24
Ep 24
How many seconds had passed like that?
An excuse, not quite an excuse, slipped out of my mouth.
"I’m being treated unfairly."
"Last time, you looked like you were desperate to win over the Sword Empress."
How could she say something so outrageous so casually?
She had a prickly way of speaking, yet she always said exactly what she wanted.
Once she got going, she only heard what she wanted to hear.
…Being pushed around like this was starting to irritate me.
I stepped closer and slightly revealed the mark as I spoke.
"Then I’ll show you mine, so could you show me yours as well—"
But Hongyeon quickly came back to her senses and slammed her fist down again.
"Y-you insolent fool! What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!"
"Ugh."
So this was the Heavenly Demon’s punch…?
It hurt like hell.
Hongyeon’s attitude completely changed, her face flushing as if it might burst as she muttered,
"How dare you…"
She pulled her robe tighter across her chest, the sight overlapping strangely with how she looked before.
…Unexpectedly, Hongyeon had a rather innocent side.
"Are you really not going to show me?"
“…Didn’t I just say we have a meaningful relationship?”
"I thought we were that kind of relationship."
"Be quiet."
Hongyeon stepped back for a moment, yet she came along without resistance. Her words were harsh, but her actions were honest.
If I were to say something like, “That flower pattern looks nice,” I could already picture her flustered expression, but there wasn’t really another option.
Her face was already so red it looked like it might explode, and she might beat me half to death.
//
“Well… it doesn’t look bad.”
Hongyeon said that while looking at the black mark etched near my chest.
“Hmm, is it acceptable?”
“Not just acceptable. It makes me wonder how you even got something like this. At this level, it’s practically a bold declaration that the other party is very interested in you.”
“What does that mean?”
“A mark given through direct physical contact requires deep feelings to accompany it. Usually, it’s something seen among family. Like in my case. Otherwise… unless there is a strong bond between a man and a woman, it’s impossible.”
“…..”
“Who knows? Maybe there’s a woman you helped without realizing it, appearing like a hero before her, and she completely fell for you.”
“That’s unlikely…”
“Did you know? Men born with demonic energy tend to have rather unpleasant appearances, but women are often quite beautiful. There’s a reason why many of the great beauties are said to possess demonic energy.”
“…There’s no way I attracted someone like that.”
“You never know. You might have saved some desperate woman somewhere and made her fall for you, turning her into your partner.”
This person.
She was definitely doing this on purpose.
No doubt about it.
“Oh, and something else has come up.”
Her voice turned serious.
“There’s an informant within the Demonic Cult.”
“And?”
“It’s happening at dawn today. Plans have already been made… if you want, you can come along.”
I thought about it for a moment.
Well, if it was someone like Hongyeon making the offer, it wouldn’t hurt to accept.
“I suppose I should go check on things.”
Maybe she hadn’t expected that response. Hongyeon’s face blanked out for a moment, as if caught off guard. Then the corner of her lips twitched slightly before she suppressed it.
“…Don’t talk nonsense.”
She pretended not to be shaken and stood up immediately to prepare to leave.
“You don’t like being worried about?”
“…No, it’s not bad.”
Hongyeon hesitated for a moment, then cleared her throat.
“Think carefully before deciding. I didn’t bring this up as a joke.”
An informant, huh.
I had some idea about it from the flow of events.
“Is it something serious for me?”
“It is. It concerns you.”
But her answer was unexpected.
Something about me?
“Me?”
Hongyeon nodded and continued.
“Anyway, this is more of a request than a command. If you don’t want to, you can rest. But if you put in a bit of effort, there will be considerable benefits. For both you and me. Perhaps you’ll gain even more.”
“….”
“I’ll be direct. The higher-ups are starting to suspect you.”
“What?”
I asked in disbelief.
Hongyeon lifted her chest slightly as she muttered,
“Isn’t it strange? Someone who used to wallow at the bottom like trash suddenly stands out and draws attention. Normally, it would be celebrated as a rising star… but after that incident, the situation is different.”
“That… makes sense.”
“Of course, I don’t particularly suspect you. At a glance, you look like the type who would devote everything to the Sword Empress.”
As she stepped closer, her presence became more noticeable.
She poked my chest lightly with her finger and continued,
“Well… I don’t know what the Sword Empress thinks.”
What does she think, huh.
I sighed inwardly.
What else would she think?
She clearly looked like she wanted to tear me apart.
Hongyeon seemed to be waiting for my answer.
“…What do you want me to do?”
“What do I want? Nothing in particular. Whether you cause trouble or not doesn’t concern me.”
“………No, I mean the others. It would be better to align stories to avoid problems later.”
“Hmm… that wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
///
I left Hongyeon’s quarters.
There were many things to prepare, but priorities had to be set.
The lingering warmth from the mark made my heart race, and it took some effort to calm it down.
In my hand was a precious elixir I had saved.
The Demonic Pill.
It was said to be extremely beneficial for demonic energy.
Not only that, it was rare enough to be considered a premium item. And if it came from someone like the Sword Empress or a high figure, it would be impossible to obtain anything better.
“Now that I’ve obtained the mark… heh.”
I couldn’t help the smile creeping onto my lips.
Unable to wait any longer, I immediately put the elixir into my mouth as I returned to my room.
Just in case the mark would grow, I opened my clothing slightly and watched.
—!!!!!
[ The effect of ??? Heavenly Demon Sword Master – Extreme Sword is partially unlocked. ]
* You can partially perceive others’ emotions and favorability.
* You become more proficient in handling internal energy and demonic energy.
* Regenerative effects are added to demonic energy.
* The more demonic energy a person possesses, the easier it becomes to gain their favor.
My body reacted differently than expected, and I paused in thought.
Extreme Sword?
Why was that reacting now?
And did it normally have effects like this?
I had only seen the Heavenly Demon Arts in the game, so I wasn’t sure about the exact effects.
‘Wait… pink?’
Something suddenly caught my eye.
At the end of the corridor, I saw a figure collapsing.
I rushed over and found Cheon Hye-rin there, her lips trembling slightly.
As I grabbed her shoulders, her eyes shook violently.
“Y-you… why are you like that…?”
“….”
Cheon Hye-rin turned her gaze away, her face flushed.
A pink aura seemed to rise from her entire body.
I was confused.
What was going on?
I knew she had some level of affection toward me.
Was this what it meant to see favorability?
Could something have gone wrong?
I stepped closer and lightly touched her shoulder, arm, cheek, and ear.
“…Are you feeling unwell?”
“!!!!”
Her lips parted slightly.
She made a strange expression, then suddenly pushed me away in shock.
“?”
“Y-you… aren’t others watching…?! Have you lost your mind?!”
“I was worried.”
“…Did you just say… you were worried about me?”
Cheon Hye-rin hesitated, unsure where to look, before finally averting her gaze.
She was still surrounded by that pink glow.
“…”
Muttering softly, she suddenly grabbed my hand.
As she tried to pull me into the room, her eyes fell on the scar on my hand.
“…You’re not hurt, are you?”
“Hm?”
“You’re still as reckless as ever. At least take basic precautions… give me your hand.”
The moment I extended my hand to her,
a sharp sensation ran through me, as if something reacted between her demonic energy and my fingertips.
[ Favorability greatly increases! ]
[ It is already at a greatly increased state!! ]
[ It stacks. Favorability rises rapidly! ]
“Why suddenly…?”
Cheon Hye-rin, who had been moving closer, suddenly froze.
The pink aura around her seemed to deepen.
If gaining favor was easier with those who had more demonic energy…
Then what would happen?
I realized the answer quickly.
“…You… suddenly… I feel like I can’t hold back.”
Her voice broke as she spoke.
She pressed close, breathing heavily.
The atmosphere around her had clearly changed.
“Stay still… it would be better… to stay still.”
She steadied her breath, holding me in place.
At that tense moment—
“Are you there?”
A servant’s voice came from right beside us.