“First, let me ask just one thing.”
Before proceeding with the Demon World expedition meeting, there was a matter that needed to be clarified.
I gazed into the eyes of Wip, who was sitting to my right, and threw out the question.
“Wip, it’s time to make up your mind. Will you join our order, or continue as you are?”
If it were previously, I would have subtly pressured him by insisting, “Please make up your mind quickly.”
But now, for some reason, I didn’t want to do that.
Was it because of Kelaout’s lecture? I hadn’t really paid attention after three hours, but its effectiveness surprised me.
“Of course, even if you don’t join, our relationship won’t become awkward or break.”
When it comes to evangelism, one must get rid of impatience.
After all, we are not a suspicious cult or a heretical sect worshiping abyssal beings.
We are a harmless order that merely believes in and relies on the Holy Goddess, walking only in the sunlight.
So there was no reason to rush.
Instead of struggling to force you to join, it was better to show my sincerity as it is.
“Even if you join, not much will change. However, if you do, I can invest a little more of my heart into you and your sister. We can share interests, and I’ll be able to help with worries together.”
That’s where the suggestion ended.
Continuing on would definitely provoke resistance. Even if it’s a small one, it could be deadly for evangelism, so I had to back off here.
The choice was now Wip’s.
“…”
After a moment of thought, the Dark Elf cautiously spoke up.
“…Actually, I’ve been troubled lately. I stand out too much due to my appearance, and the Void Monster is even more conspicuous, making it hard to protect or even watch over my sister.”
Wip had yet to reveal to his sister that he was her brother.
Until now, it was because of the Great Demon’s threats.
And now, he was just watching from a distance, worried that his sister might not recognize him and be wary.
It was a completely different judgment and action compared to me rushing to find Seo-yoon as soon as I arrived in Korea.
‘…This seems normal.’
While Wip was carefully moving, I had been reckless.
If Seo-yoon had treated me like a crazy person back then, I would have been hurt and depressed for a while.
I was just relieved that she recognized me without any issues.
In any case, Wip seemed very concerned about the safety of his sister, who was in danger because of the Great Demon.
And that was a problem our order could solve.
“Your Holiness.”
Soon, Wip spoke to me with a determined look in his eyes.
“I will join the order.”
It was a decision I couldn’t help but feel pleased about.
I smiled gently and told him what he wanted to hear the most.
“Welcome, Wip. For the time being, I’ll assign Liam as your sister’s secret bodyguard.”
Of course, this was just a temporary measure.
Next, I planned to ask Young Dragon to prepare a wide-area aura detection spell. In case another creature like the Great Demon appeared, we could respond immediately.
“And soon, I will invite your sister to the cathedral.”
“You mean I have to reveal to her in front of Your Holiness that I’m her brother?”
“Yes. If I, as the Pope, vouch for it, she will at least listen to what is said.”
After that, everything would go smoothly.
As we chatted, Wip would surely realize he was her brother. Seo-yoon recognized me quickly too, even without being biological siblings.
Even after changing genders, I could get close to Seo-yoon again.
So, Wip would definitely be able to spend time with his sister like before.
“If you have any other matters you need help with, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”
“…Yes.”
Despite his somewhat sultry appearance, Wip, who had a somewhat gentle heart, eventually welled up with tears.
It seemed he was recalling the days he had suffered under the Great Demon, worrying about his sister’s potential death.
Nearly seven years of harsh and tormenting life.
I couldn’t even guess what he felt during that time, so I kept quiet for a moment.
Beside me, Reeve also shot him a sympathetic glance.
The atmosphere drained in an instant.
No one spoke, and only the sound of Yao diligently making cocktails filled the quiet bar.
Then, it happened.
“Focus, focus!”
Clap clap, Kim Ji-yeon clapped her mechanical hands to grab attention, projecting the word “DELIGHT!” on the talisman.
“Everyone’s too down! It’s time to start the meeting! We can’t have this! Let’s have a drink first, then energize for the meeting!”
Her jumbled speech made it hard to follow, but I understood roughly what she meant.
“Are you suggesting we have a drink first to get energized for the meeting?”
“That’s right!”
Nodding in agreement, Kim Ji-yeon immediately pointed at Yao.
“Right now. Give me some alcohol!”
“It’s just about done.”
The highest-ranking Holy Knight cum bartender skillfully poured a cocktail into a glass and distributed it to everyone except Kim Ji-yeon.
“I’m a robot. Liquid intake: prohibited, prohibited.”
The robot, refusing to drink, suddenly perched on the table and poked at its belly button.
Then, its abdomen opened up, and a small speaker popped out. Happy jazz music started to play.
It felt somewhat alien since it was a song from another world, but that made it even more cheerful.
Thanks to that, the once dull mood re-energized.
“Oh, this is delicious. Holy Knight, what’s the name of this?”
“It has no name; I just made it on the fly.”
“Then I’ll name it for you. How about ‘Yao’s Tears’?”
“…Why tears of all things? That’s ominous.”
As Yao and Reeve chatted, Wip quietly sipped on the cocktail with a happy expression, not gloomy at all.
I looked at the Returnees enjoying their cocktails happily and suddenly glanced at Kim Ji-yeon with a feeling of astonishment.
‘She seems more composed than expected.’
While I hadn’t yet heard the full details, according to Hainha’s investigation, Kim Ji-yeon was a Returnee.
She was a robot who had been suffering in an endless cycle of time in her world.
Wasn’t it said she regressed for a total of 2,000 years?
So initially, I thought she had some mental issues. After all, her speech pattern felt that way.
But it turned out the way she spoke was just quirky while she was surprisingly sharp and intact.
At the very least, she seemed closer to a normal person than Jo Ha-jin or Cubica.
‘Could it be because she’s a robot?’
I didn’t know the details, but anyway, Kim Ji-yeon possessed mental strength and patience beyond human limits.
Kelaout’s lecture was likely much easier compared to her recurrent times. There was surely a reason she endured well.
“Everyone, please concentrate now.”
Thanks to Kim Ji-yeon, the atmosphere had eased quite a bit, so I decided it was time to proceed with the meeting.
“First, let’s talk about the Great Demon.”
“I have a question.”
“What is it?”
Yao asked me while making another cocktail.
“Didn’t you mention that the Evil God Black Sun’s impersonator was messing around with a guy with no parents and an Evil Dragon?”
“That’s right.”
“Then, couldn’t the Great Demon have done similar tricks? I have no proof, but it seems suspicious.”
“That’s a valid point.”
The Great Demon tormented the Returnees purely for fun.
However, there likely was a reason for choosing Korea as a country to meddle in.
Haoran became interested in me due to the Black Sun that appeared in his dream and gave him a revelation.
“Let’s make some assumptions, assuming the impersonator and the Great Demon are related…”
As I continued speaking, I met eyes with the Returnees who were looking at me blankly.
Their expressions indicated they didn’t understand what I was saying.
It was a gaze that reminded me I had made a minor slip-up.
“Oh, you all wouldn’t know this story.”
First, I took some time to briefly explain everything that had happened until now to the Returnees.
The Evil God Black Sun and the mysterious being impersonating the Evil God.
And quickly briefed them on several questions related to the impersonator.
After I finished the explanation, Wip raised his hand.
“Weren’t the Evil Dragon and Evil God supposed to be milder than they were before?”
“That’s correct. Do you have a clue?”
“Yes. It seems to be a similar case.”
The delicate Dark Elf frowned.
“The Great Demon once casually revealed to me that when he first sent his avatar into this world, his sudden desire to torment humans just disappeared.”
It was an incident that couldn’t be separated from the diminishing malice of other notoriously villainous villains.
“Then did he return to his original state afterward?”
“Yes. He said demons endlessly have malice as long as they are alive.”
While it had been restored, the fact that even the Great Demon once lost its evil intent was significant.
As I pondered over this, I cast a glance towards Yao.
“What about Haoran?”
Haoran was a personality disorder fitting perfectly into the setting of a xianxia novel.
He could not be said to have lost even a hint of his inherent malice. Unlike any Evil Dragon or Evil God.
…Or so I thought, but Yao’s response changed my mind.
“Haoran, compared to his past, has become tamer. There are stories from when he lived in the xianxia world in the Burning Association’s Doctrine Book. The day I first read it, I had a nightmare.”
“…”
I decided not to dive into specifics for the sake of mental health.
Anyway, Yao’s testimony rekindled my earlier hypothesis.
‘The malice of beings with poisonous hearts has collectively diminished.’
Evil God Black Sun.
Evil Dragon Hekatrith.
Great Demon Rema.
Evil Immortal Haoran.
They all previously had no qualms about killing humans indiscriminately, but they had changed after coming to this world.
Though there were differences in the degree of change for each individual, the fact that they lost their malice applied to all.
It was a situation that could only be interpreted as a deliberate act by someone.
There was only one person suspected to be the mastermind behind all these upheavals.
“Everyone, remember this.”
I looked into the eyes of each member and Returnee present.
It was a kind of formal declaration.
“We need to unearth and thwart the true intent of the impersonator of the Black Sun. That is our ultimate goal.”
Every Returnee in existence was a suspect.
I still didn’t know what they were planning, but if left unchecked, it could be dangerous. My highly accurate instincts told me this much.
“There’s a good chance that the individual doesn’t possess a healthy goal. They might be trying to perform a specific spell using the diminished malice.”
In certain games or comics, techniques are utilized by consuming elements like ‘passion’ or ‘hatred’ instead of mana.
If there’s a creation where malice serves as a resource and a Returnee had possessed it…
That person was highly likely the culprit.
“Ji-yeon, I’m asking for your help on something.”
“What is it?”
“Please start looking for creations where concepts like ‘malice’ or ‘evil thoughts’ are core elements.”
I could have delegated this task to someone else, but I specifically targeted Kim Ji-yeon. Firstly, she was useless in a physical brawl, and being a robot, her brains likely worked the best.
“And also check if any Returnee had been reincarnated or possessed in a world based on that.”
“No problem. Just leave it to me. I’ll solve it fast. Okay, okay?”
“I’d appreciate it.”
After assigning this crucial task to Kim Ji-yeon, I returned to the original topic to continue the discussion.
The very first topic was this.
“Guys, what exactly is the Great Demon’s real name?”
I mentioned it last time, but I didn’t remember it because I wasn’t paying attention.
It’s an enemy we need to deal with in the Demon World expedition, so we can’t keep calling it ‘Rema’ or ‘that thing.’
“The name?”
“Hmm…”
The Returnees who had been dominated by the Great Demon hesitated before speaking up.
“I faced it right after returning and got knocked out, so I wouldn’t know.”
“I know it’s the Great Demon of Deception and Corruption, but I can’t remember the real name either.”
At least it seemed that Reeve and Wip didn’t know either.
But Kim Ji-yeon was different.
“I know. That guy’s name.”
“Oh, what is it?”
“Retchirgug. Idiot fool.”
“……”
Even so, to have a name like ‘Retchirgug Idiot Fool’…
I glanced at Kim Ji-yeon’s mechanical eyes peeking next to the talisman and nodded.
“Let’s go with that.”
Since it wasn’t my name, it didn’t matter to me.
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