Chapter 213 – Lucille (4)

Ｒ​ｅａｄ ​ｏｎ Ｋａ​ｔＲｅａｄ​ｉｎｇＣａｆｅ​

Devil God.

Lucille felt an indescribable sense of foreboding from that word.

She wasn’t the only one who felt that way; Yoo-seong and Michael’s expressions also turned cold.

They instinctively realized that this was not human.

The girl named Iris was undoubtedly human.

But what resided within her body was far from human.

They had hunted many monsters, but Lucille had never felt a sense of crisis. Yoo-seong was strong, and so was she. The battles themselves were always easy. If anything, the process of finding the monsters was more difficult.

But now, for the first time, she felt a sense of danger.

That blue-haired girl was dangerous.

Though she had the form of a human, she was not human.

She was something more transcendent.

And so, for the first time in their lives, they faced a transcendent being—a Devil God.

◆

“What is this? It melts in my mouth. Damn, it’s so good.”

“Amon, watch your language.”

“Wow, this is really delicious. Iris, you should try it too.”

“I’m eating. If you eat it, I can taste it too.”

“Iris’s cooking was just throwing things on the fire and chewing on bloody meat. What have I been eating all this time…? Was that even cooking…?”

“Sh-shut up!”

They ended up having dinner together.

They lit a campfire and gathered around it.

Michael stirred the pot with a ladle and laughed heartily.

“Haha, I’m glad you’re enjoying it. There’s plenty. Eat until you’re full.”

“Hey, are you an angel? Marry me! Take responsibility for my life. Make me bacon every morning!”

“Hey, you’re using my body! Why are you deciding to get married on your own?!”

Amon ate the food with tears in her eyes.

No, she shoved it into her mouth like someone who hadn’t eaten in days.

She ate so quickly that it was almost worrying if she might choke.

“Is this… a Devil God…?”

When they first met, there was a certain aura about her.

But when you peeled back the layers, she was just a childish brat.

What exactly is a Devil God…?

In the end, they could only have a constructive conversation after the meal.

After finishing a satisfying meal, Iris brought up the conversation they had postponed.

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”

Iris paused for a moment. She seemed to be thinking about where to start and how to explain. After tapping her temple a few times, she looked at the group and began to speak.

“As I mentioned earlier, I’m Iris. The Devil God possessing my body is Amon.”

“So, what exactly is a Devil God?”

“Hmm, how should I explain this…?”

“Why are you hesitating? I’ll explain.”

Though it seemed like she was talking to herself, there were two personalities within the girl’s body. Amon, who had pushed Iris aside and taken control, smiled slyly and spoke.

“I am one of the 72 Devil Gods. I hold the 7th rank, Amon.”

In other words, she began.

Amon casually dropped a bombshell.

“I’m one of the leaders of the monsters.”

“You…?!”

“…”

“Hmm.”

“It’s us, the Devil Gods, who sent the monsters to invade this world.”

“Hey, wait. Amon, if you say it like that, they’ll misunderstand.”

“What’s the big deal? It’s not exactly wrong.”

“Well, it’s not wrong, but…”

Iris looked flustered and trailed off.

In contrast, Amon wore a mischievous smile.

Despite having the same face, they looked like completely different people depending on their expressions.

The constantly shifting expressions were like changing masks.

“Let me clarify before you misunderstand.”

Amon pointed at herself with her finger.

“Not all Devil Gods agree with the invasion.”

“72 Devil Gods… does that mean there are 72 of you?”

“Yes, and even among us, there’s a lot of conflict.”

Amon began to explain in earnest.

It was a story that answered the questions they had always wondered about.

What exactly are the monsters, where did they come from, and why?

One by one, the mysteries they had been curious about but couldn’t solve began to unravel.

“The Devil Gods are currently divided into three factions.”

The hardliners who want to invade the human world.

The moderates who believe fighting is pointless and only leads to bloodshed.

And the neutrals who don’t side with either.

“For the record, I’m a moderate. I’m not interested in unnecessary conflict.”

“The reason I willingly lent my body to Amon is because she’s not a bad person.”

“Hmph, you tried to kill me when I first possessed you.”

“W-well, I didn’t know what kind of being you were back then…”

“Do you know how much damage my soul took? Hmph, Amon is upset. Iris, you’re mean.”

“Ah, no… I thought some weird evil spirit had latched onto me…”

Though there were some unnecessary tangents, Amon explained the situation sincerely. 

Before they knew it, the group was listening intently, holding their breath. Perhaps because the audience was so engrossed, Amon shrugged and spoke cheerfully.

“The leader of the hardliners is the 2nd-ranked Devil God, Agares. He’s the most radical among us. He’s been grinding his teeth, saying he’ll kill all humans and take the power of the Four Seasons.”

“Such blasphemy…!”

A vein popped on Michael’s forehead.

The saint’s anger momentarily interrupted the conversation.

Everyone’s eyes turned to Michael.

He took a deep breath and closed his mouth.

He nodded slightly, as if to say they could continue.

“Agares is the strongest among us, second only to the king. With him as the leader of the hardliners, the moderates can’t do much. 

Plus, there are too many Devil Gods who side with Agares. Even if you combine the moderates and neutrals, it’s barely enough to match them. That says it all.”

Amon sighed and shook her head.

She muttered as if frustrated or disappointed.

“Blood only begets blood, and revenge only begets revenge.”

“…Can I ask one question?”

Lucille spoke cautiously.

As she listened to the explanation, something bothered her.

“Why are you invading our world?”

In the past, humans invaded other countries to expand their territory, just as they had done to each other.

…It didn’t seem like such a one-dimensional reason.

There was a more concrete and emotional cause behind it.

Amon’s words carried fragments of that emotion.

“Invasion, huh…”

Amon stroked her chin.

She half-opened her crimson eyes and looked at Lucille.

Then, with a bitter laugh, she spoke as if spitting out the words.

“Alright, shall I tell you an old story?”

“Huh? What’s with the sudden…?”

“Just listen.”

Brushing off Lucille’s question, Amon cleared her throat.

With a soft yet subtly thorny voice, Amon began to tell the story as if reading a fairy tale.

◆

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago.

There was a wanderer swimming through the sea of stars.

It was vast, powerful, omnipotent, and omniscient.

No one knew when it had come into existence.

Perhaps even it didn’t know. It was just an ancient being.

The Great Ancient One.

It wandered between stars.

It swam through the gaps between dimensions.

It observed many stars, many worlds.

But it could never visit any of them.

Because it was a wanderer.

A being that could only wander.

The small, insignificant mortals couldn’t even dare to look at it.

Those who dared to gaze upon the transcendent being either went mad or died.

It didn’t care. At least, not outwardly.

It never settled in any world, drifting through the vast expanse of space.

It was great. Truly great.

Being alone didn’t matter.

It was comfortable being alone.

A divine being had no need for others.

The warmth of others was unnecessary.

Surely, that’s how it was.

The Great Ancient One continued its wanderings, dreaming.

How much time passed like this?

The ‘Great Ancient One’ became the ‘Ancient One.’

Even for a being that lived through eternity, so much time had passed.

An unimaginable amount of time had gone by.

Yet, it still wandered.

No one could see it, and no one should see it.

‘Ah, I’m still wandering.’

It thought.

‘Ah, I’m lonely.’

It became harder to deceive itself.

It wept bitterly.

‘I want to be with someone.’

It longed.

But no one could be with the Ancient One.

No one even tried.

It trembled with loneliness and solitude.

Even a divine being is sad when alone.

Then, one day.

The Ancient One thought.

‘If no one can be with me.

Then I’ll create beings that can.’

It was delighted by its own idea.

As they say, strike while the iron is hot.

It created a world somewhere in the universe.

Huh? Is that even possible?

Of course it is. It was omnipotent, after all.

The wanderer created a world where it could settle.

Then, it scattered its blood and flesh across the world.

The flesh and blood of the Ancient One became new life.

Beings that could look at it without going mad or dying.

Creatures born from it, adapted to it.

The Ancient One called these creatures ‘monsters’.

It was happy. So happy that it cried.

‘Now, I’m not alone. I don’t have to be lonely anymore.’

The paradise created by the Ancient One.

It lived in harmony with the monsters.

The long wandering had ended, and only happiness awaited.

Until the Four Seasons arrived.

From outside the paradise, the Four Seasons came.

No, they invaded.

The Four Seasons killed the monsters on sight.

The Ancient One was enraged.

Its children were being slaughtered like trash.

The Ancient One stood against the Four Seasons.

The Four Seasons attacked without hesitation.

A war of the gods began.

The heavens and earth shook, and the ground split.

The gods were strong. Too strong.

The paradise couldn’t withstand the battle of the gods.

The Ancient One couldn’t bring itself to fight with the resolve to destroy its paradise.

But the Four Seasons had that resolve.

In the end, the Ancient One was defeated.

It had too much to protect, and it couldn’t defeat the invaders.

The Four Seasons tore the Ancient One’s remains into 72 pieces and threw them outside the paradise.

Then, they gathered the monsters and banished them from the paradise.

Was it their last act of mercy? Or was it mockery?

The Four Seasons, now the new rulers of the paradise, rewrote its laws and principles.

The paradise, once a world for the monsters, became a world for the Four Seasons.

The Four Seasons lived happily in the paradise with the humans who worshipped them.

The banished monsters became lost in the dimensions, but that was no concern of the Four Seasons.

Meanwhile, the Ancient One, torn into 72 pieces, gathered its last strength.

It infused its power and will into the 72 pieces, giving birth to new life.

The 72 pieces became Devil Gods. 72 Devil Gods were born. The last descendants of the Ancient One.

The Devil Gods inherited the will of their progenitor, the Ancient One.

They vowed to take revenge on the Four Seasons.

To reclaim the stolen paradise.

To return the pain they had suffered.

To the Four Seasons and the humans.

The Devil Gods swore and swore again.

◆

“And so, after a long time, the descendants of the banished Ancient One returned, carrying a blade in their hearts.”

Amon smiled faintly.

But the atmosphere grew cold and tense.

Even though half a year remained before winter arrived.

The heat of summer had completely vanished.

“Now, Saintess.”

Amon looked at Lucille.

Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes were not.

“This time, I’ll ask the question.”

“…”

“Who was it that invaded?”

Was it us, or you humans?

“Who started the war?”

Amon gave a bitter smile.

She was a moderate.

She opposed the war.

But that didn’t mean she held no hatred.

She could understand the feelings of the hardliners.

She just didn’t want to shed unnecessary blood.

Because the humans living in this era were innocent.

“They just want to take it back.”

Our homeland.

The paradise that was stolen.

From you humans and the Four Seasons.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
The Devils want to get their home back.

The original owners of the paradise are the Devils.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Stealing is easier than creating.