Chapter 111
Chapter 111
Chapter 111
Drip—
The sound of a single, stagnant water droplet falling could be heard.
Drip—
But there was no place where water could have pooled, let alone a place from which a droplet could fall.
Drip—
There was only the sound.
A sound that should not have been able to echo across the parched earth deceived the senses.
Drip—
A place where countless humans and yokai had become bizarrely entangled by the demonic energy of the [Yokai King] Kang-cheol.
A space where numerous factions coexisted, each harboring their own objectives.
Drip—
The one great power that could be considered on par with the Helios Empire.
The Lunar Federation.
And in that strangely formed nation, at the crossroads connecting the territories of each faction.
Samdocheon.
"You've come."
On the land, which, contrary to its name, was bone-dry without a hint of moisture, a man in a mask lifted his head.
"Have you decided to stand on this side? Did your superior say it was alright?"
"I was merely bound to Lord Thanatos by a contract. Now that his objective has been achieved, our contract is as good as over."
Answering the man who had spoken to the empty air was the Grasping Hand of the [Death King], who appeared as if squeezing through the space between dimensions.
It was Pied Dunn.
He had survived his battle with the [Shield of Light], including Arietta, and managed to escape.
"I see… You are a wounded human as well. No, it must be worse than that. After being wounded, you must have died."
"…"
Pied did not answer. He merely looked at the man as if expecting a response.
"Emotions are a good thing. They make you realize you're alive."
"Do you truly think so?"
At Pied's questioning words, the man's mask seemed to change as if it were smiling.
"Yes, without emotions, you're no different from being dead. It's not the body that dies, but the soul."
"…"
Pied remained silent.
He was one who had been betrayed by those very emotions and ultimately met her death.
He could not empathize with the man's words.
However, he could tell the man wasn't finished speaking, so he waited without showing any sign.
"The problem isn't with emotion, but with expression, Pied."
"...Expression?"
The man moved his fingers as if to pull up the corners of his mask's mouth.
But the mask did not move.
It was chillingly expressionless, as if it were a different mask from the one that had been acting as a proxy for the man's emotions until now.
"Yes, just like you are now. Tell me honestly. Why did you not show any reaction to my words? Why did you control your expression? You were hiding your emotions, weren't you?"
The man's mask was filled with madness. No, it was a conviction bordering on madness. His way of life was being revealed through that mask.
"What's wrong isn't the emotion, but the expression that tries to hide it."
[Agent of the Other Side]
He does not lie.
He may evade an answer, but he does not deceive people.
Because he is the spokesman for the inner heart.
"You were hurt by the hidden emotions behind a smiling face, weren't you?"
"…"
"You despaired when the person who smiled at you stabbed you in the back, didn't you?"
"…"
"If you follow me, that will never happen, Pied Dunn. I am the Agent of the Other Side. The one who will erase deception from this world and make the surface and the inner side one."
For all those who have been hurt by lies. The mask is not to hide expression, but to reveal his inner heart.
"So follow me, follow us. Let us now show ourselves in a splendid display to those who have hidden themselves with lies and deception! Let us make it known with proud steps!"
The man held out his hand.
"What… are you showing them?"
"That your inner hearts have appeared. That we have come to fill the world with brilliant music and cheerful steps!"
"…"
"Pied Dunn, I swear to you. In the world I create, there will be no deception. So take my hand."
"…"
Pied looked down at the man's hand. Surprisingly, the hand was rough.
It was the hand of a person who had built up effort.
"What should I call you now?"
"I'm using the name Janus for now. I dislike my old name."
Meaning the one with two faces.
"And right now, I'm also aiming to be a negative example to learn from."
It seemed to contradict the man's purpose at first glance, but the man was, in fact, using that very point.
Contradiction and deception.
Those would become [Parade]'s greatest weapons, and through them, people would come to know.
Just how terrible those things are.
"I will follow you, Janus."
Pied took his hand.
It was the moment a powerful individual of the worst kind joined the worst of factions.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Janus, having joined up with Pied, sat down again.
His purpose hadn't been just to wait for Pied.
Seeing Janus, despite his aristocratic demeanor, sitting unceremoniously on the roadside in an exhausted state, Pied asked cautiously.
"Are you injured somewhere?"
"Hm? Oh… yes, I am."
Pied was puzzled by Janus's uncomfortable appearance.
Pied's specialty was information gathering.
Therefore, he knew how strong the being known as Janus was.
He had been sure of it not long after he became aware of his existence. He, about whom there was no information, had suddenly been caught in his information network.
He had shown himself on purpose. What was truly frightening about him was his insight, which was as if he could read the future.
That was why it was hard to believe that he was injured like this.
"What, you weren't looking at me? I thought you would know."
"I was observing another location, so I could not confirm."
"Ah, is that so? Then it can't be helped. Well, as for this wound… it must be the price of arrogance."
"The price of arrogance…?"
It was a surprisingly easy explanation to accept.
Pied knew that the more power one possessed, the more often they were tripped up by arrogance.
But the man clearly recognized it as his own arrogance.
Even if one knows, admitting it is an incredibly difficult thing to do.
"I thought he was a completely useless fellow, but…"
"Hmm…"
Pied held his tongue. The mask, which could be called the man's face, was tinged with open displeasure.
He could realize just how humiliating the lesson he had learned from this incident was.
"Well, I'll tell you the details of this story later. By the way, Pied, what was this other place you were paying attention to?"
"It was the Successor of the Mage King."
"Ah, that guy?"
As the man shrugged as if it were no big deal, the mask also changed to an expression of disinterest.
"Were you not concerned about him?"
"I know everything about that fellow. No matter how hard he tries, he's just dancing in the palm of my hand."
"Then were you aware of this fact as well?"
"Hm?"
Pied used magic to recreate an image of Oz. It was his appearance as he headed toward Chrysos.
"He went to Chrysos. Well, that was also somewhat expected…"
Janus was speaking in a confident voice when he froze.
The possibility of Oz heading to Chrysos was also within his calculations.
But it was slightly different.
A situation he could not have predicted.
"Is there a problem?"
"...Isn't it strange not to be able to find a problem in this situation? No, what is this…"
The Oz in the image Pied recreated looked completely different from his usual self.
Yes, he was cross-dressing.
The moment Janus saw that image, he clutched his head in pain.
It was impossible.
There had never been a single time that Oz had deviated from his predictions.
But that prediction was wrong.
"What the hell is that bastard?"
And in the worst possible direction he couldn't even have imagined. What was with the cross-dressing?
"Is he insane…?"
Janus trembled in fear at Oz's crazed appearance, which seemed to defy any and all prediction.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Right after parting ways with Lustitia.
Eleanor and I went straight to [Scientia] without taking any other detours. Thanks to that, we were able to arrive before the vacation period had even ended.
"The journey with you was the worst, Master."
"…"
"Well… I knew you were popular, Master. But it was the worst in many ways. You think so too, right, Master? You're the worst, Master."
"...I'd appreciate it if you were careful with your sentence structure, Eleanor. Others might misunderstand if they hear."
When you say it like that, it sounds like I'm the worst.
"You are the worst, Master."
"Ah, right. So I didn't mishear."
"Just how many visitors came looking for you in a single day?"
She was talking about the assassins who had tailed us throughout our journey.
It goes without saying, but I am still a man plagued by countless assassins.
Most of them are dealt with beforehand by [Tenebris], but this time I was so indebted that I had told them not to worry about the small-fry assassins.
And this was the result.
"I was royalty, but I never needed as much protection as you do, Master!"
"Unlike you, there's a lot to be gained by catching me."
"Then why do I have to suffer too! You pushed them onto me in the middle, didn't you? I know everything! You secretly pushed a few assassins onto me!"
That couldn't be helped.
Even if they were small-fry, when their numbers exceed twenty, it's too many for me to handle alone.
I hadn't thought I was this popular either.
Still, for now, I need to soothe Eleanor's feelings.
Eleanor and I are in the process of moving past our previous false relationship and establishing a new one, so there's no good in getting on her bad side.
"You've grown into a splendid vanguard. I'm happy with your growth."
"Are you trying to pick a fight with me right now?"
Eleanor glared at me with cold eyes.
In the past, a compliment of this level would have worked, but annoyingly, she has grown in this aspect as well.
It can't be helped. If the carrot doesn't work, I have no choice but to use the stick.
"The travel expenses so far came out to about three gold coins, right? If we divide it by share, how much do you think it would be?"
"…I love you, Master."
"Right, now that you know, behave yourself from now on."
Money really is the best.
Even this cunning royal is helpless before materialism.
Leading the now much more docile Eleanor, I step through the main gates of [Scientia]. Finally, this restless life is over. The moment I registered that…
"Whoa?! Master, are you okay?"
I collapsed.
"No, it seems my senses were more numb than I thought."
It seems I didn't even know that I was in a considerably difficult state.
It must mean that my nerves were that frayed, and at the same time, it must mean that I had come to regard [Scientia] as a safe place.
The attack of the [Death King], the battle with Lustitia, and the encounter with Delayed.
Come to think of it, I had faced major incidents where it wouldn't have been strange to die at any moment. Furthermore, hadn't I been moving while ignoring the aftereffects of [Challenger of the Divine]?
It seems it all came crashing down at once.
"Haha, but I didn't know this."
I had never let my guard down even in [Scientia], so for me to consider this place safe is a truly strange thing. Have my senses gone mad?
"M-Master, does it hurt a lot? Should I help you up? Let's go to my room for now."
"You mean the nurse's office, not your room."
She must have been very flustered because I suddenly collapsed. Eleanor started to hover around me, looking anxious.
"Noah, it would be better to have him lie down flat for now."
It was at that moment a drawling tone of voice I hadn't heard in a long time.
I slightly lifted my head to see wavy white hair and bewitching purple eyes.
"Baekyang?"
It's been quite a while since I've met this strangely kind miss.
"It's been a while, Baekyang!"
"The vacation period isn't over yet, but you've both returned quite early."
Baekyang began to ruffle Eleanor's hair with a somewhat displeased expression.
I've felt it before, but this girl really feels like Eleanor's guardian.
Honestly, in terms of maturity, she is better than Lustitia.
"Anyway, I'm glad you both returned safely. I was really worried, you know?"
"You? Worried about me?"
Don't lie. There's no way.
Maybe someone else, but you?
"That reaction is humiliating, but accurate. The one who was worried about you wasn't me, but that one over there."
Baekyang frowned but helped lay the staggering me down properly, then pointed to one side.
"Hic… hic, heuugh… Ozzzzz~ I was so worrieeeed…"
There was a drunkard. To be precise, a girl with twin tails, her usually pale face flushed red, was stumbling towards us.
[KP Death King]
Marie Sistus.
To think that Marie, one of the top five most skilled students among the [Scientia] first-years, would end up in such a state.
I glanced at Baekyang, and she also had a faint smell of alcohol on her.
Given Marie's personality, it's unlikely she would drink by herself, so it meant she had a drinking session with Baekyang…
"We were a little lonely, so we spent some time getting to know each other."
"Alcohol… is good… No, I hate it… Huh? I'm not sure."
"Do goblins not get drunk? Or is Marie just a lightweight?"
"Fufu, it's neither of those."
Then I arrived at the simple conclusion that Baekyang is a monster.
"More importantly, what in the world are you doing with a child?"
"A child? Have you forgotten that this child is a being of the underworld? If you include her life before and after death…"
"…I am still young, Baekyang. I would appreciate it if you were careful with your words."
Before Baekyang could finish, the whites of Marie's eyes turned black, and she declared in a cold voice.
It seems to be a sensitive issue.
"Alcohol… Come to think of it, I've never had it. Why didn't you offer me any, Baekyang?"
"...Maybe it's because it wouldn't suit your palate?"
"...Noah, we're already close, aren't we?"
Baekyang and I made excuses at almost the same time.
Honestly, I didn't have the confidence to handle it.
I don't even want to imagine what would happen if this girl, who causes trouble even when sober, got drunk.
Eleanor is cunning but also strangely clumsy, so if she got drunk, she would probably go around telling the whole neighborhood that she's the princess of Chrysos.
"...Is that so?"
Noah began to tilt her head with a confused expression.
It seems we managed to get past it. Well, she's still Eleanor, after all. And being Eleanor means being a simple-minded person who doesn't think too deeply.
"Ozzzz… I was worried. Hic, the Academy Head said you didn't go to the Papacy… and my father said he attacked with a huge armyyyy!"
In the midst of this, Marie, who had staggered over, was incredibly annoying.
"Baekyang, don't give this one any more alcohol from now on."
"Hmm… Well, now that Noah is back, I suppose it doesn't matter."
"Waaaaaaah!"
She's really, incredibly annoying.
Seeing Marie clinging to me as I laid here with my guard down, as if I were a dead person, gives me a very strange feeling.
On one hand, I'm proud that she, who treats even death lightly, was this worried about me, but on the other, I'm afraid of when she might throw up on me.
"Why did you lie?"
"…"
By the time Marie, who had been wailing while clinging to me, calmed down to a whimper.
The words she spoke touched my guilt more than I had expected.
I had intended it as a white lie, but I think I had taken too lightly what would happen when that lie was revealed to be true.
"I'm sorry."
She must have been very anxious all this time.
For her, who holds a fear of Thanatos greater than death itself, the lie I told must have been a prerequisite that absolutely had to come true.
"Don't do it again…"
With those final words, Marie fell asleep.
She had been drunk to begin with, but she must have also been tense in a different way, and the moment that tension was released, she collapsed into sleep. The only problem was…
"…"
…I began to feel the presence of Eleanor looking down at me with cold eyes and Baekyang glaring at me with contempt.
…Damn it. I'm starting to get tense in a different way.
Really, why do you guys take turns tormenting me like this?