The Fox's Plea and the Heavenly Demon's Legacy

"Kraaaaaagh!"

A scream echoed through the air.

It felt eerily similar to the power I myself wielded.

A woman.

And on top of that, I could sense the faintest trace of Yeokcheon energy.

"...So you were still alive, Yeongcheon?"

"Hah... hah... That voice... Heukcheon?"

Yes — a woman.

I turned to look at Heukcheon.

"Someone you know?"

"A woman, to be precise. Yeongcheon. A concubine of the Cheonma, my former master."

"Don't talk nonsense! Why would I ever be that woman's concubine? I died a virgin because of her! Goddamn it — if you're going to touch someone, touch them all the way! What kind of sense does it make to die a virgin?! You should have let me finish before I went!"

"Y-you... you are as vulgar as ever!"

"Oh, look who's pretending to be all lofty and refined! The crazy bitch who moaned every single time the Cheonma touched her sword!"

At Yeongcheon's words, Heukcheon staggered.

So she was moaning back then, too...

When I gave Heukcheon an odd look, she put on an expression of wounded innocence.

"D-don't look at me like that!"

I turned my gaze away — to the book inscribed with the words Heukshin Martial Art.

"So why are you here, exactly?"

"...Because of the Cheonma's orders, I suppose. She commanded me to guard this place, so I have no choice but to remain here."

"The Cheonma's command still binds you, even now?"

"...That damn bitch weakened us and sealed us before she died. There was nothing to be done about it."

"...The Cheonma did?"

As Yeongcheon growled her reply, Heukcheon's face turned flustered.

"Yes. In her final years, who knows what that damned woman saw, but she went on and on about how we should curse her for it. You remember, don't you?"

"I don't. I thought I knew everything about the Cheonma... but it seems she pulled some kind of trick on me as well."

"Ha."

Yeongcheon sucked in a sharp, exasperated breath.

"Well, of course. There's no way the Cheonma never touched that part of you. If anything, that's probably the one thing she labored over the most."

"...So. Do you actually know anything useful?"

"Me? I know plenty. That one over there is this generation's Cheonma, right? Well, he's genuinely handsome this time — how nice. Last time, I don't know what a woman was doing fawning over women so much."

Yeongcheon chattered away, visibly delighted.

"Anyway, even though ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Cheonma weakened me, my true name is still Yeongcheon—"

"Hey! I was about to say that!"

"Spellcrafts?"

"It's a contingency prepared in case you failed to master the Heukshin Martial Art, Master. Compared to the Heukshin Martial Art itself, its performance is utterly inferior."

"That goes without saying. The Heukshin Martial Art is a martial art that monster of a woman built from the ground up."

"So you're saying I can learn spellcrafts."

A complicated expression crossed my face.

The Heukshin Martial Art was a brilliant discipline in its own right, but it did have its occasional inconveniences.

Its weakness is that everything is built for close range.

Even so, the only thing that supplemented it was footwork. According to Heukcheon, the Cheonma simply had no equals anyway, so she'd considered that much more than enough.

Unfortunately, I don't have talent on the Cheonma's level. But talent? That's something you can just make.

"What level are these spellcrafts at?"

"Would you like to learn them? There are offensive ones that would work even on a Supreme-rank, but most of them are support types. And you said Heukcheon's memories are still unstable, didn't you? I'll help with that. I really do know so much."

Yeongcheon spoke as if her life depended on it.

"And if I absorb the Yeokcheon?"

"I still haven't recovered from what the Cheonma did to me, so I'm completely useless right now! Please, spare me! Keeping me alive and milking my knowledge would be far more useful to you — wouldn't it?"

I glanced at Heukcheon, and she gave a noncommittal nod with an unreadable look.

"Yeongcheon is passable enough. Her taste for men made her the only woman the Cheonma ever forcibly saddled herself with as a headache."

"Taste for men — what's that supposed to mean now?"

Yeongcheon grumbled in an aggrieved tone.

"Then among the others sealed like you — are there any worth using?"

"Oh, plenty. In terms of ability alone, they're quite useful."

"And their personalities? Could you actually get cooperation out of them?"

"Hardly."

Yeongcheon's voice went cold.

"That one there is genuinely well-behaved by comparison. There's one called Orloi. When the Cheonma said she would place a binding on her, the girl stabbed her own heart while smiling so brightly. There's another who took her own life rather than serve a different Cheonma."

"......."

"Compared to all that, isn't mine pretty reasonable?"

Listening to Yeongcheon's stories, I looked at her again — and she almost seemed like a fairy.

"So you'll pick me, won't you?"

"...I'll think about it."

"Oh, right! That bitch of a former Cheonma said she'd leave something behind for the Cheonma of the next generation."

"Leave behind?"

"Yessir! You just have to pour Yeokcheon energy into the Heukshin Martial Art book!"

Following Yeongcheon's instructions, I placed my hand on the book and let Yeokcheon energy flow into it.

Fsssshh!

But the book simply turned black and crumbled into what looked like shards.

"This is......."

Even at a glance, an enormous amount of Yeokcheon was packed inside. Absorbing all of this should raise my stat by at least 5.

"A portion of the Yeokcheon energy left behind by your former master. There should be around twenty-four more pieces, of course."

"......."

Yeongcheon said it brightly, but I doubted anything like that actually existed anymore.

Because of how this world came to be — Earth's dimension shattering one day and fusing with others — every dimension imaginable was tangled up in here.

Even if they did exist, they might have fused with something else entirely.

Still, it was good information.

Every time I gathered another piece of the Cheonma's legacy, my own power could grow. That was what it meant.

I clutched the shards and absorbed the Yeokcheon.

A translucent window floated up before my eyes.

"Oh my?"

At the same moment, Yeongcheon's appearance changed as well.

By the time I emerged from the cave holding the Cheonma's legacy, the sun was already setting.

A deep violet sky greeted me.

"Yahoo! Fresh air, for the first time in ages!"

The black fox bounded ahead joyfully.

Call it the Cheonma's foresight, perhaps. The moment I absorbed the Yeokcheon in the bead shards, Yeongcheon became bound to me.

And all the knowledge of her spellcrafts took root in my mind.

I'd need to practice these and get a proper handle on them.

Snap.

At a flick of my fingers, black flames roared to life in the empty air.

"Truly, you live up to the name of Cheonma. Such talent already — impressive."

"Your mastery of Yeokcheon surpasses even the former Cheonma, Master."

"...Is it, now."

Yeongcheon stared at me with wide, astonished eyes.

It was all thanks to the Concept Stat Yeokcheon and my Incomprehensible Talent (A-), really.

"So — what should I call you, then? Master? Husband? For the record, I'd much prefer 'husband.'"

"...Just call me by my name."

"Yes, Seoha, sir!"

I pressed my fingers hard against my temples.

I hadn't even done anything, and my head was starting to ache.

Well, at least it was worth something.

The spellcrafts Yeongcheon possessed were surprisingly solid. Most of them could be cast with Yeokcheon energy alone, no mana required.

I walked along the map Erciel had sent me as a text.

About thirty minutes later—

"Quite the wealthy household."

"I'd say. Looks like something of a villa, even."

Heukcheon and Yeongcheon agreed with each other.

I headed for the main gate, and the doors opened on their own. Someone who looked like a guard quietly bowed his head to me.

Did ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Erciel brief them already?

I went inside.

After walking for about three minutes, I arrived at the residence — and a handsome man who appeared to be the butler came out to meet me.

"You must be Lee Seoha. Welcome, sir. Lady Erciel is expecting you."

The butler ushered me in.

Inside, a pool room opened up, where everyone was splashing around and enjoying themselves.

"Oh my, you've arrived."

Erciel greeted me — for some reason, still wearing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her uniform shirt and skirt.

I called up Erciel's status window.

Appraisal.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

▼

Her stats were similar to mine, but her status window was papered over with talents and arts.

Talents really are terrifying.

It was an overwhelming list compared to Hong Yuhwa's. Setting aside A World Built of Lies, made possible by Melanie, there was Dream Within a Dream, which let fantasy erode reality, and the Knot of Illusions — lower in rank than the Sacred Eye, but a superior set of eyes in its own way.

And then, the True Illusion Body.

The talents alone would drive Melanie wild, but Erciel also possessed the True Illusion Body, a unique constitution that dreamed of truth within illusion. That alone was more than enough reason for Melanie to teach her with utmost devotion.

"Eep — where are you looking?"

The moment I viewed her status window, Erciel raised one corner of her mouth, pretending to cover her chest.

"I am rather pretty, aren't I? My swimsuit is quite nice too, don't you think?"

"...You're the one wearing a uniform."

"Hmmm. So even this level of illusion doesn't work on you."

Erciel looked at me with feigned puzzlement.

So she was testing the waters.

"Ah, that's so unfair of you. Kim Seohyun fell for this much, at least."

"Well, Seohyun's still learning."

"Are you playing favorites? Well, that's fine. I still have a trump card up my sleeve, after all."

Erciel flashed a sly grin.

"Whoa! W-wait, Hong Yuhwa!"

The club president's panicked voice rang out. When I shifted my gaze, a spray of water was flying this way for some reason.

Shaaaa—!

I swiftly channeled Yeokcheon and threw up a barrier — a spellcraft acquired along with Yeongcheon.

Erciel, however, took the deluge head-on.

"Ah......."

Her brow furrowed for an instant. Then, after a brief glance down at her own clothes, her expression changed.

As she looked at me.

"......."

"Hm. So you can make a face like that too. Not bad."

She lifted one corner of her mouth, then snapped her fingers with a crisp pop.

The water evaporated, and her uniform returned to its original state.

"Oh, right. There's a small ball being held today. Will you come?"

And then she whispered quietly to me.

"A ball?"

"Yes, a really small one. It's a masquerade, so feel free to drop by. Ah, a few students will probably be there too?"

"At a ball?"

"Yes. Apparently the girl they call the Young Lady from the neighboring class is coming as well. Seol Hwaryeon, was it?"

Suddenly, I remembered the 300+ messages piled up on my phone.

All of them from Seol Hwaryeon alone.

"...I'll go."

Hm. So this was her hobby?

Erciel tilted her head for a moment, then nodded.

This is an Erciel rough draft.

I apologize.

I'll rest well tonight and return tomorrow with better content.

Thank you.