Chapter 182. Misfortune Always Comes in Pairs
Rattle!
I shot out my chains and wrapped them around Pie.
The chains slowly sank into her body and seized the Flow that only I could see.
Just now...
Pie’s Flow had definitely started scattering.
It probably wasn’t annihilation.
More likely, the fact that her soul had been divided for such a long time had suddenly become a serious problem because of that power of Misfortune.
[You have discovered that someone is attempting to drag away your lover’s soul!]
[Thanks to your high understanding of souls, you have successfully prevented her soul from being taken!]
But her soul had nearly been pulled away that easily?
Was that Fruit absurdly powerful?
Or was the power of Misfortune itself really that dangerous...?
“Are you okay?”
“...Yeah.”
Pie weakly nodded.
“Except I can’t put any strength into my body.”
The power she had polished and refined over such a long time was now almost impossible to feel.
Were the others okay?
If this happened because the necklace I gave her broke, then hadn’t the Village Chief been in danger too?
“Ingwang-nim!”
The Village Chief hurried over.
“Are you all right?!”
“I’m fine. What about everyone else?”
“Lady Mallyangi and Lady Levyinge defended themselves in their own ways.”
He touched the necklace around his neck.
“As for me, thanks to the necklace you gave me...”
Then his expression changed.
“Wait.”
“How did this happen?”
“...Chaos...!”
That bastard had definitely interfered.
There was no other explanation for why only Pie’s necklace had been destroyed so precisely.
“Let’s go back to the castle first.”
I looked around sharply.
“We don’t know what else might happen.”
Misfortune.
Misfortune, huh.
Just how much more misfortune did this shitty life plan to dump on me?
Wasn’t this enough already?
I had finally managed to find people I could call family.
And now it was trying to take them away?
Again?
Again?!
We hurried back to the castle and laid Pie on a bed.
She looked terrifyingly weak, as though she had come down with a severe illness.
It felt like her body had gone into shock because her soul had nearly been ripped out for a moment.
Since the problem was with her soul, her physical body itself looked fine.
But to my eyes...
Her Flow kept breaking apart in places.
It looked horribly unstable.
“I called Dorfin.”
I sat beside her.
“She should at least be able to give us some advice.”
Pie looked at me.
“She isn’t going to try eating you again like last time, right...?”
“Game-Dori and I don’t have that kind of relationship.”
I squeezed her hand.
“Don’t worry too much.”
Squeeze.
I was doing everything I could to stay calm.
Then Pie tightened her weak fingers around my hand.
Images of all the people who had kept leaving me flashed through my mind.
I genuinely felt like I was about to cry.
Like curses were about to burst out of my mouth.
Yet strangely...
The more I felt that way, the colder my head became.
My mind and emotions were already used to receiving shocks like this.
Thanks to the Chairman, Real-Dori, and Pastien repeatedly giving me shock therapy.
How very considerate of them.
...
Those fucking bastards.
“Ah...”
Pie looked at something only she could see.
“I can’t log out either.”
“...Don’t worry.”
I answered immediately.
“Even if it takes me a while, I’ll finish this within a day or two.”
Impatience was poison.
Stay calm.
Move carefully.
I had the power of Flow now.
At the very least, I should be able to keep their bodies from dying.
So even if things took longer than expected, Aien and Pie wouldn’t suddenly die.
Their health might suffer a little....
Yeah.
That really was misfortune.
Pie looked at me.
“Relax your eyes a little.”
“You look like you’re about to stab someone with them.”
“Why would I?”
I frowned.
“I don’t do things like that.”
I had been an idiot for ever thinking I could make use of the Fanatics.
Chaos was a disaster.
A piece of trash who saw me as nothing more than a person necessary to bring about the destruction of the world.
Damn it....
If Pie hadn’t looked connected to that Fruit...
I would have made sure never to get involved with those bastards at all.
“Ingwang-nim...!”
The Village Chief suddenly rushed into the room.
The instant I saw his face, an ominous feeling gripped my heart.
This man almost never panicked.
So why did he look like that?
What the hell happened now?
When I let go of Pie’s hand, she looked disappointed.
I walked over to the Village Chief.
He immediately pulled me outside.
“I know you already have more than enough to deal with, but urgent guests have arrived.”
“Guests?”
I frowned.
“Who?”
The Village Chief hesitated.
“The Church of Light sent representatives.”
Then he added—
“And so did Count Conte.”
“...Haa....”
Conte.
That was the family Aien had once been engaged to.
And the Church of Light was the organization Mallyangi had belonged to when she was alive.
...
Damn.
I could already think of several things they might use against me.
What a pain.
“Did you guide them into separate rooms?”
“I attempted to.”
The Village Chief sighed.
“But both sides insisted they should be received first and began competing with one another.”
“So they are currently in the same room.”
I stared at him.
“What, did they only send people they don’t mind dying because they’re entering the country of a Demon King...?”
Or maybe they naturally assumed I would prioritize them.
And if I didn’t...
They could use that as justification for something else.
Damn bastards.
Clunk!
I opened the door to the large guest room.
The place was packed with white-clad clergy, nobles, and knights.
Ahhh....
Aaaah, this is irritating....
Why were they strolling so openly into a Demon King’s country?
Did they see other people entering and think they could too?
Or were they thinking—
What are you going to do if we come in anyway?
You assholes.
“Hello, everyone.”
I walked inside.
“I’m Kim Ingwang, Demon King of Madness.”
I smiled.
“So what shitty problem brought all our dear friends here acting like this?”
Wow.
Those expressions were vicious.
More vicious than mine right now?
You confident about that?
Because I’m really not confident I can keep holding myself back right now.
Huh?!
I walked toward the central sofa they had left empty for me.
As I did, I deliberately let Madness leak from my body.
Well...
Anyone who came this far had probably prepared countermeasures against it.
Still.
It worked wonderfully for intimidation.
If some creepy-looking guy walked toward me dripping black energy everywhere, I would run.
“One thing to remember!”
I raised a finger.
“Keep it short.”
A second.
“Get to the point.”
A third.
“Keep it simple.”
I smiled.
“No unnecessary chatter.”
Then my smile widened.
“If you start spouting useless crap, I’ll tear your mouths wide open so you can speak better next time, okay?”
Gulp.
I sat down while forcing down emotions that felt ready to explode.
Somebody swallowed dryly.
At least they seemed to understand whose territory they had walked into.
Brave people, weren’t they?
A woman from the Church of Light spoke first.
“We represent the Church of Light.”
She stared straight at me.
“You, Demon King of Madness. We have been informed that you were involved in the past incident where heretics attacked an orphanage.”
“Sure.”
I nodded.
Then pointed.
“And you?”
“Wait!”
The woman’s expression hardened.
“Can you not give a proper answer?”
She leaned forward.
“Otherwise, should we take this as your declaration that you are willing to wage all-out war against the Church of Light?”
“...Haha!”
I held up a finger.
“First of all!”
“I’ve only been in this world for about one or two years.”
I pointed at myself.
“Understand?”
“I don’t know how far into the ancient past you’re talking about, but this fucking Demon King of Madness doesn’t know!”
“Got it?”
Her gaze sharpened.
