Even in the midst of a sudden standoff, Ihan wasnât the least bit flustered.
Hadnât he predicted this from the moment he entered?
âI knew theyâd show up eventually.â
It was absurd that half-breeds had been disguised as paladins in the temple before, but now, the appearance of suspicious figures wasnât a big surprise.
There was just one thing that bothered him...
"Owl, let me ask you something."
[What?]
"You said youâre a Gatekeeper, right? Shouldn't those kinds of things not be allowed to pass through the gate?"
It was a question that naturally arose.
How could those creatures have been allowed here? Ihan was genuinely puzzled and even suspected that this owl might be incredibly incompetent.
[Ah, that? Of course, I didnât want to let them in either. But what can I do? Unlike you, those ominous ones came in with a 'key,' so they were allowed to enter legitimately. Thatâs why they didnât go through the gate like you did.]
â......â
[At least they canât touch the holy relics without my permission, so thatâs one saving grace. The problem is, Iâm just a Gatekeeper, not a manager, so I canât harm intruders freely.]
ââ¦This is insane.â
[Sorry.]
âNo, I wasnât talking to you⦠Sigh, forget it.â
The fact that those creatures entered by holding the âkeyââthe permission granted by the temple to access the Sacred Vaultâwas maddening.
That meant...
âThe temple bastards are clearly allied with them, arenât they?â
It was hard not to curse at that realization.
"...When we get out of here, Iâll have a lot of people to hit."
Ihan muttered with irritation, and upon hearing his words...