Neither Grand Nor Great (1)

Claudy.

The moment he heard that word, Wolf recalled the rumors circulating among adventurers. It was the word the demons of the Demon King's Castle, who had appeared in this reality, had howled in unison.

No wonder the world was plunged into confusion. Interviews, smartphones, the internet. They knew nothing of what the adventurers were blabbing about.

How could they possibly know about the beings of the Arcana Continent that adventurers spoke of? Or the tales demons ranted about?

"Ever heard of it, vice-captain?"

But the problem was with the Shadow Mercenaries. Even they knew nothing of Claudy.

This wasn't some random low-level demon. It was a word spat out by tens of thousands of demon king's troops.

For a word with that much weight to be unknown even to the Shadow Mercenaries?

'I thought it was strange.'

Claudy. He figured someone was deliberately hiding it. Otherwise, it would be impossible not to deny it outright.

But now, it was starting to make sense.

The Seven Deadly Sins, Envy. The giant evil opened its mouth upon facing the Grand Commander.

And then it said clearly,

"So you're...... Claudy."

A possibility flashed through his mind.

"......!"

Wolf felt his heart sink.

No way, it can't be.

Thinking that, he looked at Hoyeol. He was sure he'd deny it.

But.

"Dare not utter that name."

What Hoyeol spat out was an answer tantamount to affirmation.

"Really......"

Wolf bit his lip hard.

'......You knew, Captain? I wasn't going to forgive her.'

Kichi. No matter what unspoken circumstances she had, he hadn't wanted to hear them.

No reason could justify abandoning her captaincy and vanishing.

But damn it.

The pieces were falling into place in his head.

The commission from the giant evil entrusted to the Shadow Mercenaries.

The fact that the commission had succeeded.

After realizing that, Kichi had declared she'd take all responsibility and vanished.

And the giant evil staring at the Grand Commander—whom it called Claudy—as if in disbelief.

The chain of events spoke for itself.

"I'd have run too, Captain."

The giant evil's commission. It was about Claudy.

A request directly involving the Grand Commander.

Wolf forced his drooping head up.

'......How much does the Grand Commander know?'

He didn't need an answer to that question.

"If you've uttered it, bear the responsibility."

Shoooo—

A vast aura poured from Hoyeol's body.

It wasn't ordinary mana.

Black and dark enough to devour everything—an apt mana.

"Hoo."

Just looking at it made breathing labored.

As if the Grand Commander's emotions were being transmitted directly.

Thanks to that, he realized.

'No, he couldn't possibly not know what I've figured out.'

Above all, the Grand Commander was the party involved.

Wolf glanced at the members. They looked equally stunned.

"So the Grand Commander's connected to Akshan?"

"......It doesn't fit somehow."

"More than that, what the hell is that magic, old man?"

"......Black magic. Black magic beyond explanation."

"Black magic?"

Even without Claudy, the battlefield was full of astonishing elements.

Wolf smiled bitterly.

'So this is the weight of command, Kichi.'

Perspective changes with position, after all.

In that sense, Wolf had no choice but to look at Hoyeol again.

A lofty position matching the weight he bore.

A view overlooking from on high.

And.

'Why show us mercy once more......?'

A vessel whose limits he couldn't fathom.

But Wolf's sigh didn't last long.

Soon, the Seven Deadly Sins Envy burst into mad laughter.

"Hahahahahahaha!"

For daring to utter it.

"In the end, you're just a pitiful human."

*

Giant evil.

Compared to them, humans were utterly frail.

Against their eternal lives, human existence was like mayflies.

And most squandered even those brief lives meaninglessly.

"I'll praise you."

By contrast, Akshan was decent.

The demon hunters hadn't chased meaningless original sins.

Kududuk—

Envy's form began to change.

The body shattered by Meteor Strike sloughed off like a chrysalis.

A new body sprouted from within like a bud.

"And."

Envy's gaze shifted.

From the demon hunters to Hoyeol.

Fluttering silver hair.

"I am truly in awe, Claudy."

It wasn't mockery.

At this moment, Envy was utterly sincere.

It continued gravely.

"To overlook the hideous Arcana Continent and its humans. I respect you sincerely. More than nonexistent gods or goddesses."

But it couldn't suppress the laughter bubbling up.

"Yet what was Claudy's end? The Arcana Continent you loved so much! The utterly insignificant humans! In the end, they stabbed you great ones in the back."

Envy looked at Hoyeol.

He seemed worth hearing out still.

But how long could he remain upright?

The Claudy family's tragedy hadn't even begun.

Envy thought.

'I truly respect you.'

That's why it had devised this scheme personally.

Akshan. And Claudy.

One alone was troublesome enough.

Yet he bore the background of both.

But Akshan and Claudy.

Both were ghosts of the past.

'You can't help but waver.'

Envy had faith.

To topple the Claudy family and Akshan.

It knew their past of reaching out to lowly humans.

Enduring the humiliation of allying with mere humans.

Believing that humiliation wasn't in vain.

It could sympathize sincerely.

"Yes, now that you know everything."

You've surpassed me.

"I can no longer feel envy toward you."

Molting.

A new form even it hadn't known.

No words fit transcendence better.

True envy.

Transcending its own original sin.

Unfurling such radiant wings.

Flap!

Not skeletal bat wings.

Wings of black, lush feathers.

A sight to instill despair in any human just by looking.

"?"

Yet something was off.

For some reason, from the pitiful Claudy survivor.

Not a shred of agitation.

"The screams of your kin still ring in my ears."

Even mocking his family.

"Akshan's end was utterly pathetic."

Even insulting Akshan.

His upright posture didn't crumble a bit.

He merely gazed at it contemplatively.

......

What the hell is this thing babbling about?

'I know Akshan got backstabbed.'

Thanks to demon schemes, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Akshan was isolated before the holy war.

He didn't know the details.

But they vanished without a trace.

However.

'The Claudy family was abandoned by the continent too?'

The Claudy family's lore.

He didn't know how much had been realized.

He'd only just found the ruins of Claudy Mansion.

And started restoration.

Like taking the first step.

But he could guess.

'Yunak Seus.'

Dragons like Yunak Seus followed him because they couldn't repay their debt to Claudy.

Maybe the Claudy lore was even more inflated than he remembered.

But don't misunderstand, demon.

"What brings you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠such joy?"

I, Lee Hoyeol, don't misunderstand.

Claudy's tragedy? Sure, it was just part of the settings I wrote back then.

Acknowledging and taking responsibility for the Claudy family doesn't mean burying myself in that dark history.

I've said it over and over.

I'm too old for chuunibyou to resurface now.

I've eaten too much of society's harsh lessons.

Dark history isn't for immersing in—it's for overcoming.

Yes.

In the end, I just need to stay firm.

No matter how eloquently it recounts the Claudy tragedy.

If it's from a demon's mouth, Grandfell's attitude remains unwavering.

I continued to Envy.

"Nothing has changed."

But if it's such a tangled past.

You use it simultaneously.

At this moment, what blanketed the area wasn't the piece Envy manifested.

Apt mana.

Apt mana drawn from Claudy's past—fittingly called a tragedy, as you said.

The black magic Black Gaze manifested by that apt mana went beyond stripping senses—it dominated fully.

"You're lost in illusory delusions."

Yes.

In my eyes, it hadn't changed.

Struck by Meteor Strike.

Envy writhed feebly in its ruined body.

Tremble tremble—

Even a giant evil couldn't overcome the Predator-Prey Relationship—did it want to flee?

Yet it arrogantly blabbered on.

"The entire continent has turned its back on you."

Yeah, whatever.

Add Akshan's end to the Claudy tragedy......

Maybe it's not an exaggeration.

"You know it better than anyone, don't you? Humans never change. They're useless to everyone. How can you deny the 'true truth'?"

True truth.

It's been a while since he heard that phrase.

Hwarong Karimjeva, the elder mage and demon worshipper.

That was his last babble, probably?

Then or now, he didn't know what it meant.

"It's not too late. Join us."

No, wrong.

Not that he didn't know.

He had no desire to know.

Demons' words were all bullshit anyway?

No need for concrete proof.

It was obvious right now.

"Do you truly believe 'everyone' abandoned me?"

"......What nonsense is that?"

Envy's voice dripped with incomprehension.

Then it shifted topics.

I knew it would head there.

I'm sharp like that.

If I weren't, I'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be dead from loose lips a hundred times over.

So I roughly guessed.

The giant evil's commission Kichi mentioned.

'It's related to Claudy's downfall.'

That's why it brought it up.

To make me waver.

But utter miscalculation.

"Neither grand nor great, you inferior breed."

Still haven't realized?

"Unlike demons, humans ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠can change."

"......What?"

"Even if they made the wrong choice."

"What nonsense......!!"

"They can correct it if they realize."

The living proof is right here.

My wayward adolescence.

I, Lee Hoyeol, who properly overcame my dark history.

Of course, I'm not generalizing from my case.

Screee—!

Soon, the wind whistling past his ears split the air.

No need to check the source.

Nine weapons gleaming, reflecting dawn's light.

Puk!

Wolf, embedding a crossbow bolt in Envy's nape, spoke.

"I'll take responsibility for my errors."

I continued toward Envy.

"Didn't I tell you?"

"......Kuh?"

"Don't underestimate human pride."

"......!!!"