Episode 11
Roki looked at the two foreigners before him. At the familiar items they possessed.
His gaze was drawn naturally to the familiar board game among them.
‘As I thought, it’s a chessboard.’
Even if appearances are identical, the rules, the shapes of the pieces, and even the number of movable boards can differ. However, the chessboard before him matched the game from the world where Roki had been perfectly.
Above all—.
‘It’s familiar food.’
Tteokbokki, which shouldn’t exist in this world, was right in front of him.
And it was an all too familiar taste that Roki had sampled.
—How is it, senior?
‘It’s almost identical to the taste my junior made.’
The junior who had been in the accident with him.
It matched the food she used to make.
Roki raised his head and glared at the two men, Aum and Pereu.
The air grew taut, tension flowing between them.
"Are you not going to speak?"
Aum realized that their surroundings had fallen silent before he knew it.
Not a single Nodeuin who had filled the area around the raven mask remained, and the shops had begun to bolt their doors.
Instead, skeletons emanating a dark red aura seized the streets, and had even climbed onto the rooftops of every building, glaring down at Aum and Pereu.
‘Pereu....’
Aum muttered under his breath.
‘Can we break through this encirclement?’
‘I-It’s impossible. It’s not one or two undead... With Death Knight-class skeletons positioned on all sides, it’s definitely impossible—’
"It’s impossible."
Aum raised his head and looked up at Roki.
Looking down at Aum, he curled up the corner of his mouth.
"You cannot escape. And answer what I ask. Otherwise, shall I take an arm before you speak?"
As Roki applied pressure, Aum broke into a cold sweat. And to answer Roki’s question, he opened his mouth.
"We are merchants."
"You seem to lie as easily as you breathe. Not a single shift in your expression."
Roki lowered his head to Aum’s eye level and moved his lips.
"Must I torture you to hear the truth?"
"...!"
‘He can tell truth from lies?’
His opponent was serious. If he lied further, the man would tear him limb from limb to hear the truth.
Aum spoke with a tense face.
"I suppose lying is useless. Then allow me to introduce myself. I am Aum Rinia. The great chieftain of the Rinia tribe. Pereu."
"Pereu Rinia. I am Aum’s younger brother."
"...Rinia?"
Roki tilted his head.
"Ah, I’ve heard of it. The largest tribe among the Nodeu people, is it not?"
"...."
‘Does he know about us?’
It means he’s been gathering information as well.
Aum swallowed his groan inwardly. If his opponent knew about his tribe, he would know well what it meant to hold him captive.
"I am the great chieftain of Rinia. If you hold me for long, Rinia’s warriors will attack this city—"
"Earlier, you spoke of Kankun. Did I not hear the word ‘Kudan’ in that conversation?"
To Roki, Aum’s circumstances were of no concern.
‘...He understood our words from that noisy marketplace?’
That faint voice?
‘A monster surpassing human limits.’
Aum raised his guard even higher.
"Are you lot Kudan’s subordinates?"
"...How could that be? We are Kudan’s ‘collaborators.’."
"Collaborators?"
"We are also the primary instigators who aided Kudan’s rebellion."
Pereu, standing beside him, glanced at Aum.
A look that said, aren’t you telling the truth too much?
But Aum knew. That if he showed even the slightest suspicious behavior to the being before him, his head would fly off immediately.
"I see. Did you incite the rebellion?"
"To be exact, Kudan asked for our help, so we helped."
"Earlier, there was talk of Kankun. Are you still targeting that child? The village of Rageuna has already disappeared. The tribe is now subordinate to this city called ‘Balhal,’ becoming merely a single tribe. What the one called Kudan desires is not in this city."
"No. Kudan does not concern himself with something like the ‘Rageuna tribe.’."
Roki tilted his head.
"What Kudan desired was not the ‘Rageuna tribe,’ but his niece, ‘Kankun.’."
Roki narrowed his eyes from within the raven mask.
"Going to such lengths to kill a niece. Are they enemies?"
Aum laughed hollowly.
The one before him did not know everything. Thanks to that, he felt a little relieved.
Because he couldn’t see his opponent as perfect.
"It’s the opposite."
Roki tilted his head.
"Kudan sought to ‘protect’ Kankun."
"Protect?"
When Roki asked back, seeming surprised by the unexpected word, Aum spoke.
"It is too unfair for only us to speak. I have revealed my identity, so you too must reveal yours."
"I am called Healer Hun."
It was not a lie.
He had healed a Nodeuin, so he could be called a healer, and his name was indeed Kim Hun.
Roki did not lie.
But Aum did not believe him.
"It is difficult for a mere healer to possess both martial might and healing abilities. Above all... these undead are kneeling and bowing their heads to you, are they not?"
Aum pointed at the undead surrounding them.
They were all kneeling, paying gestures of submission to Roki.
This was too much to treat him as merely a second-in-command.
"Brazen for a foreigner."
"...For now, we are guests who traveled here under the status of ‘merchants.’ We have not caused any commotion."
"Hmm...."
"Also, I wonder if you have any intention of interacting with our tribe."
"Interaction?"
"The land where our tribe resides possesses three mining zones rich in iron ore, copper, and magic stones. Therefore—"
"Are you asking to be treated as guests befitting that?"
"Exactly."
Roki looked at Aum and opened his mouth.
"I am...."
In an instant, his raven mask was enveloped in shadows and vanished.
And what appeared was a goat skull with horns. Jet-black heavy armor enveloping his body.
Unlike his slender body from moments before, he now wore massive heavy equipment, and a huge cape billowed behind him.
Before Aum appeared a Lord of Death, an ominous being that seemed to crawl out of hell itself.
Aum and Pereu froze at what occurred in an instant, and Roki answered Aum’s question.
"...I am called Roki."
The air expanded and grew heavy.
Aum broke into a cold sweat, his breath catching in his throat.
His heart pounded madly and his mind grew hazy.
‘It’s hard to breathe...!’
His vision blurred.
Aum instinctively recognized that the being before him was truly dangerous enough to make one’s hair stand on end.
The one before him was not a second-in-command; he was the sovereign who ruled this region.
And he was also a god praised by the Nodeuin as the Constellation of Sin.
‘So he wasn’t a simple fraud!?’
The advent of a Constellation.
Even so, a believable dignity could be felt.
Then, Pereu, who was beside him, stepped in front of Aum and pulled out a weapon from his luggage.
Trembling as if terrified, he pointed a massive axe blade at Roki and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Hyung-nim! Run awa—!"
It vanished.
Pereu’s arm.
"...!"
Pereu looked at Roki, frozen stiff, and could see his arm dangling in Roki’s grip.
"Uwaaaack... Aaaack! Hy-Hyung-nim... Run—! I’ll try to buy as much time as I ca—!"
"Shut up, Pereu! Am I not conversing with him right now!"
Aum shouted fiercely, and Pereu started in surprise, clutching his right shoulder as he looked at Aum.
Aum bowed his head to Roki and shouted.
"My brother has committed a discourtesy! I intend to pay for my brother’s rudeness with that arm. Please, have mercy—!"
"Very well."
Roki nodded and threw Pereu’s arm to the ground.
Pereu groaned and hastily picked up his arm.
Aum kept his head bowed, cold sweat dripping from him.
‘...I almost lost my reason as well! Calm down! Calm yourself! Don’t be ruled by fear! Don’t be impatient! Think. Think—!’
Aum took a deep breath and calmed his mind as much as possible. Then, his rapidly beating heart gradually began to slow to a normal pace.
Roki admired Aum’s composure inwardly.
‘Impressive. Did he regain his reason in that brief moment?’
It must mean he possesses very strong mental fortitude.
"I have revealed my identity."
Roki sat back down on the ground and pointed at the floor with hook-like fingers.
"Therefore, you two should sit as well and converse with me."
"We are...."
"Refusal is impossible."
Pressured, Aum sat down. In truth, it would be more accurate to say that his legs gave out and he collapsed upon seeing Roki’s true form.
If Roki had not told him to sit, he would have unceremoniously fallen on his rear.
"As rulers of cities, let us speak the truth without falsehood. How about it?"
"...Very well."
It was what Aum had wanted as well. He was curious about the other’s identity.
"What did you mean earlier when you said Kudan tried to save Kankun?"
"...Kudan incited the rebellion to save Kankun."
"From what?"
"The Shaman’s prophecy."
"Did the Shaman try to kill Kankun?"
Aum shook his head.
"No. The Shaman is merely one who mediates among the Nodeuin; unless attacked themselves, they do not interfere in tribal affairs at all."
"Then who was targeting Kankun?"
"The elders."
Roki narrowed his eyes.
"The old ones of the Rageuna tribe feared the prophecy and tried to kill her."
It was an unexpected statement.
The elders of the Rageuna tribe were still remaining in this city as well.
"They kill people over superstition?"
"...People have a tendency to obsess fanatically once they begin to believe in something. That is... something you must know from seeing, is it not?"
Roki thought of those who worshipped him and nodded.
"I see. So the elders were the ones behind it."
"No. The true mastermind is someone else."
"Who?"
"May I ask a question as well?"
Roki tilted his head, then nodded.
"Yes. Since I wished to converse as equals, I cannot be the only one asking questions. Ask away."
With permission granted, Aum spoke.
"You... what is your true identity?"
"Roki. Kim Hun. And the creator of this region."
Roki pointed to the Balhal Palace far in the distance.
Aum felt his mind grow distant. Was his opponent lying? Or telling the truth?
He was truly referring to the god known as the ‘Constellation of Sin.’
"Are you... truly saying you are the ‘Constellation of Sin’?"
"No, I am not the ‘Constellation of Sin.’"
"...."
Aum’s eyes widened. He had not expected him to deny it.
‘As I thought, he can’t be a Constellation.’
Aum was relieved.
In truth, it was because he had been shaken upon seeing him.
"...I see."
If his opponent was not a Constellation, then he was human. Which also meant ‘he could be killed.’
"I have answered. May I ask a question now?"
Aum felt his heart grow much lighter.
His opponent was showing him consideration.
Despite the overwhelming difference in strength, and despite the fact that the great chieftain of another tribe had invaded this city without permission, he was engaging in ‘conversation’ rather than interrogation.
"Yes, speak."
"Who was the true mastermind who tried to kill Kankun?"
"Kankun’s father, Karan Rageuna."
"...."
"Her father tried to murder Kankun."
Roki stroked his chin. Yet his body shook as a laugh escaped him.
A father tried to kill his daughter? It truly could not be anything but a mad world.
"The reason? Was it because of the prophecy?"
"To be acknowledged by the elders."
"Acknowledgement? Do the elders hold that much influence?"
"At that time, in the Rageuna tribe, the elders had great influence in selecting the tribe’s chieftain. And until then, the one the elders had unanimously chosen was... Kudan Rageuna. Kankun’s uncle. He was called one of the mightiest among the Nodeuin. I need not say how Karan Rageuna became chieftain...."
"...."
"When signs appeared that his power would be shaken, Karan Rageuna made a choice. To poison Kudan, offer his own daughter as a living sacrifice, and gain the elders’ trust. And that was...."
"Kudan learned of it?"
Aum nodded.
"That is why Kudan destroyed the Rageuna tribe."