episode_0018

“When I was young, I was given a big commission by the royal family of humans. At that time, I gave it as a gift to the knight commander in charge of my escort.”

Kuzunoha took the bamboo stick from me, then extended her index finger and began to carefully scratch the bamboo tube with her long nails.

Mayhen said she inherited that item from her grandfather, but how long ago is it?

“The request I received at that time was to design a barrier that would prevent the person inside from ever aging.”

This is referring to the barrier that is currently spread across the castle. It seems that the barrier was planned a long time ago. If so, it may not have been originally for war. It was said that even if you went up twenty years ago, it would not have been this disadvantageous for humanity.

“What a strange barrier. Did you succeed in making it?”

“Umm, unfortunately, So-cheop was kicked out at the stage where the theory was being established. Maybe he didn’t want to show the core to an outsider? Of course, he was paid. But now that I think about it, I think it was fortunate that he was kicked out at that time. If the request was to complete it, he wouldn’t have been paid in the end.”

Taak-

As she was saying that, the bamboo tube she had been scratching at earlier split in half.

“Well, but it’s impossible for me to know everything in the world, right? Even if I judge it impossible, it may actually be possible. With that in mind, I created a means to confirm the completion of the barrier. This bug is it.”

Inside the half-split bamboo tube, a blue bug the size of a pinky finger was spurting out yellow thread. The bug’s body had a white X. It didn’t look like it was formed naturally, but like someone had marked it. The yellow rocks that were with the bug seemed to be the bug’s food, and there were traces of them having been eaten here and there.

And at the same time, Baekto stretched out his large hand. On the soft body of the bear, there were a pair of wriggling blue bugs and a red bug of a different color.

“This is… a green silkworm… This is… a red silkworm…”

“They’re a pair. They’re born from the same egg, and if you kill one, they die together. They’re delicious even if you just eat them, and they’re even tastier when you grill them.”

Nacha, who had come over at some point, was explaining about bugs. If you kill one, they die together?

“Yeah, it emits special psychic waves that match the time it lived in. Those psychic waves kill its partner from the same time period it was born. Another characteristic is that it eats metal or rocks and spits them out as thread. The yellow cotton here is the silkworm that ate sulfur-containing ore and then spit it out as thread. So once you light it, close the lid to block out oxygen, and whenever you need it, you can open it and it will light.

That’s the principle. The worms inside eat the ore and spew out thread, so after some time, you can light a fire again.

After Nacha finished speaking, she picked up the red silkworm that was on Baekto’s hand and put it in her mouth. Then she chewed it up and ate it. Oh, is that because she’s half a spider monster?

Wagjak- Gulp-

As Nacha chewed the insect, the silkworm that was with her began to tremble and convulse, then vomited out all the white thread inside its body and died. Nacha then put the remaining silkworm’s body into her mouth.

As explained, the silkworm died without even being touched. And seeing that the silkworm inside the bamboo tube was fine, it seems that only the partner really died.

“Now, this red silkworm is the partner of the green silkworm inside the flower box.”

Kuzunoha took out a small box from her sleeve and opened the lid. Inside the small box, there was a still red silkworm and a flower-shaped insect. Kuzunoha shook the box a few times, and the red silkworm that seemed dead woke up and started to move. There was a white X on the red silkworm’s body to indicate that it was its partner. After showing it to her, she crushed the insect with her finger.

Unlike the previous explanation, the blue silkworm in the bamboo tube showed no reaction even though its partner was killed. It simply ate the ore as if nothing had happened. Does the fact that it doesn’t die mean that it is not its partner? Or…

“Does this mean that you were born as partners, but something happened in the middle and your mentality became incompatible?”

Kuzunoha nodded with a gentle smile, as if what I said was right. Although she called me “Master” on the outside, her eyes seemed to be looking at her proud son.

“Yes, what you said is correct, sir. The place where the insects are is a closed room where no light comes in at all, and air barely comes in, so you can’t even feel the wind. It doesn’t really matter whether time passes. The silkworm that ingests minerals and spits them out through its mouth in the form of thread probably doesn’t even feel that digestion is not progressing. The only thing that determines the silkworm’s biological clock is the act of spitting out the minerals stored in its body in the form of thread.”

“And, right now, there is only one thing that can make this silkworm change its mind, right?”

“The amount of thread they spit out is different, so the time it takes to recognize it is different. That’s why you can tell that the barrier was successful…”

“Yes, I agree,” Kuzunoha replied, and before I knew it, she had come near me. While I was concentrating on the conversation, she was secretly stroking my body with her tail. The soft fur felt good, so I left her alone.

“Of course, it’s not that there are no other possibilities, but judging from your reaction, I think you’ve done it right.”

Oops. I spoke too hastily. But since Kuzunoha was the one who designed the barrier, it would have been discovered soon. Let’s just admit this and ask another question.

“That’s right. The barrier actually worked. I can guarantee it. Does that have anything to do with our situation?”

“If it is true that the barrier was successful, then yes, that is true.”

Kuzunoha’s expression hardened slightly. This is where the main topic starts.

“Originally, if the bug inside this had already died or something, I was going to hypnotize you a little and gather information… But since I’ve come clean about it, I’ll tell you everything I know.”

“The reason you hypnotized me was to get information? I don’t think you asked any questions about that.”

“…There was also a purpose to share some joy and sorrow with each other.”

Well then, let’s hear it first.

***

“I’m back.”

“Oh, you’re here early? Are those clothes made by Kuzunoha-sama?”

Oh, come to think of it, I should have brought some proper clothes. I came all the way here wearing these revealing clothes.

I was so busy thinking about the conversation I had with Kuzunoha that I didn’t pay attention to my appearance.

“No, he just said that the clothes I was wearing before were worn out and gave me these clothes. But he said that the equipment wasn’t there yet. He said that they didn’t have the materials.”

There must be a lot of valuable materials in the castle, so I guess I can take a few. She said she would make clothes that fit me perfectly. Hmm… Even when I got to the castle, the conversation Kuzunoha had with me lingered in my head.

‘According to the theory established by So-Cheop, there are two possible ways to create a power source for that level of barrier.’

‘The first method is to offer sacrifices and petition the Goddess. The power to manipulate time originally belongs to the Goddess, and it is impossible for humans to use it. If you offer enough sacrifices, the Goddess will lend you her power.’

‘Of all the sacrifices, the most efficient is human sacrifice. At least a hundred strong people like me in the past. This is the standard when I had all nine tails. If I were to offer up ordinary people as sacrifices, hundreds of thousands of people of various ages. It would be practically impossible, right?’

When the barrier was created in the past, did the story of the former emperor and his guards sacrificing themselves mean human sacrifice? If so, it makes sense…

“…Huh, Hyunho? Can you hear me?”

“Ah. Sorry, Sister. I was just thinking about something else for a moment.”

“Yeah. You must be really tired. Then, should I take a shower with you and rest for a bit?”

Mayhen lifted me up in her arms. Before I knew it, I had become accustomed to this way of moving. Is this okay?

Anyway, the easiest way to find out is to go to the Queen. She deals with barriers and knows a lot about them.

Once you meet the Queen, about bloodline and barriers, ah♡

“Noona, noona. Let me think about it for a second…”

“Yeah. That’s right. But Hyunho seems to have a lot of worries here too.”

Oh, it’s true. At some point, the bottom became stiff.

“Ugh, ugh. This is because my older sister always attacks me after training…”

“That’s good news.”

I practiced until I was completely exhausted every day, and my body got used to Mayhen carrying me when I was exhausted. Now, when Mayhen carries me, my body reacts on its own in anticipation of what will happen next.

“Then, shall we do it in the bathroom after a long time♡”

***

Hmm… I think about this every day, but what if I use my powers to have sex? Sorry, Goddess.

“Hyunho. Sex is also a form of training. Your body has to remember.”

“…Then where should I use what I have learned?”

Sex is training, Mayhen sometimes spits out such strange things. When she does this, her facial expression doesn’t change, so it’s hard to tell if she’s joking or being serious.

“That’s sex.”

“Huh?”

“Of course, sex training is for the purpose of having sex. That’s why you went to Kuzunoha-sama this time. To request equipment and train for night work. ”

No, did you know Kuzunoha would come? And I heard she was going to get equipment, I didn’t hear anything like that.

“You just asked me to send you a talented boy, but Kuzunoha is so famous for that. I heard that she usually goes to places where there are only boys. If someone like that sees Hyunho, well… you can tell what’s going to happen. But it was helpful, right?”

Mayhen sold me. No, in the end, I’m going to get the gear I’m going to wear, so that’s also it.

By the way, Kuzunoha’s evaluation is harsh. In fact, even if Chang-kwan claims that Kuzunoha only went there to accumulate yang energy, it will probably look that way to others. It is inevitable that she will be treated like a pervert.

“But weren’t you mad when I got hit by a slime last time? Do you mind if I go and have sex with Kuzunoha-sama?”

Mayhen said while stroking my head in her arms.

“Yes, of course. And I’ve never been angry at Hyunho. When I was angry, I thought someone was picking on me.”

A bird’s-eye view?

“Yeah. Originally, my older sister was supposed to do it first.”

“What do you mean, this is your first time?”

“Of course, there are only women in the village, right?”

Yes, all men were influenced by succubi, so the last remaining men decided to sacrifice themselves for the less influenced women. Maybe that’s a story about sacrifice.

“So even if Hyunho defeats the Demon King in a cool way, humanity will eventually perish without men. I can try to defeat ten people on my own, or fifteen if I try hard, but I don’t think it’ll be possible to do more than that. Of course, I’ll need help from others.”

“By any chance… is this the first time you’re doing it with me?”

This isn’t a hero, it’s just… But still, what I did with Mayhen was something I wanted to do. But Mayhen is number one? Isn’t this usually in order of power?

“Yes. The Queen was originally first, but she said she was scared and decided to switch with me. So the Queen is next.”

The second is the Queen? Then who is the third? Kuzunoha is a yokai, so she doesn’t seem to be included, but it’s probably one of the people in the castle.

“The third is Cecil, who currently runs a fruit shop as a hobby. His other job title is the Royal Martial Arts Instructor, so if you ever get interested in boxing, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to ask him for lessons. Even though I’m stronger, he makes a living teaching.”

Sister Cecil? That can’t be. She’s the one who told me to practice hard but also take it easy every day, and gave me the freshest fruit to eat.

“Hmm… You’re not usually like that, but I guess you like Hyunho.”

Not only Cecil the Fruit Shop Sister, but everyone was kind to me. Of course, it was a good thing, but now that I think about it, it seems a bit excessive. Could it be that all the people who were kind to me…? Surely, they were just happy to see a hero who could overcome a crisis.

“By any chance, what is the ranking?”

“70th place, and 14 more.”

70 people? No, a total of 84 people. What’s the extra?

“Those are the people who declared themselves single because of their pride before Hyunho was summoned, but later came asking to be included.”

Okay, so it could increase further, right? And from what I remember, there were less than 100 people here.

“But since it’s late anyway, we decided to persuade Hyunho using our abilities once the previous rounds are all finished fairly, so you don’t have to think about the 14 people.”

This is… not right. Now is not the time to ponder the doubts and hypotheses that Kuzunoha spoke of. This is a crisis of my life. The cause of death is a funeral.

“Mayhen. Abolish that ranking system immediately. This is the warrior’s order. ”

I called Mayhen by her name, which is different from usual. This is a serious matter. To be honest, I am already overwhelmed with just Mayhen.

First of all, Mayhen is my maid. Won’t you listen to me? You should respect my wishes.

“Of course, if Hyunho doesn’t like it, I can’t force him. If he wants, I can tell everyone… Is that okay?”

Is there any reason why it wouldn’t be okay? And the people in the castle aren’t ordinary people. They’ve each built up something to survive until now, so can I handle it? They’re all beauties, but living as a stallion and dying as a fortune teller is a waste of time.

“Oh, I see. I thought Hyunho would like it… If he doesn’t like it, then there’s nothing I can do. But can you grant me a favor?”

Okay, it worked. But no matter how much I think about it, it feels like it wasn’t resolved by ordering the warrior to do it, but rather by just talking to him on the pillow. I guess I should also grant Mayhen’s request.

“Listen.”