Chapter 730: Doubt and Conviction (4)

“It’s such a tragedy. A great tragedy.”

I noticed the hall had become quiet.

I didn’t mean to point my finger at Cherubim, but who wouldn’t notice that I was solving the story with such a nuance?

I wanted to catch him right away, but I had to be careful, too.

I wasn’t stupid enough to rush into a situation where all the supplies weren’t ready yet.

A moment of silence permeated around the hall. Everyone was looking at Cherubim and me, so it was a little burdensome, but wasn’t Light Kiyoung originally a stage person from the beginning? That gaze was rather pleasing.

When I turned my head slightly, I saw an angel with blue hair.

Cherubim rolled his head. I did say that vaguely.

Raising his voice would make him look weird, and it wasn’t appropriate to deny it either.

What he chose, after all, was to accept my words. It was clear that it was probably the only thing he could do.

“…”

“…”

“I agree with you. It looks like a rat is hiding.”

The story that there was a rat had been confirmed.

“Yes, I guess so.”

Cherubim also put his hand on the most appropriate option. Wasn’t it an expression that conveyed that he wanted to spare some time?

Just as I was hesitant to rush in, so was he suddenly hesitant to push back.

There was a lot I wanted to say, but there was still an order for everything.

The build-up was just as important. I wished I could’ve gone wild and blew myself up, but unfortunately, I wasn’t that stupid.

Rather, the eyes looking at me seemed to tell me to give it a try. It was quite obvious.

“And was that question was aimed at me?”

In that fashion…

Perhaps he felt he needed to defend himself at least once.

“What kind of question are you talking about…?”

“If I wanted to go to war with humans?”

“I never said that.”

“It’s not just you and the elders here who have a hard time when things go wrong. Doesn’t everyone here know that I’m also losing money? I’m not making excuses, but I want you to apologize for what you just said. I’ve already reached out to join the new plan. I wouldn’t deny that I was hoping to keep the existing plan, but it’s already a story of the past. Isn’t everyone here the same? Stances can be changed.”

‘So you’ll pretend you don’t know what’s going on, for now, right?’

“We apologize if you felt uncomfortable. It wasn’t meant to be aimed at Cherubim. It’s such a sudden situation… Once again, I formally apologize.”

“I’ll take it.”

“But it’s true that a squeaky rat is hiding in the temple. I don’t know what the purpose is exactly, but there’s a need for us to work together to find out who it is. We don’t know what’s going to happen after this.”

“It is as you said. Humans who reached out to us were attacked. It’s just me, Dominions, Seraphim, and Lee Kiyoung who know that fact. Of course, we can’t rule out the possibility that this word might have slipped out to external forces, but if what you say is true, it’s right that you should put yourself on the list of suspects.”

“But there is no motive.”

“I can’t say that there is no motive. Let’s say you haven’t taken off the human mask yet.”

“I’m not a human being. The wings behind my back are proof.”

“Then let’s assume that your heart is still with them.”

“I’ve already been judged. I know better than anyone what’s right or wrong, what’s truly the way for the continent. Isn’t that why we came up with a new kind of plan? I can’t blend in with them. My nature has changed.”

“I’m not saying you’re the culprit, either. But if that’s the case, you have plenty of motivation. Aren’t the humans who reached out to us, in your perspective, have become enemies? They are human beings who can be regarded as traitors to mankind.”

“I don’t have the ability to lead angels. Cherubim, I am not in a position to grant permission or provide decisive orders. If I were the rat, how could I bring them in?”

That was right. I didn’t have the ability to do that, and I was sure he knew that the best.

“Maybe there’s a possibility that it’s something in the form of an angel.”

“Possibility, possibility, possibility. I don’t understand exactly what Cherubim is saying. So, Cherubim says I created something similar to an angel and sent them to kill human traitors? Of course, there’s no evidence? Oh, you said ‘possibility.’ I forgot. I wonder why you’ve opened your mouth and brought it up with a simple assumption.”

“There is no need to overstate it again. I didn’t even say you were the rat. It’s just that you can’t get away with being the candidate either. I just said that because I thought it was right to open up every possibility.”

“Yes, we have to keep all possibilities open, but that means…”

“Of course, I don’t deny that I’m also a suspect. If an investigation is needed, it can be done faithfully. But the same is true of you. The same goes for Seraphim and Dominions. If anyone else thinks the investigation is necessary…”

‘Head-on breakthrough.’

It was really like him. Since he had done nothing wrong, he could be confident. It would be clear that my side was also presupposing the possibility of tampering with evidence. Otherwise, he wouldn’t act like that.

‘Is there something in store?’

He might’ve been thinking it’s right to prepare from that point on. At least he felt that he could defend himself.

Looking around a little bit, pigeons began to react vaguely.

“Then…”

“It is right to create and operate a new institution. An independent agency in which the four first suspects cannot be involved. If the institutions are investigated one by one as they are created, then there will be nothing to come up with.”

‘Did he expect this?’

“I think it’s a good idea to have it consist of half the angels who invested in the new plan and half the angels who didn’t.”

‘You seem to be moving on too smoothly… Are you preparing for something?’

“It would be beneficial to find a way to defend yourself.”

‘Oh, you… you expected this, didn’t you?’

That little punk.

‘You really prepared for this, didn’t you?’

It was just for a brief moment, but the back of my head had begun to feel itchy. It wasn’t exactly right, but I could feel him patting me on the back of my head.

I could tell for sure that I was right when I saw his eyes staring at me. I thought he was the type who wouldn’t do anything that would hurt my brain, but I turned out to be wrong.

It really started to get a little cold when I thought Cherubim was expecting me to sell the trap.

Of course, he didn’t expect what kind of trap it would be, but at least he knew that a web would be prepared to weave him in.

‘You know me well.’

Rather, I thought the blue pigeon knew me better than Thronus.

At least he had doubted me from start to finish.

‘Now, can I just say that you’ve exposed your claws? Did you prepare for something? Or are you going to take it the other way around?’

He didn’t even believe Seraphim’s judgment of guilt in the first place. The same went for the wings behind me.

I thought I learned more about him at that moment. He believed in his own judgment. No matter what people said, he only believed what he thinks was right.

“I think that’s a good idea. Cherubim, I will also do my best to investigate. I don’t know if there’s anything to be revealed, but…”

“Thank you for agreeing, Dominions.”

How could I say I disagree in that situation? Jihye wouldn’t have had a choice either.

“I agree with that, Cherubim.”

“Seraphim.”

‘The moment I deny it, I’ll be pushed against the odds.’

“I agree with you, dear Cherubim.”

‘There is no other choice.’

He certainly made a more rational choice than me, who tried to clear the situation by using the people present and the people’s trial.

‘Will this work against me?’

Of course, I didn’t leave any evidence either. In the first place, it wasn’t true that Lee Kiyoung was the rat.

‘Does Cherubim have any evidence?’

The chances were small. No matter how much he had arranged the whole situation, it was impossible to predict the outcome perfectly.

“Then we’ll do it right away. The formation of independent institutions through Thronus.”

“Yes.”

“It’ll take three days, but even if it’s organized sooner, I’d like to start investigating it in order from then on.”

“You’re right, dear Cherubim.”

***

It had been two days since then. It was a long and short time, but it wasn’t a bad time.

As usual, I was fiddling with the Dummy World when I heard a voice from the side.

“I’m sure he was preparing for this.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I think it’s almost a hundred percent. He has been waiting for us to set a trap.”

“How was the investigation? Noona?”

“Is there anything else to say? It was like stepping on legos. The formation of the members proceeded faster than the scheduled time, right? If we didn’t prepare it in advance, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“How’s Seraphim?”

“He’s suspicious of Cherubim. Isn’t that the way it usually is? He doesn’t doubt his abilities, so he thinks you’re cleared of your sins. By the way, did you prepare anything? Why are you so calm? I don’t think you’ve been busy. You’re just messing around with dummy world.”

“Why? The Dummy World is fun.”

“He’s gritting his teeth over there. He’s a tough one. Didn’t you mean to plant something on Cherubim?”

“…”

“Wasn’t it Cherubim who was trying to plant something on me?”

“…”

“No wonder, I thought you were a little too calm… You’re sure it wasn’t Cherubim?”

“…”

“No, this is frustrating. Say something! Can’t you respond? Is it Seraphim? Thronus? It’s really Cherubim, right? If we kill time here now…”

“You never tell me about things like this. I’m rather relieved. If you haven’t realized it yet, they won’t have noticed it either.”

“What mystery game are you playing? It’s time to talk.”

“Cherubim first tried to plant something on me.”

“But?”

“There’s one more guy. As a matter of fact, Cherubim is just the decoration of the situation. There’s something else that he’s planning.”

“…”

“…”

“Who is it?”

“How are the ally troops now?”

“Why are you suddenly changing the… topic…? Ah.”

Dominions, no, Lee Jihye opened her mouth, seemingly realizing something.

She spoke slowly. Her face looked refreshed after she solved the mystery.

“Now I know. I didn’t know what Oppa was trying to do, but I get it now.”

“What is it?”

“…”

“…”

“Time.”

As expected, Noona was quick-witted.

Smiling, I replied. “Correct.”