chapter 59
59 – Distance to the Sun – 5
What is a devil?
An evil being that digs into and corrupts human emotions.
That is the definition of evil on Earth.
Then, what is the definition of the devil that exists in this world?
“…So, what exactly is a demon?”
“…Why are you asking that all of a sudden…?”
Late evening, I visited her Irina’s office and asked her about her definition of demons.
“I don’t know much about demons because they are a species that can only be told in legends.”
“Sheesh, why does the princess of the empire know so little?”
“…I don’t think there is anyone who knows exactly about the existence of demons anymore. If there is, it’s probably the Elf Queen.”
Irina, the princess of the Hyperion Empire, thought she might know something about demons.
“So you don’t know anything about demons?”
“Hmm… Come to think of it, I’ve read a book related to demons in the imperial library. If you want, I’ll order the librarian to bring it to you.”
“No, I’m too lazy to read it, so tell me roughly in three lines.”
“…”
Irina looked at me with an annoyed look on her face. She sighed heavily and began to explain the contents of her book.
“There wasn’t much content. It was simply a story about the origin of demons.”
“Ohh! So what is the origin of demons?”
“…It was only explained that demons were created by a particular god.”
“It’s really nothing…”
She thought she could get information about the devil, but the information was just nothing.
Veronica seemed to know a lot about the devil, but she didn’t tell me more about him.
“Then I want to go back.”
“…Did you come all the way to the office to ask me about that?”
“But?”
“Haa…”
Irina sighed at my clear answer and put her quill in her hand on her desk.
But now that I see it, Irina’s condition doesn’t seem very good.
There were deep dark circles under her eyes, and her complexion was very pale, probably because she hadn’t slept in a while.
“Are you sick? She doesn’t look very well.”
“… Don’t worry, she’s just a little tired from having nightmares every day lately.”
Irina lifted the mug of her cold coffee from her desk and poured it into her mouth with her wide-eyed eyes.
“… I’m out of coffee again… I’ll have to ask her maid to bring it back to me.”
“…Are you really okay? You look like a zombie right now?”
“.. I don’t know …. She went to the priests just in case, but there’s nothing wrong with her body…”
She looks like she’s on the verge of collapsing for someone who doesn’t feel bad…
“Haa… Can you take a break? She wants to rest a little.”
“Well, if that’s the case… I’m sorry I came to work.”
“It’s okay, you can always find her if you want…”
Thanks to her work, Irina seemed to be under a lot of stress.
Should I use [Innocence] Once?
“[Purity].”
“…What did you do?”
“I just used a recovery magic… Did anything change?”
“…? Doesn’t look like much has changed…”
I was quite surprised to see Irina, who hadn’t recovered at all even after using [Purity].
That’s also the case because this was the first time that [Purity] Didn’t work.
It’s an ability that can lift curses and regenerate wounds, but doesn’t it relieve stress?
[Pureness] Didn’t work, so Irina looked at me, who was standing there with a slightly embarrassed face, looking at me with a blank look and asked.
“…Would you mind leaving soon? I’m really tired…”
“Okay. You should also stop working and get some rest.”
“…Listen carefully.”
I carefully opened the door and left Irina’s office.
“..What should I do now? I was originally going to investigate the devil…”
-Didn’t I tell you? There are almost no traces of demons left in this world anymore. If there is, it’s probably about the same as the devil’s stone that the king just ate.
Should I just give up on the search? However, I still got the ability [Summon Demon], So shouldn’t I learn about it in case I ever summon a demon?
“Still, I got the ability [Summon Demons], But won’t I use it someday?”
-If such a situation comes, at least one country will have already perished.
“What’s wrong with being a bit optimistic?”
-There is nothing more stupid than optimistic people in the world. They always have to assume the worst number in every situation, but don’t they just look for the most perfect number without that? Really stupid people
“That’s true, but what I’m saying is you need to think a little positively.”
-O king. There is no hope in the world. There’s nothing more foolish than putting your faith in something that doesn’t exist.
I always feel that Veronica tends to think negatively in any situation.
Of course, that’s not to say it’s bad, but it’s okay to be flexible to some extent.
-Then, why don’t you apply for a sparring with Captain Hubert in case you get lucky?
“Sorry. Shut up.”
-In the case of a king, it is judged that it is more efficient to simply stop thinking than to keep one’s mouth shut. Or are you thinking of something else?
Okay, then let’s quickly think of something else.
If you are hungry, you have to eat. To eat, you have to find something to eat. To find something to eat, you have to find the refrigerator. When you find the refrigerator, you have to open the door. When you open the door, you have to find food. To cook, I have to think about what I want to eat, and when I think about what I want to eat, I have to prepare the dish. To prepare the dish, I have to call my mother. You have to get old to get a back goal, you have to live long to get old, and if you want to live long, Veronica…
“Phehehe?!”
-Why does it suddenly go well and then strangely flow from her mother?
No matter how much I tried to control my mind, it wasn’t easy.
Originally, people are animals of thoughts, so in the end, I came up with the thoughts I wanted to think of.
-Are you so interested in my age?
“No.”
Yes.
-How old do you think I am?
“26 Years old?”
Just look at the face.
-Then what do you think I will do next?
“Uh…”
Hit me..? Is that too damn hard?
“Huh?!”
-That’s correct. I’ll give you a hit as a reward.
No matter how hard I try to overcome this pain, I can’t overcome it…
****
Irina looked at the door of her own office, where her warming had gone.
Then she slowly got up from her chair and walked over to the full-length mirror installed in her office.
“…..”
Irina stared at her full-length mirror, then she reached out and began to touch the surface of her mirror.
“…Am I mistaken…I think something was watching me…”
Irina let out a deep sigh and examined herself in her mirror.
“You really don’t make sense…”
She herself is Irina Hyperion, the princess of the great Hyperion Empire.
She said that she had a nightmare for a few days, and that she was so devastated that it was impossible in the first place.
‘Why are you doing this…’
Irina ran her hand through her throbbing head to soothe her headache.
‘…I guess I’ve lost my taste now. Seeing how I can’t even properly recognize myself.’
Irina thought she was staring at herself in the mirror with her Purple Eyes simply because she was tired.
‘…I can’t do it. She should go back to her bedroom and get some sleep.’
Irina said she decided to go back to her room and get her sleep, although it was a bit early after all.
Click…Click…
“…What is it?”
Then, as she yanked on the doorknob of her office to return to her bedroom, Irina realized something was strange about her.
“The door won’t open…?”
In the case of Irina’s office door, it was made from scratch with a structure that could not be locked.
In other words, Irina’s office is always open, whether inside or outside, with or without a key.
But that door was closed. It’s also very solid.
“What the hell is this…!”
“I wonder what’s going on?”
At that moment, Irina hesitated at the familiar voice behind her.
A familiar low-pitched voice like a oriole.
As far as Irina knew, there was only one person with a voice like this.
“…..Who are you…”
Irina asked a question in a trembling voice to the woman who was talking to her from behind her back.
Then the woman behind her back made up an unpleasant laugh and asked Irina in reverse.
“Who do you think I might be?”
“…A rat who entered the princess’s office without permission.”
“Rat? Interesting.”
Irina naturally started talking to the woman behind her back and tried to take out the magic item she had secretly aimed at in front of her waist.
‘…It only takes one shot.’
Her magic item secretly hidden by Irina had a design very similar to the ‘pistol’ of the modern earth, and the effect was not too different.
A magic item that fires magic bullets using mana.
It was also a fairly powerful item, so if Irina used half of her magic power, she could fire a bullet with power that could instantly kill even a level 50 monster.
“…To use a magic item?”
“?!”
“It’s too obvious.”
But behind her back, her woman mocked her with an unpleasant sneer, as if she understood all of Irina’s intentions.
“You really don’t have the ability to learn. Last night was like that…”
“…Shut up!”
Irina quickly drew her magic gun, turned her back, and aimed at her woman, not to give her a chance to see through her plan.
However, when Irina saw the woman standing behind her, her mind turned white.
“…What the hell are you?”
“You can’t even see it yourself? It’s ‘you’.”
An intruder broke into Irina’s office.
Her identity was Irina Hyperion herself.
“..No, you are different from me.”
“Why? Because the eyes are different? The hair color is wrong? Or the way he speaks is strange?”
“…It must be a wizard with makeup-related abilities. Raise your hand right now. If you don’t, I’ll shoot you.”
Irina quickly determined that the woman who looked just like her was a sorceress using make-up powers.
She doesn’t know why she came to her office, but she thought she should let her pay the penalty for trespassing into her princess’s space.
“You’re going to shoot? Shoot me. If you can.”
“…You are bringing your own death.”
Irina brought her gun to the woman’s head, who was still smiling ominously.
“After killing me, I’ll examine your body slowly.”
“There really isn’t an inch different. Yesterday or two days ago.”
“…Did you think I would be disturbed by such a trick? If so, you’ve made a big mistake.”
Irina pulled the trigger of her gun in her hand with her ferocious eyes on her.
Taang-!
With a dull gunshot, the purple-eyed woman collapsed on the office floor.
Her head was pierced by her magic gun and she died instantly.
“…Why doesn’t the magic work…?”
At that time, even though her life was lost, Irina tilted her head at the sight of a woman’s body that did not return to normal.
‘Wasn’t she the ability?’
Irina carefully placed her hand, questioning the woman’s appearance that did not change even after death.
At that moment, the hand of the woman who thought she was dead flew in and grabbed Irina’s wrist tightly.
“?!”
“Are you fooled? It’s the third time already.”
The woman flashed her cruel smile at Irina.
“Now it’s my turn. Get out of the way.”