Chapter 17

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Chapter 17

“Are you serious, Sir Devde? To retrieve it? What are you talking about? I’m really puzzled by the sudden actions of you. Didn’t you just say that the weapon used by a companion earlier is exactly the same? What’s the connection between you and the Brachycephalic Tooth?”

“Hey, Melje.”

“Yeah? Well, speak.”

“About the 36 Masterpieces, the Brachycephalic Tooth. Are they really unique?”

“If the knowledge I have is correct, it should be. But why are you suddenly asking about this, Sir Devde?”

“So, it was true after all.”

His pupils lost focus. The iris was murky, but a fierce glint remained. His tone was eerily flat, suppressing emotions that were eager to burst out. Devourer was clearly in a state where, with a little more provocation, intense emotions were ready to burst forth.

“That thing, it’s the possession of a companion I’ve been looking for.”

A hollow laugh echoed in Melje’s ears as he demanded an explanation. Just then, the shadow of the clouds covering the sun was cast.

“I have to retrieve it.”

Devourer, who declared so abruptly, smiled at Melje. Although his mouth displayed a gentle smile, his eyes remained lifeless. The smile conveyed nothing but disappointment.

“Well, it’s nothing special. I hope you don’t pay too much attention. Oh, and helping me ends here. I appreciate the short assistance.”

“Sir Devde, are you really saying that you’re going to retrieve it…?”

“I know how to get back to Hastin, and I can handle the future on my own.”

“Wait a minute. It would be wise for Sir Devde to make a more rational judgment. Stirring up trouble in the capital of the human empire is never a good deed, no matter how strong Sir Devde is…”

“If it’s fate, we’ll meet again later. Well, I hope you will be able to meet Mr Devourer, rather than me.”

“Sir… Devde…?”

“So, it’s best for you to get out of here as soon as possible.”

A faint shadow of a cloud engulfed them. With the last words, Devourer turned away. He moved slowly. Even from a distance, Melje felt the faint gaze of the gatekeeper. Devourer was not hearing it, but Melje was still looking at Devourer’s back.

In Melje’s gaze, there was no doubt, but there was still suspicion. She wanted to ask many things, but she couldn’t find words to hold Devourer’s steps. Only after Devourer had taken a few steps did Melje cautiously open her mouth.

“…Sir Devde’s comrade and the possessor of the Brachycephalic Tooth.”

The sound of footsteps stopped.

“If my knowledge is correct, there is only one person who comes to mind. It seems that I know who Sir Devde is looking for.”

When she first heard about finding the silver-haired woman, the name of one person who had briefly crossed Melje’s mind— but she had erased it from her mind, thinking it was impossible.

“‘The Blade Maid Renee.'”

Devourer still didn’t say anything.

However, silence itself indicated affirmation.

A small sigh was heard.

—Melje couldn’t see Devourer’s face, with his eyes turning black and his mouth slightly torn apart.

“Looking at your reaction, It seems my guess is correct, Sir Devde.”

“How much more do you want to know?”

“No need to tell me. Even if Sir Devde says it in such a terrifying voice, I won’t be scared. I’ve already grasped what your identity is. Ms Renee is the gatekeeper of the great Primordial core, a supreme being. If that’s the case, what Sir Devde, who calls such Ms Renee ‘companion,’ is…”

Still, Devourer remained silent.

But the unsaid meant affirmation.

Trembling fingertips were aimed at Devourer.

“Master of the Primordial Core, The Supreme Mr Devourer.”

“…Yeah, I am Devour-”

“Underling.”

“Let’s just say I’m his underlying, damn it.”

“Hahaha! This is the intelligence of the Demon King.”

Despite the serious atmosphere, the tension vanished in an instant.

Devourer, whose complex thoughts were instantly wiped away by Melje’s blow, exhaled deeply.

It was a moment when the intricacy that had looked several moves ahead, even considering the worst-case scenario, suddenly transformed from calculation into foolishness—still, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible that Melje’s answer left Devourer puzzled. He must have said something like “expelled from the dungeon” around the time he mounted the Heavenly carriage, so if she firmly believed in that statement, the only conclusion she could reach was that he was once a monster affiliated with the Primordial Core.

Because one wouldn’t think the boss had escaped from the dungeon.

“Hehe, your expression says you’ve been caught. Don’t make that kind of face, it’s embarrassing. Just think about how excited I was talking enthusiastically about the Primordial Core in front of Sir Devde. Yes, you must have laughed at me inwardly! Right! That’s bad! Why didn’t you tell the truth and just continue to listen to my story!”

“Well…”

It felt like reading a novel full of new content.

“Anyway! As you can see, I knew everything! So, Sir Devde, I know how dangerous your thoughts are. I will help you. I won’t listen to your objections.”

“It won’t make it any less dangerous if you help.”

“It won’t increase either.”

“I’m not so sure.”

It seems like it might increase.

“More importantly, can the Demon King move with such a simple logic…?”

“It’s not about having logical reasoning. It’s about logic being attributed to what the Demon King says.”

“The Demon King isn’t exempt from guilt either.”

A really insane ideology. Devourer, thinking about how the situation had come to this point, burst into laughter.

Only then did a bright smile appear on Melje’s lips.

“Ah! That expression! That’s the Sir Devde I know.”

“Huh?”

“Were you aware? Until just now, Sir Devde seemed like a different existence. I don’t know if it was my mistake, but it felt like something was about to burst from your head. Anyway, I’m relieved that you’re back to normal.”

While Melje said so, circling around Devourer, still carrying the baggage, she let her long hair flutter in the wind. Behind her, as if plucking strings, a refreshing melody played.

Melje, who had stopped in front of Devourer, had a carefree smile on her face. Clear eyes, slightly raised cheekbones. Melje, tilting her head playfully in front of Devourer, put strength into her voice.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about anything. I will help you. So, never say such things in that tone from earlier again. Promise me.”

“Don’t worry about anything…”

Renee’s life and death are uncertain. How can one not worry in such a situation? Melje’s current actions may be due to not knowing the seriousness of the current situation, or perhaps she doesn’t feel the gravity because it’s not her own affair. Maybe that’s why she can laugh like that.

‘Don’t worry about anything.’

It’s impossible not to worry. It’s a foolish thing to say without knowing. But…

“Alright, sorry.”

Devourer also managed to smile.

─Ah, who knows.

* * *

“I expected it, but no one’s coming through the back door.”

Muttering to himself, the servant in a shabby shirt yawned incessantly.

It was understandable. The back door was quiet compared to the grand front entrance. As the act of “revealing oneself at the auction” was a display of status for them, the affluent participants all came through the grand front entrance. Moreover, the reason for placing a servant at the back door was to prevent unwanted guests, such as drunkards or intruders. Unless they were confident nobles entering with pride through the grand front entrance, there was no reason for them to come through this back door.

With the earnings received today, what kind of evening meal should he buy? If he was lucky, he might get some gossip at the dinner after the auction. While contemplating this, two silhouettes approached the area where the servant was.

A woman adorned in vibrant colors with a lavish dress, and a man following her like a shadow, tracing her footsteps.

The woman appeared to be in her late teens, filled with the bloom of youth. Even from a distance, she belonged to the rare category of undeniable beauty.

The man following her, although a few years older than the girl, looked gentle but wore shabby clothing. It was not just shabby but downright frayed. It seemed like he deliberately wore tattered clothes all over, perhaps to emphasize his humble status.

‘They’re not family, maybe a noble and her retinue.’

There was nothing resembling family between them; the difference in hair color alone ruled that out. If they weren’t family, then judging by their attire, the man seemed more like a retinue.

While contemplating the idea of a noble parading around with such a refined young girl, the servant unintentionally chuckled. Fortunately, it seemed that the girl didn’t hear the laughter. Being associated with nobles of that age, especially those with immature and prideful personalities, was almost a guarantee of an embarrassing situation.

Only after confirming that the noble girl and her retinue were approaching the door where he was stationed did the servant casually bow his head. The noble girl also responded by nodding her head briefly. Just as he was about to pull out the tired guideline, the servant’s gaze met the noble girl’s.

‘…Beautiful.’

A beauty that deserved a nine out of ten, the kind that could be agreed upon by everyone.

There seemed to be no other way to express it. Lifting his head and looking at the girl again, their eyes met by chance once more.

“I’m planning to participate in the auction today. Is it this way to enter?”

“Yes. You may enter through here. Before that, there is a necessary confirmation, may I ask for your name?”

“Oh, do you need my name? I am Melje of the Agrea family. This is my retinue, Mr. Sir Devde.”

“I see. Please wait a moment.”

Agrea. It was the first time the servant had heard of that family. It certainly wasn’t one of the Empire’s nine families, and it might be an unknown noble family.

Most nobles entered into alliances with other families before reaching maturity, so was this beautiful girl still unmarried from any family? Thinking this made the commoner status of the servant seem all the more pitiful.

‘If I were a noble, I would have confessed right away.’

After a brief contemplation, the servant, with the two letters ‘Melje’ etched into his heart, scanned the list. There was no Agrea family on the list. The name Melje was also absent.

“I apologize, but I can’t find your name on the list.”

It felt as if he wanted to let them in, but the name Melje, even after checking again, was not on the list. Allowing someone not on the list into the auction might lead to a body covered in the dew of the gallows, so the servant expressed his apologies while bowing deeply.

“Ah? That can’t be right. Let me check again… Oh, Sir Devde, was it the invitation? Don’t you have it with you now?”

“Ah, you mean the invitation. Well…”

A slightly embarrassed tone in a higher octave. The girl’s question was answered by a gentlemanly voice that seemed to be more mature than the girl’s.

“Yes? The invitation. I’m sorry, but for this auction, you need an invitation…”

“Here it is.”

Thud!

Suddenly, the view spun around. The view spun at an impossible angle, beyond what a human neck could handle. And then, it slowly descended. In the falling view, the servant witnessed his own body. There was no neck. After several spins, the eyeballs finally touched the ground.

“Here, I found your invitation to the afterlife.”

Sir Devde, the retinue, crushed the servant’s head with a mocking smile.

“As expected, got caught right away.”

“Yeah, that’s right. If I knew I’d be caught from the entrance, I should’ve dressed more casually. But changing the way I talk is quite challenging. I feel comfortable with this way of speaking.”

“…But isn’t it more likely that we’ll get caught if we just recklessly do this?”

“Yeah, probably. Sir Devde, let’s hurry.”

The two shadows sneaked into the building.

—

Side. 1

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I had a nightmare.

It was vivid enough to be called a nightmare.

In the dream, I, in a grotesque body, was instinctively running away to survive. I regained consciousness far from the Grephenia Forest, after crossing a small stream and stumbling over rocks. It took a while for my body’s sensations to return after flipping over and drinking the cold water from the stream.

“Ha, Ahaha. Aaah….”

In the dream, I felt despair. I felt powerless. Whatever it was that was so agonizing, even the act of breathing was difficult as something intangible twisted and squeezed my throat.

What happened? What did I do?

I lifted my head.

The face of a maid, illuminated by the moonlight reflected on clear water, appeared. It was repulsive. The silver hair soaked in water didn’t look so hideous. The maid, who used to live with the saying, “I can’t live without him,” had fled this far to survive from him, and that was repulsive. It was so repulsive that I wanted to tear off my face right away.

No, rather, should I cut off my ankle? If I cut off my ankle, will I not be able to move further away? The thought occurred to me, but there were no tools in the water, and I sat there hesitating. Although I wanted to cry, I couldn’t shed tears due to guilt, so I raised my head and laughed feebly while looking at the moon.

The dream always ended that way.

…Don’t deny it, Renee Rello. You know better than anyone.

It’s already too late. It’s already too late.

I, Renee Rello, can never return to the Primordial Core.

Ah, it’d be better if the dream would end quickly.

— Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ NʘvᴇlFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Renee, who woke up from sleep, slowly lifted her upper body. Cruelly, there was no difference between reality and the dream.

The memories that had gnawed at her several times were vivid, and those agonizing memories took the form of a nightmare even in her dreams. Like a masochistic act – enjoying tormenting herself, one by one, slowly.

The subconscious mind didn’t even allow the act of finding solace in dreams.

Renewed struggles with the remnants of memories from a few days ago, the nightmare persisted in Renee’s dreams. Struggling to shake it off, she would tire herself out and fall asleep. Once asleep, memories she had tried to forget would blossom into nightmares.

Like enjoying self-inflicted pain—slowly, one by one.

Even in her dreams, the unconscious mind didn’t permit seeking solace.

It had been a day since Renee Rello had left the Primordial Core.

Wind swept across the desolate plain. The sound of dry leaves from dead trees rustled in the air. Yellowed grass crunched beneath her feet. Ravenous crows squawked in the empty sky.

In a space where everything was dead, Renee sat on the cold ruins of the steep fortress, gasping for breath.

—

Bloody, mad eyes filled with madness and brilliance were observing her from behind.

As Renee slowly turned her head back, her gaze met those eyes.

“Poor child.”

Phase 5

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[Proofreader – Zain]

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