Chapter 366

With a strange expression, Ja-han looked at me as I showed him the mark on my wrist and explained how I obtained it and the principle behind activating Up-hwa. Only then did I manage to make him understand that this wasn’t some sealed dragon’s power or anything like that.

“So… this is an ancient Western sorcery, and the mark on your wrist turns the power of Up into flames, is that it?”

“Maybe? Roughly, yeah. Originally, it seems to be activated by magic, but since I use the power of Up as fuel instead of magic, it’s closer to a technique than sorcery. Besides, how could a dragon-like being be sealed in something as small as a human’s arm?”

If it could be sealed in a human body, it wouldn’t be a dragon—it’d be a worm.

[What a poor imagination. Who says such a thing is impossible?]

Hersela, who had been listening, muttered softly.

‘In the delusions of a fifteen-year-old, maybe. Why, haha! That’s right, I am the ruler of black flames, the dark dragon sealed in the left arm of a mortal, the Heavenly Demon Dragon! Did you expect me to make up some excuse like that? Just like you.’

[……Heavenly Demon Dragon? You call that a name? Your naming sense is as sloppy and pitiful as ever. Did you think slapping ‘Heavenly Demon’ on anything would make it cool?]

…Hearing this kind of talk from her makes it hard to accept. A woman who called herself the ‘Blade of Hatred’ has the nerve to criticize my naming sense? Unbelievable.

“…Then this is a dangerous power.”

Ja-han looked down at the mark on my wrist with a serious expression. His voice was low, unusually solemn.

“Dangerous? Well, yeah, it’s a fire that won’t go out without my will, so it’s dangerous…”

“That’s not what I mean. If what you say is true, this mark allows even those without a sorcerer’s ability to use sorcery. If we could figure out how to create it, we could raise an army of sorcerers.”

…He’s not wrong.

I sealed off that ruin, so as long as I keep my mouth shut, it shouldn’t be a big problem. I’ve never heard of any similar ruins being discovered either.

—

“The conversation’s gone off track. The important thing right now isn’t the mark on my right hand or whatever. Let’s get back to the main point.”

I withdrew the hand I had extended to Ja-han and sat back down on the chair.

“Main point…?”

“Mersin said I abandoned you, right? That’s why she betrayed you too. …Sorry, but that’s not entirely wrong. It’s just that your master’s will wasn’t reflected in that decision at all. It was entirely my choice.”

Ja-han’s expression hardened. He probably had an inkling since he found out I wasn’t the real Ha-shal-leur, but hearing it straight from me must have hit differently.

He seemed to struggle to suppress his emotions and agitation at the truth laid bare before him.

“Why did you do such a thing? If it weren’t for you, Mersin would’ve…!”

“Because of you. I came to the Empire to get away from you—no, from Ka`har. A band of marauders who slaughter civilians, rape, and sell slaves, boasting about it. Murderous lunatics who draw their swords at the slightest provocation. And when I tried to stop them, they even tried to kill their own lord. I had to protect myself from those madmen.”

I flicked the ash off my cigarette and took another drag.

“Waking up in an unfamiliar body was disorienting enough, but being surrounded by murderers who might stab me at any moment, with no way to protect myself—I wasn’t this strong from the start. Can you understand how I felt?”

A long exhale seeped through the bars. The basement, which had smelled of rotting moss, was now filled with the sharp scent of mint.

“Every moment, every second, I felt like cold blades were closing in on me. If I had stayed there any longer… wouldn’t I have gone mad or died? Along with the owner of this body.”

Ja-han couldn’t say anything. Yeah, he knows it too. The ‘warrior’s pride’ you all boast about isn’t much different from the virtues of marauders, is it?

[Was that how you felt…?]

‘…No, not really. I was a bit anxious, though.’

What’s she even talking about? Why are you falling for the exaggeration I used to convince Ja-han?

“Anyway, that’s why I came to the Empire. I regret that it led to you clashing with each other, but the decision to go to the Empire was something the owner of this body had already accepted. She knew well that with my skills at the time, I couldn’t have survived there.”

[Acceptance? You’re really good at sugarcoating your tyranny. She just gave up because the damage was already done.]

Isn’t giving up a form of acceptance? More importantly.

‘If you’re going to nitpick everything I say, why don’t you just do the convincing yourself?’

[…….]

I’m trying to justify myself and appeal to emotions here, and you keep muttering beside me. It’s distracting.

“Princess Ha-shal-leur accepted abandoning us…?! Don’t lie!”

“No, she didn’t accept abandoning you. She just accepted that I had no choice but to seek asylum in the Empire.”

I reached out my right hand to stop Ja-han and shrugged. Ja-han closed his mouth. Whether he accepted my restraint or was wary of Up-hwa bursting from this hand, I don’t know.

“At first, we couldn’t even communicate, so I had to make the decision unilaterally. But later, I managed to talk to her.”

It’s not that we couldn’t communicate—we just didn’t. But that’s a matter of phrasing. Since I smoked a magic herb, her voice couldn’t be heard, so it’s not exactly a lie to say we couldn’t talk, right?

“At that time, we made a deal. In exchange for helping me survive in the Empire, I agreed to fulfill three of her wishes.”

[A deal? Correct that to blackmail. You threatened to fuse me with a beast and display me in the town square.]

It hasn’t even been thirty seconds since I told you to stop nitpicking, and here you go again.

Besides, when did I ever say that? I just advised her that Isabella might do something like that if she didn’t help me.

It was clearly concern for her safety, not blackmail. Who taught you to twist the truth like that, you scam artist?

“Three wishes…?”

“To help with her revenge, to find a way to return her body, and… to protect her subordinates, right? She was so insistent that I even had to swear an oath to our god in heaven.”

It was an oath to Jesus of Nazareth, not Elpinel, so breaking it wouldn’t really bring any punishment.

“Does that make sense now? Your master didn’t abandon you. I came here to keep that deal and protect you. I just didn’t expect you’d already fallen to betrayal and infighting before I could even prepare a way to protect you.”

“I see….”

Ja-han, who had been gripping the bars, stepped back and let out a deep sigh. It was hard to tell if it was relief or lament.

“…So, what exactly is Princess Ha-shal-leur’s current state? It’s infuriating, but I understand that it’s you controlling her body. Is she asleep, then?”

“That’s—”

“No, no. You said you could talk to her. So she’s not asleep… Is she conscious but unable to move her body? Like sleep paralysis?”

Ja-han tilted his head slightly as he asked. For someone who looks like a bandit, he’s surprisingly quick-witted. Or maybe he’s just intuitive?

[Yes. That’s a sharp analogy for Ja-han. It’s similar to sleep paralysis, but with the added sensation of someone forcibly moving your body. Not… a pleasant feeling.]

Since Hersela’s answer wouldn’t reach Ja-han, I had to relay it.

“It’s like sleep paralysis, but with the added feeling of your body moving on its own.”

“…What? You mean she’s been listening to our entire conversation?”

Ja-han’s pupils twitched. What, I thought he already knew that. Did he really not notice?

“Of course she’s been listening. In fact, the words I said to you when I first came here were hers.”

“Good heavens…! I’ve been so disrespectful…! This is no situation to be chatting with you!”

A loud thud echoed through the basement.

Ja-han knelt down as if collapsing, begging for forgiveness. I couldn’t understand why he was suddenly acting like this.

‘Hey, why’s he acting like this all of a sudden?’

[…How should I know?]

If you don’t know, who would? Weren’t you two like siblings?

“My deepest apologies, Princess Ha-shal-leur! Ja-han begs for your forgiveness! I dared to speak casually in your presence!”

Ah, I see. Since Hersela was listening too, it’s like he was speaking informally to her as well. He’s oddly rigid about such things.

[So that’s what it was… He’s always been like this, apologizing over the smallest things. Even after becoming a Paladin, he couldn’t break that habit.]

Hersela also let out a light sigh, seemingly sharing the sentiment. However, Ja-han’s confession wasn’t over yet.

“…There’s one more thing I must apologize for! I was careless and broke your command to never speak of the Heavenly Demon, the Sky Wolf, or the Blade of Hatred to anyone!”

Ja-han bowed his head deeply, pleading for forgiveness.

[Ah, ah…!]

Hersela let out a groan-like sigh.

[Now that I think about it, I did threaten him with that. I’d completely forgotten…!]

So those nonsense titles were supposed to be a secret from everyone but Ja-han? You two must’ve had quite the fun time together.

Guess you were embarrassed about it too, huh?