Event 4

He didn’t ask if I was an evil spirit. He was certain of it.

I tried to offer an excuse, but the Marquis didn’t let me.

“Of course, you can’t just admit it here. You’d probably think it’s a trap. So, just listen until I finish speaking.”

“……”

“No matter what you say, I believe you’re an evil spirit.”

“……”

“So when you became a noble, I took care of things in secret so that no one would know. If people learned that a hero like you was an evil spirit , it would cause a dangerous discord in their perception.”

It was a topic I’d discussed with Amelia in the past.

Why had I been able to become a noble without any formal ‘verification’?

[Perhaps the royal family knew but turned a blind eye. At the time, you were practically a hero to the city.]

…So that was the real reason.

“Evil spirits must always remain the common enemy of all the people. And in truth, they are. Those who strip us so completely of our lives and futures are more dangerous than any monster in the labyrinth.”

There was a deep-seated anger in his voice.

“When I heard that you had died in the labyrinth, I was secretly pleased. For the sake of this nation’s future, it was best if you vanished before your identity as an evil spirit was revealed.”

I knew that, too, but his “best scenario” eventually fell apart.

“But someone ruined it. I believe you know him too—a brazen fellow named Lee Baek-ho.

The marquiss had been blackmailed by Lee Baek-ho into publicly declaring Bjorn Jandel an ‘evil spirit,’ and afterward, he had to propose the Evil Spirit Incorporation Policy.”

Well, it’s such a major policy that it hasn’t been implemented yet.

“That man gave me a deep wound.”

“Deep wound..?”

“My son… Eltora Tercerion is already dead. The one occupying my son’s body now is some nameless evil spirit.”

I was genuinely surprised.

Not because it was the first time I was hearing this, but because I didn’t expect him to confess this much so frankly.

“Judging from your reaction, it seems you truly didn’t know.”

“Uh… I had no idea.”

“In any case, he used my son’s identity to blackmail me. I couldn’t kill my son outright, so I had no choice but to comply.”

So what exactly was the Marquis trying to say now?

After all, not everything he said was something I already knew.

“The Evil Spirit Incorporation Policy must never come to pass.” Even if becoming an evil spirit wasn’t their intention, if we accept those who stole the lives of our people into society, who will mourn for the ones whose bodies were taken?”?”

For the first time, it felt like I was catching a glimpse of the Marquis’s true thoughts.

“When you returned, it was easy for me to come up with an excuse. Ironically, to stop that man’s plan, you could not be an evil spirit.”

“…You were preparing in advance.”

“That’s right. I worked behind the scenes to create false information and records, making your non-existent infiltration mission appear as if it were real. I made thorough preparations so that no one could tell it was fake.”

Now my doubts were resolved.

I did question why Duke Kealunus and the others trusted such a flimsy plan. I never realized that he had been preparing it all along.

“Originally, I planned to announce your death on a mission when the time was right. But when you returned alive, that plan was ruined.”

At last, I understood his intent—but I also clenched my fists tightly.

“So that’s why… you sent us to Ice Rock?”

 

The Marquis readily agreed, showing no change in expression.

“There’s no point trying to cover it up now. Yes. That’s why I sent you. I thought that if you died and disappeared before regaining your name, there wouldn’t be any problems.”

How could someone be this shameless?

After all those ‘sincere’ words just now, I almost wanted to smash my fist into his face right here.

But…

‘I swore I’d endure.’

Standing upon that frozen field, I vowed it to myself that day.

Now is not the time to unleash my anger.

Yeah, that’s right.

“So… tell me now. What is the reason for saying all this?”

I asked as calmly as I could.

He’s the second-in-command of a nation, not an idiot; it’s not like he would become emotional just because I saved him once.

Of course, saving him probably had some effect…

But there must be a valid reason for him to say all this—.

“Because I am confused.”

…Huh?

“You had no reason to save me. On the contrary, you would have wished for me to die; you’re not the type to try to gain my favor, are you?”

Well, that much was true.

But…

“So why did you risk yourself to save me? I couldn’t make sense of it. But then I realized—it wasn’t just me.”

The marquiss fixed his gaze on me.

“You’ve saved countless people over the years. Yet you never had any particular reason to save them. That allowed me to reach a conclusion. No, to finally admit it.”

“And that is…?”

“That even if you are an evil spirit, you bear the nature of a hero.”

A hero, huh…

To be honest, it didn’t feel real.

I was just struggling to survive.

Together with those who happened to be around me.

“Evil Spirit or not, you are someone who will have a positive influence on this world.”

Anyway, regardless of my own thoughts. I could sense that what he was about to say next was the real reason he had called me here.

“So I have a proposal.”

The marquess’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.

“Stand on our side. Become truly one of this world’s people. Use your power to uphold balance and peace.”

Maybe it was the careful buildup, or the force in his voice, but his words carried a persuasive weight.

But..

When dealing with someone like him, you have to keep your eyes and ears open.

‘Ugh, I almost fell for it’

There are two types of people in the world.

Those who hear a proposal and only see the bright side, and those who do the opposite.

I always try to be the latter.

So…

“Use your power for peace and stability? What a strange thing to say. I’m already doing that.”

I gave him a vague reply, pushing him to reveal more.

“Forget this talk of evil spirits. If you want something, speak plainly.”

The Marquiss wasn’t caught off guard by my demand.

As if he’d expected this, he just chuckled and continued calmly.

“Haha, of course I want something.”

“Then say it.”

“Even if you agreed to join hands with me right now, there’d be no proof I could trust you. I need proof.”

Haha. Weren’t you just now saying that I was a good ‘evil spirit’?

“Lee Baek-ho.”

 

For a split second, the air in the room froze.

“Kill him for me. That person who only intends to disrupt the balance of this world.”

Yes, this was his real goal.

“Then, I think I can trust you completely.”

As expected.

There was no way this guy would act like that just because I saved him once.

After a brief silence.

Trying to convince me, the marquiss added,

“If it makes you uncomfortable, just think of it as a transaction. If you eliminate Lee Baek-ho for me, I will become your steadfast patron for as long as you live in this world.”

If it were true, it would indeed be reassuring.

Even if I shouted that I was an evil spirit in the middle of the city, he had the power to sweep it under the rug.

But that only raised more questions.

I didn’t need to ask why he wanted Lee Baek-ho dead—that was obvious.

But…

“Why ask me to do it?”

“Why was the marquiss asking me to handle him instead of dealing with it himself?”

“Because you are the only one who can do it.”

His answer caught me off guard.

“To be honest, we’ve tried countless times and always failed. For us, even meeting him is difficult. But things might be different with you. For some reason, he’s always been interested in you.”

“Of course, you don’t need to decide here and now, and even if you did decide, you don’t need to tell me. Just keep it in mind. The moment you bring me his head, you will have nothing left to worry about.”

“……”

“Please make the right choice. You love this world, don’t you? Unlike other evil spirits.”

With that, as though he had said all he needed to, the marqiss sipped his cooled tea, and the conversation stopped for a moment.

He did nothing and said nothing. The more he did so, the more complicated my thoughts became.

What should I say? What should I ask? No matter what answers I got, I wouldn’t be able to trust them 100%.

Just like with the research center admin I’d met in the underground lab.

[The only way to find truth through others is to trust. That’s why long speeches are nothing but a waste of time.]

[That’s why I said it was a deal. Does it matter who I am? All that matters is whether you accept my proposal or not.]

In the end, it always came down to one’s own judgment.

‘Still, since he only asked me to keep it in mind…’

It’s not like there’s any problem if I don’t clear it, right?

“I’ll think about your proposal. Ah, of course, I’m not an evil spirit or anything.”

When I broke the long silence and spoke, the Marquis nodded with a face that showed no lingering expectations.

“Do as you wish. Still, I’ve repaid my debt, so my mind should be at ease now.”

“…What do you mean? I only said I’d think about it.”

“I’m the type who can’t sleep well without settling debts.”

“Oh, you mean the Zone 7 reconstruction project—”

“That’s not what I mean.”

The marquiss shrugged and continued.

“Pointing you toward the right path—that was my repayment for you saving me.”

“……”

“Whether you believe it or not, that’s for you to decide.”

“…I’ll be going now.”

“Won’t you stay for a meal? It feels wrong to send you off like this.”

“I’m not really hungry today.”

 

I felt like my head would explode if I had to eat a meal with the Marquis in this situation, so I fled the mansion.

As I rode in the carriage he had lent me toward the military landing platform, I squeezed my eyes shut.

It had been an exhausting day.

Clatter, clatter…

The gentle sound of carriage wheels rolling.

I let that rhythm serve as background noise and emptied my mind. Soon, drowsiness began to creep over me.

“Hyung.”

…Huh?

Was that an auditory hallucination?

“Back then… why did you save the marquess?”

A clear voice rang in my ears, and I snapped my eyes open, staring out the window.

“What, are you trying to be his friend or something?”

Damn, that scared me.

Why the hell is this bastard here?

 

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