00774 The Final Omen Slowly Stirred
Clink, clink!
Clink, clink!
In the pitch-black darkness, the sound of chains echoed, and a pair of yellowish-green eyes suddenly glowed. Once the movement of the chains ceased, those eyes slowly stepped forward. The faint reflection of the chains briefly shimmered around the eyes, revealing a strikingly handsome young man with a refined appearance. This was none other than Lucifer, the “Fallen Angel,” staring ahead with intense curiosity.
“Hmm…”
After a long, silent gaze, Lucifer let out a sigh that seemed to carry no clear meaning. Folding his arms, he tilted his head in bafflement.
“Should I be pleased about this… or not?”
Before him stretched dozens—no, hundreds—of tangled chains. At the center of this intricate web hung a woman suspended in midair.
Her long black hair, bleached almost to ash-gray, framed a serene face with closed eyes. Wrapped in a pure white garment that made her look almost ghostly, she was undeniably a stunning beauty—enough to captivate any man’s gaze. But the pair of conical horns sprouting from her crown marked her as no ordinary woman; she was a demon, and a high-ranking one at that.
Yet, for some reason, despite the sensuous curves crushed beneath the chains—the full breasts and toned thighs evoking a strangely erotic aura—the woman’s gaunt face bore a faint sadness. It was as if she mourned someone’s death, her expression heavy with sorrow. Bound by hundreds of chains, she looked less vulgar and more pitiful.
“I had planned to awaken her slowly and take full control… so why has the awakening come early?”
Lucifer muttered “Why?” repeatedly, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
“Last time I checked, it doesn’t seem to be Satan… and no one else should be interested in the Northern Continent right now…”
He pondered deeply but found no answers. Shaking his head slowly, he sighed in frustration and licked his lips.
“Well, the plan to take control is out the window… but maybe a rampage won’t be so bad.”
Without hesitation, Lucifer turned away.
“Whatever happens, it’s fine. Success will be good, and even failure will bring something.”
With a sly smile, he melted back into the darkness, leaving the pitiful woman alone in the empty space.
Moments later—
Clink, clink!
Clink, clink!
The chains rattled again, and the demon woman’s body trembled like waves.
The sky had darkened.
Of course, when the sun rises, the moon follows; when the sun sets, so does the moon. On the Whole Plane, weather changes with the passage of time are very distinct—sometimes the length of day and night shifts, like at the solstices.
But even accounting for all that, something felt off. The feeling wouldn’t go away. That morning, I woke up at the usual time, finished breakfast, and by lunchtime the sky was clear and bright.
Yet by late afternoon, the sky suddenly darkened. If the air were heavy or storm clouds gathered, it would make sense. But the temperature hadn’t changed, and the clouds were all white. How could the sky be this dark? It wasn’t night yet. It was definitely strange.
Maybe I was just being overly sensitive. The clan members didn’t seem to notice anything unusual. Or rather, they didn’t care much. They acknowledged the darkening sky with a casual “Oh, yeah?” I even called Ansol over to ask, but all I got back was a cheeky question mark.
Still, just because Ansol didn’t know didn’t mean I could ignore it. Something kept nagging at me—a tightness in my chest. And above all, Ansol isn’t omnipotent. We have to consider the possibility that his prophecies might not always activate.
While I wrestled with whether this was a bad omen or just paranoia, unfortunately (?) the clan’s attention was focused elsewhere.
“It has to be the archer. No question about it.”
“What are you talking about? And what kind of ‘no concession’ is that?”
“If you haven’t seen the little lady shoot her bow, don’t even speak. Why would you try to block the path of such a promising archer?”
“Seon Yuwon, you talk as if you’ve seen Mar control magic.”
It was a spectacle—a truly rare sight. Seon Yuwon, the embodiment of taciturn calm, and Jeong Hayeon, who values restraint and self-control above all, were in the middle of a heated argument over Mar. Of course, it was just a verbal spat, no hair-pulling or shoving, but seeing these two raise their voices was refreshing.
“I heard you received the Water Crystal, but you’re sticking your nose in too far.”
“Oh? And you, Seon Yuwon, have you mastered the Celestial Palace completely?”
Whenever Seon Yuwon made a pointed remark, Jeong Hayeon would smile and retort sarcastically. It was entertaining to watch, though it felt like they were about to cross a line. If these two were this invested, just how incredible was Mar’s talent?
Glancing over, I saw Mar watching them with wide eyes and an open mouth.
“Enough.”
I spoke quietly, and as if on cue, the two stopped their bickering. Then they both looked at me with pleading eyes, clearly hoping I’d take their side. It was a tricky situation, but a good idea came to me. I smiled inwardly and looked at Mar.
“Mar.”
“Yes?”
“Who do you like better?”
“Umm…”
Mar blinked her bright eyes a couple of times, then slowly stood up. She spread her arms wide and toddled over to me, clinging tightly.
“I like Daddy best!”
Oh, heart, please stay still. Why are you trying to leap out?
Well, who could blame you? That was my fault for phrasing it ambiguously.
“Then, between those two, who do you like more?”
“Umm?”
“Do you want to learn archery or magic? It’s okay, just tell me.”
“Ah~ I want to do whatever Daddy says.”
Mar snuggled into my chest, then started rubbing her chubby cheek against me. My heart pounded even harder, but the choice was back in my hands. Still, I had no intention of giving up so easily.
“But Daddy wants you to learn what you want to do.”
“…?”
“I want to respect your wishes.”
“Ah…”
Mar’s eyes sparkled as she seemed to understand.
“Wow!”
She squealed, her adorable little ears twitching, and the wings on her back fluttered. Then she said, “I love you, Daddy,” and “I want to marry you, Daddy.” My heart, which had been barely holding on, finally gave a loud thump and fell.
With trembling hands, I gently stroked her head and looked up to see the two adults standing there, dumbfounded. A strange pride swelled inside me, and I straightened my back without thinking.
“So, what should we do?”
No sooner had I asked than Seon Yuwon and Jeong Hayeon both lunged forward.
“Clan Lord, the little lady can truly become an amazing archer.”
“Mar must be raised as a mage. Ma-gic.”
“She shot an arrow into the sky, and then, with a delayed shot, hit it perfectly. That accuracy, that dynamic vision—you’d be speechless if you saw it.”
“Really. Suhyun knows about Mar’s magical talent too. She’s been teaching her here and there since she was little, right?”
…And so the argument resumed.
After much back and forth, we ultimately decided to postpone Mar’s career choice. Seon Yuwon and Jeong Hayeon agreed to step back a bit to assess whose talent was superior, but Mar’s decision would take priority.
The situation was a bit complicated, but I didn’t mind. There was no reason to be upset when Mar had such remarkable talent. Perhaps her innate gifts came from the queen’s bloodline, but the influence of her thirteen pairs of extraordinary wings surely played a part. Either way, waiting a little longer seemed fine.
After the commotion, hunger crept in. It had been quite a while since lunch, so I headed straight to the first-floor dining hall. As I opened the door, the savory aroma hit me—and to my surprise, there were familiar faces. Vivian and Geunwon were eating together. Vivian had even taken over an entire table, happily eating and drinking.
“Vivian?”
I called out casually as I approached. Vivian whipped her head around, eyes wide, and greeted me with a cheerful “Hey!” while raising her right arm.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Geomgeom.”
I quickened my pace threefold.
“Ahhh! Just kidding, just kidding! Sorry! Don’t hurt me!”
Bang.
Startled, Vivian screamed and flailed her arms, falling over. I easily stepped over her curled-up form, exchanged a quiet nod with Geunwon, who was still eating, and calmly took a seat.
“Uh, huh?”
Groaning, Vivian pushed herself up, wearing a momentary, foolish expression. But when she saw me sitting quietly, she clenched her teeth. I tried my best to soften my expression, as if to say, “Well, what do you want me to do about it?”
There was a sharp grinding sound, but Vivian slammed herself back into the chair and resumed eating.
“Has it been a while?”
“Yeah.”
“How’ve you been lately?”
“Fine.”
Vivian’s words came out bluntly, cutting off the conversation. But when I clasped my hands together and looked at her steadily, she flinched and shrank back. Why does she keep acting like that?
“This is your last chance. How’s the research going?”
“Ah, that? It’s… so-so.”
This time, Vivian didn’t act up. She just dodged the question, lowered her head slightly, and started shoveling food into her mouth—one bite, two bites, three, four…
Judging by that, it seemed she hadn’t made any real progress yet. If there had been even a little improvement, knowing Vivian’s personality, she would have bragged about it twice over.
I felt a twinge of disappointment but pushed it aside. I know how difficult it is to summon the upper echelons, especially the first, second, and third divisions. And I know it’s not something you can achieve in a short time. So for now, all I can do is wait rather than push her. Knowing Vivian’s passion, she’s probably the most frustrated of all.
“So, did you quit the research and come back?”
“Huh? No?”
“Then why are you here?”
“Came to eat.”
Her cheeks puffed out as she mumbled, clearly stuffed with food.
“…Eat first, then talk.”
I scolded her, and she started chewing vigorously, her cheeks bulging. Between bites, I caught her muttering, “What, so I’m not supposed to eat and just research?” but I ignored it and slipped my hand into my pocket.
“Eh?”
Suddenly, Vivian’s eyes went wide as saucers. But when I pulled out a cigarette, her expression twisted oddly, and she started coughing violently, as if choking. What’s gotten into her now?
gulp gulp “Puhah!”
A moment later, after gulping down some water the maid hurriedly brought, Vivian slammed the cup down with a loud thud. She shook her head hard once, then glared at me fiercely.
“Hey, Kim Soo-hyun.”
Her tone was challengingly sharp. I stared back, wondering if she’d lost her mind, only to see her eyes blazing with fire.
“Why are you so mean? Now you’re even bothering me while I’m trying to eat?”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Don’t play innocent! You pretended to pull out the contract to threaten me when I was complaining, but you were really just pulling out a cigarette!”
“No, I swear, I was just reaching for a cigarette.”
I flicked the cigarette between my fingers, and Vivian bit her lip tight. She probably thinks I’m messing with her on purpose, but I’m telling the truth.
Sigh “Fine. Actually, this works out.”
Vivian exhaled sharply through her nose. She was still squinting, clearly annoyed. But what did she mean by “this works out”?
After glaring at me for a while longer, she finally said in a solemn voice, like a tragic heroine in a drama,
“I have something to say to you.”
After that declaration, I returned with Vivian to the office on the fourth floor. It felt like something important was about to be said, and I could feel the curious glances from the restaurant behind us.
Vivian didn’t relax her angry expression until I told her to sit down. But the moment we faced each other on the sofa, she spoke as if she’d been waiting for this.
“Admit it. And apologize.”
“Huh?”
“Admit it and apologize. You pretended to pull out the contract earlier, but you were really pulling out a cigarette. Do you know I almost choked on my food?”
“I’m really not lying.”
I protested immediately, but Vivian snorted dismissively. Crossing her arms arrogantly, she spoke quietly.
“Ha… fine. I find it hard to believe, but let’s say you’re telling the truth. Still, you owe me an apology.”
“What’s gotten into you today? Are you serious?”
“Yes! I’m serious!”
“You…”
Suddenly, Vivian shouted. I blinked in surprise, and she huffed but kept going.
“Don’t look at me like that. What, is it weird that I’m angry? Am I not allowed to be angry?”
“No, it’s just…”
“Think about it for once. You’ve treated me terribly all this time, haven’t you?”
“…Yeah.”
Well, that’s… an undeniable fact.
“See? You can’t even deny it. You, the great Kim Soo-hyun.”
Vivian’s expression softened just a little, and she buried her face in the sofa. Then, as if she’d been waiting for this moment, she started chattering like a machine gun.
“Don’t think this came out of nowhere. I’ve been holding it in for a long time. This is the result of me bottling it all up.”
“……”
“Yeah. Maybe you really weren’t pretending to pull out the contract. Maybe you really were just reaching for a cigarette. But think about it—do you think I was scared for no reason? No. You kept throwing that ridiculously unfair contract in my face and trampled on my pride. How could I not develop a complex?”
“……”
“Did I ask for too much? I told you before, didn’t I? Just treat me like everyone else. Is that so hard? Why do you always act like you want to eat me alive whenever you see me? If you have any conscience, think about it!”
“……”
“…Ah, now that I think about it, I’m even angrier.”
“……”
As she spoke, Vivian’s eyes grew slightly glassy.
She had a point. I couldn’t argue with her logic.
I stayed silent.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
The year of Eulmi has dawned.
I wanted to post on time with the start of the new year, but my fingers just wouldn’t cooperate. Haha. Still, if I keep trying, maybe someday I’ll make a fresh start.
It’s now 2015.
To all my readers, I wish you a very happy new year and peace in your homes. :)
From Royujin. (__)