"Huh?"

Aria looked bewildered as she examined the muddy substance spread out before her. Flustered, she tried to give me an explanation, but my attention was fixed on the mud.

"W-Why is this happening? I swear, when I saw it..."

But there was no need for any further explanation as I already had a rough idea of what was happening.

She was deceived.

That was the only possible explanation.

My soul from the first round?

When I first heard it, I wondered if it was remotely possible, but after thinking about it calmly, I immediately concluded that it was utterly absurd.

"Aria, calm down and then explain the situation."

"Ah, yes!”

Aria, who was trying to collect the mud again, promptly began her explanation upon hearing my words.

"So, here's what happened. Since it's the vacation, I returned to my hometown to do some cleaning, chop wood, hunt beasts, and help my parents..."

She began her story like a child explaining that they had finished their homework.

"But then, suddenly, a different door appeared in front of my house’s front door! It was a good thing that my mom had gone to cook the stew; otherwise, if she had seen that…”

Mid-sentence, she clapped her hands as if she just realized something and reacted dramatically.

"M-my mom! I need to inform my family about my whereabouts!"

Aria mentioned how they must have been worried due to her sudden disappearance. Regardless, it seemed like she would need some more time to explain the full story.

***Later that evening.

After hearing the entire story about Clair’s general store, I was momentarily lost in thought.

Erica had long returned to her room, and since she was back at the academy, Aria decided to spend the rest of the vacation here and returned to the dormitory.

Wearing a satisfied expression on having finished his street performance, upon his return, Owen paid me a brief visit in the laboratory, but then left to wash up.

Findenai hadn’t returned since I tossed her out the window earlier, so she was probably off having fun somewhere.

In the end, it was just me, the Dark Spiritualist, and Stella with horns, meaning Velica, who were having a discussion.

[If he's wearing white gloves, he’s definitely the Demon Lord of Deception.]

Velica answered with a look of utter annoyance, indicating she didn’t have a good relationship with him.

[His name is Lehric. I haven’t seen him for a while, so I guess he was hiding in some strange place.]

I didn’t know how long 'a while' meant for a Demon Lord, but since he was the Demon Lord of Deception, he indeed had some connection with both the Dark Spiritualist and me.

Because he was the original owner of Lemegeton, the Necromancy Stone, which we had used for quite some time.

[…]

The Dark Spiritualist remained silent and lowered her head while Velica continued talking without noticing her strange behavior.

[You said that bastard is running a store? Don’t even think about buying anything from him. Just buying something from him puts you at a loss.]

"Got it."

[It’s not just about the price. At some point, your life can also be sold.]

Ophelia immediately came to mind.

There was no need to recall what had happened to the woman who wished to be with her true love.

[None of the Demon Lords know that bastard’s true face. After all, he loves deceiving others too much.]

"…"

[But he does have a face he uses frequently. A young man with white hair. He keeps using that one for some reason.]

A man with white hair.

Remembering the keyword mentioned by Aria, I glanced at the Dark Spiritualist.

"Do you know anything else?"

[Ah, um.]

The hesitant Dark Spiritualist answered awkwardly.

[I don’t really know much about Demon Lords.]

Even if she didn't want to talk, I hadn't forgotten what Magan had said to her during the fight.

As I was persistent in pursuing the topic, I asked her immediately.

"I heard you are the descendant of the child who received Lemegeton."

Hearing those words, Velica subtly turned to look at the Dark Spiritualist, whose expression grew darker.

Considering that Lemegeton had recognized her as its master, I thought it was probably true.

[That story is from a long time ago. We're only connected by blood. Despite my best efforts to find Lemegeton during my lifetime, I ultimately failed.]

"…"

[And we also learned that it was all very useless, haven’t we?]

Though she acknowledged Lemegeton was a trap set by the Demon Lord of Deception, it seemed like she still harbored some lingering attachment to it.

Someday.

If I could save the continent and return peace to this land, then my time with the Dark Spiritualist like this would also come to an end.

After all, she was deceased and needed to find her eternal rest.

However, before that happened, I had to admit that, at some point, I had developed a desire to resolve the lingering regrets she occasionally displayed.

[Anyway, it’s going to be quite a challenge to fight Lehric. Back in the days when demons fought against each other, I killed Lehric more than a dozen times.]

In other words, even if you thought you had killed him, you needed to doubt if he was truly dead.

[But can you even track that general store?]

As the Dark Spiritualist naturally changed the topic back to the store, Velica also nodded.

[That's what I'm saying. From what I've heard, it seems it’s quite difficult to find.]

"There is a way to do that."

I had the thread wound around my hand, but even that wouldn’t make it easy to track because we would have to chase a store that wandered all over the continent.

[Really?]

[Can you really track that bastard?]

"I will let you know tomorrow. Tonight, I want to be alone, so can you leave for a while?"

I gestured for the two to leave. Both the Dark Spiritualist and Velica were surprised by my abrupt dismissal.

However, after hearing their complaints, I managed to get to leave.

"Phew."

A thick darkness settled.

Since I hadn’t turned on a single light, anyone observing from the outside would believe that no one was inside.

And just like that, I leaned back into the cushy chair and closed my eyes for a moment.

Twitch.

The thread tied around my right hand began to react.

Though there was no wind, the thread swayed gently, tickling the back of my hand.

As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw an ancient purple door standing in front of me.

The door had a sign that read ‘Clair’s General Store.’

Knowing this would happen, I wasn't particularly surprised.

With little to no reaction, I got up, grabbed the doorknob, and turned it to enter.

The interior was exactly as Aria had described.

It was dark, and the stalls were empty. Traces of Aria’s fierce battle were visible here and there.

"Welcome to Clair’s General Store."

Standing beyond the counter was a beautiful young man with white hair. The white gloves on his hands revealed his identity to me.

"Lehric."

It was Lehric, the Demon Lord of Deception.

Despite hearing me say his name, his expression remained unchanged as he asked.

"Is there something you are looking for?"

Hearing his offer to help me find what I was looking for, I walked toward the counter and began speaking.

"You are the one who wants something, are you not?"

"…"

"That is why you came to me when I was alone."

During the conversation with Aria, regarding her encounter with Lehric, we inferred a lot about him from that brief exchange.

On the other hand, Lehric must have also pondered about Aria and me in various ways. So, I had expected him to approach me to confirm those thoughts.

After all, the information inadvertently revealed by Aria would be irresistible for the Demon Lord of Deception.

"Stop scheming like a merchant, and tell me what you want."

When I spoke nonchalantly, he clasped his hands together and smiled intriguingly.

He then pulled out a deck of cards from his hands.

"Do you know the card-matching trick?"

He fanned out the cards so that the front was only visible to me.

"It's a trick where you guess the card the customer is thinking of without peeking."

It was one of the most common tricks among magicians.

However, I knew he wasn't talking about it to show me some little trick, so I didn't interrupt him.

"I can do it, not as a trick, but like magic."

Before I could ponder over the difference between the two, he spread out the cards on the counter and handed one to me.

"This is the card you were thinking of, right?"

Thud.

Eight of Clubs.

I simply chose the first card I saw, and when asked if it was correct, it was indeed correct.

"Ah-ha, so it was the Eight of Clubs?"

"…"

"I don’t know what card you chose, but I guessed right."

"So, that is your ability."

"Exactly. I don’t know what my customers want."

"…"

"But I can give it to them."

There was no need to add that they would receive it in a twisted manner.

"But you see, I got a very strange customer today."

Lehric picked a card from the deck he had spread. He placed it under the deck.

"Isn’t it true that this time has already elapsed once?"

Swoosh.

"What I mean is that the continent has already been reset once and is now starting over."

And what was clearly a single card now unfolded into a deck of cards.

So now, there were two decks of cards on the counter.

"It’s absurd, isn’t it? But at the same time, it’s exciting. Ah, it’s been so long since I felt that excited."

"…"

"If that's true, then this world is full of deception, isn’t it?"

If you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.1

I had investigated Demon Lord Lehric and inferred various things from the conversations others had with him.

On the other hand, Lehric had also deduced many things about us in that short time.

"Deus Verdi, the Soul Whisperer who killed four Demon Lords... or rather, Kim Shinwoo."

"…"

"It was actually surprising. I never thought there’d be a day when I'd sell a product like a soul from the first round."

"Although it was a fake."

As I muttered a warning, he smirked and shook his head.

"It is real until one realizes it's a fake."

What a fallacious argument.

However, he was someone who enjoyed such fallacious arguments.

Any logical rebuttal would just be met with more fallacious rebuttals.

"The only reason I came here, Kim Shinwoo, share your memories with me."

"…"

"I am curious. How did this world manage to start a so-called second round? Were the so-called gods just standing by idly?"

"I refuse."

"Please, don't be like that."

The counter between us vanished. Darkness engulfed the entire store and began to melt away.

However, it wasn't a simple threat or just the feeling of intense pressure.

Because what pierced my entire body was a sensation too gentle to be called murderous intent.

"I can show you what you truly desire, even things you don't know yourself."

Lehric whispered with a laugh.

"And I can also find out what you hold dear."

Although it sounded like a threat, it was actually an enticement—A very sweet one, on top of that.

"Ever since I took over this general store from that dwarf, I've seen various appearances of different people. It's been truly amusing."

The white-haired man approached me in the darkness.

"Did you know? Unlike demons, most humans live without knowing what they truly desire. "

"…"

"Especially those who lived buried in convictions, like you."

Lehric pressed his finger against my chest, wearing a sarcastic smile.

"If you show me all the information you have, I'll grant your wish."

"The salvation of the continent."

Upon hearing my indifferent answer, Lehric chuckled.

"For a great cause? There are quite a lot of people who would say something like that. But that's not the essence. It's just an excessive sense of responsibility."

As if expecting this, Lehric reached out. In his hand was a white orb emitting a soft light.

“Just leave yourself entirely to your instincts. Let's both seek what you, who have set aside great causes and convictions, desire.”

"…"

"Kim Shinwoo, what is your true wish?"

The white orb in Lehric's hand began to transform into the shape of what I truly desired.

1. "He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."— A quote from Nietzsche (Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future (1886), Chapter IV.