Sangun made sure to fill his stomach even as he left. If only it hadn't been my food, there wouldn't have been any problem, but thanks to Sangun, I ended up doing a delivery job that wasn't in my stars. A bedridden regressor and a gluttonous dog to boot. Carrying the food for the two of them on my back, I trudged back to the mansion.
As I entered the courtyard, Aji came running out barefoot.
"Woof! Food! Food!"
"Are you only happy to see the food and not me?"
"You, who brought food, happy to see!"
"Thanks for at least saying you're happy to see me, even if it's just empty words."
Accompanying Aji, who was sticking his tongue out and spinning in circles, I stepped inside the mansion. Normally, I would have tossed Aji a piece of meat and eaten at the dining table, but I had to tend to the regressor who couldn't get up on his own.
I grabbed just the simple tableware and headed to the master bedroom where the regressor was lying.
"Are you going to eat or not? For your information, if you miss this meal, you'll have to wait until the next one. Aji won't leave any leftovers."
"...I'll eat."
He's willing to eat this commoner's food so obediently? Well, the regressor insisted on a Manhan Quanxi not because he was picky, but because it was convenient and safe. Still, it's my first time seeing him so docile.
While I tossed Aji a piece of meat and took out the food, the regressor stared at me intently, lost in thought.
'...Hughs likes me?'
Huh? What? What kind of novel, sudden bullshit is this? Dumbfounded, I tried to glare at the regressor with contempt but held back. The regressor was only thinking right now, and if I failed to manage my facial expression and made eye contact with him, my mind-reading would be exposed.
'Of course, he doesn't like me in that sense... but I didn't particularly feel it. He was helpful, but that was all because we were using each other or because I pressured him into it.'
Hah? Whatever sense it is, how about doubting the premise that I would like you in the first place? And I'm cooperative because you're a regressor, you know? I can't afford to get on the bad side of a cheat character who can even turn back time if things go wrong. If you can't beat them, join them.
'...But. Tirchanka, who was favorable to me in the previous cycle, was hostile to me in this cycle. Had Tirchanka changed a lot with the end looming back then? Or did he pin his hopes on my regression?'
So he revealed the fact of his regression to Tir in the previous cycle. Well, even for Tirchanka, if there was a hope called regression right before the end, he would want to bet on it.
'Compared to that, Hughs is cooperative even without knowing that I'm a regressor. Well, it seems like he sometimes tried to shake me off, though.'
I know! I know that! I'm cooperative because I know! I try to shake you off because I know!
'Right. It makes no sense. Aji must have seen it wrong. In the first place, I'm not even as gentle as Aji said.'
It's a relief that his self-assessment is at least objective. If he had even believed himself to be gentle, it would have been beyond saving.
Wait a minute. What did this guy Aji say while I was gone? What? He likes me because I'm gentle?
This is why beasts are no good. They only judge whether there is goodwill or not, but don't understand the true intentions at all. Even if I fatten them up to boil them in dog meat soup someday, they'd be happy thinking I'm giving them a lot of food.
Even now, I'm taking care of the regressor's food because it makes me the only link to Seonghwangcheong. I'm helping to use him.
I added onions, carrots, and cabbage to the meat broth seasoned with salt and spices, and boiled it into a thick soup, which I served in a bowl. It's cliché, but it proved it had survived the world of cuisine that had continued for thousands of years. I placed the soup, which captured both nutrition and satiety in a single bowl, in front of the regressor.
"Ugh. Than... Ugh!"
The regressor tried to get up but grimaced and collapsed back down. He had drunk precious elixirs like water and received Aji's treatment, but the internal injuries inflicted by Sangun still remained in his body.
Aji, who had been burying his face in his bowl and eating, also approached with worry.
"Woof? Does it hurt?"
"Ugh, I think I'll get better if I just rest a little more..."
"Eat! You have to eat to get better!"
"I want to, but..."
Sangun gave him a thorough lesson in etiquette, indeed. It's my first time seeing the regressor this weak. They say you think a lot when you're sick, and unlike usual, he was having a lot of useless thoughts today.
No, wait. Let me think about this differently.
Whatever the reason, it's better for me to stay on the regressor's good side. As long as I can't read memories from before the regression, if the regressor doesn't reveal the fact of his regression himself, I have no way to actively find out information.
Coincidentally, the regressor has opened his heart to me considerably right now. Goodwill is like a commodity; you should buy a lot of it when it's on sale. Especially with that picky and suspicious regressor, if not now, there would be no chance to properly connect with him.
I tore the meat with a spoon, placed various vegetables on top, and scooped it all up in a single spoonful. Then, carefully supporting it with my hand, I held it out.
"Here, Mr. Shea."
"Huh?"
"Say 'ah'."
"Ah...?"
I held the spoon out toward his open mouth. The regressor, about to accept the food without understanding why, was startled and snapped his mouth shut.
"Wh-what are you doing?"
"What do you mean? I'm personally tending to you, Mr. Shea, who can't even move his hands or feet."
"Why the sudden nursing? It doesn't suit you at all!"
"It's not a big deal. If a person is sick and ill, you can help them a little. Even a dog gives up its food when a sick friend is groaning."
"W-woof?"
Startled, Aji looked back and forth between the meat and the regressor. Approaching cautiously like a guilty puppy, Aji tightly closed his eyes as if it were a shame, and pushed the plate of meat toward the regressor. He was trembling so much that one would think he was offering his own arm.
"No! Aji, it's fine."
"Woof? It's fine? Then I won't hold back!"
You should hold back a little. Do you have to devour it right in front of me just because I declined?
"Anyway, look. You have to eat to regain your strength. That's just basic common sense."
"That's true, but..."
'They say if a person does something out of character, they die... What is it? Why is he suddenly being so kind?'
"Geez. Mumble mumble. When someone offers you kindness, just accept it gratefully. It's not like I'll ask for anything in return once you're healed anyway."
"Mmph!"
I forced the spoon in. The regressor seemed momentarily flustered but eventually gave in and ate the food. He frowned as if chewing was a bit painful, but he wasn't hurt so badly that he couldn't swallow, so he chewed with a sullen expression.
"Keep chewing. You're going to empty this bowl."
"Chew, gulp... No, there's no need to go that far. Ugh."
"Since words are coming out, your mouth must be empty."
Feeding him spoonful after spoonful like that, the bowl was soon almost empty.
"No, I'm really full. Stop."
"That's a delusion. You're just fooling yourself with fake fullness. Here."
"Ahmph..."
'He's really weird. He's not the kind of guy to be this nice...? Or is he? Am I viewing Hughs too negatively?'
He's finally reached that thought.
'Hughs is extreme. To be precise, he's barbaric. But actually, he's never committed any conspicuous atrocities. Not in Gunguk, not in Yeolguk, and not in Ende. Far from being tainted by sin, he even helped people. He's barbaric, but not evil. As if barbarism isn't necessarily evil.'
The plan seems to be a success. Humans are ultimately beasts too, so it's natural to feel grateful when someone helps you while you're starving and sick. This makes taking care of him worthwhile.
'...Could it be, does Hughs really like me?'
Ah, shit. That really ruins the mood. Should I flip the bowl?
'My goal is to defeat the King of Sin and stop the end. Since Hughs is the King of Humanity, he might want to help me, who is trying to save humanity.'
Then think like that from the start! Don't make even me, who has mind-reading, misunderstand!
The regressor's actions weren't faster than his thoughts. This guy has no paragraphs. His thoughts and actions are reorganized following a flashing idea in the middle. It's truly a beast-like way of thinking.
He's truly like my nemesis. Right. It's better to be on the same side as your nemesis than to fight them. Endure it, endure.
"I ate it all."
"How many days do you think it will take to recover?"
"In about three days, I'll be able to move my body. The rest can recover slowly."
"Three days with that injury? Are you human?"
"What are you talking about? It's more human than you, who came back to life after being torn apart by Sangun."
That's true. Now that I've realized the true worth of the Demon God, my lifeline has become tougher than the regressor's. Ah, I can't whine about being weak and take it easy anymore.
"By the way, can you become a vampire even though you're the King of Humanity?"
"Why wouldn't it be okay? Vampires are human too."
"You've been constantly refusing the offer to become an Elder until now."
"If I become an Elder, my thoughts and will would fall under Tir's control. That's not what either I or Tir wants. What Tir truly wanted was for me not to die or get hurt in vain, not to make me a puppet."
"It sounds as if you're different from a vampire right now."
"It is different. This isn't a vampire, but a Demon God."
"Demon God...?"
"Yes. Ah, didn't I tell you? Tir eventually reached the level of Demon God. Though there's no big difference from now."
The lying regressor's eyes widened.
"Why are you only telling me such an important thing now!"
"Huh? Did I not tell you?"
"You didn't! I'm hearing it for the first time!"
"It's a good thing I told you now at least. Anyway, just know that. Well, even if I've become a Demon God, vampires already exist, right? Maybe there won't be a big change in the world."
"How could that be?! Absolutely not!"
"Huh?"
'What would happen if Tirchanka becomes a Demon God? The only relief is that, unlike Nevida, he is still alive, so the power of the Demon God won't be released without its own will... But there is one problem. The two of them despise Seonghwangcheong to the extreme.'
A living Demon God is less threatening than a dead Demon God. The reason is nothing special. It's not because the Demon God is weak, but because they are still bound to life.
A Demon God who has already died and remains only as a tool exerts all kinds of power according to the user's will. Even if dead, a Demon God who has reached that realm once is engraved in the world, so there is no decline in power. In contrast, even a Demon God, if alive, would hesitate to use that immense power. This is because one's own self and the people around them would be caught up in the inherent demon path that controls even the world.
Such was Hwanggeumgyeong, and such was Daejongsa. Nothing is rougher than someone who has resolved to die, except someone who is already dead.
But what if the two Demon Gods resolve to destroy Seonghwangcheong even at the cost of their lives? If they are Demon Gods with clear will and intense anger, Seonghwangcheong would not be safe either.
'Those two, even if a chance to destroy Seonghwangcheong arises, will likely refuse at first. Because before that, they have to profane and violate the Saintess and the Heavenly God to their heart's content. And the two of them, if they became Demon Gods... have the ability to do so. Of all things, the Tree of Origin and the Blood Art.'
Come to think of it, the Demon Gods of the two are quite related. Aren't they going to form an alliance at this rate? Well, forming an alliance wouldn't cause anything bad to happen to me.
'Ugh. Then what will happen later... What should I do. If Daegangha opens, the Empire and Seonghwangcheong will form a complete front... A war will break out immediately.'
Daegangha? Front? Sigh. He's thinking only he knows again.
I decided to stop analyzing the regressor's thoughts. Even if I painstakingly read and pieced them together, if he comes up with a different thought a few days later, it's all for nothing. Let's just feed him, apply medicine, and build up goodwill. That's the fastest way.
Reading the regressor's anxious thoughts, I took out my share of the food. Since I fed him everything, now I have to slowly fill my stomach too.
I scooped up the spoon continuously and filled my hungry stomach. As the warm broth seeped into my body, I felt an incomparable sense of satisfaction. Even though I've become immortal, it seems I still feel hunger.
A Demon God engraves their inherent demon path into the world. Due to Tir's will, I am currently engraved in the world as 'Hughs'. For some reason, I don't think I'll die from starving... Hmm. There's no need to test it. It would be painful and agonizing.
They say a ghost who died after eating looks pretty. Let's just eat first. As I was scraping the bowl clean with the spoon and eating,
"Hey! Wh-what are you doing?!"
The regressor suddenly yelled. I almost dropped my spoon, wiped my mouth, and said.
"Ah, you startled me. What's wrong all of a sudden! Even a dog isn't bothered when they're eating!"
"Woof? I'm a dog, but you do bother me?"
"Really? So you made an idiom but don't even keep it? It clearly shows how lacking humans are in basic decency. I'll apologize on behalf of all humans."
"Woof! It's fine! You can bother me all you want as long as you give me food!"
While I was reaching a dramatic compromise with the dog, the marginalized regressor shrieked.
"Not that...! That's the spoon I was using!"
"Why? It's natural to use a spoon when eating food."
"Use another one! There are plenty of spoons! Why are you putting the one I used right into your mouth!"
"Ah, that was the problem? Come on. Over a mere spoon."
He's seen plenty of dirty things, yet he's talking about hygiene over a mere spoon. I really can't figure this guy out. He seems to have been through a lot, but his resistance drops in weird areas.
"If you're going to complain about a little saliva, is Aji, who drools all over the place, a walking plague? You're being fussy over nothing."
"It feels bad to use something someone else used!"
"There's no reason for you to feel bad, Mr. Shea. The spoon was clean when it went into your mouth. If anyone should feel disgusted, it should be me, so why are you making a fuss? And it's weird to overreact over a little saliva? What kind of problem will happen to your body? 'Eek! Someone else's bodily fluid got inside my body! I might get pregnant!'"
Then the regressor's face flushed red and he shouted.
"P-pr...? You're crazy!"
"No, I was being sarcastic, what's with that reaction? It was a joke, and besides, I'm a man, so I can't get pregnant anyway."
"Even jokes have limits!"
"The fact that you're reacting like this means you're overreacting. Ordinary beasts don't even care. Look. Here, Aji."
To show an example, I scooped up some meat and held it out to Aji. Aji, who had already emptied his bowl and was licking his chops, snatched the spoon in his mouth. He didn't care whose spoon it was.
Slurp slurp slurp slurp slurp.
His long tongue covered the spoon several times. Aji chewed, sucked, tasted, and enjoyed the spoon meticulously, as if he wouldn't leave a single drop of broth behind.
...You should care about whose spoon it's going to be. This is too much. The spoon is wet. I stared down at the spoon pooled with Aji's saliva.
The regressor noticed my agony and sneered.
"Hmph. You said you don't even care about saliva? Why don't you try eating it?"
"...I think Mr. Shea is right. It's a repulsion to the point where I'd worry about getting pregnant if I ate it."
"Why of all things do you have to use that kind of metaphor?! There are other things!"
"I'll get another spoon."
Tch. To think the day would come when I'd acknowledge the regressor's words. But don't think this is the end.
I'll keep this spoon just as it is and use it to feed you tomorrow. Let's see if you can tell the difference between a spoon with saliva on it or not.
And the next day. It was only after I fed the regressor and ate my own meal that I remembered I had kept the saliva-covered spoon from yesterday. And the fact that I had brought it.
I couldn't figure out which one was the spoon with saliva on it, but that made it even more certain.
So it is a matter of feelings. I felt a 50% chance of feeling dirty and shared this precious emotion with the regressor.