Chapter 462: Another War Has Already Begun.
Chapter 462: Another War Has Already Begun.
Ganesha’s furious voice swept through the hall like a storm.
What in the world had happened? What was going on?
My already complicated thoughts felt even more tangled. I pressed a hand to my throbbing forehead. Then, trying my best to remain calm, I spoke.
“Ahn Sol, Vivian. Tell me what wish you just made. Right now.”
But no answer came. In fact, both of them subtly avoided my gaze. The moment I saw that, I knew instinctively. They were the cause of Ganesha’s anger.
When it became clear they had no intention of speaking, no matter how long I waited, I pressed them.
“Are you not going to talk?”
Ahn Sol and Vivian flinched, their shoulders hunching. They hesitantly looked up at me and spoke in voices that were barely audible.
“K-Kim Soohyun, you’re so mean. Why are you only picking on us? It might not have been us…”
“Th-that’s right. And even if it was us, you said everyone’s wish was to be kept a secret…”
Gone was the bickering from moments ago; Ahn Sol and Vivian were now in perfect sync, voicing their refusal. I clenched the hand that was massaging my forehead, grabbing a fistful of my hair. Of course, their minds only worked this well at times like these.
“I don’t really mind.”
Just then, Yoojung stepped forward, her red hair swishing. She glanced at the idiotic duo, who were just gulping nervously, then gathered her long hair with both hands. Oh. A ponytail suits her, too.
“And even if we agreed to keep it a secret, you have to say something when things turn out like this. Don’t tell me you’re going to disobey Oppa?”
Yoojung, who had already taken out her Moon Spirit, was now spinning it around her middle finger. But Ahn Sol and Vivian, who truly seemed desperate to keep their secret, shook their heads violently.
“N-No! This is a matter of privacy! Besides, you guys haven’t said what you wished for either!”
“Th-that’s right! If you keep pressuring us like this, we’ll just lie!”
Yoojung’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Oh yeah? Fine, I’ll just say it. I asked for Sangyong-oppa to be saved. Happy now?”
With a snort, she revealed her wish without hesitation. Ahn Sol and Vivian just stared blankly at her, their faces seeming to ask, How could you do that?
But before the two idiots could speak again, Hangyul and Shin Jaeryong spoke up at the same time.
“Uh, Yoojung-nuna. Me too. I also wished for Sangyong-hyung to be saved…”
“Hah. Miss Yoojung. You made the same wish as I did?”
So, the three of them had made the exact same wish? And none of them were accepted?
A moment later, the clan members began to reveal their wishes one by one.
I already knew Seon Yuun’s. Woo Jungmin said he had wished for Won Hyesoo’s mind to be restored. Hanna had asked for the location where the last of the ancient priestess’s power lay dormant.
Soon, for reasons I couldn’t fathom, it was Cha Sorim’s turn, who looked extremely anxious.
“A-Actually!”
Realizing she would be forced to speak if things continued, one of the two idiots finally spoke up in a small voice.
“I… I made a similar wish… To… save Shin Sangyong…”
“M-Me too. I actually did the same.”
Ahn Sol quickly chimed in after Vivian. The way her voice trailed off made me think she was likely lying, but it wasn’t an entirely implausible story. Vivian had spent the most time with Shin Sangyong, and Ahn Sol had known him for a long time as well.
“So five people made the same wish… Is she annoyed because we keep making the same request?”
“R-Right. Ganesha kept saying it was a stupid wish, right? Again and again. See? In the end, it just means she’s a petty goddess. This is Ganesha’s fault.”
It didn’t seem to make any sense, but coming from Vivian, it somehow sounded plausible.
I tilted my head and looked at the monolith in the center. After a brief period of silence, it once again glowed with a crimson light, and Ganesha’s enraged voice thundered through the air.
—What? You asked to save whom? A petty goddess? Shut your mouths, you wenches! How dare you lie in my presence?
Huh?
—How utterly shameless! You two most certainly! Th-th-this… this unspeakable, shameless act…!
“Aaaah! Ora Pierre! Ora Queritatus! Aaaaaah!”
“Orabeoni! You can’t listen to this! Uwaaah! Uwaaaaaah!”
Suddenly, Vivian started shrieking and thrashing about, while Ahn Sol also screamed and rushed over in an instant to cover my ears. I was pretty sure I’d heard the word “unspeakable,” but I could only look down at Ahn Sol, completely dumbfounded.
After that storm of a commotion passed, we were finally able to continue the process of making wishes. (Perhaps the “petty goddess” comment had struck a nerve, but Ganesha, despite her anger, did not commit the atrocity of closing the portal.)
There were two clan members left who hadn’t made a wish: Hanbyul and Heo Junyoung.
Of the two, it was Heo Junyoung who volunteered to go first. One would think he’d be burdened by Ganesha’s extreme anger, but Heo Junyoung walked into the central space with a look that said he couldn’t care less.
I watched the kneeling Heo Junyoung for a while before turning my gaze to Hanbyul. I didn’t know what wish she was considering, but her face was blank.
Then, as if sensing my gaze, Hanbyul slowly turned to face me.
I spoke quietly.
“Hanbyul-ah. I’m counting on you.”
“…Pardon?”
Hanbyul’s eyes widened slightly. I pointed toward the two idiots, who were huddled together in a corner with their heads buried in their arms.
“Please don’t be like them.”
“Ah… Yes.”
Hanbyul smiled awkwardly and nodded. Thinking that there was no way Hanbyul would do something like that (?), I smacked my lips and turned my gaze away.
It was then.
Flash!
Heo Junyoung’s body slid smoothly out, and at the same time, the monolith shone with a brilliant light, illuminating the surroundings. The color that filled the central space was yellow. It wasn’t a success, but it wasn’t a failure either.
“Oppa. I’ll go now. And please don’t worry too much.”
“Hm? Oh, okay. I hope you succeed.”
Hanbyul gave a slight bow and walked briskly forward.
Heo Junyoung calmly turned and approached us with slow steps. In his hands was a reddish box, large enough to cover his entire chest. It was a box I had never seen before, so naturally, I was curious.
“Hoo. Heavier than I thought.”
“Heeey… Frosty. What’s this?”
As he set the box down with a thud, Vivian, who had crept over, tilted her head and asked. It seemed her curiosity was irrepressible.
Frosty, huh. A word to describe ice? It certainly suited him.
But Heo Junyoung’s response was cold.
“Mind your own business. Shameless wench.”
“Wh-what! Why me! I told you it wasn’t me!”
“Hmm. Then let’s shorten it to lewd wench.”
“I said it wasn’t! And why do you say it like you’re letting me off easy!”
Seeing the signs of another commotion, I decided to ignore them completely. Telling them to be quiet was a daily affair. Did thorns grow on their tongues if they stayed quiet for even a moment?
Hanbyul, who had entered the central space, was slowly kneeling. Thinking it was about time to prepare for our return, I opened my Player Status window in the air.
Before we left, I wanted to check the Dragon’s Authority first.
*
—State your wish.
A calm, yet somehow stiff voice echoed through the space.
Hanbyul, still kneeling, gently opened her eyes. But the form of the god was nowhere to be seen. There was only the monolith, flowing with its usual green light.
—Why do you hesitate? Do you not wish to make a wish?
“No. I’ll tell you now. But before that, there’s something I’m curious about.”
Hanbyul had always been quick on the uptake. Seeing that Ganesha’s anger hadn’t fully subsided, she thought it best not to drag things out.
Thus, trying her best not to offend the deity, Hanbyul spoke without delay.
“Ganesha-nim. A wish… I can make one on behalf of someone else, correct?”
—That is a matter of course. Do you mean to make a wish not for yourself, but for another?
“Yes. Do you happen to remember Soohyun-oppa… No. The man from our group who first entered this place?”
—…What? Not again?
Hanbyul blinked rapidly. Ganesha’s reaction was stranger than she’d expected, and she worried she might have said something wrong.
Of course, there was nothing wrong with Hanbyul’s words.
But there was a reason for Ganesha’s unpleasant reaction.
At first, Ganesha had been in a very pleasant mood. Not only had she met a god of an almost forgotten age, but the tricks displayed by the first man to enter had been quite amusing.
Furthermore, the shy yet selfless confession of the second woman to enter had brought a gentle smile to Ganesha’s lips.
The wishes of the humans who followed weren’t particularly interesting, but they were reasonable enough. They weren’t much different from the wishes of all the other humans who had come here before. At the very least, they did not stray from common decency.
As she sent them off one by one, a woman knelt before Ganesha. When she learned that this woman was a priestess of the now-fallen Angelus Order, Ganesha felt her slightly faded expectations swell once more.
The Angelus Order was extremely strict in selecting its priests. They chose those who were naturally good and without greed, and even after selection, they trained their inner selves through prayer and discipline that bordered on the extreme.
The priests who emerged into the world after such harsh training almost all gained renown, revered as saints.
Of course, the priestess before her seemed young, but when Ahn Sol had asked, ‘God, oh God. The wish I make here won’t be known to others, will it?’, Ganesha had found herself smiling a motherly smile.
‘You remember the Orabeoni who first came in here, right?’
‘Hoho. Of course, I do. I remember him well, child.’
Up to this point, everything was fine.
However.
Ahn Sol’s subsequent wish not only shattered Ganesha’s expectations but also blew the god’s mind to smithereens.
‘Yes. What I want is simple. For me. I want you to give me the ability to sleep in the same bed with my Orabeoni, naked and wrapped in each other’s arms, whenever and wherever we may be. And I want to use that ability for the rest of my life.’
‘Wh-what did you say?’
‘Pardon? Should I repeat myself?’
‘No, no. What you’re saying is… are you by chance referring to the physical relations between a man and a woman?’
‘Yes, that’s right! Sex! Sex!’
‘Wh-what? You weeeench! How can a priestess of Angelus say such things without an ounce of shaaaame!’
Ganesha had erupted in a fit of rage and sent Ahn Sol flying without a moment’s hesitation.
Then, before Ganesha even had a chance to compose herself, another woman had barged in.
‘My name is Vivian la Classidus. As Espinion’s most beautiful alchemist, I shall state my life’s greatest wish to Ganesha, the god of language and wisdom.’
Putting aside the ‘most beautiful’ part, the informal speech was grating, but Ganesha forced a smile and welcomed Vivian. Her expression and the aura around her were so solemn that it seemed she was about to make a wish of great importance.
But when Vivian also asked if she remembered the first man who had entered, Ganesha felt the anxiety she had just managed to suppress resurface. It was the exact same pattern as the Angelus priestess.
‘That man and I made a very important promise. But he has yet to keep it.’
‘Hoh. A promise. What a relief.’
‘Hm?’
‘No, it is nothing. Then do you wish for the man to fulfill that promise?’
‘That would be nice, but no. I believe a promise is only meaningful if I get him to keep it myself.’
‘Oho. Is that so? Then what can I do for you? Go on, speak.’
Had she stopped there, Ganesha would have thought Vivian quite admirable.
But Vivian’s next wish not only delivered the finishing blow to Ganesha’s sanity but also unleashed the fury she had been suppressing.
‘Make my ass luscious.’
‘…What?’
‘My ass, my ass. You know the man I was talking about? Make my ass so luscious that every time he sees it, he can’t resist giving it a good smack. Slap, slap! You know what I mean?’
‘You… you wenches, really! I’ve tried to be patient, but this is too muuuuch!’
Thinking Ganesha hadn’t understood, Vivian had even stuck out her rear and patted it with her hands to demonstrate.
And Ganesha, finally letting her pent-up rage explode, had sent Vivian flying as well.
—Hmph.
Recalling the events of a few moments ago made her anger boil up again, but Ganesha barely managed to hold it in. Her short, interesting deal with the man just before had calmed her down a little, and the woman before her now was, as of yet, innocent.
Though it was only a matter of ‘as of yet.’
—Very well. State your wish. But if I deem that wish to be absurd, you had best be prepared.
“…Pardon?”
Hanbyul swallowed hard. As the last one, she had already decided on her wish, but Ganesha’s reaction was pricklier than expected.
However, no matter how she thought about it, she didn’t think her wish was absurd, so Hanbyul quietly opened her mouth.
“The man I mentioned earlier… I just want things to go well for him.”
—Hmph. You just want things to go well for him. By that, do you mean you wish for the man’s luck?
At Ganesha’s interpretation, Hanbyul paused in thought for a moment before shaking her head.
“No. That’s not what I mean.”
—Not what you mean? Then your wish is far too broad. State it more specifically.
“More specifically… I understand. There are times when he seems to be having a very hard time. I think it’s a physical issue, but he won’t tell me clearly, so I don’t know the problem either. So, if it’s possible, could you raise his stamina, even just a little?”
—Is that so? If that is your wish, it is not possible. Now…
“Why?”
—?
Ganesha, who was about to send Hanbyul away, stopped mid-sentence. She looked down at the kneeling Hanbyul with a sense of intrigue.
—Why, you ask. You should already know the restrictions that prevent wishes from being granted. And yet, you cannot accept it?
“It’s not that I can’t accept it. But because I know the restrictions, I find it even harder to understand.”
In a way, it was a very audacious thing for a mere mortal to say.
But Ganesha, far from being offended, felt a sense of calm wash over her. Hanbyul’s wish was not absurd, and more importantly, her eyes were challenging. It was as if she were proposing a discourse with the god of language and wisdom herself.
At that thought, Ganesha felt her interest, which had been utterly extinguished, flare up once more.
—Hoho! Very well. Then I shall make you understand. First, I ask you. Why do you wish for that man to do well? Ah, and I say this out of caution, but do not even think of lying before me.
At Ganesha’s question, Hanbyul gently closed her eyes. Ten seconds later, she quietly opened them and said:
“…Just because.”
—Just because. No, that is not it. Since you seem unable to say it, I shall guess. When you speak of that man, your attitude and emotions are exceedingly cautious. And your eyes, which seem so cold, momentarily turn tender. You have either been shown a great kindness by him or think of him as special. In other words, it can be defined as the emotion of liking, or love. That is certainly a beautiful emotion, but that is precisely why your wish is inevitably tied to greed. Because the emotion you harbor now is one-sided.
“……”
—Hoho. You are silent. Do you understand now?
“No.”
It was then.
Hanbyul, who had immediately denied it, looked at the monolith with calm eyes. Then, she parted her lips and began her rebuttal in a quiet voice.
“You’re right. It’s true I’ve received his kindness, and I won’t deny that I think of him as special.”
—If you admit that, then you must naturally admit what follows…
“No. I will only admit to that much. But as for liking or loving him…”
—You deny it?
Hanbyul and Ganesha cut each other off. Hanbyul’s eyes were cold as she spoke, and the green waves of the monolith flowed with dignity. As they exchanged words, neither giving an inch, Ganesha was forced to take a step back at Hanbyul’s next words.
“No. I don’t know.”
—…You do not know?
At the slightly dazed-sounding voice, Hanbyul calmly nodded.
“Yes. I don’t know. In all my life, I have never even liked a single person, let alone loved one. Therefore, I do not know exactly what those two emotions you mentioned are.”
—…Continue.
“And as for the one-sided emotion you mentioned. That is correct. I may think of him as special, but he may not think of me as special. No. He probably doesn’t. But, even so. I don’t want to use this wish to advance my relationship with him. Do you feel that I am lying right now?”
—……
Ganesha could not say a word to Hanbyul’s question. This was proof that Hanbyul was not lying. And the moment she sensed the truth in Hanbyul’s words, Ganesha felt her own logic being refuted, piece by piece.
“I don’t want to be in a special relationship with him. I don’t want him to look my way because of this wish, either. When he’s struggling, I feel troubled. When he looks like he might collapse, my heart aches. And when he occasionally calls my name and smiles, my heart feels at ease. But the reason I wished for him to do well is just… just because. It’s a feeling of just wanting things to go well for him.”
—…Just because.
“Yes. Just because. To be honest, I don’t know my own feelings. In a way, you could call it cowardly. So, Ganesha-nim, please tell me. If the emotion I am feeling now is that of liking or loving, I will accept it and step back. But if it is not, please grant my wish.”
—I understand what you mean. You are certainly confused about your own feelings right now… How curious. To wish for another’s happiness without connecting it to yourself. This is an emotion that even a parent wishing for their child’s success would find difficult to show. No. Perhaps it is only possible because you are a complete stranger to him.
Ganesha muttered quietly.
In fact, Hanbyul’s words were a perfect execution of what Helena had said.
Human emotions are strange, complex, and subtle. And Ganesha’s judgment is subjective.
Hanbyul was handing this judgment itself over to Ganesha, demanding another answer. In a way, one could say she had made two wishes at once.
Ganesha fell into deep thought. And soon, she realized she could not give a clear answer to anything.
Human emotion was not something that could be defined by a single answer. One could not know how it might change in any given situation. Especially if it was an emotion in the process of being formed, not even a god could rashly pass judgment, for they could not know how it would turn out in the end.
—Indeed, it is difficult even for me to rashly judge the intent behind the wish you speak of. It is certainly hard to see this as being connected to greed. No, even if it is, it is not the primary motivation.
“Yes.”
As Hanbyul affirmed, Ganesha smiled pleasantly.
—Hohoho. Child. In truth, I still do not think my words were entirely wrong. I can tell you this much. The emotion you are feeling now has the highest probability of developing into the aforementioned feelings of liking or love.
“That may be so.”
—However, I do not think your words are wrong either. For you made a wish for that man, yet you truly desire nothing in return. When I could not answer your question, I had no choice but to say this. In the end, it is a difference between the present and the future… Truly, it is so very ambiguous.
“Then…”
At her tone, which asked what would happen now, Ganesha briefly organized her thoughts. Then, suddenly recalling the conversation she’d had with the man just before, she was able to make a decision immediately. In such an ambiguous case, there was only one option left.
—Child. Then how about you and I make a deal?
“A deal…?”
Hanbyul asked back, puzzled. A moment later, a faintly playful voice echoed softly around the space where she stood.
—Yes. A deal. Or perhaps I should call it a gift. First, I shall grant the wish you spoke of within a reasonable scope. And I shall arrange things so that you may find the answer to your question for yourself. Hohoho. What do you say?
“…Pardon?”
Hanbyul tilted her head.
Meanwhile, at the same time.
“I’m just so curious!”
“Get lost. Lewd wench.”
“What’s the big deal, just tell me!”
“No.”
Amidst the commotion surrounding the box Heo Junyoung had brought, Kim Soohyun was calmly staring into the air. Then, he let out a very satisfied groan and a faint smile appeared on his face.
“Hmm. What I can use right now is… Polymorph and Draconification. There are some restrictions, but this is really good.”
Closing the Player Status window, Kim Soohyun gazed at the reddish box Heo Junyoung had brought.
Even Soohyun didn’t know its exact identity, but he could feel that the aura surrounding the box was unpredictable. In one way, it looked like an ominous box, and in another, it looked like a box of good fortune.
Kim Soohyun spoke.
“Heo Junyoung. What is that? You might as well just tell us.”
“Ah. It’s nothing much. She called it Pandora’s Box.”
“Pandora’s Box?”
“Yeah. I originally asked for a Chaos Mimic. I’d been curious about it after hearing you all talk. But Ganesha said it was ambiguous and offered a deal. This is what I got.”
Watching Heo Junyoung explain in such detail, Vivian looked as if her mind had just left her body. She had pestered him to tell her, but he hadn’t, yet the moment Kim Soohyun asked, he revealed it instantly.
“Hmm. Pandora’s Box.”
Slightly curious, Kim Soohyun activated his Third Eye and looked down at the box.
It was then.
Flash!
A yellow light burst from the monolith, dyeing the hall.
Kim Soohyun, who was just about to inspect the box, reflexively turned his gaze to the central space.
In the center was the slowly fading yellow light and Hanbyul, who was sliding smoothly out. An undeniable look of bewilderment was written all over her face.
It was the moment Kim Soohyun and Hanbyul’s eyes met.
『User Kim Hanbyul has made a wish for User Kim Soohyun!』
『The conditions for using Eve’s Bloodline have been updated!』
Two messages floated in the air before Kim Soohyun’s eyes.