Chapter 398: Betrayal Only Happens Because You Gave Your Trust in the First Place
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 398: Betrayal Only Happens Because You Gave Your Trust in the First Place
The Bicorn.
A horse-like demonic beast with two horns. According to legend, some say they are a corrupted form of the purity-obsessed unicorn, while others claim they are a different species entirely from birth.
Regardless of the legend, they are the antithesis of unicorns, symbolizing the fall of the pure and twisted wisdom.
Naturally, unicorns and bicorns get along terribly; if they cross paths, they usually fight until one of them is dead.
“…Puh-heung.”
“Puh-heh-heung…!”
However, it seemed they didn’t just blindly attack if a former family member had suddenly transformed.
“…Um, can you understand me? I’m truly sorry things turned out this way.”
Cathy bowed her head toward another unicorn, which was crying sorrowfully while repeatedly licking the face of the former unicorn that had turned into a bicorn.
“I guess that white horse is the black horse’s mommy.”
The very person responsible for this scene was currently in my arms, looking perfectly nonchalant while calmly providing information I really didn’t want to know. Regardless, since the deed was done, apologizing was the right thing to do.
It was all well and good that we had been guided to the unicorn village, but thinking about it, we weren’t exactly welcome guests from their perspective.
In fact, wouldn’t we be more like mortal enemies…?
Fortunately, it seemed not all unicorns possessed a fiery temperament. They attempted to talk before engaging us in combat.
The problem was that the only one capable of communicating with them was So-hyun.
According to So-hyun’s summary, the conversation went something like this:
— Why did you turn our child into this?
— Because he attacked first and threatened to kill me.
— …He’s still just a child, so I am truly sorry he tried to lay a hand on you first. But even so, did you have to turn him into this irreversible state?
— You think this is my fault? Maybe I should have just killed him and tossed you his hide instead?
— …Can you take responsibility for those words? Should I take that as a declaration of hostility toward the unicorn tribe?
— I’m not scared, you dummy. He’s the one who messed up first.
Hearing up to that point, I wondered why a fight hadn’t broken out yet, but what So-hyun said next was even more appalling.
— I’m not in a good mood, so now I don’t feel like turning him back.
— …What?
— I could have turned that horse back to his original form, but now I don’t want to. It’s because of you.
— W-what do you mean? Our child can return to normal?
— He could have until a moment ago, but not anymore.
— I-I’m sorry. I… I didn’t mean to speak like that.
— And?
— I… I was just too agitated. Yes, our child was in the wrong first. I am truly sorry for raising my voice.
— Like I care. Anyone can say they’re sorry. Talk is cheap.
— I will compensate you to the absolute best of my ability. Hic, please. Please, our child cannot live like this…
— Ah, so you’ll only try within your ‘ability.’ I guess you aren’t that desperate.
— No! No! I will work my hardest even at things I can’t do! I’ll even give you my horn if you want…!
— Hmm, yeah. That’s more like it. Now you seem to have the right attitude for an apology. If a child does something wrong, the guardian should offer a sincere apology first. You have to get down on your hands and knees and beg for the other person to even feel like forgiving you, don’t you think?
— Yes, yes. You’re right. I’ll make sure nothing like this ever happens again…!
He delivered the threats with such a natural flow that for a moment, I suspected he was only pretending to be a child. But surely, that couldn’t be it.
…So-hyun, were you always like this as a kid?
I’ve only seen his gentle side lately, so seeing this side of him after so long was a bit hard to adjust to.
Even though the other unicorns wanted to attack, the mother unicorn held them back, allowing us to avoid an immediate clash.
“Hehe, they say they know which way the elf village is.”
And So-hyun, the one who created this situation, was smiling proudly as if asking for praise, even as he continued to escalate the tension.
…Well, he did clear a dungeon that seemed to have no solution, so I suppose he did a good job in a way.
“Puh-heh-heung…!”
“…So-hyun, what is that one saying? Why does she sound so sad?”
“I told her I have no intention of turning him back until we reach the elf village because they might be lying. I guess she’s still not desperate enough.”
“Oh, um, is that so?”
“Yes, I’ll persuade her in no time.”
“No, wait…”
“I really don’t like it. When those who aren’t in a position to negotiate, and don’t even have a card to play, mistake their standing and act like they can actually bargain. I really hate that.”
“Puh-heh-heung…”
“Ah, I know. Of course, you can make mistakes when you’re in a hurry. You’re right about that. But why should I have to be understanding about it?”
“Puh-heung… puh-heung…”
“Don’t worry. Why would I do something like that if you don’t betray me first? I told you I’d return him to normal, nice and clean. Yes, exactly. That’s how you should cooperate—quietly.”
…Was it just my imagination that she looked like a mother desperately trying to ensure her child’s safety?
Then, suddenly, right after the bicorn let out a mournful cry.
So-hyun flinched.
What did it say to make So-hyun react like that?
“…Tsk.”
Then, looking like he had seen something incredibly unpleasant, So-hyun climbed down from my arms and approached the unicorn.
“Don’t betray me. You’ll have to guide us all the way to the elf village.”
“Puh-heung!?”
“I’m just doing this because I changed my mind. It’s pitiful seeing you apologize to your mom like that.”
Seeing him make excuses to the mother unicorn that no one had even asked for, most of us could guess roughly what the bicorn had said.
“I’m the one extending goodwill first. Don’t you dare betray me. I’m only letting this slide once.”
Leaving behind the unicorn that was nodding its head repeatedly, So-hyun reached out toward the bicorn. A shimmering light began to swirl around his hand.
With one hand, he sucked out the demonic energy, while with the other, he injected divine power.
One by one, the massive ancient trees nearby withered and collapsed. By the time roughly eight trees had shriveled up.
“Hi… hieeng…?”
The bicorn’s pitch-black hide returned to a pure white, and the single horn that had rotted away on its head began to sprout anew, albeit small.
…To be honest, I thought it might have just been a bluff, but he really could turn it back.
“Honestly, I thought the junior was just bluffing, but he really meant it when he said he could turn it back.”
“Wow, just how far is Kang So-hyun going to go? Is he trying to become a god or something?”
As So-hyun watched the creature frolic in joy, seemingly unable to believe it was a unicorn again, he grumbled.
“…Don’t go picking fights with just anyone anymore.”
One moment he seemed infinitely cruel, yet he was strangely deep-hearted, eventually showing compassion. It made me realize that even as a child, So-hyun was still So-hyun.
It was a strangely touching scene that almost moved everyone to tears.
“Puh-heung…!”
When the young unicorn and its mother were repeatedly expressing their gratitude, I thought it would end on a heartwarming note.
Unfortunately, is it inevitable for every group to have its share of bottom-tier trash?
The moment the hostage was gone, some unicorns took impulsive action.
“Puh-heung…!”
Several individuals charged forward at high speed, attempting to seize a new hostage.
Well, of course.
“…What do you think you’re doing?”
Their feet were bound by shadows that had blanketed the area before they knew it, preventing them from grabbing anyone.
“Puh-heung…! Puh-heung…!”
The mother horse seemed to be demanding to know what they were doing, but based on how the attackers were snarling back, they seemed to be saying that since the hostage was gone, there was no need to obey.
“…Oh, is that so? You can’t betray your loyalty to the elves? Since the elves asked you to test us in the first place, we should just obediently comply?”
Uh oh.
Even though he was younger, I could tell by that specific tone of voice.
So-hyun was truly angry.
“So-hyun, should we… should we calm down?”
So-hyun glanced briefly at the mother and child unicorns, who were shaking their heads frantically as if to say they had nothing to do with this, and then he smiled.
“I told you.”
The shadows swirling around began to grow in size, eventually becoming vast enough to cover the entire unicorn territory. They coiled with viscous demonic energy and opened their maws wide.
“I hate bastards who act like they have a hand to play when they aren’t even in a position to negotiate.”
Only then did the attacking unicorns seem to grasp the situation, as they began to slowly back away.
…I didn’t know if they had let their guard down because of So-hyun’s young face, if they were trying to get revenge for the harm done to their kin, or if there was some other reason, but one thing was certain.
“I hate you guys.”
Once So-hyun got like this, no one could stop him.
The shadows, maws agape and dripping with demonic energy, swallowed the unicorns whole.
* * *
When the news reached him, the Elf King could not hide his bewilderment.
“No, what do you mean? Breaking the alliance with the elves…? No, more importantly, what happened to your appearance?”
[It is exactly as I said. More than half of my tribe has ended up like me, and most of those left unscathed are just the young ones.]
The speaker was the Unicorn Chieftain, who had taken human form through the Art of Human Transformation.
Or rather, should I call him the former Unicorn Chieftain?
His black-stained skin and the piercing demonic energy radiating from him made it clear that he was no longer the divine beast he once was.
If anything, he was closer to a ferocious demonic beast.
[To be honest, turning out like this is more the fault of the young fools on our side than the elves, so I’ll leave it at that. However, the one who can turn us back is hostile toward you, so what choice do we have?]
…Turn them back? To restore a divine beast that had fallen that far, nothing came to mind except for legendary elixirs or perhaps the World Tree, who was currently slumbering.
[I’ll give you a piece of advice for the sake of our past friendship. I don’t know what you did wrong, but do not let your pride get in the way, and do not try to resist. Get down as low as you can and beg for forgiveness.]
Just what had they encountered to be this terrified?
[He had the form of a human, but he was no human. You must never anger that person—no, that Lord.]
…That Lord? A unicorn, famous for having pride that rivaled even an elf’s, said that?
[The most dangerous being in the world is currently moving on emotion, not reason. I am advising you for your own sake, so please, listen carefully.]
Having said his piece, the Unicorn… no, the Bicorn Chieftain cut off the communication as if he had nothing more to say. The Elf King fell into deep thought.
This was because the Master’s advice, which he had dismissed as nonsense and bluffing, was starting to gain credibility.
He was the King of the Elves.
Though he was somewhat overbearing and full of himself, he wasn’t exactly a fool. Based on the evidence gathered so far, he belatedly began to crunch the numbers.
What if the reason the Master was staying here so obediently was truly to persuade them and prevent the destruction of the elves…?
Once he saw the evidence, his reason, which had been paralyzed by emotion, returned. His restored intellect quickly assessed the situation.
They would already be on their way to the elven forest, guided by the unicorns.
An opponent with the martial prowess to slaughter monsters the elves couldn’t handle and to subjugate even the prideful unicorn tribe.
The calculation wasn’t difficult.
If he were just an individual, a duel or whatever would be appropriate, but as a king representing a species, he naturally had to surrender.
No matter how much he missed his first love or needed to prove his legitimacy, it wasn’t something worth losing his entire tribe over.
“I must finish the preparations quickly.”
However, there was someone who did not look kindly upon his choice.
“No. There is still a way.”
It was the Elf Elder… the mastermind of this incident, who was hiding his true identity.
The moment he held up a hand mirror to reflect the Elf King, the clarity that had briefly returned to the King’s eyes clouded over again, and he staggered.
“A… way?”
“Yes. For the great Elf King to give up on something? That is preposterous. It simply cannot happen. Leave it to me, and I shall resolve this cleanly.”
“Is… that so?”
“Yes. For now, pretend to welcome them. After that, you only need to do what I’ve requested.”
The mastermind smirked.
Whether this task succeeded or failed, the elves would be destroyed, but his kin weren’t particularly important to him in the first place.
Rather, they were just beings who felt a sense of elitism despite being no different from humans in their foolishness.
“I might need to hurry a little.”