◈ Episode 95. That Misunderstanding Ends Here
‘No matter how great he is, in the end, he’s still only human.’
The demon of True Name,
Akampatam, swallowed his smile.
He knew full well just how extraordinary a human Karimjeva was.
The Fire Dragon,
was it?
Well, even setting aside his fame on the Arcana Continent for the moment,
the mana rippling from his body was truly anything but ordinary.
‘If I wag my tongue carelessly, I’ll be burned to death.’
However, this place was not the Arcana Continent.
It was a world entirely different from the Arcana Continent.
And when it came to this world, he knew it better than Karimjeva did.
“You’re right. I was being rash.”
That was why he could at least avoid bowing his head.
“Indeed. I spoke too harshly as well. We should help one another and live in harmony.”
Of course, there was no need to engage in a battle of wills with a monster like that.
Akampatam generously accepted the apology.
Then he sat down across from him on the sofa.
‘First, let’s do some calculations.’
Whoo—
He lit a cigarette and put his mind to work.
The heir to a chaebol family.
Setting his status aside, the body he had taken over was nothing special.
Still, the mind that calculated profit and loss was not bad.
Why, just look at him now.
Wasn’t he prioritizing his own pleasure over other people’s lives?
‘If anything, you could say he has an even more vicious side than I do.’
That mind was telling him.
‘This offer isn’t appealing to me in the slightest.’
A high-ranking Demon King?
Even if the resurrection succeeded,
there was nothing for him to gain from it.
If anything, he would suffer a loss.
‘Because all the energy of evil will be directed toward our exalted Demon King.’
A pathetic thing like me is satisfied with my current life, you know.
Sizzle—!
In short, he had stepped in shit and couldn’t move an inch.
His hand could not help but tighten as he put out the cigarette.
“You need news about the Magic Tower. Well, that’s not difficult. This world is rather convenient in its own way, you see. There’s no need to go as far as magic. Just a few taps of a finger and you can obtain the information you want.”
Rustle—
When he took out his smartphone,
Karimjeva’s pupils trembled faintly.
What a country bumpkin.
Akampatam gave a faint chuckle and played it off smoothly.
“But as you know better than anyone, isn’t the Magic Tower an extremely conservative organization? Even the information floating around out there is all speculation. Every bit of it is inaccurate headcanon. Ah, you know what headcanon means, right?”
At that one joke, the air changed instantly.
Rumble—
At the surging mana, the surrounding furniture began to vibrate.
‘Does this old man have no self-awareness?’
Did he even realize what kind of mana he was emitting?
At this rate, if he misjudged the push and pull, he really would die.
Akampatam hurriedly continued.
“But who am I? There’s always a way, that’s what I’m saying.”
“A way. Can you tell me?”
“Of course. We’re in the same boat now, after all.”
Then, swish—
He scrolled through his contacts.
“I don’t know how ordinary demons like us, who aren’t Demon Kings, look to someone like you. But everyone’s using their heads in their own way. Like me, they’re wearing human shells and operating all over this world.”
I know that.
When Karimjeva nodded, Akampatam immediately continued.
“And naturally, their numbers? Far greater than you might imagine, Lord Karimjeva. Their abilities? I can’t say how they’d fare on the Arcana Continent, but in this world, they’re useful enough.”
“Get to the point.”
“The point is simple. The Magic Tower currently isn’t made up solely of people from the Arcana Continent, is it?”
Karimjeva immediately grasped his meaning.
“……
You mean the adventurer, Lee Hoyeol.”
“Correct! Even on our demon side, there’s one demon who has a connection to that Lee Hoyeol.”
“……!”
There is a demon connected to Lee Hoyeol……?
Karimjeva knew well the inherent power of demons.
Even if Lee Hoyeol was the Chief, a talent recognized by Marcelo,
if it was the power of a demon, regardless of his abilities—
‘Just like with the other elders and Banglet.’
—it could cloud his judgment.
‘We’ll be able to obtain information about the Magic Tower with certainty.’
No, beyond that, if they used Lee Hoyeol?
Couldn’t they achieve even greater results?
Akampatam smiled and continued.
“Judging by your expression, it seems you’ve roughly guessed it. Still, it isn’t easy, you know? From the perspective of the Arcana Continent, and from the perspective of this world as well. Lee Hoyeol, that bastard is no ordinary man.”
Slide—
The network of a chaebol family.
The endlessly descending scroll finally stopped.
“And yet, in the end, there’s one fellow who pulled it off.”
“So it is possible.”
“Well, if it’s for the Demon King, wouldn’t he naturally cooperate?”
Akampatam deliberately twisted the end of his words.
No matter how much he thought about it,
it still did not appeal to him in the slightest.
‘Damn it, I can’t even pull my hands out of this.’
Of course, this was not something he could refuse.
‘Do I want to be reduced to ashes?’
In short, if he didn’t want to die, he had no choice but to do it.
Moreover, because he was a demon,
he knew very well how another demon would react.
‘I don’t even know if I’ll get a reply.’
And if he went so far as to say the matter involved the resurrection of a Demon King,
he would deserve to be blocked, let alone receive cooperation.
However.
The mind that had been calculating profit and loss since earlier came up with a method.
‘……
In the end, what they need is a sacrifice, right?’
Demon worshippers.
He did not know the details of their plan,
but resurrecting a Demon King, and a high-ranking Demon King at that, would require an enormous number of sacrifices.
Akampatam’s mind spun wickedly.
Then, those sacrifices……
‘What if I can steal them for myself?’
I could seize power rivaling that of a high-ranking Demon King……!
‘I can use this as bait to draw that fellow in as well.’
The purpose was not to resurrect the Demon King.
The purpose was to steal the sacrifices needed for the Demon King’s resurrection.
If he said that, he should be able to obtain information about Lee Hoyeol too.
‘Of course, I’ll have to stab him in the back after stabbing someone else in the back.’
Still, it would be easier than backing out now and surviving.
It was do or die.
At that point, his calculations were complete.
“However, I also have one condition.”
Now all he had to do was skillfully disguise the bill and present it.
“As someone in the same boat, I believe you need to tell me precisely what that plan is.”
He did not even need to examine Karimjeva’s mood to know.
The roiling mana spoke in place of his displeasure.
However, Akampatam did not yield.
“I simply do not wish to fail. For our great Lord Karimjeva, a single failure may not be an issue. But a weak demon like me is in a different position.”
After a silence, Karimjeva nodded.
“So be it.”
Of course, Akampatam was not satisfied with just that.
Even if he learned the plan,
preparation was necessary to steal it away.
“Also, while I proceed with the plan, I would like you to remain quiet, if you would.”
“……?”
“I know it is a presumptuous request. But even now, Lord Karimjeva, your mana is far too conspicuous, isn’t it? Please leave the covert execution of the plan to experts like us demons.”
The reason he could say such things?
It was simple.
Karimjeva still did not properly understand
how this society worked.
‘For now, he’s not a Fire Dragon, but merely a frog that has just climbed out of the well.’
Swoosh—
Sure enough, Karimjeva rose from his seat.
Then he spoke in a low voice.
“I will await news regarding Lee Hoyeol.”
In other words, he accepted the proposal.
Akampatam answered, his black pupils gleaming.
“Of course. I’ll bring you good news.”
Teleport.
Soon, Karimjeva vanished from the hotel room.
Akampatam did not hesitate.
He wickedly raised the corners of his mouth.
“That idiot took the bait perfectly.”
He immediately sent a message.
Since he had hooked a big fish,
he had to reel it in quickly.
*
Affiliated with Shinhwa Group.
Shinhwa Guild.
The guild master, Baek Iseol, listened attentively to the briefing.
“Domestic brand preference for Shinhwa Guild rose by 4.8 percentage points compared to last month. This marks the first time since the guild’s founding that it has recorded an upward trend for two consecutive months……”
Trust that has fallen once is hard to restore.
Shinhwa Guild, which had properly earned people’s resentment through its past conduct, was just like that.
But as the graph showed, Shinhwa Guild’s image was rebounding.
“As for the reason, the owner’s changed attitude……”
Everything was thanks to the Yusra Kingdom.
Yes, thanks to Hoyeol.
Looking at the presentation screen, she felt deeply moved.
‘At first, it was really…….’
It had been like forcing herself to swallow bitter medicine.
The conditions Hoyeol had proposed were truly,
from Shinhwa Guild’s perspective, no different from telling them to dig up dirt and sell it.
Of course, they owed Hoyeol a great debt.
Baek Iseol had boldly signed the contract.
And this was the result.
“For Shinhwa Guild, and even for Shinhwa Group as a whole, it was a bold investment. However, we believe that very boldness is what drew a positive response from the public.”
Who would have thought the Lee Hoyeol effect would be this great?
It was a result she had not even dared hope for when deciding on the investment.
Because Shinhwa Guild was regaining trust
that it could not buy with money, bribes, or connections.
When all the briefings ended, Baek Iseol spoke.
“Now we won’t have to hear people say it reeks of Shinhwa wherever we go, right?”
“Oh, of course not.”
“Honestly, we’re still lacking, but I’ll work even harder.”
Casual banter exchanged back and forth.
Quiet laughter breaking out.
A meeting room atmosphere that was no longer stiff.
It showed, in a single scene, how Shinhwa Guild had changed.
Click—
Baek Iseol returned to her office.
Today’s newspaper lay on her desk.
And on the front page, as expected, Hoyeol’s face was printed.
—The appearance of the World Tree…… Just how much does Lee Hoyeol know?
—AAU: “We are also bewildered. We wish to speak with Lee Hoyeol……”
—Gaon, Inazuma, Berserker…… Is the strongest guild alliance being born?
Her hand naturally moved toward the newspaper.
“Hmm.”
Baek Iseol stared intently at the newspaper.
No, to be precise, she stared at the article photo of Hoyeol.
With an expression even more serious than during the meeting.
“How is it that he doesn’t have a single embarrassing photo?”
If one only typed “Baek Iseol” into a portal site, the autocomplete suggestion appeared.
[Baek Iseol embarrassing photo]
“How perfect.”
Meanwhile, her own image of coldly turning him away at the door would wander the internet forever.
Of course, there were darker chapters in her past more shameful than that.
Scandals that had flown about regardless of whether they were in the entertainment or political world.
Going even further, people had called her a femme fatale and whatnot.
And the outfits that were dizzying to look at even now through the gaps between her fingers.
“……
Of course, when I think of that state, I should be grateful to him for the rest of my life.”
Yes, whether he had immortalized an embarrassing photo of her or not,
to Baek Iseol, Hoyeol was no different from a benefactor.
If not for Hoyeol, she would still be in that state……!
“Just imagining it is horrifying. Seriously.”
Brrr.
Baek Iseol rubbed her arm, which had broken out in goosebumps.
Then she looked at Hoyeol’s photo once more.
“…….”
Silver hair.
An aloof gaze.
The same expressionless face as always.
Was it because that expression never changed?
From above, from below, from any angle, there was no flaw to be found.
However, Baek Iseol knew.
“Still, the photo can’t compare to the real thing.”
A neat blouse and skirt.
Even the serious expression as she stared at the newspaper.
To anyone watching, Baek Iseol looked like a CEO grasping the flow of the times.
“A photo can’t capture that dignity and formality.”
People didn’t say Homen, Homen for nothing, did they?
Who could possibly guess
that she, too, was a believer of the Church of Hoyeol?
Baek Iseol merely appeared to be carrying out an important task.
In other words, if one had any tact, no one could interrupt her.
Bzzzz—
However, tactlessly,
Baek Iseol’s smartphone vibrated.
When she checked, it was a message.
After confirming the sender, Baek Iseol flinched.
“Jang Hyeondo……?”
Jang Hyeondo, heir to Jangseon Group.
Since he was a figure in the business world like herself,
it was only natural that she knew his name.
“But still.”
He was not someone with whom she was close enough to exchange personal messages.
That made it simple.
It must have been a connection formed during the period when her memories were hazy,
when she had been possessed by the demon, the succubus.
‘My head is already throbbing.’
She had suffered quite a bit cleaning up after that.
When the succubus disappeared, the effects of the Abnormal Status, Lewd Dream,
as well as everyone’s memories, had vanished.
But the victims still had evidence.
Meaning her contact information and the messages they had exchanged remained.
“I’m already dreading what he’s going to say……”
I saw you in a dream.
It seems we really are tied by fate.
Were we perhaps in that sort of relationship?
Of all things, why did I have to possess a succubus?
Baek Iseol sighed and checked the message.
Soon, Baek Iseol’s face rapidly hardened.
-Succubus. I’ll make you an enticing offer. It concerns the Demon King.
“……
Succubus?”
Jang Hyeondo was calling her a succubus.
What that meant was simple.
Jang Hyeondo was not a victim of the succubus.
Jang Hyeondo was a demon—or a demon-possessed person like she had once been.
And as if that weren’t enough, it concerned the Demon King……?
Baek Iseol calmed her startled heart.
“Demons, the Demon King. I have no idea what he’s talking about, but.”
One thing was certain.
Jang Hyeondo had some sort of plan.
That plan was related to the Demon King, and it was so large in scale that he needed to draw in other demons.
However, Jang Hyeondo—the demon—was lacking one thing.
Tact.
Baek Iseol did not hesitate.
No, rather, as if she had been waiting for this.
She immediately called Hoyeol…….
“……
Ah.”
She was about to, but first left a text message.
Yes, no matter how urgent it was.
Etiquette had to be observed.*Heir to the Jangseon Group, Jang Hyeondo.
And the Demon King.
Those two words alone were enough for me to be certain. ‘Found you.’ Demon worshippers, and demons.
So you’d been using your heads in your own way, too?
To think you would try to borrow the power of a chaebol.
At the very least, you’ve grasped exactly how the Republic of Korea works.
But no matter how quickly you adapt to this world. ‘Could you possibly know it better than I, who was born in this country?’ Maybe if it were the Arcana Continent.
But in reality, I’ve put in my time, too.
“I will open a portal to the coordinates at once.”
Marcelo spoke solemnly.
I understood how he felt, but there was no need to go that far.
The reason the demon had taken over Jang Hyeondo’s body was simple. ‘He’s trusting in it.’
I didn’t have to look far.
Baek Iseol, and was it Maeda?
The demon that had possessed a Japanese politician had been the same. ‘That society’s fence would protect him.’
Whether it was players or Arcanians.
He was in a situation where he wore Jang Hyeondo’s mask.
To lay a hand on him while he wielded Jang Hyeondo’s power?
He knew that would be a burden on anyone, and he was using it.
“There is no need to blab about internal affairs to the outside.”
Besides, this was an internal matter of the Magic Tower.
An internal matter related to the Magic Tower’s contradiction, at that.
Nothing good would come of it being known to the world. ‘If it had been before, this would have been a headache.’
I might have whined that demons were becoming more cunning by the day.
However. ‘For the current me, it isn’t particularly difficult.’
That’s right.
All I had to do was bring Jang Hyeondo.
To a place where that fence did not exist.
Gooooooo— I raised my mana.
Like Marcelo when he had been tracking Bangrit Tom, I searched the surrounding area.
Of course, with my paltry mana, searching the entire Earth like Marcelo was beyond me. However, if I limited the range to Seoul, it was entirely possible. ‘Jang Hyeondo is definitely in Seoul.’
Interference and manifestation were nothing especially extraordinary, either.
If I thought of it as bringing him over, it sounded grand.
But a passage for coming and going.
All I had to do was think of manifesting a portal.
To put it simply, I would manifest a portal under Jang Hyeondo’s feet.
Now, like this.
“U-uaaaagh! Fuck. You scared me. Wh-what the hell?!”
I looked at Jang Hyeondo as he tumbled across the floor.[Skill, ‘Natural Enemy Relationship,’ has activated.]
Yes, this place was the Magic Tower.
And among its halls, the Topaz Hall.
A place where private interviews took place before regular conferences.
An extremely closed-off place, even within the Magic Tower.
No watching eyes.
No CCTV.
No fence called a chaebol family.
In other words, there was no place more suited to an interrogation.
“Let the interrogation begin, Marcelo.”
“I-interrogation?! What kind of bullshit is this out of nowhere?!”
“Will it be all right if you do not question him yourself?”
At Marcelo’s question, I answered in a voice full of pride.
“I do not exchange words with prey.”