Chapter 329
Bardray glared at Taesan.
With hostility and suspicion, he grabbed the ornate sword at his waist.
“Incredible. An assassin who managed to sneak into my chambers without causing any commotion! Who hired someone as skilled as you?”
Taesan did not answer.
He subtly shifted his gaze to his side.
[Oh…….]
As always, the ghost was there. He let out a dazed sigh as he stared at the prince who had taken on his appearance.
Bardray, who possessed a human body.
And Bardray, who had died and now took the form of a ghost.
There were two Bardray’s in this place.
“I personally killed all my siblings… Are you a servant of the gods? It doesn’t matter either way.”
Bardray drew his sword.
“I’ll just cut off your limbs and interrogate you later!”
He gripped his sword and charged. A storm-like barrage of slashes rained down upon Taesan.
“What do you think?”
Taesan asked as he dodged. The ghost muttered.
[……That’s me. To be precise, the past me.]
“So it is.”
The quest he had received was to defeat the Demon King and save the ruined world of memory.
This meant that this place was already a past world that had been destroyed. And the one tied to this memory was none other than the ghost.
Clang!
The sword moved violently, aiming for Taesan’s throat and chest like a ravenous wolf.
It resembled the Stormscar Swordsmanship that the ghost had once shown him, but it was much sloppier, full of openings. The ghost clicked his tongue.
[What’s with all the sloppiness? You should be aiming for the legs, not the chest. And you should be attacking three times in a row—why are you stopping at two?]
“You do realize that’s your past self, right?”
[I know, but it’s still frustrating. Watching it like this makes me feel embarrassed.]
Clang!
Taesan bent at the waist to evade the slashes. Bardray’s expression hardened. He stepped forward, reinforcing his grip on his sword.
“Well, it’s not bad.”
For someone who hadn’t descended into the labyrinth, his skills were considerable.
Taesan reached out his hand. The swinging sword was caught in his grasp.
“What?!”
[Don’t break it.]
“It’s just a memory. Does it even matter?”
[It does. If you break it, you and that guy will become complete enemies.]
Upon closer inspection, the sword Bardray wielded was the same as the relic of Kabert that Taesan possessed. Taesan heeded the ghost’s words and pulled on the sword.
“Ugh!”
Bardray refused to let go. It was a testament to his discipline as a trained warrior.
But at the cost of his persistence, his body was flung into the air.
Overwhelmed by Taesan’s sheer strength, Bardray was stunned.
Taesan twisted the blade in his grip and wrenched it away. He pressed the sword to the fallen Bardray’s throat.
“…You are strong.”
Bardray glared at Taesan. His entire body was drenched in sweat, yet Taesan remained unfazed, his breathing steady.
“A man like you, an assassin? That’s truly a shame. If you were a subject of the empire, you would have been treated with the highest honor.”
With a sigh, Bardray closed his eyes.
“Congratulations. You have achieved your goal. Now kill me.”
He accepted death calmly. Taesan looked at him in silence.
Of course, Taesan had no intention of killing Bardray.
The quest required him to defeat the Demon King, and Bardray was likely an important ally.
But things had already gone awry from the start.
Regret had summoned Taesan directly into Bardray’s chambers, and seeing a stranger suddenly appear, Bardray naturally assumed he was an assassin.
He needed to clear up the misunderstanding, but no clear solution came to mind.
When Bardray did not feel a blade sinking into his neck, he opened his eyes.
“…What are you doing? Do you intend to take me hostage?”
“That’s not it.”
“Then kill me. If I am to die at the hands of someone as powerful as you, that is not the worst fate.”
Bardray closed his eyes once more.
As Taesan considered his options, the ghost spoke up.
[Do as I say.]
The ghost explained a way to convince Bardray. Taesan listened quietly before speaking.
“I have no intention of killing you.”
He withdrew his sword.
“I am not your enemy.”
“It’s hard to believe such words from someone who has trespassed into my chambers.”
“I understand. That’s why I intend to earn your trust.”
Organizing the ghost’s words in his mind, Taesan spoke smoothly.
“I came to you because I seek to defeat the Demon King. Prince of the Kabert Empire.”
At Taesan’s words, Bardray opened his eyes.
“You must be aware. The Demon King will soon be born and will invade this world.”
“…How do you know that?”
Bardray’s eyes were filled with shock and suspicion. What Taesan had just revealed was a secret known only to the imperial family.
Taesan continued.
“You must have heard of the Hero, Kariat.”
“…Yes.”
The Hero Kariat—an ancient figure who had appeared long ago. He had defeated the Demon King who threatened the world and had become its ruler.
But in the process, Kariat had succumbed to corruption. Consumed by madness, he slaughtered countless people and became obsessed with power.
All of humanity had banded together to finally defeat Kariat, exterminating his bloodline. Even now, his name remained a forbidden topic.
“I am a descendant of Kariat.”
At Taesan’s words, Bardray’s pupils dilated.
“As a prince of the empire, you must know. Kariat’s lineage was never completely wiped out.”
“…Yes, I know.”
During the extermination, some managed to escape. It was a fact known only to a select few in the empire.
The words flowing from Taesan’s mouth were things only the actual survivor could know. Bardray’s eyes grew colder.
“Kariat’s descendants all have black hair and black eyes.”
Taesan touched his own hair.
“I was always persecuted because of this unavoidable trait. I wish to restore the honor that my ancestor tarnished. And for that, I have sought you out. Prince of the Empire.
“I have heard that you do not hold prejudice against my bloodline.”
“I apologize for sneaking into your chambers. There was no other way to meet you.”
“That’s enough.”
The prince stood up and murmured.
“If you truly are a descendant of Kariat, then this would have been your only means of entry. I shall forgive you.”
Bardray smirked.
“Bold. Indeed, I have spoken often about your lineage, but to trust in just that and come all the way here… And that strength. Impressive.”
There was no longer any doubt in his eyes.
Only goodwill and trust toward Taesan remained.
‘It actually worked.’
Everything Taesan had just said came directly from the ghost’s instructions. He had spoken half in doubt, but Bardray was already beginning to trust him.
[That guy is me, after all.]
The ghost said indifferently.
[I know exactly what he’s thinking, what he wants to hear, and what he desires. Gaining his trust is no challenge.]
The biggest issue had been resolved.
From here, things wouldn’t be too difficult. Bardray clicked his tongue and looked around.
“This is troublesome.”
His chambers were in complete disarray.
The battle had torn down the decorations hanging on the walls and shredded the carpet. It no longer looked like a chamber but a ruin.
With this much commotion, it wouldn’t be strange for someone to come check.
And indeed, a knock echoed at the door.
“Your Highness, is everything all right?”
“There was a slight disturbance. Enter.”
“Excuse me.”
The door opened, and a maid stepped inside. She glanced around at the wrecked chamber once, then at Taesan twice, her expression quickly shifting to shock.
“……Your Highness? What is this—”
“I told you. Just a minor disturbance. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“But that man…”
She hesitated upon seeing Taesan’s black hair and eyes.
Bardray adjusted his clothing and spoke.
“Do not cause a fuss. He is my guest.”
“…What?”
Her eyes widened.
She stammered as she looked at Taesan.
“Your Highness, who exactly is he…”
“When were you given permission to question my words?”
Bardray spoke with a quiet smile. The maid flinched, trembling before bowing deeply.
“My apologies.”
“Leave us. And prepare a guest chamber for him.”
“Pardon? Oh… Yes, understood.”
The maid straightened up in surprise but quickly bowed again under Bardray’s cold gaze.
Bardray looked around his devastated chamber and muttered,
“My apologies. I should clean this up first. We’ll continue our discussion afterward.”
“I understand.”
“Then lead him. He is my guest. If you treat him poorly, I will not forgive you.”
“As Your Highness commands.”
The maid obeyed Bardray’s orders, leading Taesan out into the corridor.
As she walked ahead, she kept glancing at Taesan warily. Her fear of him was obvious.
Taesan asked her,
“What year is it now?”
“I-It is the Imperial Year 876…”
“I see.”
Taesan nodded. The maid trembled as she guided him to a room.
“If you need anything, please ring the bell at any time.”
With that, she quickly retreated.
Taesan sat on the bed and spoke.
“What do you think?”
[The great empire. She said Kabert has stood for 876 years. If my memory is correct, the Demon King will appear in 877. Judging by the scenery outside as we walked through the corridor… We have about three months left.]
Three months until the Demon King’s invasion.
The ghost muttered bitterly.
[What a sick joke. Truly.]
The ghost’s world had been destroyed by the Demon King.
They had failed to stop the invasion three months from now, and he had ended up drifting into the labyrinth.
And now, he was meeting his past self and being forced to witness the attempt to stop the Demon King once again.
[The God of Regret… certainly lives up to his name. I still don’t like him.]
After taking a moment to collect himself, the ghost continued.
[The quest requires us to defeat the Demon King. It probably means we have to help my past self accomplish that.]
“The Demon King…”
Taesan had his own questions about that.
“There were Demon Kings in the Demon Realm too.”
But their strength wasn’t particularly overwhelming.
They were certainly powerful and skilled, but none had ever posed a real threat to Taesan.
If this Demon King was of the same level, Taesan could handle it alone.
But the ghost refuted his thoughts.
[The Demon King of the Demon Realm and the one here are entirely different entities that just share the same name. Think of this one as a designed existence.]
“A designed existence?”
[Do you remember the 51st floor, when you fought the fragment of the world-ending wolf? How was it?]
“It was quite strong.”
Even though it was merely a fragment, it had given Taesan a hard fight.
[That’s what this is. A being meant to bring about the end of a world. It’s difficult to compare directly, but… even you might struggle to win against it.]
“You’re saying I have to defeat something like that?”
Even with his descent into the lower layers, Taesan was being told he would struggle against this foe.
This meant it was practically unbeatable outside the labyrinth. The idea of such an opponent appearing as an enemy didn’t quite make sense.
The ghost spoke.
[Like I said, it’s a designed existence. There’s a prophecy about the Demon King. You have to fulfill it in order to win.]
The ghost began to recite the prophecy.
