Chapter 12. Majesty From Another World (1)
“At least Captain isn't dead.”
“I'm glad it was Yoo Jaeha instead.”
The team sighed in relief.
Cup-Ramen Jaeha exploded.
[HEY!]
[WAIT!]
[WHAT DID YOU BASTARDS JUST SAY?!]
[HEY! HEY!]
[THIS ISN'T RIGHT!]
Julian pushed up his glasses.
“As long as Majesty is alive, we can use Artifacts.”
He calmly analyzed the situation.
“And they think Majesty is dead.”
His eyes sharpened.
“It's the perfect setup for stabbing them in the back.”
Ilya looked at Cup-Ramen Jaeha and snorted.
“...Well.”
“The only problem is a certain someone became emergency food.”
[STOP SAYING IT LIKE THAT!!!]
“Endure it.”
Julian looked down at him.
“You're still a Divine-Grade Artifact.”
[Cup-Ramen Yoo Jaeha
(SS-Grade / Consumable Artifact)]
Julian adjusted his glasses.
“Though I am curious what kind of Divine-Grade effect cup ramen could possibly have.”
Meanwhile, Jooheon impatiently tapped his fingers against his arm while waiting for Chloe's diagnosis.
She examined Jaeha's body.
The hole in his chest was still there.
“His heart is gone.”
She frowned.
“But he's somehow not dead.”
“See?”
Majesty Jaeha nodded.
“I told you.”
Veins bulged on Jooheon's forehead.
Sure.
It was good that Jaeha was alive.
But...
[IF I DON'T HAVE A HEART, I'M GOING TO STAY AS CUP RAMEN FOREVERRRRR!!!]
Jaeha screamed.
Jooheon raised one eyebrow.
“You.”
He looked at Majesty Jaeha.
“Did you plan this from the beginning?”
Majesty Jaeha shrugged.
“Yes.”
“Keeping Majesty alive was the only hope.”
Jooheon scowled.
“Because people need to use Artifacts?”
“No.”
Majesty Jaeha shook his head.
“It's a more fundamental problem.”
“?”
He stared at Jooheon.
“Among all Majesties, you're the only one who completely dominated the Artifacts.”
“You easily destroyed my test.”
“You even avoided Rulebook's disasters using your own tricks.”
Majesty Jaeha raised his head.
His eyes were steady.
Cold.
And filled with almost irresponsibly absolute conviction.
“That's why I chose hope.”
He looked directly at Jooheon.
“You can dominate the Divine-Grade Artifacts inside Amaterasu's space.”
Jooheon's forehead twitched.
This crazy bastard.
“You touched my subordinate without permission.”
He stepped forward.
“And now you're trying to excuse everything by calling me 'hope'?”
“If you had died, this world would already be gone.”
Majesty Jaeha stepped closer.
“You've probably figured it out now.”
“Every world where a Majesty is born eventually gets visited by that Rulebook.”
“You can't avoid it.”
He pointed toward the sky.
“But look at what you did.”
“You defeated the disasters.”
He spread his hand.
“You turned this into a world where people can still use Artifacts.”
His expression became serious.
“Do you understand how extraordinary that is?”
“Across all dimensions, the only worlds where Artifacts still work are worlds that compromised with the Divine-Grade Artifacts.”
“!”
Majesty Jaeha continued.
“Once you become Majesty, you have to choose.”
“Submit to the Artifacts and keep using them...”
“Or let your world be destroyed.”
He smiled faintly.
“But you avoided both.”
On top of that...
Jooheon had even earned rewards for beating the disasters.
Still...
BOOM!
Jooheon's fist smashed into Majesty Jaeha's side.
His body flew through the air.
He crashed into the ground.
“Don't explain it like you're proud of yourself.”
Jooheon glared down at him.
“It's annoying.”
Majesty Jaeha clutched his stomach.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
Even then, he smiled.
“...You really are strong.”
Jooheon summoned Gungnir and aimed it at him.
“Maybe you thought I'd go easy because you look like Yoo Jaeha.”
His eyes sharpened.
“But you're just some stranger from another worldline.”
Majesty Jaeha smiled bitterly.
“That line...”
“You really are exactly like the you from my world.”
“We're nothing alike.”
Jooheon didn't know what kind of relationship Seo Jooheon and Yoo Jaeha had in that world.
This bastard was still an outsider.
“How do I restore Jaeha?”
“Simple.”
Majesty Jaeha wiped the blood from his lips.
“Take back the heart they stole.”
“!”
“The Supreme Gods of the Four Great Civilizations collect the hearts of Majesties.”
“You remember that, right?”
“They're planning to use those hearts to reverse the 'Curse of Artifactization.'”
The team stirred.
Cup-Ramen Jaeha started crying.
[What?!]
[I'm alive?]
[I can go back to normal?!]
Majesty Jaeha handed Jooheon the red cup ramen.
“Follow Rulebook to recover your subordinate's heart.”
“And more importantly...”
He looked at Jooheon.
“Your daughter.”
“!”
“You said the Artifacts of the Four Great Civilizations have her.”
“Only Rulebook knows where their Supreme God Artifacts are.”
“And Rulebook is their representative.”
He smiled.
“It'll go back to report to them.”
Which meant...
Following Rulebook is the only way to find both Jaeha and my daughter.
Jooheon frowned.
“But don't we need a dimensional-transfer Artifact?”
“I told you.”
Majesty Jaeha sighed.
“I have one.”
“And in return, I'm supposed to become your annoying subordinate?”
“Well...”
He swept his bangs back.
“Forget that part for now.”
