Chapter: 832
I had a sweet dream. A dream sweeter and more beautiful than the days I once ruled over all life and shook the continent with death.
“Jangsaeng! Today is your dismissal!”
A dream of dismissal. The hope of liberation from years of pain.
Funny enough, the one who trampled on the hopes of many and brought endless despair had now started to bear hope himself. For just a moment, I truly felt the taste of freedom.
Of course, it was just a moment. The one who declared my dismissal was the favored eldest child of my master. Still, my master is not that little brat but the master himself. If the master doesn’t declare the dismissal, it means nothing.
Still, to be honest, I hoped. I thought perhaps my father would pretend and let it slide.
‘Was it just a dream of a spring day?’
Like a dream that vanishes upon waking. Like dew disappearing when the sun rises. It became a hope that slipped away without leaving a trace.
“Are you okay, Death?”
As I lay sprawled on the floor, staring blankly at the void, one of my former underlings spoke with concern.
It was even more bittersweet. Here I was, no longer even able to be called death, but still being served so faithfully. Even with countless masters above me, they remained loyal.
If there were that many faithful followers during the religious wars, the continent might have been ruled by death instead of the sun.
“I’m not okay.”
So, somewhat gruffly, I replied. At the same time, it was an answer filled with sincerity. If my situation looked okay, wouldn’t that be even more absurd?
“Then, Death, why not step outside for a bit?”
“Hmm?”
What on earth was that about?
Startled by the sudden suggestion, I turned my gaze to my underling—Rysianne, who looked at me with determined eyes.
“You have done everything you could to maintain this mansion. You’ve done favors for many, and received thanks in proportion.”
“N-no, that…”
I fumbled at her words of favor and gratitude, but I held it back.
I see. So, it’s possible to romanticize my torturous life as a pet.
“However, Death is not the only one here. There are former beings that once shook the continent and beloved new ones born in this era. Even if you step away, there would be little disruption.”
Several faces flashed through my mind at those words.
Well, there are definitely those who would cause a ruckus if I left.
‘But is it really okay for just a moment?’
When I took a vacation to my master’s hometown, even if the kids felt sad, they wouldn’t try to stop me. The implication is that things would be fine without me.
“So, Death, for just a brief moment—just a moment—step outside from this mansion. Instead of waiting for freedom to come down from above, seize your freedom for yourself!”
At Rysianne’s shout, my heart began to race. The powerlessness I felt, sprawled on the floor, suddenly started to lift.
Not freedom coming down from above, but freedom that I would seize. Instead of wallowing in despair, I would stand on my own two feet and move forward with hope.
Yes, it’s the right thing. Rysianne’s words—the words of my loyal underling—were right.
‘What does my absence matter?’
Even if I’m gone for a bit, there won’t be a problem.
And how much have I struggled for this mansion and the little ones? How much hardship have I endured? No one has been held by the little kids more than I have, aside from Titi.
In fact, lately, I feel like I’ve been suffering more than Titi. Titi, that traitor, goes out every day. Love-struck with that Jenny girl or whatever.
“Rysianne.”
“Yes, Death!”
“Do I have the right to choose my own path?”
“No one can stop the march of death!”
“If I leave this place, would there be no problems?”
“Death is not bound to one place; it wanders the continent!”
Her answers were so satisfying that a smile crept across my face.
That’s right. No matter how much I was once death, now I am Jangsaeng. I am certainly not a being meant to be shackled in one place. Whether death or Jangsaeng, I am a being that is meant to roam the continent and reign over all life.
I’m going! To seize my freedom with my own hands!
*
While playing with the kids, I heard unexpected news.
“Jangsaeng ran away?”
“Y-Yeah…”
Yuris delivered the news with an expression of guilt, his head bowed. I couldn’t help but be at a loss for words; it was truly unexpected news.
“Appa, what does ‘ran away’ mean?”
The first to break the silence was Friedrich, who was in my arms.
Thank goodness. My kids don’t even know what ‘ran away’ means yet. If they knew Jangsaeng had left home, how heartbroken would they be? To them, Jangsaeng is crucial and precious.
“Jangsaeng is just a bit bored being home, so he went outside for a bit. He’ll be back soon.”
“Uh-huh…”
Trying to downplay Jangsaeng’s runaway act, Friedrich nodded, seeming satisfied.
“Then, Friedrich, why not play with the other animal friends? They can’t go out if they’re bored either.”
“Uh-huh!”
As soon as I gently set Friedrich down, he quickly vanished down the hallway.
Perhaps Friedrich’s playmate will be Peace. I just spotted him napping nearby. Luckily, Peace is in tiger form, which boys adore, so he’ll be kept busy for a few hours.
Although it seems like a sudden upheaval, deal with it. It was a disaster caused by your friend Jangsaeng’s escape. Normally, such matters fall under shared responsibility.
“How on earth did he manage to leave? He couldn’t have slipped past the servants, right?”
After confirming Friedrich was out of sight, I turned my gaze back to Yuris.
It was hard to understand. This mansion is vast, and with that comes numerous servants. No matter how clever Jangsaeng might be, it would be impossible for him to successfully escape with so many eyes around.
Unless Jangsaeng had the ability to teleport, but he doesn’t. If he could use magic, he would have escaped successfully hundreds of times by now.
“W-well, he walked out rather confidently, different from usual. So, they thought he got permission to go out.”
“Huh?”
“Lately, Jangsaeng seemed pretty down. So, the servants probably thought the master had allowed him to go out.”
At that, I was left speechless once more.
‘Was it a straightforward approach?’
That’s awkward. The reason Jangsaeng has always been caught was his cautiousness. He looked utterly obvious if he tried to move stealthily, leading to being discovered before he could really hide or escape.
But this time, Jangsaeng chose to move boldly without being careful. Naturally, the servants wouldn’t be able to keep as sharp an eye on him during that.
‘And the timing couldn’t be more perfect.’
As Yuris stated, Jangsaeng had been showing signs of depression recently. He had heard the news of a dismissal from Pedi, only to have it canceled, so it must’ve felt like freedom had vanished from right in front of him.
So, it wouldn’t be odd for the servants to be sympathetic to Jangsaeng and think he received a special leave. In fact, I had been granting relay leaves to Titi and the others. It wouldn’t be strange if they thought they had received clearance for a temporary outing.
“I-I’m so sorry! We’ll be more careful from now on!”
“Oh, it’s fine. Honestly, if they had stopped him, he would’ve gone wild. So it seems like he’s already lost his marbles.”
I patted Yuris’ slumped shoulders, offering some comfort.
The process may have been odd, but the result is more than fine. By choosing a straightforward approach, it shows that Jangsaeng is already mentally overwhelmed. If we had prevented him, he might have screamed, rolled on the ground, or stopped eating altogether.
So, letting him slip out like this isn’t a bad idea at all. There’s a saying about carrot and stick for a reason.
‘After all, I know where he is.’
Besides, I had placed a tracking spell on all the animals when I automatically took Titi for a walk. It’s a surprisingly useful magic, and at this point, I had it on all the animals, including Titi. Even if Jangsaeng did escape, I could catch him within five minutes if I really wanted to.
‘How dare you run away.’
Still, what’s reasonable and what’s emotionally right are two different things. The mere fact that he dared to escape my house is utterly unpleasant.
How much my kids treasured Jangsaeng. Sometimes it seemed they liked him more than me, and he received as much affection as Titi, the highest dignitary of our mansion.
Jangsaeng was receiving the kids’ love—
“Gyaaaaaah! Let me go!”
So much love,
“Please, just let me have some rest! Even a moment would be fine!”
“Just closed my eyes for a minute. I’m not asking for a whole day; just give me an hour!”
And he spent it all…
“I might as well have died in a pit…”
Hmm.
‘If it’s tough, he deserves a little break.’
Thinking of my memories with Jangsaeng, what came to mind first were his tearful wails rather than the good times.
I knew he was having a hard time, but I didn’t realize it was this bad. There’s a difference between just knowing and recognizing it concretely.
‘Have fun while you’re out.’
I’m sorry for the past. I’ll let you have your little adventure today, so enjoy yourself and come back.
For some reason, when Pedi brought up dismissal, he seemed overly happy. He was desperate enough to cling to the words of a child.
‘Should I send the other ones out soon?’
Suddenly, my thoughts drifted to the other beings besides Jangsaeng.
While Jangsaeng might be loved the most among them, the others surely weren’t being neglected. If Jangsaeng was exhausted, the others couldn’t be faring any better.
I had been sending them out one by one to Tailglehen, but now it’s time to start handing out outdoor passes turning by.
‘Sorry about that.’
I’m sorry for being such an inconsiderate master.
*
It was indeed right to seize freedom with my own hands.
‘I can’t believe it was this easy to leave.’
I still felt a bit dazed. Usually, even if I just tried to sneak away, I was caught immediately. If I was desperate to flee, they’d latch on right away.
It surely was like that, but this time, even though I walked out proudly, no one stopped me. It was as if no one dared to obstruct my path.
‘You were right.’
I felt satisfied seeing Rysianne, walking beside me.
You deserve the title of my faithful subordinate. If there had been a god, I would’ve made you my official apostle.
“Rysianne.”
“Yes, Death.”
“I may not have anything to give you, but in my heart, I will regard you as an apostle.”
“A-apostle…!”
At that, I saw tears welling up in Rysianne’s eyes.
If I had known she would be this happy, I should’ve called her apostle sooner.
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