episode_0068

When I realized it, I was in the abyss.

At the same time, I realized it was Rain Grey’s that I had uttered.

A name I had never seen before, neither in this world nor in the knowledge of the game.

I had once uttered that name in front of the man formerly known as the Divine Spear.

In an instant, the surrounding landscape went dark, and when I opened my eyes, everything was over.

I couldn’t even tell what had happened. I just realized that the kingdom’s strongest knight was dead.

What about the hero who appeared in response to human wishes?

And what exactly is the ‘Garden of Original Sin’ that Rain Grey speaks of?

Could I let it pass again into a fleeting darkness, without even knowing what happened?

No, I couldn’t.

That was not my will.

I had a duty to witness with my own eyes the scene hidden within that darkness.

─I focused my consciousness and opened my eyes.

To ensure that everything imprinted in this moment, in this fleeting instant, would not be overlooked.

To comprehend the meaning of the imprinted in Rain Grey’s memories, while facing the hero before me.

“─.”

My eyes opened.

At the same time, it was still an abyss where everything was submerged in darkness.

I was still walking upon the abyss.

But I was not alone.

“…….”

In the abyss, there was another person silently maintaining their silence.

At first, I thought it was the hero who had been caught in this domain with me.

But soon, I realized where the ‘hero’ was.

The hero was there as well.

Beneath the feet of that other person in the darkness.

Just like that time─ sprawled at their feet like a broken puppet. Dead without having fought a proper battle.

It was an instant death.

“……Is that you?”

At the same time, someone in the darkness spoke. It was a calm, cold, and emotionless voice.

─It was a man in a raincoat.

My heart pounded rapidly. For the first time in this world, feelings of confusion, bewilderment, and agitation, which I couldn’t even control myself, etched themselves onto my face.

“Rain Grey…….”

With that, I opened my mouth. For the first time, I spoke my own name in this place.

Facing my own reflection, which I had seen countless times beyond the mirror.

In no time, the hero lying fallen there became irrelevant. Even for him, who had died without even putting up a proper fight, no emotion remained. I didn’t even care.

“Is it you……?”

So I asked again. My voice, as I repeated the question, was trembling unbelievably.

“……Yes.”

The man, Rain Grey, replied. His voice was shockingly identical to my own.

But I knew.

That he was the true one.

That he was the truth I had been desperately imitating and acting as, having been given a role without understanding why until now.

He didn’t even deny it. He simply affirmed it calmly, as if it were nothing.

It was my turn again.

What should I ask? There were so many things I wanted to ask that it was hard to count them all. Yet, I knew that the person in front of me wouldn’t stay here day and night answering every single one of my questions.

“Was it all your doing……?”

So I asked.

Condensing all my doubts into a single sentence.

“Do you want an answer?”

Rain Grey asked back.

“Yes.”

I replied.

“I did.”

In response to my reply, Rain Grey finally reciprocated. He said it was his doing. No specific words were needed. That single answer made everything clear.

“What exactly do you want from me……?”

“Difficult to answer.”

Rain Grey said.

“Because the moment I answer, everything will lose its meaning.”

“─What do you mean by that?”

“No need to know.”

It was an unequivocally firm answer.

“Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get any form of answer you desire from me.”

A voice truly as if talking about someone else’s business. Hearing that voice, I let out a hollow laugh.

“Do you think I’ll just readily accept such words?”

“Not really.”

Rain Grey shook his head.

“There’s no need for you to understand my words, nor to accept and agree with them.”

After shaking his head, he spoke.

“Whether you find your own answer, or continue an endless wandering, it’s entirely your freedom.”

“My freedom……?”

“Yes.”

He replied.

“It seems you value the members of the Serpent.”

“……!”

“If so, then that’s what you should do.”

“Wasn’t it your will?”

“What are you referring to?”

“As the leader of the 《Black Serpent》, valuing the members.”

“Not really.”

The ensuing reply was a shockingly cold voice.

“I don’t recall ever valuing the members much.”

It was a chillingly cold voice, devoid of any bond or emotion that I had expected to be there.

“But if you value them so much, that wouldn’t be so bad.”

“─What about Aria?”

“Do you like that child?”

Rain asked back.

“If so, then that’s what you should do.”

To myself, who was imitating his substitute, not the real Rain Grey who was there.

From him, speaking like that, a chilling indifference was still palpable.

─As if it truly didn’t matter to him at all.

The leader to whom the Serpent members had pledged their unquestioning loyalty, believing him to be their everything.

Therefore, I had naturally believed that the leader felt the same.

But Rain Grey’s answer there was surprisingly unexpected.

Unbelievably so.

“All the members were risking their lives for your cause.”

That was never my cause.

It was Rain Grey’s cause.

“─My cause, you say.”

At those words, Rain Grey let out a hollow laugh. After that, he glanced at the hero’s corpse fallen at his feet.

The remains of the hero who had appeared in this world without any prior warning, and likewise, fallen so fleetingly and futilely.

“You speak as if you know what that is.”

“ .”

I replied.

“The goddess I saw in the mausoleum said that was your purpose. Am I wrong?”

Even the members of the Serpent did not deny those words.

“……It’s not entirely wrong.”

Rain Grey also did not deny those words.

“All the members were still sacrificing their lives for you. Even at this very moment.”

That’s why I said.

Referring to their blind devotion and obedience, which was so foolishly straightforward, tenacious, and even calling it stupid wouldn’t be enough.

I did not want their actions to end as a meaningless puppet show, or a deception played by a swindler.

I wanted their devotion, which had been with me since I awoke as ‘Rain Grey,’ to be rewarded in some way.

“Isn’t it because it’s something truly worthwhile that they’re dedicating their everything?”

“…….”

“Wasn’t it because it had meaning that all the members sympathized with your will and sacrificed everything?”

“…….”

“I believed that. So, to ensure their trust and loyalty weren’t betrayed, I desperately played the ‘Leader’ they believed in.”

Rain Grey did not answer.

A brief silence. At the end of the silence, a sound was heard.

It was laughter.

“Do you know the biggest difference between humans and tools?”

After the laughter, Rain Grey spoke.

“……What is it?”

“If you don’t know, then that’s fine.”

Rain Grey did not answer my repeated question.

“However, let me tell you one thing for sure.”

Only an answer that betrayed all my previous beliefs followed.

“I have not cherished a single member of the Serpent for a single moment.”

“─.”

“Aria, Alice, no one is an exception, and nothing else in this world is either.”

Nothing in this world was precious to him.

Neither Aria, nor Alice.

“I merely desire destruction.”

Towards them, who showed such foolish blind devotion and loyalty towards their leader, Rain Grey’s voice held no emotion whatsoever.

“To achieve that purpose, I kill if necessary, and accept them as members if necessary. That was all there was to it from the start.”

His appearance as he said this could only be described with one word.

─Evil.

After speaking, I let out a hollow laugh at the irony.

“Is that truly all……?”

“Yes.”

“Then why did you entrust me with your substitute role instead of finishing everything yourself?”

Despite that, Rain Grey himself cast everything aside and vanished. He who had vanished was here. Right here.

Was he watching everything from here?

“What exactly are you plotting, hidden here?”

“It seems you’ve forgotten my words already.”

Rain Grey answered that question.

“There’s no need for you to understand my words, nor to accept and agree with them.”

The same words as before.

“─I merely stated the facts as they are.”

“You expect me to believe those words when I see you hidden away like this, plotting suspicious schemes?”

“Is that so.”

Rain Grey said.

“As I said, it’s up to you what answer you choose.”

Repeating the same answer to the same question like a parrot.

“However, if there was an unintended misunderstanding, I hope this resolves it.”

─When I realized it, pure white magic flickered at Rain Grey’s fingertips.

Instinctively, I thought it was an attack directed at me and cast all sorts of defensive spells.

“……!”

It wasn’t.

A gunshot echoed.

When the sound ceased, Rain Grey, who was in front of me, collapsed atop the hero he had defeated at his feet.

Two corpses lay fallen at my feet.

Simultaneously, the surrounding landscape, which had gone dark, regained its light.

“Leader!”

“Leader-nim!”

I heard the voices of the members calling out to me.

The voices of the members, who were nothing to Rain Grey, and yet simultaneously his everything.