The road to the North.
The journey to the North was extremely treacherous from the start.
With someone like 1Hwangnyeo Ideu, it was possible to pass it in a sturdy carriage, but for others, it was not something one could easily attempt. The road was so rough that it was common for carriage wheels to break.
Since the distance was quite far, a break was necessary in the middle.
1Hwangnyeo Ideu ordered the carriage to stop for a moment.
“We will set off again after a short rest.”
Whack─!
After gathering firewood and twigs, she lit a fire and laid a wooden post flat to use as her seat.
Given the distance, taking a break wasn’t odd, but it was quite unusual for Ideu to take such time.
Her loyal aide felt that way more than once. Normally, she would never take a break; she’d be the type to forcibly increase the carriage speed instead.
The aide, standing guard nearby, opened his mouth.
“You’re taking a lot of breaks this time.”
“I am not tired.”
“Then?”
“My heart feels strange. Oddly enough, something keeps stirring uneasiness in me about heading North. It’s as if it keeps gripping my shoulder.”
“I apologize for not being able to help.”
The aide quietly lowered his head.
1Hwangnyeo Ideu was an exalted being. Even guessing the nature of her concerns was considered a major offense.
“It’s strange. Truly strange. Normally, when an omen approaches me, it’s always difficult to overcome, but the cause is usually clear. But this time, I can’t identify the cause…”
However, Ideu’s murmurs didn’t conclude.
“…”
Suddenly, Ideu rose from her seat, gathering energy in her hands and shaping it into the form of a sharp sword.
“Aide. Draw your sword.”
“Uh?”
The aide’s question didn’t last long.
Boom──!
With a massive shock, the area flipped upside down.
The carriage was smashed to bits, but of course, Ideu remained unharmed, protecting her aide behind her.
Ideu didn’t bother questioning who her opponent was.
The retaliation was first, and punishment was first.
Boommm─!
As Ideu swung her sword, a refined energy shot forth with a thunderous roar from the blade. It was something nearly akin to a beam of light.
Swish─!
The spider silk that the opponent unleashed tangled mid-air like thread. The mighty energies intertwined wantonly, and the trees that were sparsely planted around burst apart.
And a moment later.
The Mage’s Jushin, Arcne, landed on the ground.
“1Hwangnyeo Ideu. Will you come with me?”
Arcne spoke softly.
“Come with you? Well, if there’s something I must do alongside a Demon, the only destination can be the underworld. Are you suggesting we die together?”
However, Ideu merely intensified her energy even further. Despite the surrounding earth being unable to withstand it and crumbling, Arcne remained completely unperturbed.
“I just arrived and started an assault. It would be troublesome if you see it as such.”
“Then?”
“Please don’t mistake me for a Demon that charges at humans without any plans. You’ve already taken your tenth break. Doesn’t that mean your ankles are constantly being caught so you can’t set foot in the North?”
“…It’s not something you should concern yourself with.”
“I also don’t want to worry. Unfortunately, though, to achieve my goal, it seems I will need you.”
“You must tell me what your goal is.”
“I have many, but… first… um…”
Arcne placed her finger on her lips.
“First, to take down the Emperor, who is at the center of the Execution Ground?”
“You speak of treason. Have you lost your fear?”
“There’s no need to be so angry. I’m not making any threats or coercions here. The choice is entirely yours.”
Ideu found Arcne’s demeanor strange.
It didn’t seem like she was lying when saying she wouldn’t make threats or coercions. Of course, just destroying the carriage was enough to warrant her death.
“…Then why did you destroy my carriage?”
“I was sure you would follow me.”
“Barking like a dog from somewhere.”
With that remark, the conversation came to an end.
The 1Hwangnyeo quickly made a vertical slash with her sword.
A white light was etched along that trajectory.
Boom!
Moments later, it erupted, causing a massive explosion in all directions.
It struck the air and caused its energy to explode, but Arcne swiftly maneuvered her body to evade.
Swish─!
Arcne continued her assault.
“Aide. Take care to defend yourself.”
“Yes! But… why do I feel your attacks are sloppy?”
“We can’t afford to be careless; we don’t know what could happen.”
“Yes!”
However, honestly, Ideu felt the same about the sloppiness.
‘Is this truly the power of a Goddess?’
Is she trying to keep me here?
Or has she just grown stronger?
Does she not know her place?
In any case, it wasn’t something to ponder deeply. Ideu decided to cast aside all distractions and focus solely on defeating the enemy.
Since she spoke of treason, she couldn’t be allowed to live from the start.
“This attack will end it.”
After Ideu muttered that, she kicked the ground and leaped into the air. It was an incomprehensibly strong rebound.
At that moment.
Arcne, who had been hovering in mid-air, erupted with vast energy. It was as if a volcano filled with Mana had exploded.
‘…Did she have such energy hidden away?’
Though she was not being careless, even so, she couldn’t help but be surprised by the power. It was overwhelming, fitting for the status of a Demon.
‘I see they’ve raised something incredibly vicious in the Mage realm.’
Ideu thought. The Mage realm was indeed treacherous.
“Aide! Focus on defense!”
It was at that moment when Ideu shouted.
Swish!
All kinds of spider silk spread to the point of covering the sky, causing both Ideu and her aide’s movements to come to a complete halt.
Ideu, who had honed herself to the point where the title of Goddess was no exaggeration, still had no choice but to remain grounded at this moment.
“…”
A moment of silence.
Both Ideu and her aide looked up at the sky, as if their heads were forcibly held down by something.
A painting.
What Arcne had unfolded in mid-air was a portrait.
Certainly.
It was someone Ideu knew well.
Ideu had long since mastered her energy to near perfection. Both her body and mind were sharp, so it was almost impossible for her to not recall someone.
Regardless, it was a moment of pause in battle.
Only the sound of wind brushing against the spider silk could be heard.
“This is….”
“That man is….”
Ideu and her aide mumbled absentmindedly.
“…Ugh!”
Suddenly, a splitting headache struck. It felt like there was a mental blockade. Other thoughts were fine, but as she tried to decipher that spider silk portrait, it became unbearable.
Crack─ Crack─
Before she knew it, Ideu found herself kneeling on one knee.
A man Ideu couldn’t possibly not know. A man she couldn’t forget. Yet, for some reason, she had forgotten him…
That much she could recall.
But who was it?
That didn’t come to her mind. So who was it?
Crack─ Crack─
Glimpse.
Beyond the spider silk, Arcne peeked out.
“Hang in there. It was really tough for me to recall as well. For some reason, even when I spoke the name aloud, there was no one who understood. This person’s name is…”
However.
“■■■.”
Arcne’s words became inaudible.
Thud─! Thud─! Thud─!
Her head only pounded more.
It felt like all the energy within her would reverse flow.
Could this be the exquisite assassination Arcne had meticulously planned? Perhaps twisting Ideu’s insides, engineered from the depths of the Mage realm…
As such thoughts arose.
“Surely, surely…”
Ideu’s eyes widened.
She was beginning to slowly unravel the mental blockade.
It was truly a crazy extreme power.
“Aide… Aide!”
“Yes, yes!”
“Start taking notes of what I’m about to say!”
What she was grasping onto, like smoke, began to fade away. If she didn’t capture it immediately, it felt like it would scatter, so Ideu desperately urged her aide to take notes.
“Surely, surely… I’ve shared a bed with that man. But how strange it is that I can’t remember. I’ve only been in bed with one person in my life…”
Ideu began to speak while clutching her head.
“It seems we shared our circumstances quite thoroughly. Without any contraception. We seemed satisfied. I remember pulling all-nighters. He even changed my constitution…”
The aide suddenly stopped writing.
It felt like they had already arrived in the North, and an abrupt chill washed over them.
“…”
The expression of the Goddess grew icy beyond measure.
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