Ch.93Foresight

# 1.

One day, Peter suddenly realized.

【Warning.】

【Peter’s seal is being released.】

【Essence – <Evil> is awakening.】

Ah, I am different.

Like any realization, Peter couldn’t escape the shock for a while.

And for good reason,

“Oh my, his hair is black?”

“Could he be a child from the East?”

“I don’t know? His face looks completely Imperial though.”

“Let’s take him in from the back alley for now.”

Until that realization, Peter had been just like everyone else.

To put it differently, the moment he realized it, he became different from others,

“Crazy bastard!”

“Blasphemous bastard!”

“Call the Inquisitor!”

And so Peter was abandoned.

When Peter, who had drifted into the orphanage, was contemplating his true nature.

“Ahem, ahem! Everyone, focus!”

A friend from the orphanage who always pretended to be smart asked the following question.

“What would happen if you told an animal that grew up with humans, exactly like a human, that it was actually not human but an animal?”

Among the numerous answers, there was no correct one.

“It would fight! Like an animal!”

“I think it would insist it’s human?”

“If it were me, I’d be really sad…”

Everyone just put themselves in that position, but no one tried to understand from the animal’s perspective.

“Of course…”

Finally, as Peter, who had grown frustrated, was about to open his mouth to reveal the answer, Sister Lia, who had brought him in, answered with a faint smile.

“Wouldn’t that friend already know? Ah, I am different somehow…”

That day, Peter thought he was understood by someone else for the first time in his life.

That’s why he was even more puzzled.

Someone as smart as you, who understands “us” so well, why did you say such things when you brought me in?

I am clearly…

【It’s okay. You’re not strange at all.】

…a strange being.

.

.

.

“So that must be why, my God.”

“What is?”

“That I have turned my back even on you, who saved me.”

【Due to Skill – <Faith Harvest(SSS+)>, rank temporarily increases.】

【<Peter(SSS+)> → <Peter(Ex-)>】

“Perhaps… it’s because I was born as a being that could only be this way.”

As Peter said this, he was clearly,

shedding tears.

# 2.

The place where Peter and Nahan met.

It was a church located at the midpoint between the back alley where Peter stayed as the “Saint of the Back Alley” and the Imperial Palace, the most splendid place in the empire.

“So that must be why, my God.”

“What is?”

“That I have turned my back even on you, who saved me.”

【Due to Skill – <Faith Harvest(SSS+)>, rank temporarily increases.】

【<Peter(SSS+)> → <Peter(Ex-)>】

“Perhaps… it’s because I was born as a being that could only be this way.”

Starting with Peter’s confession, Nahan manifested the mental world of the Black Wolf.

【<Black Mastermind(Ex)> – 50% is activated.】

Though called a mental world, it was essentially the manifestation of overwhelming power.

*CRASH!*

The world separated reality from the mental realm to survive this overwhelming power.

【Mental World – <Black Wolf> is activated.】

In the pitch-black mental world.

In that place where only Nahan and Peter were clearly visible, Nahan calmly spoke.

“It’s not too late yet.”

“…Not too late?”

“If you stop now and listen to what I have to say, I’ll pretend none of this happened. No. Even if you still want revenge after hearing me out, I won’t stop you.”

Peter immediately noticed.

‘You’re serious.’

Despite turning my back on God, blinded by revenge, my God still hasn’t abandoned me.

But…

‘…It’s already too late to go back.’

The awakened essence of evil cannot be undone, and living longer would only lead to committing more sins like before.

“I’m sorry.”

Peter, showing the utmost respect, hid himself in the darkness created by the Black Wolf.

【The 1st Choir Member – <Peter(Ex-)> activates ultimate skill – <Requiem(Ex)>.】

【<The Final Song> begins.】

【When the song ends, <Everyone> will die.】

The majestic organ immediately began.

The impure notes that started in the darkness flowed in without a chance to stop them.

Peter was certain.

‘The opponent is God. It won’t work anyway.’

But if he exerted all his power, he might be able to make Him sleep momentarily.

‘The moment God’s concentration wavers and the mental world collapses, I’ll escape and assassinate the Emperor.’

And then,

‘I’ll end this wretched life by my own hand.’

So Peter poured more than 90% of his power into this attack.

The remaining 10%.

That was the minimum power needed for a mutual death with the Emperor, so he had to preserve it no matter what.

‘If this attack fails, it’s over.’

But even that wouldn’t be a bad ending, so,

“…Please forgive me for only committing sins from birth until death.”

Peter, watching Nahan from the darkness, unconsciously wore a faint smile.

And so Nahan thought,

‘…I’m screwed?’

Requiem.

The skill that had annihilated one of the four legions that Asha had scraped together in the original work.

Four minutes and forty-four seconds after the song begins, anyone who heard even a single note would die.

And that included,

【Time Limit: 00:04:32.】

Nahan as well.

‘…I suspected as much.’

Wasn’t Peter particularly fanatical among the blind choir members?

Seeing him charge in with such determination to die, Nahan could understand how deep his resentment ran, but,

‘Wrong is wrong.’

At this point, Peter’s anger should be directed at Ilsik, not Reina.

Having realized the need to correct this misunderstanding through Peter’s incident,

‘I need to either get Flora’s confession or capture part of Ilsik within this bad ending to correct the choir members’ misunderstanding.’

Having set a new goal, Nahan decided to focus on the current situation again.

‘Peter’s Requiem.’

An instant death skill that causes cardiac arrest when the designated time fully elapses.

‘But conversely, as long as the time limit is counting down, I won’t die.’

Which means,

‘We might be able to have a peaceful conversation for the remaining four minutes or so.’

Having finished his thoughts, Nahan walked toward where Peter was hiding.

He seemed to be hiding as best he could, but this was Nahan’s mental world.

“We’re going to die in a few minutes anyway. I’d like to talk until then.”

“…!?”

Having immediately pinpointed his location, a startled Peter squirmed in the darkness.

“Ah, just in case—”

【<Black Mastermind(Ex)> – 65% is activated.】

*BOOM!*

The mental world became even more solid.

Peter, who had been melting into the wall, froze, unable to move.

“You still weren’t using your full power…?”

“Even now.”

“…You truly are omnipotent.”

Peter relaxed, seemingly resigned.

“Speak.”

“You’re accepting this more calmly than I expected?”

“If you wanted to kill me, you would have done so already. I know that being alive until now is also due to God’s consideration. However…”

Peter revealed himself and added:

“I hope you’ll keep your word that you would let me be if my desire for revenge remains unchanged after hearing God’s words.”

“I promise.”

Nahan’s immediate response.

“…I’ll listen.”

Facing Peter, who finally nodded, Nahan organized his thoughts and spoke:

“The one who killed Sister Lia was not the Emperor.”

The core of the entire story.

‘Since I, whom he worships as God, said it, Peter will have no choice but to believe it.’

Thinking this, Nahan raised his head and met Peter’s eyes.

He nodded lightly and replied.

“I know.”

“…What?”

“It’s obvious. The one who killed Lia was… none other than me.”

As Peter said this,

“I’ll tell you. The whole story.”

His face remained expressionless.

# 3.

Meanwhile, at the Imperial Palace where the Golden Dragon was absent.

“I definitely did this here…”

The Minister of Defense muttered while watching Reina, who was reviewing her duel with the Golden Dragon.

“Are you certain?”

The question was directed at the servant beside him.

A member of the nameless unit directly under Duke Hallorand, she answered using ventriloquism while wearing a subtle smile.

“Yes. It’s certain. Today at 23:00. There was an order from the Duke to kidnap the Emperor.”

“Hmm…”

Despite it being Duke Hallorand’s order, the Minister of Defense was still puzzled.

“…To execute the operation we’ve been postponing for so long, so suddenly, just because the Golden Dragon is absent?”

No sooner had he expressed his frustration than the gazes of all servants momentarily turned toward him.

A subtle killing intent reaching him.

“…!!”

The flustered Minister of Defense was about to hurriedly explain himself when the servant raised her right hand and placed a finger on her lips.

“Shh. Your reaction was also anticipated by the Duke. So this is your last chance. Please don’t hasten the order by running your mouth carelessly.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

The Minister of Defense nodded and carefully stepped back, thinking:

‘If tonight’s operation succeeds, I won’t have to watch out for these bastards anymore…’

May the Duke’s “foresight” prove correct until the end.