<102. Domestic Dispute Ends with Decapitation (9)>
Minjun left home that very day. He reported what he had heard and inferred to Telesia, which was then relayed to the Committee. As a result, Del was separated from Minjun, though unexpectedly, she remained in Ashtal. Minjun suspected this was due to the "Special Request for Retention" he had previously submitted.
He thought to himself that keeping Del bound to this dimension was pointless, and he didn't want to stay in a place filled with such bitter memories.
So Minjun decided to cancel the request.
As notified in advance, the payment made in talents was non-refundable.
Gadewik intended to contact the princess of Endelion the day after their video meeting. After all, making a princess wait more than a day was hardly ideal.
The answer to the proposal to create a position at the Earth Representative Office was predetermined as, "We sincerely apologize."
That was certainly the plan.
"...It seems you've already approached the High Council members."
The tentacled creature on the other side of the screen gazed calmly at Carbite.
The princess spoke.
"No need to deny it. By the time I contacted you, I had already finished negotiating with those in high places."
"What terms did you offer? And to which High Council member...?"
Endelion drew a line.
"Sorry, but I don't think I need to tell you that."
Carbite cursed inwardly, 'That brat!' But he remained composed outwardly, speaking politely.
"Right after our meeting yesterday, I received a call from the High Council. Rarely, it was expressed in a roundabout way, and it was emphasized that it was a recommendation rather than an order... The conclusion was that they were concerned about leaving that position on Earth vacant for too long. They also pointed out that the representation of Endelion among those assigned to my jurisdiction was too low. They added that they hoped I would pay close attention to avoid this turning into a racial issue."
With such a blunt statement, there was no ignoring it.
The message even came under the name of the High Council, making it impossible to determine exactly which member had sent it.
Carbite hid his discomfort and asked.
"Since you've already negotiated with those above, why did you feel the need to request this from me separately?"
The tentacled creature responded as if the answer was obvious.
"Because it looks better that way."
"..."
Gadewik realized once again the difference in values between Endelion and Carbite.
By securing the High Council member, the princess had already won the fight. Yet, she still went through the motions of formally requesting Gadewik's support first, considering it the proper, polite thing to do.
And she hadn't even mentioned this fact to Gadewik.
'Filled with unnecessary pretension, these people.'
He said to the princess.
"I will prepare everything as quickly as possible. I will send the necessary information via the spiritual communication network. But I must warn you, it won't be a small amount."
"That's fine. I enjoy studying."
And so, Carbite waited, out of courtesy, for the royal to end the call first.
But instead of darkening the screen, the large tentacled creature on the other side brought up an unexpected topic.
"And about that slave from last time. The one who appeared on the screen during the video conference."
What is this? Is she bringing up a complaint now?
Carbite tensed slightly, unsure of the princess's uncharacteristic and unpredictable behavior.
"I apologize again for that incident. It was my responsibility for not properly training the slave assigned to me. I will make sure to do my best to prevent any such unpleasant events in the future..."
The princess shook her tentacles, indicating disagreement.
"No, I'm not blaming you for a past incident. I'm just curious about something. How did that slave... come to be supplied to you?"
Gadewik asked curiously.
"Are you interested? But I thought your people don't use humanoid slaves."
The princess didn't respond, and Gadewik muttered to himself internally. 'Damn, does she just want an answer to what she asked?' The courtesy that the Endelion royals extended to other species was strictly limited to public matters.
Carbite decided to simply give her the information she seemed to want. After all, there are always individuals in each species with odd hobbies, like humans who keep insects or reptiles others find repulsive.
Assuming this princess had such an interest, Carbite answered.
"The slave was supplied through the Carbite Guild within the Committee."
The tentacles were silent for a moment before responding.
"...I see."
"Yes, if you desire a similar kind of cyborg slave, you should inquire with them."
"Understood. Thank you."
As the princess ended the communication, she fell into deep thought.
That slave she had seen last time had caught her attention for several reasons.
Anyone working at the Committee Headquarters was rigorously trained in etiquette. Given the diversity of species there, this included not showing shock or staring no matter how strange a being might appear.
Yet, that slave had screamed the moment he saw her. This indicated a deeply ingrained aversion that could not be overcome by training. And that scream...
'It didn't seem like it was due to a biological aversion. Besides, wasn't his original species Shtan? There's no reason for a non-mammal to react like that. Unless he has some horrifying memory associated with Endelion.'
One other thing that troubled her was the fact that he had only recently begun his sentence.
Information related to convicts was classified at the behest of the High Council, but the records of criminal arrests were relatively loosely managed. So, the princess reviewed the records of Shtan captives recently apprehended by the Committee.
But... there was no one who could be classified as 'Baejni' among them.
Something didn't smell right. It was too blatant.
As she continued to review, a certain incident report caught her attention.
It detailed an explosion aboard a transport ship carrying a Shtan princess and her entourage, who had been captured on Earth, before they reached the headquarters.
No survivors had been reported from the scene. That was the official record.
'Isn't it too much of a coincidence?'
And the fact that the slave was supplied through the Carbite Guild only added to her suspicions. A picture began to form in her mind.
'A network of illegally supplied slaves.'
The act of secretly turning individuals who should have received lighter sentences into slaves was something Endelion despised, but it was not uncommon among the Carbites.
'I'll keep this card close for now.'
It was unclear how deeply Gadewik, the Carbite named, was involved in the slave supply. But if this scandal were to break out, he would feel the pressure.
With this resolve, the princess pondered one lingering question.
'If they had to choose just one from among the passengers... who would it be?'
The obvious answer would be the Shtan princess, but she wasn't confident in this deduction.
'Why go through the trouble of turning her into a slave? She didn't seem to have any special abilities. If her royal status was important, there'd be no need to conceal it further.'
So, she investigated further, looking into her activities in her original world and reports of her sightings on Earth.
And she found something. What might seem trivial to others was anything but to her.
According to the report, the Shtan princess had shown an extreme fondness for a certain convict assigned to guard her.
It was said that she acted as if she had fallen in love at first sight, which was strange given that her species had no interest in humans.
It sounded absurd, but the princess couldn't ignore it. It brought to mind distant memories.
"..."
After pondering for a long time, she suddenly felt tired.
"Time has passed."
Gadewik had not yet sent the data. While waiting, he decided to take some personal time.
Pop!
He made several spatial leaps, arriving in a room accessible only to her.
Inside, a man lay asleep.
He was not Endelion. He was a human, a normal one.
The princess approached the man. His body was alive, breathing steadily with warm blood circulating, but there was no soul within. As he was, he would never wake, smile, or speak again.
The princess had many plans. What was before her now could be categorized as Plan B.
She gazed at the homunculus, created to be genetically identical to her ex-husband's cyborg body, far more advanced than the one that had been incinerated during her time as a convict.
"Soon, we'll meet again."
She extended a tentacle. Her usual ones were too thick and massive, so she sprouted new, relatively short and thin ones, like buds from a branch. She brought them close to the face of the sleeping homunculus but stopped just before making contact. She hesitated in that position, pondering for a moment. Eventually, she withdrew her tentacles without touching him.
Once again, the princess felt a profound weariness. She quietly curled up in front of the homunculus, like a tiny speck of dust floating before a massive rocky island. Slowly, Endelion's eyes closed. A sweet slumber rose up beneath her eyelids.
Del dreamed of a happier past.
"Ah... Are you awake?"
When Minjun awoke, the first thing he saw was a priest, silhouetted against a faint fluorescent light, looking down at him.
In his groggy state, he saw a three-eyed alien. He blinked a few times, and the line between dream and reality became clearer. Minjun knew exactly where he was and when this was.
The nightmare was over.
"Yes, I'm up," he replied in a hoarse voice as he sat up. Yumtus, full of anticipation, asked telepathically,
"How was it? Did you achieve your goal?"
Yumtus, who had just asked the question, flinched. Minjun's expression was intense, more serious than usual.
The 'avatar' he worshiped finally spoke.
"The effect... was good. Almost too good."
Despite his words, his expression was menacing, as if he were saying, "The effect was so good that I want to beat you up right now." Minjun frowned slightly, as if feeling a mild headache. The judge asked cautiously,
"Uh... Was it not as terrifying a nightmare as you expected?"
Minjun shuddered, as if the question was absurd.
"No, it was really terrifying. The worst nightmare I've had in recent memory."
Only then did Yumtus feel both relief and a sense of accomplishment. However, the avatar's next words made it clear that it wasn't a cause for celebration.
"But it wasn't the kind of nightmare I wanted."
It was an event that left him deeply traumatized. Since that day, Minjun had never settled anywhere, nor had he ever spent or shared his Dallant for anyone else. Del was the one who made him that way.
As important as that memory was, there was no need to dwell on it now. What he had wanted was a dream that delved into much older, long-buried memories.
After explaining this, Yumtus bowed deeply.
"I intended that, but it seems my abilities were insufficient. Next time, I will ensure that you are satisfied..."
It wasn't possible to attempt it again immediately, as his divine power was already depleted. Minjun offered a brief word of appreciation for his efforts and then returned to the surface.
A bitter taste lingered in his mouth.
'I didn't see the memory I wanted to regain; instead, I was forced to relive the memories I wish I could forget. Of all the nightmares I could have had, it had to be from that time.'
Back in his office, Minjun sat idly in his chair for a while. The dream had been so vivid, it was as if he were living through that time again.
An unpleasant emotion, one he didn't even want to call an aftereffect, clung to him like a damp mist. After sitting there for a long time, Minjun glanced down at the bottom drawer of his desk, the one that was sealed shut.
He hesitated. What he was about to do felt pointless.
But in the end, he couldn't resist the impulse.
Pop!
He temporarily removed the seal and opened the drawer, taking out its contents. He held it in his hand and leaned back in his chair, staring at it. He couldn't even remember the last time he had taken it out of the drawer.
Just then, he heard movement outside. The door opened, and Cassie walked in.
"There you are. You haven't answered your phone all day."
Minjun didn't bother explaining. Cassie didn't seem to expect an explanation either and instead suggested they go out.
"How many days has it been? Are you eating properly? Let's go out for a meal. My treat. I've already invited some people from the bookstore, and of course, Eunsung will be there too..."
Cassie rummaged through the closet and pulled out Minjun's coat, chattering all the while.
"Mr. Jeongpal seems busy these days. Says he has to follow someone around all the time. Oh well, can't be helped. We'll just eat with whoever's free. Oh? What's that knife?"
She had noticed the dagger in Minjun's hand.
The world he had lived in before coming to Earth was one where mechanical engineering far outpaced magical engineering, as is often the case in fringe dimensions.
So it had been hard to find materials that truly suited him there. Even when he visited places steeped in historical tragedy, which might have aided his curse-based magic, they had been wiped clean of any traces by the time he arrived. To make matters worse, any remaining artifacts had been destroyed in self-detonation incidents.
This dagger had been a welcome gift in such circumstances.
He had used it extensively for about a year before stowing it away, never to touch it again.
Cassie, who had dabbled in magic herself, squinted her eyes and remarked,
"It looks just as expensive as the knives you usually use, but it's not made of Earthly materials, is it?"
She examined it closely, curiosity piqued. Minjun gripped the handle, covering the inscription engraved on it. Even though he knew she couldn't read it, he did so instinctively.
Noticing that her boss hadn't bought anything new recently, she asked,
"This seems like something you've had for a while. Why don't you use it?"
Minjun hesitated before answering.
"It's not good."
"Really? It looks nice..."
Cassie tilted her head in confusion and then said,
"Anyway, let's talk while we head out."
Reluctantly, Minjun got up from his seat. He returned the dagger to the drawer, placing it next to a glass vial of blood in an empty slot, securing it in place. As the handle turned, the inscription he had covered was revealed. His ex-wife had engraved it there. Minjun stared at it with a hardened expression before closing the drawer again. He had cleared away an old regret from before his eyes and sealed it tightly.
End of Chapter 102: A Couple's Quarrel is Like Cutting Off a Neck with a Knife (9).