SWNOVELXO Chapter 59
A wide table was set up in the center of the room, surrounded by people.
Everyone’s faces were covered by animal masks, yet they formed a uniquely distinguishable group.
However, a special conversation did not flow among them.
In the silence that settled in the room, it was the woman in the blue cloak who first spoke up.
“Wow, what a mood killer. It feels like forever since we last met. Did I hear correctly that you guys got into a fight as soon as you saw each other?”
With a deep sigh, the Blue Shark looked at the two quietly glancing at each other.
“Seriously, you guys are pathetic.”
At that, the man in the lion mask with the golden cloak, arms crossed, replied with an irritated expression.
“Ha. Whose side are you on? Anyone would think I’m partnered with that lizard instead of you.”
“Shut up. I don’t want to be partnered with an idiot like you.”
“That pest started it! I’m just playing around, and now I’m supposed to hold back?”
Despite the fierce gaze of the Gold Lion, his opposite number did not feel intimidated at all.
The man in the red cloak and dragon mask scoffed and retorted.
“I merely suggested you stay quiet. Every time you come into the temple, things break and go wrong. It’s only my job to fix it, you ignorant cat.”
“You stubborn lizard head. Shall we go for it?”
While they were clearly warned to stop, the conflict only intensified.
Eventually, the Blue Shark raised her hand to dismiss them.
“Enough already. Fighting in front of the captain is just embarrassing, isn’t it?”
The old man in a green cloak with a horse mask drew attention.
The Black Goat, who had remained silent and watched from the high seat, finally spoke up.
“From now on, no fighting in the temple.”
“…Saying that makes it seem like we can fight outside, right?”
Weren’t we comrades, no matter what?
The Blue Shark’s trailing comment was lost in the air.
It seemed that the Red Dragon wanted to change the topic.
“It’s been a while since we got together like this, but there are people missing.”
“There are six of us here… How many are missing?”
The answer came from a quiet corner.
“Four.”
“Still, more than half are here. The crocodile is probably still playing teacher.”
“And it’s been a while since we’ve seen the Sparrow, huh? How have you been?”
At the Gold Lion’s greeting, the girl quickly corrected him.
“I’m not a Sparrow; I’m a Hawk.”
“Well, it’s all the same.”
“You’re such a dumb musclehead that it’s no surprise you don’t understand.”
“Shut up, Blue Shark.”
The Pink Hawk finished her words and fell silent again.
Observing the situation, the Green Horse asked the Black Goat.
“So, what did the captain summon us for?”
“Is it related to that human girl from earlier?”
The apostles simultaneously recalled the girl who came with the Black Goat.
Among them, only the Blue Shark seemed to know anything about the girl.
“That girl. She felt really different than the first time I saw her. What on earth has she done?”
If not for her appearance being the same, one might have thought she was an entirely different person.
The Black Goat got right to the point.
“She’s going to become a new apostle.”
“…”
A heavy silence enveloped the room.
The topic of a new apostle was not something to joke about or bicker over.
There was meaning beyond mere comradeship in that for them.
Of course, anyone who proved their strength or necessity could become an apostle.
But the girl they had seen earlier didn’t meet that main prerequisite.
The Gold Lion spoke with clear irritation.
“That girl is human. Since when did apostles accept humans?”
The basic condition for being an apostle was to be a demon.
That was a commonality shared by everyone present in the room.
Yet, the girl was undoubtedly human.
An open expression of opinion. Even a distinct opposition.
At that moment, each apostle felt compelled to clarify their own stance.
The Red Dragon’s thought was very simple.
“If that is the captain’s will, I will follow.”
“Hey, Lizard!”
“Gold Lion. Are you trying to go against the captain right now?”
“Sure, I generally follow the captain’s will, but this is different. It will shake our very identity! We are demons! Our purpose is to kill humans!”
As the conflict between the two reached its peak, the Black Goat spoke up.
“She is the savior. In other words, she is the most important key to our goal.”
“…Even so, that’s insufficient reason to make her an apostle.”
“I get what you mean. Then let’s hear others’ opinions.”
The Black Goat’s gaze turned to the Blue Shark.
She hesitated for a moment but sighed and replied.
“I oppose it. Just because she’s the savior doesn’t mean she has to be an apostle, right? It might be better to just hide her in the temple and keep her from wandering around.”
Then the Green Horse also expressed his opinion.
“I partially agree. Wouldn’t humans be shocked just by the fact that the savior became an apostle? Of course, I also don’t fancy having a human among the apostles. But that can be solved by turning her into a demon.”
With that, the Gold Lion nodded in agreement.
“If she becomes a demon, there’s no reason to oppose. The zebra is indeed smart.”
“I’m no zebra whatsoever.”
“It seems we’ve reached a rough conclusion. Seriously, why did we keep her as a human until now?”
In reality, the way to become a demon was much simpler than one would think.
The only real problem was that once turned into a demon, one could never revert back to being human.
All one needed to do was ingest a demon core.
In other words, by simply eating a demon core, one could immediately become a demon.
Then, the heart and core would combine to emit a unique energy, causing the blood to turn black as a side effect.
“That’s impossible. The savior must remain human.”
“…So we’re back to square one.”
Summarizing the opinions so far, it stood at a 2:2 split.
In the midst of this, there was only one person who hadn’t spoken yet.
All eyes turned to the silent Pink Hawk.
She calmly stated, “In the end, the problem is the anxiety that we might be betrayed and she could side with the humans. She’s not a demon after all. So the method is simple: let’s verify it ourselves.”
To see whether the girl would abandon humanity and choose them.
The method proposed by the Pink Hawk wasn’t the best, but it was close to the best option.
In the end, everyone took a step back and nodded.
The Black Goat also agreed with her suggestion and summarized.
“We’ll conduct an admission test. If she passes, the savior will officially become a member of the apostles. Until then, she will be considered a candidate.”
“How do you plan to conduct the test?”
“Sending her into real-life situations would be the most certain method.”
A somewhat risky gamble indeed.
What if they accidentally lost the savior?
Their entire plan would come crashing down.
“What about her partner?”
Thus, deciding who would accompany her as a partner was the most crucial aspect.
Typically, apostles worked in pairs unless there was a special case.
Quietly drawn to the girl, the Blue Shark raised her hand eagerly.
“I’ll do it! I want to!”
“No. The partner will be the Pink Hawk. Since she’s been working solo lately, if the savior becomes an apostle, they can continue as an official team.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Tch.”
The meeting concluded.
The Black Goat stood up and said,
“After this admission test, we will fully commence our activities. All apostles, including those not present today, will focus on this plan. If anyone has personal matters, sort them out quickly.”
With those words, the Black Goat left the meeting room.
Those left behind engaged in light conversations.
“Is it finally starting?”
“It took surprisingly long.”
“Now that we’ve found the savior, there’s not much left. It’s largely thanks to the sand crocodile.”
“By the way, Blue Shark. I heard you lost to a hero and ran off like a coward.”
The Blue Shark immediately slammed her fist on the table, exploding in anger.
“Damn it! What the hell are you talking about!? Who lost!? That coward brought friends and ganged up on me, so I had to retreat strategically!”
“The excuses of a loser are always ugly.”
“What the hell!”
The Gold Lion chuckled, pouring oil onto the fire.
“Can’t be helped. Blue Shark was the weakest among us.”
“Ha. You’ve gone too far. Let’s settle this with a proper match.”
“Ooh, I’m so scared. You wouldn’t be able to do anything without human blood, yet here you are acting tough.”
“Damn it. Where’s the savior? I just need one drop, nothing more.”
Amidst the chaos, the Pink Hawk calmly stood up to say her farewell.
“I should take my leave as well. I think I need to prepare for the mission.”
“Why not try to get close to the savior beforehand? Whether she becomes an apostle or not, you’ll see her often.”
“Thank you for the suggestion. I will think about it. Then, I’ll take my leave.”
Even as she departed, the shouting in the meeting room showed no signs of stopping.