Chapter 262. Revelation (2)
─ What did she just say?
─ A Contractor from the Material Realm? Lowest-tier?
─ He had no qualifications to become a Constellation?
─ That makes no sense!
─ But he always hid his true name.
─ Yeah. He went way too far in concealing his identity.
─ Was he afraid the truth would come out?
─ No way...
“While separating Belial’s components and extracting suitable material for His Majesty Lucifer... I was able to access Belial’s memories.”
“That was when I learned something.”
“All this time... Belial had been cooperating with a human man.”
“Despite being a Contractor, he was an extremely weak human.”
“He wandered from place to place, eventually met Belial, and the two became close.”
“Then that man died unexpectedly.”
“And yet, for some reason... he became a Constellation.”
“Not just any Constellation either.”
“He became an S-rank Constellation, the highest rank.”
“After realizing he had become an S-rank Constellation, he began using that power to interfere with all sorts of events.”
“He even descended into the Material Realm, concealed his identity, contacted Belial again, and plotted alongside him.”
“Yes.”
“He hid his identity thoroughly.”
“And deceived the entire world.”
“The greatest fraud in the universe...”
“That is the true identity of the S-rank Constellation, ‘Nameless King.’”
When Bael finished speaking...
a heavy silence filled the underground chamber.
"..."
Kim Nameless stood completely still.
He said nothing.
There wasn’t even an expression on his face.
Watching him...
Ha Mina smiled with satisfaction.
“Now, Kang Yujin.”
“You understand, don’t you?”
She turned toward Kang Yujin.
“The Nameless King... is not someone worthy of your trust or loyalty.”
"..."
“Originally, there was a difference between the two of you as vast as heaven and earth.”
“You are now someone who could arguably be called the strongest person in the world.”
“He, on the other hand, was so insignificant that he couldn’t even be compared to you.”
Kang Yujin remained silent.
Ha Mina continued.
“You were mistaken.”
“No... it would be more accurate to say that you were deceived.”
She raised one finger and pointed at Kim Nameless.
“By that disgusting fraud.”
A disgusting fraud.
That was how Ha Mina defined the Nameless King.
“So, Kang Yujin...”
“Let us return to the beginning.”
“The beginning?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s redefine our relationship from the ground up.”
“Without that worthless existence interfering.”
Ha Mina approached Kang Yujin as she spoke.
“Abandon the Nameless King.”
“Then the two of us can start over together.”
“No!”
A sharp voice suddenly rang out.
Number 49, who had been broadcasting from a corner, canceled her invisibility and shouted.
“Lord Kang Yujin, don’t betray Nameless!”
“Number 49...?”
“Why did you follow Nameless in the first place?”
“Was it because he was some great hero?”
“No!”
Number 49 shouted with tears forming in her eyes.
“You followed him because Nameless saved you!”
“He pulled you out of the depths of despair!”
“He showed you that hope really exists in this world!”
“That’s why you followed him!”
"..."
“You realized that there really are people in this world who save those suffering from misfortune!”
“And because of that, you decided that you wanted to become someone like that too!”
“That’s why you respected Nameless!”
“That’s why you followed him!”
Ha Mina frowned at Number 49.
“Apostle.”
“Be quiet.”
“You’re forgetting your role and interfering this directly.”
“Aren’t you afraid of the penalty?”
“I don’t care!”
“I... I...!”
Number 49 clutched her chest and shouted.
“I never cared whether Nameless was some incredible hero or not!”
“I stayed with Nameless because the things he did were fun!”
“Because everything he planned and carried out was exciting!”
“I don’t care about Nameless’s past!”
“I wanted to be with him because of who he is now!”
“Because he’s the Nameless I like!”
“Lord Kang Yujin, aren’t you the same?!”
"..."
“So please don’t betray Nameless!”
“If you abandon him, Nameless will... Nameless will...!”
Tears fell from Number 49’s eyes as she cried out miserably.
“Number 49.”
Kang Yujin spoke in a calm voice.
“What am I supposed to say if you steal all my lines?”
Number 49 abruptly raised her head.
“You already said everything I wanted to say.”
“L-Lord Kang Yujin...”
“Did you really think I’d fall for that witch’s attempt to turn us against each other?”
“Don’t make me laugh.”
That was right.
Ha Mina...
and even Number 49...
had underestimated Kang Yujin.
“All of you here... no.”
“All the Constellations watching through the broadcast.”
“Listen carefully.”
Kang Yujin pointed toward Number 49.
Toward the countless Constellations watching through her broadcast.
“What exactly have you been watching all this time when you looked at the Nameless King?”
Then Kang Yujin asked them directly.
“I don’t know much about your world.”
“So I don’t really know what all of you think about the Nameless King.”
“But there’s one thing I’m sure of.”
Kang Yujin turned toward Kim Nameless.
Kim Nameless was watching him with a slightly surprised expression.
“That man...”
“would never have dressed himself up with lies.”
Kang Yujin was certain.
He wouldn’t have bragged as though he had once been some legendary hero.
He wouldn’t have deceived people by pretending he had accomplished magnificent feats.
“If all of you supported the Nameless King...”
“then it was because of what the Nameless King did.”
“Not because of some glorious background he claimed to have.”
Still looking at Kim Nameless, Kang Yujin continued.
“So I’m not disappointed just because he hid his identity.”
“I’ll keep supporting the Nameless King.”
“I’ll keep following him.”
"..."
Kim Nameless silently bit his lip.
Kang Yujin looked away from him.
Then he turned toward Number 49 again.
Toward the Constellations watching.
“What about you?”
“Did you support the Nameless King because you thought he came from some famous heroic legend?”
“Or did you support him because of what the Nameless King actually accomplished?”
“Which one was it?”
“How pathetic.”
Ha Mina frowned at Kang Yujin.
“You seem desperate to defend him.”
“But that doesn’t change what the Nameless King really is.”
“Many Constellations have already been shocked by the truth...”
“Ha Mina, I think you’re misunderstanding something.”
Princess Longji spoke.
“A considerable number of Constellations had already suspected that the Nameless King might be a modern figure from the Material Realm.”
“What?”
“Isn’t that right, Merlin?”
“Yes...”
Merlin nodded.
“The Nameless King’s way of operating was clearly that of someone familiar with modern Material Realm civilization.”
“On top of that, he inherited the ‘King of Avengers’ handgun and used it without any discomfort.”
“Constellations from before the modern era tend to be extremely awkward with firearms.”
Merlin continued with a bitter smile.
“Especially me.”
“I realized it fairly early.”
“The reason I never revealed it even when I was hostile toward the Nameless King was because I judged that it might backfire depending on the circumstances.”
“Backfire?”
“Ha Mina, the Spirit Realm is far more complicated than you think.”
“Controlling public opinion is extremely difficult.”
“Depending on the mood, revealing something like this might have generated sympathy for the Nameless King instead.”
Merlin looked toward Number 49.
“Number 49.”
“What’s the reaction right now?”
“Ah... j-just a moment!”
Number 49 blinked and concentrated.
─ I knew it.
─ So the people saying the Nameless King came from the Material Realm were right after all.
─ Still, hearing he was a Contractor with no accomplishments is a little shocking.
─ Yeah. How did he even become a Constellation?
─ Is there some rule saying a Contractor from the Material Realm with no achievements isn’t allowed to become one?
─ It’s still weird. That would mean practically anyone could become a Constellation.
─ The Constellation system itself is weird to begin with.
─ We’ll probably find out someday why the Nameless King became a Constellation too, right?
─ Make content about that after you destroy Pandemonium.
─ That actually sounds pretty interesting.
─ Hey, Nameless King! If you disappear because of something like this, I’ll never forgive you!
[A-rank Constellation ‘Third Son of the God of War’ has sponsored 10,000,000 Origin Power.]
[Comment: One long-standing mystery has finally been answered.]
[S-rank Constellation ‘Shining Guardian’ has sponsored 20,000,000 Origin Power.]
[Comment: I look forward to seeing what path the Nameless King takes from here.]
[S-rank Constellation ‘King of Knights’ has sponsored 50,000,000 Origin Power.]
[Comment: What matters is what one chooses to do in the present.]
[S-rank Constellation ‘Grand Preceptor of the Golden Whip’ has sponsored 100,000,000 Origin Power.]
[Comment: This was never something worth making an issue of in the first place.]
“W-Well... I can’t say the response is one hundred percent positive, but they aren’t really criticizing you either!”
“If anything... they seem interested?”
“They’re watching because they find it exciting!”
“Everyone seems really invested!”
“Hmm.”
Merlin rubbed his chin.
“So there was no reason to worry after all.”
“Merlin, I seem to remember you urgently shouting at Number 49 to stop the broadcast a moment ago.”
“Haha...”
“I panicked a little too.”
“It happened too suddenly.”
At Princess Longji’s comment, Merlin scratched his head.
“Like I said, it’s difficult to predict how public opinion will move in the Spirit Realm.”
“When you think about that... the Nameless King really does have unusually good instincts.”
“That’s true.”
“Perhaps that was possible precisely because he came from the modern Material Realm.”
“Princess Longji, what did you think after learning the Nameless King’s true identity?”
“Nothing in particular.”
“My reaction was basically just, ‘So that was it.’”
“Yes.”
“For people like us, that’s about as far as it goes.”
Merlin smiled and shrugged.
“So, Nameless King.”
He looked directly at me.
“Relax.”
“And do what you need to do.”
"..."
I looked at Merlin.
Then Princess Longji.
Alexei.
Number 49.
And finally...
Kang Yujin.
“Yeah...”
My steps felt lighter as I approached Lucifer’s placenta.
There was no longer anyone standing in my way.
“That won’t happen...!”
At that moment...
a figure rushed into the underground cavern.
A thin teenage girl.
Christina.
The Vessel who possessed strength close to Kang Yujin’s.
“Damn...!”
Merlin hurriedly tried to cast a spell.
But he was already too late.
Everyone else had also been delayed while keeping Bael and Ha Mina in check.
Christina raised her sword.
She was about to fire sword qi.
“You’re not getting past me...!”
But a man rushed in right behind Christina...
and tackled her to the ground.
Covered in blood...
the B-rank Constellation ‘Murderous Fiend of Two Axes.’
Lee Gyu.
“What’s taking you so damn long?!”
“Hurry up and finish it, brother!”
Lee Gyu growled as he pinned Christina down and interfered with her movements.
“Yeah...!”
Answering the unwavering trust in his voice...
I swung the sword of the Count of Monte Cristo.
With everything I had...
so I would never shame the people who believed in me.
