Chapter 831: The Last (64)

Whoooooosh.

With that sound, I felt my vision return to normal.

‘Kim Hyunsung of Lindel?’

“Kim Hyunsung of Lindel.”

‘Is this the first round? Did I just watch the first round?’

I felt like I was frowned upon without realizing it. I had no choice but to quickly suppress my confused emotions.

‘What was that all of a sudden?’

My emotions were so puzzling that they surprised even me. I felt so strange to the point where I couldn’t feel the change no matter how hard I bit my lip or tapped my thigh.

Tears streamed down from one eye.

I tried to cover my eyes, but there was no way he couldn’t notice this.

‘Fuck, why am I crying so often?’

It didn’t feel so good to have thoughts that were hard to explain. I thought there was no need to panic or be nervous, but it felt like my body was reacting against my will.

I knew it. It was something I had expected from the beginning.

Didn’t I decide to understand that Kim Hyunsung was somehow involved in the case, that he had his own circumstances, that there was something I didn’t know about?

Nevertheless, I felt a tremendous betrayal. It wasn’t a feeling that I was trying to stop, but a feeling that came rushing in from within me.

‘Didn’t you decide to separate the second and first rounds?’

Fuck, to be honest, it was unavoidable.

If I had to argue on behalf of Kim Hyunsung, there were many things I could say.

At the time, it would have been difficult for Kim Hyunsung, who was receiving the status of an aristocrat on Charlotte’s line, to reject the opinion that was close to the mainstream.

I didn’t know exactly what kind of cleaning it was, but it could have been a decision for the sake of the Empire’s well-being.

I couldn’t deny that it might have simply been politically empowering to Charlotte or that it was a cleanup in which the existence of the Empire or the continent was at stake.

Maybe it had something to do with the reason why Kim Hyunsung didn’t want to make Charlotte the empress of the Empire. Perhaps, even if I were in Kim Hyunsung’s position, there was a high possibility that I would have agreed with the plan.

‘If that was really reasonable.’

It should have that label, though.

Although the incident itself experienced by the Masked Hero and Park Deokgu might feel pitiful, in this era, one might think that they couldn’t understand the circumstances of each individual.

Considering his political sense, the possibility that he just fell into a trap was also undeniable.

Of course, I wasn’t defending the idea of blowing people or cities up as a whole, but my conclusion was that Kim Hyunsung might have encountered a situation that could not be avoided.

That meant that bastard…

No, it was weird that I even thought about this.

Why did he show me this in the first place? Why did I see this when everything was already over?

Wasn’t the timing too specific to say that this situation with a demon summoner was the trigger?

I didn’t understand why I had to feel so confused after seeing this.

For example, if 1st Timeline Kiyoung wanted me to see this and wanted me to understand this situation…

‘Why?’

Why would I need to know this?

Even if it was an expression of the unconscious, I had no choice but to think that there had to be some reason.

‘Do you want me to become hostile to Kim Hyunsung?’

Or was it for the sake of revenge? Kim Hyunsung looked happy, contrary to his intentions, so did he use such an irrational method because of bitterness? That filthy devil bastard.

Of course, he had been a little sad lately, but wasn’t Kim Hyunsung quite happy in his own way?

Although he even stabbed his closest friend’s stomach with a sword and killed me…

While the regressor was living with a lot of guilt, it seemed that he had some sort of mental illness, and he was in a state where he couldn’t take his own life, but… overall, Kim Hyunsung in the second round…

‘He’s happy.’

I had a guilty conscience, but if I looked at the overall picture… yes, he was happy. He had to be happy, right? He wouldn’t feel any pain. He couldn’t have liked that Kim Hyunsung was now happy, so the devil from the past most likely appeared. Or maybe my subconscious was trying to say something, but I didn’t understand anything. One thing was for sure…

‘I am the same.’

I hadn’t lost my reason, nothing had changed, and I didn’t think too much.

The plan hadn’t changed, and the story that followed wouldn’t change.

‘You fucking evil bastard. I knew it. Masked hero, my ass.’

The fact that the masked devil was trying to control me was annoying, but at the same time, reassuring. If what he wanted was the completion of revenge, if there really was a reason to show me this, then with that alone, I could maintain my current stance.

The possession of body and mind was blocked, and he was doing nothing more than stimulating me now. Since I had the initiative, it wasn’t unreasonable to say that he was throwing a bit like this.

Even if the person behind the mask wasn’t the masked demon but Lucifer, wouldn’t this be applicable?

Light Kiyoung was opening the door of truth and following the light of justice…

The masked demon and his hordes were blocking my way out of anxiety.

Naturally, I was able to catch my breath slowly, but my breathing was getting quite rough, and tears were flowing from my eyes, but as soon as I spent a little time holding the table with both hands, it felt like everything was back to normal.

That’s when I heard his voice.

—You seem to have a lot going on. Need some time off? If you need a break…

“No. I’m fine. How can I express my gratitude to you for being so considerate… You are a gentleman. A true gentleman.”

—I don’t sympathize with your personal problems. I just want to have a pleasant ending. So… how was it?

“What?”

—My appearance in the first round.

“What? You asshole!”

—Is it true?

“…”

—I was skeptical, but it’s hard not to believe in a situation like this.

“…”

—I don’t think you remember everything. Are you not the subject of the return? Is it just a simplistic view? If not… Is there some other signal? That’s fun and interesting. I don’t know what happened or how you found out about it, but… that’s amazing.

‘You crazy bastard. You’re so annoying.’

—No need to think so strangely. I mean, it’s obvious. Didn’t you say it yourself? The fact that this is the second round, that the third round is possible, the act of reflecting on something with a blank face, or the face that seems to have realized the truth… I was just testing you. Of course, I didn’t expect it to be this easy. Well, that must mean it was that hard for you.

He looked to be really enjoying it. For a moment, I wondered if this bastard had dug a trap, but there was really no emotion other than interest on his face.

At least he had nothing to do with the phenomenon I just went through.

“You can think of it any way you want.”

—What was I like?

‘This bastard is already convinced.’

“How would I know that?”

—I’ll ask again. What did I look like?

“…”

—…

Would it be okay if I just told him? There was nothing he could do anyway.

“You spent your life as my… slave…”

—Lee Kiyoung, you son of a bitch. I’m seriously asking now.

“No, I am serious. I’m just telling you what I saw…”

—…

“I don’t know what happened, but you were making coffee for me. You served as a human chair and sometimes got beaten on days when I was stressed. I mean, for no reason. Of course, when it was mealtime, you laid down like a dog under the table and ate… dog food… sometimes even the bread I threw…”

—Lee Kiyoung.

“No… do you think I’m lying?”

—Lee Kiyoung!!

“No, fuck, it’s true!! It’s the truth!!”

—What?

“I was too perplexed to say anything… sigh, really… even when I think about it now…”

—What… that’s…

“You were below humans.”

—There’s no way…

“It’s a joke, so don’t make such a serious face.”

He didn’t shout out loud, but his face looked like he was yelling and calling me a son of a bitch.

—…

“You were dying.”

—Was I?

“I remember being in a similar situation to now. We were playing the game we played the first time we met before you died, and we chatted. You don’t need to know what it was about. I don’t know why you died, so don’t ask. Perhaps, like an idiot, you fell into a trap again. Well. It’s obvious. You died by pretending to be good.”

—…

I could see him slowly moving his troops.

“It seems that there were no demon summoners there. At the very least, when you died, you died as a soldier of the Republic. It must have been an honorable death. It’s a little ironic that I was the person who stood by you, but… Oh! Don’t think like you were backstabbed by the motherfucker Lee Kiyoung even in the first round. At the time, I was hanging around with Jihye. Maybe Jihye and I took turns backstabbing you.”

I was moving my army as well.

“It seems that there were quite a few things that we argued about since you were aware of our existence. You took advantage of us, and I think we pretended… Well, it may not have been revealed on the surface, but it would have made me tired of the brain battles that you like so much.”

—…

“It doesn’t look like much has changed.”

—Is it?

𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

“I wonder why you are curious.”

—It’s just curiosity. There is no bigger reason than that.

“Then why are you curious about that?”

—Should I tell you?

“That’s also a mental illness, commander. You are not in a position to advise me.”

—You and I are different, fool.

Even while we were talking, I instinctively moved the pieces. Jung Jinho and Kim Hyunsung were still trading blows, glaring each other to death, and the battlefield was coming to an end.

Jin Qing was no different from me. He muttered a little but didn’t take his eyes off it.

‘This bastard really…’

To be honest, I wasn’t excited anymore. I also had to work hard to please him and did what he wanted, but now that I realized the result of this game, how could I not lose my excitement?

He seemed to be aware of my condition too, but he didn’t dare say anything else.

However, as if his goal was to win, he led his troops and advanced toward me.

Like the end of the second round and first round, it was obvious what he would choose.

Although they fought hard, the allied forces were eventually pushed to go on the defensive. And in front of his troops before the final decisive battle, he spoke as if he was satisfied with it.

—Honor.

“Yes.”

—What I want is honor, not revenge.

“…”

He continued with a slightly anxious expression.

—Keep… the promise.

“Of course, we have to protect it. You have chosen very well, commander.”

—Keep it…