98 – Forest (9)
“The wise and noble emperor of his youth, as he aged, changed. He began to doubt those around him, ensnared by the arrogance of not wanting to lose his power.”
As people age, they change, influenced by their surroundings.
It is fairly common throughout history for a once wise and powerful leader in their youth to change in character as they grow older.
The aged emperor began to be wary of those around him. And the one who caught his eye was a man.
And the actions of such a ruler often started with expelling people.
“The man, having lived his life for others, garnered the support of many. Though he did not covet power and wealth, possessing little of it, his support among the people was thicker than anyone else’s. Even more so than the emperor of the empire… you know.”
It was clear how the man appeared in the eyes of the emperor consumed by jealousy.
“The emperor thought that someday the man would pose a threat to his position and the imperial family, deciding to expel him. Yet, the man never harbored such intentions.”
“……”
“However, the people’s support for the man was so heavy that even the emperor, without any valid reason, would face grave consequences if he dared to harm the man. He had to be cautious, more so than the emperor who had achieved numerous feats and made the empire more prosperous than any other nation, at any other time.”
And so, she continued.
“The emperor devised a plan. A plan to bring down the man.”
Her gaze grew heavy.
“He planted seeds. Spreading rumors about his unsavory deeds. Of course, the people did not believe these rumors. Having known the man for many years, they knew he was not capable of such things.”
However.
“Evidence began to emerge. Evidence that the man was involved in various incidents. Though manipulated by the emperor’s hand… the people remained unaware of this fact.”
“……”
“As time passed and evidence gradually surfaced, the people’s unwavering faith began to waver. Perhaps that was the case. Perhaps, the man was not as good as he seemed, they thought. And… trust once tainted crumbled in an instant.”
The course of events that followed was predictable even without further explanation.
“Upon realizing, he had transformed from a one-of-a-kind virtuous man to a one-of-a-kind villain. His past deeds of kindness were overshadowed by deceitful actions, deceiving people.”
If he truly was as they portrayed, he might have been able to resist his downfall.
However, the man was genuinely good, lacking the strength to resist the emperor’s machinations.
In the end, the man fell from grace.
“Naturally, he was driven out of the imperial family, losing everything. All that remained for him was the cold stares and disdain directed at him.”
“…Strange. If that man truly could foresee the future, shouldn’t he have been able to avoid that as well?”
Although it bothered Yeong that this notion interrupted the flow, she found it hard to ignore the question that arose in her mind.
If the man truly could foresee the future, he should have been able to avert his demise.
Yet, El lightly shook her head in response to my query.
“While the man could foresee the future more clearly than anyone, it doesn’t mean he could see every facet of it. In the end, he was not an all-powerful being, just a mere human.”
“……”
After all, if he could see all futures, he would not have let things escalate to such a point.
Perhaps he would not have chosen to aid the emperor.
“After falling into such a dire state, the man did not give up. He believed that if he tried hard, if he devoted time, everyone would come to understand him again. Or rather, he wanted to believe…”
However.
“The malice towards the man did not simply end with his suffering. Those around him, his family, friends, lovers, all were persecuted. Once the floodgates were opened, the enraged populace did not know when to stop, and all his loved ones suffered… and eventually
It was there before, but this time, the duration was quite long.
As if someone reluctant to speak those words.
However, as time passed, her lips finally parted once more.
“I sold my soul to the devil.”
“….”
“The devil, possessing tremendous power, was very pleased with the man’s soul and, in return, granted the man’s wish.”
Finally, her gaze returned to me.
“This is the truth of the empire’s downfall.”
Calmly, she concluded the story.
“….”
Even after the story ended, I said nothing.
Because…
“You seem to have a face wanting to make a point.”
“…What…”
As she said, there were peculiar aspects to this story.
There were a few points that bothered me, but the most prominent one was…
“What exactly is the devil?”
That’s right, the existence of the devil.
Conceptually, the devil exists in this world as well.
Yet, it exists only conceptually, not in reality.
Even if such an existence is concealed from the outside, it is bound to become noticeable eventually.
Just as there are those who worship gods and borrow their power, it is inevitable that there are those who do not worship existence of equal power.
Moreover, it seems that there is no intention to hide their identity when listening to the story.
Still, she mentioned the existence of the devil.
And that devil claimed to have brought about the downfall of the empire.
“Well, I used the term ‘devil’ for convenience, but… in reality, it’s not a real devil. The term ‘devil’ is just one of the words used to describe it.”
“Hmm…”
“I understand that it’s a hard story to believe. However, you have already encountered the devil.”
“I… encountered it?”
At that sound, I involuntarily furrowed my brows.
What kind of nonsense is this?
“The lake. Don’t you remember?”
“What on earth…”
I was about to outright deny it, but I couldn’t help but stop my words.
As she said, there was one thing that I could guess.
The ‘fissure’ I saw in the lake.
And ‘that’ beyond it.
“…Is that the devil?”
Certainly, if that is called the devil, it does make sense.
Even I, who was at the level of the Ten Swords at that time, could not fathom the extent of that power and was utterly overwhelmed by it.
Even the power that ‘it’ shared was overwhelming in terms of magnitude alone.
If such beings existed, I thought it would be entirely possible for them to bring an empire to ruin overnight.
“As I said, ‘devil’ is just one of the words used to describe them. In fact, considering their essence, it might be more appropriate to call them ‘gods.'”
“‘Gods’… Wait, ‘them’? Are you saying it’s not just one?”
“Of course. What you saw was just one of them.”
…
To think that beings with such transcendent power were not just one.
That statement utterly shattered my common sense.
Although my mind momentarily went blank at that notion, I quickly raised my head again.
“…Wait, isn’t that strange? If such beings exist in multiples, why is the continent still intact like this? Even if humanity had perished long ago… No, it wouldn’t be surprising if the continent itself had vanished without a trace.”
If there were not just one of such beings, and if they were not as benevolent as to be called devils, the continent should have perished long ago.
There are several beings capable of bringing down an empire overnight.
However, it was beyond my comprehension how the continent, along with humanity carrying a long history, had managed to survive until now.
In response to my clear doubt, El promptly provided an answer.
“Of course, with their power, that’s entirely possible. No, not difficult at all. If they wish, these beings can single-handedly bring the continent to ruin.”
However.
“They also have constraints. They are rulers from the ‘outside’ world, not belonging to this world. While their power is undoubtedly transcendent, they cannot interfere in this world as they please. To interfere, they too must pay a considerable price.”
Even they have their own constraints.
That was a somewhat relieving notion to hear.
Yet, it also brought forth another question.
“…Then how did the empire come to ruin? From what I’ve heard, it doesn’t seem easy for them to interfere to that extent. It doesn’t seem plausible to pay the price of just one human soul.”
Setting aside the nobility of a man, the soul of a single human does not hold great value.
But for that devil to grant such an immense wish in exchange for just one human soul, it was hard to fathom.
Even without going to that scale, just the number of humans who perished due to that wish is immeasurable.
No matter how much I pondered, the math didn’t add up.
“Yes. With an ordinary human soul, such a thing would have been impossible. Even if the devil held that being in high regard, it doesn’t add up to using just that to bring down an empire.”
El affirmed my doubt and nodded.
Then, she added quietly.
“An ordinary human soul, that is.”
If it were an ordinary human soul, then yes.
That statement held a single meaning.
The man’s soul was not an ordinary human soul.
There was value in the man’s soul.
She was saying that.
If that statement were true, there were some suspicions.
“Is the ability to see the future of such immense value to them as well?”
The ability to see the future.
As she claimed, the man could see the future clearer than anyone else.
Perhaps that was the man’s most exceptional trait.
However, questions still lingered.
Seeing the future is undoubtedly a remarkable power.
However, that is merely a human standard, and it didn’t seem to hold equal value even for transcendent beings capable of wiping out empires in an instant.
“Of course. Perhaps more valuable than anything existing in this world, to them, they hold great worth.”
“…”
“You seem unconvinced. But if you hear this tale, you might understand. Why a man’s soul holds such value. Why the devil covets it so.”
Her eyes shone brightly.
“If you understand where the power to see the future originates from, you see.”
outer gods join the chat