◈ Episode 264. I don’t believe in coincidences (2)

Sadly.

I had to hear that.

Agentress murmurs.

“Darkness. Darkness. Darkness…….”

I ponder beyond that.

It’s too long for a full name.

He’s mumbling it, word for word, trying to memorize it.

I can’t blame Agentress.

It’s not Agentress that’s at fault.

It’s my naming sense that’s at fault.

Or rather.

‘…… I’m glad you don’t seem to have the nerve to memorize my nickname.’

I swallowed a sigh of relief and opened my mouth.

“You may speak, Diend.”

Of course.

I hadn’t summoned Diend.

Maybe I was too much to handle with that byproduct.

As you can see, I didn’t do that.

There is a story that must be told.

Diend showed itself.

Sussss─

Diend shifts into darkness and scans the surroundings once more.

He glances toward Agentress.

He wonders if a third party might be listening in.

Of course, it’s fine.

I don’t know much about elves.

But I do have experience watching from the outside, don’t I?

Elsidor, for example.

He suffered from hierarchy.

He was stubborn to the end.

In short, if it wasn’t from the heart, the elves couldn’t do it. As foul as they are, they are far from acting or pretending.

“Then I will tell my lord.”

Very well, let’s hear it.

How urgent it was, with all sorts of names.

I listen, and I hear Diend’s voice, serious.

“The darkest place on the Arcana continent.”

From the first word, I was mesmerized.

It’s a little bit nuanced…….

I couldn’t help but recognize the words as my own.

The darkest place on the continent of Arcana.

It was just an expression for Claudi’s territory.

It was Grandfell style expression.

And then.

“That place is unusual……!”

……It’s not nice there?

To put it another way.

You’re saying that something bad is going on?

I mean, let’s say I’m unintentionally tracking a primordial evil in Sisley.

And finding a trace of Claudi.

It was all planned before we entered the Arcana continent.

Just being swayed by the demon or something and not being able to carry out the schedule?

That’s not something that can happen in Grandfell.

‘When this quest is more or less completed,…….’

With Diend’s guidance, of course.

I was going to visit the darkest place on the damn continent.

Dark history doesn’t disappear when you turn your back on it.

Now that I know it exists.

It was my unfortunate fate to have to use it.

‘And now something’s gone wrong?’

It’s a ridiculous situation.

What’s going on, really.

First, be specific.

I needed to know what was bothering me.

So I can prioritize.

‘If you feel like things are going wrong.’

Tempest, we should even consider having Agentress track it down.

Soon enough, I turned to Diend.

So what exactly is going on, and where?

“My lord……?”

Diend stammered instead of answering.

I wondered if he was still having trouble answering.

It wasn’t.

He looked around.

He knew exactly where he was.

Then he asked.

“Pardon me, my lord, but what is your destination……?”

Swossshh─

Diend’s dark eyes pointed over the horizon.

I assume you’re asking for directions, but even if you are, I don’t know.

I simply follow where Tempest leads.

As I stare at Tempest, a cry rings out.

“Awoooooo!”

Agentress translates.

“It says the direction you pointed is the right one.”

“……!”

I could see Deend flinch.

At that point, I realize something.

This is overlapping.

“Lord……!”

The Primordial Evil.

Apparently, this is the darkest place on the Arcana continent.

It seemed to be headed towards the Claudi family territory.

Diend’s voice was filled with concern.

“As a lowly being, I am not sure yet. Maybe it’s just a coincidence. However, my lord, I will inform you at the risk of being rude. Please, relieve me of my despair……!”

……No, you didn’t have to put it so dramatically, that’s what I was thinking.

If you ask me why.

I, Grandfell, will answer you with the words he is accustomed to saying.

I turned to the bowed head of Diend and said.

“I don’t believe in fate.”

That’s right.

I don’t even believe in fate.

Can you believe this is a mere coincidence?

So I was convinced.

Primordial Evil.

There had to be a reason the thing was headed toward Claudi’s territory.

When I think about it from that perspective…….

it starts to make sense.

Because there was such a clear purpose.

Perhaps a byproduct, a way to get to my ankles.

Now that I know what it’s doing.

I’m not going to play along.

‘We must go now.’

The darkest place on the Arcana continent.

To Claudi’s territory.

Some might be concerned.

How will I deal with the byproducts at this rate?

Flesh that only I can take down.

It could take advantage of my absence and spread to the Arcana continent.

Indeed, it is a valid concern.

But don’t overlook it.

I feel sorry for the listening spirits.

I’m not the only one with the [Blessing of the First World Tree].

“Hiel.”

Agentress coughs as Hiel appears out of thin air.

“Huh.”

Now that I think about it, these two are spherical, right?

The day the clouds shifted.

It was Hiel, perched on the bridge of Eunaxus’s nose.

“I, Hiel, will obey your will.”

After all, this is my first alter ego.

I didn’t have to tell you, you recognized it.

Tempest and Agentress.

If it is Hiel, which holds the blessing of the World Tree.

It’s just a byproduct, and shouldn’t be too hard to kill.

That means I can trust her.

“Tempest. Argentress. Likewise, I will leave it to you.”

“I will follow quickly.”

“Awooo!”

“Diend.”

“I will follow your will, my lord.”

I have a rough set-up in my head.

It’s also pretty abstract.

I need precise coordinates to manifest the portal.

Soon, Diend telepathically relays the coordinates.

I extracted the coordinates from the telepathy.

I added them to the interference process and immediately manifested the portal.

‘Why…….’

The glowing portal looks different than usual.

Beyond this portal.

It must be because it knows that my greatest dark history lies beyond this portal.

‘I’m terrified in so many ways…….’

Ttogak─

There was no hesitation.

Even if I wanted to hesitate, the demon would intervene.

My pride would not allow it.

So I took the step.

And then.

Arcana.

The darkest place on the continent came into view.

.

.

.

All I see is flesh.

Flesh.

And more flesh.

“……Dare.”

Diend’s strange aura stirred.

I could recognize it there.

Beneath that flesh.

There was indeed “something” there.

I checked the quest objective.

─Track down the primordial evil. (in progress)

Just in case.

How diligent you are.

You’ve already walked away, leaving only by-products behind.

I opened my mouth to speak.

“There is no need to be agitated, Diend.”

“I apologize, my lord. I should have been quicker.”

“You have nothing to apologize for from me.”

It’s probably just that I realized it too late.

It’s pointless to blame anyone now.

The past is unfathomable in the first place.

From the beginning of time.

It must have been one of the things planned by the Primodial Evil.

In that case, there was no need for self-pity.

No, I can actually be shameless here.

“It’s okay.”

I said that I was fine, but…….

In fact, I, Lee Hoyeol, didn’t feel bad at all.

Dark history, the Claudi family being covered in flesh?

No, this time, it’s not for such personal reasons.

This is the joy of capturing evidence.

Swissshhh─

Swhhhh─

Swhhhhh─

As if there was nothing there.

Taking a deep breath, I watch the flesh cover the area.

As I stared at the sight, I spoke nonchalantly.

“It’s them we need to worry about, not us.”

Indeed.

it is the primodial evil.

How it has behaved so far?

Through quests.

Through dragons.

Through elves.

And through the arrangements left by the World Tree.

I had some idea.

In that case, I couldn’t argue that everything had gone according to its plan. When it came to fooling the dragons and elves, and escaping the shackles of the World Tree, things were indeed perfect.

But the great Primordial Evil.

After escaping the shadow of the World Tree.

This was its first stop.

The Great Family.

Claudi’s territory.

To cover it completely.

‘Of course, but…….’

Until I saw it with my own two eyes.

I hadn’t realized the extent to which the Claudi family had materialized on the Arcana Continent. Even if Eunaxus and the other dragons shook their heads. Even when Agentress recognized that I was a Claudi.

‘There was more to my setup than that.’

Therefore, the sight in front of me was the most convincing evidence.

“You look like you’re trying to hide it.”

Just as they had wiped their nemesis, Akshan, from the face of the continent.

They’re trying to erase any trace of Cloudi they’ve left behind.

Because they fear Claudi.

Well, I’m sorry to hear that.

“But it’s no use.”

Why, I thought the same thing once.

Yes, I know, I tried, I tried, I tried to hide my dark history.

But I couldn’t.

The more I tried to cover it up, the more it would come back to haunt me……!

The past is the past.

You can’t cover it up.

To put it in a grandiose way.

“It’s impossible for darkness to cover light.”

So I gave up.

Even if it meant going down in dark history.

I was going to die anyway, I thought triumphantly.

Evil is evil.

I decided to face it.

Don’t you dare to make that kind of determination meaningless.

Claudi’s backstory in my head.

『The reason why Claudi’s territory was not known on the continent is simple. It’s because Claudi didn’t want it known. In their territory, Claudi’s role was absolute……….』

For this moment, I will not consider shame.

What Claudi’s territory was waiting for.

Not poor Lee Hoyeol, a victim of dark history.

Claudi’s last survivor and heir.

He came back undeterred by any ordeal.

Because it must be the voice of [Grandfell Cloudi Arpheus Romeo].

So for this moment.

I will shamelessly and flawlessly project that voice.

I opened my mouth.

“In the name of Claudi, I command you.”

『Even if he is an emperor. Even if it’s a dragon. Even if you call it an elf. In Cloudi’s territory, you cannot go against Cloudi’s rules.』

He spoke to the ugly writhing flesh.

“Do not breathe on my territory without my permission.”

And the flesh stopped breathing.

“Do not pollute my territory.”

It stopped moving.

“Burn in hell as you are.”

It burned up in an instant and disappeared without a trace.

Physically.

Magically.

Not by the standards of reality.

Unexplainable even by the standards of the Arcana Continent.

Such is Claudi’s rule.

At last, Claudi’s territory, hidden by flesh, is revealed.

My dark history, the one I’ve tried to ignore, comes into view.

‘Shit.’

I deny it with my own two eyes.

It’s the same primordial evil that covered the territory just now.

Why should I feel any different?

Yes.

Now is the time.

to take full responsibility for my past.

It’s time to show off your adult pride, Hoyeol.

I step forward.

The wind blows as if to welcome me.

My jacket fluttered.

Silver hair fluttered in front of my eyes.

“Welcome.”

I declared, looking at the collapsed mansion.

“Your master has returned.”