Interrogation (3)
Interrogation (3)
He looked like me.
He was similar.
Lee Ji-ah's words came out of nowhere, but it wasn't something Lee Ha-yul could brush aside.
Because she knew multiple Lee Ha-yuls. They had manifested in the Tower of Growth, and one had even appeared in the world.
The 10th Iteration Blood Spike had appeared in the world through the Tower of Purgatory's manipulations.
It couldn't be fully trusted, but given that precedent, the possibility existed.
'Which iteration took down the Tower Master of the Dead...?'
Lee Ha-yul's face stiffened at the emerging possibility.
'An army corps?'
There were few among the Lee Ha-yuls, among the iterations, who commanded army-scale forces.
The 6th Iteration, Grave-Shadow Dead Fire's Shadow Spirit Legion.
The 10th Iteration, Blood Spike's Blood Demon Legion.
Being an early cycle, the 6th Iteration had been unpolished. It lacked the strength for a direct confrontation with the Tower Master of the Dead and his army.
The 10th Iteration was strong. It could challenge a Tower Master. But the Blood Demon Legion, strictly speaking, was a meat shield and living bomb.
Lee Ha-yul's suspicion ultimately shifted to the later iterations.
After the 11th Iteration, which had seen the limits of solitary strength. The iteration that shifted to strength in numbers.
'The 12th Iteration, Hybrid Summoner.'
Also the final iteration.
Lee Ha-yul recalled memories of the 12th Iteration.
The 12th Iteration was the cycle that had started with the greatest amount of information and experience.
Especially the information gained from the 11th Iteration's rampage—that had been an enormous help for growth.
'The 12th Iteration could do it.'
Without interference from outside forces or aid from another Tower Master, the 12th Iteration could wage a direct war against the Tower of the Dead.
Of course, that assumed the 12th Iteration had stockpiled strength and an army... but the possibility itself was more than enough.
'Could it really be... the 12th Iteration...?'
His thoughts tangled into a chaotic mess in an instant. It was nothing more than a suspicion, but even that made his heart pound.
What if it weren't just a suspicion? What if it really was the 12th Iteration?
The 12th Iteration valued efficiency.
It drew no distinction between monsters and humans.
The only distinctions were efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
It built colonies throughout the Gray Zones. It secured various sacrifices and materials. It deliberately caused Reverse Side rampages to increase the supply of harvestable materials.
It kneaded souls into soldiers. It multiplied soldiers, blended them, and blended them again to build an army corps.
If it had ambushed the Tower of the Dead in that fashion? If it had driven back the Tower Master of the Dead with an ambush beyond all expectation?
A tower that looked half-broken. That was the tower the Tower Master of the Dead had used to launch his invasion. Then where was the remaining half? Could the remaining half be...
"The one who struck that tower looked like my junior? Similar? What does that mean?"
The churning thoughts broke off.
Lee Ha-yul, who had held his breath, turned his head. Lee Ji-yeon, who had been tilting her head at the odd remark, narrowed her brow.
Lee Ha-yul's face had gone completely pale.
His skin was naturally clear and fair, but Lee Ji-yeon sensed the tension beneath it, and a fear he was struggling to hide.
"Seriously, what is this Golden Child hiding now?"
- Grr...
Lee Ji-yeon said it with exasperation.
The situation was still dizzying, and she hadn't even heard the full story yet—and things to ask about just kept, kept, and kept piling up.
"...Huuuuh..."
The healing finished just then.
The frost clinging to Lee Ji-ah's skin crumbled off with a soft scatter.
A cold breath left her lips, but her complexion had improved markedly.
Lee Ha-yul pulled his hand away from her now noticeably smoother stomach, glancing at Lee Ji-yeon and fidgeting.
Lee Ji-yeon gave a small nod.
"Why? Can't tell me now?"
- Well... explaining takes a bit of time... there's a constraint issue too... later, all together...
"Hah... Yep. I'll hear it later when we're all together. I got it for now, so come here."
Lee Ji-yeon let out a hollow laugh and beckoned with her hand.
Lee Ha-yul, who had shrank back, retrieved the Tower fragment and quietly slipped into Lee Ji-yeon's arms.
It was just like a puppy gauging its owner's mood before snuggling up.
When she stroked his head, he finally burrowed into her arms actively—exactly that picture.
There was an adorableness here that made it impossible to reconcile him with the image of the Tower Masters' secret weapon against the outer-realm invasion.
The Tower Master of the Dead, for example.
The image of the being who had annihilated that preposterous monster without leaving a trace now nuzzling cutely in her arms felt deeply unreal.
It was also quietly satisfying.
"Are you a little more willing to speak now?"
"...J-just a little... speech comes easier now."
"Then it should be fine to ask about the circumstances."
Lee Ji-yeon adjusted Ha-yul in her arms and sat down on the spot. The floor was hard, but thanks to her generous rear, it didn't hurt.
Lee Ji-yeon looked into Lee Ji-ah's eyes, still bound to the wall.
"Why did you do it?"
"......"
"Was it because of that curse? From what I heard, it's the kind that forces actions and steals control of the body."
- Nod
Lee Ha-yul, his face buried in her chest, gave a small nod. When Lee Ji-yeon stroked his head, he rumbled contentedly, pleased.
"That snake's rank and power... were lofty. I lacked the strength... to resist the curse..."
"And so you fell to the curse?"
"It wasn't only... the curse."
Lee Ji-ah slowly shook her head.
There's another reason? Lee Ji-yeon had been about to ask, but she closed her mouth upon seeing Lee Ji-ah's face.
"Necromancy is... a foul art. As a craft that handles the bodies and souls of the dead... that's a natural perception..."
Necromancy is a supernatural ability that handles the deceased.
It freely exploits corpses and thought-residue that ought to have returned to rest.
As an art that could be called mockery of the dead, its naturally poor public image was only to be expected.
The foulness Lee Ji-ah was speaking of was not public perception.
"......"
Lee Ji-ah had had two husbands.
They were not superhumans. They were not as strong as Lee Ji-ah.
They could not overcome the brief span of a human life, could not defeat vicious disease.
According to natural law, the dead slumbered in the earth.
And Taesan, which manipulates the earth at will and raises the dead, could not, in that moment, grant that wish.
The undead that Taesan raised were special.
Without even particularly learning necromancy, one could summon and strengthen undead through the unique ability alone.
The undead linked with the expansion ability and vitality energy even displayed growth and development.
Enough to create the illusion that they were alive.
That was what brought the 'what if' to mind.
Perhaps.
Maybe, beyond manipulating corpse dolls, one could achieve resurrection... It stirred such yearning and illusion.
Taesan, which handles special undead.
As Lee Ji-ah, who possessed the greatest necromantic talent in the history of the Taesan family, she had held an even deeper desire.
The curse burrowed into that desire.
She tried to resist, but deep inside, her heart wavered for a single moment at the price the curse whispered.
For the curse, that single moment of weakness was enough.
"I could not restrain my desire... I could not shake off the snake's tongue in an instant..."
"......."
"It was... the fault of an unrighteous manifestor of Taesan, a weakness of heart..."
For Taesan, the self and its pride are important.
True strength can be displayed only within the weight and balance of believing in oneself and standing tall.
To Lee Ji-yeon, Lee Ji-ah had been that.
A figure strong in both body and mind. A hero unbowed by any adversity or pain.
That had been Lee Ji-yeon's illusion.
Lee Ji-ah was strong, but she was not an invincible superhuman.
Lee Ji-ah had kept her mind steadfast, but a heart that was too rigid, not flexible, crumbled when its weakness was struck.
Unlike the vague admiration, Lee Ji-ah was also a human worn down and broken by pain.
It was a hard truth to believe.
She had thought that if it was her mother... if it was Lee Ji-ah, she would overcome any pain with dignity.
Now it was different.
Lee Ji-yeon looked down at what was in her arms.
Lee Ha-yul, who had been fidgeting awkwardly, trying to read the room and vacate the spot.
The warmth and presence whining softly in her arms filled Lee Ji-yeon's heart completely.
A precious person. An existence she wanted to spend her life with.
The sense of loss she had felt when that Lee Ha-yul had vanished was not the kind of pain where one could speak of endurance.
'......'
She could understand Lee Ji-ah.
Because, when she had been told Lee Ha-yul was dead, the longing that had surfaced at the end of her clouded thoughts had been the same as Lee Ji-ah's.
"...I understand."
No, who wouldn't be the same?
Anyone in the world would want to reclaim what was precious.
"The current acting head of Taesan, Lee Ji-yeon, proclaims. I strip Lee Ji-ah, the 11th head of Taesan, of her position for causing a grave threat to the clan's safety and peace."
Understanding did not mean she could let it pass.
Lee Ji-ah had brought a great threat upon the clan.
If not for the petite someone nestled in her arms, it might have ended not merely as a spine-chilling threat, but as annihilation.
"The disciplinary measures and public announcement regarding Head Lee Ji-ah will be discussed in a future internal council. Until then, Lee Ji-ah's confinement shall be maintained."
.
.
.
- Miss Lee Ji-yeon...
Lee Ji-yeon, who had just stepped out of the prison, blinked.
When her dazed vision cleared, she saw Lee Ha-yul wearing a worried expression. His small hand stroked Lee Ji-yeon's face.
- Are you alright...?
In the sound transmission that reached her, sincere worry was conveyed through his mana.
Not that she needed to feel the sound transmission—the worry was visibly leaking from his fretful face anyway.
A quiet laugh escaped Lee Ji-yeon as she swept her thumb near Lee Ha-yul's eyes. He had been sniffling, and tears were clinging to his lashes.
"Why are you about to cry? Who made our little one cry again, hm?"
- Y-Ying...
Lee Ha-yul shook his head back and forth.
When she let out another laugh at that whining reaction, Lee Ha-yul's cheeks began to puff up as he shot her a pointed glare—or what he meant as one.
This was Lee Ha-yul's signature move, pufferfish-mode. The countermeasure had been widely known for a long time.
- Peck
When she gave a light kiss, his cheeks shrank back down, flushing warmly. Lee Ji-yeon giggled and squeezed Lee Ha-yul tight in her arms.
"I'm really fine. From the way you look, anyone would think I'd just come out from killing someone."
- Please don't say things like that...
"It was just an example. The guilt is clear, so all I've done is strip her head position first, that's all."
Lee Ji-ah was entangled in the start of the invasion.
Of course, only a very small number knew the full story, and Lee Ha-yul had already resolved Lee Ji-ah's curse, which had been the cause.
Still, they couldn't entrust the clan's full authority and command to Lee Ji-ah, who had been the root cause.
"In the first place, we can't even discuss punishment right now. We're barely managing just resolving the current situation."
That punishment itself was a problem.
How immense was the prestige Lee Ji-ah had built up?
If they carelessly revealed the full story, the clan, already in turmoil, would be thrown into utter chaos.
The response if the punishment were severe couldn't be ignored either...
"...And apart from that. We also have the issue of a certain someone right now."
- Huh?
Lee Ji-yeon, who had been reassuring Lee Ha-yul, suddenly threw him a sidelong glance.
Lee Ha-yul, who had stopped his sniffling after receiving a kiss, tilted his head in question.
"Because of the king who's planted himself smack in the middle of the territory. Upper spirits are flying around the territory as they please so much there's not a soul who doesn't know."
- Ah
Lee Ha-yul's eyes rolled round and round.
Come to think of it, this really wasn't the time to be worrying about Lee Ji-ah.
The fairies that the Taesan family had been protecting.
But then Lee Ha-yul had assumed the status of Fairy King, and the spirits—the military force of the Fairy Kingdom—had swelled at an insane pace.
And that made things complicated.
To put it simply, it meant that the territory and bridgehead of the Fairy Kingdom, which now possessed staggering military power, had established itself within the Taesan family.
- That... I've been discussing it with Kariade, too. For now, I'm thinking about moving the fairy children and the Fairy Tree to Siyoram and leaving the space empty...
"There's no need to go that far. I'll handle that part well, so don't worry."
- What?
When Lee Ha-yul tilted his head, leaking a question mark, Lee Ji-yeon shrugged and kissed his cheek.
- Mwah...
"I'll take care of~ everything. So don't you worry about a thing, and the kids don't need to go through the trouble of vacating the place. Got it?"
- Yeah... okay...
Warm affection seeped in, and his doubts subsided. Melted and gone soft, Lee Ha-yul nodded blankly.
With a giggle, Lee Ji-yeon patted Lee Ha-yul and ascended to the surface.
"So, now that the urgent stuff is all taken care of, are we going to see A-rin?"
- Mm, mm...
Blinking dazedly, Lee Ha-yul gave a strong nod.
The curse-healing for Lee Ji-ah and assisting with the interrogation were done.
The immediate fires had been put out, so now it was time to go see Baek A-rin in person.