3.
The Hundred Ghost Penal Colony(1).
The criminals who had dyed the empire with blood. Criminals who had failed to obey the orders of their Ruler till the end. They had been chained in the penal colony known as the [Hundred Ghosts Reincarnation].The price of those chains was horrendous.
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The dead cannot use their abilities from when they were living.
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The dead couldn't return to their prime, they could only remember it. The Great Devil King, who had destroyed the empire, shrank down to the Hungry Ghost(Preta), and the Demonic Sect, which once ruled the world, was reduced to a group of ruffians.
However, it was different now.
"Kuhahaha! It's been such a long time since I used the Infernal Heavens Demonic Art!"
The swords held by the cult members swirled with martial arts.
The bodies they had once lost had been returned to them, and the martial arts that had once been thrown away, were given back.
The prime.
As the Infernal Heavens was returned to the days of its prime when it had ruled the Murim, the cult members overflowed with excitement.
"Shit, that this day would actually come…"
"One on one matches! Let's set up one on one matches!"
"The Young Master saving my already dead life was enough to drive me to tears, now that the Young Master has even returned our martial arts, I'm crying so much it's shameful!"
"Long live the Young Master! Long live! Long long live*!" (*: well… not exactly)
"Should we make today the Demonic Cult's Official Holiday?"
"I want to start the one on one matches right away, but this yard is a bit small. Young Master! Where is this? I wanted to ask when we were first summoned, but the Young Master had a very serious expression on your face, so I'm asking now."
I smiled bitterly.
When the serfs, deserters, slaves, and beggars who fled from all over the world started talking together, it sounded like a fish market.
"The others are still waiting so make room first. While you received your Earth Bone Dragon's box, the 500 other troops were quietly waiting in the shadows. Whether you climb the wall or go into the house, make room."
"Yes! Young Master!"
The cult members responded in unison.
Then, with great skill, they climbed the wall, climbed the shoulders of their comrades who climbed the wall, hid their bodies in a corner of the wall, or crept under the wooden flooring like rabbits.
In less than thirty seconds, the hanok house's yard was empty.
"How skillful."
Ja Soo-jung marveled at that scene.
"…"
Sitting on the floor in the main hall, Uburka silently looked at the yard.
The cult members' bloodthirst, spirit, and above all, their martial arts. Comparing their skills to his.
As a warrior, he must have been getting excited, as even though he kept his mouth shut, his arm muscles wriggled and flexed.
"Prepare yourself. You can stick to them soon enough."
I tapped Uburka's arm.
"And they're not the only ones who will appear before you."
Looking back at the yard, I said.
"Next."
[Skill in progress!]
I summoned the Hundred Ghosts waiting for their turn.
The total number of cult members was 1,000. Earlier, I'd summoned and given bodies to 499 people, and this time, I was going to put the memories of 500 people into the black beads and put it into my heart.
As a result, the Immortal* Demonic Cult Army was completed. (*: Or 'Undying'. Which do you prefer?)
"Next."
The next summoned person could be considered pretty lowly when compared to the Devil King of Fall Rain or the Demonic Cult that had ruled the world.
"Golden Silk."
"…"
Standing in the yard, the maid's shoulders shook.
As someone born into a noble family, her blonde hair was always groomed and neat.
Once called the Flower of High Society, the Heroine of the Empire.
Evanail Barony's Young Miss Sylvia Evanail.
"…I greet the Sun and Moon of Ivansia."
Gubuk.
Golden Silk bowed politely towards the main hall where Raviel and I sat side by side. Her fingertips gripping the hem of her skirt tightly.
"Now that I think about it."
I opened my mouth.
"I never really talked to you much."
"…you*. I am just your wife's servant. I can't bear it if you were to speak so politely."(*: KGJ addressed her in a polite manner)
"Right. We haven't spoken much."
I spoke comfortably. Raviel didn't say anything, however, she raised her right arm and placed her hand on my far shoulder.
Then, something strange happened.
Until now, this place had been an old hanok in a shabby village. A house with a large yard.
However, the moment Raviel held my shoulder, the wooden floor we sat upon became the Duke's Throne that proved our titles, and the yard where Golden Silk kneeled became a solemn audience chamber.
"There's something I need to talk to you about."
"…"
Golden Silk let out a shallow breath.
There were no dazzling family flags or knights in shining armor here. However, the [Ivansia Duchy] didn't need silk curtains or marble stairs. As long as Raviel and Kim Gong-ja were there, that place was the Ivansia Duchy.
Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp…
Insects from a foreign country in a foreign world, cried.
Before their cries stopped, Golden Silk bowed her head as politely as she could
"Please speak…"
"You were a regressor."
"Yes."
"I know that you regressed with the help of a Constellation's power. I also know that you tried to get the position of Empress that was originally supposed to be given to Raviel. But why?"
"…"
'Why did you aim to be Empress? Why did you want to seize the greatest power in the empire? Why would you risk your entire new life to take Raviel's place?"
The Maid of Golden Silk, no, Sylvia Evanail, kept her lips closed.
I was the Sovereign of the Hundred Ghosts, so if I ordered her to speak, Sylvia wouldn't be able to remain silent. However, I didn't give the order.
"…I don't know."
And even though she was no longer the [Barony's Young Miss], Sylvia Evanail, who was once a noble of the empire, spoke of her own volition.
"You don't know?"
"Yeah, well, it's lost in the past."
Sylvia raised lips slightly.
"The Crown Prince's lover. The future's Empress. The family's ascension. The countless invitation letters placed below my feet, and the gossips who rushed to flatter me… Isn't that all in the past? What should I do after losing them all? Why did I scramble for them like that?… I really don't know."
"Do you not want to know?"
"Ahaha. That sounds like a great argument. As expected of the Moon of the Ivansia Duchy. Can you pierce through human psychology as you please? Ay. There's nothing here for you to see through. However, if you want to show off to your wife, then I, Sylvia Evanail! Will do my best."
"Because your butler died"
"…"
"No. Technically, he disappeared."
The [Tale of Somerwin Academy]'s butler.
After Raviel was ruined, and Sylvia was corrupted, he couldn't bear it, and prayed with all his might. His wish had reached a certain [Corner Librarian].
-Oh God.
-Help us.
Hamustra willingly accepted the butler's wish. Time was rewound to before the Lady of Golden Silk became Empress, before Raviel was ruined. In this restored timeline, Raviel's heart was plated with a blade.
In return, the butler ceased to exist.
Everything was lost.
"…I…."
With her head bowed, Sylvia grit her teeth.
"I wanted to get closer with Young Lady Ivansia. Because she was beautiful… and competent, and smart. For such a person to be in this world… I wondered if a relationship between us would be okay."
With a 'hmm', Raviel rested her head on my shoulder and furrowed her eyebrows .
"That was our first meeting."
"Yes. It was our first meeting in the first reversed time. I was nervous because my childhood friends and I were debutantes. At that time, I saw the Lady of Silver Lily from a distance."
Sylvia spoke.
Like someone who had already rewatched the videotape countless times, Sylvia accurately recited the scene of the past.
"In my eyes, the Lady of Silver Lily was, well, a real angel. Silver hair! Not to mention her red eyes… Even if the most beautiful rubies were to be unearthed, those who had seen the young miss' eyes would scoff and call them garbage. So I…"
I understood.
"You admired her."
Just like I admired a certain hunter.
After a brief silence, Sylvia clenched her fists.
"Yes! That's right!"
Sylvia grabbed the maid headdress and threw it to the ground.
"I fell in love with you! Are you satisfied!?"
Sylvia glared at the silent Raviel. The manners and politeness that she'd shown before were all thrown to the dogs and she stood there like a ruffian.
Ja Soo-jung, our expressionless landlady, chose this moment to bring a tray.
"It's cool barley tea. Would you like some?"
"Yes! I don't know who you are, but thank you! Hup, gulp, gulp… What is this?! It's so good! Damn!"
Sylvia stared at the barley tea for a moment before her shoulders slumped.
She looked as if her life was in vain.
"Well. I wasn't the only one who admired her. We even created our own social club called [Silver Bells]. It had a membership system, and only the young misses recommended by members could join. The screening process was really strict, so it wasn't a social club that just anyone could enter."
"Silver Bells…?"
"[Bells for the Lady of Silver Lily]. It means we rang. Can you not understand that either? Are you stupid?"
Silence fell for a moment.
It was Bae Hu-ryeong and Shiny that broke the silence.
-Zombie. You didn't make Fire Bells* or anything like that when you were on your own before, did you? (*: Or Fire Balls)
[ I believe My Lord at that time didn't have the social skills required to put such a thing together. ]
– Ah… Sorry Zombie. I touched a sore spot without intending to…
I quietly listened to Golden Silk's story.
"I did it. I was a founding member as well, so I was very passionate about it."
Lifting her head, Raviel held her chin.
"…then why is this the first time I'm hearing about this?"
"The iron rule of our social club was absolute secrecy. Just looking, don't touch. Just looking at the Lady of Silver Lily from afar before returning to our secret hideout to chat, write poems or publish novels was the great purpose of our [Silver Bells]."
"I feel like I had the position of a platypus…"
Raviel pouted her lips. She certainly looked like a newborn platypus..
"Well, usually it was just gossip. Then I, just to kill time, would write the Lady of Silver Lily's real name on paper… I wrote Raviel Ivansia, then I wrote my name underneath. Ah. I'd have to show you to explain."
Sylvia shook her head.
Then, I spotted a broomstick used to sweep the yard that was nearby, and trudged over to get it.
"Hey. Look at this."
Holding the broom upside down, Sylvia scribbled on the ground.
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Raviel Ivansia
Sylvia Evanail
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"I mean I roughly wrote the letters out on paper like this. As a child."
– Zombie. When you were on your own before….
[ Even Shiny believes that the Lord did not go through such a stormy period. ]
– That's true. Right.
I looked at Sylvia without paying any attention to them.
As she turned the broom back over, Sylvia said.
"At first, I just doodled because I had nothing to do. But then a thought popped into my mind. If the Lady of Silver Lily and I had a baby…" (TL: The theater loving goblins would freak out)
Raviel threw away the teacup she was holding.
Sylvia pointed the broom at Raviel like an angry hedgehog.
"Ah, you have to understand. I was a bit… I was going through puberty. Anyways, we couldn't get married, so if the two of us had a child, it would be illegitimate. We couldn't give them our family names, but we also couldn't give them a name that was completely unrelated. So I secretly combined [Raviel Ivansia] and [Sylvia Evanail], and it was almost inevitable after having that thought that I realised. Do you understand this outstand idea?"
"Miss Sylvia."
Ja Soo-jung politely raised her hand.
"The correct way would be to write it as 'outstanding idea' not 'outstand idea'."
"Thank you for teaching me! Dammit!"
Hah, brushing her bangs back, Sylvia Evanail sighed.
"So, um, this… Anyways, that's what happened… By the way, would this work with this world's language? It's the same in the kingdom language. Ah. I don't know. Let's try anyway."
I still looked at Sylvia, too.
Sylvia diligently wrote the letters on the ground.
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R A V I E L I V A N S I A
S Y L V I A E V A N A I L
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"Look closely, everyone. Is this the tricky part? I, when I was young, I just thought about combining my name with the Lady of Silver Lily, combining the names of two people to make a new name, but then I suddenly realized something amazing!"
Sylvia, who was dressed as a maid, began to move the broom again.
"We have now separated words into letters right? But what if we separate them further into consonants and vowels-."
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R V L V N S A I E I A I A
S L V V N L Y I A E A A I
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At this point, Sylvia jumped up and raised her head.
Her face was red with excitement.
"Do you see it? You see it! This is fate, isn't it!?"
"Miss Sylvia."
Ja Soo-jung politely raised her hand.
"In this case, destiny would be a better choice than fate."
"Thanks, but please shut the hell up! Dammit! Ah, look closely everyone!"
As Ja Soo-jung lowered her head sullenly, Sylvia's broomstick practically darted across the ground.
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R L V V N S A A A I I I E
L L V V N S A A A Y I I E (*: It's at this point that we learn that Sylvia's name should be 'Silvia Evanair' or Raviel should be 'Laviel Yvansia'. But I'll leave them as is for continuity and comedy sake.)
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Ah.
"…"
When it was written like that, it was easy to understand.
I looked at the letters written on the ground.
"The letters that make up your names… are the same?"
"Yesss!!"
Clatter!
Sylvia threw the broom to the ground and spread her arms.
"With the Lady of Silver Lily! I share the same name!"
As she said that, the girlish innocence, which had long rusted and crumbled to nothing, shined brightly on her face.