Chapter 365

Suddenly revealed, Hersela’s absurd past was enough to leave me speechless.

No, seriously, what am I even supposed to say here…?

It was so awkward that I couldn’t even taste the cigarette I was holding.

Just moments ago, Ja-han’s eyes were filled with loyalty toward his master, but now they had turned into a pitiful gaze, as if he were looking at a clueless child.

Hersela was the one spouting nonsense, so why am I the one feeling embarrassed?

“Ah, those nostalgic memories. She used to change her self-proclaimed title almost every three months. The Heavenly Demon, the Incarnation of the Sky Wolf Descended to Earth, the Blade of Hatred Born Under the Star of Death, the One Who Wields the Power of Ghosts…”

Ja-han smiled warmly, like a father reminiscing about the past.

I was so dumbfounded that I felt like bursting into laughter.

This woman really said all sorts of crazy things when she was 15.

Did she go a little crazy after rising to the rank of Paladin through Life Force?

[Ugh, ughhh…! Hurry, hurry and order Ja-han to shut his mouth! How dare he spill our master’s secrets like that…!]

‘So, she *was* aware of her own embarrassing past…?’

But why hasn’t she stopped with the Heavenly Demon nonsense yet?

Wasn’t that embarrassing?

“Ah, come to think of it, a warrior with two souls is similar in meaning to the One Who Wields the Power of Ghosts.”

Ja-han nodded as if he had just realized something.

Yeah, I guess it is kind of similar.

Except this isn’t the ramblings of a child—it’s reality.

I clicked my tongue lightly, then bowed my head and took a deep breath.

The minty smoke filled my lungs.

It felt suffocating.

…Well, since things have come to this, I could just let him live in his delusions. It would be easier than telling him the truth.

But that’s not something I should do.

“…Paladin Ja-han. I’m not joking right now. I know *very well* what the ‘original owner of this body’ used to say, but this time, it’s not childish bravado—it’s a clear fact.”

I dropped the tone I was using to mimic Hersela and faced him with a serious expression.

To make Ja-han, who was treating this situation as just another one of his melancholic master’s antics, understand the truth.

“Think carefully, Ja-han. Was the Ai-shan Gi-or Ha-shal-leur you knew the type to abandon you and Mersin? Was she the kind of woman who would betray the Ka`har tribe, join the Empire, and fight to protect the Westerners?”

My appearance and tone were completely different from before.

Perhaps realizing that I wasn’t just spouting nonsense, Ja-han’s expression slowly hardened.

“That’s…”

You wouldn’t think so, right?

“Was Ai-shan Gi-or Ha-shal-leur the type to casually use forbidden warrior techniques without hesitation?”

I ignited Up-hwa in front of him.

The flickering crimson flames. His black pupils, reflected in the light, trembled in shock.

When I lit the cigarette earlier, it was hidden by my left hand, so he couldn’t see it properly… but now that I’m showing it to him directly, he’ll realize.

That I’m wielding a power closer to magic than martial arts.

This isn’t something Hersela would do.

In fact, she taught me how to ignite Up-hwa, but she never once controlled these flames herself.

From my perspective, whether it’s Life Force, Up-hwa, or magic, it’s all the same, but apparently, there’s a big difference by her standards.

“No, this… could it be that what you said was true…!?”

Ja-han muttered in a daze, utterly shocked.

Yeah, I get it. It must be a huge blow.

To hear from the guy himself that the young lady he cherished like family had her body stolen by some weirdo.

“Now you understand? I’m…”

“That the black flame dragon is sealed in your left arm…!?”

Wait, seriously.

‘Hey, what the hell did you even tell people…!?’

[It’s Ja-han’s fault for still remembering that! Stop rambling and just convince him properly!]

The audacity. Even if I try to convince him, he won’t believe me because of your past. What am I supposed to do?

—

It took a full 30 minutes to make Ja-han understand Hersela’s current situation.

No matter what I showed him, he thought it was Hersela’s power.

When I argued that I could wield powers other than Life Force because I wasn’t Hersela and showed him the Reverse Heaven Sword, he marveled at how much stronger she had become in such a short time.

When I said I had become the successor of Landenburg and an enemy of the Ka`har tribe, he was delighted, saying the Westerners who had been holding the barrier against the Ka`har would be a great help in seeking revenge.

What kind of relationship did Ja-han even have with her to make him so proud no matter what I said?

Turns out, they were practically like siblings.

‘Then why can’t he tell the difference? If they were that close, shouldn’t he have noticed immediately that something was off about her?’

[He’s not the type to think that far. He’s always been a bit slow on the uptake.]

‘Even if he’s slow, her tone and personality are completely different…’

If I were hiding the fact that I’m not Hersela, that would be one thing, but I’m outright confessing, and he still can’t believe it?

To my question, Hersela, who had been silent for a while, clicked her tongue reluctantly and explained.

[……It’s not that different. Besides, I’ve always had a tendency to change my behavior depending on the era or age. Your current demeanor is similar to how I was three or four years ago.]

So, in other words, she’s always been a bit of a lunatic?

Was the nickname “Mad Hersela” not about her being a berserker but about her being mentally unstable?

And what do you mean it’s not that different? Don’t insult me.

I wasn’t going around calling myself the Heavenly Demon or the Black Flame Dragon back then.

Anyway, thanks to Hersela’s past as a lunatic, convincing Ja-han took way longer than expected.

First, I had to make him accept the situation before I could even try to persuade him.

Honestly, the simplest and fastest method came to mind, but… it was too risky to even attempt.

If I shouted, “Ai-mel-ra de Median is a traitor who sold her body to the Ka`har!” he would’ve realized immediately that I’m not Hersela.

But then both Hersela and Ja-han would’ve tried to kill me.

Well, thanks to that idea, I managed to convince Ja-han in a similar way.

Simply declaring that I’m not Ai-mel-ra’s daughter and that I don’t even know her was enough.

Finally, Ja-han believed that I’m really not Hersela.

A step forward, at least.

—

“So, you’re saying Princess Ha-shal-leur is trapped inside you, is that it?”

“That’s what I’ve been saying. How many times do I have to repeat myself…?”

I lit my third cigarette and sighed.

The persuasion hadn’t even started, and I was already exhausted.

“How… how could this happen…!”

Realizing the truth, Ja-han let out a bewildered sigh and grabbed the prison bars.

“I don’t know the cause. She doesn’t either. We both just woke up like this one day. The biggest victim is her, but I’m also a victim in this. I woke up in this body without any explanation and had to bear all the grudges she had accumulated.”

[That’s an exaggeration. Wasn’t it just Knut?]

No, I got cursed at a lot more than that.

Thanks to my hard work, my standing in the Empire improved, but before that, I was called a savage, a murderer, and even a monster.

“Then release Princess Ha-shal-leur immediately! No, who the hell are you anyway!?”

Apparently not liking my rambling, Ja-han gripped the bars tightly and shouted.

His reaction was so intense that even the sturdy black iron bars bent slightly. His face twisted with confusion, fear, and anger.

“If I could, I would’ve done it already. I don’t even know how this happened, so how could I know how to fix it? I’m not a sorcerer—I was just an ordinary soldier.”

That’s a lie.

Even if I found a way to resolve this possession, I wouldn’t release her.

I can’t give freedom to someone who will one day become “Mad Hersela.”

…Though the more I see her, the more I doubt she’s really the type to become a murderous maniac.

“You think I’d believe that…!”

“Sorry, but your belief isn’t my concern. Whether you believe me or not doesn’t change anything. Besides, the fact that I’m not a sorcerer is something even Hers… I mean, the real Ha-shal-leur acknowledged.”

At the mention of Ha-shal-leur’s name, Ja-han, who had been ready to lunge at me, calmed down a bit.

It wasn’t that he accepted my words, but he seemed willing to hear me out.

“Princess Ha-shal-leur said that…?”

Yeah. She didn’t say it directly, but she seemed certain that I’m not a sorcerer.

‘Now that I think about it, I never actually asked. You do acknowledge that I’m not a sorcerer, right?’

[…Yes. That’s correct. You lack the intelligence and experience to be a high-level sorcerer. How could a girl who can’t even create a fire arrow with magic wield soul-manipulating sorcery? You’re quite good with words, but… that’s more of a merchant or con artist’s talent.]

Wait, that was the reason…?

“Then… if Princess Ha-shal-leur says you’re not a sorcerer, what was that flame earlier…? Is there really a black flame dragon sealed inside you…?”

What the hell is this guy even talking about?