The Demon World. (2)

I was speechless for a moment when I saw Lefanta Aegim's eyes.

'Why does he have eyes like that?'

I've met all sorts of people so far. I met someone who swung a sword bleaker than a snowfield. I met someone who had a heart colder than a white lily. However, it was the first time I met someone with eyes like the man before me.

A blank white sheet of paper.

No emotions—no memories at all were reflected in his pupils. There were no fragments or even traces of emotion.

"Uh…"

[Shiny feels moved from meeting again after so long!]

Sensing my hesitation over how to answer, the Holy Sword reacted.

[However, Shiny still doesn't understand why her former owner betrayed her. She wonders if she should be angry before getting excited!]

"…You have quite a unique sword."

Lefanta Aegim looked down at my sword belt. The Holy Sword rattled, fiercely conveying her thoughts. Lefanta Aegim's impassive gaze had a hint of curiosity within it.

"Is it a magic sword? Or perhaps an ego sword… You should hide the fact you have unique items as much as you can here, stranger. There are many hyenas who seek to take the skills and equipment of newbies who enter the 50th floor."

'Huh?'

I was suspicious.

It was weird. Lefanta Aegim was talking like it was the first time he had seen [The Guardian Goddess]. If the young man in front of me really was the Constellation Killer, there was no way he wouldn't remember who this Holy Sword was.

"Excuse me. Do you not recognize this sword?"

I took off the Holy Sword from my belt and showed it to Lefanta Aegim. When I pulled it out from its scabbard a little, a bright light glowed from the blade.

"Mm."

Nonetheless.

Lefanta Aegim faced the light of the Holy Sword, the manifestation of the Constellation that was once like his arms and legs, and… frowned, like he knew nothing.

"I don't know it."

His statue-like face tilted to the side.

"It seems like the item has some sort of relation to me. But I don't remember… No, it would be insensible for it to expect me to recall any connections I once had."

"What?"

Then, Lefanta Aegim told me something I did not expect.

"I have amnesia. Stranger, I cannot remember anything that happened more than a week ago."

The man's expression was composed.

3.

"It's dangerous to keep talking in this wasteland. Follow me. I know an alehouse that's comparatively safer."

Saying that, Lefanta Aegim guided me there. Since it was my first time on the 50th floor, I obediently followed his lead.

"Oi…"

"Look there. It's the Constellation Killer."

We passed some Hunters on the way to the alehouse. They were probably the greatest Hunters of their worlds. But even they took a step back and shuddered when they saw the Constellation Killer.

"What kind of shit is that maniac going to do now…?"

"Will the spiders from the Magic Towers behave today?"

"Shh. I don't want to get involved with him…"

It wasn't just Hunters who were whispering.

['The Lone Seeker of Truth' is interested in this existence they have never seen before.]

['The Eye Living in the Labyrinth' shows wariness toward the Constellation Killer's companion.]

['The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains' recognizes you.]

['The Lotus Reflected on the Water' observes you.]

Numerous Constellations.

I hadn't met many Constellations so far. No Constellation contacted me unless they were the ruler of a floor. But it seemed to be different on the 50th floor. Constellations I had never heard of revealed their presences.

"…Annoying."

Lefanta Aegim also seemed to sense the Constellations' messages.

He muttered, "Get lost, all of you. If a Constellation stays and keeps bothering me, I'll hunt and kill your apostle starting today. You can keep loafing if you want war. This is your last warning."

As Lefanta Aegim finished talking, the messages from the Constellations abruptly stopped. The constricting air around us became a bit lighter.

"It's noisier than usual. Haa…"

Lefanta Aegim briefly sighed and looked at me.

"Some of them seem interested in you. Stranger, did you do something to the Constellations?"

"Yeah. I killed an apostle of [The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains] before."

"…Mahos's apostle?"

Lefanta Aegim's tone changed. He took out an old notebook, read something, then crooked his eyebrows in apparent surprise.

"You're better than you look. All of the apostles of Mahos are, without exception, outstanding in battle. They also have troublesome blessings. He must have been a difficult opponent… How did you kill him?"

"I have something to say about that."

We entered the alehouse.

The 'comparatively safer' alehouse Lefanta Aegim spoke of was an outdoor establishment. Frankly put, there were no walls. There were just some tables and a bar placed outside. It was open on all sides, but funnily enough, a door stood by itself.

"…This is the safe alehouse?"

"Your vision isn't blocked by walls."

Lefanta Aegim candidly explained the merits of the tavern.

"Whenever you are ambushed, you can run. There is no risk of being surrounded and trapped inside the building. It does make it easier to be shot, though. Bartender, give me my usual."

"Oi. You know that the place became open-air after you blew the building away…?"

The bald bartender cursed under his breath. Lefanta Aegim sat at a table, blasé.

"Sorry. I don't recall."

"Hey, youngster. I don't know what's up, but don't get involved with that madman. Over 600 huntsmen around here are trying to kill him. Keep your distance unless you have a death wish."

Lefanta Aegim took out his notebook again.

"To be precise, there are 1127. However, only three Hunters can actually threaten me. One of them disappeared 154 years ago, and there's been no word since. Technically, the stranger is safer with me than without."

"You nutcase…"

The bald bartender looked fed up.

In any case, it seemed that the Constellation Killer was famous on the 50th floor for being a nutjob.

"So, what did you want to say to me?"

"…Knowing you have amnesia, it's a bit difficult to say now."

I slowly told him about what had happened.

The Aegim Empire that he founded nearly perished. The cause of that perishing would have been because he sealed [The Guardian Goddess], allowing [The Devil King of Fall Rain] a chance to sprout.

Because of his actions, [The Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon] was destroyed and [The Tale of Sormwyn Academy] had also been put at risk…

I told him everything.

"..."

Lefanta Aegim carefully listened to my voice while drinking a mysterious red drink. His expression remained the same the whole time. Occasionally, he would take out his notebook and check something.

"…I see."

Lefanta Aegim nodded.

"I hear your story. And verifying it against my diary, I think most of it is true."

"A diary?"

"It stores my memories."

Lefanta Aegim showed me his notebook.

Inside was a lot of cramped handwriting.

"It may look like a normal notebook, but it's a holy relic of a Constellation called [The Great Puppy]. It has infinite pages and a convenient search function. I write down what I do every day. Thanks to that, I do not lose my life despite my amnesia."

"..."

"As you said," he bluntly stated, "it's been written that I built a nation called the Aegim Empire in the past."

He spoke like it was someone else's story.

"There, I sealed the Constellation [Guardian Goddess], who had accompanied me my whole life. [The Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon] you referenced is similar to the world recorded on page 236. [The Yellow Dragon of Dynasty Lake] was killed there. The world of [The Tale of Sormwyn Academy] is similar to the one written on page 3215."

"..."

"The heirloom that was a fragment of a goddess… You said the Sacrifice Sword was passed down? True, I did sleep with a woman in that world. Raviel Ivansia, the woman you met, is most likely a distant descendant from her and me. You said she had the same silver hair as me… I'm certain. How curious."

Something…

"You may have learned of my past with a skill like [Exposing the Dark Past] or [Historian]."

Something was off.

"But I don't have a past to read. There is no possibility that you've stolen and read this relic. It's written in a code that only I know. Therefore, stranger, I will accept your testimonies as the truth."

I came to hold this man accountable for his sins.

His petty principles caused innocent people to be hurt. I would boldly point to the countless people he had sacrificed.

But what was this?

"So."

How can I hold him accountable for something he doesn't even remember?

"What kind of reward do you want?"

Anger soared in my heart.

"What reward?"

"A reward for pointing out my mistakes."

"…Are you aware of what you did wrong?"

"Of course," said the Constellation Killer. "My mistakes come down to two things. First, I did not think of the possibility that new Constellations would be born if a Constellation disappeared in a world. Second, I neglected the fact that a dead Constellation could place a curse on the world."

I…

"Is that all?"

"I did not intend for other Constellations to invade a world after the death of a Constellation. But no matter how many worlds a Constellation rules over, it all ends when I kill it. Reducing the number of Constellations is not a mistake. Therefore, my errors include only the two mentioned earlier."

After he finished talking, the Constellation Killer took out a pen and wrote something in his notebook.

"I recorded them. I will not make the same mistakes in the future. Tell me what you want as an expression of my gratitude for this advice."

Advice.

Gratitude, he said.

"The common folk who lived in the land of rivers and lakes turned into Jiangshi and died."

Twitch.

The Holy Sword, which had been listening to my conversation in its scabbard, trembled once.

The fury from my heart was echoed in my voice.

"One of them was an old man who, even as he was dying, made his grave on a boat because he didn't want to trouble others. There was a young child who took care of her peers as they all struggled to survive."

"..."

"Each and every one of them met a terrible death. Let me ask you, Constellation Killer. What do you think of them?"

"Nothing," said Lefanta Aegim. "As I said, it was my blunder for not taking care of the aftermath of the Constellation's death. But mistakes happen. As I said, the only thing I can do is give a reward for pointing out those mistakes."

"Ha."

The red aura around my body became a little darker.

"Then, if I asked you to die here as my reward, would you?"

"That's a reward I cannot give you."

The silver-haired man shook his head.

"I have a duty to exterminate all Constellations. I mustn't stop until I fulfill that duty."

He sounded more like machine than man. Shiny's form shuddered.

I.

"That's quite the tremendous task. Why is it that you shoulder such an obligation?"

"I cannot give you an answer."

"I expected as much. Why? Do you think I won't understand that noble duty?"

"I cannot answer that, either."

"Oh, of course."

I stared coldly at the Constellation Killer.

"Then, can you at least answer this? Why are you using a Constellation's relic when you claim you have to destroy all Constellations? Your words don't match your actions."

"That's something I can answer. I intend to destroy it after all Constellations are exterminated."

"You learned from the case of the Devil King of Fall Rain that a Constellation can rise in a world where the previous Constellation died. What will you do about that?"

"I have an idea for that."

"What is it?"

"I cannot say."

The Constellation Killer looked inside his diary.

"This tangent has gone on for too long. Let's go back to the main topic."

"This is the main topic for me."

"Not for me. Tell me what you want as the reward."

Reward.

"I cannot die as you asked me to before. Because my duty is not finished, I cannot give you my death as a reward."

He was probably reading the words on the first page of his diary.

"Nor can I quit. If I relinquish my duty, I will be nothing."

The first page he wrote before he lost all of his memories.

"So tell me what else you want. I'll give it to you."

"..."

That was right.

Not many things in the world could be resolved with a conversation.

I reached for my dagger, but I stopped my hand mid-way. Instead, I took out the handkerchief that I kept near my heart. I briefly buried my nose into the handkerchief that carried Raviel's blue scent.

Hm.

"…All right."

My anger subsided.

I thought quickly. How could I hunt the Hunter in front of me, a Hunter whose strength I couldn't fathom?

My brain soon came up with an answer.

"Then, please listen to a single request."

It was simple.

This wasn't the first time I hunted a Hunter stronger than me.

"What is it?"

"While I am on the 50th floor, please keep me safe no matter what happens."

I tucked away the handkerchief.

"I'm not just asking for you to protect my life. Please thoroughly protect my body and mind from harm. Of course, tricking or forcing me out the 50th floor is forbidden."

"…You're requesting me to personally guard you?"

"Something like that."

The Constellation Killer thought over it.

He grabbed a fountain pen and rhythmically tapped it on the table.

"I do not know what you're thinking. From hearing your story so far, I can tell that you are a very righteous person. Not only that, but you also have power and ingenuity. The offer just now does not agree with your personality."

"Aha. Are you saying you can't grant my request?"

I sneered.

"You can't die. You can't abandon your duty. And now, you can't even protect me on the 50th floor? You're quite something. Then, what kind of reward can you give me?"

"…I'm merely concerned about the traps that lurk in your request."

"If there is a trap, so what? You seem confident in your ability. Overcome it with your skills."

"..."

Lefanta Aegim intently stared at his diary.

"All right."

He moved his fountain pen. Scritch, scratch. His writing seeped into the diary.

"I will write your proposal on the first page. Until the end of my existence, your proposal will be the logic that drives my thoughts and actions."

Okay.

I caught him.

'Sword Emperor.'

I looked back at Bae Hu-ryeong.

-Yeah?

'You said that you knocked down a Magic Tower 150 years ago.'

The backdrop that stood out as soon as I fell in this place.

Pointing to the spires that stretched to the gray sky, Bae Hu-ryeong had spoken.

『They used to have six towers, y'know?』

『But I knocked one of them down.』

『They'll probably freak if they learn I've come back as a ghost.』

Bae Hu-ryeong nodded.

-I did. There are a lot of things in life I think I've done very well, and that's one of the top six things I've done.

'What did you say when you were destroying it? Do you remember?'

-Ooh. 'Course! I remember every syllable.

Bae Hu-ryeong snickered.

-How are you, fucktards? You gotta air out the place sometime. People can't live all cooped up. C'mon, I'm in a good mood! I'll remodel it for free today! Hehe.

Bae Hu-ryeong suddenly tilted his head as he recalled his past glory.

-But why? What are you gonna do?

I turned my gaze toward a spire.

Right on.

Impassively.

-Huh? Hey? Zombie?

Bae Hu-ryeong spoke from beside me.

-I told you not to look there, yeah? They'll know if you look at it for over 23 seconds. You'll never be able to handle them at your level. Or… what? Are you going to ask them to kill the Constellation Killer for you? Quit it. Not even they would jump a strong guy like the Constellation Killer. Both sides will lose.

I kept looking at the lofty spires in the distance.

-Uhh? Huh? Hey, Kim Zombie! Look away right now!!

But it was already too late.

「Ah, ah. Mic test. Mic test. Who's looking?」

Sound Transmission rang in my head.

As Bae Hu-ryeong said, the spire detected my presence.

「You look like a brat who hasn't even taken off your newbie shirt. I'll let you go since this is your first offense. If you plan to stay in this neighborhood, don't look here. You might die.」

A voice soaked in boredom. The voice sounded like a public servant who obviously didn't want to work.

「Oh, you're with the Constellation-crazed dude? Pfft. Your luck is bad. Should I help you? If you accept now, I can send you an instant escape scroll for a 30-year subordination contract.」

"How are you?"

I opened my mouth.

"Fucktards."

「Oh? Bastard, you've got a lotta nerve. What the f…」

"You gotta air out the place sometime. People can't live all cooped up."

「...」

"C'mon, I'm in a good mood! I'll remodel it for free today. Hehe."

Silence.

There was complete silence.

-Oh, my.

There was only Bae Hu-ryeong, mumbling blankly.

-You crazy bastard.

That moment.

Kiiiieeeeek!

An ear-splitting sound blared from the five spires at once. It was like five fingernails were scratching the sky. Shatter! The bald bartender dropped a glass cup in surprise. The Hunters walking on the street also covered their ears.

"Wh-what?!"

"What's happening…"

And.

-Swoooord Emperrrrrooorrr!!

A deafening voice echoed in the gray sky.

-You're back, Sword Emperor! I knew you'd come back someday! Even when the Constellations announced your death, we had no doubt that you wouldn't truly die, you son of a bitch! Are you possessing that kid? A reincarnation? Whatever! It doesn't matter anyway!

Every Hunter looked up at the sky, disoriented.

-We'll kill you! We'll kill you dead! We'll tear your soul to pieces, scatter it across the universe, and shit on it! Kill him! Kill him!! Kill that guy right now! Chase him to hell with the name and history of the Magic Tower at stake!

Hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of shadows soared from the spires.

Mounted on brooms, they lined the air.

"Now."

I looked back at the Constellation Killer.

The silver-haired man looked at me with the same nonchalant face.

"You promised, right?"

"..."

"Please protect me."

A meteor shower rained from the sky.