The Heavenly Demon and the Heavenly Demon (7)
The question slipped out before I could stop it. “You… you didn’t lose that hairpin?”
I had assumed it was impossible. On the day the righteous factions set the Divine Cult ablaze, there had been no time to worry about something as trivial as a hairpin. If I’d had the luxury to grab it, I never would have let it slip from my fingers in the first place. So what in the world was this? How could the version of me inside the game still possess it? Did that mean it was possible to keep the hairpin in a world where I no longer existed?
“No. I did lose it. You are me, so you already know there was no chance to retrieve it.”
“Then…”
“I received it. From my foolish disciple.”
“Disciple?”
“Yes. My disciple. You must have met him by now.”
I did know him. After all, it was because of that man named Han Seo-woo that I had ended up meeting her. But he was the one who gave her the hairpin? In my case, I had obtained it as a reward for defeating the Third Elder in Apis. Did that mean Han Seo-woo had also defeated the Third Elder? With a body that barely scraped the threshold of second-class?
Did he truly possess that much talent? It was difficult to believe, yet I couldn’t deny it. Baek Hwaryeong had no reason to lie to me, and more importantly, the proof was sitting right in front of me.
Huh. So that’s how it is. She must have seen enough potential in him to take him as a disciple.
“How can you carry the hairpin and yet not wear it?” This was something I simply could not understand. The moment you received Mother’s hairpin, didn’t you want to put it in your hair right away? I had even grown my hair out in reality for that very reason. So why was she still walking around with that broom-like mess? The jagged ends of her hair made it painfully obvious she had hacked it off with her own hands not long ago.
“Having it is enough. If I wore it, I might lose it again someday.”
Baek Hwaryeong smiled as she spoke, then carefully slipped the hairpin back into her robes. The gentle way her fingers moved made it clear just how precious it was to her.
I see. So that was another way to think about it. To me, it was merely an item from the game, but to her, this place was reality.
“Now then. Send me back.”
Baek Hwaryeong stood and extended her hand. There were still many things I wanted to say, but learning that she was both me and not me had left my mind in such chaos that I couldn’t decide where to begin. In the end, I decided to send her back as I had originally planned. There would be other chances to meet again anyway.
If I contacted her through Han Seo-woo, she could slip out of the Divine Cult whenever she wanted. And if things got truly urgent, I could always storm the Cult myself—though I would rather avoid that if possible, since I had no desire to see what had become of it.
“See you next time.”
“Yes. Ah, something just occurred to me. The next time this seat visits Mount Hua, would it be all right to pet that fox?”
She meant Baru, didn’t she? It seemed her love for fluffy things was exactly the same as mine. Did she also run away in terror whenever she encountered other beasts? If so, she must be suffering from a severe lack of fluff therapy. I understood that feeling all too well.
“It doesn’t matter. Even if Baru refuses, I’ll persuade her.”
“I shall leave it to you. If I could play with that adorable creature, I would even hand over the Divine Cult’s secret manuals.”
“No need for that.”
What use would secret manuals be to someone who had once been the Heavenly Demon and already knew every martial art in the Cult? To others they might be priceless, but to me they were little more than kindling.
“If you’re going to bring something, bring a decent medicinal pill instead.”
“Hmm. Understood. I shall see if there is anything suitable.”
Baek Hwaryeong has returned to the Divine Cult.
Leaving behind the sight of his master climbing the slopes of Mount Hua, Han Seo-woo returned to the Divine Cult and entered his master’s office. The moment he saw the mountain of scrolls waiting for him, he let out a long sigh.
Even on vacation, he had to pull all-nighters. Was this what it felt like to be an employee?
He dragged one of the chairs over and sat down across from the seat reserved for Baek Hwaryeong, then unfurled the first scroll. He had thought the same thing when he helped his master before, but most of these really did contain highly classified information.
Just the first one he picked up outlined strategies for spreading the might of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and detailed plans to achieve it. These weren’t simple proposals. After the elders had reviewed and revised them, the Cult Leader had inspected them and sought the approval of the Heavenly Demon, Baek Hwaryeong. If these documents fell into the hands of the Cult’s enemies, they could inflict devastating damage. In a way, entrusting them to him showed just how much trust they placed in Han Seo-woo.
But Han Seo-woo doubted his master had any such profound intentions. She had probably just dumped the annoying ones on him and told him to handle them roughly. Since many were clearly beyond what he could manage, he closed the scroll and opened the next one.
Thankfully, not every document was filled with secrets he couldn’t handle. A few were within his capacity. In truth, they were the kind his master would have merely glanced at before tossing aside, so he simply stamped them in her place.
“Could you leave that document for the Heavenly Demon to review? Its contents are rather important.”
While Han Seo-woo was debating whether to pass it along, a voice came from behind him. Startled, he tried to stand, but a hand pressed down on his shoulder, pinning him in place. He couldn’t resist. The aura radiating from that hand was simply too overwhelming. Unless the person behind him allowed it, even breathing felt difficult.
“Sudden movements are troublesome. It would be a problem if the scroll were damaged.”
Han Seo-woo knew the owner of that relaxed yet space-dominating voice. Excluding the absolute being known as the Heavenly Demon, this was the person who held the highest position in the Cult. Since Baek Hwaryeong showed little interest in actually running the organization, this man essentially wielded full authority over the Divine Cult. He had played a massive role in rebuilding the Cult after its collapse, and even the elders dared not treat him lightly. He was the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—the one who spread the will of the absolute Heavenly Demon to the world.
In reality, he was the one expanding the Cult’s influence according to his own will and ambition.
Why was this man, who was supposedly so busy he even skimped on sleep, here?
“Where has the Heavenly Demon gone?”
“She stepped out for a moment.”
“Just for a short while?”
The Cult Leader spoke in a suspicious tone as he removed his hand from Han Seo-woo’s shoulder. The crushing pressure vanished, and Han Seo-woo drew in a deep breath. Ignoring him, the Cult Leader leisurely walked around the office before returning to his side and asking again.
“For someone who only stepped out briefly, there is no trace of tobacco scent in the room.”
At the pointed question, Han Seo-woo clicked his tongue inwardly. Baek Hwaryeong was a serious chain smoker. While inside the Cult’s buildings, she rarely took the pipe from her mouth. The faintness of the smell meant she had been gone for quite some time.
As expected, this Cult Leader is annoyingly sharp.
“Lord Han Seo-woo. I am not interrogating you. I am simply curious. Where has the Heavenly Demon gone?”
Should he try to dodge the question again? As Han Seo-woo mentally rehearsed excuses, he quickly realized anything he said would be refuted. So he gave up on lying. His master would return soon anyway.
“She went out. She plans to return before sunrise.”
“She went out… I see. It would have been better if she had informed me beforehand.”
“If my master had mentioned it, would you have tried to stop her?”
The Cult Leader paused at the question, then let out a small chuckle before continuing.
“I would have inwardly reproached myself for daring to oppose the Heavenly Demon, yet I still would have tried to dissuade her.”
“That’s why she left secretly.”
“Still, please consider my position. Among these scrolls are some that must be handled by today.”
The Cult Leader spoke in a tone mixed with lament and sigh. He didn’t look like a man who led fanatics in worship. Instead, he resembled an ordinary office worker suffering under an unreasonable boss. Considering he was actually the leader of a cult, his acting was truly impressive.
“Since things have come to this, it can’t be helped. Lord Han Seo-woo, please inform me when the Heavenly Demon returns. I must report directly and obtain her approval.”
“Is it that urgent?”
“Yes. Well, it’s less urgent and more that I wish to deal with something annoying as quickly as possible.”
Something annoying? Was it related to another faction? If it were an individual or a small group, they would have handled it themselves without bothering his master. It wasn’t something he needed to worry about. No matter what problems arose in the Divine Cult, it had nothing to do with him.
When Han Seo-woo answered that he understood, the Cult Leader vanished as suddenly as he had appeared. Just what had that man come here for? Was he simply trying to hurry his master along?
As he was thinking that, a message flew toward Han Seo-woo.
It was from Lady Hwaryeong. She speaks so arrogantly in person, yet her messages are so polite. Was that overbearing personality just a concept she used while gaming? Her acting was truly top-notch.
After reading the message, Han Seo-woo immediately used the movement function to head for Mount Hua. Strangely, when he arrived at the base of the mountain, his master was nowhere to be seen. She must be waiting higher up.
Han Seo-woo climbed the desolate stone steps alone. The withered, twisted trees and the eerie wind carrying a sinister aura between them made the surroundings look like the perfect setting for an Eastern horror film. His steps quickened. He wanted to escape this place as soon as possible.
Practically running up the stairs, he reached the entrance of Mount Hua, flung the doors open, and stepped inside. The sight that greeted him was his master forcibly hugging a struggling brown fox. On her face was a gentle smile Han Seo-woo had never seen before.