Episode 124
"Because I received an order to kill you."
"You received an order?"
"Yes."
What was that supposed to mean?
A goddess saying she received someone's order?
Had Epe just said that?
Bella's face grew grave, seemingly quite shocked as well.
"Bella. What is going on? Does it make any sense for a goddess to take a contract killing and try to murder a human?"
"It's not impossible.
But it shouldn't be possible. Why would a god hold such a grudge against a human?
If they wanted you dead, they'd just come find you and incinerate your soul. And if they're commanding a Rank 5 god in the first place……."
Bella shuddered as if feeling a chill.
She was afraid.
I had never seen Bella with such a pale complexion.
"It must be a god of Rank 2 or higher.
Right below the Creator God. Someone so dreadful that someone like me wouldn't dare stand before them."
"……."
Unable to endure my impatience, I continued questioning her.
"Who is it?
Who gave you the order? Which god ordered you to kill me!"
"…Guh."
That was when.
"Aaaack!"
Goddess Epe began writhing in agony, as if experiencing a severe rejection reaction.
Some magical effect was taking place.
Though there was nothing around Epe's neck, golden currents flowed convulsively, rapidly stealing away her life.
"It's dangerous!"
Bella cast a protective spell, blocking the golden currents from being discharged.
But the currents did not stop.
It seemed to be because Epe, caught in my suggestion, was trying to keep talking.
"Tha…t's… Ghhh."
"Master! Tell her she doesn't have to speak! Quickly!"
"You don't have to speak."
Epe woke up from the intense shock.
The trance state had been broken.
The suggestion was still valid, but it was a dangerous situation.
"Ugh, ah……."
But Epe, as if all her vitality had been drained by that magic just now, sat slumped on the floor as if she had lost the strength to resist, to flee, or even to speak,
and coughed up blood.
Snap.
I snapped my fingers again, putting Epe back into a trance.
"What was that just now?"
"A powerful taboo.
It was likely programmed to react to certain words. In this case, her own identity, I suppose. A taboo designed to swiftly bring death if spoken."
"The way to break it?"
"There isn't one. Not unless you're a god of equal rank.
It may look like simple magic, but if it touches a creation, the creation vanishes without a trace. That's how powerful an authority it is."
I nearly vanished without a trace…….
"Will she die if we leave her like this?"
"She'll die."
"……."
Epe was dying, bleeding from her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
I had put her in a trance, but at this rate, there was no point in using a suggestion.
Because she would soon stop breathing.
"Can't we save her even with the Starlight Clam?"
"Simply applying it won't be enough. It's a taboo capable of destroying a god's vitality. We'd have no choice but to completely grind up the Starlight Clam and use it……."
"……."
Even as she spoke, Bella's face looked sorrowful.
I took out the Starlight Clam.
This Starlight Clam was Bella's treasure.
If used in that manner, it could never be restored.
But…….
The goddess before me was the only clue to that higher god.
A god with such tremendous authority wouldn't leave behind any other clues,
and if they learned that the goddess they commanded had died, they might move on their own.
If that happened, it would be over.
I had to continue from here.
I felt that there was still a crucial secret I hadn't heard from Epe.
Even if there wasn't such a secret, she was still a pawn I could sufficiently make use of.
"Bella. I'm sorry."
"It's fine. It was already an item that left my hands.
I don't want Master to die either."
To use the Starlight Clam on a goddess who had used Bak Seoyeon.
It wasn't a situation I had hoped for at all, but it couldn't be helped.
"I'll use it for me.
In the end, it's the same as this saving my life."
"I hope so. Now, hand it over."
I handed the Starlight Clam to Bella.
Bella crouched down to meet Epe's eye level and released the Starlight Clam from her hand as if setting it free.
Then the clam emitted a soft light, decomposed on its own, and seeped into Epe's skin.
Epe's wounds were healing.
As if rewinding time, as if nothing had happened from the start.
When the miraculous healing ended, Epe began to breathe comfortably.
"Done. Now we have to grill her to Master's taste and find out what you want."
Right.
Please let this choice be the right one.
"Epe, stand up."
Epe rose from her spot.
I had nearly killed her by touching the taboo once before, so I had to be careful.
Thinking that, I had to carefully choose what questions I could ask.
"『You do not answer if my question touches upon the taboo and puts your life in danger.』"
"Understood."
This was important information obtained at the cost of one of Epe's lives.
The higher god who had ordered Epe was coercing her using the taboo.
She couldn't have accepted such a vicious taboo willingly.
"Are your actions being monitored?"
"Yes."
"If you make Seoyeon withdraw from this world or give up on killing me, will your life be in danger?"
"It will be in danger."
What a headache.
"Do you have any intention of joining my side?"
"No."
"The reason the one who ordered you wants to kill me."
"……."
"Why was Seoyeon chosen?"
"Because I thought she was the most suitable……."
"Hoo……."
I couldn't think of anything more.
The most important part was veiled; I only had a headache.
I still knew too little about my opponent; I realized it would be difficult to reach the truth if I remained passive and only received answers to my questions.
It would be much smoother when she took on an attitude of wanting to help me and cooperating in various ways.
I had to make her that way.
But it was difficult to instill such complex and diverse reactions through suggestions alone.
"Become a slave." "Obey everything." "Work for me." "Think of everything for my sake."
Such extreme suggestions would destroy the person's inner self and make it difficult to obtain the desired results.
I could expect extremely monotonous reactions.
Even if I elaborated on the suggestions in detail, they would only lengthen like reciting a poem.
After thinking, I reached one conclusion.
I had to tame her.
Using what I was best at.
"Bella. Prepare a room to confine Epe as soon as the castle is restored."
"Yes, I understand, Master."
Bella spoke with a deferential attitude.
I would make her submit to my will even if I had to violate her all day long.
That was the only way I knew.
To appropriately entice someone or make them admire my character and turn them into my person.
That didn't suit me. Instead, there was something I had done to the point of boredom until now.
I grabbed Epe's horns firmly and spoke.
"Epe. 『When something painful is done to you. When you hurt. In painful moments, you are happy and joyful.』"
"When I hurt……."
"『At the moment you suffer, it is a moment you cannot forget.』"
"I cannot forget."
"『Each time you recall the pain, you think of me.』"
"I… think of you……."
Into the big-breasted, horned goddess, I carefully implanted a suggestion capable of turning any human into a complete degenerate masochist.
All of them maximized the drive for masochism, and they were suggestions with a great synergistic effect as well.
I had once placed a similar 『Submission』 suggestion on Bella long ago, but this one was far stronger.
Because pain is an emotion and perception commonly shared by all humans, and the most intense one.
By repeatedly mentioning words that could be used in similar or different situations—『pain, agony, suffering』—
I had converted both mental and physical pain into pleasure.
The moment the body accepted this change of heart, she would feel nothing but pleasure no matter what was done to her.
I had tested this before.
In high school, on a female teacher in her early thirties who constantly hurled insults and abuse.
She had grown so insensitive to pain that she sought stimuli I couldn't handle, becoming irreversible.
Because the effect was stronger than intended, I appended an additional suggestion to soften it and then reverted her…….
But even after that, her inclination to prefer pain didn't change, and she ended up begging to be broken.
The final suggestion was a meticulous adjustment containing my reflections on that.
Recall 『me』.
The reason I made her unable to forget the pain and think of me each time she recalled it.
Because pain and pleasure shouldn't be her everything.
I had to carve my existence deep into Epe's heart as soon as possible.
Then I would be able to obtain useful clues.
Of course, I would undertake all of this with a joyful heart.
I genuinely thought it fortunate that Epe was a goddess with a body to my taste.
Because at times like these, I could do anything.
I would do as my heart led me.
"『You are strictly forbidden from harming me or those around me.』"
Without stopping, I installed a safety mechanism.
"『You cannot act against my intentions.』"
I wrap her body in invisible cords.
Those cords will never snap, never come undone.
Not until I feel like allowing it.
"「You are forbidden from leaving my side without permission」"
I planted a total of eight suggestions.
This is my highest priority.
Clap.
I clap my hands.
"Ah……."
Epe came to her senses.
The moment her face recognized me, it filled with unexpected displeasure. With deep wariness.
As she backed away as if trying to flee, I said,
"You need to stay by my side, don't you?"
"…Ugh?!"
Epe made a bewildered expression, as if she had been caught in a powerful gravitational field.
She must have realized she could not fly as she wished.
"Seeing you make that face at me, I guess you know.
That I can control people."
"Yes. I know…!"
"How does it feel to get caught while trying to run away?"
I grabbed Epe by the horn and shook her.
"Ngh! Let go of me!"
Unable to resist properly, Epe was dragged around by me with her horn in my grip.
"I'll kill you. Something like you. Right here, right now…!"
I slapped Epe across the cheek.
"Ahh!?"
"I'll start by teaching that mouth of yours to speak prettily."
Perhaps she was flustered by having her horn helplessly seized and even being slapped, Epe stood there at a loss.
The unknown sensation she had felt the instant she was struck on the cheek must have been far too unfamiliar as well.
When someone hits you, displeasure should come first, but she simply placed a hand on her cheek and stared blankly.
Just then, the restoration of the Eight-Colored Shell Castle began.
The collapsed building materials moved as if finding the places they were meant to go, and the castle rapidly regained its original form.
"Bella. Lock her up, and keep Elin safe."
"Yes, Master."
I dragged Epe over by the horn and handed her to Bella.
"What are you going to do to me?!"
"You'll know soon enough."
"Let go of me! Why won't my authority obey me?!"
She could neither escape nor harm Bella.
All Epe could do was whine as uncooperatively as possible.
Bella took the incapacitated Epe away.
In the meantime, I returned to the lodging in Kepa Village.
I wanted to find someone, anyone, and leave a message with them.
Just then, Karen and Stia were in the hallway.
I was about to speak to the two of them first, but they seemed startled when they saw me.
"Oppa?"
"Did something happen, Decal?"
What is with that reaction?
"……Was my expression that bad?"
"Yeah. ……You look really angry."
"……."
Seeing Karen fidget, it seemed she really meant it.
I feel bad for worrying them for no reason.
"Something urgent came up, so I'll be away for just a day. You can keep doing what you were doing.
If I'm late, you don't have to wait. You can go back first."
"Oppa. I'll wait."
"Same here. Leaving Decal behind? I couldn't do that."
"Thanks.
Don't push yourselves too hard while I'm gone. Tell Diana and Ava for me too."
The two of them nodded in agreement.
Of course my expression couldn't be good.
Because I had met that damned goddess who had forced Seoyeon and me to reunite, when we should have parted in that world.
My heart was boiling with a dark excitement.
After putting worldly matters aside for a while and returning to the Eight-Colored Shell Castle, I immediately went to the room Bella had prepared.
It was a room I had never seen before.
It had the same backdrop as the other guest rooms, but it was terribly bleak.
A room that was simply empty, as if its purpose had not been decided.
For a moment, I thought it might be because its restoration was incomplete.
In any case, Epe and Bella were in the center of the room.
Perhaps Epe had realized that no matter how much she huffed and puffed, the situation would not change,
for now she was glaring at me with red eyes, protesting in silence.
"Bella. Let me know when morning comes tomorrow."
Bella came over to me, kissed me, and left the room.
I was left alone indoors with Epe.
That alone made me feel unbearable.
I drew the curtains over the window to reduce the light and approached Epe.
"D-don't come near me!"