"Why…."
I couldn't help but ask.
"Why did you only gather people like this and make them your lovers?"
Tower Master Ja Soo-jung.
She would one day build a Tower that gathered all of the abandoned people from all over the world. Children who were made victims by religious fanatics, warriors forced to die by unreasonable disasters, women whose lives were ruined by mysterious circumstances… All of those whose lives were abandoned or ruined, were gathered and brought to a new world.
'The person who built the Tower for the victims.'
Why did such a person take murderers as lovers?
I looked questioningly at Viscount Ja Soo-jung.
"People like this…"
Viscount Ja Soo-jung smiled.
"Who exactly are you talking about, Advisor?"
"People who have committed great sins. Those who beat children to death with whips, or who took humans as meat and ate them. Those who went to war and killed many civilians. Why do you love people like that? Why do you still let them be nobles? You are the one who will build the Tower in the future. A nigh omnipotent being. And yet, you don't punish them…"
"Advisor."
Viscount Ja Soo-jung suddenly spoke.
"Is a very nice person."
"Huh?"
"Those who climb the Tower together with the Advisor must be very happy."
I tilted my head as if to say 'what do you mean?'.
But Viscount Ja Soo-jung didn't explain. Instead, she simply sat on a chair and looked ahead. I, too, was drawn by her gaze and looked at the sight in front of us.
"It is ridiculous for someone who isn't even 20 yet to become a Duke!"
A heated discussion was currently ongoing in the lounge.
It was a noble from the Conservative Faction… I think he was called Count Ah Ru-ho.
This noble, whose hair flowed wildly like a lion's mane, was enraged.
"Viscount Ja Soo-jung is 18 years old. Eighteen. No matter how many rebellions she has quelled or how many Dragon Kingdoms she conquered, there is order in this kingdom."
"Indeed."
Hoo-.
This time, it was a noble from Viscount Ja Soo-jung's faction, who was holding a hookah.
"The count is right. I didn't understand why, over the past few decades, the rebels, instead of being subjugated, grew stronger and stronger… Listening to your words today has opened my eyes. While an 18 year old fought fierce battles with sweat and blood, the great nobles, like the Count, upheld the laws of propriety. I understand now that it's thanks to you all that the kingdom remained prosperous and was not destroyed."
Laughter flowed from every direction.
In addition to the comrade who'd just spoken, the nobles of Viscount Ja Soo-jung's faction jeered at them.
"Seriously. I used to blame myself for leaving all of our burdens to a young girl, but now I see that she deserves to be punished for daring to build an army at such a young age."
"That's right. If our party leader didn't step forward, there probably would have been another 200,000 casualties in this time's Gold Dragon Subjugation. No, if the Red Nails hadn't been eradicated, millions would still be groaning in pain. However, what does that matter? Even if she saved hundreds of thousands of soldiers and ensured the safety of millions of civilians, that child is only 18 years old. It would be ridiculous to make her a Duke."
"Exactly. The virtue of Count Ah Ru-ho, who cares about the kingdom's laws so much, is truly beautiful!"
The nobles were bombarded by wave after wave of verbal attacks.
They were all Viscount Ja Soo-jung's lovers.
The [Child Killer] Marquis Baek Seol-to looked around with a cautious expression, the [Eater of Human Flesh] Viscount Sun Heuk-sin backed up her comrades, the [Butcher] Dae Ha-ran giggled openly. Their reactions were all different, but they had gathered in one place for Viscount Ja Soo-jung.
"Ha…"
Count Ah Ru-hu's expression became distorted.
It was disgraceful to be pushed around so much in a debate.
The count muttered out loud.
"The courtesan's dogs… You're all quite good at barking."
At those words, the lounge became silent.
The expressions of the nobles who had all been mocking the Count before, became cold simultaneously. Their smiles disappeared from their faces. But despite their expressionlessness, their eyes burned with rage.
"What do you think, Kim Gong-ja?"
Viscount Ja Soo-jung whispered.
It was a voice so low that only I could hear it.
"Isn't it interesting?"
"…"
"As Kim Gong-ja said, all of those who side with this one are murderers. Butchers. Sinners. But look. Look at their faces now."
Viscount Ja Soo-jung lifted her butt and leaned over towards me.
"They are suffering."
Her lips came closer as she whispered.
"Just because this one was cursed as a courtesan. That's not exactly wrong. This one has enticed many nobles and even royalty with music, dance, and sweet nothings. It wouldn't be a lie to say that this one used all kinds of art to captivate people. In other words, a courtesan. In fact, Count Ah Ru-ho still restrained himself. On the streets, they publicly call this one a whore."
[getid]
Kuk.
Viscount Ja Soo-jung pulled on my sleeves.
"Look. Kim Gong-ja."
I was forced to bend by the influence of gravity. As my face came level with her shoulders, Viscount Ja Soo-jung whispered in my ear.
"The person who killed a child with a whip, the noble who eats humans, the general who slaughtered civilians, they are all suffering like that just because this one was called a courtesan."
"…"
"It's really interesting."
Viscount Ja Soo-jung whispered in my ear as she wrapped her arm around my right arm.
It was like a snake coiling around a trunk.
"There are hundreds of law books in the kingdom. According to those prescribed laws, the sins of [sinners] must be calculated and their errors measured so that their responsibility can be derived. It is annoying, but it is easy. If this one wishes, I could have all of the sinners executed immediately. So what should I do, Kim Gong-ja? Should I kill them all?"
"That…"
"Yes."
The snake smiled.
Beneath long eyelashes, the snake's purple eyes glistened.
"Aren't you thinking, [that's a bit harsh]?"
"…"
"As far as this one can see, Kim Gong-ja is such a person. A good person. From the moment you thought that executing those who have done wrong is [harsh], Kim Gong-ja was already completely different from this one."
"What do you mean?"
"Killing them wouldn't be such a bad thing."
Viscount Ja Soo-jung grabbed my cheeks.
And forcefully turned my gaze.
Our eyes locked onto a noble with white hair like a rabbit. It was Marquis Baek Seol-to, who was looking at the people of both factions with a flustered expression.
"Marquis Baek Seol-to murdered a minor when she was a minor. The Marquis family delivered settlement money to the bereaved family. On one side was one of the great noble families of the Royal Capital. On the other side was a normal commoner family of three. While it was called settlement money, wasn't it really an ultimatum?"
That was probably true.
"The criminal at that time was a minor. There was also the fact that the victim's bereaved family had come to an agreement with the nobles. In that case, Marquis Baek Seol-to would have been sentenced to… What do you think? No matter how hard she's hit, would it really be that bad? Ta-da. That's the punishment by the law."
Viscount Ja Soo-jung said playfully.
"On the other hand, the bereaved family was ruined."
"…"
"Unlike noble families, commoner families are easily destroyed. That family. A granddaughter, grandfather and grandmother lived together. The granddaughter, who was killed by Marquis Baek Seol-to, was the only descendant. Their only granddaughter had died."
Viscount Ja Soo-jung continued to whisper in my ear.
"Do you see, Kim Gong-ja? That family was ruined. Broken. Destroyed. What was the point of receiving billions in settlement money? Could they put that child's body back together with gold? If, under the laws of this great and dignified kingdom, ahh, under the dignity of the good and fair presiding judge, Marquis Baek Seol-to was miraculously deposed, would the bereaved family feel better?"
"…"
"The sinner who ruined my life and the life of my family. Even if I kill that sinner, my resentment wouldn't go away. Think about it. What if your granddaughter died? On one winter day, in the middle of a snowy white field, a noble's whip cut her back and broke her spine, and she died. Would you accept that death?"
"Then… what should I do?"
I understood what the Viscount was saying.
That was in line with the worries I'd had when taking my revenge.
Those who had already sinned. And those who had been victimized by them.
What could I do to repay those broken lives?
Even a saint like the Black Dragon Master had the blood of countless beings on her hands. I was close friends with the Black Dragon Master. And I had yet to come to a conclusion as to whether what she had done was right, and what I should do if it wasn't.
"Pain."
The Owner of the Tower answered.
"Pain is the only answer." (TL: Settle down Nagato.)
She stroked the side of my hair.
"The pain of losing your only granddaughter. The pain of the past 6 years that you had to live with after your granddaughter disappeared. The pain of never seeing your granddaughter again for the rest of your life. To return all of that pain, the [exact same pain] to the sinner. That is the law that is needed in this world, and that's what this one wants to do in this kingdom."
Viscount Ja Soo-jung spoke like a senior giving advice to their treasured junior.
However, her eyes. Regardless of how gentle their gaze was, those purple eyes seemed to have a magical power that made them shine with the evil of youth.
That's why Viscount Ja Soo-jung seemed both like a senior who cared about her junior, and a demon seducing an innocent at the same time.
"This one will refound this kingdom under the Law of Pain. Not only this kingdom, but this entire world. Every creation that this one's feet walks over, and this one's eyes shine upon."
"…"
"The Tower is a tool to accomplish that."
I was speechless for a moment.
"Is such a thing… possible?"
"There are two ways to make the impossible possible. One is to go crazy. If you're crazy, then you can make the impossible possible in your daydreams."
"What's the other one?"
"Gaining power."
Viscount Ja Soo-jung giggled.
"Power is a possession. It dominates. This one bewitched the six Dukes, seduced His Majesty, and captured three Dragon Emperors."
Viscount Ja Soo-jung raised a finger.
"Just to become the most powerful person in the world."
Tuk.
Tuk.
Viscount Ja Soo-jung tapped the arm of her chair twice.
"…"
The nobles of Viscount ja Soo-jung's faction turned to look at the same place as one.
"…"
The people who were staring coldly at Count Ah Ru-ho, stopped what they were doing and what they were going to say as soon as they heard the tuk tuk sounds. They turned their heads at the signal from their master.
The same was true for the opposing faction. At first, they kept talking, but when they say their opponents look away at the same time, they couldn't help but feel strange. Thus, the nobles on the other side also looked at Viscount Ja Soo-jung.
When all the nobles turned to look in one place, the servants who were serving the alcohol, and the musicians who played the music, also turned to look at Viscount Ja Soo-jung.
13 seconds.
That is how long hundreds of people in the spacious lounge looked at Viscount Ja Soo-jung. The fierce shouts, clever sarcasm, and cold anger stopped for a moment.
The entire room went still.
"My dear noble colleagues."
Under the gazes of hundreds, Viscount Ja Soo-jung opened her lips.
"You all should have come to this lounge to rest, but as I see you all arguing so hard here, I can't help but feel proud to be a member of this kingdom. I just hope the council will pay you overtime. After all, you must be working overtime in this place because you don't have enough money."
Using my shoulder as a brace, Viscount Ja Soo-jung got to her feet.
"That was enough rest. So let's go back to the meeting hall and resume the main business."
At the same time, the nobles of Viscount Ja Soo-jung's faction jumped to their feet.
As they got up, they left many empty glasses, not so empty glasses, and glasses that hadn't even been put to their lips in their place. Without any hesitation, the nobles all gathered around Ja Soo-jung.
Considering the fact that each of them was a powerful person that was incomparable to commoners, it was a truly bizarre scene.
"Now."
In the middle of this strange scene, Viscount Ja Soo-jung grabbed my wrist.
"Kim Gong-ja."
"Tonight, this one will show you a miracle."
Ja Soo-jung was smiling brightly.