124 – The Prince of Ashes #1
“Half of you is the same fairy as these people?”
Seugal frowned as she looked at Yu Yeo-reum.
Yu Yeo-reum being the daughter of a fairy?
“I only found out about this today myself.”
Yu Yeo-reum casually scratched her chin, though it seemed like she was showing off. Being the daughter of a fairy felt like something out of a fairy tale, almost enviable.
Still…
What Seugal was most concerned about was something else, so she excused herself from the noisy banquet and headed toward the Great Witch’s tent.
There, the Great Witch welcomed her as if she had been waiting.
“Owner of ‘Maple’. I have been waiting for you.”
Of course, Seugal couldn’t understand the Great Witch’s words.
Still, ‘miracles’ always made impossible conversations possible.
Seugal asked the Great Witch, who was pointing at her sword:
“Do you know about this sword?”
“That is a sword created by the witch of ‘Fate’ to fulfill some ‘task’. She was one of my distant ancestors. If I say that she was a similar existence to the witch of ‘Life’ who is with you, would you understand?”
In the incomprehensible string of words, Seugal could detect goodwill and a hint of pity in the Great Witch’s gaze towards her.
So, Seugal decided to ask directly:
“Grandmother, you said that we smelled like fairies. Does Hanamjin smell the same? Isn’t he a half-fairy too? Hanamjin. Fairy.”
The Great Witch couldn’t understand Seugal’s language either.
But, she could read the emotion in the girl’s eyes that would resonate with anyone from any era or world.
A small emotion like a tender sapling but noticeable like a flower blooming in a barren desert.
It was a feeling that could be called interest or affection.
The object of the girl’s affection must be the boy.
Thus, the Great Witch could easily grasp the meaning.
“That boy is human. An ordinary human. That’s why he’s an extraordinary child. His human body should have reached its limit and faded long ago, yet he still burns with determination.”
Tap, tap—
The Great Witch looked at the faint, flickering flames inside the tent.
The fire, which would go out soon without adding more logs, was weak and feeble.
“Though ash that has already burned cannot catch fire again, there are always exceptions. It’s rare to meet a man so strict with himself.”
The Grand Witch Midgal well knew how difficult it was to handle the overwhelming ‘concept’ with an unworthy body.
She herself was struggling painfully with the ‘Fate’ she inherited.
Let alone humans in a boy’s body, pushed to their limits, who couldn’t endure the bone-grinding pain and were bound to collapse mentally.
Those who succumb to this are called demons.
“He didn’t become a demon for the sake of honor, or the desire for revenge, or anger. Perhaps it was for a trivial and ordinary promise. That boy likes you too.”
The Grand Witch Midgal took out a small dagger from her bosom.
“The age of the red kings, who once seemed to burn forever, has passed, and now the age of ashes has come. Give this to the boy of ashes. It will surely be of help.”
Seugal couldn’t understand a single word of what the Grand Witch Midgal was saying.
But, she felt that she seemed very tired.
“Perhaps my role ends here. Now I can finally get some rest. Now I can…”
Seugal handed over the dagger, and the Grand Witch closed her eyes.
She was going to sleep.
Just catching up on the sleep she’d been postponing for so long.
Then, from the darkness trapped in her eyelids far away, she saw her mother and father, whose faces she could no longer remember, waving at her.
“Midgal!”
“My daughter!”
The body of the Grand Witch Midgal, who had grown old like an ancient tree, became light as it had been in her youth.
She ran straight toward her parents.
It was right then.
“Grandmother! Don’t sleep yet and teach me some fairy language! Fairy language!”
“What a delightful girl. What words do you want to learn?”
Ten minutes later, the Grand Witch reunited with her parents in her dreams.
While the old woman, who dreams of love, rests peacefully, Seugal held the sharp dagger, which resembled a large beast’s fang, and stepped out of the tent.
She stopped in front of the boy Hanamjin, who had been sitting by the bonfire quietly watching the people.
She silently extended the dagger.
“The grandmother said to give this to you.”
“Hoo, I’ll name this ‘SsingSsing’ #2. It even comes with a concept? This is such an incredibly rare and useful treasure. It will be a great aid in toppling the Red King.”
The boy smiled satisfactorily.
However, to Seugal, the smile felt somewhat unsettling.
“About fighting that ‘Red King.’ Do we really have to do it just the two of us? We could gather people like we did for the Nam Woo-Joo extermination.”
“You know he has the ability to manipulate people. Nam Woo-Joo was under his control too. Having more people would just make the enemy stronger, making it more disadvantageous. You should know that, right? Or is there something making you uneasy?”
There were many unsettling elements.
Seugal thought for a long while and, suddenly feeling foolish for being the only one with such concerns, felt somewhat resentful. She decided to lay everything out honestly.
Sometimes, being straightforward can surprisingly easily solve things.
“The me in the mirror told me. He said we can fix everything by meeting you and the ‘Red King.'”
“Are you talking to the mirror now? That’s more like the role of a queen, not a princess.”
“I’m not kidding around here. I met my future self in the mirror. He said you would soon face a significant choice and that you must be trusted.”
“What? Did you meet ‘that guy’? Is that even possible? To be able to converse with your past self, indeed remarkable. Impressive…”
At the mention of ‘that guy,’ the boy’s eyes sparkled like stars.
As the Grand Witch detected certain emotions in Seugal’s eyes, Seugal could sense the undeniable emotions in the boy Hanamjin’s sparkling eyes.
They were feelings he hadn’t shown to her current self.
‘What? So far, you’ve been saying you like me, but you actually liked another me. You were thinking of another girl while looking at me.’
For some reason, it felt like the boy had deceived her, making her angry.
Unfamiliar feelings were rising from deep within her chest.
“Hanamjin, you’re really stupid. Don’t you realize she’s just trying to use you for her own benefit? And what I’m saying must be accurate since I’m also her. She’s like a nine-tailed fox.”
“You’re different from her. You lack the gravitas, right? Your chest is smaller than hers too. She gives off a big sister vibe, while you’re more like a naive younger sister. But in about five years, you’ll probably grow to be somewhat similar.”
“What…!?”
“She’s my benefactor. Once revered as a hero. So don’t you dare insult Seagal. She’s a fallen fairy, so even when she’s alone, she will certainly live in an elegant and refined manner!”
For whatever reason, the benefactor who saved him from the garbage dump.
The boy seemed to genuinely think so.
“What! What on earth is a fairy supposed to be? She’s the one who scratches her belly and makes funny faces in front of the mirror when she’s alone! I know this! Sometimes, when she’s upset, she lies in bed all day staring at her phone!”
“You wench! How dare you talk back! Don’t you dare disrespect my idol! What do you know! Seagal is a princess who survives on dew, with the hobby of watching the bluebirds in the garden and singing!”
Hanamjin was furious.
It seemed genuine.
To that extent, Hanamjin must have felt like Seagal, who brought his life back, was a great benefactor.
At this point, Seugal became curious.
“What happened to ‘Loser’ Hanamjin? What kind of person were you that you protect me like this, knowing you’re being used?”
“…”
The boy closed his mouth.
Seugal felt pity rather than satisfaction from the silence of the boy who usually spoke fluently even in front of great tycoons and politicians.
“…I am ‘Brad Pitt’ Hanamjin.”
“What are you saying now?”
“I introduced myself that way on TV, but no one ever called me that, right? Nicknames aren’t easily assigned, and you can’t just change them at will.”
—
In a world of apocalypse where law and order have vanished, I’ve done many things to survive.
I committed many bad deeds.
Back then, everyone did bad things.
The good people were already gone, and only those who could do anything and had already done so remained alive.
The pile of ashes was a world of villains. I was one of them, maybe even outstanding. When injured Awakeneds were ridiculed, I had to become cruel to not appear weak.
“Everyone lives like that.”
The lucky part was that no one judged me morally. It was a society where morality and law couldn’t be questioned.
But inside me, some sort of rule, or the pride I called mine, was surely gradually breaking down.
That’s why the ‘Supernovas’ were remarkable. They preserved their honor as humans even in difficult situations. They were worthy of being called true men.
Then what about me? Ashes that went out before I could even burn. Junk from the garbage heap.
“Loser.” A perfectly fitting nickname.
The one who found such a me was Seugal.
The kid investigated me and even though he knew exactly what kind of person I was, he gave me a second chance.
“If our positions were reversed, and I were in your situation, I wouldn’t have picked me. That’s why I want to keep my promise to you.”
Seugal must have had plenty of reliable comrades.
Yet, he chose me.
I had to live up to that trust.
“…That wasn’t me.”
Seugal gripped his fist tightly – his eyes full of dissatisfaction as he looked at me and punched my shoulder.
“You fool!”
“Ouch! Seagal’s punches are ridiculously strong!”
After that, our conversation ended. Afterward, Chief Deputy Moro supplied us with various items.
“This is ‘Fairy Biscuit.’ It’s dried and hardened black bread. If you dissolve it in water, though it won’t taste good, it will quickly fill your stomach. It’s so hard, so if anything, you can use it to hit enemies.”
Supplies were being loaded aplenty!
My eyes, filled with excitement, were drawn to the butterfly flying around.
“And this is the ‘Guiding Butterfly.’ It will find the way to the surface for us as it has the habit of returning to the surface where it originally lived.”
Girls’ eyes lit up upon seeing the crystal-like butterfly.
Still, I wasn’t fully satisfied.
“The weakness of Knight Hameln?”
“This. Leaves brewed from the ‘Noise’ plant. Drinking these leaves will neutralize the rats controlled by Knight Hameln. But even without the rats, Knight Hameln will still be strong, so be careful.”
“Moro, are you worrying about me?”
“We’re not worried about you, but about our king that you carry with you. After the king left, this dungeon was in too much chaos.”
—Gweee.
Yining being the King of Demon Beasts.
It was still laughable.
Thus, we left the village of the Black Fairies and ascended to the Great Labyrinth.
It’s time for the decisive battle now!
If we keep stalling, those who are pursuing Mibang will complicate matters for us!
