Chapter 12: The Former Knight Commander Was Abandoned by His Wife (5)
The Former Knight Commander Was Abandoned by His Wife (5)
Despite nearly being killed by the wife who betrayed him and the man who took her, there was no trace of anguish or torment on Issak’s face. None of the negative emotions one would expect from someone who had lost everything were anywhere to be seen.
The madam and Desnos looked at Issak as if he were something uncanny like they’d come face-to-face with a spirit. Perhaps, they thought, he’d been so deeply shocked that he could no longer properly perceive reality. A quiet worry took root in both of them.
The madam couldn’t hold back and finally asked,
“What is it you’re trying to do?”
“Hm? Oh, right. I’m just hoping for more time to roll the gacha…”
“Liar. You gave up the royal castle on purpose, didn’t you?”
“…What makes you say that?”
“Because you just stood by while Lovecraft moved in the shadows. What are you really planning?”
“…”
Issak folded his arms and fell silent.
Desnos, too, sat tensely, waiting to hear what Issak would say.
Resigned, Issak shifted in his chair and turned to face them both.
“I’m looking for the hidden power behind this kingdom.
Power is essential to authority.
In the open, that power takes the form of influence in parliament, public support, what Mina and Lovecraft hold now.
But what about power in the shadows?
That’s something else entirely. It’s a monstrous power so overwhelming that even the strongest on the continent, Mina herself, was forced to bow to it.
Kings of the past used that inhuman power to annihilate enemy nations abroad and rule with iron oppression at home, securing absolute dominion.
But then, my predecessor went and hid that monstrous power somewhere.
Thanks to that, I became nothing more than a ceremonial figure on the throne, in both name and substance.
The appearance of Mina, the sword of dawn, during the reign of a dull, incompetent king like me was sheer luck, for the country, and for me personally.
That’s why I’m searching for the whereabouts of that inhuman power.”
Arms crossed, the madam asked,
“This inhuman power. What exactly is it?”
Issak poured some water into his glass and wetted his lips.
“It’s said to be… the wrath of the Evil God.”
“An Evil God? Since when did we have one of those?”
“We don’t. The gods of this country are the three siblings of our creation myth.
The eldest, Gald, the Hedonistic Goddess of Destruction.
The second, Yorl, the Smiling Goddess of Fertility.
And the youngest, Va, the Hollow Demon.”
As Issak ticked off the names on his fingers, the madam commented in a half-joking tone,
“Maybe that Evil God is actually Gald, the Hedonistic Goddess of Destruction.”
“There’s a difference between the Hedonistic Goddess of Destruction and the Evil God, don’t you think?”
“It depends on your perspective.
Gods, after all, are often just names we give to what we can’t understand. So it’s only natural for them to have different names, conflicting stories, even contradictory traditions.
Destruction might be a joy for the one doing the destroying, but for the one being destroyed, it’s pure hell.
In the end, what a god is comes down to how people choose to revere them.
Some even declare themselves the one true god, like something out of a teenager’s fever dream, but that, too, is just the result of a heightened sense of ethnic identity.”
The madam spoke at length, her voice calm but brimming with insight. Seeing this unfamiliar side of her, Issak found himself riveted by her ageless, beautiful face, one he thought he’d grown used to.
Catching his gaze, the madam flashed a mischievous smile.
“What is it? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for me?”
“I’m just impressed. You really know your stuff.”
“Once upon a time, I dabbled a bit.”
“Still, if it’s all a matter of perspective, then even Va, the Hollow Demon, could be considered an Evil God, right?”
The madam waved her hand as if swatting away an insect.
“Nah, no way. That one’s definitely out. No way something like that could ever feel something as dignified as anger.”
“Well, I mean, they do call him the Hollow Demon, after all.
But the one I met didn’t exactly feel hollow. More like…”
“You met one? A god?”
The madam leaned forward, pouncing on his words in alarm.
Issak gave a lazy, lopsided grin.
“I’m talking about the palace fortune-teller. I went to see her once, but she’s over a hundred, so I couldn’t tell if she was happy or pissed.”
“Hmph… So how do you plan to find this thing?”
Issak pulled out his smartphone.
Displayed on the screen was a photo of a small stone statue, just big enough to hold in one hand.
The statue bore a grotesque face, like a fusion of crocodile and sheep.
“Apparently, my bastard old man used this statue as a vessel for the Evil God. So for now, tracking it down is my first goal.”
The madam glanced at the image, then turned away disinterestedly.
Desnos, however, narrowed his eyes and looked from the phone to Issak.
“And once you obtain that power, do you intend to reclaim the throne?”
“Not at all. Not in the slightest.”
Issak shook his head without hesitation.
Desnos leaned forward.
“Why not use that power yourself? As king, bring peace and prosperity back to this nation!”
Issak looked directly into Desnos’s eyes, now mere inches away.
For all his loose morals with money and women, this man’s love for his country and people burned fiercely.
He wouldn’t hesitate to risk his life to speak truth to power for the sake of the realm.
Issak took a step back as if the heat of Desnos’s passion were physically oppressive.
“That might’ve worked in the past, but nowadays, that kind of power just gets in the way.”
“You do realize the nation still has enemies, inside and out.”
“There are always enemies. Anywhere, anytime.
And going out of your way to eradicate them? That’s the worst kind of stupidity.
Still, once you’ve got that kind of power in your hands, it’s only human to start thinking about using it.”
“Are you planning to shove all your responsibilities onto Mina?”
Desnos pressed him as if trying to shame him into self-awareness.
Issak gave a rueful smile.
“Don’t worry. Mina’s not alone. She’s got you, Hisui, even Lovecraft. The people will stand with her. No way she’s carrying this on her own.”
“And what about you?”
Desnos roared, and flecks of spit hit Issak in the face. Caught off guard, Issak didn’t even think to wipe it off. His eyes simply widened.
“Me?”
“Yes, you! Mina is your wife. You are her husband.
Isn’t it your duty to stand by her?”
Issak found himself staring at Desnos’s broad, earnest face.
Then, slowly, a laugh began to rise from deep in his chest.
“What’s so funny?”
Desnos was dead serious, but Issak couldn’t stop laughing.
“Sorry. I’d already convinced myself we were well and truly done.”
When Desnos glanced at Issak’s left hand, the engagement ring that should’ve been on his finger was gone.
In its place was a fresh wound, like someone had scraped away a red tattoo from his skin with raw force.
“Hey… That scar…”
At that moment, the thunder of heavy footsteps echoed outside the bar.