Chapter 86 - Episode 12. Path of the Abyss (7)
Chapter 86: Episode 12. Path of the Abyss (7)
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Ninth Zone, Darkness's Ancient Palace.
A grim atmosphere hung over the hall as Cowardly Lord Laika barely managed to finish his report, struggling to conceal his trembling breath.
After some time, someone spoke.
"I see. So that is what happened."
The tone revealed nothing. Afraid a furious rebuke would come at any moment, Laika hunched his shoulders. This incident warranted one. He had even considered running away rather than reporting everything.
First Warlord, Dark Fragrance Lord Samyeong Garam.
Seventeenth Warlord, Typhoon Lord Kanael.
Twenty-first Warlord, Silent Lord Magito.
There were also around fifteen Lieutenant Generals, including the Five Dragon Brothers, who together were worth one Warlord. Whenever Laika thought of them one by one, the situation still did not feel real.
Three Warlords and ten Lieutenant Generals were a force no Lord in the 《Great Realm》 could afford to disregard.
What was more, Samyeong Garam, the First Warlord, was only called a Warlord. In truth, he was an Adapter with the combat power of a General. A highest-stage Adapter, of whom there were said to be fewer than a hundred in all the 《Great Realm》. That was Samyeong Garam.
And he had died. In 《Chaos》, of all places.
How could that be possible?
"...So Garam is gone."
Laika lowered his head even further, afraid his eyes might meet the man's.
Not every Lord was equal. To Laika, the man before him, formally the Ninth Zone’s second General, was effectively the zone’s second-in-command.
The 《Great Realm》 called him by the following epithet.
Darkness's Strategist.
Though Lord of Darkness Jerome had countless strategists, whenever the word "strategist" was spoken, every being in the 《Great Realm》 thought only of this man.
Black Shadow Strategist Samyeong Hun.
The second General of the Ninth Zone and the eldest young master of the Samyeong Great Family. He was the Black Shadow Strategist, Samyeong Hun. He was also known as the older brother of Dark Fragrance Lord Samyeong Garam.
"That child was always going to leave like that."
"..."
"How was his end? Did he look happy?"
"Y-yes, he did."
Laika answered, trembling in fear.
"Raise your head."
Like an obedient dog, Cowardly Lord Laika raised his head. He did not want to meet Samyeong Hun's eyes, but he had no choice.
Like most of the Sa Clan, Samyeong Hun was a handsome man with fine features. Still, handsome was not enough to describe him. The pressure Laika felt simply by meeting his gaze. The fathomless depth behind those eyes.
Shuddering, Laika realized it.
This man was a true Lord.
Without thinking, Laika compared Jaehwan to Samyeong Hun.
The combat power Laika had seen from Jaehwan was truly beyond the heavens, but even Jaehwan stood several levels beneath Samyeong Hun. Their very stature was different at a glance.
Cowardly Lord Laika curled his thumb tightly into his fist.
He would not kill me... right?
Though the Cowardly Lord held the rank of Lieutenant General, every Lord was a valuable asset. Surely he would not be killed.
Yet there were many things in the world more painful than death.
Meeting Samyeong Hun's eyes was one of them.
Every Lord who had faced Samyeong Hun likely felt the same way.
Eyes that gave no hint of what he was thinking.
Laika slowly lowered his head. If he kept meeting that gaze, the fear of an uncertain future would drive him mad.
Then Samyeong Hun spoke.
"A few days ago, I took a brief trip to the 《Root》. I wanted to escape this tiresome land, if only for a moment."
...The Root?
At the abrupt change of topic, Laika pricked up his ears without realizing it.
"I had high expectations after hearing it was a World the Dream Demons kept carefully hidden away. It certainly lived up to its reputation. I never imagined such a world existed."
Laika desperately racked his brain.
Was this trip some kind of metaphor?
Was Samyeong Hun telling him to accept a distant assignment?
No, that was a leap.
Why would a Lord who was not even a Cultivator be sent to the Root?
No matter how he thought about it, this had nothing to do with the current matter.
Could he be forgiving me?
If Samyeong Hun was a strategist whose thoughts no one could read, perhaps he could forgive Laika for equally unknowable reasons. Belated self-justification seized Laika's mind.
That's right. This was not something I could have handled from the start.
Who could have known that a mere Product would be so powerful?
Samyeong Hun was considered the greatest strategist even within the strategist family of the Samyeong Great Family. He must have accounted for something so trivial long ago.
Samyeong Hun continued.
"I brought that back as a souvenir."
He pointed toward the entrance of the room.
Sure enough, a work of art hung there, just as Samyeong Hun had said. Laika focused his vision on the unfamiliar painting.
...What in the world is that?
It depicted a black, crooked shape against a beige background. Beneath the object was a sentence Laika could not understand.
Ceci n'est pas une pipe.
It was writing not used in the 《Great Realm》.
"Isn't it wonderful?"
"You have truly excellent taste!"
Laika decided to praise it first.
After all, it was a work Samyeong Hun liked. There was no harm in praising his taste.
"I have never seen such a style before. The skill is truly astonishing... Even the Dream Demons of the Great Realm would have to learn from it."
Laika tried not to make his voice sound exaggerated. Exaggeration tended to sound theatrical.
It seems the Lord has no eye for paintings.
In truth, it was difficult to call it a wonderful painting. The brushwork was ordinary, and it did not appear to have taken much effort.
"The reason this work is exceptional is not its style."
"Y-yes? Then..."
At the sight of the Black Shadow Strategist shaking his head, Laika's heart sank.
"What do you think that painting depicts?"
Laika wondered if this was some kind of test.
He stared at the painting again and again. Perhaps because he was nervous, sweat kept running into his eyes.
"Could it be... a tobacco pipe?"
Laika asked uncertainly. He had once seen a few Lords with old-fashioned tastes put tobacco into similar objects and smoke it.
Fortunately, his answer seemed roughly correct.
"Correct. More precisely, it is an object that looks like a tobacco pipe."
Not a tobacco pipe, but an object that looked like one.
The strange nuance in that distinction made Laika uneasy.
"Laika. Then can you read what is written at the bottom of the work?"
"My apologies, but not that far..."
Samyeong Hun silently pressed a hand through the air.
A moment later, the writing on the piece was translated and floated before them.
Ceci n'est pas une pipe
This is not a pipe.
Laika doubted his own eyes. It showed a pipe, yet claimed it was not a pipe. What was that supposed to mean?
Samyeong Hun murmured, sounding amused.
"Isn't it truly remarkable?"
"Y-yes..."
"It depicts an obvious pipe, then denies that pipe. How could anyone come up with such an idea?"
Laika could not understand a word of that nonsense.
"Do you truly think that painting is a pipe?"
"Yes, but..."
"No, that is not a pipe."
"Pardon?"
"It is only a painting that looks like a pipe."
For a moment, Laika was speechless.
"Isn't that strange? We call it a pipe. It has none of a pipe's texture, and it is a painting that cannot hold tobacco or be smoked. Yet we look at it and say, 'Oh? That is a pipe!' Isn't that truly strange?"
Thinking about it, he was right.
It was only a painting of a pipe.
Laika nodded belatedly.
"Y-yes! That is true!"
"But when you think about it, this painting is not the only case. There are countless pipes in the world, and every one of them looks different. Yet we call them all by the same name, pipe. That is... quite strange, isn't it?"
"It is strange!"
"If you keep thinking about it, you eventually reach a question. What exactly is a 'real pipe'? Does such a thing truly exist?"
Laika blankly stared at the painting of the pipe.
I see. That was why it was a pipe, yet also something that was not a pipe.
As Laika barely understood that, he could not hide the growing sense of dread within him.
Was this really a story about pipes?
Samyeong Hun continued.
"It truly is an exceptional work. It is an idea difficult for Adapters living within the System to conceive."
Laika nodded without meaning to, though he still did not grasp it.
What was a pipe?
No, what was essence?
He understood that the work held such meaning.
But what did that change?
"Yes, you understand the true value of that work now."
"Yes. It truly is an exceptional work."
Samyeong Hun nodded with satisfaction.
"You have some understanding of art."
"T-thank you."
"Then it is your turn to answer now, Laika."
"Yes?"
The dread was rapidly swelling.
"Looking at that painting, one question came to mind."
"What question...?"
"What exactly is a Lord?"
It was impossible to tell whether he was talking to himself or asking a question.
Samyeong Hun looked at Laika without saying anything for a while. Laika soon realized the question had been directed at him.
"A being more dignified, sublime, and noble than anyone else in this land."
"Really? Is that so?"
"Yes."
"Dignity, Sublimity, nobility... Fine words, but..."
A silence fell.
"What exactly do those words refer to?"
"...Pardon?"
"Do they refer to Freezing Lord Vargas, standing over there?"
The Black Shadow Strategist's finger pointed toward Freezing Lord Vargas, who stood at the edge of the room.
"Or do they refer to White-Haired Lord Mashia, standing by the entrance?"
Samyeong Hun's finger pointed toward White-Haired Lord Mashia, who stood near the room's entrance.
"Or do they refer to me?"
Lastly, Samyeong Hun pointed to himself.
Laika had no idea what was happening, but he knew something had gone terribly wrong. Under crushing pressure that seemed to shatter both body and mind, he barely forced out his voice.
"Y-yes. Th-that is correct."
"I see. So that is what a Lord is."
Black Shadow Strategist Samyeong Hun smiled.
It was a devilish smile.
"Then what are you?"
Laika's breath caught in his throat.
"Are you also a Lord?"
How should he answer?
Laika did not know.
"You could not even destroy a single Product. You returned after losing all of your Companions, around fifteen of them. Are you also one of us Lords, dignified, sublime, and noble?"
"Th-that..."
He could not answer.
How could he?
If he claimed he was one of the Lords, he would damage the dignity of every other Lord. If he claimed he was not a Lord, he would trample the honor of the Lords himself.
There was only one possible answer to this question.
Laika looked up at Samyeong Hun with pitiful eyes.
Then he understood everything.
I see.
From the moment he entered this room, everything had already been decided.
A question whose answer could only be deferred.
Having given up on everything, Laika quietly closed his eyes.
* * *
A short while later, Samyeong Hun scratched his chin as he looked at Laika, who had been rammed into a canvas with his neck horribly cut.
"『This Is Not a Lord』 would be a good title. What do you think?"
"It is excellent."
Freezing Lord Vargas, who had watched the entire scene from beginning to end, bowed his head. Perhaps accustomed to such things, Vargas did not so much as blink at the brutal sight.
Samyeong Hun smiled and asked.
"Where are they now?"
"Since the Narrow Gate has closed, their exact location is unknown. Still, it is estimated that they have reached the Strange Factory by now."
"The Abyss is right before them."
Samyeong Hun made a quiet humming sound.
"Prepare for an expedition. Summon the Fifth General and the Sixth General."
"Calling Generals requires our lord's permission. Is that all right?"
"Darkness is busy. Do not trouble Darkness with every little matter."
"Understood."
Once the Lords left, Samyeong Hun hummed as he looked over his display case.
It held souvenirs he had brought from World 294.
There were masterpieces by great artists and comic books. He could even see game consoles and various electronic devices. Samyeong Hun walked along, examining each souvenir carefully.
After some time, he stopped before the final souvenir he had brought from World 294.
The real reason he had gone to World 294 was this final souvenir.
A living, breathing body.
A gaunt face. Pale lips.
The body of a man lay there, malnutrition evident after what seemed to have been a long sleep. It was a body Samyeong Hun had barely managed to obtain after bribing the Dream Demons of the Association with an enormous sum.
"The courage to die. Those are good words."
A chilling voice broke the still silence.
Black Shadow Lord Samyeong Hun smiled.
"Shall I see whether you have that much courage too?"
It was then that Freezing Lord Vargas, who had seemed to leave, barged back into the office.
Samyeong Hun was irritated at having his private time interrupted.
"I told you not to disturb me when I am alone."
"Strategist, my apologies, but there is something I failed to ask..."
"What is it?"
"As I mentioned, the Narrow Gate is closed. May I ask how you intend to cross into 《Chaos》?"
You came back just to ask that?
Samyeong Hun gave a small laugh.
"That bastard said it himself, did he not? If we have the courage to die, we can come capture him whenever we want."
"Pardon?"
Even the supposedly cold-headed Freezing Lord's eyes wavered at that moment.
"Surely..."
"We should do as he said. What else can we do?"
Samyeong Hun's expression was cold.
Mighty spiritual power gathered at his fingertips.
The price of interrupting his rest was steep.
"You will do nicely as the first."
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