Chapter 189: Incident at the Tent Village 4
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Mon-Fri
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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The incident explained by the infuriated Ambrosio closely resembled what we had experienced.
A brazen group of adventurer robbers had attacked a cluster of stonemasons right on the temple knights' patrol route.
Instead of merely robbing, these robbers, with the skill of intermediate adventurers, brutally slaughtered the workers.
Arriving later, the temple knights, during the fight, realized they were doppelgangers.
One of the foolhardy female robbers, who charged at them despite seeing their pristine white armor, bore an uncanny resemblance to a waitress from a temporary inn selling soup in the tent village.
"Indeed, I wasn't mistaken after all."
"It seems Roland and his party also discovered something suspicious in the meantime."
The temple knights, who had captured all the robbers after calling for reinforcements, discussed a concerning issue.
One of the female robbers looked exactly like the inn waitress, raising fears for the safety of the tent village.
They suspected that the robbers had infiltrated the tent village, posing as civilians.
If the murderous robbers, who had killed all the stonemasons, were disguised in the tent village, the relatively weaker workers like masons and carpenters were at risk.
Hence, they hurried back to the market street of the tent village.
They found the same-looking woman busily preparing soup for the next day's business.
"The female knights checked, and it wasn't just the face that was identical. Even the positions of moles and minor skin blemishes were perfectly the same."
"So, it didn't use anything on their face or mimic it through magic?"
"Yes. After consulting with the brothers at the Magic Tower, we confirmed it wasn't a change brought about by magic."
The adventurer robber, donned in leather armor and wielding a sword, who had slaughtered the stonemasons, and the inn waitress, who had only ever held a knife for chopping soup ingredients, faced each other, identical in every physical aspect, causing immense confusion.
Amidst this, the doppelganger, capable only of replicating human appearance and not undead, remained unaffected even by divine energy, further complicating matters.L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ñøv€l--B1n.
"So, that's why the temple knights are here this early in the morning."
"Yes. Given the situation... A monster that can mimic human appearance and speech. If such beings were to leave the tower and enter the city, it'd be chaos."
Certainly, if murderous robbers, resembling priests, nuns, temple knights, saints, and saintesses, were to brutally slaughter citizens, it would create a serious problem.
Not only would there be aftermath issues, but the political ramifications could be enormous.
If luck turns against us, the temple's faith could be shaken by citizens recognizing the faces.
And what if they didn't go around killing?
Capturing a female doppelganger in the slums, assuming the form of a nun or a saintess, would be a headache.
A murderer with the face of a saint, a prostitute with the face of a saintess.
Despite the game's conveniences for players, this world is still a medieval fantasy with a strong class system.
However, when one voiced his discontent and was swiftly dragged away by a hammer-wielding temple knight, all complaints stopped.
The dragged-away adventurer probably didn't expect such a sensitive reaction from the temple knights.
Apparently, the saintess, hidden away in the miniature temple, has a surprisingly good reputation.
"The brothers should maintain their composure, despite their anger..."
"The temple's extremely hostile because the saintess was insulted."
The temple knights, who once dismissed the giant tree on the 35th floor as 'an evil that must be eradicated,' were now furiously condemning the doppelgangers mimicking the saintess as 'evil scum that must be painfully torn apart.'
Even the tender-hearted Irene, instead of worrying about the dragged-away adventurer, was more concerned about the temple knights.
"Sir Roland and Sister Irene, you don't need to receive the imprint. However, your companions, since they can't use divine energy..."
"Yes, I'll get it. Should I just extend my wrist?"
"Thank you for cooperating, Hanna. May the Goddess's blessing accompany you in your ascent of the tower. And earnestly, we hope you help us find these despicable scums."
Even murmuring to oneself could lead to being dragged to the temple for interrogation and beating.
Unless the intention was to entertain the viewers, there was no reason to confront the temple.
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Raei Translations
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At the entrance to the passage leading to the 36th floor, Han Se-ah promptly extended her right hand.
A temple knight, with a solemn voice, traced a holy symbol and emitted divine energy.
Following her, Katie and Grace also received divine imprints on their forearms before proceeding to the 36th floor.
"Is that the symbol of the Goddess Faith? It looks quite pretty up close."
-Streamer Han Se-ah/Controversy/Tattoo
-LOL, even so, making a controversy out of this is ridiculous
-A tattooed beauty, Han Se-ah, sigh~
-By that logic, wouldn't Katie become a tattooed minor?
-But the doppelgangers are kinda out of nowhere. Did Roland skip something on the 35th floor with his one-hit kill?
"...It does seem like it, doesn't it? There's no concrete evidence, just my theory, but remember the huge tree on the 35th floor spawning tentacles? Maybe this floor's gimmick is about a tree corrupting and spawning undead continuously. Tentacles from the tree, troll bombs, and now doppelgangers?
Or not, who knows."
[Tent Village Tent Thief Han Se-ah donated 10,000 Won!]
If right, 10,000 Won, otherwise a penalty?
"What penalty? If I wanted to I can just pocket the 10,000 Won, right? But hey, does that look like an adventurer heading to the 35th floor, or a wandering doppelganger?"
As Han Se-ah focused her camera towards one side, Grace readied her bow.
Last time there was a troll at the passage, and now it's a doppelganger party.
These doppelgangers are like those pale tentacles, using numbers to their advantage.
