"Vampires cannot mix with humans. They drink blood."
These words felt all the more real since vampires were currently sweeping through humans. Indeed, whether he knew of the situation outside or not, the Lightning Thief conveyed these words to me.
"Of course. No matter how well they can communicate, who could sleep soundly with a monster that feeds on their blood beside them? It's the same as putting sheep and wolves in the same pen. Changed humans inevitably clash with original humans."
"Hearing that from someone on Seonghwangcheong's side makes it a bit hard to trust."
"Do you think vampires being rejected is entirely because of Seonghwangcheong?"
Well, not entirely. Even when someone covets my blood-like money, I worry anxiously; if they covet my blood, I should just run. You don't die from having no money, but you die from having no blood.
"The King of All Humans would be in trouble if he were as foolish as ordinary humans. Difference is a fissure. There are only two ways for humans and vampires to coexist. Either vampires are rejected like elsewhere, or humans become livestock like in the Mist Duchy. Even when living together, classes must be created to separate them."
"Let's say that's true. What does that have to do with Yeolguk?"
"It means that a being similar to vampires was destined to appear in Yeolguk as well. Homunculi—alchemical humans with perfect physical structures."
I recalled the homunculi of Hwanggeumgyeong. Ordinary homunculi had no ego; only the homunculi of the Hoeju who possessed unique demon paths could hold conversations. This was because those who awakened unique demon paths through alchemy were restored closer to the originals within Hwanggeumgyeong's domain.
However, homunculi were dolls created by Hwanggeumgyeong, not actual humans. I couldn't read their thoughts, after all.
"The Demon God of Hwanggeumgyeong has the power to disassemble and reassemble the world. Naturally, humans are included in that world. This is top secret, but Hwanggeumgyeong can even alchemize humans. Fortunately, what it can create is only a shell, but that alone is terrifying enough. Imagine it. Humans with healthy, strong, and functionally perfect bodies."
However, one person—Ure Hoeju—was an exception whose thoughts I could read. She was a human made of the same material as homunculi but who had completed herself over sufficient time.
"Like Ure Hoeju?"
"Right. If such humans formed groups, they might reign over humans like vampires do. No, they'd be even worse. Vampires are limited in number and were despised for drinking blood, but beings not much different from humans would be admired like Ure Hoeju. Every ordinary human would want to become like her if they could."
"Ure Hoeju—she is actually being admired, isn't she?"
"It's fine. She is 'special.'"
Special. Ure Hoeju firmly believed she was special. It kept coming through whenever I read her thoughts, making me think she had a remarkably strong sense of self.
But it seems Ure Hoeju's 'special' was a concept similar to my 'ordinary.'
"Because she's special, being different is allowed. Ordinary others convince themselves that they're not lacking, but that person is special. Ure Hoeju also believes she is special. That's why she managed Claudia to prevent another self from appearing. Thanks to that, Yeolguk never crossed the line even while being a land ruled by a Demon God."
"Is hiding the Demon God meaning that?"
"Correct. The Demon God overturns the world. That overturned world includes humans. However... 'humans' must never change at any point. They must continue with dignity and purity intact. A today like yesterday guarantees a tomorrow that won't end. Even if you obtain forbidden knowledge, you must keep yourself and move forward."
The Lightning Thief's firm resolution seemed unchanging even if storms and lightning raged. Even amidst pouring rain and lightning striking at close range, the Lightning Thief who refused to let go of the kite string warned me.
"Barbarism. The King of Beasts' household might affirm even such change as natural law. But we are different. We will protect humans in the true sense."
A feeling of believing in the Celestial God truly emerges. Though a Demon God, they too are human. They might have once been devout people who believed in gods. There are cases where they're this uncooperative toward me. How could everything in the world go as I wish.
But I am the King of Humans. There is no one I cannot understand. Even if they are a Demon God, even if they are a believer.
"But you know too, don't you? That you, who became a Demon God, have no right to say such things."
"That's forcing it. What can I do about being too outstanding? At this level, special or whatever is nothing. It was just bad luck. I didn't wish for it either."
"That's not what I'm saying. Why did someone who wishes for a today like yesterday take such actions?"
The Lightning Thief misunderstood my words and answered.
"About creating Claudia? That couldn't be helped. It was also for humans, and if we didn't make a livable city, the people of Yeolguk who lost their country would have entrusted their lives to Hwanggeumgyeong."
That's not it. He definitely rebuilt Claudia from the ground up. He helped Seonghwangcheong's apostles establish order. The name Ure Hoeju probably didn't even exist back then, but anyway, the Lightning Thief devoted himself to Seonghwangcheong like a member of the Sages.
But I wasn't talking about the city he made. The same goes for his faith. I am merely a beast, so I have no interest in concepts like order or faith. There's only one thing I'm curious about.
"Why did you fly a kite? That wouldn't have been something like yesterday."
"What? What nitpicking. What's wrong with flying a kite?"
Because it's fun. There probably wouldn't be any other reason than that.
That's enough. The reason for doing something is sufficient with just the fact that you can.
"Why did you want to make a kite that can fly even on rainy days? Strong winds are one thing, but there was no reason to purposely let it get wet. If you don't fly a kite, that's the end of it, right?"
"There are times when you feel like that, aren't there? Especially on rainy days. There are times when you want to get rained on without any reason."
"Then what about days when thunder and lightning strike?"
The Lightning Thief was at a loss for words. As if representing his heart, thunder and lightning struck violently. This time it missed, but next time the lightning would not miss the helplessly fluttering kite.
This is a mental image, but like other Demon Gods, it's a scene in his mind based on his experience. The Lightning Thief had gone outside holding a kite on a day when lightning struck. It probably wasn't purely because of his mood. Even while being hit by cold wind and rain, his face was flushed with burning ecstasy.
"Even though you expected lightning to strike the kite, even though you knew it would flow through you. Why didn't you let go of the kite?"
"...I simply wanted to."
"Why did you attempt what you couldn't do yesterday? What were you trying to accomplish by testing lightning's patience?"
"To help the humans living in Claudia. If there was a way to avoid lightning, they would prosper more."
"What a noble front. When you just wanted to do what you couldn't do yesterday. When you had not a single hesitation about taking one step forward."
Humans can deceive even their own emotions. They can try to make excuses while distorting their own memories. However, suspicious lies don't work in front of me. Even if I've lost all my power, I am the King of Humans.
"You call yourself a Sage and did things recklessly. The reason today can't be like yesterday is because of humans like you. Because of you who steps forward every day, we change."
The Lightning Thief squeezed his eyes shut and shouted.
"...That's right! But I did it as a member of the Sages for the people of Yeolguk! Using lightning that kills people to save people—is there anything more for the sake of humans?!"
Finally, here it comes. The intention was good. It was done with good will. The moment that comes out, there's no more meaning to the discussion.
"Who doesn't know? I acknowledge it too. You've contributed enough. You made lightning rods, water mills powered by lightning, and fields. However you became a Demon God, everything you did with that power was for humans. Even though it was ideology implanted by Seonghwangcheong, you tried to hide the Demon God while rejecting this immense fame and achievements."
"Tch, even though you know..."
"But, is that only yours? Since when did goodwill become your exclusive property?"
That's barbarism.
Intention. Mood. Original intention. Great glory or devout faith, lofty justice and noble morality. Even such grand things are wielded as tools by small humans. How barbaric is that?
"You had goodwill. I won't deny that. Even if you felt superiority looking down on other foolish people, your love and care for pitiful them was real. What's important is that heart. If so, the tool isn't that important."
"...A tool?"
"Yes. Ure Hoeju stabbed me, whom she'd never seen before, with a sword. She wielded faith as a tool, as a weapon. The vampires sensed the Celestial God's breath from Ure Hoeju and her subordinates and tried to kill them all. They're both the same. No matter how you dress it up with grand intentions, no matter how you make it common sense and act accordingly. In the end, wielding it as a weapon to stab other humans is the same, isn't it? In that sense, the Celestial God and vampires are the same."
"Sophistry. How is the Celestial God who tries to preserve humans the same as vampires who escaped from humanity?"
The Lightning Thief protested, but I had my words too. I showed him the wound on my stomach and rebutted.
"The Celestial God's angel who claims to preserve humans stabbed me, though?"
"That's because you're barbaric."
"Meaning you kill any 'human' who doesn't fit your standards? Not different from vampires, huh."
With the victim right in front of him and my words also being true, the Lightning Thief couldn't rebut. Of course he would have things to say, but I spoke first.
"I'll show you. Among humans who kill people for various reasons, a being who truly acts for humans."