Apology
Before I knew it, the whole issue regarding my transmigration had been downgraded to a trivial matter.
Or perhaps, to be more precise, we were desperately turning our eyes away, pretending not to see it.
That alone was proof of just how grave the current crisis was.
A nightmare scenario that should never happen—one we would rather die than witness—was unfolding into reality in real time. It was only natural to grow desperate.
"That crazy woman is serious. She's actually preparing for a wedding...!"
"......"
Seeing Weller's trembling hands—God only knew what she had witnessed on her way to the ger where I was staying—I put on a grim expression.
Setting all other complicated factors aside, from her perspective, watching her older sister steadily take concrete steps to marry her younger brother was... horror, pure and simple.
I had an older sister in my previous life, so I understood completely. Just substituting different people into Tsarkhella's and my positions made the horror crystal clear.
What if your dad publicly announced his marriage to your older sister and began earnestly making preparations?
What if your mom declared she was going to marry you and started touring wedding venues?
"......"
That was what formless, unadulterated terror looked like.
I could guarantee it would induce a panic far worse than when I first transmigrated into this world. It was enough to shatter anyone's sanity.
"The problem is, there's no decent way to stop Tsarkhella."
"What do you mean there's no decent way?! Just throw a tantrum and cause a massive scene like you always do!"
Weller shrieked, then suddenly gasped, her face draining of all color.
"Y-You... don't tell me... you actually have feelings for her...!?"
"Sister. Have you lost your mind? Don't even joke about that. I hate the idea just as much as you do."
"How am I supposed to believe that?! You're...!"
She snapped her mouth shut in a hurry, but her eyes were brimming with distrust and suspicion.
Yeah. I understood. Because I wasn't Stanasila Alzen; I was Kang Han-gil.
"Haa..."
Was it really wise to bring this up right now? It felt like it might only complicate things further.
"...I have zero intention of marrying Tsarkhella. You'd better just take my word for it."
"Fine. I'll work under that assumption."
Fortunately, she seemed to share my sentiment; when I subtly suggested dodging the topic for now, she readily complied.
"Anyway, making a scene, huh... Regrettably, Sister, that trick is completely useless against a madness greater than my own..."
Even if I were to fling piss and shit at Tsarkhella, would she give up? I highly doubted it.
Hearing the hollow helplessness mixed into my voice, Weller scowled deeply.
"Then what are you going to do? The wedding is tomorrow! We have to do something before then!"
"...Mmm..."
I pondered for a moment, but no good ideas came to mind. What could I possibly do against a lunatic who wouldn't respond to persuasion, coercion, threats, or begging?
"...What about you, Sister? Do you have any bright ideas?"
At my question, she deliberated for a brief moment before letting out a heavy sigh.
"Why don't we just run away?"
"Run away?"
"Yeah. Even if Lindel tries to stop us, with our fighting strength, we could easily pull it off, couldn't we?"
"I mean, sure, that's possible, but... *hiss*..."
"What, is something bothering you?"
"No, well... You might have heard already, but I agreed to help wipe out a tribe connected to the demons."
"...I heard. She said you'd march out right after the wedding." Weller glared at me, clearly displeased. "Is that really so important? What could she possibly do if we just ignore it and leave?"
"...It's important. Incredibly so."
My voice dropped low of its own accord, teeth grinding together. The anger and hatred I had temporarily suppressed flared back to the surface with vivid clarity.
"As you know, the reason we ended up in this mess in the first place is because Kubel intervened. And Kubel's oracle pointed directly at that tribe colluding with the demons. I have to confirm it with my own eyes. I need to know why I have to do this."
Eyes wide, I met Weller's gaze head-on.
"Depending on what I find, I'll decide whether to play along or betray them."
"...Betray?"
A grim, sharp shadow cast across her face.
"What does that mean? Betray who?"
"The gods, starting with the Goddess. And if push comes to shove, even humanity itself."
"......"
"I despise the thought of becoming someone's puppet, dragged around by the strings."
The moment the words left my mouth, I felt a twinge of regret. To anyone watching, it looked like an impulsive outburst blurted out without considering the consequences.
Feeling suffocated, I took a swig of liquor and observed Weller's reaction.
"......"
Still wearing that shadowy, blank expression, she stared intently at me.
Beside me, Muriel and Rebecca had already tensed their bodies, ready to react at a moment's notice, their impassive faces monitoring Weller's every move. Cacciola had already slipped behind Weller's back, while Pashtra... completely oblivious to the tension, was dozing off with a blissfully drowsy look on her face.
Yeah. Just being cute is enough, Pashtra. Keep staying like that.
"Haa... I really didn't want to bring this up here... but I can't help asking."
Breaking the silence, Weller tilted her head slightly and peered straight into my eyes without blinking once.
"You're not Stanasila Alzen, are you?"
"......"
I had always known this question would come someday, but facing it head-on rendered me completely speechless.
Part of it was fear, and part of it was guilt. Natural feelings for someone with ordinary morals and values. It was hardly easy for a stranger who had hijacked someone's body to look their family in the face and say, I'm not your family.
"Hey, what's with that face? People will think I'm bullying you. Just speak comfortably. Like I told you before, I couldn't care less what happened to 'Stanasila Alzen.' That brat was nothing more than an object of disgust and hatred to me."
"...Ha, what face? Don't talk nonsense."
"Pfft. It's not very convincing when you're looking like a frightened puppy on the verge of tears, you know."
"......"
Her lighthearted attitude, incongruous with the gravity of the subject, seemed to lift some of the weight from my shoulders.
"Whew..."
Still, feeling the need for some liquid courage, I gulped down another mouthful of liquor.
"...Yeah. You're right. I'm not Stanasila Alzen. I'm someone who had nothing to do with him."
"I see... So it really was true. Well, I had my suspicions from the very beginning."
Watching her nod calmly, I breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"So, what's your real name?"
"...Kang Han-gil."
"What a bizarre name. Don't you have a family name?"
"Kang is the family name, and Han-gil is my given name."
"That really is strange... It sounds like a name someone from another world would use."
"......"
I couldn't reveal that much, so I clamped my mouth shut.
"Hey. Relax your face. I'm not planning to pry that deeply."
"Wait, that's completely unfair. What face was I making? My face was completely blank!"
"Pffft. Are you serious right now? You idiot. You're ridiculously easy to read. A shallow man whose true colors show completely after just a few days of observation. Right, Muriel?"
When the arrow suddenly swung her way, Muriel nodded, still keeping her guard up against Weller.
"...That is correct."
"See? You tried to hide it as best you could with alcohol, but watch you long enough and everything's laid bare."
"That is precisely what makes him charming."
"Well... I'm not so sure about that."
"......"
As I scowled deeply, Weller chuckled mischievously, amused, before clearing her throat a few times to restore a serious atmosphere.
"So, what's your real goal?"
"...My goal."
"Yeah. Looking at the way Saintess Cecilia and Dawn Knight Wendy treat you, and hearing that the World Tree called you the 'Goddess's arrangement,' you clearly have some predetermined mission, don't you?"
"To kill the Evil God. That's my goal."
"The Evil God?"
After a brief silence, her brow furrowed as she glared at me.
"...Are you serious?"
"Dead serious. Ah, not that I'll be the one killing it directly. The Hero will appear before long, and he'll be the one to slay the Evil God."
"The Hero...!?"
She looked even more shocked than when I mentioned killing the Evil God.
"The Hero... you mean the Hero? The legendary one?"
"Yep. That legendary one."
"...Wait a second, the scale suddenly got way too huge for my brain to process..."
After groaning in thought for a moment, she waved her hands dismissively.
"Ah, whatever. Let's put that aside for now."
"Putting it aside just like that? Pwahaha!"
"Of course. It has nothing to do with me."
So refreshingly blunt it was almost exhilarating. This woman wasn't normal either.
"Nice. I actually prefer that attitude."
"Good to hear. I was terrified you were going to ask me to come along and hunt the Evil God with you."
"Oh? That doesn't sound half bad, actually. Want to give it a shot?"
"Cut the bullshit..."
Muttering a curse and shooting me a dirty look, she resumed her questioning.
"Anyway, so you didn't enter that body because you wanted to?"
"Right. How did you know?"
"Historically speaking, gods have always been like that. Acting like they're doing everything for humanity, yet never explaining a damn thing and acting entirely high-handed. That's why I personally despise gods."
"Oh... on that point, we completely agree."
"Anyway... hmm, okay. Then I understand why you're insisting on wiping out that barbarian tribe backed by demons. In short, you're still not sure, right? Whether God is on your side or not."
"Spot on. Wow... having someone understand me so well feels so damn refreshing."
"It's just a simple deduction."
Pondering for a moment, an inquisitive look crossed her face.
"By the way, do you really have to do that with Lindel?"
"Huh?"
"Can't we just go by ourselves, wipe them out quickly, and see what's there? Honestly, I don't think we're lacking in firepower."
"...Huh? Can we do that? Wait, but the oracle was given to Tsarkhella..."
"You should treat the oracle separately. Just because an oracle was granted doesn't mean there's a law saying you have to move alongside the person who heard God's voice, right?"
"That... makes sense, now that you mention it."
It seemed I had trapped myself inside a rigid frame of my own making.
"The problem is, we don't know which tribe it is or where they're located..."
"I can probably pry that out of her if I probe subtly. Leave that to me."
"You, Sister? Can you handle it?"
"Yes. The sooner I do it, the sooner we avoid the wretched sight of you and my sister getting married, right?"
"...I'm Kang Han-gil, not Stanasila Alzen, remember?"
When I asked with a mischievous grin, Weller glared at me with pure disdain.
"Shut up. Whoever you are, I would rather die than see someone wearing my brother's body marrying my sister."
"On that, I completely agree. We're really seeing eye to eye today, aren't we?"
"Hmph... Anyway, fine. I'll get moving right away. You get ready too, so we can run the moment I dig up the information."
"Got it. I'll spread the word through Telepathic Transmission."
While I reached out to the party members through Telepathic Transmission, she rose from her seat and headed toward the entrance of the ger.
"...Hey."
"Yeah? What?"
"Just because I understand you doesn't mean I'm on your side. Nor does it mean I trust you."
"You're actually spelling that out? How kind of you. Don't worry, I already know, milady~"
"Who's worried about you?"
Wearing an exasperated scoff, she pushed open the flap of the ger, then froze dead in her tracks.
"...About before... I'm sorry."
"...What?"
Disbelieving my own ears, I whipped my head around, but she had already bolted out of the ger.
"...Hah, good grief."
I never dreamed in a million years that woman would apologize for the past.
"An apology directed not at 'Stanasila Alzen,' but at 'Kang Han-gil.' Not bad... Though the sun might rise from the west tomorrow."
"...It is quite surprising."
"Lady Weller is cuter than I expected... It makes me smile on its own."
Listening to Muriel and Rebecca, I downed my drink.
For some reason, the liquor brewed from Belteogeo milk tasted far sweeter than usual.