I’m a Rookie, but I’m an Experienced Professional - Chapter 85

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 85

“Ah! How… how did you know I was here?”

Anabella asked in surprise, her shoulders jumping as she was startled.

“Because you’re hiding in plain sight. And when you’re staring so intently, how could I not notice?”

“Ah… was it that obvious? I thought I was perfectly hidden while watching…”

Looking at Anabella, who was clearly flustered and fidgeting with both hands, I inwardly pressed my brow.

Was this novel’s female protagonist supposed to be a ‘sunshine heroine’ and an ‘airhead heroine’?

No matter how much I recalled the original setting, I had no such memory.

If the heroine had been such a hopelessly stupid and naive character, I wouldn’t have read it to the end in the first place.

‘She was definitely a strong-willed and intelligent heroine when I read the novel, so why is she like this in reality?’

I felt a disconnect between the Anabella before my eyes and her in the novel, quietly gazing at her large, lost eyes.

Looking closely, there was a bluish bruise right in the middle of Anabella’s forehead.

“What happened to your forehead?”

“Ah… that’s, I just bumped into something.”

Anyone could tell it was a lie.

The mark was angular and clearly defined. It wasn’t an accidental injury, but the kind of mark you get when hit by something hard.

But I didn’t pry further and rummaged through my bag to pull out some ointment.

“Apply this. It’s medicine that makes bruises fade quickly.”

Anabella looked at me with surprised eyes.

“Thank you. But do you always carry things like this around?”

“When you’re rolling around construction sites, bumping into things and getting bruises is part of daily life.”

“Ah, that must be hard. For a woman’s body to do that…”

At those words, I unconsciously raised an eyebrow.

“It’s work that women can do perfectly well.”

“Ah! That’s not what I meant.”

Anabella waved her hands in surprise.

“I just meant it’s amazing. I heard that thanks to Miss Eileen, Belheim safely got through the autumn and summer rainy seasons? Thanks to you, countless territory residents could be safe, so let me give you thanks on behalf of God.”

Anabella clasped her hands together and bowed her head reverently.

“I didn’t do it for God’s sake, so you don’t need to thank me on his behalf.”

I replied indifferently.

“Anyway, what brings you here? You have something to say to me, right?”

At my direct question, Anabella flinched and whispered while looking around.

“Well… Silas summoned you.”

“Silas? Who’s that?”

“Shh!”

Anabella panicked and covered my mouth.

“If a commoner carelessly speaks Silas’s name, he’ll be very angry!”

I didn’t care whether he got angry or not, but I removed her hand and calmed her down.

According to Anabella, Silas was a high priest and candidate for the next Prime Minister, supposedly very devout and faithful, but I couldn’t feel even 1g of soul in her voice.

Rather, a subtle rejection toward him was seeping through.

“So why does that person want to see me?”

“I don’t know either. But he told me to bring you… if I fail to bring you again this time…”

Seeing her unable to finish her sentence and watching my reaction, I got the picture.

It seemed that ‘Silas’ guy was the culprit who made that bruise on her pretty forehead.

To injure the precious face of the original heroine, whoever he was, what a truly nasty character.

“I really won’t take much of your time. Just for a moment, just for a moment, could you please come with me?”

Anabella pleaded earnestly with teary eyes.

How could anyone refuse those eyes? I could see why readers of this novel were so passionate about Anabella.

Even an extra like me became powerless before those eyes.

“I’ll go. I just need to go, right?”

Anabella’s face brightened noticeably.

Seeing that, I swallowed another sigh inwardly.

‘As expected, the heroine’s tears are a cheat key.’

I could somewhat understand why the male lead and other men in the novel were so flustered by the heroine’s tears.

* * *

Contrary to my expectation that we’d talk inside the lord’s castle, the place Anabella took me to was a quiet inn on the outskirts of Belheim.

In a corner of the inn sat an ordinary-looking man. Instead of fancy priest robes, he wore simple commoner’s clothes, but he couldn’t hide the arrogance beneath his eyes – this was Silas the Priest.

“Sit.”

His first words upon seeing me were informal speech?

Well, he’s nobility and I’m a commoner, so that could be expected.

I sat across from Silas, and Anabella stood behind me.

“What’s good here?”

Silas leisurely looked over the menu.

“Let’s order some food first and then talk…”

“I’m busy, so let’s get to the point.”

At my curt answer, Silas’s lips twisted slightly. Anabella behind me turned pale and grabbed my sleeve, fidgeting anxiously.

“Right, the hero who saved Belheim must be incredibly busy. I was being inconsiderate.”

He chuckled lowly and put down his water glass.

Thud. As if that sound was a signal, the bustling inn hall became eerily quiet.

Only then did I look around. I thought they looked familiar – it was the temple envoy group I’d seen before.

They too were perfectly disguised as commoners, occupying each table in the inn.

They wouldn’t do this without purpose.

And usually in cases like this, the purpose was quite sinister.

‘Ah, I really shouldn’t have come.’

Regret washed over me, but it was already too late.

“I won’t speak at length.”

He placed a heavy pouch on the table. The leather pouch made quite a dull metallic sound as it hit.

“Use this to buy migration rights and leave Belheim immediately.”

What kind of nonsense was this?

I suppressed my bewilderment and asked coldly.

“Let me hear the reason. Why should I leave?”

To my question, Silas answered with an arrogant chin gesture, as if it were obvious.

“Because it’s God’s will.”

My leaving Belheim was God’s will? This ridiculous nonsense was so absurd that I let out a snort of laughter.

“Are you mocking me right now!”

Silas flew into a rage and slammed the table.

“I’m not mocking, but it is rather funny. How is my leaving God’s will?”

But I continued speaking clearly without batting an eye.

“No, what kind of god gives such trivial orders? Let me hear that god’s name.”

“How dare you speak God’s name and try to blaspheme!”

Silas’s face flushed red with anger.

The surrounding clerics and holy knights also glared at me as if ready to pounce, but I rather shrugged and drove the point home.

“Rather than insulting God, I was mocking you, Priest. Did you think I’d say ‘Yes, understood’ and comply when you throw down a money pouch and tell me to get lost because it’s God’s will?”

I continued speaking while watching Silas’s face gradually harden.

“I heard from the lord that the temple envoy came here to investigate flood damage and provide relief to the territory residents.”

I tilted my head questioningly.

“What you’re doing now seems very far from ‘relief.’ Does the lord know about this secret backdoor deal?”

In that instant, Silas’s eyes visibly wavered.

As expected, this was a scheme being plotted behind Callix Crowbell’s back.

If he was so confident about God’s will and all that, he should have gone before the Duke to proclaim it—why would he call someone out to such a secluded inn?

“Seeing that you can’t speak, it seems the Lord knows absolutely nothing about this fact.”

I smiled bitterly and picked up the money pouch from the table.

Just as expectation filled Silas’s eyes, I turned the pouch upside down and shook it out toward the floor.

Clatter clatter clatter—!

Gold coins rolled across the floor making a loud racket.

“What, what are you doing!”

Silas shot up in shock. I forcefully threw the empty leather pouch onto the table and coldly snapped.

“This money isn’t from your personal funds, Priest. It must be precious donations from the believers, and I threw it away because I was disgusted at using it for such lowly backdoor dealings.”

In the silence that filled the hall, I pushed back my chair and stood up.

Meeting the murderous gazes pouring from all directions head-on, I neatly straightened my clothes.

“I’m busy so I’ll be going now. Oh, please pick up what fell on the floor according to God’s will.”

Without waiting for an answer, I turned around. The moment I opened the inn door and stepped out, the cool air I felt couldn’t have been sweeter.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————