Chapter 110. Absolute Command (1)

Silence.

My world is nothing but silence.

Stillness amidst pouring shouts.

Lips destined to remain forever closed.

Whispers only uttered in dreams.

Thus, my world is eternal silence.

Yesterday.

Today.

Tomorrow.

And even on my final day.

My mouth will never open.

Not a single sound will escape.

But it doesn't matter anymore.

'...'

The witch of melody sealed away, Artanis, quietly raised her gaze. She stared at the figure awkwardly smiling before her, soaked like a drowned rat.

Credos.

The Demon King of this generation.

The bearer of my seal artifact's curse as collateral.

Thus, the one whose heart I once aimed for.

"…Um, hello?"

'...'

What a silly greeting, in retrospect.

Are we really the type to exchange such greetings? I'm not sure. However I think about it, probably not. But, then again, perhaps we're at least on greeting terms.

Then, what should I do?

—...…Yes, hello.

A brief hesitation.

A deep uncertainty.

And finally, my fingers moved. Drawing in the air a short, silly, somewhat awkward greeting.

And suddenly, I realized.

'...'

Ah.

My sanity has returned.

The rampage must have ended.

Then… How much time has passed during that chaos? How long did I lose my mind, running wild?

Days?

Or months?

And in the meantime, was anyone hurt by my rampaging hands? My subordinates… Are they safe?

—Are they… alright?

My first anxious thought was of my subordinates.

My three loyal subordinates.

The triplets, foolishly faithful.

They would never have left or fled just because I was rampaging.

Instead, they would've stayed beside me, worrying they might get hurt, stubbornly trying to protect me until the end.

That's why I was worried.

I earnestly hoped.

You, junior Demon King.

Credos.

Please, have granted my wish. Have listened to my plea and kept those three faithful fools away from me.

With hope and prayer, I asked.

Yet something was strange.

Credos wasn't looking at the question I'd drawn in the air. Soaked to the skin, he just stared blankly into space.

'...…'

What's going on?

Why is he suddenly spaced out?

Perhaps seeing illusions?

No, it's more like he's reading something.

…Poke, poke.

Eventually, Artanis lightly tapped Kim Jangcheol's hand with her finger.

Only then did Kim Jangcheol snap back to attention.

"Ah."

He had been eagerly reading the message floating before him. But then someone poked at his hand.

He flinched slightly.

Turning away from the message, he looked straight ahead. There, he saw Artanis staring intently at him.

Alongside a single question she'd drawn in the air.

—Are they…my subordinates, safe?

"..."

Right after regaining her senses.

Immediately after returning to sanity.

Her first concern was about them?

Kim Jangcheol was about to nod in response.

But just then—

"Baal! Diving—!"

Splash—!

Along with a thunderous shout, a huge mass(?) plunged noisily into the pool from the top of the cliff.

An enormous splash erupted.

Soon, a familiar face emerged from the water.

"Pwuaagh, cough cough! Baal swallowed water!"

"Puaaang! Tbong! Tbooong!"

"...…."

Holding Tbong, Baal floundered in the water. And he couldn't seem to get out.

Could it be that Baal was totally unable to swim?

'Why on earth did those guys jump down here?'

…was what he was thinking, just as—

"Uwaaaaaah! Zephyros! Are you sure it was the right choice to come down here—!?"

"If you're wrong, I'll kill you!"

"I'm certain, Lord Hartok, Lady Sirgi!"

Splash! Splash! Splaaaash—!

After noisy scolding and self-defense, three masses consecutively plopped into the water.

Then, raising their heads above the water surface—

"Hartok, Sirgi, Zephyros?"

Even those guys?

But…what about Asurat?

Right then—

"…Kwaaaaak!"

A somehow familiar squawk echoed from above. Raising his head, he saw a large-winged pelican—Asurat—performing an ungainly glide…only to crash straight into the cliff and plunge downward.

"…Kwa, Kwaaaak!"

Crash-splash!

"...…."

Why am I the one feeling embarrassed?

Suddenly, Kim Jangcheol's face heated up intensely.

Perhaps that was why he wanted to explain to Artanis: "They're not actually my subordinates."

But right at that moment—

"…My Lady!"

Another noisy shout came from above.

This time it was a trio.

Three identical voices shouting simultaneously as they fell.

Artanis's three loyal subordinates.

Largo, Veloce, and Andante.

Splash! Splash! Splash!

They, too, fell in rapid succession, creating water splashes.

As a result, the deep but relatively narrow pool was now fully crowded with the archivist, the Four Heavenly Kings, Tbong, and the three loyal subordinates of the former Demon Queen.

It looked like a crowded neighborhood mini-pool during peak hours.

"Kugh! Hupp! Gurgle-gulp! Demon Ki—… glub-glub!"

"Baalllll! Water… I'm fulllluull!"

"Ughh! Hartok! Baal! Stop grabbing me with those dirty haaaannnds!"

"Kkwaaaak! Kwaaak! Kwaaaak!"

"...…."

This was genuinely embarrassing.

But it seemed Artanis was experiencing a similar emotion.

"My Lady—gargle gargle…!"

"Gaaah, why is it so dee—… glub glub!"

"Wait, hyung-nim, why are you grabbing… blub-blub-blub!"

"...…."

Well, seems like their subordinates were equally terrible at swimming.

Right.

Come to think of it, I've never seen a demon survive after falling into deep water while playing the game.

"But still, isn't this a bit much…?"

I found myself grumbling involuntarily.

Then, a familiar voice responded from beside me.

"I agree, my lord."

"Tbong!"

Startled, I turned around to see Zephyros and Tbong, who had already emerged from the water and were shaking off droplets beside me.

I asked him:

"…You know how to swim?"

"Yes, though not very skillfully, enough to escape a small pool like this."

"Then why did you come out alone?"

"I brought Tbong along."

"What about the others?"

"They're too large for my swimming skills to manage."

"Then what do we do about them?"

"Hmm. I suppose it will require your intervention, my lord."

"…Haa."

A sigh slipped out naturally.

I turned toward Artanis.

"…Could you cooperate a little?"

—…Understood.

From then onward,

With the help(?) of Artanis's dress chains, we managed to rescue the Four Heavenly Kings and the three loyal vassals, who had been flailing helplessly in the small pool, signaling desperately.

Having just barely made it onto dry land, the Four Heavenly Kings were now coughing and sputtering.

The question slipped out without thought.

"Why did you guys jump down?"

"That's because…! Baal! Baal was worried about the Demon King!"

"…"

"Our Demon King! Weaker than he looks! But that woman bullied him! She tried to hit him! Baal wanted to protect our Demon King!"

"…Oh, did you?"

"Yes! Baal! Baal likes our Demon King! It's better if he doesn't die, if he stays alive for a long, long time!"

"…Yeah, I wish that too."

"Baal! Thank you, Demon King, for being safe!"

"…Ah, right. Same here."

What more could I say?

At an unexpected moment, a slight sting touched the bridge of my nose. I frowned sharply for no reason, looking at the others.

"Did all of you jump down for the same reason?"

"That's correct, Demon King."

"Exclude me, please. Hartok insisted we jump."

"Squaawk! Don't lie, Sirgi! Who was pacing nervously the most among us? Squawk!"

"What nonsense. Just undo your transformation already. You're just a flea-ridden pelican."

"…Squawk? What? Fleas? I don't have fleas!"

"Don't yell. Your breath stinks through your beak."

"My breath doesn't stink! Squawk! Keep talking rudely, and next time, I won't let you ride when I fly!"

"You? Me? Won't let me ride?"

"That's right, squawk!"

"Ha, funny. I'm the one letting you ride me. Can you even fly by yourself without me?"

"I just flew a moment ago, squawk!"

"That was falling. A crash landing."

"Whatever—!"

"…"

For some reason, whenever Sirgi and Asurat faced each other, they always fought. Yet strangely enough, it didn't seem purely hateful—there was something odd about it.

Anyway—

Kim Jangcheol quietly tucked away the gratitude he felt toward the Four Heavenly Kings and Zephyros, who had jumped down out of worry for him. Then, he turned toward Artanis's group.

They seemed…to be already preparing to leave.

"Are you leaving now?"

Kim Jangcheol asked.

Artanis paused mid-step, turning back toward him.

'…'

Painful.

Every time I see him, my heart aches.

Because it reminds me of the heart's collateral I never obtained. Because the cold sensation of the seal artifact I'll never undo feels painfully real once more.

Yet, now I know clearly—obtaining it would be useless.

Thus, I—

—I have no further business with you.

A few words drawn into the air.

Perhaps my honest feelings, at last.

—You may not know, but I no longer need the collateral engraved on your heart.

Because even if I obtain it now, I can never undo the seal artifact. In fact, nothing in this world can ever release it again.

So leaving is right.

The longer I remain here, the more clearly I realize the collateral is meaningless, and the more my loyal vassals will drown in guilt each passing day.

Believing they caused me to become like this.

Believing that my long-held desire—to undo the seal artifact—was abandoned because of them.

They'll blame themselves, resent themselves.

But… I don't want that.

Because they're my most precious people.

I don't want them to live burdened by guilt because of me.

—So that's why. There's nothing more for me here.

It's not my vassals' fault.

This is entirely my own choice.

So, it's time to leave.

"Then, where will you go now?"

—Honestly, I don't know.

I'll have to find it from now on.

A new life, no longer focused on undoing the seal artifact. To find meaning in accepting and living this life.

'…..'

Honestly, I felt a little afraid.

And somewhat overwhelmed.

No, more honestly—utterly bleak.

'…..'

What can I do now?

Could I, who lived singing melodies, endure life trapped in eternal forced silence?

'No, I must endure.'

Steadfastly.

Resolutely.

Never revealing resignation.

That's how I must live.

Only then will my three precious vassals feel less guilty. Suffer less. That alone…will be enough for me now.

Therefore—

'...'

Artanis deliberately concealed her bleak resignation. At least outwardly, she faced Kim Jangcheol with determined and resolute eyes.

And delivered her final farewell.

I've caused you much trouble all this time.

"Tbong! Tbo-bong!"

—…Yes. I'm sorry to leave you like this.

"Tbobong! Bong!"

—It's alright. This won't be an eternal farewell.

"Tbong!"

—You want…to promise?

"Tbo-bong!"

—…Alright. Let's promise then. Someday, if I return here, to Chavin de Huantar…on that day, I'll seek you first. Will that do?

"Tbong!"

—…Alright then, pinky promise.

Boop.

Artanis's long, pale finger intertwined with Tbong's tiny, rice-grain-sized finger, carving out a small promise.

And then Artanis turned away.

Well then, farewell.

She began to walk.

Resolutely.

Steadfastly.

Pushing down resignation.

Reassuring her three loyal vassals following behind. Comforting them with gestures that it wasn't their fault. Secretly swallowing the rising sorrow and despair.

Just as she was about to leave—

"…Be released."

Kim Jangcheol spoke.

Having finally finished reading the message that had floated before his eyes earlier. After fully comprehending its meaning. After a brief hesitation, making a decisive choice.

Quietly.

Like a whisper.

Pulling forth the collateral engraved on his heart.

Filling his voice with absolute, unwavering command.

Watching Artanis's receding back.

Toward her seal artifact.

Once again, he murmured:

"Be released."

At that very moment—

…Clink!

Artanis's seal artifact was undone.

"…Huh?"

For the first time, her true face was revealed.