“Yep, it’s made from orphans. Pretty, isn’t it?”
The maiden who proudly held forth the bloody essence wore an expression tinged with pride.
To me, it was tantamount to a death sentence. Inadvertently, a scream escaped my clenched teeth.
I, too, had benefited from this precious offering on numerous occasions, never once imagining that the material could be the souls of orphans.
From the start, it was incomprehensible. How could such a thing serve as an offering to the Heavenly Deity?
Regret, betrayal, and guilt swirled and infiltrated my chest.
It wasn’t just about my life.
As Yulen had said, countless miracles were achieved through this essence. Without its power, the path I’ve walked until now would have been cut off long ago.
The life of a hero celebrated and admired by all.
It was a blood-red trajectory built on the sacrifices of orphans. I found the fact intolerably repugnant.
It felt like I was about to suffocate.
Gurgh, gurgh.
I writhed my body, gasping in pain. I wanted to vent my rage, but had no energy left to do so.
All I could manage was to glare fiercely at Yulen with burning eyes.
Yulen’s face remained as calm as ever.
“I’m sorry, I-an. I didn’t want to do this either.”
“The, Lady…”
Hardly moving my parched tongue, I mentioned the fact Yulen had tried fervently to avoid looking at.
“I won’t, forgive… cough! Such… deeds…”
“I’m aware. Perhaps I’ve made a foolish choice.”
Contrary to those words, his steady voice carried a sense of strong conviction.
It was an emotion akin to blind devotion.
Should it rather be called faith?
An ominous light flickered in Yulen’s green eyes.
“But I-an, I’ve seen it all while growing up as an orphan… how cruel the world can be to the weak, and how greedy and cruel the priests of the Holy Kingdom who serve the deity can be.”
Only then did I understand Yulen’s heart.
Even if it was done to help the Lady, the magnitude of the sin was far too great. If discovered, it wouldn’t end with just Yulen.
Chances are, the Lady would also get dragged into it.
Still, the sole reason Yulen participated in such an inhumane act was one.
Because it was his faith.
Yulen didn’t follow the doctrine of the Heavenly Deity Sect. If anything, he was much closer to the Dark Cult.
“What’s the point of hollowing out the rotten core of a tree? Isn’t it several times better to burn it and use it as fertilizer to grow a new tree… Our miss will be the seed. No, she’ll wear the laurel crown on that tree and rule them all!”
“F* kid… Dark, Cult…”
“That’s what it’s going to be.”
Clap, the maiden clasped her hands together and flashed a sly smile.
As if telling me not to worry unnecessarily, she played the role of a trustworthy merchant.
“Of course, as long as a few conditions are met… I heard you’re not that stupid… but if things don’t work out, there are many ways to persuade you.”
Further conversation was meaningless.
These two had long crossed the threshold into the realm of the insane. It meant that ordinary ethics, common sense, and logic wouldn’t apply to them.
Is this the end?
No matter how I thought, I couldn’t see a way out.
Well, it’s understandable. Upon reflection, I was just too lucky up until now.
It wasn’t just the blood essence. My story has continued on the backs of countless sacrifices.
There would be no more room for another stroke of luck.
At that moment, a shadow fell over me. The girl stood with her hands in her pockets, her fiery gaze fixed on me.
“Actually, I arranged this. The Shylock Trading Company was supposed to be a card I’d use for a longer time? But when I saw you, my heart just…”
Haa, haa. The girl’s excited sigh made her expression hazy.
“My heart, it’s thumping so hard… I want you so much I feel like I’m going crazy! So I decided to try to provoke you a little. How could I miss such an excellent bait like ‘Shaylock Trading Company’? I tried to stir up some jealousy too, hmm… but it seems my dear puppet didn’t like that and tried to remove my precious doll.”
“I’ll definitely collect on this debt someday.”
Yulen’s muttering continued, but the girl paid no attention to it. Her eyes were solely focused on me.
“Finally, I’ve achieved my dream… Omeros, hooray! Big brother, let’s have a pretty baby?”
A voice intoxicated with lust and greed, hatred and resentment, thoroughly drenched my eardrums.
“And then we’ll go confront those people who abandoned me… how about it? Once they realize the consequences of their sins…”
“…God.”
Right before closing my eyes, the last words I spoke were those.
I had exhausted everything that could be done with human strength.
There was nothing left to do but pray to God.
It might be nothing more than trivial self-satisfaction, but I cursed the two of them in that way.
“Aren’t you afraid of God?”
The girl’s eyelids blinked repeatedly, dazed. Her face conveyed confusion at the absurdity of what she had heard.
On the other hand, Yulen could only burst out laughing.
A smirk rose to the corner of his mouth.
“…There’s no God, I-an.”
At these words, the man turned his back. The farewell was brief.
“Your current state is proof.”
Thud, thud.
The sound of his steps fell into a steady rhythm. Like a newborn hearing a lullaby, I blinked slowly in sync with the sound.
Closing, opening them a few times.
Then, at some point, my eyelids would no longer open.
All I heard was a tiny pearl humming in my chest, endlessly.
The pearl was crying. Continuously.
Once again, I drift in dreams.
A scene witnessed by a stranger.
“We need to retreat further from the frontline.”
It was a weighty declaration.
True to the gravity of the statement, murmurs erupted from all over the meeting room. Some people looked as though they had something to say, but none dared to oppose my judgment.
My decision was entirely rational.
The defense lines maintained by humanity were four-fold. Surrounded on all sides, the situation deteriorated with the internal unrest stirred up by the hidden spies of the Dark Cult.
Thus, humanity’s leaders made a decision.
To abandon the remaining lands and defend the final territory they could hold. They planned to build a wall at its boundary, concentrating humanity’s last strength to protect it.
Of course, it was a judgment with as many drawbacks as benefits.
What are we going to do with the residents if we retreat all the frontlines now?
Evacuation would be arduous. It would be difficult to abandon the lifelong homes they built.
It was a decision where an unmanageable scale of casualties was a possibility.
Actually, this plan was built upon such calculations. Abandoning those who could not efficiently evacuate, restructuring the demographics to make way for the final battle.
The commanders gathered in this tent would not be unaware of this.
That’s why they all wore uncomfortable expressions.
Those who called themselves protectors of humanity and were posted near the frontline. Among them were landlords who had territories here and many who lived as long-time local residents.
Still, none dared to voice their opinions.
Because none could come up with an alternative. Humanity was headed toward extinction if they continued this way.
The power of the Dark Cult was far too formidable.
They were monsters who had been gathering strength for thousands of years in the shadows. The Masers barely managed to suppress these forces but when the Seven Deadly Sins appeared, everything changed.
The Dark Cult began to reveal its claws, and this was the result.
Humanity was racing toward destruction.
Like an uncontrollable runaway train.
I expected no counterarguments. Nor did I hope for active support.
They were cowards.
While fully appreciating the necessity of retreating the frontlines, they didn’t want to hear the blame and curses it would spawn.
Thus, I had to play the villain.
A weary voice emerged from my lips.
“If there are no objections, let’s proceed without further comment on this issue…”
“Many people will get hurt.”
It was an unsolicited statement, lacking formal authority.
But no one in the conference room criticized the speaker. Because this woman was the commander of the eastern front and the person who managed to repel Dark Cult’s invasion under extreme conditions.
Incidentally, she was also my lover.
A woman who was obedient as anyone in the bedroom but strictly separated work from personal life otherwise.
Don’t you think she could humor my stubbornness just once or twice?
While suppressing the sigh that threatened to pour out, I delivered the pre-prepared lines.
“But it’s something we must do.”
“I don’t argue with the decision to retreat. However, who’s responsible for those people remaining behind if we retreat?”
“No one will be responsible.”
Cruel, but undeniable truth.
Doubtful gazes were thrown at me from all around.
It didn’t matter. I’ll take as much slander as they can dish out.
“We can’t retreat while conserving our full strength. Frankly, we don’t have the resources to worry about others.”
“I see.”
Surprisingly, the woman accepted readily.
Recent experiences of being taken advantage of every night might have changed her mood.
In that sense, starting a relationship was a good decision. I knew best that once she got stubborn, no one could stop her.
But my hope shattered within seconds.
“Then I’ll stay.”
My breathing stopped.
I wasn’t the only one. The breathing of everyone seated in the conference room halted altogether.
My desperate gaze implored her.
Please, not possible.
“I will stay and defend this frontline.”
Just say it was a joke.
“If you give us some time, everyone can retreat, right?”
Then she quietly crossed herself over her chest.
My fists began to clench. My veins bulged, and my clenched teeth trembled.
“Immanuel…”
It was then that I slammed the table.
Splinters of the broken wood flew in all directions. Some small screams could be heard in the background, but I didn’t catch them.
The Holy Virgin, who calmly stared at me, filled my vision.
What could I say?
After much deliberation, I decided…
“…Come with me.”
Let’s have some time alone.
And at the next moment,
Cracks began to appear in the world I inhabited.
“Big Brother, are you awake?”
A pure whisper moistened my ears.
Clutching the blurry consciousness, the vision clarified.
I let out a muffled sigh, “Kkheu.” Somehow, all my wounds were nowhere to be seen by now. Yet, the residual pain kept me alert.
Fixing my dazed eyes ahead,
There she sat—a beautiful girl, with black hair and golden eyes, smiling gently at me.
The unusual part was her position.
The maiden perched on my waist had awakened me.
I attempted to extricate myself from her.
A futile attempt. The restraints binding my arms and legs were too tight.
My confused gaze scanned the surroundings.
There lay Celin unconscious and Senior Elsi groaning. My little sister, who was identical in appearance to the girl before me, was also bound beside them.
Where am I? I wondered.
Right at that moment,
“Big Brother, are you ready to become mine?”
The sticky temptation of her voice coiled around me like a snake.
