Chapter 719 – Conclusion and Choice (6)
—
— Yu Songee
As soon as my sister lost consciousness, a foggy presence appeared in the arena.
At first glance, it seemed like a terrifying demon was about to show up, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
The newly emerged entity is our most powerful ally!
“A! My sister has collapsed—”
— Pop!
Before I could even finish my sentence, I felt a sharp sting pierce through me, causing my vision to blur.
Soon, I opened my eyes in a realm filled with gray fog.
“What the…?”
Just as I was about to panic, a voice resembling that of a person echoed.
“It’s a much more pressing situation than you think. Something irreversible will happen in ten seconds.”
Seems like there wasn’t enough time to speak in reality, so I was brought into this illusion instead?
The next words were particularly shocking.
“The former king is intervening in the princess’s mind.”
“Ugh! That’s definitely the intervention of sinister intentions. Can you stop it?”
“…”
“You’re supposed to be stronger than the king now, right?”
You’re not saying you can’t do it, are you?
Duke A ominously responded, “Let’s not forget I’m not at my best either. I’ve just clashed with the other two Dukes in succession.”
“That means—”
“At least a little rest is needed. The problem is, we don’t seem to have that little time right now.”
The King of Is, who has almost lost all power in this realm, is weaker than Duke A.
However, Duke A is also drained after continuous battles with the other two Dukes!
At this perfectly terrible moment, the King is intervening with my sister, leaving us no way to stop it.
Why, of all times! But of course, my sister collapsing at this very moment isn’t a coincidence.
The King of Is must have targeted Duke A while he was weakened.
So what do we do now?
At that moment, I sensed a strange emotion from Duke A.
A feeling that couldn’t be put into words, filled with disturbing foreboding.
The ability known as ‘Telepathy’ that allows me to feel the thoughts and emotions of the Chaos entity is whispering to me.
Duke A is trying to kill my sister!
At first, the Duke didn’t know what to do, but after conversing with me, he likely concluded that killing my sister was necessary.
Reason is crying out that it doesn’t make sense.
There’s no reason for Duke A to kill my sister, and if he does, there would be no one to replace the King of Is!
On the other hand, I remembered a sad fact.
To be honest, I’m not as sharp with situational judgment as Kain oppa or Ahri!
So in this situation, I should trust that blessing rather than my own judgment!
“Stop!”
“…”
The bubbling fog gave off a chilling gaze.
I knew Duke A intended to kill my sister.
The Duke knew I was aware of that fact.
“There’s… there’s another way.”
“What is it?”
“I have a tool that allows me to enter a person’s dream! Outside, my true body is in the Dream Kingdom.”
“…”
“Wake me up. If I unfold the dream as soon as I wake up, it won’t be too late.”
One of the tools I brought down with me, the Dream Kingdom. I hadn’t used it until now, but maybe it could solve this situation.
Duke A responded with a sarcastic tone.
“Entering a human’s dream is something I can do too. I’m talking to you, after all. The problem is if I can bypass the former king’s magic. Do you really think a tool could do that?”
“Absolutely possible! Because it’s a heavenly tool!”
“… Heavenly tool?”
Usually, even the precious legacies that the hotel cherishes cannot withstand a prisoner’s power.
Even the Dream Kingdom would struggle to intervene in the magic wielded by the King of Is.
A ‘sands of time’ that even the prisoners cannot interfere with is indeed a very unique tool in that sense.
Considering how I acquired it was also quite special.
If the King of Is were at full power, it would be hard for the Dream Kingdom to intervene.
However, if the prisoner has most of his peak power lost and is threatened by a creature, would that change?
“Seems we’re out of options.”
In that brief moment, Duke A’s murderous intent grew stronger.
I thought I could resolve the situation with the Dream Kingdom, but the Duke didn’t seem to share that perspective.
A is an embodiment of extremely illogical reasoning.
Could I really persuade that monster with just a few words?
“…”
Probably not.
I have no confidence in overpowering the Duke with logic.
So— I resorted to the least logical power in existence.
“Activating ‘The Favored One’.”
I wasn’t expecting much.
I mean, despite having an affinity, the other party had never shown me a shred of goodwill!
I just wished for one thing.
For a crack to form in the solid fortress of logic that the Duke built.
Thus, I hoped the other party would ‘irrationally’ trust my words.
*
— Lee Eunsol
“Seems like if just one person dies, all problems could be resolved.”
In shock, my thought process froze.
The only unique being I share rightful claim to the throne— my oppa.
As long as oppa is alive, Duke A can easily kill me if he wants.
Therefore, if I want to ensure A can’t harm me, I must kill oppa!
“Daughter, I shall grant you one last chance.”
“… Chance?”
“I will refrain from the actions you fear. I can put to sleep the being that awakens within you. In exchange, you must swear to kill your brother.”
“Swear to kill oppa.”
Then, I’ll put the awakening copy to sleep.
Swearing here isn’t just mere words.
It’ll be a powerful magical contract that cannot be broken.
My breath caught.
My thought process came to a halt.
I couldn’t understand how to escape this cruel bind.
“Think calmly. You need to consider what’s necessary for your survival. Haven’t you already harmed many lives to survive?”
Flashes of memories from the past brushed past me.
When the Dukes tried to abduct me, I escaped using my hand of greed.
Back then, A wasn’t on my side, so I had no choice, but undeniably, I harmed many just to save myself.
So, do I regret that decision?
No.
If a similar situation arose again, I would gladly use my hand of greed or whatever else without hesitation.
While guilt towards the innocent weighed heavily, the burden of that guilt could never outweigh my life.
That’s why my mother says.
You’ve never placed the weight of my life above hundreds of others, have you?
Now, let’s weigh oppa’s life against yours.
So, now I—
In that moment, my mother’s expression twisted disturbingly.
Suddenly, a crack appeared in the landscape that had seemed as serene as lush mountains.
It felt as if another force had momentarily peeled away my mother’s magic.
“Song—”
“Oh no!”
As soon as Songhee appeared, she grimaced and waved her hand towards my mother across from me.
Then, with a silvery flash, everything went dark.
— Crack!
Someone’s powerful grip.
I instinctively sensed this wasn’t my mother, who had just been talking to me, but Songhee’s hand.
“Songhee?”
“Follow me. Let’s go outside—”
“W- wait, it’s dangerous!”
“Eh?”
I was startled by Songhee’s insistence to go outside.
I remembered what my mother had just said.
Right now, the copy of my mother is awakening within me.
If A catches wind of this fact, he’ll immediately deal with me and place oppa as a replacement.
“If we go out, it will be dangerous! A will—”
At that moment, I felt a strong power from the hand gripping me.
“I don’t know what that monster said to you.”
“That’s—”
“No need to explain. It’s bound to sound convincing and logical. What’s important is!”
At that moment, I felt considerable power in Songhee.
“Don’t listen to the devil’s words!”
“…”
“Don’t you remember what oppa said? That’s not your mother. It’s an alien, a monster, a demon. A creature that tried to drag my family, our families, my past self, and past sister into hell.”
“…”
“Whatever they said, it wasn’t in your best interest. It’s a sly trick.”
My mother— no, “The King of Is,” is an evil existence.
She harmed both mine and Songhee’s families and intended to destroy all our lives for her own cosmic plans.
“Sister… you know? That monster has the power to bewitch people. Use the flute.”
Soon, I found a familiar solid object in my hand.
The precious legacy that blesses me both in reality and in dreams— the Flute of Rest.
— Laaaah!
A clear sound, undeterred even in hell, resonated across the dream world.
Regrettably, however, even the power of the flute cannot erase the malevolent force instilled in me since birth.
But, The King of Is— that ancient evil can certainly clear my mind that has been bewitched.
“Hah!”
“Sister?”
“Just as you said. I almost fell for that ridiculous trick! Let’s get out!”
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
Just a while ago, she insisted we should go outside, but now she seems unsure as we’re about to leave.
Even this ‘green frog’ behavior felt too adorable at the moment.
“Of course!”
At that moment, someone’s cunning whisper tickled my ears.
“Daughter, have you truly not understood my words? Calmly make a choice for yourself—”
This time, I could respond with a smile.
“Sorry, but this is what a calm choice looks like!”
The immensely wicked devil’s suggestion.
1. The copy of me is awakening in your heart.
2. If you go out like this, A will kill you and put oppa on the throne.
3. I’ll pause the awakening of the copy, so swear to kill your brother so A can’t harm you.
“Pffft!”
“Sister?”
“Thinking back, the loopholes are too obvious. Why didn’t I notice this before you arrived?”
“I don’t quite understand, but does that mean the devil can bewitch people?”
— Flutter!
As the Dream Kingdom unfolded again, I recalled the simple loopholes in the devil’s suggestions.
The concept of the self of a great being is different from that of a human.
The copy of me in my heart is no different from the King of Is.
There’s no need to consider oppa as a factor.
He’s not a participant like me.
Even if a copy awakens from oppa’s soul, that existence cannot ascend to the heavens.
Thus, the King of Is, who ‘still’ dreams of ascending, cannot use oppa as a replacement.
While to the Duke, oppa might serve as my replacement, to the King of Is, I alone exist.
Therefore, there’s no need to swear to kill oppa.
I could simply walk outside as I am now, or just buy some time.
Because whether I swear or not, the King must put the awakening copy back to sleep.
If he doesn’t, A will kill me.
And if I die, the awakening copy within me, which is the King’s last hope, will also vanish.
The last glimmer of hope that the King of Is might one day resurrect from within me.
That’s why I walked outwards without hesitation.
I believed in my mother’s wickedness, not her love.
*
Once again, the stench of the underground ruin assaulted my nostrils.
I had awakened from the devil’s dream and returned to reality.
Soon, the fog-like presence of Duke A approached.
“Princess, are you alright?”
Let’s not forget.
Though the devil’s words are wicked temptations and falsehoods, there’s truth hidden within those lies.
Ordinarily, a single lie is most effective when concealed among nine truths.
Duke A is undoubtedly a threat to me.
At least, not right now.
“I’m fine. As long as you’re here, the former king can’t harm me.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Perhaps it was because of the clumsy blessing?
Through the half-collapsed walls of this underground ruin, I could faintly see the sky outside.
Unfortunately, the warmth of the sun couldn’t dispel the madness and gloom of the ruins.
Isn’t it the perfect atmosphere to break the celestial wheel?
“It’s time to end this drawn-out battle.”
“…”
“Third Duke, I’ll give you an order.”
“I shall follow your command.”
“Kill the former king.”
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