"You roughly figured it out? That's right. That's not a Demon God, nor is it a real Thunder God. It looks incredibly fearsome and powerful on the outside, but it's ultimately just an embodiment of thunderclouds and lightning. It doesn't exceed the level of lightning we commonly know."
"Then it's a scam."
"It's not a scam. At the very least, it's a false idol created from the gathering of fear and faith toward lightning. As much as lightning is powerful, that Thunder God has enough power to be feared."
...A false idol? Wait a minute. I pushed the Spade card slightly further in and asked.
"A false idol?"
"You should know too. Beings born from the manifestation of human fear. Unlike the Demon God, there's power that comes not from knowledge but from ignorance and terror, right? For example, like the King of Wolves or Vampires."
"Ah, that."
I nodded in agreement. Ah, so that's what you mean.
"Vampires originally only had Blood Arts, right? But as they fought against Seonghwangcheong and became a symbol of fear, they gained the power to manipulate darkness. Likewise, wolves were just ordinary beasts, but because their cruelty spread widely, they became the natural enemy of humans. Just like that, that Thunder God is a being born from Claudia's reverence."
'I heard it directly from Seonghwangcheong, so it's certain. They said that when they handed me Cheonaeng and Jijan.'
I was half-doubtful, but this confirmed it. Those Seonghwangcheong bastards, they even blatantly lied to the regressor.
It's not that the regressor's words were wrong. Actually, after humans became the rulers of the earth, strange things happened in the world. One species of beast gained too much power and rearranged the world so much that the earth became as if it were a toy for humans. A representative example is the Beast King. The Beast King, who should have been the representative of one species, transforming into human form was one of those strange events. Since such things actually happened all over the world, the regressor's words themselves were true.
Still, Seonghwangcheong shouldn't have said that. You guys are the main culprits! Anyway. I let out a sigh of relief and said.
"That's a relief. I thought we'd end up in conflict with another monster like Hwanggeum Gyeong."
"That can't be. Lightning isn't a Demon God. That's just a phenomenon."
"Haha. Who knows about that. A Demon God might pop out from somewhere."
"Worrying about things that aren't your problem. There can't be that many Demon Gods in the world, right?"
...Right. That's how it should be. The regressor confidently assured me.
"Anyway. You don't need to worry about this matter. I can handle everything myself. You can just relax and sightsee."
"The most untrustworthy words in the world..."
I'm anxious, but there's nothing urgent to do right now. And I can't exactly grapple with clouds. Shall I just observe what the City of Clouds looks like? I stepped outside with a more relaxed attitude.
Claudia had a unique structure with buildings clustered together beneath the towering Piryotap. Among them, the First Piryotap where Ure Hoeju resided was not only the largest but also monopolized all the thunder power provided by Ure Banga.
I was thinking of looking around the inside of the Piryotap when I found Peru there. Peru was surrounded by the jackals who had followed her, looking troubled.
"When will you give us Eobap Hoeju's money?"
"Are you going to drag this out and eventually not give it to us?"
"...That. Because of the Thunder God, Ure Hoeju is busy."
"Do you take us for fools? We grew up in Claudia too! The Thunder God's visit is an annual event, isn't it!"
"You're saying you can't give us anything for now? How is that different from saying you won't give it to us!"
The jackals clamored for Eobap Hoeju's inheritance. However, with so many things to worry about right now, Peru didn't have the leisure to attend to that. In the first place, with the fate of the nation at stake, such petty inheritance falls far down the priority list.
That was precisely why the jackals argued like starving beasts. Because if they couldn't get it now, the possibility would gradually decrease.
Tsk. As someone with petty bourgeois sensibilities, I understand how those jackals feel. Still, I clicked my tongue and approached her. Peru, who had been flustered, secretly seemed glad when I approached. If she can't speak up, she should at least use force, but since she won't even do that, this is the result.
"See, Peru? What did I tell you."
"...Huh?"
The best opponents when bluffing are people who don't talk. Because I can lead the conversation as I want. I scratched my head as if annoyed and said.
"I told you I'd kill all those jackals before arriving in Claudia since they'd only cause trouble anyway, but you refused, saying that wasn't necessary. See, it's become annoying now, hasn't it?"
"...?"
Peru tilted her head. It was the first time she'd heard this. Of course, her reaction is natural. I'm saying it for the first time today too.
"K-kill us?"
However, the jackals who heard this story like a bolt from the blue finally had some manners instilled in them and shrank back.
The terrified jackals protested.
"K-kill! We just want our rightful compensation!"
"It was a contract!"
I ignored the jackals' words and said to Peru.
"Have they been of any help, or are they even strong? The only thing they had going was Eobap Hoeju's promise, but Eobap Hoeju is dead now. Whether they get the money or not is their problem to deal with, what does it have to do with us? Why follow us all the way here and cause trouble."
As I brushed my hair back in annoyance, the jackals all flinched in fear at my small gesture. Of course, I only have an ordinary level of power. There's no way I could kill them all at once. But in life, the fox borrows the tiger's might. Since I was with the regressor and Tir, in these people's perception, I was essentially a monster of the same caliber.
Putting on full bluff, I spoke with eyes looking down on the insignificant jackals.
"You haven't even reported the full account of the incident to Ure Hoeju yet, but you're acting like you've already taken responsibility. Are you still going to share Eobap Hoeju's assets with those kinds of people? Haven't you changed your mind yet?"
This is the good cop, bad cop strategy. I play the villain, making it seem like Peru stopped me from killing them, so Peru feels indebted. It's fine. I'm used to being the villain. Peru also belatedly realized my true intention and went along.
"...It's a contract."
"Well, if that's what Peru wants, it can't be helped. But if these people cause any setbacks in our work, we'll handle it ourselves. We don't care what happens to Eobap Hoeju's inheritance, but if the work gets delayed, we might just want to kill them all."
"...Then, I'll handle it."
"True, it'd be more effective if Peru does it rather than me. With Peru's ability, you'd shatter them without leaving a single bone fragment."
With me verbally threatening to kill everything in the world, the frightened jackals scrambled to flee. It took less than a minute for all of them to run away. I waited until the last person disappeared from sight before speaking.
"Thanks, right?"
"...Yeah."
Peru, freed from her predicament, nodded slightly. Seriously. If it's something troublesome, she shouldn't have taken it on in the first place.
"So why did you take on Eobap Hoeju's dying wish? You could have just pretended not to know and left."
"...It's, a contract."
"If it's not a contract with you, just ignore it. Do you really have to volunteer as the guardian of contracts? How annoying."
Peru looked at the golden bell hanging at her waist and said.
"...Hwanggeum Gyeong entrusted it to me. Even if it's just me, I must protect it."
Here comes the patriot.
With Hwanggeum Gyeong gone and Eobap Hoeju dead, Yeolguk will fall into tremendous chaos. The absence of Hwanggeum Gyeong isn't felt yet and isn't noticeable, but that's because the nation is fluid like liquid. However, if water leaks out through holes, the entire nation will eventually dry up. When that time comes, everyone will know whether they like it or not. That Yeolguk has ended.
However, it's not completely over yet. Because Hwanggeum Gyeong has disappeared, but his legacy still remains.
"But what exactly is the ability of that bell? It's supposed to be Hwanggeum Gyeong's relic, but I can't figure out its ability."
"...I don't know. It does fix broken things."
Peru fiddled with the golden bell. Fixing broken things. It's certainly a useful ability, but compared to Hwanggeum Gyeong's authority that created a nation, it's infinitely meager. I gave her serious advice.
"You'd better find out quickly. Even if it's for the sake of peace."
"She's right."
It was then. As lightning flashed, Ure Hoeju was suddenly standing beside us with her long hair fluttering. Ure Hoeju, who stopped with afterimages flickering, looked down at Peru haughtily.
"...Ure Hoeju."
"Regardless of Hwanggeum Gyeong's character, his power was the power of a god that could overturn the world. You not only need to draw out the power of the relic, but you also need to grow stronger to protect it."
"...Yes."
"And to do that, you can't show a weak appearance like you are now."
Peru, who had been bowing deeply at Ure Hoeju's sharp pointed remark, flinched. Ure Hoeju drove her point home without giving her a moment to breathe.
"Humans who want to rest lay their bodies in the shade of great trees, not throw themselves into reed beds. The reason they pressured you earlier is because you seem unreliable. It's a scheme to shake you and see what falls out. To overcome that, you need to show a firm will. If necessary, even by using force."
Of course, if she used force, Peru could chase away the jackals. The problem is that Peru's power is entirely related to destruction. Carelessly, she might shatter some body parts of the jackals.
That's why Peru never even considered using force against humans. Peru mumbled weakly.
"...But, my ability is."
"It's Jannok's power, isn't it? Why are you cowering with that? Your ability is more powerful and fearsome than anyone else in this Yeolguk where Hwanggeum Gyeong's poison has spread throughout people's bodies. Just use it."
However, it seems the great Ure Hoeju thinks differently. At the suggestion of even shattering humans if necessary, Peru was considerably shocked.
"...I can't use Jannok's power on humans."
As if worried she might have misunderstood the true intention, Peru asked back, but Ure Hoeju tilted her head.
"Hwanggeum Gyeong used to harvest Yeolguk's people as materials like harvesting crops. Whether that was right or not, because of that, the people of Yeolguk held reverence for Hwanggeum Gyeong. If you claim to be the Hwanggeum Hoeju of Yeolguk without Hwanggeum Gyeong, you need to show at least that level of power for your authority to hold."
"...Ure Hoeju, didn't you dislike filling your body with Hwanggeum Gyeong's crops? Why would you say such a thing."
Peru respected Ure Hoeju, and therefore doubted Ure Hoeju's true intention.
Claudia is Yeolguk's largest farmland, and based on that, it's a city that raises children born in Yeolguk. The person who created that system was none other than Ure Hoeju. For the children of Yeolguk who must live in the future, she produced 'normal' food not contaminated by Hwanggeum Gyeong's alchemy.
Moreover, it's well-known that Ure Hoeju dislikes Hwanggeum Gyeong. Peru thought Ure Hoeju produced food to break free from Hwanggeum Gyeong's rule.
However, Ure Hoeju's attitude was different from Peru's expectations.
"That's right. I do dislike Hwanggeum Gyeong. However, that's because Hwanggeum Gyeong abused his power without any rules or laws, not because I deny his power and achievements. My very own flesh is made of Hwanggeum Gyeong's power."
"...Ure Hoeju's flesh?"
"Yes. From the tips of my toes to the end of every single strand of hair. My entire body is composed of alchemical matter. That's why I'm fine even while harboring the power of thunder within my body."
Come to think of it, a normal human couldn't possibly be fine after being struck by lightning. Ure Hoeju's durability was because her entire body was composed of alchemical matter.
All the crops Hwanggeum Gyeong produced were alchemical matter, and the flesh that digested them and formed the body has alchemical properties. The greatest characteristic of alchemical matter is its high reactivity. It has low resistance to external interference. That's why the Homunculus was vulnerable to Tir and Peru's abilities. Even though the Homunculus called itself 'perfect,' but anyway.
However, Ure Hoeju is not a Homunculus. Like all other humans, she was conceived in her mother's womb, but grew up eating Hwanggeum Gyeong's crops. In the womb, and after birth. What was supplied to her was purely Hwanggeum Gyeong's crops.
The reason there are many disabilities in Yeolguk is because highly reactive alchemical matter mixes in the body and causes rejection. However, humans filled with pure alchemical matter gain perfect bodies. No disabilities, no minor illnesses, and even if struck by lightning, they can absorb it as their own power—a chosen body.
However, that also means she's very vulnerable to Peru's or Hwanggeum Gyeong's abilities.
Startled, Peru distanced herself from Ure Hoeju. Not because she feared her. It was because she was afraid she might accidentally injure Ure Hoeju with her ability used unintentionally. She couldn't shatter the Ure Hoeju she respected with Jannok's power.
Reading that expression in an instant, lightning flashed in Ure Hoeju's eyes.
'How dare you worry about me?'
What a strange person. She was calm even after having her lightning stolen, but gets angry because someone worried about her safety?
To put it nicely, she's a unique person; to put it badly, she's abnormal. I should keep some distance.
"If you're worrying about me right now. You need to remind yourself who stands before you. I am Ure Hoeju. Can you possibly harm me, who commands heaven and earth and wields the power of thunder?"
"...Ah. I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize so easily! Sigh, with so little confidence, what are you going to do? I wish you had even half the nerve of that boy."
Ure Hoeju shook her head, and that attitude made Peru shrink even further. Ure Hoeju took a breath and said.
"If you're underestimated, you won't be able to do anything. Set rules and show righteousness. Always keep that possibility in their minds. If they go down the wrong path, deliver punishment. That is the duty of those who stand above others. Those who are chosen, like me and you, need to do that."
"...."
Peru couldn't answer easily. Because she couldn't agree in her heart.
Ure Hoeju's power is the power of thunder that makes Claudia prosper. No matter how much she uses it, it doesn't dry up, and in most cases, it helps the city.
However, Peru's power collapses alchemical value. No matter how you dress it up, the more she uses her ability, the more Yeolguk's value inevitably drops. Perhaps the day when the two understand each other will never come. Because their positions are different.
Silence fell. Feeling that my presence would only make things more uncomfortable, I raised my hand and said.
"Anyway, if the conversation is over now, can I go?"
Ure Hoeju took her gaze off Peru and asked.
"Where are you going?"
"I was thinking of looking around inside the Piryotap."