[Sorry about what happened yesterday, Zion.]
The next morning, after a truly long time of getting a good night’s sleep and waking up feeling refreshed, Zion was met with an apology from Crooks.
His expression was unusually subdued.
“Even Uncle apologizes, and now you’re apologizing too.”
Zion answered with a bitter smile, and Crooks laughed along in response.
But there was a trace of exhaustion in his face.
[Ugh, don’t even get me started. The two women grilled me all night long. No matter what, they said my words were too harsh, that I should understand Frey’s feelings, that I was embarrassing Zion by showing such behavior… and especially Yumin. Don’t you think she was a bit much? Just yesterday, she was happily teaming up with me to nag Frey.]
[Ahahaha…]
“But I think it was a necessary process.”
Crooks, who had been jokingly dodging the topic, suddenly changed his tone as if lying, and Zion also straightened up with a serious expression.
[Of course, it was too hasty, and it was embarrassing to show that side to Zion, but I don’t regret the act itself.]
Now, having rested deeply and cleared his mind, Zion thought back and agreed that yesterday’s behavior had indeed been unnatural.
Yumin had simply argued with Frey based on her feelings, but Crooks seemed to have provoked Frey with the purpose of making him act passionately.
[Maybe Frey didn’t show that side to Zion… but he’s been more obsessed with Naia’s death than anyone else. Maybe he even blames himself for her passing. Ever since communication with her from the demon realm ceased, Frey…]
Crooks’ eyes clouded as if dredging up old memories, and he suddenly hesitated mid-sentence.
Then, regaining his composure with a sharp gleam returning to his eyes, he scratched the back of his head in frustration.
[I don’t think it’s my place to say this. Zion should hear it from Frey himself.]
“Do you think Uncle will tell me easily?”
[Not likely. But does that mean you should give up?]
Zion shook his head so naturally it was surprising.
He had often heard about Frey during the time Naia was alive, but had never heard about Frey’s whereabouts or actions after Naia disappeared from Earth until now.
He hadn’t paid much attention so far, but after Crooks’ words, he felt it was necessary to fill in the sixteen-year gap to understand each other more deeply.
[Haha, I guess I’ve gotten old. Feels like I’m giving unwanted lectures to a kid. Don’t feel too pressured. What I just said isn’t an order or a request. Don’t rush to hear it; just ask when you really want to, without any burden. After all, we have all the time in the world, right?]
That was true.
There was still a vast amount of time left to spend with the Awakeners.
But there were urgent matters that had to be dealt with immediately.
The war between the Lawkingdom and the Jewel Tower was approaching fast.
“But Zion, if you get involved in the battlefield… won’t the sacrifices only grow larger?”
Yuria, whom he hadn’t seen in a while, looked healthy as usual.
Only traces of fatigue lingered here and there.
Still, seeing her eat the modest breakfast heartily, there was no need to worry too much.
“That’s probably true. Even if I try to control my power, there’s always a chance something could go wrong when fighting against people. So I thought of another way.”
“Another way? What is it? By the way, this soup is delicious. Did you make it yourself? No, did the mages here prepare it?”
“Yumin prepared it.”
[Hmph. Unlike those three who don’t live up to their age, I’m actually good at cooking.]
Yumin puffed out her chest proudly.
The three, who didn’t live up to their age, looked dumbfounded but just smiled as if treating her like a much younger sister.
“I thought about it while sleeping last night. What’s the way to stop the war with the least sacrifice? One idea came to mind: removing the very purpose of the war.”
“The purpose of the war? Oh, you mean…” Yuria’s eyes widened as if she suddenly realized something from Zion’s words.
Zion nodded firmly as he cleanly placed the empty dish on the table.
“I’m planning to descend into the deepest part of the Labyrinth and completely disable its functions.”
With the Lawkingdom losing its purpose, it would lose its will to fight and collapse.
At the same time, the Jewel Tower, which used the wealth and power gained from the Labyrinth to conduct inhumane experiments, would also suffer a major blow.
It was a brilliant two-birds-one-stone strategy.
[Uhh, uhmm… well, it’s not a bad idea.]
[It’s a little lukewarm though.]
[Somehow, it feels very Zion-like. Hahaha.]
However, the Awakeners’ reactions were not good.
The critical blow came when Yuria cautiously spoke up: “Do you really think the Lawkingdom will stop the war just because of that?”
Zion was left speechless.
Logically, it made sense to stop the war immediately.
Even if they won, the goal wouldn’t be achieved, and all that would remain was a weakened national power due to the war.
But with a refreshed mind after a long rest, Zion quickly deduced several ‘illogical’ reasons why the Lawkingdom would not stop the war.
For example, pride.
Declaring war and then abruptly surrendering with nothing to show would ruin the rulers’ prestige.
They would likely continue the war until they could claim even a hollow victory.
There was also the matter of public opinion.
According to reports, the Lawkingdom’s people harbored immense hatred toward the Jewel Tower due to false accusations and various schemes orchestrated by the Order of Holy Knights.
If the war ended too soon, that boiling anger might explode in the wrong direction.
The war would have to continue at least until public sentiment cooled down.
There were other reasons too, all plausible.
Realizing he had been thinking too lightly, Zion crossed his arms and groaned.
“It’s lukewarm, but it’s not a wrong plan.”
As Zion was about to get caught up in inner conflict, Frey gave some advice.
[The important thing now is to act quickly above all else. Whether that will stop the war is uncertain, but because of the Jewel Tower, it’s a mission we have to take on.]
He was right.
Having made a decision, Zion nodded strongly.
“Understood. Then let’s start the Labyrinth operation right after breakfast.”
“Good luck, Zion! But, hey…”
“Yes?”
“What on earth is that over there in the corner?”
Following Yuria’s pointed finger, Zion was startled.
A black lump that looked like jelly or slime was sitting there, exactly as K had been the night before, unmoved.
“Huh? Can I tell you now?”
“Ahh! I completely forgot.”
Feeling bad for having neglected K all morning, Zion hurriedly comforted him.
“I’m fine, friend! No, Zion! I like thinking. I especially like pointless contemplation without answers.”
At first, Yuria looked surprised by Zion’s introduction, but she soon understood the inhumane treatment K had suffered at the hands of the mages.
Without hesitation, she warmly embraced the dark lump that was K.
“Sniffle. We humans are sorry.”
“Human bodies are warm. That will help when I imitate it. Hehe.”
Yuria was sociable and quick to understand people’s nature and essence.
K was bright and innocent like a child.
Talking about trivial things, they quickly became close.
Zion watched warmly from across the table, sensing that this peaceful moment might be the last of its kind.
***
‘Envy’ weakly lifted his eyelids.
The body lying on the stone coffin creaked as it moved.
Raising the upper body alone took a long time.
Traces of residual MP scattered like dust from various joints throughout the body.
It looked like a discarded piece of scrap had come back to life.
‘…There isn’t much time left.’
His cracked voice sounded like dry earth in a parched wasteland.
Reflecting on his weakened and declining state, ‘Envy’ frowned for a moment but soon regained his composure.
Perhaps because of his diminished strength, he no longer got swept away by his emotions blindly.
“Still…”
When he reached out his hand, a pink crystal-like jewel floated gently from somewhere.
‘Envy’ placed the jewel on his palm and examined it carefully.
It was stable, showing no signs of rampage or collapse.
“I will see the seeds I planted bloom.”
Up to this day, he had planned and prepared many things.
But most of those plans depended on chance or were contradictory coincidences.
For him, ‘Envy,’ such matters were unavoidable problems he could not solve by himself.
Instead, he had a lot of time.
Even the lowest probability would eventually come true.
‘It was inevitable that my comrades would appear again in this world. If only there was time. Yes, infinite time. I didn’t expect to die so vainly… but that’s fine. It’s much better than I expected.’
The magic that summoned and controlled the monsters was something he deliberately let leak outside for this reason.
Gradually, coincidence after coincidence overlapped and pierced through astronomical odds until finally the one who killed his comrades came all the way to the very tower built by these humans.
‘Envy’ sighed deeply with a sense of fulfillment.
‘I provoked Keterk to meet him, guided him into the Labyrinth… Being weak has allowed me to think rationally and plan precisely through Keterk’s eyes. I’m such a paradoxical being. No, all of us are.’
Step by step, ‘Envy’ slowly got down from the stone coffin.
The surface of the coffin glowed red, warning of danger, but he ignored it.
Tearing off the cables attached to his body left him feeling refreshed as if reborn.
In reality, his strength continued to wane, and without life support, he knew death was inevitable.
But such trivial things no longer mattered.
His life had been destined to end from the start.
And that end was now very close.
With a cracked voice, he chuckled hoarsely and murmured lowly, “Not long now.”
The day he would throw off the heavy burden of responsibility he had carried for so long and regain his freedom.
And the day he would deliver ruthless revenge to the comrades he hated with all his being.