No Dark Secrets In This Book

Episode 85

‘……’

Ah, so that’s how Cassice Demillang lived. 

I was momentarily disgusted. The weight of what he had experienced overwhelmed others.

But it didn’t last long.

‘Of course.’

It’s not my life, so what does it matter how someone else lived?

The problem for me was that Ryuseong had seen all of this together with me. Unlike me, Ryuseong has a clingy side, so I don’t think he’ll be able to coolly let it pass.

If I had to say, that’s the only thing I was worried about, but I turned my head without any mental impact.

And I belatedly realized that my pupils were expanding round.

“…Why.”

I couldn’t believe what I saw. Why are you going that far?

I thought I couldn’t speak, but at some point my lips moved.

“Why are you crying…?”

Ryuseong was crying. His handsome face was soaked with moisture. His sharp eyes that were flushed red kept dropping teardrops while looking at Cassice Demillang, and his chest was heaving, perhaps because his breathing was rough. A face that looked so weak it would tear if touched.

I couldn’t understand him.

“Look here.”

First of all, you’ll know me as Cassice Demillang. I’ll match it as you know. But.

This tragedy is neither mine nor yours.

“It’s all in the past.”

I whispered softly and begged you.

Don’t waver. If you pointed your sword, don’t sympathize anymore.

Isn’t it sad for you too to pity someone you’ll soon kill?

“I’m saying it’s not worth your concern.”

Above all, this didn’t even happen to me, so if you keep bawling in front of me with a face full of misunderstanding, it’s embarrassing for me. Why are you voluntarily choosing a path of hardship? You’re someone who can walk a brighter path. Why are you being sad?

“You’re… thinking wrong. You’re. Thinking wrong. And I too…”

“Can you speak in human standards?”

“I… was wrong. You… don’t need to be treated like that. No one…”

Uninteresting words followed. Hugged by Ryuseong, I nonchalantly tilted my chin and let out words close to consolation.

I thought there was no point in being comforted when it wasn’t my business. 

I’m an ordinary person who got caught wrong between Cassice Demillang and Ryuseong. My past is not as dark as Cassice Demillang’s.

Ryuseong is feeling aching emotions for Cassice Demillang who may not even be here now.

I’m sorry, but the one here is me.

‘Jeong Ian.’

There are things in me that you can’t even imagine.

So, what you’re saying is all too late.

He went away without even hearing an apology like that in his entire life.

‘I’m sorry, Cassice Demillang.’

I stole all the words you should have heard.

I wanted to smoke a cigarette.

I guess I feel like shit.

…Anyway, the vulgar apology or confession didn’t last long.

[This is… as far as I can… show you…]

“……”

[Good… luck…]

When the forest spirit who showed the past with her last strength feebly died, the magic overlaid in front of us soon unraveled…

Growl… Kkyaek!

At some point, our presence was detected, and a pack of black foxes had completely surrounded us.

‘Hey, Forest Spirit. You said you’d help. You only interfered until the end. Why did you die so early?’

But it’s not like I can just swear profusely, as the spirit’s death was also shocking.

Although I thought it was unnecessary, I decided to engrave that scene well on my retina.

‘Anyway.’

There was a separate troublesome side. The grown man hugging me and leaning his face on my shoulder wouldn’t stop crying. I wanted to tell him to get a grip, but my throat was scratchy. In the end, I decided to show it through action, pushing him away with my fingertips and narrowing my eyes, clearly showing my displeasure. 

When I nervously raised my chin and our eyes suddenly met, Ryuseong still had red eyes and was dropping tears, but, hmm.

He did look handsome like that though.

‘Still, I can’t forgive you.’

It’s not like my heart didn’t soften. First of all, a face like that is my type, and I’m not so ungentlemanly that I don’t want to adore a handsome man crying pitifully.

But how would it turn out if this guy gets distracted when there are monsters baring their teeth in front of us?

I came here recklessly relying only on Ryuseong, you know?

“Hey, how long are you going to be out of it?”

When I deliberately snapped at him sharply, Ryuseong came to his senses and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Now it was my turn to arm myself. As I chanted a spell inside my mouth, the pocket dimension spewed gold light and placed a branch made of bronze in my hand, and although it looked precious, it wasn’t something that could really be called a divine object.

‘A replica.’

In other words, a fake. A knockoff. An imitation. That’s what this item could be called.

Come to think of it, even in the original story, Cassice Demillang never owned anything that felt genuine. Always replicas. He just carried around dozens of replicas that amazingly copied the original… replicas worth hundreds of millions, like a set of spoons.

I used to think it was a device to show Cassice Demillang’s wealth, but now that I think about it.

‘He just didn’t receive love at home.’

It’s fucking ridiculous. He’s a fucking ridiculous guy.

Could it be that the reason he had a fit whenever he saw Ryuseong was also because of such a feeling of inferiority? Because only Ryuseong was lucky enough to be loved and grow up in an environment that could have been equally ruined?

If that’s the case…

‘Isn’t that too ugly?’

The branch in my hand, a bronze imitation of mistletoe, is not a trivial tool. It’s a replica of the mistletoe that appears in Norse mythology. The god who could not be killed by any being dies stabbed by the mistletoe that was considered most trivial, and the destiny of that myth is placed on the replica. Of course, it’s inferior to the original, but the highest-grade replicas boast a far superior nobility to any decent magic sword.

‘There are levels to knockoffs too.’

But after getting a glimpse of Cassice Demillang’s past… It goes without saying that Cassice Demillang uses this kind of thing because the family that didn’t want to give him precious things threw a tantrum. His bloodline could have used even more precious things, but it was taken away. He was deprived of not only his rightful privileges, but even his due everyday life. The reason can only be speculated. Whether it’s an issue with his mother’s bloodline or something. There’s still nothing that can be known.

But?

‘So what.’

What I have to do hasn’t changed. I like Ryuseong. Regardless of whether there is emotional turbulence or not, I will knock down Ryuseong. If I have to, I’m willing to imprison him. Because the only way to protect myself while taking Ryuseong is to become the head of Demillang, so I’m trying to become the head, and that’s why I came all the way here. Didn’t I push myself to the snowy mountains to do this stupid raid thing in order to use Ryuseong to become the head?

I shudder at the mere mention of great-grandfather because of my current life, but when I heard that Cassice’ great-grandfather was actively pushing for it, I eagerly accepted and stood here.

I think Cassice’ great-grandfather wanted to use me as a puppet, or he wanted to release me as a variable to win the power struggle with the head. Anyway, it seems he had some suspicious intentions and made an ambiguous proposal to me about becoming the head, but.

‘Isn’t that how things are in the world?’

Every choice carries the potential to be exploited. Free will is an illusion, and there is no decision that is entirely my own. Even preferences are shaped by the environment and society.

So I.

Growl, growl.

Grrrr…!

I didn’t care. The black foxes convulsing and spitting out black foam rushing all at once, spewing black fog and swinging their claws, none of it mattered.

It wasn’t just my thoughts, but the actual situation was like that. Before the attacks could reach my body, Ryuseong deflected the claws first. Bam! He only struck with the blade, but an almost crushing sound erupted. Wow, is it true that he took care of even the black fox’s skull in one blow?

It seems there will be no problem somehow surviving as long as Ryuseong is there, as I said.

Black foxes can’t touch Ryuseong.

‘The experience of a regressor can’t be ignored!’

Then this time, it’s my turn to build up my experience. I quickly ran forward and extended the mistletoe. What I immediately stabbed was not the enemy. None other than my own forearm.

Squelch, a cruel sound caresses the skin. Pulling it out like that, splattering blood around.

“Breath. Light. Wire. Tie a loop. Pluto. There are no shortcuts. A bell made of silk. Ring.”

Then I chant faster than breathing. The mantra with disconnected meaning is the trajectory of the spell, but I clearly declare that there is only one thing that can hurt a blood mage, the blood mage himself. The blood wetting the earth splattered and stuck to the dead forest spirit’s cheek like tears.

I flicked my fingers.

“Burn.”

Immediately, divine punishment descended. Kwakakaka! Yellow lightning penetrated the black fog. Chijijijik! The bright yellow lightning that pierced the dry sky was saffron, and the wide-area technique suitable for a rainy day produced results no different from gunpowder.

Kkyieeeeek…!

Amidst the hundreds of black foxes being scorched and exploding as if hit by a bomb, only the leader fox was glaring at me with eyes filled with clear murderous intent. But the pack was almost annihilated. The lowly creatures turning their bodies as if to calculate the odds and run away.

Sword energy pours down on the shabby retreating backs.

The trajectory like a meteor, spreading.