Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Mimir (2)
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"Just so we're clear, you're going to have to give a proper explanation for that little remark Dracula just made..."
Mimir's fist clenched tight.
I took in the sight of her, seething quietly like a dragon whose reverse scale had been touched.
A scene from the midgame of Red Ark came to mind. When Kim Si-hu had met her alone to persuade her after she'd sided with the Society, she must have worn that exact expression.
I recalled another moment from Red Ark.
《Mimir blinked at Kim Si-hu's persuasion. It was more like a sermon. 'Shrinking humanity isn't a solution at all.' 'Even if the survivors carry on in that downsized infrastructure, they'd be nothing more than livestock.' For a moment, his desperate voice shook her resolve, but she quickly grew furious.》
《Who wouldn't know that? She was well aware this wasn't right. But she'd chosen pragmatism over justice and ethics. That was why she'd accepted Zero One's offer and joined the Society.》
《"Who doesn't know that!? This world is beyond saving anyway. Observations inside the rifts show the next wave will be a catastrophe on a scale incomparable to before—it'll ravage everything! I can't abandon this world until I see that person again! So get out of my way and don't interfere!"》
An explanation, huh? In my view, it was time to share a vision, not just excuses.
Appealing to emotion might not cut it—better to convince her with logic.
I spoke calmly.
"The next wave will hit within about ten years. It'll unleash a tsunami of Dimensional Beasts far beyond anything we've seen, and even if all of humanity unites, we won't survive the disaster."
"...That's not what I—!"
"If that happens, you'll never see Anne again. That's why you oppose the Society's insane humanity-shrinking scenario yet still help them, right? You're conducting research to revive the dead just to meet her one more time."
Mimir's body trembled with a jolt.
She asked me in a bewildered voice.
"So how the hell do you know that!?"
"Who knows? Maybe I have an eye of truth like Zero One's that reads people's innermost thoughts and pasts."
I pointed to my eyes etched with the pentagram as I looked at Mimir.
She seemed to realize something, her face twisting.
She must have figured out this was all an illusion.
"Then let me ask you something. Once Anne is revived, do you really think she'll approve of the world after you and the Society carry out the humanity-shrinking plan?"
"Shut up."
"Your fondness for humanity over other monstrosities must stem from Anne's influence. The one who taught you how to live among people and mingle with them... do you really think she'd—"
"Shut your mouth, you know-nothing fool! You have no idea what I've been feeling... what I've...!"
The illusion shattered.
Cracks began forming in this world that mirrored reality.
Crrrack... The sunset split apart like fractured glass.
I watched the beautiful destruction of the world unfold as I spoke.
I knew how the protagonists ultimately planned to save it.
Their scheme was absurd yet plausible—and it nearly succeeded, held back only by Zero One and the Society—so it wasn't entirely implausible.
"I'm going to enter the rifts and close them from the inside. That way, we can save the world without spilling a drop of blood. Mimir, won't you help me resist the Society and guide fate toward a better path?"
The sky had darkened before I knew it.
On the rooftop, with a chill wind blowing, Mimir and I exchanged glances.
Behind Mimir stood Yubyeol-ha, gripping her massive scythe with its ring around Mimir's neck. The floor was littered with shattered machinery. While we'd been talking in the illusion, Yubyeol-ha must have smashed the listening devices.
Mimir bit her lip hard and shook her head.
"That's impossible. If it were, I would have—"
"Get a grip on the situation. I never gave you permission to speak."
Yubyeol-ha jerked her head thuggishly.
As the scythe at Mimir's neck gleamed menacingly, Mimir clamped her mouth shut. Yubyeol-ha's sharp gaze pierced me.
"Why."
"If we play it right, we could use her... fuck that. What now? She looks like a total lost cause."
Yubyeol-ha seemed ready to slit Mimir's throat at any moment.
Originally, I'd planned to force her into submission with a soul contract like I did with Antonio.
But I'd changed my mind.
Chatting with Mimir had sparked a better idea.
Plus, coercion might get me what I needed short-term, but not her genuine cooperation.
To keep fighting the grand sorcerer Zero One, allying with the witch Mimir was essential.
Now was the time to step back and build trust.
I didn't expect her to take my words at face value, and without solid proof, convincing her fully was a stretch.
I said we should let her go.
"Are you insane!? She's begging to be killed right now!"
Yubyeol-ha barked.
I gestured that I had a plan before things got too loud.
She looked displeased but only pursed her lips.
"One condition, though. Lift the curse on Aria's body. If you're worried about being fingered as the one who did it, don't be. I'll tell Aria to go somewhere with Merlin. Betraying the 21st Century Secret Society and being a capable mage, Merlin's a more likely suspect than you."
"You're just... letting me go like this...?"
Mimir stared at me with puzzled eyes, brimming with suspicion.
She couldn't fathom why I'd release her.
She'd admitted to betraying the Society herself, so for my own safety, eliminating her made sense.
But.
"I need you for the future I'm building. From now on, I'm going to prove my trust in you, Mimir."
"...I have no idea what you're talking about."
I smiled confidently.
"Go all out with the other monstrosities and carry out the Society's mission. Sow chaos in Academy City and desperately seize what they want. Use every ability at your disposal to complete it."
However.
"I'll go all out to stop you. Then judge for yourself with your own eyes."
I'll etch it clearly into those eyes of yours as I bend fate.
Just like Aria Blood von Direwolf failed her mission, so will you.
"Oh, and try not to reveal my identity if you can help it. The spy game... it's more fun than I expected. And keep it in mind if you ever change your mind later."
Mimir gaped at me in disbelief. Yubyeol-ha was on the verge of exploding at me, and I knew my words were arrogant, but so what.
A man has to have confidence.
"You fucking shit!@#!@...!"
Ignoring Yubyeol-ha's curses, I bowed slightly toward Mimir.
"Do you understand?"
"..."
"Good. I'll take that as a yes. Alright, time to wrap this up. Contact me on my phone when you're ready to lift the curse."
Mimir was a monster who kept her promises, not some goatish sneak.
With that, I left the rooftop.
"Hey!! Hey!! Baek Do-hyun, you bastard!! You're really just walking away like this!? You plan to expose yourself and waltz home like an idiot!?"
Yubyeol-ha alternated glances between me and Mimir with a look of utter defeat, then withdrew Death's Scythe and followed me.
"You idiot!! What if that bitch spills everything about you to the Society!?"
"Then I'll kill her then."
Her fist flew straight at my face.
A spicy pain exploded across my cheek, and I tumbled down the stairs in a heap.
"Are you kidding me?"
Ow ow ow... What a mess.
I scratched my head, looking at Yubyeol-ha's seriously pissed-off face.
To calm her down, I explained.
"Sometimes words work better than swords. Mimir absolutely won't sell me out to the Society, so relax."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because that's the kind of character she is..."
Yubyeol-ha sighed. She helped me up from the floor and brushed off my shoulders.
She continued in a quiet voice.
"I know you're not the type to act recklessly without reason. I think highly of your execution too. Whenever you show up with info that makes me wonder where the hell you got it, I figure you've got solid connections and a sharp mind."
"..."
"But Baek Do-hyun, even for you, there's a limit to blind trust. I'm someone who'd lose a lot if my face got sold out to the monstrosities too, you know...?"
Yubyeol-ha pinched and yanked my cheeks hard. Her gritted teeth showed she was holding back her temper as best she could.
"Donth do shtupid shith alone anymore... conthult withh me... kay?"
"Ack..."
"Donth do shtupid shith alone... got ith?"
"Yeth..."
She released my cheeks and let out a massive sigh.
"Sigh... Sorry for punching your face earlier."
"Sorry for acting like an ass too..."
My cheeks stung.
They felt scorching hot, like they'd been branded with a hot iron.
Yubyeol-ha reverted to her usual self, as if that pinch had vented all her frustration.
"So, you done with today's tasks? I'm heading to turn in my gear and hit training."
"Wait."
Before that, I had something to tell Yubyeol-ha.
I told her I'd formed an organization to counter the 21st Century Secret Society.
"You want me to join AOD...?"
"To respond effectively going forward, we need to organize. Plus, it involves someone you admire most."
She asked who the hell I thought was the person she respected most, and I said Lee Gyeo-ul, but.
"Bullshit..."
Back came the curse. For real, though...
"I'll think about it. Showing my face around others besides you still feels iffy."
As expected from Academy City's celebrity + the monstrous serial killer, she was cautious. But I was certain she'd join AOD eventually.
And so, the talk with Mimir ended on an ambiguous note.
Now, the only task left before the next scenario kicked off was my chat with Aria.