◈ Episode 368. Brushing (1)

ttogak.

The grand staircase was enough to make me lose myself in thought.

-“……C, C, C, Claudi?!”

Ulrich, the Orc I encountered in the Myth Quest.

Ulrich’s reaction to seeing me was simple.

-“W-what do you want from us……!”

It seemed like there was someone other than Claudi who got hit by me. The purpose of the Myth Quest is to interfere with the past and create a new reality.

In the distant past, Claudi was not destroyed, and the presence and immense influence of another Claudi might have been enough to strike fear into the hearts of even the most savage orcs.

However.

-“Haven’t you already taken his life!”

Ulrich’s reaction was more than familiar to me.

It was fear, not awe. As a demon hunter, I’d seen humans fed up with demons, and I’d seen demons cower in fear before their natural enemies.

I could smell it.

This can’t be in Claudi’s dictionary.

Claudi is different.

Should we compare them with the Magic Tower, the strongest military group on the Arcana continent?

Even if they were similar in their influence on the Arcana continent. The Claudi I know does not cut through others simply for the sake of it.

Even if it’s an orc.

-“Are you telling me to tell you the whole truth? Are you saying you really don’t know what happened? Claudi, a man with silver hair just like you……!”

Ulrich swallowed his anger and told me what had happened.

It was close to humiliating.

No, to be exact, it was closer to being the demon’s toy.

-“He took the lives of my own people.”

As a demon hunter, I could tell.

The Claudi approaching the orc was a demon.

The first person who came to mind was the man I’d encountered in Claudi’s Territory that day.

That man, who coveted the position of head of the family and declared that he hated Grandfell, and who drove Claudi to extinction.

But it didn’t add up.

That man had been corrupted.

There was a clear reason why Grandfell was chosen as the next head of the family.

‘That means it’s further in the future than the timeline of the previous Myth Quest.’

It was experience, after all, that organized my otherwise tangled thoughts.

Yes, the Arcana continent, where I traveled to solve Marcelo’s curseterminal illness. The curse of the Simuard family that I encountered there.

‘……Yula Simuard.’

The demon who impersonated Simuard and consumed the family with itsthe curse of terminal illness.

Was Yula the only clever demon like that?

What if there was a demon like Yula in Claudi?

The story fits.

Unless it’s assumed that the demon descended from Claudi’s bloodline and possessed a man, in which case it makes sense.

Why the great Grandfell would be helpless before the man who had brought his family to ruin.

The great family of Claudi had long since been consumed by the demon, and that would have been an unacceptable reality for the next patriarch of the family.

But the important thing was that I, Lee Hoyeol, had found out. That’s right. No matter what atrocity, if it’s the work of the Claudi family, it’s dark history to me……!

It’s a pretty good setup, if nothing else.

A chuunibyou, a family secret, and an unlucky protagonist…….

I’m not weirded out by that stuff.

‘The taste of a guy like me back then…….’

Whether it’s through [Dark Understanding] or a top level spacetime quest.

I could change that atrocity, and I could change who I am now, so I didn’t hesitate.

I broke Claudi’s orders to Ulrich, the Orc, and righted the wrongs done by nameless Claudi, the Demon.

-“Dare I ask your name?”

Ulrich, overwhelmed, asked.

I answered boldly.

I am Lee Hoyeol.

And so the favor was repaid.

-“Lee Hoyeol Claudi……!”

……You’re really not prejudiced, are you?

The name is a bit of a joke.

Well, I guess that point of view doesn’t exist, huh?!

[You have succeeded in the quest].

[Your relationship with the race, Orcs, has increased significantly].

[Your influence with the race, Orcs, has increased significantly].

[Your status with the Orcs has changed].

So much for the first Myth Quest.

Relationship and Influence increased by meeting with Ulrich.

It was still unknown what changes it would bring about now, but…….

jjaegag─

The sound of the second hand in my ears made me realize something.

Once again, it was time to return to the top floor of the space-time social hall.

So I didn’t forget to ask.

If he’d asked me for my name.

I would have asked the demon who called himself Claudi.

Ulrich answered my question like this.

-“Pride, he certainly said so.”

Pride.

There I was convinced.

The great evil, the one who’d gone so far as to wreak havoc inside the Claudie family?

A demon who couldn’t get a grip on their subjects.

On the topic of demons, there is only one thing called ‘Great Evil’ that claims to be.

Therefore, it spoke.

-“Isn’t that right, the Seven Deadly Sins of pride?”

In the past, I would have whined about how to find a Great Evil in the vast continent of Arcana, but not anymore. Tempest, Akshan’s guardian spirit, appeared from the fires of hell.

‘……I’m glad to see you’re living up to your name.’

The Akshan guardian lives up to his glorious name.

Tempest rubbed his head against my hand.

I stroked him appropriately.

As long as he didn’t get hair on my clothing…….

‘By the way, I took a breath.’

You can ask as much as you want, really……!!!

My troubled expression must have been pretty serious.

Or perhaps they overheard.

They didn’t think they were qualified to ask questions.

“……gulp.”

Everyone swallowed dryly.

No one in the mansion spoke to me.

Thankfully, I made it out of the mansion unharmed.

‘……That’s going to be a problem down the road, but whatever.’

I look at the gems adorning Dawn’s jacket.

I removed two of them and held them out to Tempest.

They weren’t real gems.

[Neutral Parasite Envy]

[Neutral Parasite Lust]

The Seven Deadly Sins.

As the set item suggests.

They were siblings, born from the primordial evil.

Naturally, their smell is similar, isn’t it?

Sniff, sniff, sniff!

I was going to track down Pride by the scent of Envy and Lust.

Of course, the same goes for the other Seven Deadly Sins.

If I encounter them, I must hunt them down without hesitation.

‘I don’t know about the High Ranking Demon Kings, but it was the Great Evils.’

Demons that have become even more powerful in the real world.

I’ve hunted three Great Evils in that reality, including Greed.

Four more remained, but my attitude remained unchanged.

I straightened my clothes once more.

Placing the two jewels on my jacket, I opened my mouth.

I commanded Tempest.

“You may howl as long as you wish, Tempest.”

Awooooh!!!

Tempest immediately responded with a howl.

A literal howl of the enemy.

The demons of the continent would tremble in fear. With such a loud move, the demons will be alerted, and they’ll hide wherever they can. Well, they’re not stupidwrong.

‘What’s the point in hiding?’

They’ll try all sorts of tricks.

They’ll make a mess to distract me.

No, I’m sure they will. Given the nature of the growing demonic monsters, they’ll be more adept at navigating the Arcana continent than most humans.

Even knowing that.

If you ask me, why are we running across the continent in such a publicized manner?

It was because he was confident.

Because of his pride.

Because he believed in it.

Even if he wasn’t.

“It is the prey that pays attention, not the hunter.”

Akshan’s shitty stubbornness, I suppose.

In that sense, Tempest was a very loyal listener.

He cried so loudly.

It was just that the legend was stirring……!

[The legend of Akshan, Hero of the New Era, echoes more widely across the Arcana continent].

The legend is also one of the wells I dug.

It was filling up, but I couldn’t help but panic.

Rumors of Akshan’s return will spread across the Arcana continent?

To fulfill the expectations.

I will be forced to carry yet another burden.

I swallowed my sigh.

‘Leader of Akshan, it looks like those rumors will come true.’

After overcoming the danger of being elected as the parachute Tower Master, was it now Akshan’s turn?

I wanted to shut Tempest up right away.

I can’t have you disobeying my orders for such a flimsy reason.

Awooooooooo-!

…… it’s tickling my ears, Tempest.

*

Great Evil.

Seven brothers born of primordial evil.

There is no friendship for pure evil.

For in the foolish end of Greed, all spit mockery.

However, the brothers who fell into hell became two, then three.

A demon hunter sent three out of seven to hell.

He even learned the terrible truth about Claudi.

Well, well, well.

The Seven Deadly Sins Gluttony bit his own nails. He bit so hard that ten of his fingers were covered in blood. Even though he kept his mouth occupied, he still felt extremely anxious.

Suddenly.

Awooooh-……!

“……!”

A fierce cry rang in his ears.

Gluttony had forgotten that he was possessing a human and hiding in a small town inn. He was terrified by Tempest’s howl. If that wasn’t enough, he turned to the innkeeper.

“Didn’t you hear that howl? Didn’t you hear that howl!”

“What? Look at you. If you’re drunk, get down and get some sleep.”

“……!”

Click-clack-clack.

There was nothing left of his nails. The flesh had been ripped away, and now the only sound he could hear was the clash of bones.

Forgetting his gourmet demeanor, he racked his brain desperately.

” ……It’s nothing but cannibalism.”

To escape his natural enemies. The only way to cover his scent was to scatter blood.

But Gluttony knew. He knew he wasn’t the only one who was terrified.

‘Though the hybrids may not know this horror.’

My kin, the Seven Deadly Sins, would tremble in the same terror as I did.

I know this because they are my brothers, my own.

In their own way, they would evade their enemies.

“Let’s make a deal, damned brothers.”

Drip.

Gluttony strode out of the inn, hands clasped in front of him.

Blood soaked the floor.

The innkeeper’s face flushed with horror.

“Um, er, what is that crazy guy?!”

The innkeeper stalked out in disgust, but Gluttony was not to be denied. He begins his power, his cannibalism. Eerie words spewed from his mouth.

“Eat, eat, and those who survive will partake of the blood and flesh, and my power will continue. Eat, eat, crave endlessly, devour endlessly. In the end, you will consume the world. Eat and consume one another. If you have nothing to devour, tear off a piece of your own flesh and eat it.”

Creeping.

An uncontrollable negative energy flowed from Gluttony.

The anger disappears from the eyes of the innkeeper who ran away.

No, his vitality disappeared.

The innkeeper’s voice was hollow.

“Eat, eat…….”

Clearly unwell.

The innkeeper wasn’t the only one missing.

The small village, only a few hundred humans, swarms around Gluttony.

Saliva dripping from the corners of their mouths.

As they stare at each other and swallow their mouthfuls.

And then, with a final whisper.

“The festivities in this small town will shake the continent……!”

But a presence interrupted the festivities. A reddish glow that didn’t fade into focus, but glowed more formally in the darkness that fell over the village.

“What is it, a festival?”

I didn’t sense any negative emotion from them.

Just red eyes scanning the village.

A subordinate reports to the man who appears to be the leader.

“It doesn’t look like a festival to me.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not exactly a festival, not on the continent.”

The man’s gaze then turns to Gluttony.

He didn’t recognize them.

The Arcana continent is vast, even for someone who has lived for nearly eons. It is impossible to know all the forces. Especially if they were too powerful to make their presence known.

Leading figure..

The Red-Eyed Clan, the Dunes.

Its leader, Shahin Dune, looked at Gluttony and smiled.

“A funeral, then!”

Gluttony stopped in his tracks and stared at Shahin Dune.

He sensed something extraordinary.

But even if it was extraordinary, he was human.

Gluttony spoke to Shahin Dune.

“You are slow to understand, nameless one.”

Hospitality in this body.

Cannibalism.

He doesn’t understand gluttony.

Even now, he could hear his enemy’s cries in his ears. The interloper needed to be dealt with quickly. Gluttony was about to bring Shahin Dune and the Red-Eyed Clan to their knees.

Thwack!

Shahin Dune raised his elegantly curved sword.

“You’re slow to understand, I don’t know who you’re talking to.”

“……what?”

“How can you not recognize your own funeral?”

“……!!”

Shahin Dune continued.

The words were enough to freeze Gluttony.

It was.

“So, as Claudi said, the demon is stupid.”

“……Claudi?”

“Keep his name out of your ugly mouth.”

The picture was already being painted.

Even the Great Evils weren’t spared.

A big picture, vast beyond recognition.