Chapter Content
Chapter 2: Why Is He Acting Like That?
When day broke, I left my quarters.
In truth, right up until the moment I stepped out of the room, I had been agonizing over it.
I even considered honestly confessing everything and waiting to be dealt with.
But I gave up at the thought, ‘Would there be anyone who would believe me?’
I also briefly thought about simply running away.
But such irresponsible behavior was neither righteousness, chivalry, nor the proper path.
That was why I decided to try this reckless challenge.
For some reason, though I didn’t know why, I believed there had to be a reason that I—who had died thirty years ago—had awakened in this body.
With my resolve hardened, I stepped out the door, and as soon as I left the annex surrounded by walls, I felt countless bewildered gazes directed at me.
Soon after, the murmurs of miscellaneous people rang loudly, as if they were whispering right beside me.
Among those murmurs, the words pointing at me could largely be divided into five.
The Ultimate Weapon.
The Human Butcher.
The Butcher of the Hundred Paths.
Emperor Salyejin.
And then…….
“Fuck, it’s the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult!”
Amid those murmurs, plastered with confusion, shock, joy, excitement, and curses, there was one thing I understood clearly.
I was the ‘Vice Cult Leader.’
When I combined that title with the memories of my previous life and the power flowing through this body, only a single name came to mind—one that made me frown reflexively.
‘The Demonic Cult, no, the Bright Cult!’
Within the scope of my memories and knowledge, that was the only place in the martial world where the title of Vice Cult Leader would be in use.
To be fair, I had harbored suspicions while accepting what was embedded in this body as my own.
There were far too many enlightenments and martial arts that strayed from common sense and defied natural order.
Moreover, the internal energy brimming to the point of overflowing, and the unbelievably intense martial power that moved based on it, were for the most part accompanied by ferocious demonic energy.
Still……. Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult!
For someone like me, who had lived taking pride in being a chivalrous warrior, there was no shock greater than this.
In fact, it was even more bewildering than having awakened in another person’s body after leaping across thirty years of time.
Steeling myself and asking around, I eventually entered a large conference hall. About a dozen people were seated inside, and they all rose to their feet at once with startled expressions.
From their reaction, I wondered if perhaps the Cult Leader had entered behind me, so I turned around, but there was no one there.
Then the reason they had stood up was…….
‘Ah! The Vice Cult Leader.’
The second-in-command. It seemed to be etiquette toward that position.
I immediately returned their courtesy, clasping my fists respectfully and bowing my head.
In that instant, a ripple of agitation brushed against my skin.
‘Something is wrong.’
At the same time as I made that judgment, I hastily released the fist salute and quietly went to sit in an empty seat in the hall.
I could still feel the unsettled atmosphere inside, but since I didn’t know what needed correcting, I simply chose to sit there with my eyes closed.
Perhaps that worked, because the agitation gradually subsided. After some time passed like that—
I sensed people stirring and rising, so when I opened my eyes, I saw a middle-aged man with a massive frame entering through the doorway.
‘The Cult Leader!’
I knew it the instant I saw him.
The aura flowing out in the darkness and the overwhelmingly leaking demonic energy were exactly like those of the Demonic Cult Leader I had heard about until my ears bled in my previous life.
However…….
The Cult Leader, who had been walking in, stopped short upon noticing me, his expression flickering with surprise.
“Y-you’re here.”
“Yes? Ah! Yes.”
“But did the Lord of the Ten Thousand Swords do something wrong?”
“Yes?”
In response to my puzzled question, the Cult Leader answered.
“Because you took that seat, that fellow can’t even sit and is just standing there. That’s why I’m asking.”
Following the glance he sent along with his words, I turned my head back and saw a sharp-eyed elderly man standing awkwardly.
“Could it be……. are you the Lord of the Ten Thousand Swords?”
“C-congratu—ah, no, congratulations on leaving seclusion, Vice Cult Leader!”
The final words of the Lord of the Ten Thousand Swords, who hurriedly raised a fist salute and bowed his head, bothered me for some reason.
Leaving seclusion.
In other words, congratulating me on leaving my room—that phrase made my face flush.
I had only been cooped up in my room for five days.
“Ahem.”
I cleared my throat and stood up from my seat. Since I knew it belonged to someone else, I couldn’t just remain sitting there.
“I apologize.”
I returned the fist salute and bowed my head.
Yet, as if he were facing something he shouldn’t even look at, the Lord of the Ten Thousand Swords bent his waist even deeper in haste, and fear spread over his entire body. He was so terrified that I could clearly see his hands, clasped in the salute, trembling violently.
‘No, just what on earth did I do to make him feel such fear?’
The question arose, but the Cult Leader’s voice, heard immediately after, cut off my thoughts.
“Stop bullying the kid and come sit down. Let’s start the meeting.”
At those words, I moved to the seat beside the Cult Leader that he indicated, and the meeting began immediately.
The moment the agenda was raised right after the start, the conference hall turned into a chaotic marketplace.
The hall was packed with everyone shouting over one another.
And the words filling it were savage beyond measure.
The Lord of the Ten Thousand Swords’ claim that flesh should be cut and bones peeled away almost sounded mild by comparison.
Gouge out eyeballs to play marbles, pull out intestines to jump rope with them, take out hearts to pickle them, wipe out the seed of every living thing…….
These were the ideas being thrown around to decide the punishment for a subordinate sect that had sent about two-tenths less than the prescribed tribute.
“Um…… excuse me.”
At the sound of my raised voice, the clamor died down and everyone’s gaze gathered on me.
“Shouldn’t we first find out why they sent less, before anything else?”
A long silence…….
‘Did I say something wrong after all?’
Just as a quiet sense of unease began to rise, the Cult Leader sitting beside me nodded his head.
“Let’s do that.”
Was that the decision?
The voices of the people began to trickle out one by one, and soon the hall once again grew noisy.
Send the Blood Sword Unit.
Would a hundred be enough to scare them? Let’s send a thousand from the Red Blade Unit.
Are you joking? If we’re sending anyone, send the Ten Thousand Swords Unit. Just having ten thousand men standing there with swords drawn will be pressure enough.
What are we, children, fighting with numbers? Just send one of the Twenty-Seven Ghosts, chop off a couple of hands, slice off some ears…….
Why be so sloppy? Just send one of the Thirteen Bloods, slit the bellies of a dozen or so, pull out their guts and hang them up…….
“Excuse me.”
When I raised my hand again and spoke, the hall fell silent faster than before—so quiet that not even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard.
It was burdensome, but…….
“Couldn’t I go myself?”
After an even longer, drawn-out silence…….
The Cult Leader nodded again.
“Let’s do that.”
With that, the meeting ended.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
When I stood up and offered my greeting, everyone…… froze.
‘Was this wrong too?’
I couldn’t stay any longer out of anxiety.
Only after the Vice Cult Leader left did sounds of people finally releasing their breath erupt from all directions. Even the Cult Leader, who had been sitting in the seat of honor, had been holding his breath, after all…….
“Hoo…….”
As the Cult Leader let out a long sigh, the strategist asked him,
“Why is he acting like that?”
“That’s not something you need to know, is it?”
“Well, that is…….”
As the strategist trailed off, unable to finish his sentence, Iron Demon, the first of the Five Demons and also the Chief Elder, stepped forward to his side.
“Why is the Vice Cult Leader suddenly acting like this?”
“How would I know?”
“Then are you really just going to let him go?”
“Why, want to try stopping him?”
“No, th-that is…….”
“I’ll attach the entire Council of Elders as well. And I’ll add the Thirteen Bloods and the Twenty-Seven Ghosts on top of that. Well? Want to try stopping him?”
“Th-that…….”
“Still not enough? Then I’ll add the Blood Sword Unit, the Red Blade Unit, and even the Ten Thousand Swords Unit. How about it?”
“P-please spare me, Cult Leader.”
To Iron Demon, who prostrated himself flat on the ground, the Cult Leader said,
“Right, you absolutely couldn’t stop him. Then…… do you think I’d be any different?”
At the question posed by the Cult Leader, known as the foremost master of the Demonic Path, neither Iron Demon, the Chief Elder, nor anyone else in the hall could answer.