Chapter 143
Chapter 143
Chapter 142
When I returned to the square where the goblins were gathered, the gazes directed at me were quite lukewarm.
“Well, I understand, he’s at his prime after all.”
“Damn it…”
No matter what I said, these guys weren’t going to listen. To make matters worse, Baekyang wasn’t on my side right now. She was gripping my sleeve tightly, seemingly unaware of it herself. She was afraid I might ask Soyeon if she knew about her, so she couldn't speak, trying to hold me back this way. It was probably an instinctive action. So, trying to make someone in this state explain would just result in rambling.
“Hmm…”
But while others jeered, Bihyeong was different. Bihyeong seemed to realize that Baekyang's condition was unusual.
“It’s an urgent situation… but it would be good to have time to rest from the journey. Moon Shrine Maiden? We also need to make several preparations, so for now, you can just follow Jeokmae.”
In the end, Bihyeong declared a disbandment, using Soyeon's travel fatigue as an excuse. This was a different decision from the original plan, as he had intended to summon all of the . The goblins grumbled and booed at Bihyeong's stubborn decision but still left obediently.
“Jeokmae. She’s a precious guest, so you must take good care of her, okay?”
“Well… Baekyang’s house already has many guests, so I will.”
Soyeon, amidst the situation, was led by Jeokmae's hand and left the scene as if flowing away. Baekyang glanced at Soyeon, checking the atmosphere, and taking advantage of that moment, Bihyeong approached me.
“Hey, hey. That… Oz?”
“It’s Oz.”
“Right, Oz. Later, tell me what happened…”
“Let’s go back too.”
Bihyeong’s words couldn't be finished. Baekyang was tugging at my clothes, urging me on, even before I could answer Bihyeong. Compared to her usual self, this was quite a different sight, making it interesting to watch. But at the same time…
“Alright, I get it. I get it, so don’t pull so hard. Do you know how much this robe costs? It’s an item that involved a national budget, you know?”
It seemed like things were going to get quite troublesome.
By the time I returned home with Baekyang, she seemed to have regained much of her old self, perhaps because some time had passed.
“What should we have for dinner tonight?”
She had let go of the sleeve she was clutching, and her tone of voice had returned to normal. Listening to that drawn-out voice, it almost seemed like she was fine, but…
“Master, Baekyang is acting strange. Did you do something when you went out?”
Apparently, not quite. Eleanor seemed to have noticed something. For now, it would be best to play dumb. No matter how much I decided to be a liar, I had no intention of blabbing her secret everywhere.
“Why does this kid think I did something?”
“But most people get a little weird when they get involved with Master.”
“Haha, that’s nonsense. You were already a bit odd before you met me.”
“...Grrr.”
“Oh dear.”
Eleanor tried to bite me. Is this kid really an animal? Act like a human. No, more than that, shouldn't royalty have some dignity? How is it that I, who was suddenly possessed, have more dignity than her? The future of Chrysos looks bleak.
“More importantly, Master. I’m telling you, Baekyang is acting strange.”
“Where?”
“Hmm… well.”
“You two? What are you talking about over there?”
Before Eleanor could say anything, Baekyang interjected. Yes, that's it. That's the problem. Eleanor's vague sense of unease was probably due to the fact that Baekyang was monitoring me, making sure I didn't say anything reckless. This was becoming quite bothersome.
“Oz, if you’re not busy, could you come over here?”
“...Alright.”
I headed towards the kitchen at Baekyang's call. Eleanor still tilted her head, seemingly not understanding the source of the unease.
“What is it?”
“Could you peel some potatoes for me?”
“...”
What Baekyang showed me was a mountain of potatoes. Has she gone mad? What does she plan to do with so many peeled potatoes?
“What if I say no?”
“You… won’t help me?”
“No, this is really…”
Are you seriously going to make a face like you’re about to cry over just potatoes? This is too much… I'm terrified of what others would say to me if they saw Baekyang's expression right now. I already know this: the principle of "whoever cries first wins" is hard to beat. Even without knowing the details, it's enough to make someone look like a complete jerk.
“Then, until the Moon Shrine Maiden leaves, you can go on a date with me.”
“...”
It sounds nice to say "date," but it's practically saying she'll imprison me. Fine, I'll peel the potatoes out of spite. Just you dare throw any of them away without eating them.
“Hee hee.”
Eventually, when I sat down and started peeling potatoes, she laughed again. I can't believe this... I can't even get angry. How could I get angry at such a coward's plight? I may not understand the fear she harbors, but I can tell how relieved she was by my answer just now.
“Haa…”
If only she would laugh like that normally. Her deceitfulness was so annoying.
Baekyang's obsessive behavior continued unabated.
When I asked Arietta, who had recently been struggling to keep her balance due to the dense demon energy in [Goblin Forest], how she was doing.
“Arietta. Have you adapted to the environment of Goblin Forest yet?”
“Yes, it’s a bit difficult, but I’ve got the hang of it. It’s a shame I can’t rely on your help anymore, Oz, since I’m used to it now.”
“What would be so difficult? If you wish, I can lend a hand anytime…”
“Oz?”
“...”
Baekyang appeared.
“Could you come here for a moment?”
“Arietta. I must excuse myself. I have urgent business…”
“Ah, yes. Oz. Go ahead.”
When I was having a trivial conversation with Marie.
“Ah, Oz. Come to think of it, you know a lot about the Federation, right? I found a frog with a strange color by the river earlier.”
“If it’s strangely colored, isn’t it best not to touch it?”
“As expected, Oz is knowledgeable about the Federation.”
“No, this isn’t just about the Federation, it’s basic…”
“Oz?”
Baekyang appeared.
“I’m thinking of preparing a late-night snack, could you help me?”
And when Eleanor approached me, clutching her head.
“Ah, Master! As expected, Baekyang is acting strange today…”
“Oz?”
Baekyang appeared. The intervals between her appearances even grew shorter. If I tried to ignore her, she would immediately come over and tug at my clothes. It was cute if you wanted to call it cute, and annoying if you wanted to call it annoying. No, more than that, it was pitiful. It didn’t cause any major problems in my daily life, but thinking that she was watching my every move all day was naturally a burden.
“Oz.”
“I’m not talking to anyone right now, okay?”
Isn't this just too much? It's suffocating.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to take a bath. Why? Are you going to follow me to the bathroom?”
“...”
Even so, she wouldn’t do that, right? Baekyang must know about boundaries. Couldn't she allow me at least this much leeway?
“Shall we go together?”
“...”
I can't take it anymore. Not even a single night has passed, yet I can't endure it. Baekyang, who ultimately tried to follow me into the bath, was barely satisfied with blocking the door and windows by freezing them shut after much persuasion, thus preventing anyone else from entering.
“I’m freezing to death.”
The water was clearly warm, but the cold air emanating from around made me shiver to the bone. It felt even colder because it was frozen using yokai energy.
“Haa…”
Baekyang's behavior was beyond imagination. I hadn't realized she was that afraid. This was on par with Eleanor. At a level similar to Eleanor’s fear of loneliness, Baekyang was now experiencing fear of the current situation. Moreover, perhaps because I had stumbled upon her fear so easily with the few clues I had, her suspicion of me remained. This was a disaster that occurred because I found out things on my own, not because she told me herself.
“Oz. Are you inside?”
“I’m inside, so please, for goodness sake, don’t stand by the door and just go away.”
“Hee hee.”
“No, don’t just laugh…”
Originally, I intended to seize an opportune moment to learn the truth from Soyeon. It would mean lying to Baekyang, but I was prepared to carry that lie for the rest of my life. However, Baekyang wasn't foolish. She understood me too well. That's why she tried to prevent the situation where I would lie, even to the point of obsession.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
“You make me uncomfortable.”
“Hee hee.”
How could I break through this cunning goblin who avoids awkward questions with laughter and blocks my refusals with tears?
After a simple bath. I went outside the house to practice magic. Of course, Baekyang followed me obediently, as if it were natural.
“You, you know.”
I spread threads of mana into the air to draw a magical circle, calling out to Baekyang. It was a task requiring significant concentration as I was developing a new magical formula, but I was capable of this much multitasking.
“Don’t you think that by doubting me like this, all the actions you’ve taken to understand other races will come to nothing?”
I asked Baekyang.
“...I do think that.”
“Then why are you acting like this?”
“I know, but… I can’t help it.”
Baekyang sighed deeply, looking gloomy. I've noticed recently that the proportion of her normal speech has increased. It's clear that her usual strange way of speaking is something she consciously does.
“Don’t you want to try trusting me?”
“Trust isn’t something you can just decide to do just because you know it with your head, is it?”
“Aren’t you in pain?”
“I'm in agony.”
This situation wasn't good for her either. It was a contradiction. Her actions, self-negating her efforts, were erasing her own past deeds from within.
“Do you want to try being brave?”
“...”
Baekyang didn't answer. She merely buried her face in her arms. It was an interesting situation, to say the least. That's because.
“You’re a goblin whose foundation is deception and trickery, yet you can’t lie. Or rather, you choose not to?”
“I try not to.”
“Why?”
I gathered the mana spread in the air and turned to look at Baekyang. The practice was just an excuse anyway. I was merely waiting for an opportunity.
“Because I know the consequences.”
This situation, where she had enough time and we could talk alone. I was just waiting for it.
“Don’t you want to tell me?”
“...”
“Well, seeing you tremble so much, it must not be an easy story to tell. But still, Baekyang.”
Baekyang must know how precarious the current situation is, like walking on thin ice.
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll have no choice but to draw my own conclusions.”
“That’s right. Because you’re smart.”
“Can you be sure that the conclusion I draw is what really happened to you? As you know, I’m not perfect either.”
“Ha…! What would you do with that information? Since when did you take such an interest in me? How deceitful.”
“What are you talking about, you’re the one who tried to follow me into the bath?”
“...”
Baekyang turned her head as if trying to play dumb. The more I looked at her, the more absurd she seemed. Does this kid have no conscience?
“...Can you promise?”
“What?”
“That you’ll just listen. That you won’t interfere. That you’ll just pretend not to know this situation as it unfolds.”
“...”
A request almost bordering on a coward's plea. Repeatedly, she uttered the same request, expressing her lack of trust. In a way, that could be considered accurate. I was going to lie. Anyway, it was a simple matter that could be resolved by just confirming with Soyeon. Some might call it meddling, but what could I do if I decided to do it? I was an arrogant and self-righteous person from the start. But now…
“No.”
“...”
“I'll decide after I hear it.”
Lying is easy. Since I've already decided to bear that burden, I can repeat shallow lies anytime. But trust will be broken. I wasn't close to Baekyang to begin with, and I thought it wouldn't matter much if she hated me if the situation could improve. But now, well… Have we become a little closer? I guess I'm a person with a lot of affection.
“Arrogant and self-righteous as I am, I will synthesize all that you tell me and make a decision on my own. So, Baekyang. This is your chance.”
I intended to be a liar, but it seems I must speak only the truth for now. That’s why I'm offering. This first and last chance for her to entrust that burden to someone else, whether she will grasp it or cast it away.
“So, Baekyang. Speak. And endure. I will make sure it becomes a happy ending, no matter what.”
“Haha… How can you? How can you make it good? A story that has already flowed cannot change.”
“Didn’t I tell you this morning?”
A trivial joke. My fundamental goal, which she merely laughed off.
“I'm trying to save the world.”
A goal everyone would scoff at. But a goal I never once gave up on. From the moment I was possessed by Oz’s body, I had already decided everything. To somehow save this world, which will eventually descend into an apocalypse as the battle with the ‘beings from outside’ intensifies.
“For me, the world means all the connections I have.”
Yes, so in my world.
“There’s nothing but happy endings. I’ll make it so, no matter what it takes.”
I spoke in a serious tone. Knowing the future, I was always serious in the face of this goal. Stopping the invaders from outside who covet the world itself. And even stopping bizarre groups of psychopaths whose motives are unknown. I, who held the arrogant goal of saving the world and ascending to the position of a god.
“Speak. I will help you escape from that fear.”
“...”
Could I not do even that much? Baekyang looked up at me. She probably checked my face, which must have an air of confidence. Our eyes met. We stared at each other as if trying to read each other's emotions.
“Then…”
Eventually, Baekyang, with a trembling voice, slowly extended her hand towards me.
“Then, please.”
Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up at me.
“Please, please… I’m so scared I feel like I’m going crazy…”
And in the hand that clutched my clothes, desperation was evident.
“Please help me…”
I did not avert my gaze from her desperate eyes. I met them squarely. There was no hesitation. There was no reason to feel burdened. It was natural. Because I hadn’t lied.
“Alright.”
It’s not difficult. It’s a simple matter compared to challenging the position of a god. Could I, who harbored such grand ambitions, not grant the request of a mere goblin trembling in fear? And even if it weren't for that, hadn't I learned from [Scientia], from Tia?
“I will grant your request.”
How to return an answer to a prayer. And how much it can reassure the other person.