Chapter 41: Five Guardian Stars (2)

A flicker of bewilderment crossed the Saint of Light and Darkness’ eyes.

“Are you saying no?”

“Yeah, I don’t want to.”

“Why? I know the path you’ve walked. You are the Third Imperial Heir, scorned and despised by all, aren’t you?”

“Well, yeah, that’s true.”

“And yet you refuse to become the Emperor?”

I tilted my head once more.

There was a glaring inconsistency in what the Saint of Light and Darkness had just said.

“Hey, mister, you can’t put it like that. You’re not the one plopping a crown on my head, right?”

“……!”

“You’re just saying you’ll lend me some power so I can fight tooth and nail for the throne, right? That’s completely different from suddenly becoming Emperor!”

The moment I pointed that out,

the Saint’s eyes flickered with a dangerous light.

I didn’t just stand there and watch.

“Who does this guy think he is!”

Swish!

Quickly drawing my sword, I stepped back a good distance.

“Try putting a trick on me again? Next time, you won’t even be able to open your mouth!”

Earlier, I hadn’t anticipated being overwhelmed by perfect intimidation—not because I didn’t know how to avoid it.

If I maintained a certain distance, I could evade the status effects.

If I turned around and left this dungeon now, it would be farewell forever to the Saint of Light and Darkness.

I used that to press the Saint back.

“……Alright. In the name of the Guardian Star, I swear not to commit any harmful acts. So come back and let’s talk. I ask this of you.”

My intent had succeeded.

“Dark old man, act like a gentleman! Got it?”

I slowly stepped forward.

I didn’t want to be enemies with the Saint of Light and Darkness.

The sword I held, though unnecessary to draw, was a posture to corner him.

This conversation was important to me.

‘Maybe I can get something even bigger than I expected.’

Through the case of Card Swindler Chero, I had already experienced that this world didn’t operate exactly like the original story.

So I had to respond to the situation accordingly here.

And I planned to steer the outcome as I wished.

‘Becoming Emperor of the Empire? Uniting the Continent?’

That was definitely not what I wanted.

I wasn’t inexperienced.

But I didn’t even want to think about it.

‘It was a truly unpleasant scenario.’

To replace the current cruel Emperor, I’d have to be even crueler.

To doubt everyone around me and follow the scenario ruthlessly, to the point of cutting down anyone on the spot.

‘The character I raised back then ended up turning not only Marquis Reith but even Karls into enemies.’

That scenario of being ‘Empire and Continent’s Ruler’ was literally drenched in blood.

And that scenario inevitably ended in a sad ending.

‘So I can’t accept that kind of thing.’

As I pieced together the information in my head, I opened my mouth.

“Saint of Light and Darkness, how much do you really know about this world?”

The Transcendent frowned silently.

“What I know about this world?”

He chuckled lightly before answering.

“We know everything about this world. Even things you do not know. We have been observing this world for a very long time.”

……Such arrogance.

And a fitting answer from a being who transcended human form.

But I shook my head.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Hm?”

“You don’t know. If you truly knew everything, you wouldn’t say something like that. Here’s what I think.”

“What on earth don’t we know?”

“About the ‘present’.”

“…?”

“You know nothing about the current moment in the Continent.”

“What does that mean…?”

Seeing his utterly confused expression, I smirked.

“You say the Continent was once united? The perfect kingdom Everlast? But that was 5,000 years ago, wasn’t it?”

Not 500 years ago, but a full five thousand!

“In the world I lived in, they say a bear that only ate mugwort and garlic turned into a man back then. It’s that long ago.”

It’s like Dangun suddenly appeared in Seoul shouting, ‘My Gojoseon isn’t like this!’

“Are you trying to recreate that ancient history now? All because of your selfishness, swearing useless oaths and getting stuck here unable to die?”

“Our selfishness?”

“Then what other reason could there be?”

“Because that was the original state of the Continent!”

“Wow, that’s even more selfish and self-centered! So what about the people living perfectly fine on the Continent now? The current state is wrong just because it’s different from the original?”

Taking an aggressive stance, I pushed back.

The Saint of Light and Darkness exploded in anger.

“How dare you claim to know anything! The Continent united was a far more moderate and peaceful society than now!”

“Oh really? So it was a paradise on earth?”

“That’s right. Under Everlast’s rule, all fights and conflicts were minimized. An ideal society. But what about now? The Continent is broken into pieces, all fighting one another. In truth, we are all brothers with one bloodline.”

His spirit was truly high, but I chuckled softly.

“Well then, why did that ideal society split? That’s the strange part…”

“……!”

The mockery hit home as cracks appeared on the Transcendent’s beautiful face.

After all, Everlast had fallen long ago.

I pointed that out.

“That’s because the people of that era simply couldn’t adapt to change. The sudden disappearance of divine power caused chaos.”

The Saint stubbornly defended.

“Now that change has been completed. The Continent must return to one fence.”

“No, that’s not it.”

I shook my head again.

“People didn’t fail to adapt.”

“?”

Sorry, but that logic is easily overturned.

“They adapted very well. And that’s what created the current Continent. For five thousand years, people have bled and struggled to carefully maintain the balance that exists now!”

I saw the Saint’s expression harden.

“This is balance?”

“Yes. When people change, the entire Continent changes too, slowly finding balance. Isn’t that common sense?”

Riding my momentum, I pressed the Saint of Light and Darkness hard.

“But now you want to reverse that? And you want me to do what? Steal the damn throne, establish a new kingdom, and start a war? Isn’t that just ridiculous?”

“Ridiculous?”

“To create a country that minimizes war and conflict, you have to cause war and conflict first? What kind of comedy show is this?”

“……!”

Seeing his face completely frozen, I dealt my final blow.

“Mister, just be honest. You want to be freed from that Oath by now, don’t you?”

The Saint of Light and Darkness slowly closed his mouth.

Another thought came to me.

“And people who obsess over the past and tell others what to do—that’s a problem too. I call that a ‘kkondae.’”

“Kkondae?”

“Yeah. Kkondae. You probably don’t know that word. Anyway, you’re just stubbornly clinging to old stories now, always whining about the ‘good old days.’”

Isn’t that exactly what a kkondae is?

The Saint of Light and Darkness, silent for a moment, let out a light chuckle.

“Kkondae. That’s a word I haven’t heard in a long time.”

“Hm? You know that word?”

“That’s not the important issue.”

Dismissing my curiosity so easily, he leaned back on his throne and asked me.

“So, you have no intention of ascending the Empire’s throne, nor uniting the Continent. Is that what you’re saying?”

I nodded silently.

The scenario had already been canceled.

A moment of silence passed, and the Saint of Light and Darkness quietly sighed.

“Then we cannot change the current Continent, nor can the ancient nation return……”

His voice darkened.

“In the end, must we remain forever trapped in this fate…? Is it truly inevitable?”

A bitter smile spread across the Transcendent’s lips.

At the same time, new voices echoed from all directions.

—Don’t be too disheartened, Master.

—With you, I can endure eternal imprisonment.

—I feel the same.

—Surely there is another way.

They were the voices of the Saint of Dog and Wolf, Saint of Spear and Sword, Saint of Shield and Flame, and Saint of Bow and Wheel.

Apparently, they had been listening to our conversation from the beginning.

But the Saint of Light and Darkness just gave a hollow smile.

“I’m sorry.”

For the first time, a profoundly human voice came from the always arrogant and overbearing Saint.

“Everyone followed me and swore the Oath, and now we are bound like this…”

The Guardian Saints fell silent.

Apparently, none of them knew of another way to resolve their vow.

……That’s what it meant.

Watching the Saint’s gloomy expression, a new thought struck me.

‘Then how about this?’

A proposal that would resolve the Guardian Saints’ Oath and let me avoid a meaningless struggle for the throne.

A suggestion that could turn these Transcendents into my allies.

I opened my mouth.

“Saint of Light and Darkness, what about this?”

“……?”

“Rebuild Everlast, but achieve unification without war.”

“What do you mean?”

“Literally, unify the Continent minimizing war.”

“Why? According to you, this current state is balanced, isn’t it?”

“The Continent’s balance will soon break.”

“No, then simply use the Empire to…”

“But the Empire will also collapse.”

“W-what?”

Shrugging at the flustered Transcendent, I continued.

The Magic Empire is also destined to fall soon, just like Everlast did five thousand years ago.

“That’s what I’m saying.”

The Saint frowned.

It was hard for him to believe my claim that a powerful Empire would fracture.

He turned his gaze to the invisible Guardian Saints.

“Tell me, what do you know about the Empire’s potential division?”

They answered.

—Hmm… well, honestly, there are signs in the Empire.

But it’s always been like that over the years. Still, they held on.

Others are no different. The Revolutionary Army, the Traitor Beastkin—and so on.

Hearing their reports, the Saint of Light and Darkness looked at me with a “See?” expression.

“Especially the Empire is bound by a powerful Emperor’s hand. How can you be sure it will fracture like Everlast? How can you be certain?”

Certainty.

That’s always the problem.

But I spoke with conviction.

“That is certain. Within a year, the Empire will begin to fall. Coastal alliances will break off, internal fractures will emerge, and eventually, even the Imperial Capital will burn.”

“How can we believe that?”

“The Palatan Kingdom, where a new king ascended last winter, has already started it. Soon, the Wyler Principality and Heron Kingdom will defect as well.”

“Then your basis! What proof do you have?”

“Contact with the Demon World.”

“……!”

My simple answer made the Saint’s eyes widen.

Want more explanation?

Fine, I’d give it.

“One of the allies, the Palatan Kingdom, has begun contacting the Demon World to break free from the Empire’s rule. Probably the Demon Lord Estored, ranked sixth in the Demon World hierarchy.”

That was the start of the fracture outside the Empire’s territory.

……Of course, there were internal fractures separately.

“You should be able to grasp that too, so it can be considered solid proof, right?”

An immediate reply came from the Saint of Dog and Wolf.

—He’s right. The new king of Palatan Kingdom is in contact with the Demon World. The Demon Lord Estored, who bears the Mark of Rebellion, is confirmed.

“Mark of Rebellion……”

The Saint of Light and Darkness muttered absentmindedly.

“Fitting. And that will be the trigger for the Empire and Continent’s division? My goodness.”

The Transcendent’s face began to darken.

I gave a faint smile.

“That’s why it’s even more pointless for me to lay claim to the Empire’s throne.”

Instead……

“How about creating a completely new force outside the Empire? Minimizing pointless wars and preparing for the coming danger.”

Old and precarious proposals will be rejected.

Instead, I would reconstruct the entire framework.

This was the correct judgment as I saw it, and how I would respond to the divergence from the original story.

“Build Everlast anew outside the Empire?”

“Yes. But I won’t wield hegemony. We’ll resolve the impending chaos and form alliances one by one.”

I knew the scenario that would unfold.

‘Great Warband.’

It wouldn’t be easy, but it was far better than becoming the crumbling Empire’s Emperor.

“……An alliance, huh.”

The Saint of Light and Darkness closed his eyes and fell silent.

I quietly waited for his response.

“A completely new Everlast, huh……”

Eventually, he opened his eyes and let out a light chuckle.

“Very well, I shall gamble our fate on this audacious proposal.”

Then, as the Transcendent snapped his fingers,

[New title ‘Proxy’ acquired!]

[Additional rewards from the Five Guardian Saints granted!]

With a blinding flash of light, messages poured in all at once.

‘Proxy and additional rewards? Not bad.’

But it wasn’t over.

[Faction Scenario ‘Great Warband’ has appeared!]

It was the faction scenario I had summoned myself.