165 – 165. Life and the universe. And the ultimate premise that encompasses everything (2)
The ultimate premise that encompasses life, the universe, and everything.
Ahn Soo-ho, faced with such a grand slogan, wondered what the hell Ruel was trying to say. Even if it was grandiose, it was too grandiose. It is a sentence that feels like the beginning of a famous philosophical book.
“God is dead. Therefore, God no longer exists in this universe.”
With that in mind, sure enough, Ruel brought out Nietzsche’s maxim, which is well known to most people.
God is dead. That is the ultimate premise that encompasses life, the universe, and everything in the world.
It was a great word that made me think of so many things. However, the two were not having a philosophical discourse now. So Ahn Su-ho accepted Ruel’s words at face value, and immediately shook his head and denied that there was any way.
“What are you talking about? Is god dead? You’re alive and well Could it be that the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure died without my knowledge?”
“If the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure you are talking about is the one who is in charge of this world… …. Unfortunately, he is not a god. Just a manager.”
“Manager?”
Ahn Su-ho was puzzled. Having no connection with religious discourse, his knowledge of God was limited to novels and the like. And in the novels he was reading, as Ruel said now, there were many works that cynically called the existence of God a manager.
But that’s just a difference in expression. God is God even if he wears the shabby title of manager. If the one who reigns over the sky with transcendent power and miracles is not a god, then what is it?
However, Ruel denied that existence, saying that it was not a god.
“The Heavenly Demon of Pleasure is not a god. Gods must be omnipotent, but they are neither omnipotent nor omnipotent. It is not only in this world, but also in other worlds. In any world, there are beings called gods, but there is no omnipotent ‘real god’. There are only administrators who have been entrusted with the management of countless dimensions by someone unknown to them.”
“…… So you mean that unknown person is God?”
“Some people think so, but no one knows the truth. No one knows who created the first many dimensions and appointed their administrators, or what state they are in now. Even the managers.”
It is clear that in the beginning there was someone omnipotent. But no one really knows who that someone is. No observed facts
And existence is determined by observation.
Therefore, there is no god.
Or was, but died.
It’s as good as dead. That was Ruel’s logic, and the premise that encompassed everything in the world she spoke of.
“Hmm.”
In front of that fact, Suho Ahn was lost in thought.
There are many worlds and many gods. This fact was already known from Arael. The new thing I learned is that they are managers, not gods, and that there is an omnipotent ‘real God’ who appointed such managers.
However, it was a story that had nothing to do with Ahn Su-ho. Because it was a big story even on a large scale.
However, there was no harvest at all. In Ruel’s story a little while ago, Ahn Soo-ho was able to gain confidence in the conjecture he had only had in his heart.
‘The Heavenly Demon of Pleasure is not omnipotent.’
The abominable god who brought him into this world, who was actually not even a god but a mere manager, was neither omniscient nor omnipotent as expected. He had been guessing since he heard the angel’s story a few days ago, but thanks to Ruel, he was able to turn that guess into certainty.
No matter how arrogantly he looked down on Ansu-ho from above, the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure was, after all, a subordinate to a huge system just like Ansu-ho. Knowing that fact alone was a great harvest for Ahn Su-ho.
“…… Why are you reacting so calmly? Aren’t you surprised? Aren’t you curious? Isn’t this the first time you’ve heard anything about gods and administrators?”
“I was guessing.”
“Really?”
Actually, it was something he had already heard from Arael, so he was calm, but he couldn’t say it straight away. If another angel heard that, Arael’s timid betrayal would be exposed to them.
“Yes. At a glance, I noticed that I read a lot of fantasy novels, but then I’m familiar with it. Things like multi-dimensions and administrators are quite widespread settings.”
“I guess there are quite a few cases where you write your own world as a novel like the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure?”
“Not many, but not rare either. Managers are basically attention-hungry bastards. They say, ‘The world I manage is so pretty and fun!’ They are eager to show it.”
“You must have an immature childish image.”
“Not much different. They all grow up alone without parents. Most of them have different personalities because they are not properly educated. If you look at the manager here, you will get an answer, right?”
“Well, in my case, I was only brought in for swearing at a novel.”
It’s really the whining of a childish child. Ahn Soo-ho shook his head with a wry smile. Then, Ruel smiled and asked for a cigarette.
“It deserved to be dragged. Managers have a very strong attachment to their world, so they say that in the past it happened a lot. It’s banned now.”
As you said, unlike the past, inter-dimensional movement of intelligent bodies is now prohibited. However, some administrators, including the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure, didn’t care about such a taboo at all. The taboo was nothing more than a verbal promise without any coercion, so I thought it would be fine as long as I didn’t get caught.
“Hmm?”
At that time, out of a sudden question, Ahn Su-ho asked Ruel.
“But even if it is me, why were you kidnapped into this world? It’s not like you got into a fight with him on the internet like I did.”
“Me?”
At Suho Ahn’s question, Ruel leaned deeply against the back of the chair. She blankly looked up at her empty space, and then she laughed as if she was dumbfounded.
“In my case, I wasn’t kidnapped like you. If I had to ask, I was caught up in it.”
“Caught up in it?”
“In the forest where I lived, there were tree-type monsters called ‘Elder Trent’, but the manager seemed to have taken an eye on them, so he cut the entire space of the forest and dragged them into the dungeon in this world. At that time, I couldn’t get out and got caught up in it, so I came to this world.”
The fact that the entire space of another world was used as a dungeon was similar to that of a knight’s tomb, but Ruel’s situation was a little different. Unlike the knight’s tomb, where the main purpose was a knight named Wilhelm, in Ruel’s case, he was a victim who was literally caught up in it.
“Even the manager was probably surprised. I was only going to steal some easy monsters, but all of a sudden, a demigod class spirit came along with me. Maybe because of me it was a bit of a headache? Even if you are a manager, there is a ‘limit’ to directly intervene in the world, but I am beyond that limit, so I can’t do it.”
Ruel said as if he was proud of himself.
Ruelle said she disparaged the manager by saying that she was not a god, but that was her personal opinion. No matter what she thought, the managers, including the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure, were no different from the gods of the world they managed.
And Ruel is the highest ranking spirit that even such a god cannot be hastily touched.
“Whoops.”
Ruel hoped that her Ahn Soo-ho would be impressed by her majesty, but her Ahn Su-ho’s spirit was sold elsewhere.
‘It’s a bit strange.’
Thanks to Arael and Ruel, Ahn Soo-ho was able to get a glimpse of how the world he belonged to, and furthermore, how the huge dimensional structure encompassing countless worlds worked. That’s why he was able to realize the sense of incongruity.
“…… Aren’t you being too harsh?”
“What? Are you talking to me?”
Ruel frowned and asked again. Then Ahn Soo-ho shook his head.
“No, I mean the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure. It’s strange. Administrators openly exist in other worlds, so what the hell are you doing messing around like that?”
I could at least understand Wilhelm’s case. Because Wilhelm was the boss of the Overrank dungeon.
It was impossible for the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure to create such a strong existence on its own, so it was inevitably kidnapped from another world. When I thought about it that way, I could understand the motive at least.
But Ruel’s case was different.
Elder Trent. Ahn Su-ho knew about the monster. So it was questionable.
‘Elder Trent is a Class A monster. But the famous manager couldn’t make a class A monster, so he stole from another dimension?’
Ariel said. The Heavenly Demon of Pleasure tried to secretly kidnap Wilhelm. However, he was caught by an angel named Ramiel. Because of that, there’s an emergency in the heavens right now, so it’s not even a big mess.
In other words, kidnapping a being from another dimension is not an easy task even for the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure.
But why does the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure wander through other dimensions like rummaging through the refrigerator at home?
“…… Well. I don’t know what the manager is thinking. Well, if you’re guessing, you can try a few things, but…….”
“For example?”
“Are you confident that you won’t be seen by the manager of another dimension? Or that the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure has such a high level of divinity that he can ignore the dissatisfaction of subordinate managers. Maybe he’s just acting wilder than he imagined…….”
That part could only be guessed by Ruel. No matter how much Ruelle was her half-god-level spirit, she was only her half-god after all, much less this place was not the dimension she originally lived in.
“Looking at gods and subordinate managers, do you think there is a rank among managers?”
“Right. Although it is not a fixed system, it is closer to the logic of power.”
“So, is the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure a very high level manager?”
“Looking at what he does, he must not be in a low position. But given how he’s been struggling lately, he’s probably not even a very top manager.”
Originally, the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure never neglected monitoring Ruel. It was because the uninvited guest, a demigod-level spirit, was a nuisance to the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure.
Even that Wilhelm might have been strong, but he had almost no divine power, so he died while being played by the Demon of Pleasure to his heart’s content. However, the case of Ruel was different. Even though he was only a demigod, Ruel was a more direct risk factor that could directly harm the Demon of Pleasure.
So it was impossible for Ruel to be neglected. However, in recent days, Ruel has noticed that the watchful eye on him has disappeared.
“He’s stumped? How do you know that?”
“The eyes that watched over me are gone. It’s probably because they were poked here and there, and other administrators got caught, so they don’t have the energy to pay attention to me.”
Ruel’s guess was correct. It was exactly what Ahn Soo-ho had heard from Arael that day.
However, Ahn Su-ho did not affirm it. It was strange that he, who was only a mere possessor, knew the circumstances of the celestial world.
“Did you say An Su-ho? Your goal is to return to the original world, right?”
“Yes. Once it is.”
“Then, at least pray whenever you have free time. If the administrator who sniffed the scent clearly uncovered the taboo the Demon of Pleasure had committed, the other administrators wouldn’t stand still. Perhaps among them is the manager of your world, so you may be able to return home safely.”
If that manager is weaker than the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure, it’s a joke. After adding that, Ruel let out a mischievous laugh. To Ruel, Ahn Soo-ho’s situation was nothing more than someone else’s business.
“You don’t want to go back to your original world?”
“It doesn’t really matter. I like the world I lived in, but I also like this world in its own way. Especially the variety of coffee and cigarettes. Where I lived, there was no coffee and all the cigarettes were nasty.”
It was carefree befitting the deity of a demigod. Ahn Su-ho did not understand that carefreeness. No matter how much better this world is to live in, I’m sure there will be a longing for my hometown.
“Come to think of it… ….”
At that time, a question passed through Ahn Su-ho’s mind.
“You asked me a little while ago if the purpose of ‘you’ is to return to the original world, right? So you’re saying the person you met wasn’t like that?”
“Uh. Like me, he was a guy who liked this world very much.”
At those words, Ahn Soo-ho knew that the possessed person Ruel had met was at least not Kang Ha-neul.
Kang Ha-neul, like Ahn Su-ho, was longing to return to the original world, perhaps more than that.
“Can you tell me about the possessor?”
“I don’t know much either. I come to the store from time to time and see him often, but he’s the kind of guy who doesn’t really talk about himself.”
“A little is fine.”
“Then what… ….”
Ruel paused for a moment as if to organize her thoughts. White smoke slowly leaked from the side of the e-cigarette I opened in a dry voice.
“First of all, I don’t know the name. He’s a contractor who works in a slum, but people say he’s called a ‘massage master’? Did you know that he is a superman with a stout body and a stocky stature like a dwarf?”
“…… No. At all.”
The name and its characteristics were all things I had never heard of before. Ahn Su-ho felt that the masseur Ruel said was a character that did not appear in the original work, just like himself.
“What do you do… …. They say they do anything that makes money, but the main field is selling things. He said he’ll get you everything from bubble gum to tank engines if you ask for it?”
As expected, this time, there was no corner to guess. Ahn Su-ho asked if there was any other information, but that was all Ruelle knew.
“But why are you asking about the masseur? You said That guy wants to stay in this world.”
“Even if the goals are different, people who know the situation can cooperate. If one person returns, there will be no confrontation unless the other person has to return together unconditionally.”
“Yes. It’s a tough goal, but it’s better to have at least one more colleague. No matter how much I think about it, I don’t think that demon of pleasure will send you home nicely.”
“I know. Besides, I have no intention of just returning home.”
“What if it doesn’t turn smoothly?”
“When I go, even if I go, I think I won’t get angry if I don’t give that bastard a proper meal.”
Ruel let out a thick smoke while laughing. To her half-god, her words were laughable. However, it was also rather interesting because it was laughable.
“That’s interesting! A mortal who fights against God! I miss the world I used to live in!”
After shouting that, Ruel grabbed Ahn Soo-ho’s hand. At the moment he was embarrassed, a warm energy began to flow from Ruel to Ahn Su-ho.
“This is…… ?”
“I increased your affinity with spirits a little with my power. Haven’t you been able to hear the voice of the Frost Spirit hanging around your neck? Maybe you can hear it now.”
From nob le mt l dot com
Looking at your strong aspirations, I’m giving you a special service.
At Ruel’s words, Ahn Soo-ho concentrated his consciousness inwardly, just like when he was talking to Sylvie. But no voice was heard.
“…… Can’t you hear anything?”
“Even if that child is pouting, it looks like he is still pouting. It’s only natural that he killed his contract partner and treated him like a slave.”
“Then what should I do?”
“That’s your job. Next time you come, take care of yourself with that child. Then I’ll serve you real coffee instead of mixed coffee.”
After adding that, Ruel raised Ahn Soo-ho to his feet. He said he wants to go to work too. It’s getting late, so I’m going to go home today.
Ahn Soo-ho still had a few things he wanted to ask, but he obediently obeyed the decree. Ruel’s helping him was purely based on her good will or curiosity. Therefore, it was not possible to force Ahn Su-ho’s own position. Besides, it wasn’t just today.
‘Because Ruel said that even the Demon of Pleasure couldn’t do it recklessly. If you want to meet him, you can meet him anytime.’
From the point of view of the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure, it was a matter of passion. Ahn Soo-ho, who was already annoying, met with a half-god-level spirit who had been hiding quietly.
Actually, today’s meeting was designed by the angel Ramiel, but the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure was completely unaware of that fact. Therefore, she thought the meeting of the two was just an unfortunate coincidence, and it was obvious that she would take out her anger on the angels.
As Ruel said, the Heavenly Demon of Pleasure was neither omniscient nor omnipotent, just a manager. Because of this, she did not even notice the betrayal of her subordinates, and even this world she managed began to get out of her control little by little due to the intrusion of foreign substances such as An Su-ho and Ruel.
“Goodbye, then.”
While seeing Ahn Soo-ho off, Ruel vaguely felt the current situation. It was a vague intuition that could not even be called foresight, but she could clearly assert it.
At this moment, something huge is about to begin.
‘That’s exciting. The fact that there is no time to be bored is what I like more than the original world.’
Ruel, who had sent Ahn Soo-ho, cleaned up her shop and turned off the lights. Her cafe, which was the only light in the dark alleyway, melted into the darkness of the night like other shops.
“…… Really. Because there is no time to be bored.”
Right after that, Ruel noticed another uninvited guest who had melted into the darkness. Her gaze caught a thin shadow standing outside the cafe.
A suit of armor that glows green in the dim moonlight.
A bow with an antique design tied behind the back.
Black hair flowing down the cracked helmet.
And even the extraordinary warrior’s aura that radiates from his whole body.
“There are many unusual customers today.”
The business hours are already over, but when the hell do you get off work? Ruel gestured for her to come in with his hand, putting the displeasure that was not in her heart into her mouth.
Ein Dietrich.
Toward the only survivor of Wilhelm’s Four Knights, a pitiful fugitive who wants to challenge the stronghold of God to avenge his superior.