534 – Persuasion (1)

There is one thing I like the most while living in the Demonic Cult, and that is food.

The Demonic Cult is relatively self-sufficient due to its geographical characteristics, but has been engaging in steady trade recently.

Besides, there are only dangerous animals around here. There are quite a few large animals around, even if they are not as large as those inside the Forest of Chaos.

But what kind of place is the Demonic Cult? Isn’t it a place where countless believers live safely under the protection of the Heavenly Demon?

We have already established measures to stop the animals, and have further accumulated various know-hows. So hunting is easy.

Furthermore, they domesticated some animals, which made it possible to secure food without any problems.

“What is this?”

“It’s a dish baked in an oven. It’s a cultural artifact brought from the West.”

“Then what about this?”

“This dish is cooked using charcoal. It has a unique charcoal aroma······”

Moreover, I had stockpiled enough food to fill my stomach.

Thanks to this, I was able to indulge in my gluttony without worrying about what others thought, and the people of Cheonmagung Palace did not complain.

Rather, they say that they feel good about eating even food that has a long shelf life and is difficult to dispose of.

The mines that are currently capable of fighting have gone to Changcheon. They have also brought only the bare minimum of food, so there is a lot to spare.

‘I like anything I can eat.’

Although it was difficult because of Cheonma’s unconditional affection, the life in the Demonic Cult itself was not bad.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll be dying for the rest of my life. I had too much to do.

It’s difficult to just waste time when the Touhou episodes aren’t even finished yet.

“I hope you’re doing well. That’s good.”

“······huh.”

So, just as they were about to eat and figure out how to escape, by chance, the group arrived at Cheonmagung Palace.

I had noticed it the moment Cheonma told me that a guest had arrived. But I never thought they would arrive this quickly.

I figured at least he’d be running around in trouble or he’d be causing a big fuss.

You might say that I don’t trust them too much, but that’s not true at all. You can tell by looking at Lize’s actions in Soul World.

‘Because he was infinitely merciless to heretics.’

The authors I hate more than the devil are heretics, especially those who interpret chaos in their own way.

While the devil treats them as mere ‘losers’ or ‘rebels’, heretics are treated as just trash.

Although I have never met a Heavenly Demon in Soul World······ To be honest, I don’t think our compatibility would be that good. On the contrary, it would be the worst.

“We’ve come this far through hardships, and who can be at ease…? This is making me angry.”

Kara approached me with brisk strides as I watched Lize’s expression.

An expression that was a proper mix of joy at finding me and anger at my hardships.

But since the anger was more of a joke, it would be okay to just keep your mouth shut.

“I······ am sorry. I couldn’t help it.”

“Yeah. You couldn’t help it. Looking at what that guy did, you deserved it.”

Kara mentioned Cheonma and Seolhwa, who were standing quietly behind us and looking at us.

Seolhwa was quietly watching us enjoying our reunion, not knowing what she was thinking.

Sometimes he would touch his chin or show curiosity, but I couldn’t figure out what he was thinking.

“There were no problems? It must have been quite a distance.”

“It was a problem… To be honest, I couldn’t say there weren’t any. But I solved it well.”

Kara explained everything that had happened when she came to the Demonic Cult. The first thing that surprised her was the nine-tailed fox’s prank.

The nine-tailed fox got on Lize’s nerves by switching between day and night, and then climbed the cliff while skinning her.

And not alone, but with Luna. I had a question as I listened to this story.

‘I don’t think Lize and the Gumiho are on bad terms, right?’

I think I know roughly where Lize and Luna went. It’s a village where spirits gather, and one of the gods’ most important forces.

All the beings living there can be said to be spirits of the Gulag. That’s why they are on good terms with Lize.

So I was a little skeptical when they said they were skinning it. The gumiho was a very playful creature, but it never crossed the line.

However, considering that she went up with Luna, it may have been done for her growth.

‘No matter what, I hope Luna becomes stronger.’

The story after that was not much······there wasn’t much. In particular, Luna’s snout that was just there was the best.

He made a logic statement that made the listener’s mouth drop open, saying that you have two mothers.

What’s even funnier is that the logic worked. I guess the other person was also taken aback by it.

“The saint is a saint, but Ratatosk was a great help.”

“Prisoner… No. Ratatosk? Where are you now?”

“I’ll be with Ellie······”

Kara stopped looking for Porori. She had an expression on her face like she saw something she shouldn’t have.

What on earth did he see that made him do that? At that moment, I turned my head.

“What a strange animal. It seems to have the energy of the sky. How amazing.”

“Hey, let go of this! I said let go!”

“Your Majesty, can you please return Porori to me?”

Seolhwa is looking around while holding Porori’s hind legs. Porori, of course, vehemently refuses.

Ellie was desperately begging from the side, but Seolhwa was busy looking at it. Well, after a while, she quietly let go.

Porori, who had escaped from the snow, quickly climbed onto Ellie’s head. Here, he stood with his tail raised high in the air to stand on guard.

It’s highly unusual for Porori to react like that, but purple is purple after all.

“Master. That human is strange. He’s human, but he doesn’t seem human.”

“What’s strange?”

“What should I say? The feeling itself is different. They only look human on the outside, but they seem completely different on the inside. It’s a bit foreign.”

Would you be interested in Porori, who speaks a language no less than that of a human?

“For a beast of a subject, you have quite a good linguistic ability. Interesting.”

“Kyaa!”

Porori’s hair stood on end at Seolhwa’s plotting(?). He must have realized that the interest had a bad meaning.

But that’s most likely a joke. There’s a village right next door where spirits live, so there’s no way I haven’t seen one.

There were various incidents as soon as we reunited, but the most important thing remained.

“So, can we go back now?”

Grace, who had been watching the situation, spoke up. At those words, the slightly noisy atmosphere became quiet in an instant.

As she said, that’s the most important thing. We have to get me out of the Cheonma Shingyo somehow.

Otherwise, there would be no reason for the group to risk their lives and come to the Demonic Cult.

“I don’t think you thought you’d be able to go back just like that.”

In the quiet atmosphere, Seol-hwa was the first to speak. As expected, she had no intention of just letting me go.

When it seemed like things were going as expected, Seolhwa stared at me and opened her mouth.

“Shiva is the companion of the main woman. If the main woman is the sky, then the companion is like the earth. Do you think it makes sense for the two to be separated?”

“What do you mean you stole someone else’s land and made it your own?”

Kara grumbled and complained. She had a point.

What Seolhwa did was a clear kidnapping. It was a kind of predatory marriage that went beyond kidnapping.

So, it seems like they were the ones who made the mistake first, but who is the story? It’s the purple color that has overwhelming power.

In a world where power is law, if Seol-hwa holds out until the end, she will have no choice but to open her eyes and get her nose cut off.

“What’s more, a woman cannot give up her companion.”

“Can I ask why?”

“Being together made it feel like every day was a new day.”

“······?”

I wonder if I felt something strong in those words.

Everyone, including Ellie, who had asked the question, turned their heads to me.

It’s a silent sign that asks what on earth he did to make such words come out of his mouth.

But I’m just confused because I haven’t done anything. What on earth have I done?

“A name given by my companion. My heart started pounding after I got that name. I was able to gradually realize who my real wife was.”

“······Who are you?”

“You are my companion, but she is also your companion. I came to know what it feels like to be alive.”

The atmosphere began to become increasingly strange. The expressions on the faces of the women who liked me also gradually changed.

It wasn’t Seol-hwa’s fault, it was my fault. I felt so wronged that I thought I was going crazy.

“That is why I cannot give up. If my companion leaves, what joy will I have in living?”

Of course, the direction of the arrow changed with the terrifying obsession of the story that followed.

Anyway, if she doesn’t give up, everything is useless. I have to change her mind somehow.

I wish I could say something······but things in this world don’t always go as planned.

“So, convince the real woman. So that she can send her companion with peace of mind.”

“······I am.”

“You shouldn’t come out. There is someone the woman wants.”

Just as Lize was about to step forward, Seolhwa stopped her. When she made a puzzled expression on her face.

“There’s the yellow hair.”

“······Who? Me?”

Seolhwa pointed at Luna, who had been quiet until now.

Everyone’s eyes turned to her, and even Luna pointed to herself.

“You said something funny earlier. You referred to yourself as a child.”

“Uh······ That’s······ right?”

“I wonder what you’ll say this time.”

I don’t know what I did in that short time.

“So, you have to convince her.”

Seolhwa showed deep interest in Luna’s snout.

‘······Fucked.’