< Chapter 184: Reveal (1) >
“So you mean this?”
I said, tapping the tablet at regular intervals with my index finger.
“Seeing the mark of Adam engraved on me that day, you became certain that I was an apostle of Adam.”
Looking at Dragon Lord, who nodded, I lifted the stone tablet I held.
“And today you saw this stone tablet, the stele of Eden, and that certainty became confirmed.”
“That’s correct.”
Dragon Lord answered with her usual formality. It felt strange to see her, who always seemed so friendly, being so formal all of a sudden.
“Can’t you just speak comfortably?”
“How can I speak casually to the apostle of Adam?”
“Just speak as you normally would. It’s more comfortable that way.”
“As you wish.”
“It’s an order.”
I wasn’t someone so grand to deserve such high regard from Dragon Lord.
“If you insist…”
Dragon Lord stood up from her seat.
“Fine then.”
At the same time, her serious expression melted away, returning to her usual friendly face.
“Do the rest of you remember what I said last time?”
I said, looking at the people still hesitating.
“Just be yourselves. Comfortably. I won’t say it twice.”
…
Yet they all still seemed hesitant. The weight of the name ‘Adam’ in this world must be that significant.
“Phew. If you overly honor me, my true identity might be revealed to the enemies.”
That’s why I decided to use a different method.
“So everyone, please treat me as you usually do. That’s the best way to help me.”
It was about creating an undeniable reason.
“I see.”
First to revert to his normal demeanor was the Beast King, Jin.
“To conceal information, it’s best to act normal from the beginning. So, I’ll call you Seo-yul as I did before.”
“Sounds good, Jin.”
That was a typical cool decision from the Beast King.
“Then I will also act as usual.”
Ms. Luna said with a sly smile.
“…Could you please change that ‘son-in-law’ title?”
“I will act as usual.”
“…Yes.”
She doesn’t seem to want to change the title. In fact, she seems even more determined.
“Rena, this is your chance. Call him ‘husband’.”
“Mo-mo-mom!”
Rena shouted, her face burning red.
Ai suddenly sneaked her arm around my shoulder, looking slightly sulky.
“Why all of a sudden?”
“…No, suddenly you became such an important figure, I feel like there are many people eyeing you. Don’t I need to stake my claim in advance?”
“Who’s yours?”
“Seo-yul.”
Ai grinned.
She’s becoming more and more brazen and straightforward.
“Think whatever you want.”
I waved my hand dismissively as I responded.
“Yes, I will think whatever I want!”
Ai laughed heartily.
Seeing her laugh, a smile naturally crept onto my face as well. Perhaps because my heart felt lighter, the world seemed brighter.
‘I’ve come to know the reason for my possession, obtained information about Adam’s mark, and even got hints about time travel…’
Just with this, the gains were overflowing.
‘Plus, earning the trust of Dragon Lord…’
Could things get any better?
The world looked so beautiful.
I was laughing carelessly when,
“…You said the matter was resolved and then disappeared. But you’re all here.”
From beyond the door, Heavenly God appeared, still wearing her half-mask that concealed the upper part of her face.
“Ah, Heavenly God!”
Dragon Lord laughed heartily and approached Heavenly God. With one hand, she patted her on the shoulder, and with the other, she pointed at me.
“Look at that.”
More precisely, she was pointing at the stone tablet in my arms, the ‘Stele of Eden.’
“What am I supposed to…?”
Upon recognizing the tablet, Heavenly God’s eyes widened as much as they possibly could.
“It’s… the Stele of Eden!”
“It’s the Stele of Eden.”
Both Dragon Lord and Heavenly God seemed to recognize it instantly when they saw it. It must be well-known among the higher-ups. What’s so special about it?
“So, Kang Seo-yul… I mean, is he really…”
“Yes, he’s the apostle of Adam.”
Heavenly God’s eyes trembled as she stared at me intensely. Then, suddenly, she took on a serious expression.
“I, I’m honored to meet the apostle of Adam…”
She started to imitate the same behavior Dragon Lord had shown 10 minutes ago.
“Stop.”
I sighed softly, stopping Heavenly God’s actions.
“There’s no need to be overly formal. Just treat me as you always have.”
“But…”
I had to explain this again.
“If people like Dragon Lord or Heavenly God start using such high honorifics with me, the enemies will find out I’m Adam’s apostle.”
“Ah…”
Heavenly God quickly understood.
“I see. I was so flustered I forgot something so simple. How embarrassing.”
“It’s fine now that you know.”
Fortunately, she quickly returned to her usual demeanor. In this respect, both Dragon Lord and Heavenly God are cool, which is nice.
“Anyway, Kang Seo-yul. You being the apostle of Adam. You’re confirming that for sure?”
Dragon Lord stared at me with twinkling eyes.
Her eyes were full of conviction.
It seemed like she wouldn’t believe me even if I said I wasn’t.
“…”
So, what should I answer?
I glanced around the room.
There are a total of seven people in this room.
Jin, Luna, Rena, Edel, Ai, Dragon Lord, Heavenly God.
All of them are trustworthy figures.
So, there’s only one thing for me to say.
“Yes, I am the apostle of Adam.”
“Oh!”
Dragon Lord exclaimed in admiration.
“…”
Heavenly God clasped her hands over her chest, deeply moved. The other four were the same.
“…”
Only Ai appeared to be completely unaware of the situation, tilting her head in confusion.
With a subtle glance, I conveyed,
‘I’ll tell you everything later.’
I sent that signal.
Seemingly understanding my message, Ai nodded her head.
“Can I ask one more thing?”
Dragon Lord raised her hand.
“Yes, go ahead.”
“I get that you’re Adam’s apostle. But separately from that, I’m curious if you’re a High Elf or not.”
“Hmm.”
There it is again.
The term “High Elf.”
What on earth is this “High Elf” that Dragon Lord is so obsessed with?
“…”
At this question, Edel seemed particularly interested, her eyes shining with curiosity. Hmm. I thought it was a trivial question, but it’s quite a complicated one.
‘How should I answer?’
If I’m vague about it here, it might become an obstacle in future operations. Thus, the best thing to say in this situation would be:
“Yes, I am a High Elf.”
“So…”
I interrupted Dragon Lord, who was filled with joy, and said:
“But I am not a High Elf.”
Everyone looked stunned at that.
“What kind of nonsensical gibberish is that?”
Of everyone, Dragon Lord seemed the most taken aback. I had anticipated such a reaction.
So, I had already thought about how to handle it.
“This is what I mean.”
I casually took off my shirt.
“Kyah~”
Ai exaggeratedly screamed and covered her eyes with both hands.
Of course, she was peeking through her fingers.
“Ahem.”
Edel and Rena pretended to look away but were still glancing at me.
“Nice body.”
“Yes, the physique of a well-trained warrior.”
“It’s the typical physique of a son-in-law.”
Dragon Lord, Heavenly God, and both Jin and Luna seemed unaffected. Seeing a man’s bare upper body probably isn’t a big deal to them.
‘I knew about Rena, but Edel’s reaction is surprising.’
I didn’t expect such an innocent reaction to my undressing. With a faint smile, I continued to unbutton.
“…”
At that moment, Heavenly God’s eyes widened, likely having seen the mark on my chest.
“The mark of the Angel race!”
Dragon Lord also had a similar expression. I completely took off my shirt.
“W-what?!”
Dragon Lord’s face turned to one of shock.
“A mark of the Dragon as well?”
It’s no surprise that she’s astonished, having seen the mark that represents the origin of dragons.
“There’s a mark of the Elf race on the shoulder…”
“Is that… the mark of the Succubus race?”
“I also see what looks like the mark of the Giant race.”
These comments came sequentially from Edel, Jin, and Luna. I figured I might as well show this too. Swiftly, I raised my shorts, revealing my thigh.
In that moment, Jin, Luna, and Rena’s faces turned to a mix of bewilderment and shock.
“Ah, what on earth! That’s…”
“The mark of the Beast race too!”
Rena and Jin were taken aback.
“…”
Miss Luna grinned with an inscrutable expression. …It’s kind of unnerving. Sneaking a glance to the side, Ai also seemed incredibly surprised. She probably doesn’t know the significance of the marks, so she might’ve been shocked to see the mark of the Succubus race.
“What in the world is this…”
Dragon Lord asked on behalf of everyone.
“As you can see.”
The reason I showed this to these people is simple.
‘In the future, as I act with these individuals, there will be many occasions where I will transform.’
The purpose was to disclose my information in advance for that time.
“On me are engraved the marks of all races in this world… the ‘Mark of Adam.'”
There was a brief silence.
“Existing in this world…”
“The marks of all races?”
They seemed too flabbergasted to even speak.
“That’s why I am a High Elf, but not a High Elf.”
I said this looking at Edel.
“I am of the Dragon race, but not of the Dragon race. I am of the Beast race, but not of the Beast race.”
I said this looking successively at Dragon Lord and the members of the Beast race.
“I am of the Angel race, but not of the Angel race.”
Lastly, I spoke while looking at Heavenly God. Everyone appeared contemplative, looking at me with complex expressions.
I met each of their gazes and smiled slyly.
“That’s my secret.”
As soon as I finished speaking, a chilly silence descended. Everyone seemed unsure of what to say next.
“…”
Amidst this, Dragon Lord burst into laughter.
“Hahaha!”
Initially soft, but growing louder.
“It’s funny. Just when I was preparing for defeat…”
She laughed, covering her face with one hand.
“Isn’t it, Heavenly God?”
“…Yes.”
Heavenly God clasped her hands over her chest, staring at me as if in prayer.
“I never imagined that his successor would descend to this land… Ah.”
The cheeks visible beneath her mask were tinged with red.
“It’s because of someone like you that I had such dreams.”
“…Dreams?”
Did she just say she dreamt?
“Oh, it’s nothing major. It’s just that… recently I’ve been having dreams about you.”
“… Were these dreams occurring right after we met?”
“Eh? Yes, that’s right.”
“…Hmm.”
I sneakily glanced at Edel.
Edel looked a bit surprised as well.
‘…So, it seems that the sharing of memories between the past and the present started right after we met.’
Sigh. I should’ve asked about this memory-sharing thing. I completely forgot.
‘I should’ve known.’
Oh well. It’s already too late. I’ll postpone it.
‘In any case, they said it wouldn’t affect everyone in the present.’
I can push this issue back for now.
“One more question!”
Dragon Lord, who looked like she’d been laughing to the point of tears, raised her hand again.
“What is it?”
Clearing her throat, Dragon Lord spoke with a solemn face.
“I want to know your exact purpose.”
At those words, everyone’s scattered attention refocused on me.
“Do I really need to spell it out? I believe you all know.”
I smiled naturally under their gazes.
“Annihilation of the Demon God.”
My eyes shone sharply.
“That is my purpose.”
No other objectives. Just to deal with him is my sole purpose.
“Okay, got it.”
Dragon Lord grinned.
“As expected of you…”
Heavenly God resumed her prayer-like stance.
“So, will you be leading the Savior?”
Dragon Lord asked with anticipation in her eyes.
“Not yet.”
“…Not yet?”
Although seeking the full support of the Savior is my intention, now isn’t the time. From the outset, my knowledge of this world is limited. If I were to take command now, it would be a recipe for disaster.
“Yes. There are things I need to do before that.”
Of course, there are other tasks to attend to before that.
“Can I ask what that task is?”
“Uhm…”
It’s actually quite timely.
“I have to meet the Time Dragon.”
“The Time Dragon?…”
Dragon Lord’s eyes widened in shock.
“Are you referring to Elder Chronos? Is he still alive?”
“Yes. He is.”
Dragon Lord’s expression grew grave.
“I see. So you want to utilize time travel…”
Mumbling to herself, she seemed to come to some understanding.
“I think I know why you’re seeking Elder Chronos.”
“…What?”
How would she know? I haven’t mentioned anything.
“Do you know where the Elder is?”
“Yes, roughly.”
“As I thought.”
She looked certain again. Why?
“Why do you…?”
As I was about to inquire further,
“If you’re going to see Elder Chronos, take me with you.”
“…What?”
“Why the ‘what’? Don’t you know better than anyone how eccentric Elder Chronos is?”
“…”
How would I know? I’ve never met him.
“Having me along will be a big help in persuading him. Trust me.”
Dragon Lord thumped her chest, grinning. Well, it’s true. If someone like Dragon Lord were to help, it would indeed be a significant advantage. Given that the Time Dragon is, in the end, a dragon, Dragon Lord’s influence would be potent.
“…Alright. I appreciate your assistance.”
“Leave it to me!”
Dragon Lord revealed her teeth in a broad smile.
< Chapter 184: Reveal (1) > End.
