Chapter 310: Layer by Layer (3)
"...."
I looked at my son for a while.
Silence ensued.
Uburka"s fangs, which he brushes every day with aura, were pearly white. The evening sunset lingered between my son"s teeth.
"Uburka."
I said.
As there had already been silence before, my voice continued smoothly.
"If I send you, you will become a messenger recommending surrender. Do you understand what that means?"
Uburka laughed softly.
"I know. Everything that Daddy knows and worries about, I know it all. Even so, I know that Daddy has no choice but to accept my request. Please send me."
"Goodness. There"s probably no other pious son as rebellious as you…"
"Ugor. Can such an adjective even be attached to the word "pious son"?"
"Why not? Break the shackles of common sense, my son. Language is something we create."
Our father-son conversation leisurely flowed into the evening glow.
"...Wait. You guys. What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"
[a.s.sistant Writer] spoke.
She seemed incredulous, having listened to our conversation.
"Indeed, language is something we create. As a writer, one must avoid being ensnared by the ghosts of language and losing sight of its essence. So, if my words deviate from grammar, it"s not that I"m wrong. It"s the grammar that hasn"t caught up with me."
"Thank you for agreeing, a.s.sistant Writer-nim. We are of the same mind."
"But let"s set that aside and throw it to the dogs. You mean to send a messenger? So, your…"
"My son. Ugor."
"…Right. I won"t ask how you ended up with a son resembling an ogre-like race. I prefer not to meddle in complex family matters, especially when it looks as tangled as electrical cables behind a computer. Just tell me what you"re planning to do… Are you really going to send your son into the heart of enemy territory?"
"Yes."
"That"s dangerous!"
[a.s.sistant Writer] frowned deeply. For some reason, even her gla.s.ses seemed to frown.
"Can"t you see the current situation? Over there, the first headquarters of the Magic Tower is calling for a desperate resistance. In such a situation, if the enemy leader"s son comes as a hostage, what will they do? Will they say, "Oh, come here, have a seat, have a cup of tea and then you can leave, be careful on the stairs on your way out"? Or will they say, "We have captured the evil Death King"s son" and start filming some kind of tragic confinement drama?"
The a.n.a.logy, however fitting for an apostle of Hamustra, was opposed by other apostle-level hunters from the Anti-Magic Alliance.
"a.s.sistant Writer is right. …Well, I don"t really understand what tragic confinement drama means, but let"s just a.s.sume she"s right for simplicity. The important thing is that we already gave them a chance."
"We gave them more than enough chances! Yet they still refuse to surrender! Death King. They have trampled upon the mercy you offered with their filthy feet. Issue the order to attack now. Let Mahos"s warriors lead the charge and sweep away the spire."
"…While it"s excessive to annihilate all the spiders, sacrificing one spire seems about right, doesn"t it?"
[The Berserker], the apostle of [The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains], the apostle of [The Incarnation of Love and l.u.s.t]. Each of them presented different arguments and justifications, but their intentions were clear as day.
They desired a ma.s.sacre.
"...."
That"s why this is a problem.
[I reluctantly condoned the ma.s.sacre.]
[I couldn"t refuse what the parties themselves wanted.]
"Betraying the five guild leaders who recognized me as their leader would be a treasonous act."
I promised my friends a new era.
Even now, they guard our base, working for the lives and safety of ordinary citizens.
So, even though they are not here right now, they are as unmistakably present and real by my side as Bae Hu-ryeong.
"...."
Before I knew it, all the commanders around me were looking at me.
After all, I was the one with the decision-making power here.
I casually looked up at the sky.
"Is it evening now?"
The sky of the 50th floor often had dark clouds. Through a slight gap, the sunset was bleeding.
It would probably turn dark soon.
A long night is coming.
"Until dawn breaks and lights up the city."
I looked at the tower.
"That is the deadline granted to them."
And then, I looked at Uburka.
"Therefore, that is the deadline granted to [you]."
I didn"t add that it was also the deadline granted to [me], nor that it was the deadline granted to [us].
I didn"t mention that whatever outcome of the negotiations he achieves in my absence, or the outcome of failed negotiations, would also be a burden I bear. Nor did I say that sending him meant I trusted him that much, or that I would share the responsibility for his failure if it occurred.
It wasn"t because all apostles of the Anti-Magic Alliance were eavesdropping on our conversation, nor because the first branch of the Magic Tower might somehow be listening in.
It was because Uburka had already said it. He knows everything I know, everything I worry about.
And that he knows I have no choice but to grant his request.
Yes. It"s known.
There was no need to elaborate on all the things we already knew.
I simply said,
"My son."
I shook my head and spoke again.
"Chief Warrior."
Uburka bowed his head.
I lightly tapped his firm and broad forehead with the back of my hand.
"Do what you can do, what you must do, and what you want to do."
"I receive the order of the Family Head."
The Chief Warrior of the Death King Family answered.
6.
"It"s just one night."
I said to the apostles.
"Until dawn breaks. Until the day starts. After that whatever you prefer."
"...."
"I know you have already waited a thousand years. So I understand how shameless it is of me to ask you to wait a little longer."
And then I lowered my head.
Deeply. So much that my forehead nearly touched the ground.
"Nevertheless, everyone. Could you please grant my request?"
"Oh, no."
The apostles were fl.u.s.tered.
"Wait, Death King. There"s no need for you to bow your head like that…"
"Right! Without you, we wouldn"t even dare to think of attacking the Magic Tower…"
There were those who vocally dissuaded me and those who hesitated in silence.
Of course, there were also those who couldn"t quite suppress their boiling breaths.
"Hmm."
"Umm."
But even the most vehement among them did not object.
The apostles, after exchanging glances and consolidating their opinions, began to speak one by one.
"Alright. We can wait for one night."
"The thousand years of the Thousand-Year Magic Tower will just become a bit longer. …That"s fine."
"Even if it"s not one night, but a thousand nights, or even a thousand years, those first tower b.a.s.t.a.r.ds won"t change."
Good.
"Thank you."
I had their agreement.
I stood up and looked back at Uburka.
"What are you doing? Why aren"t you going already?"
"When the sky brightens, I will personally lead the charge and tear apart the Magic Tower"s last web. You better go and persuade them as soon as possible."
"Understood."
Uburka bowed deeply.
And without giving me a chance to stop him, Uburka ran.
Yes, he ran.
If leaping hundreds of meters in a single step is considered "running", that is.
Kwaaaang!
The entrance of the spire burst open. Bang! Koo-woong! Dozens of barriers and hundreds of spells protecting the gate were ripped apart. Immediately from the top of the spire, a warning alarm sounded – Wiiiing. In fact, even before the alarm went off, screams were already heard inside the spire.
– Enemy invasion! Enemy invasion!
– What, what!? Who is it? What"s happening!?
– I am Uburka! The son of the Death King! I have come here to talk with you!
– What the heck,
– His son? The Death King"s? How could he be so different from the one who gave birth to him!?
– Why would someone who wants to talk break down the door and create a mess!
– Uhahahaha! Dialogue is a right only those with power can enjoy. If a weak person asks for a dialogue, you wouldn"t even listen. I know. I know everything. So first, let me prove my strength!
– What do you mean you know?! Hey, hey! Wait! Ju-just a minute! This is really not a joke…
– Requesting support! Requesting support! Our forces are being decimated…!
Koo-woong.
With someone"s scream as the last sound, the iron door of the spire closed again. It seemed they had prepared a backup door in case of a breakthrough.
Thorough preparation.
Who in the universe could have been prepared for the likes of Uburka?
"...."
"...."
The apostles on our side were enveloped in silence.
"Uh…."
[a.s.sistant Writer] barely opened her mouth.
"A quite unique envoy for proposing surrender, isn"t he…?"
"He"s not wrong though. If you"re powerless, no one listens to your talk."
"Well, I"m completely convinced now that you"re that person"s father and he is your son. Like father, like son."
"My heart is much more handsome though."
"Huh?"
"What?"
Night fell.
The spire, already obsidian-like, became eerily quiet as darkness compounded with blackness. It was as if the chaotic scene from Uburka"s entrance was a lie.
No voice or footsteps could be heard.
"...."
Time pa.s.sed.
I sat cross-legged on the bare ground, meditating. The Alchemist scolded me for relying too much on aura, but now was the time to acc.u.mulate aura through breath control.
No one disturbed me, absorbed in my meditation.
The ordinary followers were scared by the formidable martial prowess I had demonstrated ten days ago. The apostles left me alone out of respect.
Right now, I was a father who had sent his son to a deadly situation.
"Aren"t you worried?"
Only the "Grey Spider", who didn"t feel the need to be considerate, spoke to me.
She approached, leaning on a cane. Ucha, ucha, she sat down beside me.
"d.a.m.n. Thinking about living like this for a while drives me crazy."
"Hasn"t your magic power started to recover?"
"It"s recovering. But that healer you brought keeps telling me if I use magic again, I"ll die. Ha! I could kill them with a flick of my finger. I can"t remember the last time someone dared to speak to me like that."
Grey Spider grumbled.
"Is everyone from your world so insolent? Each one I meet is…"
"But why are you doing that?"
"Huh? Doing what?"
"You heard that using magic could kill you. Why are you preparing to use magic?"
Grey Spider sighed.
Far away, three hundred torches lit the camp, flickering. But Grey Spider"s gaze was not on them.
She just quietly looked at the first Magic Tower.
"Because I will need to use it soon."
"You accepted defeat as a partic.i.p.ant in the duel, didn"t you?"
"I accept it. But I can"t just stand by and watch those guys die."
Grey Spider spoke with a laugh.
"What can I do? I have no choice but to die with them."
"You have loyalty."
I slowly circulated aura throughout my body.
"Was it Charumu? The one who escaped the Magic Tower with me. That kid stabbed his superior so skillfully with a knife, showing a tactical s.h.i.+ft that would work even in League of Legends, from the 2nd to the 5th branches. I thought there was no such thing, but…"
"What"s League of Legends?"
"It"s an old game. And don"t change the subject."
"Everyone has a few special people, don"t they?"
Grey Spider"s voice was still light-hearted.
Then, she glanced at the three hundred torches and the apostles surrounding the first Magic Tower.
"Of course, there are more people who are not special at all."
"So, let me give you a heads-up. [If you know who is important to you, why did you do that to those people?] Don"t come up with such nonsense. If you really want to indulge in moral superiority, go ahead, but please do the same to those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds too."
Grey Spider sighed, a sigh deep and dense as if filled with venom.
"Isn"t it funny? [We condemn the Magic Tower.] [We mourn those who died under the oppression of the Magic Tower.] [Therefore, we are innocent victims….] Ah, really. Aren"t they just crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.ds?"
And her words were as heated as they clung on.
"They only think about what they suffered upon reaching the 50th floor. They don"t care about what they did in the floors below, not even a bit. Or, they probably don"t even remember. Even if some do remember, they likely rationalize it with excuses like [It wasn"t my intention] or [I was secretly opposed to it]. Trash, all of them."
Grey Spider spoke more quietly than the burning flames.
"Pretending to be G.o.ds."
I did not respond.
Grey Spider took a deep breath and let it out.
"Anyway, these b.a.s.t.a.r.ds… Talking about justice, cause, mourning, and all that grand stuff, but from start to finish, they are just rationalizing their own feelings. After all, the basic principle of a cult is to change doctrines based on the situation of the day, right?"
The air of the night was no longer chilly.
Heated by the fury of the apostles and extended by the hatred of Grey Spider, the night felt muggy.
Grey Spider ended her speech with malice and disdain.
"So, Death King. The first Magic Tower is compromised of my sisters who set foot on the 50th floor around the same time as me. They can never surrender. Those false G.o.d b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, standing proud and puffed up, expect us to lie flat in front of them? …Better to die. Don"t you think?"
I said,
"So you will oppose them."
"It seems so. As a result, they will probably all die. Or suffer an even worse fate."
The heat faded from Grey Spider"s voice.
And thus, she spoke again with a light-hearted tone.
"Isn"t that just the way of the world? If that b.a.s.t.a.r.d were here, he"d surely spout something like that. I"m going to give 200 likes for it. Isn"t that right, Death King?"
7.
I gave a bitter smile.
"I"ll make no comment on Bae Hu-ryeong"s remarks."
"Right. Don"t say it. Why did you send your son as an envoy?"
"Are you curious?"
"It"s not so much curiosity as it is a sick feeling. Seeing you sitting here moping makes my stomach turn."
Grey Spider narrowed her eyebrows. She seemed angry.
"Look at you. You"re no different from that Sword Emperor b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Upward, upward, more upward, you chant, but the ones left behind, dropped down, are those who wanted to be by your side. Wasn"t it your son? If you were worried about your son, you should have stopped him, why—"
"I am not worried."
I said.
"I don"t worry about my son."
"...."
"Uburka said he would persuade them, and since he said so, he will. It"s not a whim. You might not know, but Uburka was a conqueror who had once brought a whole continent to its knees. He"s a hero of the age who vowed to accomplish this task. I have never doubted my son."
Silence followed.
The Grey Witch quietly closed her eyes and said,
"How can you be so sure?"
Still with her eyes closed, the Grey Witch murmured softly,
"What if he can"t persuade them? I just told you. It"s better to die or suffer a worse fate than to surrender. They won"t. They can"t. Because,"
"Because, we were in the same situation."
Grey Witch flinched.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
"The same situation?"
"Uburka. Uburka"s race."
"Why is that…"
"They too were once slaves to another race. There was a time they revered me as a G.o.d."
I said.
"And they chose a different path than you. A path you can"t imagine. A path that you might question if it"s even possible. Uburka will tell them, speak to them… and show them that [another world] might exist."
"...."
"Only someone who was born in the same place but walked a different path can truly persuade another."
I did not look at Grey Spider. I looked at the 300 troops, beyond them, at the sky unfolding.
"So, my son will surely be able to convince your subordinates to surrender."
Gradually, dawn began to break.