Chapter 907

“Gloena. Now.”

“Ah, yes!”

Gloena reacted swiftly, pulling a deck of cards from her cloak. The fierce exchange between Lusan and Aton momentarily died down. Without bothering to hide his distaste, Yuder ignored Aton’s now disgruntled expression and continued speaking with the same unchanging tone.

“How about we make a little bet here.”

“...A bet?”

“I don’t usually get called persistent or ruthless by others, but you might be the exception. Still, since you’ve got time left to sit around, shouldn’t we do something? So, I came prepared.”

“......”

“This person here is a fortuneteller from a wandering troupe. She’s skilled at reading cards.”

“So what, you want to bet with me using fortune-telling?”

“How can you bet using a reading? Don’t say stupid things. Just look at the cards.”

At Yuder’s cold remark, Aton frowned and glanced toward the cards in Gloena’s hands. The deck itself was nothing special—just the kind commonly used for card games across the continent.

Sure, the artwork on them was a little unusual, and she’d excluded a few of the more game-specific cards, and the deck was pretty worn—but still perfectly usable for playing.

“You know what those cards are, right? You must’ve seen plenty of gambling dens back when you ran around with Duke Ta-in.”

“......”

“Let’s play a round. If you manage to beat even one of the three of us in points, we’ll end the interrogation and leave you be. You’ll get some peace for a while.”

“......”

“And if you beat me, not just Gloena or the priest, I might even answer your questions. To the best of my ability.”

“What?”

That unexpected offer made both Lusan and Gloena blink in surprise. But Aton only narrowed his eyes, glaring at Yuder with suspicion.

“You must be joking. Why would I agree to that? On what grounds?”

“Then go ahead and keep ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) debating with the priest. To be honest, seeing you talk like that with him made it clear how deeply you’re tied to the Black Moon Church. So I’ve been thinking it’s probably time to bring in the Sun God clergy for an official consultation. Shame I can’t pry out the answers myself, but oh well.”

To Aton, that statement would sound like a declaration that he was being handed over to the Sun God Order.

‘He doesn’t know that the Cavalry and the temple don’t actually have a close relationship, so he’ll be unsure whether to believe it.’

From what Lusan said earlier, Aton hadn’t stepped foot in a Sun God temple even while infiltrating the Empire. Judging from how much more hostile and reactive he was toward Lusan than toward Yuder, it was clear just how distinct his identities as a swordsman and an Awakener were from his status as a priest.

‘To him, the former is just a matter of pride, but the latter—the priesthood—is his entire life and foundation.’

Aton’s reaction had been even stronger than Yuder expected when he brought Lusan into the conversation. That meant there was no need to hesitate—he just had to go for the throat.

“The Imperial Grand Temple doesn’t recognize any other gods. Naturally, heretics are to be rejected. And you? You were caught red-handed committing crimes and handed yourself over. Don’t you think there will be plenty of clergy eager for the chance to interrogate someone like you? Especially with your connection to the Duke Ta-in scandal—it’ll be quite the opportunity for them to score some political points.”

“......”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Your name will be known back home as a traitor who knelt before the name of another god. That is, assuming you live that long.”

Aton’s eyes burned with more intensity than ever before. The fury and hatred within them practically radiated as he glared at Yuder as if ready to tear him apart.

“...So you’re saying you want to kill me in the most dishonorable way possible.”

“If you’re going to die anyway, does it matter whether it’s honorable or not?”

“Ha. You think I came here without preparing for that much?”

“I only offered to play a game. You don’t have to. But if you refuse, you’ll lose your last chance to beat me. I don’t care. The temple can take it from there.”

The Cavalry was busy. There was no time to waste on the likes of him. If Aton refused, Yuder had no intention of dragging it out. He drew the line firmly.

“...If I had my sword, I’d tear you apart right here.”

Yuder scoffed coldly at the venom in his voice, not even flinching.

“Have you forgotten? You had your sword before and still couldn’t put a scratch on me.”

“......”

“You’re weak. Bluffing won’t scare anyone—so learn your place.”

He might as well have said, I could beat you with my bare hands. Aton ground his teeth so hard it made an audible crunch. His jaw clenched, and bloodshot eyes stared back at Yuder, who observed him coolly.

‘What a clear reaction.’

If that’s how someone acts after claiming they were prepared, then the definition of “prepared” needed to change.

In the Southern Nation, knights and priests were like nobility. Aton may have steeled himself before coming to the Empire as a spy, but no one who had lived as a noble leader all their life wanted to die in disgrace, stripped of everything.

The nobles Yuder had known were like that, and Aton was no exception.

The man who had kept his dignity even under prolonged interrogation now showed the first serious crack in his composure.

“...You.”

“So? Are you playing or not? Give me a straight answer. This is part of the interrogation, and we need something to do with the time. I’m not particularly eager about it either.”

Why else would he have brought someone who could read cards? Yuder glanced briefly at Gloena’s deck, and she blushed slightly.

‘Good thing I explained to her ahead of time that most of what we say in here will be lies.’

Yuder kept his gaze fixed on Aton, who still hadn’t answered, and let out a deep sigh as he leaned back in his chair. He lowered his chin and stared expressionlessly at Aton, who stiffened under the weight of that gaze.

“Think carefully. If you have any sense of honor left, you know whether it’s better to talk to me, who will defeat you with honor, or to the temple. I’ll give you one last chance.”

“......”

“Gloena. Priest. Sit down. Let’s deal the cards and begin.”

Though Aton gave no reply, Yuder issued the order anyway. Gloena and Lusan each dragged over a nearby chair and sat.

“Deputy Commander... what kind of game are we playing?”

“Something simple for four players—let’s go with ‘Clover Leaves.’”

‘Clover Leaves’ was one of the simplest and fastest card games for four people. It used a point system to rank players, and a single round didn’t take long.

Gloena, slightly nervous, gripped the cards tightly before beginning to deal. In that moment, Yuder noticed a faint pulse of power ripple through her fingertips—but said nothing and continued as if everything was normal.

“Aton. If you manage to beat me, I won’t just answer your questions—I’ll grant you a request. Like... perhaps another duel, if you’d like.”

“......”

Aton exhaled a scoff of disbelief. His stare was full of tangled emotions—most of them grim and aggressive, but not entirely.

“You’ve interrogated others before, haven’t you, Yuder Aile? How old are you, really? I’ve never heard of anyone like you.”

“What good would it do to know my age? You’re older than me, yet not even half as composed. What’s that worth bragging about?”

“...The cards are dealt.”

Before Aton could retort, Gloena raised her hand to signal she was done.

‘Perfect. Aton didn’t notice Gloena already used her power.’