Chapter 208. Without Mistake
Myeong-i.
It’s true that the name was given with the meaning of ‘without a name’······.
But still, a name is a name.
The name I gave her is Myeong-i, which uses the character for ‘name’ in the word ‘without’.
“Isn’t it funny? A heartless person who didn’t even give a name to the slave he took in, who left without a word, is being hailed as a hero in the world······.”
That’s why when I heard those words, I felt as if I had been hit hard in the back of the head.
I didn’t give her a name?
I was so taken aback that I was about to say that Myeong-i was her name.
“When we meet again, I want to ask you why. Why did you do that to me? What did it mean when you stroked my head? What was I to you? No, think about it. Isn’t it strange? Normally, when you pick up a young child with no connections, you would send them to a wealthy family or an institution, right? The fact that a person who was just wandering around looking for a place to sleep took me in means that you had some kind of affection for me, right? So how could that person leave me without saying a word? Leaving a child who can’t speak properly and doesn’t know right from wrong all alone, not caring what happens to them? Aren’t you crazy?”
“······.”
But then, Myeong-i’s lament, which poured out like rap, left me speechless again.
This is bad.
I was just about to reveal that I was her master.
The moment I reveal that, I will have to answer all of Myeong-i’s questions.
Of course, if necessary, I will.
I have no intention of avoiding it.
In fact, that day, the day I disappeared from the present world, I had made no preparations for Myeong-i.
Far from worrying about Myeong-i, I had almost completely forgotten about her.
I feel like I’m going to die of guilt.
I want to apologize even now······.
‘This girl. She’s not ready to accept it yet.’
No matter how I look at it, Myeong-i is not looking for answers to the questions she just asked.
Those are not questions that expect an answer from the other person.
Probably, no matter what answer comes back, Myeong-i will not be satisfied.
Myeong-i’s intention, which was pouring out rap like a machine gun, was directed at someone other than Eugene.
This is not anger directed at the individual Eugene.
Endless doubts about her own identity.
A sense of alienation that she can’t understand.
And doubts about the source of her talent, all piled up and up.
She’s just pouring it all out on Eugene, a punching bag who is not in the present world.
‘I think I said that my memories before I disappeared were hazy.’
Maybe that’s the problem.
My memories before I disappeared are all faint.
All that’s left is the result of me abandoning Myeong-i and leaving, so is it any wonder that she would resent me more than necessary?
In fact, I’m not without blame, so I had no choice but to feel ashamed.
‘Ah······.’
At that moment, the image of the old Myeong-i appeared before my eyes.
A quiet, no, a skinny girl who didn’t even know how to speak.
When I stroked her head, she would stretch out her whole body and make a happy expression as if she had the whole world.
And that little girl who was desperate to help me in any way she could and be praised for it······
“What’s wrong, mister? Are you hurt?”
“No······.”
She has grown up like this.
Now, it might be disrespectful to call her a girl.She’s a lady. A proper lady.
It’s only been three years, but how did she grow up so fast?
In the first place, she has a strange constitution that allows her to transform into a spider, so it’s not surprising that her growth rate is different from that of ordinary humans.
Is it just her constitution that’s strange?
She’s been able to handle souls since she was a child, when she couldn’t even speak properly.
But ironically, she doesn’t have a soul herself, she’s a really unique person.
She’s been living with that body for over three years.
Without anyone to explain it to her.
Wandering around, searching for answers on her own.
Thinking about it that way, it doesn’t seem so wrong that all that anger is directed at me.
From Mumyeong’s point of view, I’m no different from the father who abandoned her when she was so young that she doesn’t even remember his face.
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It’s only natural that all her resentment is directed at me.
A punching bag that will never come back, a punching bag that will be resented for the rest of her life.
“Let’s make a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
“I’m in a difficult situation right now because I’m invisible to people. So there are a lot of things that are difficult.”
“Difficult? Isn’t it rather an advantage? You can steal food without paying for it.”
“You think too simply.”
“I’m kidding, hahahaha. It would be a bit difficult if I stayed that way for the rest of my life. So?”
“That’s why I need your help. I think your ability could be the key to solving my problem right now.”
I’ve always felt like something was missing.
Like I was missing a part.
But now that part has rolled in front of me.
The owner of the ability to manipulate souls freely.
She even used magic to create an illusion that was infinitely similar to the world within.
From here, it wouldn’t be too difficult to create the world within.
In other words, she’s someone worth teaching.
“Hmm… So what do I get out of it?”
“Your master. I think I know him well. I’ll let you meet him when it’s all over.”
“······?”
The atmosphere suddenly turned sour.
Mumyeong stared at me blankly, her eyes wide open.
No, it would be more accurate to say she was glaring at me.
Surprised by her gaze, the will-o’-the-wisp that had been floating around her head dimmed slightly, and Mijung lowered her posture and assumed a fighting stance.
“Are you… alive…?”
After a long pause, a trembling voice whispered.
Half doubt, half disbelief.
And half hope.
Her face was hard to read, as if she was hoping to be alive or dead.
“I’ll tell you that after it’s all over.”
“Wait a minute! It’s important to me! So, whether I live or die-“
“It’s important to me too. I said it was a deal, didn’t I? If it was something that could be solved with a tantrum, I wouldn’t have made the offer in the first place. So what are you going to do?”
“······.”
Mumyeong’s mouth, which had been pulling at my sleeve and shouting excitedly, closed.
I can’t just tell her outright.
I have no idea how Mumyeong will react when I tell her that I’m Eugene.
In the worst case scenario, she might break the contract and declare that she won’t help me.
Right now, when Mumyeong is the only one who can see me, I can’t do anything that might change her attitude.”You’re lying, right? Sister Yerina told me that there are a lot of con artists in the world. She said that there was once a con artist from another race who pretended to be stranded on Palana and tried to seduce the Palana Queen.”
“······.”
That too, out of nowhere.
I was about to say that, but I swallowed it back down with a gulp.
“Lying······. You’re right······.”
“You can decide for yourself. I don’t have any more information to give you.”
“······.”
When I resolutely pulled my hand away, Mumyung stood there blankly, trembling.
Is it taking her a while to think?
No, it can’t be.
The answer is already out.
“I understand······. I’ll help you. I’ll help you if you ask me to. But in return, if you lied to me, you’ll have to pay the price.”
I had no choice but to take her hand.
Mummyung knows very well that there’s something suspicious and strange about me.
And it’s the same for me.
I wonder if this human really doesn’t know anything, so I have no choice but to believe her, even if it means being deceived.
‘She’s still just a child.’
I’m much more desperate than she is.
Not knowing that she has the upper hand, she’s being dragged around like a dog on a leash.
In fact, the leash isn’t even around her neck.
It’s a good thing that Mumyung is still young.
“If you lie, you’ll really die. You seem to be a bit of a pushover, but I think I could take you out in a second if I went all out?”
“Huh. That’s scary.”
“You just laughed, didn’t you? Huh?!”
“I didn’t laugh.”
“Oh, you did! Let’s test our skills here?”
Mummyung clenched her fists, flaring up.
I didn’t really laugh.
I’m so embarrassed.
“Okay, why bother.”
“Huh. Ha. I guess you’re scared. Right? You’re scared because you’re going to lose.”
“Yeah, I’m scared, so let’s move on for now.”
“Ah! This is annoying!!!”
“No, even if you match me, it’ll be chaos······.”
“You keep treating me like a child!”
“That’s not it, so let’s go. Go.”
“······Where are we going.”
“Let’s eat first.”
“You’re paying.”
“I wanted to buy you a meal anyway.”
“Ugh. I’m suddenly feeling a little sick. I’ll just buy it. I have a lot of money, even though I’m like this.”
“Suit yourself.”
The first day I reunited with Mumyung.
I learned one thing.
Mummyung talks a lot.
Really, really a lot.
.
.
.
[······.]
Tick. Tick. Tick. Click.
Long mechanical fingers tapped away at a typewriter.
The finished documents were picked up by mechanical claws and stacked up one after another.
And then the last chapter.
As the cover was closed, a seal was stamped on it.
The stack of documents stamped with the seal signifying the Allied Forces’ top secret was immediately moved into a thick safe as soon as it was packed.
The entire process took place in a huge fortress where there was not a single person, only mechanical arms and springs moving in unison.
[Huh. Heh heh heh. Heh heh heh······.]
Somewhere inside the fortress, the sound of humming could be heard.
It was a voice that sounded very much like a human’s, but the occasional noise that mixed in proved that the voice was that of a machine.
The owner of the singing voice was a maid in a maid’s uniform······.
It was a maid with only her upper body left.
Clackety-clack.Her mechanical arm, nothing but a skeletal frame, pounded away at the typewriter.
Without rest.
And without error.
Then, at one point, a radio transmission came in.
“Linda. Erase all records of today’s work for now. It’s been designated top secret and must be kept as a handwritten document.”
[Yes. Understood.]
Her mechanical hand, which had responded in a cheerful voice, fell away from the typewriter.
The safe door that her gaze had been fixed on opened, and a stack of documents was moved from inside and pushed out in front of her.
She inked out the part stamped with the ‘second-class secret’ seal and stamped over it with a different seal.
Top secret.
It meant that it was a classified document forbidden from being archived.
This document was now to be destroyed.
[Heh. Heh heh heh······.]
But instead of throwing the stack of documents into the incinerator, her mechanical hand began to turn the pages slowly, one by one.
One letter and then another.
Her pupils moved quickly as she began to read every single word without missing a single syllable.
Only after she had finally finished reading the entire thick stack of documents did her mechanical hand toss the stack into the incinerator without hesitation.
[Order completed~]
Today, too, she had completed her orders without error.
Without error.
Yes. Without error.