Chapter 219. < Golden Rule (3) >
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Translator: Seven
The room became silent.
Many nobles were shaken by the words of Viscount Ja Soo-jung.
“Lovely……?”
Count Ah Ru-ho looked caught off guard. Many nobles had similar expressions.
However, those who had been captured directly by Viscount Ja Soo-jung.
Only the expressions of those who loved the Viscount and were loved by the viscount didn’t change. It was almost as if the Viscount’s lovers thought ‘something that should be said is being said’.
“Yeess.”
In this confused atmosphere, Viscount Ja Soo-jung continued.
“A person crushed by their own misfortune. The sight of even a noble crying out because they are unable to bear their own weight would always reach the heart. If we had to compare Marquis Baek Seol-to, wouldn’t it be with a honey filled rice cake? When you bite into it, sweetness fills your mouth.”
“…what are you talking about right now?”
Count Ah Ru-ho was stunned.
“Hah.”
Viscount Ja Soo-jung sighed. Then she shrugged. It was an attitude of clear disregard and contempt for Count Ah Ru-ho.
“It’s fine if you don’t know. There are adventurers who go out following a treasure map even if it suddenly appeared before them, and there are those who mock those adventurers. So does your story end there?”
“What?”
“I’m asking if you have anything else to say, Count. To summarize what you’ve said so far. [Look at these unfortunate people]. [He lost his granddaughter to a noble]. [That noble belongs to this one]. If you have nothing more to say, I think it’s best to leave. It is already quite late at night and it would be bad if the meeting is delayed any further..”
“Yo-, you cunning fellow… This old man lost his one and only granddaughter!”
Count Ah Ru-ho shouted.
“It was her grandmother’s birthday. Did you know that? The granddaughter was running home to give her grandmother a present when she was beaten to death by Marquis Baek Seol-to!”
“…”
The old man continued to prostrate himself before the throne, his head pressed to the ground. Without even a single glance towards the old man, Count Ah Ru-ho pulled something out of his pocket.
A hairpin. It was an accessory that women from commoner families often wore.
“Look! This hairpin is the present the granddaughter prepared. She ran to give this present to her grandmother, but on the way, she bumped into the Young Miss Baek Seol-to!”
Count Ah Ru-ho shouted desperately.
I wondered if the Count was really desperate to help the old man in his plight.
But regardless of the reason, the desperate appearance of a human was very convincing. In the blink of an eye, the nobles forgot the words of Viscount Ja Soo-jung, and instead looked at the old man with pitying eyes.
“The granddaughter fell in the snow. Then, with a simple smile, she apologized to Young Miss Baek Seol-to, saying [I’m sorry], and [I should have been looking where I was going]. If her apology had been accepted, it would have been just another accident that happens everywhere.”
Count Ah Ru-ho was now exuding confidence.
The old man’s miserable back, the sympathy being poured onto it, and the face of Viscount Ja Soo-jung, who appeared to be indifferent to everything.
All of these factors gave Count Ah Ru-ho the assurance of victory.
“However, Young Miss Baek Seol-to grabbed that commoner child. And…”
“Boring.”
Viscount Ja Soo-jung muttered.
It was a voice as quiet as a dragonfly’s wings.
No one but me heard the Viscount’s murmur.
Count Ah Ru-ho was still speaking vigorously. The eyes of the audience were glued to the Count. So when I looked over toward the Viscount, I was the only one able to enjoy her monologue.
“Ari wasn’t the only one who had prepared a birthday present that day.”
I tilted my head.
“Ari… Who is that?”
“The granddaughter. The child who was whipped to death by Baek Seol-to.”
Viscount Ja Soo-jung responded bluntly.
“That day was also her grandfather’s birthday. At the same time, both girls had prepared birthday presents. Baek Seol-to had made a brooch with her family crest by hand, but she wasn’t able to give it to her grandfather.”
“…Why?”
I had a strange feeling as I saw a glint in the Viscount’s eyes.
It was like she hadn’t heard the story from someone else.
It felt like she was talking about a scene she’d witnessed with her own eyes.
“She wasn’t able to do the math homework her grandfather gave her properly. She was scolded. The Young Miss couldn’t show the brooch then. Which child would give a gift to an adult that just scolded them?”
“…”
“When the commoner and the noble girls bumped into each other on the road, the brooch fell to the snow. It didn’t just fall, it also happened to be stepped on by the commoner girl. It broke.”
Viscount Ja Soo-jung spoke with a face that seemed devoid of warmth.
“The brooch wasn’t expensive looking. In fact, it’s hard to even call it good. It was a flimsy item that wouldn’t be surprising if it suddenly broke. But the Young Miss picked up the broken brooch and shoved it towards the commoner child.”
“And said.”
You broke it.
“Startled, the commoner child hurriedly lowered her head”
I’m sorry, Miss.
I’m really sorry.
“However, while young children know how to apologize, they don’t know how to accept an apology. In addition, the Young Miss, Marquis Baek Seol-to, was often called the ‘Brainless Young Miss’ and was ignorant. So there was no way her response would be good.”
It shouldn’t be broken, you broke it!
“The Young Miss had guards assigned to her. Well, in reality, the Young Miss was the only heir of the Marquis. The guards who followed her were also deeply loyal. So when then Young Miss stretched out her hand.”
Guard!
Whip!
“The guard handed a whip to the Young Miss without any hesitation. The Young Miss grabbed the whip, whining slightly as the handle was too thick for her to properly grasp.”
Then the child’s whip struck the child’s back.
“One whipped with all her might and the other convulsed as she was whipped.”
I’d rather break you! Huh! Huh! How is this, huh!
“It hurts, Miss.”
“It hurts. Young Miss, I’m sorry, it hurts.”
Stupid.
You’re all fools.
Grandfather, Grandfather is an idiot!
“No one stopped the Young Miss.”
It was said that the snow field was covered in blood.
Baek Seol-to’s guard collected the whip again. The servant that accompanied the Young Miss, picked up the hairpin from the messed up corpse. This wasn’t out of sympathy for the commoner child. It just occurred to them that they should probably give it to someone.
“Look!”
Now, that hairpin was in the hands of Count Ah Ru-ho.
“Can’t you feel the bitterness in this hairpin! Viscount!”
After 6 years, the hairpin had become worn. The hairpin, which had probably been polished to be given to the grandmother as a present, had now lost its luster and dust rested on its skin. Old and worn, it was an item that could be seen anywhere.
“Is the Viscount so cold blooded!”
“…”
Viscount Ja Soo-jung only smiled strangely when she heard Count Ah Ru-ho’s sharp cry.
“Is the Viscount’s head filled with nothing but the reasoning of sages and the classic writings?! Why else could she sit so calmly while looking at this relic with traces of blood, the remnants of death!”
No.
“The Viscount doesn’t even seem to have human blood!”
That wasn’t it.
Count Ah Ru-ho… and the other people were misunderstanding something.
The Viscount [could see everything].
She knew much more than Count Ah Ru-ho did. She had even witnessed the death of the granddaughter from a closer distance than the man who had his back to us.
That wasn’t all.
The last thing the granddaughter thought before dying. The last thing she said. The way Marquis Baek Seol-to swung her whip.
Viscount Ja Soo-jung knew a lot more than everyone else.
‘Because.’
My head spun, and I barely managed to spill the words out of my mouth.
“Viscount. You have… the [Gold Dragon’s Eyes].” (TL: Not ‘gaze’ like the skill. I’m not sure if this is an error with the raws or intentional.)
“Hmm?”
Viscount Ja Soo-jung turned to look at me.
“What are you talking about, Advisor?”
I gulped.
In the distance, Count Ah Ru-ho continued to stir up a storm. He cursed at her that she didn’t have human nature, and even went on to say that she was an illegitimate child without proper roots. He slandered her as a tyrant that did not show mercy. And he affirmed that it was outrageous for such a person to become a Duke.
The room erupted, and thanks to that, it created the perfect environment for the two of us to exchange stealthy whispers.
“The Gold Dragon’s Eyes.”
“Yes. The Gold Dragon’s Eyes, is there something wrong with them?”
“The Gold Dragon’s Eyes can see everything. From an omniscient viewpoint. You have one body but you can see the entire Tower. It gives you the ability to see all things at once.”
“That’s not wrong. So?”
“…in addition, you have [Ice River Dragon’s Breath].”
My heart pounded in my chest.
“[Ice River Dragon’s Breath] allows you to go to any time you wish. [Eyes that can see anything] [Breath that lets you go anywhere]. You have both. If you wished…”
“If this one wished?”
“It would be possible to watch the very moment when the granddaughter was whipped to death.”
I said.
“That’s your omniscience.”
That was what gave the Tower Master the power of omniscience.
“Using [Gold Dragon’s Eyes] and [Ice River Dragon’s Breath], you could personally witness all of the death and despair in this world.”
“…”
“Those two powers allow you to watch everything that happens in the Tower.”
At that moment.
[Right answer.]
[Acknowledged that you have overcome the second gateway.]
[Gold Dragon’s Eyes and Ice River Dragon’s Breath form the Tower’s Observatory.]
There was a moment of silence.
Purple eyes admired my face.
“That’s right.”
Viscount Ja Soo-jung slowly opened her lips.
A smile gently hung off of her soft lips.
“Not bad. The information given to the Advisor wouldn’t have been much. You were able to put all of that together on your own and guessed a project this one planned to use.”
“You…”
“The warrior should receive a reward for finding the correct answer.”
Viscount Ja Soo-jung reached out and grabbed my wrist.
“—Now, I’ll show you the death of the granddaughter.”
Trickle.
I felt something crawl up my leg. It was cool like the skin of a snake. Surprised, I looked down and found darkness on the surface of the water, darkness that I could only describe as a shadow, slowly climbing up my skin.
“Follow me.”
In the next moment, I was consumed by the shadow.
4.
Shwack-
The snow splashed as it was struck by the whip.
The balls of snow were heavy with blood. They leapt into the air, but didn’t sail very far. In clumps, they plummeted towards the pool of blood that had dyed the ground red.
“It’s your fault!”
“Please…spare…me…”
“You-, it’s all your fault! You! Because of you! If it weren’t for you!”
The whip struck the air.
The balls of snow sitting on the surface of the pool of blood melted.
“Ah…”
The little child convulsed.
The last bit of the child’s body temperature flowed down her body into the snow beneath. A small puddle of water, created by the child’s body heat, spread.
“…”
“That is the child.”
Ja Soo-jung raised her finger. The two of us stood in a dark alley. There were pedestrians on the street, but perhaps they were scared by the aura the Marquis’ guards as they all ducked into alleys to avoid them.
“Marquis Baek Seol-to. Now, she is Young Miss Baek Seol-to. The child the Young Miss killed when she was 10 years old is laying there.”
I instinctively tried to run out.
But I couldn’t.
A hand with strength surpassing my own was wrapped around my wrist.
“No.”
“Wh-, why not? We have to go immediately. If we go right now and take her to a clinic, maybe…!”
“Perhaps she can be saved. Yes. Perhaps she might suffer terrible pain during the winter season, but as time passes, she would get better and would be able to live a normal, happy life. The Marquis would give them a hefty compensation. In fact, they would probably be able to live a much better life.”
“Then why are you holding my wrist…!”
“Advisor.”
Viscount Ja Soo-jung smiled.
“Mr. Kim Gong-ja.”
The sound of the whip echoed in the distance.
“Do you know how many times this one has seen scenes like this?”
The Young Miss ferociously beat the body of a young child who would soon die beneath her whip. Someone’s winter was ending here.
“This one is currently 18 years old. However, I have lived an infinite number of lives that couldn’t possibly be contained within the number 18. I watched the death of a child as I am doing now, hundreds of children, thousands of children, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, billions, trillions. They all crossed the yellow river right before my eyes.”
“From the founding of the kingdom till now, December 24, 2001, I have seen countless infanticides, robberies, massacres, victories and defeats. So far, it was limited to the history of this kingdom. But someday, I will watch this world, no, every world die.”
“And I will not do anything.”
My throat was dry.
“Huh…?”
“This one could prevent that child from dying. I could undo any number of unfortunate deaths. I could regress and regress and regress until all unjust deaths are eliminated and the entire world becomes just and righteous.”
However.
“I won’t.”
Viscount Ja Soo-jung chuckled.
“Ever.”
“…”
“I will never interfere.”
“Why…?”
“Only in this way will all of the misfortunes that occur in this world be [this one’s fault].”
The child had died.
Huffing and puffing, the Young Miss kicked the corpse before turning and walking away. The falling snow covered the Young Miss’ back.
“What was the reason for that child’s death, Advisor? What went wrong that caused her to die?”
Viscount Ja Soo-jung’s voice was soft.
“Is it because she bumped into Young Miss Baek Seol-to? Was that wrong? Or was it the fault of Young Miss Baek Seol-to? Was it because she was raised by her grandfather? Was it because she was born with a brain her grandfather wasn’t satisfied with? In that case, was it wrong because Young Miss Baek Seol-to was born?”
Viscount Ja Soo-jung let go of my wrist.
“It’s not. That was all a coincidence. You cannot blame coincidence. No one is wrong for being born. There’s no such thing as a life that shouldn’t be born.”
“…”
“There is only one person to blame.”
She placed her hands on her chest.
“This one has the ability to approach the granddaughter and say, ‘the road ahead is dangerous, go another way’. Then that child could avoid the misfortune that befell her. This one could also become a secret friend of Young Miss Baek Seol-to, and give her private lessons. Then the Young Miss would become smarter day by day and be acknowledged by her grandfather.”
Viscount Ja Soo-jung clasped her hands as if she was praying and looked at me.
“This one has the ability to do that.”
“…”
“I won’t.”
“Never. No matter what happens.”
Suddenly, the surroundings changed.
The blood soaked snow disappeared and the council hall with the flowing amniotic fluid appeared once again.
Count Ah Ru-ho was still pointing his finger in our direction and condemning Viscount Ja Soo-jung. The courtesan of the capital city who lacked humanity, how could she not grieve over a child’s death, why did she not try to help…
“Advisor.”
In the midst of the noisy council hall, Viscount Ja Soo-jung whispered to me.
“There is no such thing as accidental deaths in this world. There are no accidental misfortunes. All deaths and misfortunes were deliberately allowed to happen by this one.”
“…”
“Every misfortune you’ve suffered is this one’s fault. Because this one didn’t move to stop it. Because this one didn’t deal with it. And because this one ignored it. Countless misfortunes are allowed to happen. At least in this kingdom. And in time, the entire world.”
“…”
“Do you understand what I’m saying, this one’s Advisor?”
Viscount Ja Soo-jung smiled like a saint.
Then, the surroundings changed once again.
0
This time, it was the scene of Viscount Sun Heuk-sin eating human flesh.
“Now.”
Viscount Ja Soo-jung stroked the back of my hand.
“It’s time to blame this one.”
My heart pounded.
“Scream ‘why didn’t you help’. It wouldn’t be a meaningless scream. This one had the ability to help, and I was right there in your misfortune. Ask me why I didn’t save you. It will never be a pointless question. Because this one was able to solve the problem.”
She clasped my hand.
“Because that’s the type of being this one is.”
I couldn’t breathe.
“Now you know the [culprit] that you should point your finger to without a doubt.”
The one God spoke.
“This one is the [God that never Regresses]. A God who will not regress for anyone, and will only watch your misfortune.”
God softly declared.
“And that’s why this one is a God you can condemn.”
God’s name was Ja Soo-jung.
(TL: 3k words as a return isn’t too bad.)
~~~