Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Confession
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Only after Isabelle left and he was alone with the Butler in the audience chamber did Lee Si-woo take off the faceless mask he wore.
Seeing the cold sweat trickling down his face as if he'd been caught in a downpour, the Butler offered him a handkerchief.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Lee Si-woo wiped the sweat from his face with the handkerchief.
“Thank you.”
Hidden behind the mask, he could conceal his expression, but he couldn't escape the immense stress of worrying that Isabelle might not fall for his trap.
Not when he was bluffing, telling her to leave if she wasn't interested, nor when he told her to kill Harman if she wanted to prove her worth.
There wasn't a single moment he wasn't on edge; it felt as if his insides were rotting from the stress.
If even one thing went wrong, he would have been as good as dead at Harman's hands.
But, in the end, he had done it.
Lee Si-woo parted his parched, dehydrated lips.
“It’s a relief I could stage things to make myself seem like some great being in the world of Barathrum. Given Isabelle’s personality, if she’d caught me trying to pull a fast one outside, I wouldn’t have even been able to recover my bones.”
“My Lord, it was not a stage. Here, you are omnipotent, and there is nothing you cannot achieve.”
Lee Si-woo let out a small laugh at the Butler's comforting flattery.
“As long as my energy allows, that is?”
“…That is true, but.”
Lee Si-woo fanned himself with his hand to cool down his sweat.
“In any case, now that we have a contract, does this mean I can invite the young lady whenever I wish?”
“Yes. She can only come here when you, my Lord, desire it. The choice is not hers.”
Lee Si-woo sank into the throne as if letting out a sigh of relief.
Seeing his unusually weary state, the Butler asked cautiously.
“More importantly, will you be alright?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“Ten Circle Potions require fifty human souls, do they not?”
Lee Si-woo leaned the back of his head against the throne and closed his eyes.
“Yes. It was another opportunity to realize what a piece of trash I am.”
“…My Lord.”
“What can I do? This is who I am.”
When he first heard that the gods used human souls as currency, he felt a sense of revulsion.
It was only natural. He was human, after all.
That was why, even after learning about the Scales of Absurdity, he had resolved not to use human souls as currency if he could help it.
However, a part of him knew.
It was a fleeting resolution. He knew that one day, out of necessity, he would end up using the scales, justifying it with all sorts of sordid excuses.
Yes, just as he always had.
“Fifty people… that’s a lot. Well, thinking back to my time in the pit, it probably won’t take that long. Ah, I should take this chance to check out the slums I’ve only heard about. If I’m going to kill them anyway, wouldn’t it be better to clean up the bad guys? To soothe my pathetic conscience a little.”
Lee Si-woo wiped his face with his palm.
The lingering sweat that hadn't cooled yet felt unpleasant against his skin.
Lee Si-woo muttered in a voice as dry as desert sand.
“Since it’s come to this, shall I try spouting some pathetic excuse? When Harman started chasing me relentlessly, and I truly felt death breathing down my neck… the only thought in my head was that I wanted to live. And after that? Yes. Ethics, values—I threw them all away in the face of survival.”
The Butler listened to Lee Si-woo’s words in silence.
As if that was the best thing he could do for him right now.
Lee Si-woo rose from the throne and spoke.
“I know. I know I’m a hopeless son of a bitch. But… since this is who I am, I’ll probably put on a show of hypocrisy and pretend to be a good person again when I can afford to. As long as it doesn’t threaten my survival. That’s what makes me feel at ease. But Butler, I don’t despise myself for it.”
Lee Si-woo suddenly slammed his fist on the armrest.
“I knew I was in the wrong, but I just couldn’t bring myself to stop. I know. I know I’m a bastard. And that’s why I know that no one will ever like me but myself. Butler, am I… broken?”
The Butler spoke firmly, leaving no room for doubt.
“No, my Lord. You are not wrong, nor are you broken. Furthermore, while I may be ignorant, I know this one thing for certain. If you were truly in the wrong, then in the future, there would be no one left by your side. Therefore…”
The young butler knelt, placing a hand respectfully over his heart.
“Even if the whole world hates you, despises you, and points their fingers at you. Even if everyone abandons you, I will remain by your side, unchanging. My Lord.”
* * *
Harman encountered ‘that thing’ in a high-end café frequented only by the upper class.
Pure white, long hair, and lips as red as blood.
Eyes as white as pearls made of powdered snow.
Some might praise the beauty of its shell, but Harman knew.
He could smell the hideous, wretched scent of death it exuded.
‘I have to ask. Ask where Lee Si-woo is. But… the words won’t come out.’
Perhaps it noticed Harman, frozen in place, unable to speak or move?
Jin, with a pair of lensless glasses perched playfully on his nose, set down his coffee and newspaper on the table and crossed his legs.
“Here to find my brother?”
The moment Jin spoke, Harman could finally breathe, as if surfacing after a long dive.
Harman managed to open his mouth.
“…I don’t know who your brother is, but I have come looking for Lee Si-woo.”
“Right, Lee Si-woo. The name of my beloved brother. So? You’re here to ask me where he is?”
“No, I can find him myself. It’s just… my search happened to lead me through you. But it’s fine. If you are by his side, I will give up.”
A smile played on Jin’s red lips.
“Oh dear, that would be a problem.”
“…What do you mean, a problem? I’m saying I’ll stop chasing Lee Si-woo.”
“Stop chasing? Don’t be silly. You’ll just invest more time and effort to chase him again. And you’ll use every connection at your disposal to do it. Oh my! This could end up involving some big shots, couldn't it? But you see… if that happens, it would be crossing a line I’ve set.”
Jin’s long fingernail traced a vertical line down the center of the newspaper.
The paper split cleanly in two, as if cut by a sharp blade.
“The line I’ve drawn ends with you, Harman. So, I’ll give you a choice. Chase him alone. If you do, I won’t interfere. I’m saying I’ll stand by even if you kill my brother and take everything he has. But… if anyone other than you gets involved…”
A specter of white mist, Umbra, appeared behind Harman without a sound, the edge of its hand pressed tightly against his neck.
A red drop of blood trickled from Harman’s nape, while a murky drop of sweat ran down his forehead.
‘I didn’t sense a single trace of this person’s presence until they were behind me. A formidable opponent, the likes of which I haven’t encountered in a long time. I wonder… even if I activated my mana shield, could I block this person’s strike?’
A 4th Circle Master was considered a powerful figure even in Granada.
However, Harman had a gut feeling.
The moment he moved or refused the white-haired youth’s offer, he would die.
Before it was too late, Harman spoke without hesitation.
“I will not tell another soul. I will pursue Lee Si-woo alone.”
A bright smile blossomed on Jin’s face.
It was a smile beautiful enough to enchant a woman, and it seemed to brighten the surroundings.
“Of course you will. Ah, you’re not going to ask me where my brother is, are you? I’ll tell you now, I would never do anything to inconvenience him.”
Harman, who had been about to flee from the absurd statement, couldn't resist retorting.
“…I’m not so sure about that. It seems to me that you are the very definition of an inconvenience.”
Realizing his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth, Harman quickly shut it.
But Jin didn't seem to care.
He simply rested his chin on his palm and watched Harman as if he were cute.
“No, Harman, you’re not an inconvenience. You’re just prey. Yes, a delicious meal to fatten up my brother.”
Perhaps it was the ominous feeling that his words, spoken as he licked his lips with his red tongue, might become reality?
Harman quickened his pace and hurriedly left the place.
Jin, who had been enjoying the sight of Harman beating a hasty retreat, swiftly pulled out his smartphone.
“Oh, right. I need to hurry and tattle to my brother that Harman came looking for me so I can get some praise.”
Excited at the thought of being praised by Lee Si-woo, Jin smiled brightly, without a hint of shadow.
* * *
After leaving Barathrum, Lee Si-woo checked the message from Jin.
-Brother. Harman just came to see me. He asked where you were. What an idiot. As if I’d ever tell him. Ah, don’t worry about me. That old geezer seemed intimidated by me, so he didn’t dare try anything.
Lee Si-woo clenched his hand around the smartphone.
This wasn’t right.
It was too fast, way too fast.
Isabelle had accepted his offer, but she had said she needed a few days.
Even for someone as insolent as her, Harman was a rather burdensome opponent.
‘How on earth did he track me down so quickly? I was sure I had at least a few more days.’
The answer was in the rest of Jin’s message.
-Brother. I looked into it, and it seems Harman is from the Mystic School. That’s probably why he found you so fast. I heard mystic mages have skills so potent they could open a fortune-telling shop.
‘The Mystic School… damn it, there’s no time.’
Man proposes, God disposes, as they say?
Lee Si-woo’s plan had been proceeding relatively smoothly, but the variable of Harman’s abilities being beyond his imagination had ruined everything.
‘How much time do I have? A day? No, that’s a wish, not a judgment, so I’ll ignore it. Okay, think calmly. Considering the speed at which he’s been tracking me…’
Not a matter of days, but hours.
And within the next few hours, at that.
Lee Si-woo took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
‘Si-woo, stay calm. Panicking will only confuse you and won’t help at all. Right, no matter how fast Harman is, he won’t find me within an hour, so I should have at least two hours of leeway.’
For a moment, the nagging thought, ‘What if Harman finds me within an hour?’ shook his composure.
‘Si-woo, even if this judgment is just my one-sided optimism, you have to believe it. You must. Because if Harman finds me within an hour, any plan I come up with will be meaningless anyway.’
Lee Si-woo nervously bounced his leg.
‘Alright, so what should I do? Think of a way, find one. If you want to live!’
Then, an idea struck him like a bolt of lightning.
Lee Si-woo picked up his smartphone.
‘Now that I’m backed into a corner, looking for a risk-free solution is foolish. So… I’ll make a gamble.’
His thumb tapped restlessly on the screen, searching for information online, while his bloodshot dark eyes stared intently at the smartphone's display.
‘I am the bait. The perfect bait. So Harman will come to where I am. No matter where that is, he will come!’
Isabelle was an attention seeker.
So she would constantly be on social media.
Correct.
Where was she now?
A department store.
Bingo. That was a reasonably suitable location.
‘I’ll lure Harman to Isabelle. Of course, there’s no guarantee she’ll make a move. She’s completely unprepared right now. She might just stand by and watch no matter what I do. But… I have to do it anyway.’
The option of fleeing into Barathrum for a while came to mind, but he dismissed it.
He had used too much energy inviting Isabelle and staging the whole act; he wouldn't last more than a few hours inside.
‘Come what may, this is the only option I have left. So I will make it happen. And… I will survive.’
* * *
The Senior Department Store, in the heart of downtown Granada.
This department store, affiliated with the Senior Magic Tower, was the largest in Granada and was always a bustling hot spot filled with customers.
“Is this all that’s new?”
An employee answered in a tense tone to Isabelle's irritated voice as she examined a bag made from the hide of a rare beast.
“Ye-yes. It’s not time for the new arrivals to be stocked yet.”
“Damn it, I went through some stressful shit today and need to blow off steam… Ugh, this is so fucking annoying.”
Just then, as Isabelle was already in a foul mood, some strange guy caught her eye.
Neatly styled black hair and kind eyes.
A white dress shirt and slacks that hugged a perfectly proportioned body.
From his style to his looks, he was quite decent, but there was something that bothered her.
Yeah, what good is being handsome?
He was just a worthless human.
“That bastard has been getting on my nerves for a while now.”
The problem was that this human scrap had caught her eye several times already.
And the way he kept stealing glances at her with a flushed face was beyond irritating.
“Hey! You, get over here.”
Startled by her sharp voice, the man flinched and pointed a finger at his own face.
Isabelle nodded and beckoned with her middle finger, flicking it back and forth.
It was a gesture that could be mistaken for either an insult or a summons.
“Yeah, you, asshole.”
The man approached with a shy expression and a demure walk.
“Um… can I help you with something…?”
Isabelle scoffed and shot back.
“Why the hell have you been hovering around me? Huh? It’s pissing me off.”
The man twisted his index fingers together as if he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Contrary to his handsome appearance, his girlish mannerisms were frustrating, and Isabelle smacked him on the head.
*Thwack!*
“Ow! Why, why did you hit me… You could have just said something…”
He even teared up a little. He was the type to evoke maternal instincts, probably made a lot of women cry.
That is, if she were human.
“Asshole! I asked you a question. Why do you keep hovering around me? You’ve been following me this whole time! Shh, I know what you’re doing, so don’t you dare try to deny it. Or I’ll smash your damn head in.”
“Well…”
“Ah, for fuck’s sake, this is so frustrating. Hey! You wanna die? Or are you gonna fucking talk?”
The man squeezed his eyes shut and, with a reddened face, shouted from the bottom of his lungs.
“I’m sorry! I fell for you at first sight.”
“…What?”
At the sudden confession, not only Isabelle but also the department store employees who had been sneakily listening in dropped their jaws.
Some even dropped the clothes or bags they were arranging.
The man who had made the bombshell declaration took Isabelle’s hand in both of his and spoke.
“I couldn’t help my own heart in the face of the dignity and grace that flows from you even when you’re standing still. Of course, I know. That you must be a precious young lady from somewhere. And that I am nothing more than a lowly human mage. But what can I do? My heart has already been moved.”
At the cheesy lines, as if his tongue were made of butter, and the words that treated Isabelle like a goddess, some of the employees’ faces turned pale.
Apparently, the fact that a man existed who would confess to that train wreck of a nuisance was making their lunches threaten to make a comeback.
And that wasn’t all.
Even the infamous Isabelle couldn't hide her bewilderment.
The reality that the first confession she had ever received in her life was from such a baffling idiot left her momentarily speechless.
“You… ah, for fuck’s sake. This is unbelievable. Wow~ Look at me, I’m so pissed my face is turning red. Ugh… how the hell should I deal with this bastard…”
Someone cut off Isabelle as she was gearing up to tear the man a new one.
“Lee Si-woo, did you think I wouldn’t be able to find you just because you came into a department store?”
Lee Si-woo, holding Isabelle’s hand as gently as a bouquet of flowers. Isabelle, turning around at the familiar, aged voice.
And finally, the white-haired, white-bearded old mage, Harman.
The gazes of the three met in one place, intertwining like snakes.