Chapter 85
Translator: TrueDetective
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: 24. About Trust (5)
…What did I just hear?
The contents of the summoning journal that the Heavenly Demon had recited moments ago were clear.
-We have formed a symbiotic contract with blood, thus sharing life and death.
-I have cast a summoning spell upon the true name of the summoned beast to protect the summoner's body.
Sharing life and death through a symbiotic contract… I didn't exactly know what that meant.
But the following line made it clear: a spell had been placed on the true name—the summoned target's name—to protect the summoner.
Doesn't this feel strangely familiar somehow?
Like the story about the emergency rescue button?
“Heavenly Demon.”
“Yes.”
“Why does this feel so oddly familiar?”
“…….”
Instead of replying, the Heavenly Demon just stared at me intently.
Silence at a time like this?
“If you stay quiet now, it’s only natural I’d start suspecting something shady.”
“Suspecting something shady?”
“You know, that maybe you already knew about this…”
I suddenly recalled the conversation from my first meeting with Lion CEO.
When I called myself a mere manager, Lion CEO had said:
-Only a cow’s seed would think that way in this room.
The people there were Pseudo CEO, Lion CEO… and the Heavenly Demon.
‘No way.’
It had always puzzled me.
Why Lion CEO wanted to scout me so badly.
And why Pseudo CEO, who’d noticed my little tricks, was so lenient with me.
The Heavenly Demon sitting before me was the same.
Come to think of it, there was no way the Heavenly Demon could be harmless.
A hypothesis popped into my head.
‘No, but.’
This ‘hypothesis’ didn’t hold up.
At least not based on my memories. It was impossible.
“I just had the most ridiculous thought.”
The Heavenly Demon replied softly, wearing an expression that said he knew exactly what I was thinking.
“Speak it.”
It was truly, utterly absurd.
But with everything pointing to it, I couldn’t help asking the Heavenly Demon.
“Could it be… that I’m the one who summoned you?”
“…….”
I saw one corner of the Heavenly Demon’s mouth twitch.
As if he couldn’t hold back anymore, he smirked at me.
“I suspected as much, but you truly had no idea.”
“Huh?”
That was an unexpected reaction.
The Heavenly Demon swept back his hair and sat cross-legged in midair out of habit.
“I thought you might be pretending to be innocent after summoning me. But it seems you really didn’t know.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You didn’t trust me either. And I felt the same.”
So the Heavenly Demon hadn’t trusted me either…?
That was something I’d never even considered.
Not that I assumed he naturally trusted me.
I just figured there was no reason for me to deceive, worry, or guard against him.
“To answer your question first: I’m not certain who summoned me either.”
“You’re not certain?”
“There’s a way to check if it’s you or the CEO…”
The Heavenly Demon extended his hand, and the scattered ancient books on the floor fluttered up into the air.
The page he’d read earlier unfolded smoothly before my eyes.
“Do you see the part about sharing life and death?”
I could read the characters for life and death, so I nodded.
“Exactly as it says. The one summoned by this formation shares life and death with the summoner. In other words, if the one who called me dies…”
“You die too?”
“Yes. So I could kill one of you—the manager or the CEO—and see if I survive.”
“…You sure didn’t try that.”
“I value my life too.”
The summoner and summoned sharing a life…?
But.
“Why am I even a suspect?”
“The evidence points to the CEO summoning me, but I don’t feel any attachment to him.”
“Isn’t that just because he’s an annoying piece of shit?”
“…Your language is crude.”
The Heavenly Demon raised one eyebrow before continuing.
“If we share a life, do you think emotions wouldn’t be affected? The summoned easily assimilates to the summoner’s feelings. If Pseudo had summoned me, it should’ve felt wrong to side with you.”
Was that why the Left and Right Protectors wanted to break free from the CEO but still listened to him?
“Above all, strange things happen when you call my true name.”
“Strange things?”
“Before I know it, I’m suddenly in front of you.”
I’d thought it was just because he was the Heavenly Demon, arriving so quickly.
But it was because I was the summoner?
“Does that… only happen with me?”
“The CEO never calls my true name, so no way to test.”
Yeah, he’d never call him “Weihua Zhen” or whatever.
“So I suspected you summoned me and were trying to pin it on the CEO.”
“No… does that even make sense? Even the idea that I might be the summoner is ridiculous. I haven’t done any summoning or anything like that.”
“But it was suspicious enough. I saw you alone on that eerie sixth floor.”
Finding the sixth floor was pure coincidence…
From his perspective, I’d emerged from a secret space right after Shin Tae-eul died.
It must’ve looked fishy.
The Heavenly Demon, still not fully convinced, asked again.
“You truly didn’t summon me?”
“Really, no. I’m just a normal person.”
“Better to be honest. I’m leaving the CEO be because he might be my summoner.”
So he hadn’t touched the CEO because killing him might kill himself?
…It hit me that the CEO was immortal.
If the immortal CEO was the summoner, the symbiotic contract posed no risk to him.
“…But I really didn’t summon you.”
“Is that true?”
“From the start, on the day you came to this world, I was resting at a hotel.”
I had no idea something like this was happening while I was enjoying a birthday hotel staycation.
Back when Namgung Jun debuted, as head manager, I didn’t even visit the dorms often.
I’d never tried any weird spells.
The only unusual thing around then was…
“…Blood drive.”
“Blood drive?”
“I think I mentioned it before. Kichi held a blood drive.”
“Ah. The Choco Pie one.”
You remember it by the snacks?
“Kichi employees finished their blood donations a few weeks before the members. Before Namgung Jun’s debut.”
“And?”
“A blood donation truck flipped over back then.”
“There was an accident?”
“Yes. And naturally, a bunch of the blood packs on that truck went missing. Mine was on it too.”
“So you’re saying…”
The Heavenly Demon tilted his head slowly.
“The CEO used your blood to activate the summoning formation?”
“That part’s weird. He didn’t need my blood specifically. He obviously wanted to be your contractor. Plus, if he used mine, he’d know I was the summoner. But his attitude so far…”
“Right. He’s uncertain, just like me. Lion CEO seems more convinced, though.”
So using my blood for the summoning was probably overthinking it?
But the amount matching the blood donation volume exactly nagged at me.
“At least Lion CEO seems convinced I’m the summoner. He picked these books for me, after all.”
“Seems so. That guy’s full of mysteries.”
I suddenly remembered something I hadn’t told the Heavenly Demon.
“Oh, speaking of which, I forgot to mention this. Lion CEO is indeed the Heavenly Demon.”
“I suspected, but it really was the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon.”
He wasn’t that shocked about Lion CEO being the Heavenly Demon.
Had he expected it?
…I got curious if he’d react this blasé to other things too, so I added:
“But he said it’s a slightly different martial art from yours.”
“Different how?”
“Lion CEO’s is the Extreme Yin Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon. Once mastered to the extreme, it changes your constitution—a demonic art.”
“Changes your constitution…”
“Yes. Lion CEO was originally male.”
The Heavenly Demon said indifferently.
“I thought it was something big. Just a standard TS Heavenly Demon.”
This guy… knows the term TS Heavenly Demon?
“Standard…?”
“It’s common. I cultivated the Extreme Yang Art myself.”
…Huh?
“The Extreme Yang Art means…”
“I originally… lacked it.”
Lacked? What? For real?
“…….”
As I froze with shaking pupils, I saw the Heavenly Demon turn his head and chuckle.
…Ah, this bastard knew and was messing with me.
Teasing people must be a Heavenly Demon trait!
No wonder I can’t trust Heavenly Demons.
* * *
Month-end arrived, bringing the Nine Factions Alliance regular meeting.
I had to shelve the question of whether I’d summoned the Heavenly Demon for now.
We left the CEO’s mansion and reunited with the Nine Factions Alliance members.
Jaha strode up and clasped his hands in greeting to the Heavenly Demon.
“Master, have you been well? Your unworthy disciple pays respects.”
“Yes.”
“Huh, Garung didn’t come with you?”
“That one’s nocturnal.”
“Brother Soi, you’ve been well too?”
Jaha? My well-being ranks below Garung’s?
I’ve known you longer than the Heavenly Demon.
“But… you look brighter than expected?”
“Should I look gloomy?”
“Well, with Dang Sah-cheon acting as your manager…”
At my words, Jaha’s expression turned peculiar.
“Dang Sah-cheon did manager duties, but it wasn’t really Dang Sah-cheon, so it was fine.”
“…What’s that supposed to mean?”
Before I could press, Dang Sah-cheon entered the meeting room the next moment, and I got it.
“You… why are you cosplaying as me?”
Dang Sah-cheon wore the clear horn-rimmed glasses I often used and—somehow—had my employee ID around his neck.
“To listen, feel, and think like Brother Soi.”
Is this guy insane?
“You guys… just let him do this…?”
As I pointed at Dang Sah-cheon with trembling fingertips, the Alliance Leader scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“W-Well, it’s way more efficient this way…”
You let this monster—spawn of the stone tablet—run wild because he’s efficient?
“Have you given up cosplaying as me?”
While the Heavenly Demon sounded a bit miffed,
The CEO entered the meeting room as cheerfully as ever.
“Hello, Nine Factions Alliance everyone~”
No one greeted him warmly like before, but the CEO scanned us indifferently.
His gaze naturally halted with a jerk at Dang Sah-cheon.
“…….”
After a brief pained expression, the CEO ignored him and spoke.
“September’s almost over, so let’s plan for year-end.”
Year-end meant awards shows, special variety programs, and the Nine Factions Alliance concert.
‘This might be Kichi’s Nine Factions Alliance’s final concert.’
No. If they smoothly transfer to my agency, great…
But if it fails, this winter concert could be their last.
Perhaps others thought the same, as a heavy silence briefly fell over the room before lifting.
The CEO looked at us with a smile.
“This might be the last concert.”
“Huh?”
“What you said, Soi. Unless you change your mind, you’ll leave Kichi next year.”
Oh, that.
“We’ll miss you a lot without Soi.”
“CEO, I’m leaving with Brother Soi too.”
“…So what?”
My favorite thing about Dang Sah-cheon: the CEO always looks annoyed around him.
The CEO suddenly eyed me curiously.
“By the way, decided on the agency name?”
“Afternoon Gate.”
I answered as if I’d been waiting, and the CEO’s expression turned subtle.
“So it really happened.”
“Happened?”
I expected him to rage at my killer wuxia concept for the agency, but what was this reaction?
Propping one cheek on his hand, the CEO smiled faintly.
“When we cast you as a wuxia idol, your concept was set as Afternoon Gate.”
…The others still don’t know I was a Kichi trainee.