A Bet on the Heavens

Fortunately, the expected showdown didn't end with him jumping out of his seat and storming off. Still, the atmosphere was far from friendly.

"A god... I don't particularly have one. But what does that question have to do with our current situation?"

"It is important to me."

"My responding to your words right now is not out of obligation, but mercy. Do not forget that."

He's terrifying. My lips were bone dry. But I pretended to be completely unbothered. I had to play hardball here.

"Then test me."

Beside me, someone reacted to my words and drew his sword, but the Great General raised a hand to stop him.

"Then, if I were to cut you down, what is it that I would lose?"

I stared directly into the Great General's eyes. "Everything."

One of the barbarians, who had been watching for any opportunity, finally lost his temper and drew his blade. "You arrogant bastard!"

I couldn't even see it. A voice rang out, a gust of wind brushed past, and by the time I blinked, the tip of a blade was already hovering right before my throat, threatening my life.

"That is enough."

Two finger-widths. Within that tiny gap, a massive sword as tall as a man was held, trembling. An intangible aura of pure pressure erupted from the Great General, weighing down on the entire council chamber. It was like the presence of a wild beast.

"...If you interrupt this conversation one more time, I believe I will be deeply disappointed in your house. Do you understand?"

Normally, a typical kingdom's knight commander belonged to the 7th Tier. At the absolute highest, the 8th Tier. It was a rank commonly seen in the game, but now that it was reality... every instinct screamed at me that taking that pressure head-on would be fatal. I watched as the man, who appeared to be a knight, collapsed to the floor, drenched in cold sweat.

The Great General looked back at me, still bound in ropes. A strange gleam flickered in his eyes. Ho.

"Let us resume our conversation. How am I to believe your words?"

Normally, I would have bowed my head immediately. Strangely, however, no such thought crossed my mind. For some reason, I felt compelled to speak like this:

"You have asked me the exact same question three times now."

He returned to his seat and slowly leaned back. "Indeed. And I have yet to receive an answer."

...This wasn't going to be easy.

"In my heart, I wish to believe you. But I do not sit in this chair merely to preserve my own life. I hold the lives of the entire legion in my hands. I cannot afford to make any decision lightly."

I called upon Jiri with my eyes. Fortunately, the app was working. The weather forecast tab appeared. As I quickly scanned the screen while maintaining my poker face, an urgent notification caught my eye.

It was a notification that hadn't been there a moment ago. It had literally just popped up.

"Do you require direct, visible proof?"

"I do. If you can show me proof, then this operation... there is no reason we cannot proceed according to your plan."

"General! To make such a statement to an outsider—!"

Slam! With a thunderous strike against the table, the Great General glared at his leadership council and spoke fiercely. "Do we have any other viable alternative right now?"

"Well... that is..."

The atmosphere shifted. Though their gazes remained sharp, there was a clear tremor of hesitation within them. It was no longer suspicion, but hesitation; no longer hostility, but caution.

"My apologies. Please, continue."

I slowly raised my head. Looking straight ahead, I said, "Tonight, keep your eyes on the heavens."

I felt a bit guilty toward the Great General for placing his trust in me, but I had to spout some absolute nonsense now. Yet, I had no choice. In times like this, a display of absolute confidence was my only weapon. Doubt, after all, is contagious.

"Thunder shall roar beneath a clear sky, and the heavens, forgetting the season, shall rain down ice."

The dead silence in the chamber slowly dissolved. Glances of utter disbelief and mockery poured in from all sides. They probably thought I was an idiot who had just squandered his only lifeline.

Pfft. It was indeed an absurd claim. Even the Great General's face stiffened slightly, as if he hadn't expected me to go quite this far. Yet, I remained completely unfazed by the reactions around me.

The weather forecast was practically a god. How could these ignorant medieval folks possibly comprehend the concept of meteorology? Besides, the probability was 55%. If given the choice between a guaranteed 100 million won versus a 50% chance at 1 billion won, any sane person would choose the latter. And 55%? That was over half. It was a gamble well worth taking. Statistically, the odds were in my favor. Once I decided to place a bet, as a true Korean, my only move was to double down and maximize my returns.

"If what I have spoken does not come to pass tonight... you may take my head. You can simply dismiss it as the delusional ramblings of a liar."

In any case, from the moment I stepped into this tent, my life was no longer my own. There was no reason to hesitate when wagering something that didn't belong to me anyway.

...More importantly, I scanned my surroundings. The resistance was weaker than I had anticipated. I had expected a much harsher backlash. Just moments ago, these barbarians were drawing their swords at the slightest provocation. Now, they were just sitting quietly, doing nothing but muttering.

Tap. The Great General, who had been tapping his desk in silence, stopped.

"If you are risking your life, there must be a corresponding reward. Tell me, what is it you desire? Gold? Or perhaps jewels?"

This was my chance. However, I couldn't afford to be greedy. Even if everything went perfectly and I managed to leave this region under the Great General's protection, my future was already written based on how the people here looked at me. If I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠left this place with riches, I would merely evolve from a regular monkey into a black-haired Asian monkey carrying gold and silver. Once I stepped outside this territory, I would end up as a bloated corpse floating down a river within a single day. I had to project an aura of detached, selfless nobility.

"What I desire is not material wealth. If my words prove true—adopt my strategy."

"That is hardly a reward, is it? If your words are proven, we would naturally follow your plan."

"In that case—"

I took a quiet breath and continued. "Formally adopt the teachings of the god I serve—'Theology'—into the military."

A religious fanatic in the military? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠A high priest? And making it a mandatory subject, at that? I wasn't saying this just because of the main quest. My primary objective in proposing this was to get rejected. There was no way they would approve of this. This wasn't some ragtag militia from five hundred years ago. There was no way. They would obviously find it unacceptable.

As ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠expected, a perfectly reasonable response came from the Great General. "That... is not something I can decide on my own authority."

His slight hesitation was a bit concerning, but it was probably nothing. This was basically pro-wrestling. First, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you make an impossible demand, then you gradually lower your terms, showing a reluctant attitude before finally agreeing, making the other party feel indebted and grateful to you.

"Even a single word is enough. Just present the proposal to your superiors."

Though our conversation had been brief, he seemed like a man of his word. If my request was rejected, he would surely try to compensate me in some other way.

The Great General nodded silently. "Very well."

...Perfect. Once this war was over, my request would be rejected, and the Great General would feel a sense of guilt toward me. Under his protection, I would secure a solid identity. After that, I would defect to the nation destined to become the strongest in the future. That was the best survival route I could map out right now.

My status as a spy hadn't been cleared yet. So, this was unavoidable. The fact that I was currently standing before a guillotine, that is.

I stared at the wooden block before me, stained with blood that had yet to dry. Pretending to be serene, I cautiously looked up at the sky. My eyelids twitched slightly.

The sky is... completely clear?

Jiri... It's today, right? This is incredibly nerve-wracking. I'm not actually going to die, am I?

9:00 PM. The executioner slowly climbed onto the guillotine platform. The sky remained dead silent. I mean, 55%... honestly, that's a decent chance, isn't it?

10:00 PM. The scheduled time of execution was drawing near. The pitch-black sky showed absolutely no signs of change. A tiny seed of doubt began to blossom in my mind. Maybe 55%... wasn't actually a high enough number to wager my life on.

As the hour struck, the executioner approached with mechanical precision, raising his axe. "Any last words?"

I opened my mouth, maintaining an air of absolute calm.

"Well. It seems tonight is going to be rather noisy." Mostly because my heart is beating like a goddamn jackhammer.

The executioner smirked at my words and raised his axe high. The blade caught the light, flashing brilliantly. Light?

—BOOOOOOM!

—BOOOOOOM! Thunder crashed across the heavens, illuminating the entire world in a blinding flash. And upon the scorching earth, freezing ice began to pour.

The man, who had rushed out of his office at the commotion, picked up a piece of ice that had fallen to the ground and squeezed it in his hand. It was freezing. This was no trick or illusion. It was not the kind of phenomenon that any mortal could manipulate.

The execution had already ground to a halt, even without anyone issuing an order. There was no need for him to say a word. Through his transcendent vision, he could see the soldiers in the distance, who had been preparing for the execution, staring blankly up at the sky.

Amidst the roaring thunder and the shattering hail—the bound man sat perfectly upright, quietly staring ahead. Just as he had in the council chamber, he showed not a single tremor of fear. As if he had foreseen all of this from the very beginning.