It was at that moment.
“That thing.”
Just as Eldora was about to growl again,
“Excalibur?”
A calm voice drifted between them.
It was a captivating, melodious voice—so beautiful that even Eldora, who had been bristling for battle, softened at the sound.
“Are you the wielder of that sword?”
The woman, as if awakening from emptiness, fixed her curious gaze on her opponent. In that instant, Eldora instinctively took a step back. Only after retreating a few paces did she realize her own reaction and showed a flicker of surprise.
There was no hostile energy, no pressure. The respectful tone was unexpected, but it felt more like a child’s innocent curiosity than anything else.
To Eldora, who had come prepared to face an unknown being radiating boundless unease, the woman’s surprisingly human demeanor was disorienting. The other Knights of the Round Table felt the same awkwardness.
“…Please, have a seat first.”
Breaking the silence, Melinus spoke solemnly. By now, all thirteen knights had gathered. A few of them pulled chairs around a large table, seating fifteen in total—including the woman.
While the woman showed a hint of interest, the other fourteen, including Eldora, were tense. The room was thick with silence.
Eventually, twelve pairs of eyes turned toward Melinus and Ian. They were the ones best suited to handle this kind of situation.
“This is confusing,” the woman suddenly said. Her unexpected words caused a ripple of surprise.
Ian quickly regained his composure and asked, “Confusing?”
The woman smiled gently and continued, “I never imagined that the being I would see upon awakening would be human…”
“Human?” Ian’s eyes sharpened.
“Wait.”
At that moment, someone raised their hand with a rough voice. Melinus halted the conversation and pulled a small blue orb from his cloak, placing it before the woman.
“Before we proceed, I have a request.”
Several knights recognized the orb as the Crystal of Truth and let out small gasps. They breathed a quiet sigh of relief—someone had prepared for this, even in such a dire situation.
“If you would place your hand on the orb and let a bit of your energy flow into it. If you don’t mind.”
The woman tilted her head in curiosity but, amused, complied. Moments later, the orb emitted a vivid glow, flickering with pale blue flames. Melinus glanced at Ian and gave a subtle nod.
“Well… I’m not sure how to put this, but first and foremost, we are human.”
“I know.”
The woman responded with a calm smile. Ian, feeling even more awkward at her politeness, pressed on.
“You said you were confused. And that you never expected the one who freed you to be human.”
“Yes.”
“Could you explain exactly what you meant by that?”
The woman paused thoughtfully before speaking quietly.
“The answer is simple. I had been asleep for a very long time, and I hoped to awaken someday. But I never imagined that the one who would release me would be human.”
“Why not human?”
Before she could answer, Melinus cut in.
Her smile vanished, replaced by a lowered, serious tone.
“Of course. When I was defeated and sealed away in a battle long ago, humans were involved. But on the opposing side. There were no humans among my followers.”
“Hmm. I have many questions, but from what you say, it sounds like you’re implying you’re not human.”
Melinus spoke calmly, and the woman slowly tilted her head, as if puzzled.
“What we want to know most is this,” Melinus said, his expression grave.
“Who exactly are you? How should we define your existence?”
“That’s unexpected. What kind of answer are you looking for?”
“Simple. If you’re not human, then perhaps a god… or something like that.”
“Yes.”
The woman interrupted Melinus with a nod.
“That’s right.”
The knights all exchanged incredulous looks. She accepted the idea of being a god far too easily. Some even doubted their own ears, feeling as if this were unreal. Yet the woman clearly reacted to the word “god” and affirmed it.
Most tellingly,
The Crystal of Truth continued to glow with that same pale blue light—still flickering just moments ago.
Then—
Crash!
A sudden loud noise echoed through the Great Library. All eyes turned to see Ian sprawled on the floor, chair toppled over. His eyes were wide with disbelief, almost tearing.
Trembling, he pushed himself up with shaking hands.
“N-no way… this can’t be….”
“Ian, calm down.”
Supported by Melinus, Ian struggled to stand. The woman watched him with a curious gaze, brushing her hair back softly before speaking.
“Is the existence of gods really that surprising to you?”
“N-no… that’s not it.”
Ian shook his head vigorously, then glared at her with a tense expression.
“It’s because I think I know who you are. That’s why I’m so shocked.”
A flicker of surprise crossed the woman’s eyes.
“When I saw the mural, I thought it couldn’t be… but I remember reading it. The personification of death… the coming of destruction…”
“Hmm.”
“Yes, Thanatos. The Flower of Thanatos. That’s what it said.”
“This is incredible. I never thought a human would still remember my true name.”
The orb’s light remained unchanged, and the woman’s frank admission left Ian drained. He suddenly collapsed back into his chair, burying his face in his hands.
“Oh my god… what kind of being have we freed? How could this happen….”
The knights watched Ian with tense eyes. The words “personification of death” and “coming of destruction” were hardly comforting. Though he muttered to himself in distress, they all sensed the woman was no ordinary being.
The tension that had eased slightly due to her polite demeanor snapped back tight. Some even began to grip their weapons. The fragile calm was on the verge of shattering into chaos.
“Then.”
The woman, who had been casually surveying the room, suddenly crossed her arms.
“May I ask some questions now? If you don’t mind.”
The woman—no, Thanatos—smiled gently, causing everyone to flinch and exchange uncertain looks. She had admitted to being a god, yet she didn’t act like one.
But the rising tension only accelerated. Sweat beaded on Eldora’s clenched sword hilt.
As everyone waited for the signal, Thanatos spoke again.
“Who are you?”
“What?”
Eldora’s army frowned, caught off guard by the unexpected question. They didn’t understand its intent.
“Oh, that was a poor choice of words. Of course, you’re human.”
Sensing something, Thanatos shook her head slowly.
“But… hmm, how should I put it? I sense… a foreignness? An alien presence? That kind of energy.”
She said this softly, then gently clasped her hands together.
“Ah. It’s like you don’t belong in this world—like strangers.”
The Great Library stirred with unease. The users exchanged bewildered glances. Though she called it a feeling, it was an accurate observation. Ian hurriedly nodded.
“Y-yes. As you said, we’re not from this world. We have our own realm, but we were forcibly summoned here to this whole plane.”
“I thought so. What did you say? Forcibly?”
Thanatos seemed to accept this calmly but suddenly asked with genuine curiosity, locking eyes with Eldora.
“Why? Why were you forcibly summoned? For what purpose?”
“Well…”
Eldora opened her mouth reflexively.
“Th-that…”
Suddenly,
“…that.”
Her words caught in her throat.
Not just Eldora—Melinus and all the Knights of the Round Table wore the same stunned expression.
In truth, Thanatos’s question was simple. Something anyone had wondered at least once.
Why?
…Yet,
“……”
At the same time, it struck at the core.
Except for one, no one truly knew the real purpose of their existence as users.
After shouting at the top of their lungs, they barely managed to stop Ansoll from opening the box.
Just as they were about to scold him properly, the three of them tossed the box aside and bolted away like lightning.
In truth, it wouldn’t have been impossible to catch him, but I was impressed by the cruelty of the two who, while fleeing together with Ansol, simultaneously tripped him up from both sides, using him as bait. So, I decided to just confiscate the box and leave it at that. (Honestly, Ansol’s loud, blubbering sobs about being betrayed were a bit much to handle.)
After retrieving the box and returning, I spent a long time sorting through my thoughts before finally speaking to Hwajeong.
“Hwajeong.”
So you’re not asleep yet. That’s a relief.
“Tell me everything you know about Thanatos.”
“Please, I’m begging you. You’re the only one I can trust.”
I put on a desperate tone, and as expected, her voice softened. Heh. Hwajeong’s surprisingly soft-hearted.
“Anything you know. Records related to him, his powers, personality, appearance…”
“That’s not the point… And what’s wrong with asking about his looks? Gehenna’s like that, and you too, Hwajeong. I’m just thinking Thanatos might be pretty, you know?”
I coaxed her gently, and the fiery Hwajeong who had been about to explode suddenly faltered, stammering. I guess emphasizing “you too, Hwajeong” did the trick.
“Why are you so sensitive? I’m just saying it’s a feeling I have.”
I almost burst out laughing, but held it back.
“You’re making him sound awful. But still, since he’s a god…”
“So Thanatos is even worse than that?”
“Ohhh.”
I threw in a teasing “ohhh,” and Hwajeong scoffed sarcastically.
“Well, um…”
“If you say it like that, I have nothing to argue.”
“Alright, I get it.”
Faced with Hwajeong’s unusually sharp tone, I surrendered. Still, I managed to get some useful information, so I decided to call it a day.
Anyway, just as Hwajeong warned, I have no intention whatsoever of dealing with Thanatos. There’s no reason to invite trouble or risk danger. But…
“Hmm, hmm.”
Just then, as I was about to drift back into my thoughts, an awkward cough echoed in my mind.
“Because I think you don’t like it.”
“What?”
“……”
I struggled hard to pull down the corner of my mouth that was about to curl into a smile and stared out at the night sky beyond the terrace.
If there’s one thing I’ve gained from going through the first and this round, it’s a difference in ‘intuition.’ It’s hard to explain—something feels off. From Ansol trying to open the box despite all the warnings, to Thanatos suddenly coming to mind, everything feels suspicious. It’s too strange to just brush off as a joke.
Especially considering Ansol’s luck, not to mention my own, which isn’t exactly low. The fact that something keeps nagging at me like this—it might be a kind of signal.
Yeah, even if it’s just paranoia, it’s better to be cautious. There’s a saying that a soldier who loses a war might be forgiven, but one who neglects vigilance is not. I don’t think the demon will back down so easily.
…For now, I’ll keep it in mind. At least so I won’t be caught off guard if we really do run into him.
“Do you think big breasts are better? Hey, Kim Suhyun, you listening?”
“Hmm?”
“You… you like big breasts, right?”
“No?”
“Really?”
“I like you no matter what. Any shape, any form.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
‘Kim Suhyun’s Memoir’
…When I said that with a gentle smile, I thought I’d said something pretty good.
But that thought vanished completely about five seconds later.
If I had known that Hwajeong’s outburst would escalate into a massive fireworks display lighting up not just the Mercenary Castle but the entire city…
I would have never, ever said that.