Chapter 81
Chapter 81 - A Ridiculous Hostage Situation(1)
"You don't look like someone who's resolved their worries?" The Demon King's sarcastic voice greeted me as soon as I returned to Room 403 after recovering my memories.
"Jeong-yong nim, are you alright?" Seolbaek's concerned voice followed simultaneously. I opened my squinted eyes and properly surveyed the room.
The Demon King and Seolbaek were sitting side by side on the bed. They must have been waiting for me.
Among the two women staring at me, the Demon King spoke first.
"I thought my neck would break from waiting. Did you have a good bowel movement?"
"No, Lucy! W-why would you ask something like that!"
"Your reaction is perfect even though you know it's a joke."
"... Ahem."
Maybe it's just my imagination, but the distance between the two of them seems to have gotten closer. Usually, there seemed to be an invisible wall between them, but it feels like that's gone now. Seeing them conversing so casually, they must have had quite a chat while I was away.
"Haha..."
Though I wasn't in the mood to laugh, their usual demeanor made me chuckle involuntarily.
And immediately after, I turned serious and spoke up. "Seolbaek. There's something I need to tell you."
Seolbaek flinched at my words, then straightened her posture and nodded.
"Y-yes. Please go ahead."
From her behavior, it seems the Demon King gave her some hint.
She probably told her I had something important to say…
Why does her face look so red?
What kind of conversation is she expecting?
"Ahem. Actually, Lucy and I..."
And so, I revealed the truth to those expectant eyes. As I spoke, Seolbaek's eyes grew increasingly wider.
***
"H-honestly... I can't believe it."
That was Seolbaek's response after I revealed everything about the time-space regression, Lucy's true identity, our relationship, and roughly explained what was happening now.
Well, that's a natural reaction. I nodded, accepting her skeptical gaze.
"But that's the truth."
"... Even though I myself came back to life in this world, what you're saying is hard to believe..."
"There's no evidence, but I'd like you to believe me."
I stated firmly while looking straight into Seolbaek's eyes. She quickly averted her gaze, then nodded vigorously.
"Yes... I'll believe you. If it's your word... I want to believe anything you say."
"Thanks. That's enough for now."
Finally, one burden was lifted. I sighed and turned my gaze toward the Demon King.
As Lucy was already looking this way, our eyes met. Lucy immediately grinned.
"Well, that's one big worry off your shoulders. What a relief."
"Well... the worries haven't disappeared. If anything, they've increased. I'm not sure if this was the right thing to do."
"Of course it was the right thing. I refuse to spend another night in that inn."
"Sigh. I want to avoid that too..."
I reflexively recalled my previous life. My smile naturally faded.
I clenched my fist until it bled from frustration.
'... I didn't do a single thing right.'
That's exactly why I decided to follow the Demon King's advice and reveal the truth to Seolbaek.
The feeling of powerlessness from my previous life, etched deep in my bones, taught me.
This situation... is definitely not something I can handle alone. I need help.
'I need to increase my allies, anyone will do.'
Until now, I rushed at Zenon seeking revenge for what I'd suffered, only to get humiliatingly defeated. Even with the level difference, I couldn't figure out why he overwhelmed me.
I couldn't even stop the explosion. When Seolbaek was dying, I was knocked out cold after confronting Zenon.
In the end, I couldn't even protect the Demon King.
'That person... what exactly are they?' I recalled the overwhelming defeat just before death.
White long hair like a lion's mane. A face marked with deep scars and wrinkles. A fierce and dangerous smile. Speed invisible to the eye. Overwhelming strength that could rip out my heart in one go.
... And the cruel gesture of stuffing my torn heart into my mouth. The memory is crystal clear.
'They called themselves Jeokrang.'
When I came to my senses, I was trembling.
It's been a while. This feeling of facing a mountain. The realization that this is beyond my capabilities. Such an overwhelming difference in ability - I haven't felt this since the Border Duke.
'Jeokrang... Border Duke....' Wait a minute. Border Duke?
"Right! The Border Duke!"
I straightened up at the lightning-like sense of déjà vu striking my mind. The two women looked at me strangely, but I ignored them and started pacing around the inn.
Border Duke and Jeokrang. I definitely remember seeing these two words in the same place.
My brain started burning hot like it was about to explode.
'Where was it?'
Why did I think of them together? Is it because they're both impossibly strong people?
No. That's not it. These two are definitely related people. What makes me so sure about this?
As I wracked my brain, I suddenly jumped up like a water rocket.
"That's right! The letter!!"
"Ah! You scared me! What's with you suddenly!"
"The letter! The one from the Border Duke!"
"What about the letter, you crazy person!"
Though Lucy kept kicking my shins in surprise, I frantically searched through my bag, paying no attention.
Let's see. Not the Ether Bottle, not the Box of the Dead, not the Portable Igniter... Yes. This is it.
I quickly opened the crumpled envelope in my hand. And read the words written on its surface.
―To my dear friend Jeokrang, From Border Duke Halcenberg
Jeokrang. Jeokrang. It's clearly written.
"That man...! Jeokrang!"
I recalled the white-haired middle-aged man from my memories. Different yet similar to the Border Duke's stern eyes, his ferocity hidden beneath a languid appearance was impressive.
From there, something felt familiar, and his unreasonable strength made sense if he was an acquaintance of the Border Duke. They say birds of a feather flock together, after all.
'Could it be someone with the same name?'
No. Someone that strong wouldn't be found just anywhere.
Using such a chunni-sounding name like Jeokrang would be difficult unless you were quite renowned.
There's only one answer.
"That man... the white-haired middle-aged man was the Border Duke's friend!"
"What are you muttering about since earlier, you crazy hero!"
Lucy launches a dropkick from beside me. In my dazed state, I take the hit and roll across the inn floor.
"Eek! Jeong-yong nim, are you alright?!"
Seolbaek raises a fuss as she helps me up. I stand up there with Seolbaek's help, still in a daze.
Sitting on the bed, I laugh like someone who's lost their mind.
"Life sure works in mysterious ways."
"Huh? What do you mean...?"
"It's nothing."
Originally, I was supposed to go directly to Marktress capital, Crossfade, and receive help from this person called Jeokrang according to the Border Duke's plan.
To think I'd be so brutally massacred in the border village of Kern, where I wasn't even planning to meet the person the Border Duke had given me a letter of introduction for.
'Border Duke. You sure picked a great friend. Damn it.'
I should have expected what your friend would be like when I saw you defending that nearly fallen castle alone. It's all my carelessness. Damn it.
While wallowing in self-pity, I stroked my chin as my eyes lit up.
'But... this is an opportunity.'
An incredible opportunity at that. It could be a chance for a complete reversal for me.
Though from what I remember, that white-haired man had some dangerous loose screws, Jeokrang's appearance isn't entirely bad.
―I will eliminate everything related to witches. In the name of Jeokrang.
I clearly remember his voice and eyes showing distinct hatred toward witches.
He killed me because he mistook me for the one who caused the explosion. If there's a way to clear up that misunderstanding, there's a possibility he could become an ally.
At least our goals seem similar.
―I interrogated the captured Immortal Cult members, but they knew nothing.
"Right. The Immortal Cult...!"
I muttered those words without realizing.
That organization I heard about at the Kern Performance Society. Those bastards trying to resurrect the final boss, Witch Diana.
Come to think of it, Old man Hick asked me something similar.
'He was going to ask if I was connected to the Immortal Cult.'
Realizing this, a new possibility began to emerge. My eyes shot open.
... What if that question wasn't simply because I was with the Immortal Demon King?
'Did Old man Hick already know that Immortal Cult members had infiltrated?'
If we assume this is correct and reconstruct everything, it means that at this point, Kern was already crawling with Immortal Cult members everywhere.
Thinking about it this way, things make more sense than expected.
'This...'
It seems I need to verify some facts. I might need to meet old man Hick again in this life.
If I had known this would happen, I should have learned the password to contact the Kern Performance Society in my previous life. There will be unnecessary friction again. I regret it now.
'Still... I guess there has been some progress.'
I decided to console myself while organizing my confused thoughts.
The facts I learned in my previous life are roughly this:
The massive explosion involved people called the Immortal Cult, and Seolbaek's ring was the medium.
Zenon was hired to eliminate variables in that process. His goal is to cut off communication between me and the Demon King.
Lastly, that man who killed me... was 'Jeokrang,' who was originally supposed to help me.
After organizing things up to there, I feel somewhat motivated again.
'Then... what I need to do now is clear.'
There are three things I need to resolve first.
First. Stop the Immortal Cult.
Second. Stop Zenon.
Third. Gather as many allies as possible, including Jeokrang, and kill those Immortal Cult bastards together.
But time is limited. My power is limited too. Both are woefully insufficient.
I still can't think of a way to defeat Zenon. I'm acutely aware of my powerlessness.
And at that point, I stopped thinking. My closed eyes suddenly opened.
'That's why I need help from others.'
At the same time, I need to find it. A way to become as strong as possible within the time limit.
After all, I'm the one who can use today most efficiently. It won't do for someone like me to be in such a useless state. I must become stronger than I am now.
I clenched and unclenched my fist. My hands were trembling before I knew it.
'I have a plan to get stronger. But...'
To put it bluntly, it's an insane plan.
If even one thing goes wrong, everything falls apart immediately, and basically, I have to use my life like a disposable rag... that kind of plan.
The reason I'm trembling now isn't because I'm afraid of death.
It's not fear of death... but fear of myself for coming up with such a plan first.
I've changed. I'm becoming something with sensibilities that aren't human. I felt that clearly just now.
'... Ah, whatever. It doesn't matter right now.'
If becoming a monster is what it takes to overcome this situation. Then I'll become a monster.
I walked towards the entrance of the inn room with a fierce smile. As if they had been waiting, the Demon King and Seolbaek followed behind me.
I looked at the two of them briefly, then muttered confidently. And I strode ahead of the two of them.
"Alright. Let's go right now."
And at that moment when I was roughly sorting through today's tight schedule.
As we walked along the main street after leaving the inn, Seolbaek suddenly spoke to me.
"Um, by the way, Jeong-yong nim."
"Hmm?"
"Now... what are you planning to do first?"
"If we're talking about the most urgent matter...."
I thought deeply for a moment, then smirked, letting out a somewhat sinister laugh.
"Kidnapping."
"What?"
"Kidnapping and hostage-taking."
"... Uh, c-could you... explain that a bit more precisely?"
Seolbaek showed the expected expression of disbelief. She probably thought I was joking.
While I was joking to some extent, I'm not frivolous enough to make jokes in this kind of situation.
I repeated more precisely as she wished.
"I'm going to kidnap a beautiful girl around 15 years old who doesn't know the ways of the world. I'll use her as a hostage for threats."
I deliberately lowered my voice when I said it. I pride myself on having conveyed my seriousness.
And that day, for the first time, I almost got seriously hit by a woman.