* * *
“That’s right. It’s a secret.”
Raizen paused momentarily, then gave a small smile.
His crimson eyes gleamed strangely.
“You’re such a good boy, Sei.”
He gripped my hand tightly.
His strength caught me off guard, and I let out an involuntary sound like a button had been pressed.
“Mmgh…!”
Raizen’s gaze never wavered from mine.
His piercing red eyes felt like they were binding me in place, sending a shiver down my spine.
“This will stay a secret. Forever. Between just you and me.”
‘This guy is seriously….’
He already seems a little unhinged.
What am I supposed to do?
The thought of the duke and duchess only made me feel more hopeless.
‘Still, if the curse lightens, maybe he won’t go full 540-degree villain like in the novel…?’
My goal is to escape without getting killed by Raizen.
But even if I succeed, it won’t matter if he ends up unleashing a demon lord on the world like in the story.
‘That is… if I’m stuck living here instead of returning to Earth.’
Sure, the protagonist, Kim Minsoo, would handle it.
But there’d be casualties along the way.
Worst-case scenario, I could be one of them.
That’s why my hope is to stop Raizen from going full villain—at least enough that he doesn’t summon the demon lord.
‘It’s a ridiculous thought, I know.’
Whatever. For now, I’ll just focus on surviving.
“Okay, Hyung! Got it!”
I deliberately put on an excited face, knowing kids his age love secrets.
“Wow! Just you and me! This is awesome!”
‘Ugh… this is exhausting.’
Living as a twelve-year-old is a serious chore.
But at least Raizen seemed somewhat satisfied.
I took comfort in that.
Yeah, just keep being easy to fool. It’s not like I’d ever betray you.
‘Not that I even have the strength to.’
“Does this really work? Can you actually feel it?”
“Yeah.”
“Thank goodness….”
“How did you come up with this?”
I knew this question was coming.
“Well… I was thinking about what to get you for your birthday, and it just happened. I thought it would be great if I could channel this power into something tangible since we can’t always be together…”
If the overly cheerful tone made Raizen suspicious, it couldn’t be helped.
Besides, as I got older, I had to show I was growing up, too.
It was time to pick a character to play.
Someone sharp but not threatening, someone who knew their place.
A pushover willing to help the Pantheon duchy like a grateful magpie repaying a favor.
“…That’s true. We can’t always be together.”
“Exactly. That’s why I wanted to do something helpful.”
I deliberately flashed a bigger smile.
Raizen pulled out the pocket watch and tucked it away in his coat.
“Thank you, Sei. This is… the best gift I’ve ever received.”
The sincerity in his expression caught me off guard for a moment.
Maybe it was because his face, so strikingly similar to my brother’s, made me irrationally irritated.
∗ ∗ ∗
Raizen’s birthday ended like that.
And then…
The next day passed, and the one after that, without anything happening.
∗ ∗ ∗
[Didn’t think you’d pull it off.]
What was that supposed to mean, ancient god?
‘You gave me that quest without expecting me to succeed?’
As I curled up under the blanket, just before sleep claimed me, I muttered under my breath.
“You’re really saying this now? After handing me a quest that made no sense, like recruiting experienced newbies?”
My voice nearly rose, but I managed to calm down before speaking again.
“Was there even another way to do it besides the method I used?”
[Hmm…]
Noah hesitated—very unlike him.
‘Why do I get a bad feeling about this?’
“What is it now?”
After a pause, a message appeared.
[You didn’t have to do anything. What you’ve done so far was more than enough.]
For a moment, my brain froze. Did I hear that right? I didn’t have to do anything?
“Excuse me… Could you repeat that? Actually, no. Don’t. I think I’ll lose it if you do.”
[It was meant to be easy.]
At those words, anger surged up like a wave.
‘Seriously? Are they messing with me?’
“Easy. Oh, I see. Sure. But explain this to me. It was an important event, right? If you assign a quest to prevent something like that, wouldn’t anyone think, ‘Oh, there’s more I need to do’? There were no hints, no nothing in the quest window. How was I supposed to know it was meant to be easy? I can’t read minds or see the future, so how could I possibly know?”
[Calm down.]
“Oh, I’m perfectly calm right now.”
[…]
Silence fell.
[Fine. I’ll include hints next time.]
“Thank you. But while we’re at it, let’s settle something, shall we?”
[Settle?]
“Yes. Since I figured out how to use my power on my own, I think I deserve another reward. Or an extra one, maybe?”
[Hah…]
I tensed up when I saw the sighing message, but quickly added.
“This is… a fair request! You must have accounted for this kind of variable, right?”
Though I had spoken boldly, I really didn’t want to endure that suffering again.
Thankfully, my words seemed convincing enough for Noah to agree.
[Fair enough.]
“Right? Then…”
[Then let me give you information about your power.]
“Wait, that’s not…”
[No?]
Just two syllables, blunt and cold, flashed on the screen.
Instinctively, I flinched.
‘Wow, this is nerve-wracking.’
I’m not particularly brave or fearless.
I just act like I’ve got nothing to lose because that’s the only way to get what I want.
‘Also, threatening them again wouldn’t be efficient.’
[It’s not a bad deal for you. Your power is a rather unique kind of holy energy.]
Surprisingly, Noah seemed to be trying to appease me.
‘Looks like he’s worried I might lash out again.’
It was clear the ancient gods had their reasons for bringing me here.
If I died, their plans would likely be disrupted.
“All right. And while you’re at it, I’d appreciate it if you could also explain the method you were planning to teach me about controlling my power.”
[…]
From the countless dots on the screen, I got the impression he was thinking, “Really?”
But I maintained a humble tone.
“The method I figured out is just an adaptation of mana manipulation. I’d like to learn more precisely.”
[…Fair enough.]
It seemed my humility paid off.
‘Makes sense, though.’
Ancient god Noah is harsh and doesn’t tolerate defiance, but he does appreciate humility and a willingness to learn.
Of course, no one here knows much about the ancient gods.
Records about them are sparse, and they’re dismissed as myths created by humans of the past.
Kind of like how Earth’s Greek and Roman myths compare to the Bible.
While a few gods like Sinoa, the main God of the Empire, still have their followers, no one worships the ancient gods as true deities.
For example… Noah is remembered as Noir, the Grand Mage or Sage, reflecting his personality.
‘Now that I think about it, Sei’s middle name is Noir.’
It’s common for mage families to include names wishing for their children to inherit magical talent.
So… the Kreveta family must be focused on magic.
It’s a bit surprising since frontier counts are usually associated with overwhelming physical power and knightly traditions.
‘I really know nothing about the Kreveta family.’
[Understood. We need more information about your power anyway.]
“…What?”
Why did that sound ominous?
‘It can’t be… right?’
But the next message hit me harder than expected.
[We don’t know exactly what your power is, either. It’s holy energy, but it’s different from any known type of holy energy. That’s why we need more evidence.]
“What the…”
Why does this feel like I’ve been scammed?
‘So… they handed this over to me without knowing exactly what it is?’
[Try not to take it too negatively. You’re an unexpected variable for us, too. And…]
[Noah told you this much when others wanted to keep it a secret, so you should be grateful!]
Suddenly, a new message appeared.
Unlike Noah’s black text, this one was green.
‘Another ancient god?’
“Well, anyway… I understand. By the way, about that contract you mentioned earlier. Is it still a valid offer?”
[Why?]
“I don’t want to make a contract. Thinking about it, a favor ledger should suffice.”
Since the ancient gods need information about me, expecting state windows or anything else tied to a contract would only put me at a disadvantage.
I don’t care much about what happens after death, but I need some form of insurance for myself.
“Instead… I’d like to propose a deal.”
[A deal?]
“Yes. You said I’m a variable, right? Then the ancient gods must be unable to give me any clear answers, either. The problem is…”
[…]
“I was brought here to stop Raizen from becoming a villain, wasn’t I?”
I wanted to avoid it at all costs, but ignoring it any longer would only make me look foolish.
[That’s…]
[That’s enough.]
A new message appeared in navy-blue text.
* * *
