Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer?

Episode 252: Does it have any meaning? (6)

[Okay, shall we get back to the main topic? For this reason, you have no means of hiding your demonic energy. Concealment of ignorance can no longer be undone.]

I must have been wheezing inside for a while. It seemed like he sensed that I was being real—I don’t know how he noticed. I thought you didn’t show it? — Yuk-gwi changed his words.

It was also a very helpful help for me who didn’t have much time. It wasn’t time to waste like this, but if it wasn’t for the six ghosts, I would have been ruined.

“If you do that…”

Is it a bit disappointing that the useful card of concealing ignorance has disappeared? However, just because it’s a waste doesn’t mean I regret the decision I made earlier – what I heard.

No matter how chaotic the situation is, if you understand the situation properly, you can make appropriate preparations, right? Even if you have to work hard, knowing and being swayed is a hundred times better than being swayed without knowing. No, it’s a thousand times better!

“Is it impossible to change demonic energy into magical energy like Sangun?”

So, instead of dwelling on the hand I lost, I looked for another way.

[That doesn’t work anymore.]

Of course, it wasn’t that easy.

[I just said that your body is closer to a devil than a human. That doesn’t simply mean that the devil’s influence has become stronger.]

“…?”

[So… the material used to make up the body is not magical energy, but magical energy. But now you want to eliminate all the demonic energy from there, right? Will that work?]

“…Are you saying there will be a problem?”

[I don’t think it’s something light enough to be summed up in one sentence: ‘A problem arises’, but yeah. If I had to express it, it would be like that.]

Yuk-gwi said so and gave a few examples. The action you just presented is like replacing flour (maggi) with coal (horsepower) when making bread (body).

[For your information, you and that guy are in different situations. The eccentricities that this guy does are literally possible because he was born with a special trait. Regardless of talent or effort, this happens because the body itself has the property of not collapsing even when it comes and goes between demonic energy and magical energy.]

Before I could expand the scope of my thoughts, the Six Ghosts took the lead. It wasn’t a useless thing. That was a question that could be easily answered with just a little bit of thought.

[On the other hand, your body has none of those characteristics. So, as soon as demonic energy is converted into magical power, appropriate side effects will follow. From the small pain of twisting the muscles to the big pain of becoming deformed, etc.]

He didn’t even stop talking. I spewed out guilt as if I was trying to block out many of the possibilities I could think of.

[Think of the creatures made of demonic energy. Are their lives reasonably tough?]

“…I’m not sure.”

Quality…is it long? I don’t know because most people die with one hit. If I were to be included among the creatures made of demonic energy, I might be able to say that they are quite tough.

[I don’t know, but it’s really tough. Children with Magi have strong resilience. Also, in the same vein, your body is also constantly trying to be restored, right? It is not just a matter of demonic energy accumulating in a part of your body, but the core that generates demonic energy endlessly is inside you, so the severity is likely to be more serious.]

“Then….”

[Of course, by pressing down on the core of demonic energy with great force, the demonic energy is generated. If you limit the occurrence, it would be okay to change your body or do something… but as I said at the beginning, if this were to happen, would you have ended up like that?]

If this happens, is there really no way? really?

…Do I really have to run away like a criminal now?

“Then in the end, the only way is to seal it.”

I looked again at my future, trying not to show gloom. Even though I groped with my hands and shined a light on myself throughout my stay here, I still can’t see the path I should take. I was out of breath.

[I guess so.]

But still, we have to move forward.

I gritted my teeth quietly and lowered my eyelids for a moment. Suddenly, I thought of the real ‘Legend of Heroes’.

“…Thank you for your confirmation.”

There were also two routes for demon knights to advance.

The Ruin route, a twisted avenger who is blinded by revenge and joins hands with the devil, and the Vanquisher route, a living sacrifice that seals the devil in exchange for his life.

Among them, Ruin’s path has already been walked by a real demon knight. I don’t know if it was coincidence or fate, but at least I lived by being called that name.

If so, what’s left for me is the Benquisher route?

Is this the future I should reach, where I succeed in completely suppressing the devil by using a seal to separate myself from the world, but lose all five senses as a side effect?

He exists in the world, but because he does not exist, he is easily forgotten, and even time cannot find him, so he cannot grow old and die. Therefore, my future is to exist only as a wedge forever?

Something that is destroyed in the name of overcoming?

I pursed my lips as I remembered what might have been the answer sheet given to me.

I just want to go home. A single desire was quietly drawn on the answer sheet. It was a layering that completely covered up the existing answer.

[…Are you going?]

Six Ghosts asked about my movements. I didn’t bother to answer. An hour of Q&A was long enough.

Slurp.

Instead, I held the two-hander that I had not taken with me and spun the bangle in my hand. If you hold the ricasso part instead of the handle, there is enough distance to fit it on your back. A long greatsword hung on his back.

[If you go out, you won’t get any clear answers.]

“But wouldn’t someone know?”

[I don’t know. Does anyone know? Even if there was, I don’t think they would tell you. I’m sure I’ll be chased without anything to gain.]

“I’ve already made up my mind.”

[Are you also taking into account the fact that you are much closer to the devil than before you came here?]

“I know that.”

Now then, is there anything else to take care of? I’ve organized my inventory and improved my physical condition by getting some rest, but is there anything else I should take care of?

[…I’m telling you, just in case you don’t know, the magic energy you exude can be sufficiently purified even at that level. In other words, you can find a way out in this forest without worrying about getting caught.]

None. At least in the current situation, there is really nothing that can be taken care of.

The information was resolved through the previous questions and answers, and food, water, medicine, and clothing had to be handled outside—I’m so sorry for being indebted to you, but I can’t steal it from here again, right? If you ask me to do so, I’ll be pulling my pants on – because it’s work.

“I am the only one who should be put on the gallows.”

Then it’s really over. After coming to that conclusion, I took steps to leave. Where should I go from now on? Where do I have to stop so I can continue my meditation without being caught? Unsolvable questions settled in the back of my head and tormented me.

[Look at that stupid thing.]

And when I took two steps, Six Ghosts spoke.

[Hey descendants!!! He’s running away!!!]

“…!?”

[Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu… Yes? What?]

It was an unimaginable betrayal.

* * *

[Hehe.]

I was eventually caught.

[Hehehehe.]

Of course, I didn’t give up running from the beginning after Sangun woke up. In fact, right after I started running, I decided that I could run away if I decided.

“…don’t laugh.”

However, it was a defeat when the Sangun stopped chasing him and shed tears. If I were to add one more thing, it would be something like, “If you really wanted to go, you should just say you’re going. Did you hate us that much?” while crying.

So I approached him with the intention of clearing up any misunderstandings before leaving…

[But you’re not going to leave if I don’t do this.]

…This is what happened.

I felt a headache as I looked at the mountains wrapped tightly around my body. The reason he likes me so much is because he has seen me for so long. Is there really something I did that you like so much?

[Or did you really hate Ji…?]

“…If it continues like this, that might happen.”

[You’re lying. They’re just trying to change positions out of fear that they’ll accuse us of being devils too.]

“….”

[Are you serious?]

[Yes.]

It’s the truth, but would someone who knows that take Sangun’s side? And what are you talking about here? If they found out, shouldn’t they just keep their mouths shut and let them go?

[Baby, just admit it. You need help right now and you’re not in a situation where you can be considerate of others.]

“…I’m only considering myself—”

[You’re being selfish because you ran away from the gallows. If you’re going to say that, stop. That’s not selfish, it’s natural.]

But all the logic I wanted to say was blocked from the beginning. Yukgui, who was hanging on the end of Sangun’s tail, crawled and reached my bedside.

[You may not know it because you are still young, but the only being in this world who can take care of you is yourself. This forest, which seems to be on your side now, may change at any moment and try to take everything from you.]

Suddenly, the turtle’s head touched my forehead. The lukewarm warmth made me sad for no reason.

[For now, there’s a great example here, right? This is an example of betrayal when I cherished and cared for someone more than myself, only to have them come back to me. So there’s no way you won’t end up like this too. Because the world really doesn’t know.]

“…is this ultimately a story about not trusting others?”

[No. Rather than that, use it when you can. In other words, you can eat too sparingly and not let it spoil. That’s the only way you can survive.]

I was so sad that I bit the corner of my lip.

“I don’t want to inconvenience the subject I helped.”

Still, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

“I don’t want to see you, the only people who welcomed me, suffer harm because of me.”

It was always like that.

“I don’t want to know how you will view me after I get upset.”

Sweet people always leave me in a miserable life.

“That’s why I…”

“Then we can just hide the link so that we don’t get harmed by Eun-gong.”

“…!”

I waited until the misery was washed away.

“Is that so?”

The boy, whose clothes were disheveled as if he had rushed out, smiled brightly.

“That can’t be…”

“Yes. “We just need to destroy the evidence that they can use to question us.”

“…Do you think all of the swamp priests can keep silent?”

“Hmm. I believe them… but I’m not sure. “I’m sorry for those who don’t like me, but there are also people who dislike Black Thunder Snakes.”

Of course, the reason they are reluctant to use the Black Thunder Snake is simply because it is compared to the mountain army with a human body. The boy added slightly as if to prevent any misunderstanding.

“But wouldn’t the problem be solved if they all thought the Thunder Serpent had left?”

“…?”

“Even in this great forest, there are areas that are sparsely populated. “You can move your benefactor there and tell everyone that you have left.”

“…But it will still be a problem.”

“well. You stayed where you were. ‘We didn’t know you were that kind of person. It’s enough to just say, ‘I accepted it because he was a benefactor.’ In fact, we have never heard any news about the situation the Black Thunder Snake is in or why he is being chased. “Except for what Lord Eun-gong said directly.”

So─ the warchief made a final note.

“If I had any thoughts, I would stop there. Doubting anything more than that is tantamount to challenging us. “If anything happens, you can threaten to cut off communication.”

It’s quite… plausible… like…?

I do not know. I opened my mouth slightly and managed to poke the hole I thought of.

“…What if I get caught hiding in a deserted area?”

“It’s okay to just say you didn’t know at the time. What is not unreasonable is that we do not understand everything about this huge forest. If you say you don’t know what you don’t know and then ask why you didn’t know, wouldn’t that end up starting a fight…”

Surprisingly, it seems like that was already in the warchief’s head.

“Please rest assured and stay longer. “If you have business elsewhere, there is no need to leave for the safety of this forest.”

Sangun, who was listening to everything, cackled and tapped the floor with his tail, and Yukgui nodded in satisfaction.

“You already saved this forest, and now it’s just our turn to become your home.”

I felt like it was my loss.