episode_0282

“Why? Don’t you feel sorry?”

My older sister opened her eyes wide in surprise after hearing the answer.

“You died too early. Your loved ones are still there.”

“I’ve done enough. I’m so tired… I’m so exhausted.”

The village’s family and friends were all caught up in the conspiracy and killed. They were barely saved by the chief, but they still could not find peace.

After that, I entered the academy against my will and got involved with women I didn’t want to. They were all high-ranking, all selfish, and all had bad personalities.

Even on fictional days, they fight each other, biting and growling.

“And being the new successor to the Black Lotus and all… It’s really burdensome. I’ve also had to take on a lot of annoying things like family duties… ”

“Yeah, I see.”

“I grew up as an ignorant worm in the outskirts my whole life. But what can I do? People around me don’t know what others are like and just keep pushing me forward… ”

Before I knew it, I was telling her the secrets of my heart that I had kept hidden for so long. Things I had never told anyone before… Well, what good would it do if I were dead?

“… It must have been hard, really.”

My older sister, who had been quietly listening to my complaints, smiled faintly. She raised her hand and gently stroked my head.

“Our little one, you’ve had a hard time.”

“Don’t treat me like a child.”

I spoke bluntly and deliberately. My older sister, who saw me, put her hand to her mouth as if to laugh.

“Oh my? That’s exactly what kids say.”

“Profit… Really… !”

“Phuhut… ”

Eventually, my older sister burst into a light laugh. I looked away awkwardly, feeling embarrassed.

A moment later, she stopped laughing and looked at me, quietly opening her mouth.

“… But you still miss them, right? I mean, those kids.”

“Well, that’s true.”

I deliberately answered calmly. Otherwise, I felt like something hidden inside me would burst out.

“Aren’t you worried? Will those kids be able to live well without you?”

“… What can I do? He’s already dead. I just hope he keeps my last request. ”

“You know? The traitors and the red. Those kids are definitely not like that.”

“… ”

“If you really have to divide good and evil quantitatively, those kids are closer to the latter. You know that better than anyone else, right?”

Well, then my older sister started touching the part of me that I had hidden.

“Innate arrogance, talent to match, inability to share feelings of affection with others, girls born with the qualities of a natural ruler… ”

“… ”

“They are children who would rather be broken than bow down to anyone. And there was only one person who could control them. And that one person died… ”

“… What are you trying to say?”

Every time she opened her mouth, something like a long awl poked my heart. Well, it was a worry that I had deliberately buried because I couldn’t find an answer.

Sister Yoojung looked down at me with an unreadable expression on her face. After keeping her mouth shut for a while, she opened her mouth again.

“Isn’t that right? If things were as they were, the world should have fallen completely into the hands of witches this cycle.”

“What did you say?”

“That can’t be helped. They have a biological structure optimized for learning the enemy’s strengths while hiding their own weaknesses… They are creatures originally designed to have the upper hand over all living things.”

“… ”

“The first generation may not have been able to stop them, but there has never been a place that has stopped their second generation. But… this time, a miracle happened.”

“Miracle… ?”

I asked back, bewildered by my sister’s words. She met my eyes and slowly moved her lips away.

“How could I have known? That the sympathy I showed to a small, weak cat would be returned like this.”

“If you’re talking about cats… are you talking about peanuts?”

Her words made me think of a small cat half amber and half cream. Now that I think about it, I wonder if Su-ah is okay. She might be awake by now and looking for me…

“Yeah.”

My sister nodded slightly.

“The original child… Polaris was a witch born with the fate of leading us to destruction.”

“… ”

“The power to control the particles themselves. That’s why you were born with the power of the king. You know? Your power. The original owner of the seal was that child. ”

I nodded. I had already heard that story directly from Su-ah. However, unlike other witches, I had no way of knowing why she took the form of a cat, because I didn’t even remember it myself.

“The original blockade had enough power to cover the entire land. However, the power was so great that the witch’s egg, unable to withstand it, broke. Before her body could fully mature.”

Maybe I can hear the story today. My sister said she was with the witches during their ritual.

“Polaris, exposed to the harsh environment, had no choice but to dig into the corpse of a nearby kitten. However, the child’s death was a foregone conclusion. Only the body of a highly intelligent creature could withstand the overload of the witch’s body.”

Was that the reason why witches only targeted humans and not other evil spirits?

“But then, right in front of that child who was about to die…you guys showed up.”

My sister’s words reminded me of my childhood. It was around the time when I was just starting to overcome my awkwardness with Yeon-i and become close friends.

One Sunday, the woman who came every day picked up a kitten that was almost dying.

But even a layman like me could tell right away that the condition was the worst. Moreover, in a remote area where there was a shortage of doctors to treat people, it was nearly impossible to find someone to take care of animals.

But I couldn’t resist Yeon-i’s earnest gaze. After racking my brain, I barely managed to recall the method I had read in the book.

Then he cut his finger with a knife and fed the drops of blood that fell from it to the cat.

First my blood. Then Yeon-i’s blood, who said she couldn’t hurt me.

Of course, I didn’t really have any particular expectations. It was just a last resort. I even got a lot of nagging from my mom.

And the next day, the kitten miraculously came back to life and appeared before me again.

“Thanks to drinking the blood of the intelligent beings, Polaris barely managed to survive and take on their form. Although it took several years for the body to form.”

“Peanut… Was that the reason why Su-ah didn’t appear as a human from the beginning?”

“Yeah. And in that process… an unconscious contract occurred. ”

“Contract… ?”

“That child gave you all his magic and power in return for saving his life. And the power that was given to him changed your body, even if it was imperfect. That’s why you can use magic and power… and why you have a limited lifespan.”

“… It’s probably the same reason why the egg broke. Because the body of an insensitive person can’t fully receive that heavy power. It’s probably the same reason why the power is lower than the original. ”

“That’s right.”

My sister nodded.

“… But why are you suddenly talking about this?”

“Well, the witch incident isn’t over yet.”

“What did you say?”

“The ones you dealt with were the second generation of witches. You killed all the hatched ones, but there are still dormant eggs left. ”

“How much is there… ”

“Total 144,000.”

“… ”

I was speechless at the number that exceeded my expectations. And my older sister continued speaking calmly.

“The witches that have hatched so far are just the tip of the iceberg. Of course, most of the eggs are unable to adapt to the environment and naturally die… But that’s still a lot, right?”

“… Yes. There really are a lot. To the point where even the word “a lot” isn’t enough… ”

“Witches will hatch every cycle and target us. But can you stop them without your power?”

“… ”

It was something I could tell without even having to answer. Anxiety was entangling my heart. What I left behind wasn’t peace, but another fight. Even without me…

“Aren’t you worried about those kids?”

“… ”

“You still don’t want to go back? Do you really think so… ”

“Oh, really!”

And then I ended up yelling at the continued questioning.

“I’ll admit it! Just say it! I want to go back! I’m so worried about those kids I’m going crazy!!”

Yes, that ill-tempered older sister finally broke my heart that I had kept hidden so tightly.

“But what if he’s already dead! You said it yourself! There’s no way out of here! Who are you kidding?”

“… ”

“The captain really has strange tastes! How can you like someone with such a bad personality? Are you fooled by appearances alone? ”

“Should I say “Noona” instead of “You”?”

While I was venting my anger, a cold voice came from beside me. I stopped talking and turned my head. My sister’s eyes were smiling, but the corners of her mouth were frozen and didn’t move at all.

“Haha, what a spoiled brat… ”

She clenched and unclenched her fist repeatedly. Every time she did, the blood vessels would bulge, which was quite frightening.

I thought I was going to get my head banged. But what I could hear beyond my tightly shut vision was a calm voice that sounded almost detached.

“But…well said.”

I opened my eyes that had been slightly closed. I saw my sister’s face smiling gently at me, without any trace of life in it.

And with that, I could see the blue sky falling silently beyond the horizon.

-Shoot…

A cold wind tickled my face. The water that had risen to my ankles gradually lowered in level as if it was being sucked away somewhere.

The space where I was supposed to be trapped forever was clearly collapsing. Bewildered, I asked my older sister.

“… What is this?”

“Your body is regenerating. It’s a gift from a good witch.”

“Good… witch?”

“I’m talking about your precious friend, Yena.”