Emotions Are Not Singular
“How about it, Your Highness? What is this?”
Howard’s gaze shifted toward Luke as he continued speaking with Erin.
Not only that. Every eye in the room fixed on Luke.
What does he mean by that?
Among those present, Luke opened his mouth.
“In a way, it’s simple, yet I sense we’ve overlooked the heart of the matter. Section Chief Howard, you mentioned Ardia was administered the emotion drug Happiness, correct?”
“…Correct. Through the artifact examination, it has been confirmed to be Happiness among the emotion drugs.”
“What are Happiness’s characteristics?”
“It’s straightforward. Upon ingestion, even if one remains still, an overwhelming surge of happiness will come. Furthermore, no matter how minor a thought or action, one will feel immense joy, and to seek that happiness, they may act impulsively.”
Luke nodded at Howard’s words.
If that is the effect of Happiness, then we have clearly overlooked its simple core.
“Usually, when does one feel happiness from killing someone?”
“…A pleasure killer. Or perhaps when one holds some resentment toward that person. Surely?”
“Indeed, Section Chief Howard. In appearance, this is merely an impulsive murder caused by an emotion drug.”
Luke’s brows furrowed.
“However, if we dig deeper, it becomes somewhat more complex. We must examine the motive behind the crime.”
His gaze turned toward Ardia.
“Tell me, Ardia. What happened?”
She hesitated briefly before speaking.
“…Actually, I… I am not his real daughter…”
***
Ardia.
In her original life, her misfortune—having only one mother—began the day her mother died.
Ardia still remembered that day vividly.
The day her frail mother opened her eyes and no longer moved.
Ardia could not close her mother’s eyes.
[…Tsk.]
When Ardia became an orphan, she was placed with her mother’s older brother—the current father.
Her father had never liked her.
Especially after adding another mouth to feed in their already destitute home.
He had even secretly considered selling his wife and Ardia like slaves, but the Holy Kingdom had banned slavery, so it was impossible.
Thus, he decided. To torment her until she ran away.
Openly driving her out would have been too obvious; the village and church would have feared it.
The result was continuous violence inflicted upon Ardia.
Violence was not limited to beating.
It included endless curses, mental pressure, and nightly brutality.
At first, the violence was merely to chase her away, but it soon became the habit and stress relief of both parents.
Like children secretly plucking feathers from a small caged bird’s wings.
The two parents had eventually grown accustomed to tormenting Ardia in a sadistic manner.
Ardia had wanted to run away, but in one corner of her heart, she realized that even abandoning this place would mean truly being an orphan with no family left.
Her father had vanished before she was born. Her mother had died without Ardia being able to close her eyes.
Ardia did not wish to lose anyone else.
Whether it was a childish obsession of a child or the primal instinct of a child desperately needing family, she did not know.
One day, as she continued living that way, someone offered her a strange powder.
[Become happy.]
Ardia hesitated, then scooped up the powder and ate it.
That day, Ardia felt happiness.
***
“Tsk.”
Luke furrowed his brow upon hearing her story.
As expected.
He had known in-game that she cursed her parents, but he had not known about the background.
‘Those trash bastards. How could they do this to a child.’
Thirteen-year-old Luke’s words to fifteen-year-old Ardia were odd, but it did not matter.
What mattered was that Ardia had endured significant pain.
Meanwhile, the listeners’ faces hardened upon hearing Ardia’s tale.
“…Your Highness, thank you. We almost missed this fact.”
“No, Section Chief Howard.”
“We shall obtain detailed testimony from the villagers. We cannot send an orphan like this to prison.”
“If necessary, I shall pay the bail money.”
“…Are you certain?”
Luke nodded.
How could such an SSS-tier talent rot in a cell?
Naturally, he should take her himself.
She was an orphan who only wanted family…
If we toss her into the Riana Family, they will raise her well on their own.
‘Pay me back, Riana.’
While Luke worked diligently in the Duchy, a sudden chill ran down his spine, and Howard spoke.
“In terms of maximum leniency… we will need to draft a petition.”
“I’ll do it too.”
Howard and Erin’s words prompted Mirael to chime in without hesitation.
“I’ll handle it as well. We didn’t know there was such a story…”
As compassion descended upon Ardia, Howard’s eyes sparkled.
“First… we have many questions for Ardia. We must ask about the person who gave her the strange powder—starting with their appearance and notable features.”
Howard’s gaze turned to Ardia.
***
“Luke-nim is quite capable.”
As interrogation continued with Ardia, Luke and Mirael stepped outside for a brief moment.
Their decision to take a walk was coincidental.
“It’s nothing special.”
“Aigoo. But you deduced it well. I’ve seen it again.”
“…Seen it again?”
“Exactly? There was a preconception. You know, the kind nobles have—pretentious airs and all that. Oh, I shouldn’t say that to a noble.”
“It’s fine. It’s a common preconception.”
Luke chuckled softly.
Such preconceptions. In this absurd dark fantasy world of Sacred Souls, they were even common thoughts.
Corrupt nobles. Wasn’t that the typical cliché of dark fantasy?
Mirael, slightly embarrassed, scratched her cheek before asking Luke.
“However, Your Highness, there is one thing I’d like to ask, but it’s a bit awkward to ask here.”
“…What is it?”
“…I understand Ardia killed her parents. It must have been the explosion of accumulated emotions. But…”
She tilted her head.
“Why did she kill her little brother in one strike?”
“…Hmm.”
“It seemed strange to me.”
Luke pondered for a moment.
It was probably…
“Well, we should ask Ardia for details, but simply thinking about it, perhaps she killed her brother because he was irrelevant. If we look at it more complexly…”
“More complexly…?”
“Probably multiple emotions crossed. While under the drug seeking happiness, she saw her little brother. She may have felt anger toward the young brother who had watched her abuse without intervening. But above all else, wasn’t the emotion longing?”
“…Longing.”
Luke nodded.
“Ardia endured continuous violence… yet there were no traces against her little brother. On the contrary, he looked clean. Therefore, the conclusion is this: the parents loved their little brother. They must have been his real child.”
What thoughts crossed Ardia’s mind as she watched that brother?
“Ardia secretly envied her little brother and, more importantly, longed for him. She had nothing herself, but her brother had everything. The emotion to protect rather than destroy is the stronger one in longing. However, a slight spark of jealousy killed her brother instantly.”
“…So, the compromise ended in one strike?”
“Indeed.”
Luke felt a sudden longing for the cigarettes he sometimes smoked in his previous life.
“People’s emotions are anything but simple. Humans possess multiple emotions. Longing, jealousy, anger. That is what makes us human.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Luke looked up at the sky.
“The sky is clear today.”
It truly was clear. Damn it.
***
“If I cause an incident, I will come again.”
During the interrogation, Ardia made an important statement.
Upon hearing that, the group immediately convened for a meeting.
“…What is their intent?”
Mirael responded to Howard’s words.
“We must consider why they gave the emotion drug. Why to Ardia.”
“…To disrupt the Holy Kingdom?”
Erin’s comment made Mirael shake her head.
“If that were the case, there would be no reason to visit again. If it were just to observe the outcome, it could be handled at the investigation stage.”
Everyone pondered.
Indeed, why would the Simjeonghoe visit Ardia again and say they would come?
While silence reigned in the room, Luke raised his hand.
Only Luke in this place knew the truth.
It was that…
“They may simply be coming to see Ardia herself.”
“…To see Ardia?”
Luke nodded.
“Among Ardia’s statements, those suspected of being from the Simjeonghoe said they tested her constitution. Perhaps they saw her potential.”
“…Potential. I’ve heard of the Simjeonghoe turning children into drug-addicted slaves or warriors after poisoning them with drugs.”
Luke nodded at Howard’s words.
“Perhaps they targeted her because they thought she might be useful.”
“There is no one easier to handle than someone addicted to drugs.”
The conclusion was clear.
They were targeting Ardia.
“Then we should strike first and capture them.”
“…I’ll call for support!”
While Erin pulled out a communication artifact from her pocket, Luke added.
“It must be discreet. The Simjeonghoe side likely anticipated this. Our current visit is unknown, but if many move, they might notice.”
“…Strong individuals. We need to summon them with the minimum personnel.”
Luke nodded at Howard’s words.
“The smaller the better.”
The Holy Kingdom’s trap to capture the Simjeonghoe was about to be set.
***
Ardia was imprisoned in the village guardhouse.
This was the natural course.
The trap to summon the Simjeonghoe agents.
After placing Ardia in the cell, a portion of the village guard’s personnel was replaced with Holy Kingdom agents.
“Hmm.”
Luke was among them.
Around Luke, his companions wore clothing similar to his.
“First, thank you for your support, Section Chief Helwir and Team Leader Sdan from the Second Section. We appreciate your assistance.”
Mirael, presiding over the meeting, spoke, and Helwir and Sdan nodded.
“We will handle it.”
“We’ll do our best.”
“With two outstanding talents from the Second Section supporting us, it is reassuring. Now, let us begin the briefing.”
Mirael continued.
“To prevent them from noticing our presence, we will mix in some guard personnel, but we will station our own in the key areas. The location is here.”
Mirael pointed to the building floor plan placed on one side of the meeting space.
Luke had memorized the spot he needed to be in.
[Little guy. Be careful. Your position is not far from the prison, so you might get dragged in if something goes wrong.]
‘Don’t worry, old man. I’ve prepared many plans, including the Ring of Saint Lumenis.’
[…Yes. If necessary, your nanny can step in.]
“Nanny is the last card. I have no intention of using her unless absolutely necessary. I must also take care of her health.”
[It would be good to bestow that kindness on me as well, wouldn’t it?]
‘…Really? What would a ghost do?’
[Bad guy.]
While exchanging trivial banter with Cheon Baek-gyeong, Mirael’s briefing concluded.
“To summarize, the deployed personnel are myself, the Second and Third Section members, and Your Highness Luke. The rest of the personnel should await at the designated locations.”
Ellis and Nia were excluded.
Ellis was the hidden card Luke concealed, and Nia was still lacking in many aspects.
“Well, then each of you await your positions. We do not know when they will arrive.”
***
Two days later, at night.
The moment darkness settled over the village of Charlos.
Thud. Thud.
A group of people walked toward the village.