"Is it gone? Really gone? Let me see, Green Eye!"

The Regressor activated the Green Eye among the Seven-Colored Eyes, scanning the surroundings with penetrating clarity. Judging by the way he thoroughly checked from the ground up to the sky, he seemed genuinely rattled. After confirming multiple times, he let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew… For now, it’s all good…!”

Just then, an explosion rang out. Not as sharp as gunpowder, but far too intense to have come from a plant. Isn't the noise itself strange for something to be considered 'all good,' Regressor?

“What do you mean, ‘all good’? Everything’s a mess right now!”

“Oh, it’s fine. That’s just a bean pod bomb. Annoying, but if Navi isn’t here, I can handle it quickly. The Tree of Origin is harmless as long as it doesn’t bear a Beasts of Origin.”

“A Beasts of Origin?”

“A beast made from wood. Sometimes, creatures are born from the fruits of the Tree of Blasphemy. But it doesn’t look like she managed to make it that far. Fortunately…”

As he muttered, a massive snake with a trunk of wood twisted its body in the distance.

Explosions continued. Flaming beans shot up, decorating the brightening sky. With a loud crash, one of the chimera beans landed right next to me.

For a moment, the Regressor and I were speechless. Breaking that silence, screams started echoing all around.

“A… snake made of wood?”

“What are you staring at? Attack it!”

“Provisions! The military rations are all exploding!”

“Officer! If I’m injured by beans, is that a combat injury?”

“Enough with the nonsense—go take down that snake first!”

Gunfire resounded, and the officers and soldiers from the military nation leapt forward with their weapons, hacking at the wooden snake. But even after being sliced and cut, the tree-like snake kept thrashing violently, piling up more damage.

The Demon’s power warps the environment. Even without any intention to attack, the movement of mountains and forests delivers lethal harm to the tiny creatures living within. Listening to the cries echoing around, the Regressor clicked his tongue.

“Tch. Am I supposed to clean this up? It’s not like the military nation is on my side!”

“No, actually… they might become your allies from now on.”

“What?”

“Go wrap it up. I’ll look after Lia and let Azi out.”

Finally noticing the other person, the Regressor looked around.

“Oh, right. Where are the others?”

“They’re fine.”

“Got it!”

The Regressor grabbed Cheonaeng and Jijan in his hands and sprinted forward. Leaping into the air, he slashed Jijan downward with Cheonaeng.

“Heaven-Earth Blade Strike, Flint!”

He sparked a flame in the air through friction. Cheonaeng ignited, glowing a fierce red. The Regressor, wielding the blazing Cheonaeng, split the wooden snake cleanly in two. The burning snake twisted in agony, scattering burning branches across the command area, causing more screams from the regular soldiers.

“Commander! What should we do about that?”

“…There’s an order from headquarters… not to attack! Just burn the tree for now!”

With fires spreading in multiple areas, the chaos only grew, but the Regressor was unfazed.

“Exploding bean pods and wooden snakes are one thing, but fire’s a more manageable threat. At least you guys sense the danger! I’ll light it up, so you guys put it out!”

For a short time, the military nation cooperated with us. The wooden snake kept wriggling even as it was gradually severed, but it seemed it would be dealt with soon.

‘Large in scale but weak in effect. Why did Navi go through the trouble of using the Tree of Origin when she isn’t even going to fight? She almost seems to want to boast about her power as a Demon, doesn’t she?’

Exactly, Regressor. Navi used the Demon’s power to boast.

To me.

I turned my gaze. A chimera bean that had landed nearby had already taken root and begun sprouting. A large sprout extended towards my feet.

A vine from the chimera bean. Naturally, it would bear more chimera beans.

But the Demon’s nature is a bit different.

Kidney beans, peas, chickpeas, red beans. The vine bore a harvest of every possible bean. It was as if someone with a quirky sense of humor decided to attach every kind of bean to a single tree.

Yet, looking closer, it’s not all that amusing.

A sprawling vine twisted around the concrete, and clovers stretched small leaves straight upward. Even if they didn’t bear beans, they still claimed a proud place on the vine. I walked past them.

If I kept walking with this… what would appear?

This is the essence of the Tree of Origin. It’s the reason Navi despises the Church of Names, which imposes titles on every being in the world.

Not that it has anything to do with me.

“Hmm. Can’t use this at all.”

This Demon’s nature is exceptionally difficult for me to handle. Navi herself is a druid, using it hundreds of times more powerfully. All I could do, at best, is grow peanuts.

But perhaps… that’s enough.

I pulled out the Spade Deck. After some consideration, I picked out the number 9 and flicked it a few times with my fingers.

The Spade is special. Diamonds consume alchemical materials, Clovers store magical power, and Hearts require the appropriate potion. But Spades don’t need anything. If there’s one thing they require, it’s my belief.

After all, Spades are the idol of the Demon.

With Maximilien absent, I couldn’t move the gears. I had no choice but to cling to the side of the Steel Beetle, struggling my way up. Even though it was only about four meters, I was panting—seems I’m a bit worn out too. Ah, I’m craving mana.

Upon finally reaching the top, I found Historia leaning against a cog, barely sitting upright. Her hollow eyes fixed on me as I smiled warmly.

“Lia. Want a peanut?”

“Where’d you get a…?”

I snapped my fingers. At the tip of the vine that had followed me up, a single peanut formed. The effort of climbing must have drained its strength; one peanut was all it produced.

But one peanut, once shelled, reveals two halves. I cracked it open and handed a half to Historia, who snorted in amusement.

“Sharing even half a peanut—how generous.”

“Humph.”

Historia popped the peanut into her mouth, chewing lightly. A crunchy sound echoed. I peeled my half and plopped down next to her.

Peanuts. Great on their own, and a subtle addition to any dish.

After a brief culinary moment, Historia murmured.

“Huey… Are you the King of Humans?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

And then, silence. I pressed her.

“That’s all you want to ask?”

Surely there was more. As I probed, Historia hesitated before finally speaking.

“…Got any mana left?”

“I gave it all to you, remember?”

“What about a stash?”

“Damn it. How’d you know?”

Clicking my tongue, I pulled out the stash of mana I’d tucked into my bio-terminal. It was useful here, allowing me to feel its effects without having to burn it.

“Typical of you.”

She smirked, reaching out her hand, as if it was her right. Though I wanted to keep it, I started cutting the mana stick with a card.

Historia frowned.

“You’re stingy over a single stick.”

“Shut up. A single stick isn’t just a stick. It’s all I’ve got left.”

Historia narrowed her eyes slightly.

“…Can’t give me the whole thing?”

“I’m already giving you half.”

My grip faltered as I tried cutting, probably from exhaustion. Watching me with disdain, Historia straightened her hand like a blade.

With a swift movement, she sliced through the mana stick before I could blink, choosing the larger piece for herself and biting it immediately. Without a word, she held the stub out to me.

“Light.”

A word would be nice. I raised my finger close to her lips, igniting the shortened mana stick.

“Set, Li. Fahrenheit.”

Historia took a deep inhale, letting the mana stick smolder. Before the flame died, I lit mine as well.

Words left unspoken drifted away in smoke. The short mana stick burnt out quickly, and as I removed the stub, I murmured to the sky.

“Lia, they say I’ll die soon.”

“…Really?”

“And then the King of Humans will be reborn. They’ll be the King of Sin.”

“Who? How?”

“I don’t know who will make it happen. I’m also unclear on the method. But I think I know why. Maybe… to destroy sin.”

Historia, surprised, inhaled too sharply and burnt out her mana stick entirely.

“To destroy… sin?”

“I don’t know. But maybe they want to believe in it, don’t you think? Just as you, wanting to prevent another Hamelin, bit your teeth and rose through the ranks.”

Historia clamped her mouth shut. She forgot the mana stick had burnt out, fumbling to place it back between her lips. I took her trembling hand, preventing her from eating the ash. Our eyes met.

“Huey, could you have… stopped what happened in Hamelin?”

“Probably.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

“It hasn’t happened yet.”

“Once it does, you can’t stop it.”

“So I didn’t stop it.”

Perhaps my flippant response hurt. Historia dropped my hand, rubbing her forehead in frustration.

“I just… don’t get it. Why do you have to go? Can’t you be a little more ordinary, Huey? You don’t have to be the King of Humans… or go anywhere.”

Ordinary, huh.

I’m already ordinary. Because I’m the King of Humans. I have the skills needed to fit in, living kindly enough to get by. But that’s all.

But for Historia and… ‘her,’ ordinary probably means something else. They envision a being far kinder and more virtuous than a human.

Humans are not like that, and neither am I.

“Thank you, Lia. For helping me without asking for reasons.”

“Liar.”

“Hey, I’m at least grateful. Humans aren’t that ungrateful.”

“…For free?”

“What do you want?”

A sudden thought flashed through Historia’s mind. A simple, instinctive desire. Normally, she’d never voice it, but maybe under the influence, she couldn’t stop herself.

“Nyaa. Silly mutt. Can’t even break this?”

At some point, Nabi had climbed up to the Steel Beetle. Historia, regaining her senses, swallowed her words. Though, it probably didn’t matter. Even a cat’s gaze was enough to make her self-conscious.

Nabi, glancing around, flexed her claws. She wedged them between the misaligned gears, wrenching them out. A massive gear fell below, and Nabi crouched in front, as if waiting for something.

“Woof! I’m free!”

Through the gap left by the missing gear, Azi leapt up. After futilely chewing on gears inside the Steel Beetle, he had finally escaped, shaking himself off.

“I hate it! I hate confinement! Woof, woof! It was dark and lonely!”

With more skill in using her front paws than Azi, Nabi looked down at him with a mocking expression.

“Nya. Silly dog. You idiots just bare your teeth and start fights.”

“Woof! I got bit! I have to help! It stank of that awful smell again! The smell of metal!”

“That’s exactly why you’re foolish. Like it or not, there’s no reason to interfere when other beasts squabble. The best is to watch from a distance and snatch food at the end.”

Nabi waved her claw nonchalantly, with a mana stick wedged in it. That cat certainly had a good time in our absence.

Azi shook his head vigorously, pointing to me.

“I won’t! I made a promise! Humans keep promises!”

“Nya-nya. Silly mutt. I’m sure they forgot all about that old promise.”

Nabi snickered, wagging the mana stick. Azi shook his head fiercely.

“Woof! No! I remember!”

“Nya-nya-nya. That’s pointless. Promises are only kept when they’re convenient. And with no King left to enforce them, humans have surely forgotten.”

“No! No! Humans remember! Look!”

Azi barked loudly to deny Nabi’s words. She snorted, but Azi approached me, tail wagging.

The King of Dogs, who had followed me without a shred of doubt. That trusting, kind-hearted creature gazed at me with unwavering belief, bringing up an old promise.

“I will protect you. So protect me, too. I’ll trust you, so please help me.”

To a human, such loyalty is almost exploitable. But a creature who trusts without condition is invaluable.

Azi might be the most foolish, yet strongest ally there is. He would never lose faith in me, or any human, no matter how often he was deceived.

“I will love you. So love me, too.”

Although I am the King of Humans, having lost most of my power, I’m not obligated to respond. Life always takes precedence over promises.

And yet, I can’t dismiss that pure, ‘artificial’ trust.

Perhaps.

“Then, no bad wolf will harm you.”

Azi may be… my future self.