Ch.30The Five Desires and Seven Emotions (1)

# The Five Afflictions and Seven Emotions (1)

It was probably a snowy day. Well, maybe not.

That was when my journey began.

Has it been about 7 years? Or perhaps even longer.

It started with the sound of a rattling carriage. My body was bound, and my head felt burning hot.

My vision was blurry, and I felt dizzy.

And in that moment.

As I curled up, feverish from my changing self.

“What should we do with this?”

The first voice I heard.

And someone’s flustered presence.

“What? Why did you bring that?”

“It seemed wrong to just leave it behind.”

“Wrong my ass. Throw it away!”

With that roar, my body was thrown onto a cold stone floor.

It hurt so much.

I wanted to get up but couldn’t, wanted to cry for help but no voice came out.

My consciousness and memories were hazy.

So only those final words remained in my mind.

“It would just be a ‘Lug’ anyway.”

And that became my name.

***

To reach nirvana, one must cut off worldly attachments. One must escape the five afflictions and seven emotions, not be captivated by greed, anger, and ignorance.

Yes, only when freed from all bonds can one enter nirvana.

There was such a moment.

The path of that journey would flash before me.

A path already traveled. Yet a path returned to.

What I had decided to let go.

What I had decided to pick back up.

The self completed through that process.

The attempt to understand humans from a human perspective.

“Haah…”

I look up at the snowing sky.

Was it snowing like this back then too?

“I thought I might at least get to see your face if I joined the army.”

One who has overcome asceticism. One who remembers every journey. The blue blood, blue flame engraved in that soul and body.

Yes, that flame that burns like sacred fire yet clings like hellfire was once whole.

Discarded but reclaimed and completed.

That was me before being split.

Even now, the forcibly drawn line tries to disappear.

“It’s hard to see the Demon Lord’s face.”

But, not yet.

I must remain pure for now. I must remain foolish.

To avoid suspicion. To prevent recognition.

I must push everything I’ve done beyond that line and act as if nothing happened.

I must keep myself split, hiding my true intentions.

The perspective of a sage who has reached nirvana and attained enlightenment, the perspective of a fool stained with the three poisons and five afflictions and seven emotions.

I draw a line within my original self that embraced all and walked the middle path, hiding one side.

Yes, immersed in the five afflictions and seven emotions, like a stubborn child.

Yes, unless I understand and accept the three poisons.

“I think I’ll observe the situation a bit longer.”

After all, it would be difficult to deceive your eyes.

***

Lilith was feeling anxious. Understandably so, as all contact with Lug had been cut off since he entered the Heavenly Faith’s papal office.

‘I-I’m sure he’s fine?’

It felt like watching a madman walk into a volcano.

Lilith had shuddered when Lug calmly told her about it.

Of course, Lug had only contacted her after accepting despair and death, becoming indifferent to death and letting go of his desire for life.

Lilith doesn’t know Lug’s abilities.

She doesn’t know how fragile his mental state actually is.

Nevertheless, she overestimated Lug, and still couldn’t help but worry about him walking into the Heavenly Faith on his own.

Common sense for demons.

The reason Lug could let go of his attachment to life early on.

“Yes, I have no choice but to trust him now. But still…”

Regular communications had stopped, and there was no response to emergency calls.

But she couldn’t just sit still. Lilith may have been a parachute appointment, but she was a hardworking demon who produced results.

Yes, she could no longer just put on airs. To get what she wanted, she had to take action herself.

‘I’ll visit the 5th Corps.’

The unit Lug belonged to.

Since the 5th Corps must have ordered the infiltration mission into the hero party, she had no choice but to meet with Corps Commander Five to learn more about the situation.

Fortunately, Corps Commander Five, who had been extremely busy, was now relatively free.

“It’s good to see you, Major General Five.”

“…I wasn’t going to say this, but isn’t this too much?”

Indeed.

Five was currently recuperating from her battle with the Ancient Red Dragon, Agni, on the eastern front.

Unlike Eleven, who was forced into recuperation for disobeying orders, Five had been given sick leave due to her battle with Agni, so she wasn’t pleased to see Lilith.

After all, who would be happy when a colleague visits with a formal attitude while they’re resting?

Moreover, it was especially awkward to meet someone who had purged a fellow colleague.

“Please don’t be so displeased. I’ve just come to ask about operational matters within the 5th Corps.”

Essentially meaning the Operations Staff Department would audit the 5th Corps’ internal affairs.

Five felt a chill down her spine at Lilith’s cold demeanor.

‘Indeed, is this because she’s of the Demon Lord’s bloodline? If I’m not careful, I might end up purged like Eleven…’

The cruel empress.

By now, Lilith’s reputation had reached the heavens.

“Fine. I’ll answer honestly. I don’t know what you want to hear, but…”

“The hero party.”

“Pardon?”

“I want to ask about the ‘hero party infiltration operation’ that you, Major General Five, supposedly planned and executed.”

“Wait a moment.”

“Of course, you might not like explaining the details to an outsider like me, but…”

“No! That’s not it…”

Five frowned.

This was a situation she hadn’t anticipated.

Yes, she…

“I’ve never executed such an operation.”

Because she had never planned such an operation.

“…”

“…?”

“…”

“Um…?”

“…I see.”

Lilith nodded as if she had realized something, then stormed out of the hospital room.

For Five, who didn’t understand what was happening, it was completely baffling.

“Did that child grow up so spoiled that she doesn’t even know to close the door when she leaves?”

Despite being of the Demon Lord’s bloodline, she seems surprisingly careless in her actions.

While she follows the Demon Lord according to the rules of power, she doesn’t particularly respect him.

That’s because his naming sense is completely off.

Even now, Five hasn’t adapted to the insulting name the Demon Lord gave her.

“Sigh, what can I do? Against a monster who defeated Leviathan single-handedly.”

There’s a reason the Demon Lord is the Demon Lord.

Five sighed as she closed the door, recalling Lilith’s frowning face as she left.

It seems something is happening within the Demon Lord’s army.

“I should check into this a bit.”

The 5th Corps Commander, Five, muttered to herself as if it might be a good way to pass the time.

***

Lilith headed straight for the 5th Corps’ base.

Once she had formed a conviction, there was no hesitation in her steps.

Long gone was the intimidation or caution she had shown before the Corps Commander; she began searching through the 5th Corps’ operation files relentlessly, as if to uncover this suspicion.

While corps matters are typically shared with the Operations Staff Department, not every minor operation is reported in detail.

Due to the demons’ characteristic indifference.

How could beings who don’t even name things properly run a corps effectively?

It’s remarkable that they maintain any military structure at all.

“…Found it.”

[Hero Party Infiltration Plan]

Overview: A plan to infiltrate a party composed of promising individuals from various groups to gather information. To collect information about the Heavenly Faith, Magic Tower, and Eye of Truth through relatively inexperienced promising individuals, a human who has betrayed humanity or a demon close to human will be infiltrated.

Operation Personnel: 5th Corps, 12th Regiment, 3rd Battalion, Lieutenant Lug.

Characteristic: Half-demon

‘Lieutenant Lug was a half-demon? No, they deployed such a legendary being for this kind of operation?’

Half-demons theoretically cannot exist. That’s why demons treat the existence of half-breeds as legends or rumors.

Then what is written here?

Is it just recording a rumor?

‘No, that can’t be. Even if he’s not a half-demon, there must have been some characteristic that warranted such a claim.’

Lilith hadn’t known that Lug was a half-demon until now.

Half-demons are practically myths or rumors. It was strange to even think in that direction.

Then why was Lug, who held such an important position, assigned to an operation like infiltrating the hero party?

Probably due to the indifference of demons who don’t care about others.

“Operation proposer, Lieutenant Colonel Extra. Still such a terrible name. I wonder who gave it to him.”

Likely Corps Commander Five.

Especially since she often grumbled about disliking the name “Five” given by the Demon Lord.

She probably gave the name as if to say, “You’re just an extra.”

Of course, that’s irrelevant now.

‘Now, where’s the operation progress…’

Lilith found the operation report. According to the operation overview, there should be reports on the information Lug provided by manipulating the hero party members.

“Recipient, Lieutenant Colonel Extra…”

The name written on the report she found was the same as the lieutenant colonel she had seen earlier.

Lilith frowned.

‘Lieutenant Colonel Extra is dead.’

This means it’s impossible to obtain any more information.

He was deployed in an operation to rescue Lug and was annihilated along with the operation team.

The hero party’s notoriety soared because of this incident, where a field-grade officer was lost so futilely, to the point where it was discussed in the Demon Lord’s army meetings.

“This is strange.”

Reports handled by the Demon Lord’s army record the time they were written. This is to prevent fabrication by demons who often engage in mischief.

Even Five, with her fiery temperament, causes many incidents, so this wasn’t particularly unusual.

“The time progression is too consistent. Moreover, at this time…”

5th Corps Commander Five was deployed to the front line, fighting Agni.

This coincides with when Lieutenant Colonel Extra’s operation team was established and the plan to rescue Lug began.

Would Five, fighting a dragon on the battlefield, have agreed to such an operation?

Did she even have time for that?

‘Major General Five said she never implemented a hero party infiltration plan. Then this is…’

Lieutenant Colonel Extra acting independently?

Lilith’s gaze, which had been focused on operation reports, shifted.

The 3rd Battalion, being reorganized following the death of Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Extra.

The personnel lists of those assigned there.

Weapons Manager: Kal

Mess Cook: Bob

Communications Operator: Call

Personnel Clerk: Hi

.

.

.

Supply and Operations Section Chief: Lug

“…Found him.”

After examining the personnel list, Lilith was finally able to find Lug’s name.

It took some time because there were many hastily given single-character names, and Lug was one of them.

“Hmm.”

Lilith smiled slightly after confirming Lug’s position.

It was the seductive smile that had unconsciously charmed countless soldiers.

Yes, things were going well.

Everything was as she had expected.

“So the one who formulated the core of the hero party infiltration plan was…”

None other than the Operations Section Chief, Lug himself.

And Lieutenant Colonel Extra was likely his collaborator.

He was an internal collaborator.

Then for what purpose? And why is he trying to escape now?

And why did he pretend all of this was under Corps Commander Five’s orders?

Lilith’s eyes narrowed as she pieced together the puzzle in her mind.

“Hehe, as I thought.”

The big picture that Lilith inferred Lug might have drawn.

“Lieutenant Lug really was the Demon Lord’s illegitimate child.”

Abstract art.