episode_0088

[Episode 088: Three Wishes]

[Uhh… Uhh…]

“Hey. Have you lied to me a lot? Well.. the people here are just innocent, after all…”

If a deer were to grant wishes, who wouldn’t be skeptical, considering most people here are clueless about the world beyond the village?

Even if we don’t need to consult a deer, if the swindlers from my hometown were here, with the locals being so naive, they could probably fleece them of everything, even their souls.

Although most here have nothing to lose.

Did you think I was just an ordinary person from the Yuldo Kingdom? I’ve navigated a world with villa kings, Shincheonji, and multi-level marketing schemes!

“You stole the story? Then where did you start?”

[Wh-what…?]

“Where does your designed picture begin and end? Tell me straight. I don’t know much either. It’s better to answer well…”

[I-I don’t know! I only mentioned the fairy tale once..!]

“No, you were definitely more involved. Gold axe, silver axe. You know, right?”

[I-I don’t know….]

“What? You don’t know? Hey, this guy said it was a plan prepared for a long time! He said if he fails, a terrible punishment awaits, but do you think it makes sense to choose him without knowing that? Is there only a woodcutter living with his mother? When did he get the gold axe… Ah.. This guy will keep lying anyway, should I just kill him now…”

[Ah..! W-wait..! It has nothing to do with me! That’s the woodcutter’s story! I’m just the one who received the gold axe! I thought he was suitable since he had accumulated some virtue..! You know, hunter! He was desperate to get that color..! So I just used him..!]

Hmm.. The words were plausible. There was logic. But still, it’s frustrating.

“Sigh.. One warning, okay?”

[W-why..? I was honest..!]

“I asked if I was the gold axe or the silver axe, not if that was the story you designed. At first, you clearly pretended not to know, right? If you skillfully obscure the point, did you think I would just overlook it? You approached him to exploit him because you knew he would get the gold axe.”

[…….]

Ah.. I didn’t think badly of deer, but because of this guy, I might develop prejudices for no reason.

Every time he opens his mouth, twists the truth, and puts himself in a bad position…

“Behave yourself.. I’ll give you three chances. Two left. Oh! You mentioned seeing the future if certain conditions are met? Can you see the future when the warning is given three times?”

[T-that’s.. only when it’s about me.. This is.. your story, isn’t it.. But if you allow a bit, I could try…!]

“Then I’ll allow just that part, give it a shot.”

But can it really work with verbal permission alone?

Contrary to my half-hearted thoughts, the deer closes its eyes and begins to concentrate.

[……!!! H-haha..!]

“Oh.. Can you really see it? Then things will get easier. Behave properly from now on. Alright, next! Tell me how you exploited the woodcutter’s story.”

[…J-just.. that you saved me and granted wishes….]

“Tsk..!”

“I-it’s true..!”

This guy.. Were any of the times you begged me to believe you actually true? There wasn’t a single one! And yet you want me to believe this?

“Phew.. Hey, deer? You tried to build your virtue by selling Heesun, right? But that failed? Would our deer have just stayed still then? If you let that go, a terrible punishment would be waiting… You should have done something, right? I would have done the same… Like saving a woodcutter’s life who was in danger of being hunted down…”

“Well, that has nothing to do with me! Oh, you’re talking about the tiger now! It was also my good fortune! Just a story that woke up by chance and fate…!”

Ah.. So the tiger saved the woodcutter? Then, did that guy become the tiger’s younger brother at that time?

Hmm.. So, even though the woodcutter was in that situation, he met the tiger and survived? What is this…

“Phew.. Let’s leave that aside. What’s next?”

“What…?”

“Well, the woodcutter almost died next! Do you want me to keep talking? I’ll say it straight. If the story I’m thinking of doesn’t come out of your mouth immediately, it’s two warnings. If it happens a third time, I’ll cut off your head without hesitation. Think carefully before you speak.”

“In the pine forest…”

“Speak louder!”

“I-I helped the woodcutter not to die…!”

“How specifically?”

“Just kept denying to buy time… And told him to burn his feathered clothes… That’s all…”

“Is that it?”

“…Yes.”

“Ah.. This guy… Two warnings for you.”

“Why… why!”

“Hey, if you listen to what I say and the punishment is a hundred lashes, do you think that guy would have been alive if it were true? I wouldn’t have told you how to reduce the number of lashes!”

The deer’s eyes rolled around at my words and soon narrowed.

“To… ask the boar from the tiger… for help… to deceive… him…”

Well, that makes sense…

“So you dragged the tiger story into this! Ah.. I should just cut your throat right now…”

“I-I’m sorry! Just once! I’ll tell you everything this time..!”

“Phew.. Fine.. I’ll give you one more chance. Oh! By the way, why did you burn the feathered clothes on the same day? Shouldn’t you have hidden them or burned them earlier…?”

“Hiding them would have been discovered quickly, and the woodcutter would have been hanged… Not burning them immediately… He insisted on retrieving them by threatening the fairy…”

Ah.. I roughly understand without needing to be told.

This guy had his own troubles too… Well, it’s none of my business.

“Ha.. Alright, I get it! So, did they attack our house? Are you involved in that? Answer well. You have one warning left.”

“…Yes.”

It was because of this guy after all…! He was the one pulling the strings from behind..!

His honest answer seemed clear, but it felt like he might be more shaken than when lying.

How much we struggled all this time.

“…And the immortal… Did you use that too? Did you lead the immortal to his death?”

“Oh.. No! The immortal wasn’t my story! Besides, it’s natural for the immortal to die..! It’s not my fault! I didn’t even know there was that story there.. It wasn’t the time for that story to wake up…!”

“….”

“I’m telling the truth! P-Please don’t blame me for no reason! I told the woodcutter not to go down when trouble arises in the village! I wanted to cause chaos by increasing variables while hiding myself!”

Feeling fear from my cold silence, the deer tried to prove its innocence by adding more details.

Well.. As the monk said, it ended with Sarira’s death and… resurrected by my power… became my lover, my own immortal story.

Perhaps the villain the monk mentioned was that guy.

Distorting the story and causing confusion in the world…

It’s unclear whether that person intentionally induced chaos in the world or if it was just a coincidence, as I believe.

Just because he seems trustworthy doesn’t mean I can believe his words are true.

All the things this person said, upon reflection, were believable stories.

Not only the questions now but also the ones asked when this person was brought here before.

The excuses this person made regarding questions like why they had to sell the fairy and why they didn’t offer me a wish were quite convincing.

But what was the truth? Wasn’t it simply actions taken for my own benefit?

It happened because I lacked knowledge of the heavenly realm and of fairies.

Fortunately, by comparing the information with Heeseoni’s, I was able to immediately expose his lies, but…

From now on, even if Heeseoni is present, it won’t be easy to discern falsehoods.

I needed to find a way.

If Heeseoni, who is familiar with fairies, knows something this time too?

Leaving the deer behind, I stepped out of the kitchen and called Heeseoni, who was sitting in the living room.

“Heeseoni.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Is there any way to make that person tell the truth no matter what? Even if it’s a limited method.”

“…?”

Heeseoni fell silent for a moment, blinking her pretty green eyes, then responded.

“A wish… You mentioned that the author offered you a wish, right? Ask him to grant that wish now.”

“A wish? Then don’t I have to spare that person?”

“Yes… Oh! Forgiveness. We bargain forgiveness. Offer forgiveness and ask for your wish to be granted.”

“Forgiveness…”

Could it be this?

Nodding slightly as if understanding, I returned to the kitchen with Heeseoni.

The deer, rolling its eyes and watching cautiously, seemed repulsive.

“Hey, deer.”

[Yes… Yes…?]

“Don’t accept the proposal.”

“What, what do you mean?”

“Grant my wish. In return, we have decided to forgive you.”

“Really? Yes! I’ll grant it! As much as you grant my request, you must also grant what you proposed, right? You have to spare me? So, what wish exactly…?”

“But the wish isn’t just one.”

“Yes… Yes?”

“I gave you three chances. Wouldn’t you also have to grant three wishes?”

“What kind of wishes would those be? It’s hard enough to think of one…!”

“So you won’t do it then?”

“…”

In fact, I intended to mention only one wish, but suddenly a strange intuition came over me, and I unknowingly demanded three wishes.

Even if I demand like this, that person cannot refuse… It’s right to demand like this… And whatever wish I make, that person has no choice but to grant it.

It feels like someone whispering in my ear.

“Okay… I understand… I’ll grant three wishes…”

And strangely… I seem to sense that person’s emotions and intentions.

Despite behaving as if reluctantly and helplessly trembling…

The emotions deeply hidden within those large, quivering pupils are palpable.

This is different from fear… Elation? Hope? Yes, that’s hope… Is it hope that I can survive…?

No. It’s different; a strange pleasure is mixed in.

Ugh…! Those emotions feel like stabbing knives… This is… enmity! Revenge!

Hope for revenge. Using this wish as an opportunity to reverse the relationship and harm me…!

Cold sweat dripped down.

My spine shivered in the wave of emotions filled with animosity towards me.

That person… is now waiting for me to be greedy.