Episode 146: Did I Give Him White Rice?
I curled my lips into a sardonic smile.
“Given the situation, I thought it was your time to come in, so I laid out a mat for you. Looks like you haven’t escaped my predictions after all?”
“Oh… if only that mouth of his could have spoken a little more elegantly.”
Minerva pressed her forehead and shook her head repeatedly.
However, she soon looked at me with a face of resignation.
“To be honest… I never expected you to completely subdue the Resurrection Sect’s Demon King without being asked. That was really well done. I guess even the Demon King of Resurrection isn’t fully sane if he has a taste for lunatics like you.”
“… Is this also all part of your plan? Including the fact that the Demon King fell for me?”
When I cautiously asked, Minerva’s expression revealed a cold disdain.
“Please, get a hold of yourself. Do you really think I could have predicted that? I mean, it’s you we’re talking about, right?”
“Damn it. What’s so special about me?”
“Ah, I don’t care. Anyway, right now I think it’s impressive. You said you had a question? As long as it doesn’t violate the unspoken rules of the Celestial Realm, I’ll answer just one of them honestly.”
So be it.
Even though I didn’t predict that Ruci would come to like me, it seems that things are heading in a positive direction. Minerva rarely shows such a friendly attitude toward me.
I can’t waste this rare opportunity. I asked about what had been bothering me the most.
“Why did Ruci, the Demon King of Resurrection, want to rule the world?”
“Hooh.” Minerva chuckled meaningfully.
Soon, she shrugged her shoulders.
“What kind of answer exactly are you expecting? Your question is a bit vague.”
“Did you know how long it took for Ruci to repent? It only took three days. Once she started hanging out with the slum kids, she turned herself in and started seeking redemption. And yet, thirty years ago, she was slaughtering people all over the continent, plunging them into terror?”
“…”
“Hmm. It seems weird. It’s not like this girl even understands her own emotions. It’s hard to imagine someone like her becoming such an iron-clad enemy of humans. Something seems quite off about this.”
“Dear me. I always thought you were just stupid, but you’re sharper than I imagined.”
Minerva looked at me with an expression of admiration.
Damn it. I’ll let it slide for now since I’m curious. I continued.
“Ruci claims that what the witch implanted in her was this instinct. Even so… regardless of my fatal charm, it doesn’t make sense. Why on earth would Ruci, the Demon King, fall for me, the Hero? It all seems a bit off.”
The moment my question ended, Minerva nodded.
“Well, guess what. Here’s the answer: from the beginning, there was never a command implanted in the Demon King of Resurrection to ‘rule the world.'”
…
…
…
What?
I gulped. My brain briefly refused to comprehend her words.
As I started to digest it, Minerva continued to pour these shocking facts into me.
“It was distorted somehow. Actually, the original command the witch Diana implanted in the Demon King was exactly the opposite. It wasn’t ‘take this world,’ but rather ‘protect this world.'”
“Protect… the world?”
“Yes. Someone twisted that clever formula. ‘Protect’ was changed to ‘take,’ and the meaning completely altered. Through this linguistic trickery, 30 years ago, massive massacres took place under her hands. It’s quite laughable, really.”
At that point, Minerva began to stroll around me quietly.
I froze stiffly, like a nail had been hammered into my foot. As she came closer, I subconsciously shifted my feet.
“But even the one who played tricks on the Demon King couldn’t have foreseen what happened next. A certain clever, competent, and beautiful lesser deity discovered the Demon King’s mysterious egg, the whereabouts of which were unknown after the former Demon King’s death.”
“Clever and competent? Who doesn’t know their limits here?”
Minerva paused and shot me an intense glare. I evaded her gaze, feigning ignorance.
She continued with a ‘I’ll let it slide this one time’ expression.
“And then that lesser deity simply undid the crude tricks placed on the Demon King. But… as a side effect, the Demon King’s body became one that could no longer gather magic power through ordinary means.”
I looked back at Minerva again.
This kid was now admitting that weakening the Demon King… reengineering the fiery personality of the Demon King into what she is now… was all her own work.
“To summarize, she didn’t suddenly repent. It was the mental manipulation that had been altered, and her mind restored to its original state.”
“…”
As pieces that had previously been disjointed clicked into place in my mind…
I gripped my forehead and dived straight into the core question.
“Hey, dummy. Why should a Demon King protect the world? What was the witch Diana’s purpose in telling Ruci to do something like that?”
“That’s something I cannot disclose. You’ll have to figure that out on your own.”
… Okay. The unwritten rules of the Celestial Realm, right? Got it.
Looking at Minerva’s resolute expression, I begrudgingly accepted it. I shifted my question slightly.
“Hey, then… who was it? Who played tricks on Ruci?”
“I’ll give you a hint. It wasn’t someone who wanted Diana to be eradicated, nor someone who desired the world to change according to Diana’s wishes. This person claims to ‘balance the world’ according to their own words.”
“…”
“I can’t go as far as naming them. That would violate the rules of the Celestial Realm.”
Minerva smirked meaningfully. I slammed my hand on the ground with a loud “Kwaang!”
The name Hector Cassas had just popped into my mind.
After finishing my conversation with Ruci, and clarifying some points through Minerva, my head felt a little clearer.
Then I knew exactly what I needed to do next.
“First things first. My deal with Adrang.”
Although I owe Adrang for what happened, I know too little about him.
It would be better either to make him a complete ally or regard him as a complete enemy.
Rather than that, in the future, I won’t even ask this guy for help unnecessarily.
“… Let’s confront him. And see what happens!”
I clenched my teeth and dismissed any distractions. Striding purposefully across the halls, I soon found myself at Adrang’s door.
After a light knock, I waited. Adrang opened up the door almost as promptly as usual.
“…”
I stared silently at Adrang. For a while, we engaged in an intense staring contest.
“Ah,” Adrang chuckled, fascinated.
“Young man, are you the same person as you were just a moment ago?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The atmosphere and the look in your eyes are completely different. It’s almost as if some other entity has taken possession of Jung Yong.”
“… Is that so?”
As it turns out, your intuition is as sharp as ever, Adrang.
Are you asking if I’m the same person as before? Well, honestly, I’m not sure anymore.
I died four times and then recovered those memories. Am I still the same me? Am I still Park Jeong-yong from Earth after having gone through 150 cycles or so?
“It’s about Carhalas.”
I have no patience for meaningless small talk.
Hence, I ignored Adrang’s query and cut straight to the chase.
“They say you’re the one to ask about the witch hunters.”
In my past life, I acted like a lone wolf, pushing my demands ahead. This time, I propose a trade.
It’s the same context as the Leira situation. I throw out a sensitive topic first to eliminate variables. The approach might be different from my previous life, but the idea remains the same.
“Hunting witches. I’ve recently developed an interest in it.”
“… Hooh.”
“Are you, Adrang, interested in me?”
I’ll tell you everything you suspect I know. In return, spill your information.
The meaning conveyed through my words was exactly that.
“…”
Adrang did not respond immediately. He scrutinized my face with a cold gaze.
The reflection of me in his eyes was astonishingly expressionless. I could see myself mirrored after him, nearly indistinguishable.
Adrang suddenly grinned, seemingly randomly.
“Let’s have a meal tomorrow morning.”
His subsequent actions were as bold as his words. He turned around, gave me a slight nod, and brusquely closed the door.
“Let’s have an interesting conversation.”
The door shut with a ‘bang.’ He left those words lingering as it closed.
Apparently, no response was necessary from me. I stood in front of the door, giving him a strong middle finger.
“Good talk. Damn it.”
I stuck my tongue out subtly.
My cause of death in my previous life came directly from Adrang. Although it was I who initiated the conversation this time, I can’t deny I’m a bit worried.
After all, this time, I plan to bring up some sensitive topics without hesitation.
“No. It’s fine.”
I mumbled to myself and returned to my room.
Through this dialogue, I aim to figure out Adrang’s true intentions, what exactly the witch hunters are up to, and as much as possible, other things I wish to know.
Of course, I’ll also offer information in return. I had already planned as much when speaking to Kern.
‘Now it’s either way or the other.’
Damn. You’re so thorough about the Resurrection Sect and Hector Cassas?
Alright. I’ll tell you all of it. Why those fanatical admirers of you and Ruci like you both so much and to what extent.
In exchange, you better spill as much as you received. Be ready.
“Hmph.”
I sighed deeply, weighed down with complex intentions, and slowly surrendered myself to slumber.
Even more tense than any of the meditation practices I’ve done, sleep eluded me for a while.
…
I had a dream again that day.
Six black-dressed brothers shouldering a coffin. The Coffin Boys performed energetic dances in sync with the EDM music.
The people around them were familiar faces from my current world – Seop Baek and Seseona, Adrang and Carhalas, the grenade seen at the meeting, and finally, Ruci.
“Wahahah!”
“Hahahaha!”
My companions jumped joyfully into the coffin, laughing all the while.
I joined them, racing along. I don’t know why, but I felt ecstatic. At least the me in the dream felt that way.
“…!”
But once again, Ruci grabbed my sleeve and wouldn’t let go.
This little troublemaker… Seeing her desperate face, I flinched for a second but quickly shook her hand off and rushed into the coffin.
“…! …!!”
Behind me, Ruci kept yelling something. Ah, but I couldn’t hear her.
Inside the coffin, a dark and damp feeling greeted me.
There I saw…
“Chhh… Chhhhh…”
A strange man with a mask and a robe, emitting metallic sounds. In his hand was a red sickle.
This man was seated atop a pile of the corpses of my companions.
The moment I laid eyes on him, I woke up with a start.
After that, I couldn’t fall back asleep. The night stretched endlessly before my sleepless eyes.
