The Price of a Soul
Eliminating the threat (4). Park Changsoo is not my ally. I did what had to be done for the sake of my comrades—for the sake of the true heroes. The criteria by which angels judge such actions may vary. What about the angel Estiel? Although she is clearly wary of Michael right now, Estiel’s stance is obvious: she is on Yu Siwoo’s side because Yu Siwoo is more helpful to her performance metrics.
Estiel doesn't particularly empathize with the "romance" or "loyalty" of heroes—the parts that make them suckers. She cooperates with me because we made a deal. It wasn't some vague, flowery deception; it was a contract. I promised that as a prospective hero, I would achieve results superior to anyone else and elevate her to the rank of Archangel—or perhaps even higher. And I delivered those results. I earned a whopping three Goddess Points. In Chekhov’s Arena, an A-class difficulty stage, I saw 19 out of 20 people through, and they all became elite warriors.
For angels, the only thing that matters is the track record of having trained excellent heroes. If, as the manager of the factory, she only had one defective product out of 108, Estiel might even receive the Goddess’s blessing and grow extra wings. Naturally, that’s only possible because of the results. If Park Changsoo had generated three Goddess Points each and I had been nothing but a hollow shell, Estiel wouldn't have cooperated with me. And I, having grasped Estiel’s tendencies, would have passed the tutorial as safely as possible and sought out a different angel. But Estiel and I are currently working together. Since ours is a relationship bound by a strict contract, I don't worry about her.
The problem is people like the Archangel Michael. A calculating low-level angel like Estiel is easy to handle if you just provide the benefits, but high-ranking executives like Michael, who hold a position of power, are a different story. They are the type who won't be satisfied with the meager gains that suffice for Estiel. Therefore, I must provide benefits commensurate with her status to build a decent relationship.
"You did that for your comrades?"
"Of course."
Archangel Michael. She is a being who focuses more on romance than calculation.
"For my current comrades, and for those who will become my comrades in the distant future."
"What does that mean?"
"It’s simple. I like women, and I couldn't stand by and watch Park Changsoo throw them into a brothel. Women who might, perhaps, become my future party members."
"Heh..."
Even if that "romance" is a bit focused on desire and is fundamentally broken, Michael is clearly the type to listen to whatever she wants as long as it suits her tastes.
"I don't know if you saw it in the report, but I’ve slept with Shin Yuhee, as well as Choi Yujin and Kim Chaerin."
"Ugh, ughhh!"
Park Changsoo screamed. I thought his mouth had been sealed by Michael’s holy power, but it seemed the restriction was a bit loose. I couldn't understand a word he was saying, but at least the pitch of his voice made it clear whether he was being affirmative or negative. What was he saying with his eyes? Perhaps he was thinking something like this: Holy shit, that bastard slept with Choi Yujin and Kim Chaerin after Shin Yuhee?
"And Choi Yujin and Kim Chaerin were the women Park Changsoo threw into the brothel. Kim Chaerin was saddled with massive debt after signing a predatory contract with a woman Park Changsoo introduced, and Choi Yujin was imprisoned while trying to save Kim Chaerin and the others."
"I already saw that in the report. Was it Madam Helma?"
"Yes. That woman died by my hand. By killing her myself, I liberated my comrades. One week after Chekhov’s Arena. After the designated protection period expired, I killed Park Changsoo."
The one-week gap. That gap is the perfect evidence to justify my actions to Archangel Michael.
"If I had tried to kill him out of personal vendetta, I would have killed him the moment we dropped into Chekhov’s Arena."
"But you didn't. You didn't try to kill Park Changsoo out of personal feelings alone."
Rustle. A stack of papers appeared in Michael’s hand.
"According to the report, you actually tried to act alone. As you can see here... you slipped out as soon as dawn broke."
On the surface, it looked like a stack of paper documents, but within the illustrations placed between the text like a magic school newspaper, actual scenes from the past were unfolding.
"Was it when you heard he sold women to the brothel that you finally decided to kill Park Changsoo?"
"I had been debating whether or not to kill him for a while, but once I heard that, I was certain. And I simply carried it out."
"And after coming to Lampades?"
"I’ve said it several times, but keeping a guy like that alive would only lead to him selling out his comrades later. A woman who falls into a brothel and becomes a prostitute could turn out to be the great hero of the party that defeats the Demon King in the future, couldn't she?"
This is the perspective of a regressor. It actually happened. The female knight of a hero party who defeated one of the Four Heavenly Kings under the Demon King—not the Demon King himself—suffered the humiliation of being sold as a sex slave to a pot-bellied noble due to a comrade's betrayal, but she eventually grew stronger, returned to the party, and plunged her sword into the heart of a Demon King’s executive.
"I can't let that happen. No matter how selfish I am, trying only to look out for myself, it’s a big problem if a woman I might have slept with refuses sex because of the trauma of being a sex slave."
"Ha... that’s subtle. You act like you don't care about your comrades at all, yet you look out for the women?"
"Is that a problem?"
"Is this what they call a 'woman-obsessed freak'?"
"Does it matter? I’m not doing anything illegal. In the end, all that matters is killing the Demon King, right?"
Now, it’s time to strongly appeal to Archangel Michael about the kind of human I am.
"I’ll kill the Demon King, and I’ll live a little freely with my sex life. I’m just trying to be faithful to my desires while doing what needs to be done. If I see people crossing the line in that process, I just clear them out of the way."
"..."
"Or shall I put it this way? If you invest in me versus Park Changsoo, who gives a higher return?"
"Investment, huh..."
I’ve already shown my worth in the tutorial. It’s obvious which one is the more promising investment. Michael knows that herself, which is why she came looking for me in the first place.
"If I have no choice but to give up on one of you... I suppose you are the correct answer."
"Ugh, ughhh!"
Michael’s hand reached toward Park Changsoo. Park Changsoo, realizing he was thoroughly fucked, shook his head violently.
"Archangel Michael."
"What?"
Estiel blocked Michael’s path as if to protect Park Changsoo.
"He is, for the time being, a prospective hero under my charge. No matter how you decide to dispose of him, shouldn't you at least hear his final words?"
"Fine. Then I’ll hear him out. Very briefly."
Whoosh. Flames erupted, and Park Changsoo’s mouth began to loosen.
"What kind of bullshit is this! Does it make any sense to listen to a guy who says such crazy things!"
"He’s like this until the very end."
"W-wait! If you just remove the penalty, I can do better than this guy! He’s just using some weird tricks, but I can do well if I try!!"
"Hmm..."
Michael pretended to be in deep thought, then reached out a hand toward Park Changsoo.
"Investment isn't something you do to lose your principal."
"Wha—"
Whoosh! Park Changsoo was engulfed in flames. A scream that was hard to even describe hit my ears, but it soon faded away. All that remained was a single grayish-white sphere resting on Michael’s small palm. The sphere, which looked to be about the size of a 500-won coin, was emitting a faint light. Michael reached into the air, tore open space, pulled out an object, and shoved the sphere inside.
"Ta-da."
A glass container, like one used for liquids. The grayish-white sphere was mercilessly trapped inside, and Michael thrust it toward me as if to show it off.
"It’s a soul container holding Park Changsoo’s soul. It’s a bit like talking about monsters, but it’s similar to a Lich’s 'Life Vessel.' He won't be resurrecting from here, though."
"If that container breaks or is undone, wouldn't the soul be liberated?"
"Even if you see this human as trash, it’s quite rare for a soul to be trash, too. Oh, I’m not trying to defend him. It’s just that if it’s a soul that can be stored in the archives, I can't just release it onto the surface and let it be reborn as anything. What if he’s reincarnated as a monster?"
"He’d be reincarnated as the worst executive in the Demon King’s army."
"Right? So, for now, this is the end."
Park Changsoo the human. With a single gesture from the Archangel, he was stuffed into a glass ornament like a pipe, unable to move anywhere, forever taxidermied inside a glass bottle.
"Now, we need to talk about the penalty for [Comrade Killing]..."
"So, about that—"
"I’ll waive it for you."
"...What?"
"Instead, you, be mine."
Pretending not to know.
"I want you to sign a contract with me and become an official hero!!"
Michael, having sealed Park Changsoo into a soul, proposed a deal.