“What…?”
“Huh?”
Before anyone could properly react to the sudden action, Taksinel drew the sword at his waist.
A chilling metallic ring echoed sharply through the hall.
The priests flinched, but they were figures of power in their own right—some even high priests from other denominations.
None of them would tolerate such treatment lightly.
An elderly man in blue priestly robes, who had been observing the situation all along, stepped forward.
It was Verzid, a high priest from one of the most renowned temples in Brion.
“…What is the meaning of this, High Priest Gildeti?”
“Please forgive us.”
“Forgive you? Since when did locking doors and drawing swords fall under that word?”
“Are you familiar with Doctrine Article 71?”
Despite the reasonable challenge, Gildeti remained calm.
Gone was his former gentle demeanor—his voice was cold and mechanical.
“Article 71… If I recall correctly, when someone has committed a taboo, the most influential priest present may carry out the sentence… Wait. A taboo? That means…?”
Crushed by the atmosphere, High Priest Verzid muttered before suddenly looking up in shock.
A taboo serious enough for another priest to execute judgment?
Such a clause did exist—but it was practically unused.
To meet its conditions, one would have to be a villain capable of throwing an entire city into chaos.
In the past thirty years, Article 71 had been invoked only twice.
And both times, for the same reason.
“One who has made a contract with the Abyss.”
“…Crunch.”
At the words someone muttered as if possessed, Zerdik clenched his teeth hard.
Blood flowed from his tightly gripped fist and ran down his sword.
The murderous glare in his eyes, as though his veins might burst, forced several priests to step back in fear.
“D-Do you mean to say that someone among us has contracted with the Abyss?!”
“T-That’s absurd! On what evidence—”
“That’s right! Just because no traces were found in the reeking Stone Forest, you suspect us?”
“And before that, you’re doing all this over the word of that man?!”
But their protests were quickly silenced.
Gildeti withdrew a box from his robes—more precisely, the black substance inside it.
At his gesture, an intense white light flared on its surface.
“Do you know what this is?”
“…That is clearly—”
“Yes. Divine power. And of considerable density. At the very least, it would require a high-ranking priest.”
“So you verified it before summoning us…”
“Then… you invited us here for this?”
At the priest’s question, swallowed down with a gulp, Gildeti did not bother to answer.
He simply spoke what duty required.
“This is a detection orb specially crafted by a master alchemist, based on my sensing ability. It detects impure energy. Preparations have been completed in advance, so everyone here can be tested.”
“….”
“I had hoped this moment would never come. I wanted to believe the divine power had merely adhered over time, and that there was another truth behind it. That is why I requested help from our honored guest… but it seems there is no other choice.”
The genuine regret in Gildeti’s voice turned cold once more.
“From this moment, step forward in order, place your hand upon the orb, and channel your energy into it.”
If it flashed white, they were normal.
If it turned black, they were contractors of the Abyss.
After briefly adding that explanation, Gildeti placed his own hand on the orb first.
White light flashed, then vanished.
“I am clear.”
At his signal, Zerdik took the orb.
He was clearly restraining his killing intent; the blood vessels in his eyes had burst.
He looked ready to cut down anyone at the slightest hint of black.
“High Priest Verzid.”
“…Ah?”
“Proceed.”
Pressed by the oppressive aura, Verzid hesitated before squeezing his eyes shut and placing his hand on the orb.
Bzzz—
The orb flashed and began absorbing the mana from his hand.
It turned white, then returned to normal.
“Pass.”
“Ha…”
As Zerdik moved on without even looking back, Verzid let out a sigh of relief.
His body, which had been stiff with tension under the young knight’s murderous presence, finally relaxed.
The others were no different.
“Haah…”
“Whew…”
Each time Zerdik declared someone clear, they wiped cold sweat from their brows and sighed.
Only a few elders and high priests remained composed.
From a distance, Dohyun nodded.
Before him floated a quest window.
[A Rat in a Jar]
Grade: Rare+
Description: In the auditorium of the Lair Grand Temple, all the most prominent high priests have gathered.
Gildeti is certain that one among them is a contractor of the Abyss.
If someone is judged to be a contractor—or attempts to flee—a bloody battle will begin immediately.
Pass the inspection safely.
On success: Linked quest “???” generated.
On failure: Hostile relationship formed with the priests of Brion.
[Forced linked quest in progress. All quests are forcibly linked until completion.]
‘So that’s why he told me to investigate the traces.’
Gildeti must have known from the beginning.
That divine power was mixed in with the Abyss’s traces.
Sending Dohyun had been bait—to gather everyone in one place.
Perhaps it had also been to verify things thoroughly just in case.
After all, nothing would pique the interest of high priests more than an outsider who knew about the Abyss.
‘Well… he probably truly hoped it wasn’t the case.’
The key point was that he hadn’t even hinted at this to Dohyun.
That meant the trust wasn’t complete.
There was likely a test in sending him to investigate.
Whether he truly possessed the ability worthy of being Raven’s top graduate.
Dohyun had passed that test.
Now, he only needed to pass the inspection.
‘It shouldn’t be hard.’
He was the successor of Kashyar—an enemy of the Abyss.
There was no way Abyssal traces would appear from him.
He just needed to watch out for any real contractor—or someone trying to flee.
Despite the warning message, it seemed easy.
‘But since this is a forced chain quest… the real danger might come later.’
Or perhaps something unexpected would happen here.
Dohyun’s eyes sharpened.
‘You never know what might appear. Stay alert.’
‘Yes, Master.’
‘Riza!’
Leaving his two Guardians with determined expressions behind him, Dohyun focused.
It was so quiet it was hard to believe so many people were gathered.
“Pass.”
“Hoo.”
Only Zerdik’s low, cold voice and the occasional faint sigh broke the silence.
But if one listened closely, whispers could be heard.
“What kind of misfortune is this…”
“The Abyss is the highest taboo. We have no choice.”
“I suspect Elder Bizeta.”
“Indeed… he’s looked as if something’s been chasing him lately.”
“What about High Priest Serdi?”
These were those who had already passed the orb.
Now confirmed innocent, they huddled together speculating.
Half the group had been tested already.
Some even suspected Dohyun.
“I find the outsider suspicious.”
“We have shared years together… Surely he is more suspect than us.”
“Since ‘that incident,’ we have been so thorough. How could another contractor appear?”
“Shh, he’ll hear you.”
“Hmph. We’ll see soon enough.”
It was natural.
Anyone would suspect strangers over long-time acquaintances.
And unlike them—true residents of this world—Dohyun really was an outsider.
There was no need to be offended.
He would prove it with results.
That was what he thought—
“Black mana will surely flow out of him.”
“Keep watch so he doesn’t try to run.”
“No need to worry. Sir Taksinel stands guard. Do you not see that murderous gaze?”
“…Ugh. It’s chilling just to look at.”
Until he heard that.
‘…Wait. Black mana?’
Dohyun’s gaze instinctively shifted beside him.
There he saw Jihad—face pale, body stiff as a board.
Dohyun had never seen his skin so drained of color.
‘…M-Master. What do I do?’
It was that serious.
Jihad’s mana was black.
Not merely dark-attribute mana.
It was pitch-black by nature.
Unlike others whose mana carried an elemental trait, Jihad’s was inherently black.
If he placed his hand on the orb, it would undoubtedly turn black.
An alarm blared in Dohyun’s mind.
‘Damn it…!’
How could he get through this?
His frantic gaze swept the hall.
Zerdik was glaring at each high priest as he tested them, ready to draw his blade at any moment.
Taksinel?
He stood firmly before the door, sword already drawn.
As the vice-commander of the Lair Holy Knights, breaking past him was impossible.
The moment they clashed, the other high priests would surround them.
Then Zerdik would join.
‘…There’s no answer.’
Nothing worked.
Those who had seemed harmless moments ago now felt like enemies.
He was standing in the middle of enemy territory.
‘Force won’t work. Escape won’t work.’
Perhaps sensing Dohyun’s agitation for the first time—
‘Master…’
Jihad looked up at him, pupils trembling.
After a moment of thought, he cautiously suggested:
‘Can’t you just cancel my summoning?’
‘…No. That would make it worse. Once I reverse-summon you, I can’t summon you again for eight hours. Suspicion would only grow.’
Dozens of eyes were already watching them.
If Jihad vanished now, they would surely suspect.
It would become a witch hunt.
That meant persuasion was the only path left.
But would they believe him?
‘No way.’
They wouldn’t even know the traits of the forgotten Black Clan.
Dohyun himself didn’t even know whether Jihad’s black mana was a racial trait—or unique to him.
It was a crisis.
He had anticipated unforeseen events, but not this.
If he died here, it wouldn’t just mean quest failure.
He would become hostile with all Brion temples.
He would never be able to set foot in Brion again.
And Brion was no mere city—it was where one began a class quest, where one met a god.
Its influence extended to the Empire.
He couldn’t allow that.
‘But how?’
He didn’t even fully understand Jihad’s black mana.
And what if—
What if Jihad truly was connected to the Abyss?
‘We don’t know enough about him. What if the Black Clan is related to the Abyss?’
What if that was why they vanished?
Damn it—it made sense.
Then a memory surfaced.
‘…No. Gamilion showed no reaction.’
Gamilion hated both gods and the Abyss.
If he had sensed Abyssal traces from Jihad, he would have reacted.
The same when they met Kashyar.
Kashyar hadn’t disliked Jihad—he’d been intrigued.
As though he knew something.
Jihad wasn’t connected to the Abyss.
‘I hope…’
The thought steadied him slightly—but it changed nothing.
He still had to prove it.
Then—
“Pass… Everyone is clear.”
“Then the remaining ones are…”
Zerdik’s footsteps stopped abruptly.
At the rustle of fabric, Dohyun lifted his head—
Countless eyes were fixed on him.
