Published at 2nd of April 2026 5:13 pm

Chapter 423

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

"Hmm?"

The Heavenly Demon let out a monosyllabic reaction. Hearing that, my eyebrows stiffened.

'What is this?'

Why does that old man act like this? There's a discussion about himself, but he feigns ignorance.

"An agreement with the Heavenly Demon, you say?"

Those words came from Divine Spear's mouth. My reaction wasn't much different.

"... Are you saying you made an oath with the sky of the Demonic Cult?"

Not from just anyone, but from the original source of calamity.

The great demon who tried to flood the Central Plains with blood in war.

And you accepted talks with the Demonic Cult because of an agreement with him?

'What kind of nonsense is that?'

That's something you'd never expect to hear from someone who saved the world from Heaven Beyond Heaven.

And yet.

I don't know what you're talking about.

The person in question showed a reaction of genuine ignorance.

That was even more absurd to me.

'He says he doesn't know anything about it?'

The Heavenly Demon, who supposedly made the agreement, is acting unaware.

Then what's Divine Spear saying now?

"That's right."

Divine Spear confirmed my words.

"... How is that possible?"

I asked warily, and squeak, Divine Spear rose from the chair he was sitting on.

When the eight-foot giant stood, he nearly blocked out the light.

"......"

"......"

What is he looking like that for? Just as I was about to swallow my saliva.

"I can't say."

"... Excuse me?"

He let out a rather deflating statement. He can't say?

"That's the nature of the agreement."

"... No way."

Having gone to all this trouble to set up the atmosphere, and now he said he couldn't talk about it.

Unbelievable.

'Could it be?'

Was Divine Spear also caught up in the energy of Broken Heaven Palace?

I looked at him intently, but there was no sign of energy.

Whether he noticed my gaze or not, Divine Spear quietly looked down at me and continued speaking.

"The negotiation will be after seven days and nights. At noon, within the Alliance. The people from the Demonic Cult will likely come here in five days."

"......"

"Be prepared."

"... Hmm."

Five days.

Demonic Cult.

Young cult leader.

I repeated those words inwardly and clicked my tongue.

"I understand."

There was no use in speaking further with someone who wouldn't talk.

I paid my respects to Divine Spear and turned to leave.

***

Once I returned to the lodging provided by the Alliance, I turned things over in my mind.

'What is this?'

What kind of agreement brings about this situation?

No, does such an agreement even exist?

If it really does

"Why is it that you don't know about it?"

I asked Divine Sword, who stood before me.

Well.

The Heavenly Demon replied.

It's something I have no memory of.

"Is it that you don't remember, or is it something that never happened?"

It all depended on the situation.

Well.

"... Why do you always answer like that?"

Just say yes or nowhat's with 'well'?

I was speechless and pressed further.

Because I don't know.

"What?"

At least, it's not in my memories, but it's awkward to say it never happened. My memory isn't intact, after all.

"Your memory isn't intact?"

At least for the final moments. I don't remember those. It might have happened then.

If by final moments, you mean

"When you died?"

Yes.

"... Isn't it odd to say you made an oath in that situation?"

Not with anyone else, but with Divine Spear, and at the moment of your death?

It makes no sense.

It's not Yu Chun-gil, but Divine Spear? That's the issue.

'So maybe, in the end, there was no agreement in the first place.'

While thinking that

If it was me, I might have done so.

"... Huh?"

That's why I can't give you a definite answer.

"... That's such an ambiguous statement."

I massaged my stiff neck. I couldn't trust what that old man said.

If I couldn't trust Yu Chun-gil, why would I trust the Heavenly Demon?

'... Frankly speaking'

Given what I'd just heard, negotiations with the Demonic Cult would happen in seven days and nights.

The Demonic Cult would come in five days.

'This agreement was something secretly negotiated between the Heavenly Demon and Divine Spear.'

Because of that, Divine Spear couldn't say a word.

He went so far as to push everything forward, even knowing the Alliance's elders and upper management would naturally oppose it.

'Putting his own position at stake to do it, too.'

I pressed my brow. How was I to take all this?

"Phew."

In any case, I stood up. There was someone I needed to visit.

The table in front of me. The letter on top of it was the reason.

'Since I have something to ask, too.'

And the perfect person to ask was here.

***

"It's been a while."

"... Hello."

I went to the place written in the letter, and someone greeted me.

A neatly elegant woman.

She looked about my age, but the years contained within her were nothing like it.

"I pay my respects to the Sword Empress."

Her true identity was the Sword Empress.

One of Heaven Beyond Heaven's foremost, now made young again through reversal of age.

"Sorry to call you like this so suddenly."

She smiled as she spoke to me.

"Not at all. I actually had something I wanted to ask you, Sword Empress."

"Oh my, really? That's perfect then."

The Sword Empress poured tea for us. It was an invitation to sit.

"Now that I think of it, the child was looking for Young master Bang quite a bit."

"... Sorry?"

That was a terrifying thing to hear. If the Sword Empress called her a 'child'...

'... Isn't she talking about my nunim?'

It must be my nunim, Bang Sujin. That crazy person was looking for me?

"Why...?"

"... You have quite a wary expression."

"... Well, I just don'tthink she'd be looking for me for any normal reason."

"Fortunately, it was for a very ordinary reason. She was worried about whether you were eating properly."

"... You're lying, aren't you?"

I asked in utter disbelief.

"... Haha... Siblings sure are close, aren't they?"

The Sword Empress laughed in disbelief.

"It's not a lie that Sujin was looking for you often."

"Does that mean the concern part was a lie?"

"Well, to the point..."

"... Why are you avoiding the answer..."

I almost said out loud, but bit my tongue. I knew she'd been joking.

As if that crazy person would worry about my meals.

"The reason I called for you, Young master Bang, is because I have a favor to ask."

"... A favor, you say?"

"Yes."

A request from Heaven Beyond Heaven. Before she could elaborate, I asked,

"May I ask something first?"

"Yes?"

"... Is it something I can refuse?"

These people's requests are never normal. So I first asked if refusal was an option.

"Of course. You can refuse if you'd like."

"Ah, good. That's a relief."

"Yes. It's really nothing big."

"Then I'll listen."

Naturally, if possible, I'd refuse. Just as I thought that

"Could you return an item that your teacher took?"

"Ah, damn it."

"... Excuse me?"

"... Oh, I'm sorry. It slipped out."

I barely stopped myself from cursing out loud.

'That damned old man.'

I was almost used to it by now.

Everyone always wanted something brought back from Yu Chun-gil.

'What did he steal this time?'

From the Demonic Cult, he stole a sword and some wood.

From the Tyrant King, a bracer, and from Mount Hua, he somehow traded for a robe.

'Isn't he just a thief at this point?'

What hero of the world? He's a damn thief's bastard.

Grit.

I ground my teeth.

"... Isn't this the kind of favor I can't refuse?"

I wasn't complaining to the Sword Empress, but I did ask in puzzlement.

"No. As I said, it's fine to refuse."

"But, about the item..."

"It's not anything important. I just thought you might know."

"... What is it?"

"Just a trinket."

"A trinket?"

I tilted my head.

A trinket?

"Yes. It's something he took. Do you know it, by any chance?"

"Um... No, I don't."

Among the items I saw in the notes, there was nothing that looked like a trinket.

At least not that I remembered.

"... I see."

The Sword Empress seemed a bit disappointed at my answer.

Her reaction was a little odd. Different from how others reacted.

"If you don't have it, it's fine. You can forget it. Then, Young master Bang, you said you had something to ask me?"

She smiled again. Even with reversal of age, there was something timeless about her expression and manner.

"Ah, well... This is just a question, but..."

I moistened my lips and asked her,

"Could you perhaps tell me about Bow Ghost?"

Clink!

"... Huh?"

The moment I asked, a sound rang out.

Where did that come from?

I looked around and realizedit was the Sword Empress's hand.

The cup she was holding had shattered.

Completely, into pieces.

"... Sword Empress?"

"Oh my, I'm sorry. The cup must have been very fragile."

She smiled brightly, pulling out a napkin to clean up the water and shards.

Was I mistaken?

Her expression just now...

'... Was terrifyingly scary?'

No, it didn't seem like a mistake.

Her eyes were smiling but her mouth was not.

Her face, which had seemed so benevolent a moment ago, looked utterly different now.

"... Sword Empress... Are you all right...?"

"Don't worry. Cups these days must be more fragile than in the past."

"..."

No way?

That cup shouldn't have been so fragile...

"So, about that damnNo, about Bow Ghost, what do you want to know?"

"Uh, well, I just... wanted to ask what kind of person they are."

"What kind of person, you say."

The Sword Empress's expression vanished. Not even a trace of a smile remained in her eyes.

"Why do you want to know?"

Her voice went cold. It was chillinglike the air had frozen.

"N-no particular reason... I just need some information, and there's no one else I can ask."

"You need to find out about Bow Ghost? Then..."

The Sword Empress narrowed her eyes and looked somewhere else.

"There should be someone around you whom you can ask."

"..."

Is she talking about Sword Emperor? Makes sensethey were colleagues, so she'd know he's with me.

"I already did, actually."

I'd tried before. While training with Sword Emperor, I'd carefully broached the topic.

'That's a disgusting name. If you don't want your tongue sliced off, keep your mouth shut.'

'Yes, sir.'

That was the sternest warning I ever got.

'I've never seen Sword Emperor hate something that much.'

He's always been a cold person, but never showed this kind of disgust.

"... Hmm."

The Sword Empress nodded at that.

"As for a description... There's not much to say. If I had to"

She looked at me and spoke.

"You could say, a person you must never get involved with."

"A person I must never get involved with..."

"It's both a description and a piece of personal advice from me."

"Advice?"

"Yes. Advice. Don't get tangled with her. If you do"

The Sword Empress spoke with a grave expression.

"The end will be ruin."

"......"

"Please remember my words."

It was a warning that stung my heart. But what could I do?

'... No matter how you look at it.'

Once things go this far, people usually become entangled anyway.

My damn rotten luck was saying as much.

So damn annoying.

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