Purity Theory
Purity Theory
Kim Mari.
Her name sounded like a snack, and she was someone I had a bit of history with.
Because she was the root cause of what killed my neighbor, Mr. Owl Bear.
Of course, I was the one who ultimately killed him... but still, she was the one who provided the cause.
And from what I remembered, this Kim Mari person was also a streamer.
To give a little behind-the-scenes story, there was a time when one of her streams brought a flood of people into the forest. It was a nuisance...
Honestly, she was just a nuisance. Not a particularly memorable human being.
And right now, she was just as much of a nuisance.
Because she was currently live.
I could see it. The chat window was scrolling up in real time beside her.
[Yoo-ha~]
[Chae-ha~]
[? why's this chick here lol]
[who's that?]
[you know, the one who shows up a lot with that NPC named Yor]
[ah gotcha]
I frowned without her noticing.
Damn it. I'd even gone to the trouble of wearing a disguise to avoid being on a broadcast, and now I ran into a streamer here of all places.
[btw who's the tall person next to Chae-rin?]
[isn't it hot? wearing a cloak in this weather damn]
[they've got a big build, maybe a guy?]
[gasp a guy?]
[Yoo Chae-rin this bitch was skipping her stream to hang out with a guy lol]
It was a little irritating, but I couldn't exactly ask her to turn it off.
Yoo Chae-rin would probably listen because we had a contract and all.
But Kim Mari and I were practically complete strangers.
I couldn't just ask someone who streamed for a living to turn off their broadcast the first time we met.
Even if I threw a fit, it was far from certain she'd actually end it.
"By the way, Chae-rin, what brings you here?"
As I was lost in thought, Mari asked Chae-rin.
Chae-rin glanced at me, hesitating for a moment before answering.
"Uh, um... I heard Amdusias was coming here, so... I just came to check it out."
"Aha!"
It wasn't a very sincere answer.
But it seemed to be enough of an answer for Mari.
"So you haven't unlocked the 19+ mode either, Chae-rin!"
"Huh... what?"
A question mark practically floated above Chae-rin's head.
Mari helpfully elaborated.
"I heard that unicorn gives a gift to people who've kept their chastity. That's why I came here too."
"Ah... so you haven't unlocked it either, Mari?"
"Nope, hehe. Here, at least."
Kim Mari, or maybe she was a rolled omelet—whatever her name was—smiled meaningfully.
It was a smile that radiated a strange kind of confidence.
"It's not like Amdusias can find out about what happens in real life, right?"
[this bitch is getting so damn cocky just cuz she got a boyfriend recently]
[seriously why did that priest guy even accept a confession from a ho like this]
[I swear stuff like this makes me want to beat the shit out of her]
[Girl, you're so cringe T_T]
I nodded to myself. So real life doesn't count, huh.
'Anyway, a gift...'
This was news to me. I'd only caught a glimpse of what that demon looked like.
I hadn't properly grasped its personality or its traits.
But from what I was gathering, it could apparently determine 'chastity'...
'Ugh...'
Just thinking about it made me feel embarrassed already.
Wouldn't the bastard just brazenly out me to the whole world the moment we met? 'This guy's a virgin!'
For the record, I'd been guarding my virginity for 20 years in my past life and 23 in this one—a grand total of 43 years...
And he was going to praise me for it, right to my face?
Sure, a third party wouldn't know... but even just thinking about it myself made me want to die of shame.
'Suddenly I'm terrified of meeting him...'
That thought alone made me want to turn back.
"Since fate brought us together, want to do a collab stream?"
As I was thinking that, Mari spoke again. An unexpected collab offer.
Chae-rin glanced at me with a look that said, 'What do we do?' I immediately shook my head.
"Ah, sorry. I'd love to stream together, but I'm with a party right now..."
"Ah."
Only then did Mari's eyes shift toward the back.
And then she said,
"Sorry. I've never seen you in person before, Chae-rin, so I got excited and didn't even introduce myself. I'm Kim Mari. What are all your names?"
Suddenly asking for names. I couldn't help but panic.
Of course I hadn't anticipated this situation.
Time ticked on even as I scrambled.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Im Ha-neul... Yoo Chae-rin's editor."
[why's her voice so quiet]
[kinda cute www]
[her boobs are huge damn]
With Ha-neul's shy introduction finished, the attention shifted to me.
I hastily made up a name. I dropped my voice a full register lower to hide my identity as much as possible.
"...Johan."
[oh damn]
[dude's voice is a cave]
[Hnnngh... Yor...]
[my lower half is like a cave too, wanna see? heh]
[↳ kicked by a moderator.]
Thankfully, it seemed to go over smoothly.
*
"Well then, let's meet up if we get another chance. It was nice meeting you!"
"Ah, yes! You too...!"
After chattering on for a while, Kim Mari went on her way.
From what I overheard, she was on her way to tell the villagers to evacuate again.
She said they didn't listen well since they were all country folk who'd lived here their whole lives, but these little things helped with reputation-building.
"Huuu..."
Once Mari was completely gone, Chae-rin let out a light sigh. Both she and Ha-neul looked pretty drained.
Ha-neul murmured, her voice carrying a mix of emotions.
"She's... very energetic."
I nodded. Energetic, for better or worse.
By the old MBTI standards that were popular back in the day, she felt like her E was over 90%.
Being outgoing was definitely an advantage, but being around her was mentally exhausting.
Still, I supposed that was how she had her own guild and was able to stream and all.
'Can't use the spear...'
I clicked my tongue. It had already been heavily exposed on stream.
Just the fact that I used a spear might be enough to get me identified.
It was a good thing I'd brought a weapon pouch this time.
Having to hide my main weapon was a shame, but it wasn't like I couldn't handle other weapons.
A spear and daggers were the best, sure, but as long as you could swing it, a weapon was a weapon, wasn't it?
"Then let's go rest at the inn."
I said that and made to enter the inn.
But that's when it happened. A scream rang out from somewhere.
"Kyaaaah! A demon!"
"What?"
"He's already here...?"
At the scream, my companions' heads turned.
Whoosh—!
I shot off straight in the direction of the scream.
*
"Please spare us. I beg you!"
"Please, we have a child who hasn't even been weaned yet..."
A young man and woman, apparently a couple, were trembling.
Before them stood a massive white horse on all fours.
If not for the giant horn on its head, the couple probably wouldn't have been so frozen in terror.
Even out here in a quiet rural village, news traveled far and wide.
And so, information about the demon Amdusias had spread here as well.
A deranged demon who only killed those who had lost their chastity.
When the Otherworlders had been yapping about a demon coming here, they'd scoffed and ignored them...
'Who'd have thought it would actually attack!'
The couple expected they were as good as dead.
The two of them, born and raised in this village, had recently borne the fruit of their love.
"Waaah! Waaaaah!!"
Indeed, cradled between the two of them, a child was wailing.
"..."
But contrary to the couple's expectations, the One-Horned Lord did not attack them outright.
If anything, his expression was filled with delight.
Had they been able to read a horse's expressions, they would have noticed he was beaming.
At last, the One-Horned Lord spoke.
"Magnificent."
"Huh... yes...?"
"To live your entire lives preserving your chastity, to marry a chaste partner, and to bear a chaste child—this is the greatest beauty humanity can display."
"Ah, but..."
The child's father, who had been listening dumbly, opened his mouth.
"We lost our maidenhood and our virginity embracing each other. As this child proves... And yet you still spare us?"
A human daring to question a demon. Under normal circumstances it was unthinkable, but the father could not contain his curiosity.
The demon was so different from the mad fiend the rumors described.
"Humans sometimes misunderstand the nature of chastity."
The One-Horned Lord chuckled heartily and continued.
"Those who have lost their chastity, as I speak of it, are those who irresponsibly wallow in pleasure.
"The act that brings forth life ought to be held sacred, yet because of such people, the perception of the act itself is tarnished..."
"...Ah."
"Such wretches deserve death. But are you not different?
"You guarded your fidelity all your lives, then made a lifelong vow and bore the fruit of love. This is a blessing—nay, it is art!"
The One-Horned Lord laughed heartily and placed a forehoof on the child's head.
"I am in a fine mood! I shall bestow a gift upon your child. From now on, the child's throat shall sing of the heavens."
"Th-thank you!"
Though it meant receiving power from a demon, the couple bowed their heads deeply for now.
To them, simply not dying was already a blessing beyond measure.
In time, that child would grow up upright and become an exceptionally brilliant bard... but that is another story.
Though the couple survived, the One-Horned Lord's business was not yet finished.
"Yet, even in such a village, the impure exist."
A village was a community where dozens of humans lived together, and so the impure were bound to exist.
The One-Horned Lord made to move his hooves, following the scent of something foul.
But that's when it happened.
"...Found you. You goddamn horse."
BOOM—!
A human blocked the One-Horned Lord's path.
It was a hooded figure holding a longsword in one hand.
His way barred, the One-Horned Lord frowned and looked ahead.
"What insolent wretch dares..."
And then he could not help but be astonished.
Because a deep white hue was visible from the human before him.
It was a color visible only to his eyes, the eyes that read 'chastity.' And what that color signified was unmistakable.
Gazing upon that milky white, the One-Horned Lord beamed and cried out.
"What purity...!"