539 - Spending the Winter # 2

"I-is that true? Is that really the truth, Lady Nox-nim?"

At my question, Lady Nox-nim, who looked like a small girl, opened her narrow eyes.

『Child, I haven't even started the story yet.』

"I see."

Actually, I was just overreacting a bit to lighten the gloomy atmosphere. However, Lady Nox-nim's reaction was as cold as her name, the Mother of Night.

『You've become noticeably more distracted since I saw you in Tartarus. You resemble your mother in that regard.』

"M-my mother...? You've seen my mother...?"

This time, I was genuinely surprised.

While many people talked about my father, Pluto, few ever mentioned my mother, Kore.

The goddess Nyx sat on the edge of the bed, crossing her arms and letting out a thoughtful hum.

『Your mother, Kore, was a fun girl. Bright. Cheerful. She was a girl who loved to play pranks. Thanks to such a girl-goddess, the Underworld became a slightly brighter place.』

I tried to recall my mother's personality.

My mother was someone for whom the words bright and cheerful were a perfect fit.

Despite the age gap, she had enough of a girlish sensibility to get along well with my younger sister and go out to play together.

『We thought that your mother might be able to lift the shadow cast over that man. But. It wasn't to be. The brighter the light. The deeper the darkness below it becomes....』

That man must be my father.

It suddenly occurred to me that Lady Nox-nim might know the whole situation. Since she was the goddess who ruled Tartarus, she must know what my father did.

She probably knows why he went to another world with my mother. I hadn't been able to ask until now, but shouldn't I ask her now?

"Lady Nox-nim, so. Why did my father and mother... abandon the throne and flee...?"

『Child, you are not yet ready to hear that story.』

"No, even the Underworld has been destroyed, so if I'm not ready now.... When exactly will I be ready...."

I ended up pressing her a bit argumentatively. At that, the goddess Nyx let out a small sigh.

『That tendency to boil over so easily also resembles your mother. Fine. But keep this in mind. Hidden truths. Always carry a weight that must be endured.』

Lies are complicated.

But the truth is as sharp, simple, and clear as a descending blade. That is why it also possesses a fatal power. Having uncovered various hidden secrets, I knew that fact well.

Still, just in case, I decided to ask my left and right brains.

Can you handle it?

━ Totally possible.

Apparently so.

"I am ready to hear it."

『Very well-.』

The goddess Nyx finally opened her lips slowly.

『There was a prophecy. Something like an ancient curse of Chaos. I couldn't hear the contents as they were shrouded in a veil of deep darkness. But it must have been because of that.』

A prophecy....

A prophecy...?

At the word prophecy, a fact that Minerva had asked me about suddenly came to mind. My cousin Minerva had also asked me if I had ever heard of some kind of prophecy.

Could it be this?

『And child, they were trying to protect you. Even from a young age, your presence was too strong. That power was enough to pierce through the Underworld and resonate through the surface and Hypos.』

"Protect me? From what, and why...?"

『...They are the ones who tore apart and killed their own parents, Saturn and the Titans, to take the throne. If it were a being that could threaten their safety. They would have slaughtered even a young god without mercy.』

Did he react to the mention of Saturn and the Titans? Paranoy, who had been listening to the story with bated breath in the corner, chimed in.

"You must be talking about the gods of Hypos-ssi...! It means they might have tried to kill Hassan-nim when he was a child-ssi...!"

"My relatives and cousins?"

『So they fled with you as a child. To a place where no one could pursue. And there, you were supposed to live a peaceful life. That is my deduction.』

"If it's a deduction, then it's not certain?"

『Yes. The dark inner thoughts of Pluto, the King of the Dead, are blacker than the darkest night when the moon and stars do not rise. We have never been able to read his mind.』

So if it's a deduction, it's just Lady Nox-nim's personal theory. I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. However, it was a highly nutritious conversation that was sufficiently helpful in its own way.

There's a high probability that my father and mother fled to escape the gods of Hypos.

Then Lady Nox-nim added a few more words.

『However. Even now, I can tell that he is plotting something in the silent darkness, in a space like the primordial Chaos.』

"I want to stop that too. I don't think it'll be anything ordinary. But. I don't know how to get back to that realm of Chaos."

Would Lady Nox-nim happen to know the way? Nox is a Protogenos who fell from the massive being called Chaos. If so, she should have some knowledge about the realm of Chaos.

『The realm of Chaos is deeply related to the Underworld. Go to another land-. You will be able to enter the realm of Chaos through the Underworld there.』

What comes to mind at the mention of another land is Alfheim.

Unlike this Gaia continent where the Underworld has collapsed, an Underworld should still exist in Alfheim. She means I can re-enter the realm of Chaos through that Underworld in Alfheim.

I understood.

However, Luna tilted her head as if she couldn't understand.

"Alfheim is the territory of the foreign kkanpeu, right? How can there be an Underworld connected to that dark realm there too?"

『That is. Because originally, this world was one. Because those of that foreign land and we are descendants with the same blood.』

That was quite a shocking story.

The Gaia continent and Alfheim were originally one?

It seemed Paranoy was equally shocked by that.

"Then, are you saying that the kkanpeu are actually distant relatives of native Nymphs like this Paranoy-ssi...?"

『Yes.』

I see.

So they're the same fairy folk.

No wonder the elixir that works well on Nymphs was also effective on Elfriede.

Just as tigers and lions are from the same feline family, Nymphs and Elves are truly from the same fairy origin.

That's damn funny.

The difference would be that Elves are fairies who have lost all their gods. And Nymphs are a race that still has gods to serve.

As I was organizing this in my mind, Paranoy flopped onto the floor.

"To think that the same blood as the foreign kkanpeu flows through this Paranoy-ssi...! This, I cannot accept such a truth-ssi...! It is too cruel-ssi...!"

Paranoy shed streams of tears. The shock must have been immense. As if to comfort Paranoy, Luna gently stroked his back.

"Paranoy, she said Nymphs and Elves are all the same fairies. From now on, try to get along with the Elves too-."

━ Jjik-jjik.

"More importantly, what is this black rat that keeps sticking to my shoulder? Is it a pet?"

Luna moved her hand as if bothered by the clump of black hair on her shoulder. Sueuk-. As Luna lifted the black rat onto her palm, Lady Nox-nim spoke.

『That is Erebus. He is your father. Say hello.』

"Hieeek-! This, this bizarre rat is my father-! This, this isn't reality-! It's a lie-! Tell me it's a lie-!"

━ Jjik-jjik.

Startled, Luna dropped the rat. At that sight, Lady Nox-nim shook her head.

『Little Night, the truth is often cruel.』

"This, this kind of rat, a rat is my father-! Mom, I hate you-! You pervert-!"

『N-no-. He didn't always look like that....』

* * *

After spending the morning with Lady Nox-nim.

I went back to work at the Temple.

Just as I had told Martha to gather people, there was an important message I had to deliver to everyone.

The plaza was already crowded with many priests and high-ranking cult officials. They were all fanatics of the Black Brotherhood who participated in worship enthusiastically.

They hid their features and behavior by draping black towels over their faces.

But I knew well that some of them were the lepers I had cured of serious illnesses, as well as cripples and blind people, along with thugs, punks, gangsters, illegal drug dealers, unofficial prostitutes, and so on.

Outcasts of society who had no place to lean on except the religion of the Black Brotherhood.

When such people taste a divine miracle and gain a pillar of faith and conviction, they become truly terrifying. They become revolutionaries who will stop at nothing.

Because of this, Paranoy said he deliberately gathered those with nowhere else to turn and made them the knights of the Black Brotherhood.

━ Hassan-nim has arrived.

━ Open the way-.

In the months since the Temple was built, these people, who had undergone religious retreats, training, and indoctrination, would surely become a suicide squad that would not hesitate to die if I commanded it.

Without even responding to their reverent gazes, I stepped up onto the high stone platform. A space where about a hundred people were visible at a glance.

Standing atop it, I recited the lines I had been thinking over in my head.

"The reason I have called you here is─."

Even though so many people were gathered, not a single murmur could be heard. This extreme silence was likely an expression of their will not to miss a single one of my movements or words.

As if pushing back that silence, I continued speaking.

"It is to issue the first important mission to you all. And that command is the complete annihilation of a certain existence."

Goooooooo-.

Annihilation.

The belligerence inherent in that word was enough to make the fighting spirit boil in these time bombs who were about to explode from excessive immersion in faith.

I thought about the destructive tendencies they would show, now that they had become a collective, a crowd, with their faces thoroughly hidden by black robes.

Those who had lost their minds to mob psychology, collectivism, and conviction would display the madness of fascism.

I too felt my blood boiling at the concentration of intense religious devotion and clenched my fists tight. Then, I shouted like an eloquent orator.

"Smash it thoroughly-! Leave not even a record-! The idols and words that represent him-. Find and destroy every single one of them-!"

━ It's war-!!

━ God wills it-!!

━ Holy War-!!!! The time has come for a Holy War-!!!!

The reactions were quite intense. It was like the final scene of repentance where lords from various regions and knights of fanaticism gathered just before the Crusades set out.

I thrust my hand out toward them like a fascist monarch.

"The target of annihilation is Pluto-! Now, go-! Go and carry out the command in my name-! Completely erase the name of Pluto, those five letters, from the world-!"

━ Iyoooooooot-!

━ Uyooooooot-!!

━ Eudeudeuk, kadeudeuk, eudeudeuk, kadeudeuk, eudeudeuk, kadeudeuk-!

━ My brain, my brain is trembling-!!! My brain is trembling-!!!

People began to leave their spots here and there. They must have rushed out to carry out my command, unable to control their boiling blood.

━ There is no other god but Hassan-nim, and Paranoy is his only apostle-!

They didn't forget to make bizarre confessions of faith.

They would now travel all over the world as I commanded, struggling to erase Pluto's name. It was all according to my plan.

However, a few people remained in that spot.

They were the former Pluto followers: Somnia, Anxious, and Schizo.

Somnia spoke to me as I stood on the rock.

"Erasing Pluto's name. That's absurd. Prince, are you planning to oppress even the Pluto followers as a cult?"

Somnia didn't seem to understand my intentions.

But I thought these former Pluto followers were the most suitable for this task. Just as a spider knows best how to build a web.

The experts on uprooting the Pluto faith would be former Pluto followers.

I said.

"Everything must be destroyed. We have to weaken that man's power as much as possible. Erase the records themselves. Burn them, break them, smash them. I will take the responsibility."

"You're crazy. What does that even mean? Are you saying you're going to fight Pluto? Schizo, Anxious-. You guys say something too!"

Somnia was aghast, unable to understand. But Schizo's answer was surprisingly simple.

"...Understood. If that is the will of the Second. I shall smash and destroy."

"What? What are you talking about too? Did your brain break after losing yesterday? Think about it-!"

"I am a sword. A sword does not think. It merely cuts where it is swung. If someone will hold and swing me, that is enough. It is better than rusting away in a warehouse."

"This idiot, he's completely flipped! Anxious, you say something-! Everything of the God of the Dead that we worked so hard to protect is going to disappear!"

"Well. I'm not sure if we have a choice. If we refuse this, we'll probably be thrown back into that deep prison. I, for one, hate that now."

Anxious, being a magician, seemed to know how to use his head a bit. According to Paranoy, Anxious was the smartest among the cultists.

"And since what I've been waiting for is not Pluto, but Pluto's successor. I shall participate as well. In that bizarre annihilation-."

Even the black magician Anxious was persuaded.

Is only Somnia left?

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Of course, I knew how to persuade Somnia. It ended with showing her the bracelet I received from the elder of Ideope.

"W-what is that? Where did you get it? That bracelet-!"

"I got it from the Deep Abyss tribe. Didn't you say the girls of your Abyss tribe must unconditionally follow the words of the person wearing this bracelet?"

"Ugh.... To go that far."

"You said I have to listen to anything, right? Somnia, if you don't want to do the Pluto annihilation. I have a custom-made job for you.

"A custom-made job, what, what are you going to make me do-!?"

Somnia, with her mask pulled down tight, began to tremble. I don't know what she thinks I'm going to make her do. It's quite fun to see her twisting her body like a squid drying in the sun.

"Whatever you're thinking, it'll be more than you imagine."

I raised my hand and squeezed it as if kneading transparent steamed buns in the air. At that sight, the ornaments on Somnia's body rattled and shook.

"Ha-aat-!? Idiot-! Pervert-! Son of a bitch-! Fine, I'll, I'll do it-!"

"You should have said so sooner. Geez, what a difficult woman to handle. If you handle the job well, I'll grant each of you a wish, so work hard."

With this, the persuasion of the former Pluto priests was over. With these guys included, the work speed would increase.

Since I had to erase Pluto's name from this world as quickly as possible. I didn't have the luxury of being picky.

In my ears, I could hear the sound of snow melting.

It was the sound of spring coming.

Once the frozen harbor melted, I would head for Alfheim.

If I had any leeway, it was a few weeks at most.

A few weeks.

Roughly three weeks would be about 21 days. That could be called a fairly long time. Since it took six days to create heaven and earth and one day to rest, making seven.

21 days was long enough that it wouldn't be strange if heaven and earth were upheaval three times.

Even just in terms of time, it was 504 hours.

Damn long.

However, if I said there were only 21 days left until I faced an event that would completely change everything from the foundation of my life to my future direction, it couldn't help but feel short.

While I was lost in such thoughts. Somnia hesitantly spoke to me.

"Hey-. You-."

"What. You haven't left yet? Do you want to do my special mission that much?"

"It's not that-! Anyway, I don't know if you haven't noticed. Or if you're just pretending not to notice. But someone is targeting you from that corner over there."

"Ah-."

I scanned the large walls and rocks of the Temple. There, I sensed a small presence holding its breath and targeting me.

An assassin?

No, it was a bit different.

Because for an assassin, they had quite large breasts.

"Gloria, what are you doing there."

Heumchit-.