"It's right there, Association Head. Can you not see it now?"
"Where..."
Hekto looked at where Hwanggeumgyeong pointed. A lush cornfield. There was not even a harvesting machine, only corn piled high.
For now, at least.
"Look carefully."
Saying that, Hwanggeumgyeong took a step. It was then.
The space he had pointed to. The corn fluttering in the wind disintegrated all at once. The tightly packed kernels, the long silks beneath them, the broad leaves, the fibers forming the stalk. It completely disassembles the components that make corn what it is. As if claiming that even the Earth Mother's crops are nothing more than mechanical devices made of parts, it divides and cuts, revealing each one. Those materials were arrayed in the air, sorted by type.
Hwanggeumgyeong took another step and said.
"There."
The disassembled components intertwined in an instant. Fibers became pillars and leaves wrapped around them. Kernels assembled like blocks and silks stitched them together. Such a process occurred thousands, millions of times. Systematically, each in its proper place.
Eventually, when he took the last step.
"See? It's there."
Hwanggeumgyeong is truth, the god of this land. What he says comes to pass.
Looking again, there was a massive mechanical device three times the size of the corn stalks.
Though crafted from corn as material, it was harder than any steel. Hwanggeumgyeong was no longer bound by material properties. The qualities he desired were realized. The designs he envisioned were created as-is. Even if they didn't exist in this land. Even if humans didn't yet know of them.
Hekto broke into a cold sweat seeing the mechanical device that appeared before his eyes like a lie.
"I-Is that it... How do I move it?"
Hwanggeumgyeong said as if frustrated.
"To think I have to explain that first. Sigh. Just try moving it roughly."
The unique demonic art of the Suppression Association Head is the power to apply pressure to steel. Because its efficiency is maximized when the surface is uniform and flat, he had always made tools using pistons. In other words, if the shape is not uniform, his power is virtually useless. The pressures would cancel each other out.
'I don't see any pistons no matter how I look... But for now.'
Hekto used his unique demonic art. Without even knowing what structure that mechanical device had, he recklessly deployed his unique demonic art and applied force.
Then the mechanical device drew a breath.
Air was sucked into the mechanical device. The body inflated as if alive, then settled and moved. Wheels rolled with a heavy sound and swallowed the corn stalks. After harvesting only the fruit inside its body, it returned the rest to its original form.
Even the Suppression Association Head Hekto didn't know how that happened. Therefore, I didn't know either. Because mind reading doesn't work if there's no one who knows.
"H-How is this..."
Hekto was also an alchemist who had reached the pinnacle and the Association Head of Yeolguk. Even he couldn't grasp the mechanical device Hwanggeumgyeong created in an instant. Considering that understanding something by seeing it is dozens of times easier than designing it, the gap between him and Hwanggeumgyeong was beyond imagination.
Hekto murmured with reverence, but Hwanggeumgyeong waved his hand as if bothered to even explain.
"Because I designed it that way. Are we done now?"
Hwanggeumgyeong, having withdrawn his interest from Hekto, headed toward Elik. Approaching Elik with a bright smile, he glanced at Hekto with dissatisfaction and said.
"Your Majesty. I am humbled to report this but... is it alright to entrust Geumguk's food supply to him? They say don't put all your eggs in one basket. I'm worried he might monopolize the food with my machine and only fill his own belly..."
"I declare. He will not be able to betray us."
"...If Your Majesty says so, then I am reassured. But his abilities are quite unreliable."
"It's only because you are too outstanding, Demo. Compared to you, who wouldn't fall short?"
Elik said so and reached out to embrace Hwanggeumgyeong. Her left hand lovingly mussed Hwanggeumgyeong's hair, and her right hand gently stroked his cheek. Then Hwanggeumgyeong smiled ecstatically as if he had gained the whole world.
His attitude was completely different from when dealing with Hekto. The absolute being Hwanggeumgyeong who had been playing with the world as he pleased was gone, and now there was only a child happy to be with the one he adored.
I watched that scene and admired it in a different sense.
If Elik were a living human stroking with her own will, I'd be inclined to step aside and let them love. But... thinking that not only the embracing Elik but even the embraced Hwanggeumgyeong were created dolls.
How gloomy a sight this is.
"Good work, Demo."
"N-No, not at all! Compared to Your Majesty, it's but a small skill!"
"Having you here eases my worry. You are my pillar of support. I believe the greatest fortune for this nation is your very existence."
"Not at all!"
Hwanggeumgyeong held Elik's hands and pleaded while desperately shaking his head.
"If Your Majesty had not been here, if Your Majesty had not found me, I wouldn't exist either! The greatest fortune for Geumguk is that the great and beautiful Your Majesty reigns as king!"
"Demo..."
"To repay that grace... I will accomplish anything you command, no matter what it is!"
I don't even want to say bad things anymore. They're already pitiful enough; it would be too much for even me to say anything.
Regardless of my sentiments, a boy and a woman shared a deep bond that even death couldn't separate.
Now it became clear.
Geumguk no longer exists in the world. But Hwanggeumgyeong is the demonic god of alchemy. Also, a monster of understanding who can create all things in the world.
What if he 'alchemizes' Geumguk within the reach of his unique demonic art? Geumguk's land, Geumguk's buildings, Geumguk's castles and cities, Geumguk's scenery. Even Geumguk's people. If he alchemizes all of it one by one to decorate his surroundings.
Even creating the king he loved to keep by his side. And letting himself play on that stage.
At the very least, the world surrounding him would be the most ideal Geumguk in history.
The castle walls we saw, the cities, all the sundry items in the cornfield. All traces he created to reproduce Geumguk. To him, Yeolguk is a nation that entered the former territory of Geumguk, and a dumping ground for discarding used things.
Amazing. When alchemy reaches its peak, even this is possible. If the world were just a bit smaller, he might have created everything in this world.
The two, who had been looking at each other affectionately, moved on to the next topic.
"Even giving you a brief vacation is not enough, there's no such leisure. Demo. Something urgently needed has arisen."
"What is it? Please tell me! I will prepare whatever it is!"
Elik glared in my direction and muttered.
"A weapon to eliminate Geumguk's enemies."
Indeed, this space is a model garden created by Hwanggeumgyeong to reproduce Geumguk. There's no need to calculate profit and loss. Even if losses occur, he can just make it again.
Actually, from Hwanggeumgyeong's perspective, it wouldn't matter if he didn't fight. If another interest arose, he would agree to a ceasefire. But... even pride must be a component of Geumguk. With god-like abilities, there's no reason to pointlessly give up fighting.
"A w-weapon... you say?"
"Yes. Demo. War will break out. The stench of blood flowing over steel will blanket the nation. If you work for me, only the enemy's blood will flow."
"..."
I know as much as I need to know, but what do I do now?
A god-like ability to create juggernauts from thin air. Honestly, I'm at a loss. Gunguk overwhelms Yeolguk in all other fields, but if this Hwanggeumgyeong puts his mind to it, even the entire Gunguk wouldn't be able to handle him.
The regressor said that in the previous loop, Gunguk defeated Yeolguk in just seven days, but how on earth did they do it? Is there even a way to beat this? Did they perhaps bypass the Golden Palace and take down the other Association Heads?
Then it wouldn't be impossible. What Gunguk needs anyway is not Hwanggeumgyeong's surrender but the alchemy resources scattered throughout Yeolguk. Looking at it, aside from the Suppression Association Head who oversees food, there don't seem to be any Association Heads who interact deeply with the Golden Palace. If Yuel marks the Association Heads' locations with her clairvoyance, they could defeat each one individually through mobile warfare. Hilde seemed to have originally planned that too...
Huh, wait a minute. Maybe the reason Gunguk won the war in the previous loop was.
Because they charged in without wasting time?
"If I make weapons... would that help Your Majesty?"
"Very much so."
"...Then, I will make them. Weapons."
Hey, regressor.
You gave them time by asking for a ceasefire and even came to the Golden Palace directly, and it seems like a big problem.
Hwanggeumgyeong said he'd make weapons. No matter how I think about it, if they make weapons, Gunguk has no chance of winning? What are you going to do about this? Come quickly and handle it!
It was then.
"Thousand Sword Art, Meteor Shower!"
The world shattered.
Breaking through the barrier of power that had been disrupting even visibility, a figure fell like a meteor. The word meteor was not a simple metaphor. Jizan, falling with a long tail of flames, smashed even the solid earth and plunged into the ground.
Before Jizan, even the earth was no different from soft jelly. The land falling from the sky twisted the earth and made the ground heave.
While even Hwanggeumgyeong and Elik staggered from the shock, the regressor rose and said with a proud voice.
"Found it. This was the Golden Palace! I never expected it to be in a cornfield... Huh? Hughes?"
Come to think of it, what's so special about a god? When there's a human who shakes the heavens and the earth.
I believe it. Regressor. You are a hero.
"Why are you here? And right in front of Hwanggeumgyeong at that."
The regressor, who appeared after smashing the Golden Palace, discovered me and asked with a puzzled expression. A calm face without any worries in the world. The regressor, who smashes problems with force when they arise and just kills himself when he's outmatched, probably had no idea what kind of hardship I went through.
But that's okay. If he came to save me, he doesn't need to know.
For the first time in a while, I sincerely welcomed the regressor.
"Shei. I'm so glad to see you I could cry."
"Not really? We just saw each other a while ago."
This guy? Even emotion is wasted on you.
"More importantly, why did you come here? We're supposed to go find Hwanggeumgyeong tomorrow."
"What about you, Shei?"
"Just in case you don't tell me tomorrow, I wanted to find it in advance."
"Same here. I came to scout the area a bit and ended up finding it."
"Good thinking, but if you found it, you should have said something. I searched for ages. I didn't know it would be this close."
"I didn't know where you were either. And I didn't have time for that. Look."
While the regressor and I shared the joy of reunion, the other side grasped the situation too. Hwanggeumgyeong, shielding Elik with his body as if to protect her, pointed at us and shouted.
"Who are you! How dare you barge in here!"
A shout clearly containing hostility and wariness. Even if he's holed up in his own world, he reacts when the wall is smashed. He might brush aside a nobody like me for now, but it seems it's not so easy with a being possessing power like the regressor's, right?
The regressor, who didn't know what conversation had passed between me and Elik, let Jizan and Cheonang dangle and straightened his clothes. Considering he just made an entrance causing an earthquake, straightening his clothes wouldn't make him look any better. But he tried his best, so let's give him that.
"Hwanggeumgyeong? Found you proper. I'm a peace envoy. Let's have a ceasefire."
No good. Even if he tried, talking like that won't work. Even if he had spoken well, it probably wouldn't have gotten through, but still.
I shook my head and tried to stop the regressor.
"Shei. It's meaningless. They've already made up their minds to fight."
"Huh? What?"
"They have no intention of accepting the ceasefire proposal! Just prepare to run!"
At the same time, Elik also shouted.
"Demo! They are my 'enemies'!"