-...So, you swore allegiance to the king, did you?
"Yes, I did."
-Are you truly in your right mind?
"Yes, more or less."
-...Ha... I can't believe it...
"You will believe it."
On the way back from the palace to the old inn.
After hearing about the incident with the king, Artanis sighed.
Kim Jangcheol smiled at her reaction.
And then, he recalled what happened an hour ago.
'Steamed buns... No, that king, his faith was much deeper than I expected.'
The incident from earlier came to mind.
The king's psyche, which Kim Jangcheol had peered into with bloodshot eyes.
The reason he had been so pleased to see Kim Jangcheol.
He had used it to his advantage.
Let's get something out of the king. Using his deep faith, let's make a grab for some of that blind national money. With that money, I'll buy a lifetime's worth of seeds, and bring them to the abandoned land.
It was all thanks to his deliberate push.
"I've promised unlimited funding. I'll buy a lot of seeds with that. I'll also hire a lot of people."
-Seeds and people, you say?
"Yes."
Kim Jangcheol nodded.
"With just our party, we can't carry all those seeds to the abandoned land. At least until we pass through Magrat Fortress, we'll need carts and porters."
-Then... Could it be...?
"Did you guess?"
-More or less.
Artanis looked at him with a meaningful gaze. Her sharp questions pricked at him.
-Could it be that you... Plan to go to the abandoned land with all those seeds you bought and never come back here?
"Yes, of course."
-And what about the porters who carry the supplies there?
"I'll send them back to Magrat Fortress."
-Is that... really okay?
"Eh? What do you mean?"
Kim Jangcheol asked in return.
Artanis looked at him with a dubious gaze.
-Then... You're not breaking your promise with the king, are you?
"Yes. That's right."
-Isn't that a bad thing?
"Yes, it's bad."
-...
"It can't be helped. We also have to survive. I feel a bit sorry for the king, but he's not someone who will be upset about losing that amount of money."
Kim Jangcheol said this honestly.
Artanis furrowed her brows.
-Then, to deceive him, even though you hold the title of Demon King, you lowered your head to a mere human and swore allegiance?
"Yes."
-You truly... have no pride?
"Yes. None."
Kim Jangcheol answered calmly and honestly.
"Does pride feed you? It doesn't, you know."
-Meow?
"Living through it, I realized that. And, to be precise, I didn't bow my head to the king. I bowed my head to money."
-Meow?
"And it wasn't the Demon King who swore allegiance, but Kim Jangcheol, the alias."
-Meow? Alias... Meow?
"Yes, alias."
What's an alias?
"That's what it is. Anyway—"
Kim Jangcheol thumped his chest. Inside, the blank check from the king felt reassuring.
"I never cared about pride in the first place. I've seen too many people waste efficiency by holding onto useless pride."
-Is that so...
"Yes. Especially when it comes to money, the money to feed my people, where does pride come into play? It's a luxury, a waste."
It was his honest feeling.
Because that's how it was.
That's the reality.
Many fathers living in South Korea, struggling to get by, are the same.
They don't quit their jobs even when they are suddenly laid off, sitting at their desks, grinding their teeth as they keep working, because they still need to send their kids to school.
Even when they don't like their company, even when the human relationships are unbearable, even when they feel demoralized, and even when their pride is destroyed, they endure for the sake of their families.
Kim Jangcheol thought that he wasn't any different.
"Even in the abandoned land, it's the same. There are at least several hundred people hanging on my shoulders. They need to make sure this season's crops don't fail, so we can feed our children. I mumble to myself several times a day about that."
-...
"So, I don't mind being cursed at. I don't mind being called vile or despicable. As long as I can feed the ones I'm responsible for, I'm willing to be cursed a hundred times, a thousand times over."
-... Is that so.
"Yes. More or less."
I see.
"That's how it is."
-...
Artanis fell silent.
And with a new, earnest look, she looked at Kim Jangcheol.
She thought to herself.
This person, he surprises me every time. He makes me reflect on myself. Though he may be weak in power, his mental fortitude is truly amazing.
'I've never thought like that...'
All I've ever known is to rule and dominate. That's what I've done now and in the past. I believed that only the authority of the Demon King, the pride and honor of a ruler, could lead everyone.
'.....'
But maybe, it could be different.
So perhaps, I might end up respecting this person.
"Well, in the end, we'll gather everything first. Hehehe..."
'...'
"Government subsidies are like sweet honey, after all. Hehehe..."
'...'
Forget what I just thought about respect.
Artanis sighed quietly. While she did that, Kim Jangcheol was happily chuckling.
***
"...Reporting to the Archbishop. It seems the king has found the right person."
Sniff, huff.
...Clink, clank.
"This morning, a strange group of people selling enormous corn, beans, and potatoes entered the palace with the royal guards, and the king had an audience with someone."
Huff, sniff!
...Clink! Clank!
Sunlight poured into the bright and quiet room.
A calm voice of an elderly man echoed from there. The man's report continued.
"Also, right after the audience, the king appeared extremely moved and delighted, even seeming to shed tears, saying that he was finally able to develop the abandoned land."
Huff, sniff!
...Clink, clank!
"......Archbishop?"
Sniff! Huff!
Clink! Clank!
"...That's the end of the report. As for the instructions... should I come back after you finish your exercise?"
"Huff! Sniff? No... it's almost... done...!"
...Clink!
The regularly ringing sound of metal finally ceased. And the curtain in the direction of the secretary's report was drawn back.
Thus, it was revealed.
The young and beautiful archbishop's body, having just completed a 300-kilogram squat.
...Clench!
It was a body that could be called perfect without any shame. Every muscle was in the most suitable position, in the most appropriate shape, perfectly balanced.
The skeleton supporting the muscles was the same.
A silhouette with neither excess nor deficiency. Golden long hair spilling over it. Green eyes that held both gentleness and firmness. Finally, a harmless, beautiful smile that made anyone who looked at it admire it involuntarily.
"I have received your report, Secretary. Thank you, as always."
"You're welcome. Now, please give your instructions."
The secretary bowed.
The young and beautiful archbishop, wearing a robe, spoke.
"Instructions... It's a bit perplexing, hearing that the king has found the right person."
It was an honest feeling.
He had believed that the suitable person would never be found. But now, here they were, suddenly appearing.
"......."
Who could it be?
What kind of crazy fanatic would support and lead the king's plan to explore and develop the abandoned land?
'Maybe they're real... or... a fraud.'
One of the two.
But it didn't matter.
The king's plan must be stopped.
Was it because the plan was too dangerous? Because exploring the abandoned land was like committing suicide?
No.
"If the person the king found is truly capable and real, and successfully explores the abandoned land, revealing its true nature to the kingdom... everyone will know. They'll know the uncomfortable truth that the doctrine of the perfectionists, which everyone has followed, is not actually perfect."
The archbishop murmured bitterly.
The perfect world created by a perfect god.
This world, as everyone believes it to be.
But the reality was different.
The more one studied and explored the truth of the world, created according to the perfect god's design, the more they realized the truth... was completely different.
The world was not perfect.
Rather, it was full of contradictions.
Because of that, he had to realize.
The day this world becomes perfect would likely never come. To truly achieve such a day, something unrealistic must happen, like the appearance of a figure like the Ten Saints, who have been passed down through the Book of Perfection like a legend.
'Otherwise... this world will forever remain imperfect, endlessly longing for an unattainable perfection.'
The archbishop's brows furrowed slightly.
In that moment, he thought of the abandoned land as evidence of the world's imperfection.
'That place... It's so barren and desolate, it's hard to believe a perfect god created it, it's just an abandoned wasteland.'
The abandoned land.
It was nothing but a wasteland.
A place full of lowly, cunning, and evil demons, where they lick each other's blood and lie scattered in ruins.
'And yet... they plan to explore and develop it?'
There was no way it would succeed.
It would fail miserably.
And the process of failure, the results, the bare truths would spread widely across the world.
Thus... everyone would realize the uncomfortable truth: that this world is not as perfect as everyone believed.
"...."
That cannot happen.
From the church's standpoint, it would be very problematic.
The believers would be disturbed. Donations would decrease. Such a situation must be prevented at all costs.
So...
"..... There's no helping it. I'll have to meet him personally."
The archbishop, now fully dressed in his conquest attire, turned his body. He left his office. Following the secretary's guidance, he climbed into the carriage and arrived at a shabby inn.
And, without hesitation, he walked towards an old door.
...Knock, knock.
He knocked on the door.
Soon, there was a response from inside.
"Hmm... Huh, who is it?"
...Creeeeak.
The door opened a crack.
Through it, a man with a purple face, still unable to wipe off his sleepiness, peeked out.
It was Kim Jangcheol.
"......"
Seeing him, the archbishop thought.
Was he taking a nap? It seemed like it, and so, feeling somewhat guilty, the archbishop opened his mouth to introduce himself.
"I am the Archbishop of the Church. I heard that someone who had an audience with the king is here, and I came to deliver a message."
"....Huh? A message?"
"Yes."
"Uh, so... the Church... Archbishop..."
"Yes. I am Archbishop Rephelon."
"So you've come to deliver me some good news?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Uh, well then, I don't have any business with you."
"......Excuse me?"
The unexpected response made the archbishop start.
No business?
The archbishop, who had come himself?
What he had just heard was hard to believe. Had his perfect ears, as well as his perfectly honed body, somehow malfunctioned?
The archbishop asked again.
"Uh... I don't think I heard that correctly, could you please repeat that? I truly came to deliver good news..."
"Oh, no, I'm not interested. I don't believe in religion. I don't go to church or the temple. I don't honor my ancestors. I don't do rites. And I have no plans for real estate investments. So, Happy New Year and take care."
With a firm slam, the door was shut.
[T/L: I am not getting any support from webnovel platform, so please support me and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]