After sending Bow Ghost away, there wasn’t much that came to mind.

I was only thinking about what would happen next.

“How will she make her move?”

How Bow Ghost would come at me now. That was the only thing on my mind. It wasn’t as though that conversation itself had been all that important.

In the end.

She must have come to confirm that I possessed divine sight.

The mistake was that she had come in spirit form.

No. Calling it a mistake isn’t right either.

There was no way she could have known that coming in spirit form would leave her like that.

To begin with, it wasn’t something ordinary sorcerers could pull off.

I was just the strange one.

...What are you, some kind of monster?

That was what Chief Baek had said with a dry gasp.

He said he had never once seen anyone toy with a spirit form like that.

Pat, pat.

I dusted off my hands. It wasn’t something that mattered much anymore.

My heart’s fine.

Thankfully, the ring was fastened properly.

Still—

...That was close.

Was it because I’d used too much of something I hadn’t touched all year?

I could feel the things I had painstakingly layered over myself growing a little thinner, a little fainter.

That would be a problem.

“Tsk.”

I was probably going to have to reinforce it again.

And to do that—

...I’ll have to stop by the main house.

The Bang Family.

It looked like I would have to go there once.

If I put it off any longer and it came undone—

Ugh.

I didn’t even want to imagine it. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Just then—

[Let me ask you one thing.]

The Heavenly Demon, who had been grinning to himself this whole time, finally wiped the smile from his face and spoke to me.

He must have been that delighted at seeing Bow Ghost get screwed over.

So now he was done laughing?

[Do you remember the Divine Tree you saw in the Demonic Cult?]

“I remember it.”

He seemed to be talking about the Divine Tree in Yoo Cheongil’s vault.

But why?

I narrowed my eyes in confusion.

[After seeing it, did nothing occur to you?]

“...Occur to me?”

[Yes. I am asking whether you felt anything.]

“Ah.”

For a moment I wondered what he meant.

So that was it.

I answered without much thought.

“You mean what was inside it?”

[...]

The Heavenly Demon didn’t respond.

Was that not it?

Did I need to be more explicit?

“A god.”

What had been inside the Divine Tree was a god.

No, rather than a god...

“Obsession? Regret? Leftovers? I’m not sure what the right word is.”

Something that had once been a god.

That was what had been sealed inside.

To begin with, the very reason it was called a Divine Tree was because something had seeped into it.

It was rare, yes, but not so unimaginably precious that it would shock me just by existing.

Though—

For something like that...

The spiritual energy inside the tree had been absurdly dense.

That had been something left behind by a god.

And not just any god, either. Spiritual energy on the level of a higher god.

[What truly precious eyes.]

“You flatter me. Is that what you meant?”

[Yes.]

“Will it be a problem that I saw it?”

[No. Nothing about it will be a problem. Rather—]

His voice shook.

[It is a situation better than I could have hoped for.]

“...”

What was with this oppressive feeling?

[As I thought...]

The Heavenly Demon muttered that under his breath, then abruptly fell silent.

“...Hello?”

Why stop in the middle of talking?

“Hey.”

I called again, but the Heavenly Demon did not answer.

What the hell was that?

It was absurd.

With the night falling quiet like that, I left the uneasy feeling behind and headed for the bedroom myself.

For now, I had to prepare for tomorrow.

*****

The final day of the talks.

The same people as yesterday had gathered again.

We had to settle the matter according to the choice each side had made during the night.

“Have you decided?”

The moment the discussion began, the Young Cult Leader spoke to me.

At those words, everyone’s eyes turned my way.

Ah. Were they really going to focus on what I said?

They didn’t actually hand me the authority to decide, did they?

Surely not.

No matter what, that would be taking it too far, wouldn’t it?

Just as I was thinking that—

“Speak.”

Thousand-Mile Divine Eye pressed me for an answer.

Wow. So it really was like that.

I hesitated and let my gaze flick around.

Fortunately, I had already thought it through.

“...My opinion is...”

I bought myself a moment with a brief silence, then continued.

“I think the talks can go forward.”

“What?”

Thousand-Mile Divine Eye looked startled, as if my answer had run contrary to what he had expected.

But my answer didn’t change.

“You think the talks should proceed?”

“...Yes. Well, isn’t that acceptable?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean exactly what I said. If the Demonic Cult truly wants peace, and if those are the terms being offered, then I don’t think it’s a bad proposition.”

“......”

“If what they’re offering is something the Alliance genuinely needs right now, then wouldn’t it also be something necessary to dispel the mistrust and anxiety so many people are showing toward the Alliance?”

“If you put it that way, then striking the Demonic Cult would be the more proper answer.”

“No.”

I shook my head firmly.

“If it ends in war, then the anxiety won’t disappear. That’s a different matter.”

How many years had it even been since the last war, and now another one?

On top of that, the Demonic Cult had already broken through and exposed the fact that Henan itself had problems.

Trust in the Alliance had already dropped sharply.

And in that situation, they were going to start a war with the Demonic Cult?

That wouldn’t be the worst choice.

It was a workable approach.

I didn’t know how much military strength the Demonic Cult currently possessed, but it would still be a hundred times better than just sitting still.

But—

“If it’s possible not to do that, then that could be fine too, couldn’t it?”

“...So you believe avoidance is the answer?”

“Not avoidance. A different choice, more like.”

It was an empty answer.

Hollow words.

But from where I stood, that was how it looked.

Of course—

That probably isn’t the answer either.

Not the answer for the direction I wanted.

It was just a path that might prove useful.

“So then, you are saying we should accept the talks with the Demonic Cult?”

“Oh, no. I’m just saying that’s my opinion.”

Why was everyone here speaking as though whatever choice I made would automatically be the right one?

That was a little troublesome.

“At the very least, if the Young Cult Leader is offering his own life as collateral—”

“You say collateral to my face with me sitting right here.”

“—and if he not only comes in as a hostage, but also enters the Academy along with the other juniors, wouldn’t that at least give us justification?”

“...Justification?”

“Yes.”

Tap, {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} tap.

I lightly drummed my fingers against the table.

“At the very least, if something happens in there, wouldn’t that be enough justification to take the Young Cult Leader’s head?”

Creeeeak—!

The air changed at my words.

It felt as though the wind itself had grown heavy.

It was the energy coming off the Eight Demons.

They were raising something close to killing intent.

At that, the Lesser Moon Unit leader and the martial artists around us also gripped their swords.

“Hahaha.”

Then the Young Cult Leader let out a laugh.

“...Even so, with a man sitting right in front of you, is it really proper to say that so openly?”

A reddish glow began to shimmer from his eyes.

Even looking straight at that, I didn’t flinch.

I had plenty of beings beyond heaven standing behind me.

“That’s the condition you put on the table so it could be used that way. Why bother dressing it up?”

“That’s true enough. I like how direct it is.”

“I’m helping your side right now. You should be grateful.”

“Hahaha... helping us?”

A faint killing intent spread through his gaze.

“The Sword Saint’s inheritor helping the bloodline of the former Heavenly Demon?”

“So what?”

I grinned.

“What, should we be trying to kill each other right here and now instead?”

“Unfortunately, we can’t do that.”

The Young Cult Leader smiled faintly.

“It would be a shame to spill blood at such a fine occasion. That’s what makes it so regrettable.”

“If you wanted to, you could fight anytime?”

“Stop scratching at my insides.”

Power spilled from the Young Cult Leader’s eyes.

“I want that more than anyone.”

The killing intent in those words felt sincere enough to make faces tighten all around the room.

“Of course, I’m joking.”

The Young Cult Leader changed expressions immediately and put on a bright, harmless smile.

I wanted to smash his face in.

A joke?

What kind of joke was that?

“Ah, and if this is accepted... since the Demonic Cult would be sending a junior first, I would like the orthodox faction to send a representative as well at some later date.”

The Young Cult Leader spoke.

Since he himself had agreed to go first on the Demonic Cult’s side, someone from the orthodox faction would have to go later for the agreement to hold.

Then the Young Cult Leader pointed at me.

“In that case, wouldn’t it make the most sense for Moon Hero to come—”

“What nonsense—!”

Bang—!!!

A dry, thin arm slammed down on the table.

Leaving the heavy table trembling behind, someone shot to their feet.

It was Thousand-Mile Divine Eye.

“How dare you...!”

...Why is he angry?

I froze at the sight of Thousand-Mile Divine Eye’s fury.

On the level of appearances, it made sense.

If the Young Cult Leader moved, then for me—the one standing as his opposite number—to go to the Demonic Cult later wasn’t strange at all.

Even if I don’t want to go, what can I do?

In this situation, there was no justification for running.

So with things already like this, even I was taken aback by how explosively Thousand-Mile Divine Eye reacted.

He was more rational than anyone.

Could he really have failed to calculate even this much?

There was no way.

“And you call that something worth saying?”

“...What about it is unreasonable?”

“Moon Hero is the symbol of the orthodox faction. In the very situation caused by your people’s actions, when the orthodox side is only just considering whether to accept this at all, and yet you dare try to lay claim to Moon Hero as well?”

“Hmm.”

The Young Cult Leader looked at Thousand-Mile Divine Eye with a troubled expression.

Then he looked at me.

“It seems you’re very loved.”

“I’m more cherished than I look.”

Just as I was tossing that back like idle banter, Divine Spear stepped in.

“Sit down.”

“...Alliance Leader!”

“I said sit.”

“......”

In the end, Thousand-Mile Divine Eye ground his teeth and sat back down.

“We have heard all the conditions regarding the agreement. We will proceed by discussing them with the elders.”

“You cannot decide immediately? We’ve spent three days here.”

“We cannot decide at once, Young Cult Leader. Though I assume you acted knowing as much. If we do accept, then from that moment onward you will be unable to leave Henan.”

That was true.

The instant the terms of the talks were accepted, it would become difficult for the Young Cult Leader to leave Henan.

In fact, even if the negotiations broke down, it would be much the same.

The moment he arrived in Henan, his feet had already been shackled.

The only difference was whether his neck remained attached.

“Even if we speak with the elders, it is highly likely things will proceed as you desire.”

“I sincerely hope so.”

The Young Cult Leader nodded as he looked at Divine Spear.

“That is what I want more than anything.”

He said it while looking at me.

Why was he suddenly staring at me?

Just as that gaze started to feel distinctly uncomfortable—

the talks finally ended.

As the Young Cult Leader rose from his seat, my gaze shifted behind him.

My eyes went to the Eight Demons.

Bow Ghost isn’t here?

The presence I had felt from Bow Ghost before was nowhere to be sensed now.

Which meant she had swapped out again.

What is this?

Was firing baleful force into her really enough to keep her from coming?

Just as that struck me as strange—

Wooooooooong—!!

“...!”

My head snapped around.

A strange energy had burst out, and when I turned toward it—

What the hell?

Baleful force was shooting toward Thousand-Mile Divine Eye.

The moment I saw it, my body moved on its own.