The Player Hides His Past

Chaper 577. Much to Talk About (2)

Claudi Territory.

It must be because of your brilliant abilities, Grandfell, that your past self has been fully revived.

Pride laughed without realizing it.

It wasn’t a situation to laugh about.

There was an irresistible laugh that seemed to fall out of his mouth.

“It’s not going anywhere, your talent.”

A memory flashed through my mind.

I vividly remember Grandfell when he was younger.

jeobeog.

The family mansion gradually gets closer.

The memories began to come back more vividly.

It was a dying life force.

Then maybe this is called a flashlight.

That day long ago.

-“Everything is ready.”

Maxima’s patriarch had sworn to himself.

-“We will bring Grandfell-nim to safety.”

It was an elaborate plan to get Grandfell out of the Claudi territory. It was literally carried out in complete secrecy, with even Maxima’s golden elite soldiers not knowing the truth.

“Despite hiding the truth, the Golden Elite will not harm Grandfell, as they feel extremely guilty about their actions.”

Maxima of the Fourth House, the one that serves Claudi. It was only natural that they would be loyal to him.

‘I’m sure I asked that.’

Pride hissed.

“How about your guilt?”

Maxima’s patriarch was the only one besides Pride who knew the truth of what had happened. Even if it was for his heart for himself and Grandfell’s sake.

“I see. After all, this is treason against Claudi.”

Maxima’s patriarch had said.

-“I am aware of this. If this plan succeeds, the price will be paid immediately. Even if it fails. Someone in Maxima’s blood will pay for betraying Claudi in the distant future.”

Pride’s smile turned bitter.

-“That is why I am so desperate for this plan to succeed. Not only for your sake and Grandfell’s, but it is also my desire as the patriarch of Maxima.”

You don’t want your sins to be borne by your descendants.

Pride thought.

Maxima, you are indeed shameful.

As everyone knows, that day’s plan failed. The golden elites who were supposed to rescue Grandfell had completely disappeared.

Pride gritted his teeth.

‘At the time, I thought it was simply incomprehensible.’

As I said.

No one is allowed to set foot in Claudi’s territory without a decree from Claudie. That’s why he enlisted Maxima, a member of the Four Houses, as an accomplice in his plan.

‘Or I thought my plan had been discovered.’

It had been so well hidden.

Was it impossible to escape from the shadow of the Claudi family? Even though they found out about my plan and foiled it, I thought they were just trying to deceive me by treating me as usual and trying to deceive me about my efforts.

But no.

A day a little closer.

The last option I was given.

The day that drove Claudi to the gates of destruction.

Pride had seen it with his own eyes.

-“You see, Grandfell. This is the result of your usurpation of my place as Lord of the House, as you can see by that haughty glare. The end of Claudi. As you can see, conversation with you is not pleasant in the slightest.”

That day, covered in dirty Claudi’s blood, he spoke to Grandfell in a harsh tone. The day he had to say something heartless to break Grandfell’s mental state.

-“Now I’m getting goosebumps, how is it that you never falter in the face of everything? Look straight ahead, Grandfell. Everyone in Claudi is dead except you. Your arrogance has destroyed the House of Claudi. Isn’t that enough to atone for with tears?”

pug

Gritting his teeth, he stabbed Grandfell in the chest with his dagger.

That day.

Pride had witnessed.

!!!

-“Don’t you dare try my patience.”

A ‘ray of light’ that shone from within Grandfell.

I could feel it instinctively.

It was you. Yes, it was you. You were the one who pushed young Grandfell back into the fires of the living hell that day, you damned ray of light…

ulkeog,

Blood regurgitates in my throat at the intensifying emotion.

Parrrr.

With a trembling hand, Pride barely covers his mouth, but he can’t completely stem the rush of blood. His silver hair is matted with blood, and his eyes have lost their brightness, becoming even more devastated.

Suddenly, he remembered what Light had said.

-“……I don’t talk to my prey.”

Pride gritted his teeth and spoke.

-“Do you know the meaning of those words?”

Of course you don’t.

If you know.

Pride sneered.

“You wouldn’t dare utter such words.”

Pride controlled his emotions.

After defeating Barbatos, the Ten Thrones.

It was Grandfell and the guy who would be on his tail.

There is no time to worry about Claudi Territory.

There was no need for that.

jeobeog.

As he approached Claudi’s mansion, his body reacted.

The person who had led Claudi to the gate of destruction was no longer there.

He was no longer one of Claudi.

Everyone in the vicinity of Claudi’s mansion stops moving and looks at themselves. All living creatures, except for the adventurers, who have no idea what the land of Claudi is like.

Yes, even the birds chirping in the sky.

Stare.

They stop flapping and chirping and stare at Pride, Claudi’s betrayer. A laugh escapes him.

If I make a fool of myself at this moment, my presence will be known to you, Grandfell.

‘Then I am.’

I will die at your hands, blinded by a single ray of light.

Nevertheless, Pride quickened his pace.

Don’t you fear death?

Well, it was too late to fear death.

“Paimon, a demon who knows no mercy.”

The King of the Western Demon World has already sentenced him to death. Pride shifted his feet again, enduring the surging pain.

peodeudeug.

『In Claudi territory, everyone serves Claudi.』

The birds were the first to warn.

Proving the old adage.

“…”

Even the insignificant birds seemed to be preparing to swoop down on him.

“It’s pitiful. Birdheads.”

Pride said, and reached into the inside pocket of his robe.

As he said.

He was already a traitor to Claudi.

“But I understand. You won’t understand me with your little head.”

Claudi’s blood is not enough to enter the Claudi territory.

In that sense, Pride swallowed a sigh of relief.

“Still, it’s a relief.”

Four Families.

Instead of blindly following the rules of the House of Claudi, you have thought and judged for yourselves, and have chosen a path that truly serves the Lord of Claudi, Grandfell.

Pride murmured.

“And so am I.”

In other words, Pride wanted to prove his worth.

That his true loyalty to Claudi, his true love for his only brother, Grandfell, was not an abominable lie. And so Pride held out his hand…

“Behold. This is the proof.”

It was the sixth and final piece of the Six Sight Brooch.

How could it be a proof?

No questions were asked.

The moment Pride showed it.

Tick.

Time seemed to stand still again, for the birds chirped and flapped their wings as if nothing had happened, and the Claudi Territory ceased its vigilance toward Pride.

Pride spoke up.

“That thoroughness is still characteristic of Claudi.”

Then he hurried on his way.

To his private annex, where he had planned the day.

A life fading away.

To burn for my brother, Grandfell.

Indeed, I can finally understand a little.

*

“In the end, time fixes everything.”

That guy’s Grandfell style of speaking was still the same, but he still started answering my questions. I stared at the set of high-grade green teas on my desk in the Oval Office and sighed.

‘No matter how good or bad, in the end, green tea is the best, right?’

But this ray of light, Lee Hoyeol.

I didn’t really feel bad.

When I say this high-grade green tea, I mean limited edition.

It means a green tea that means a lot to me, not just to Grandfell.

dalkag.

Honestly, to my palate, the green tea flavors were all there, but it did make me feel unusually warmer than usual. The origin of the green tea on the tea bag.

[Jeju Island].

I thought the green tea fields were burnt down.

However, in the midst of all this, a few trees managed to survive, and they were green tea trees that did not fall even during the invasion of the Arcana continent, and with appropriate marketing, they were transformed into limited edition green tea at a high price!

‘They’re really good at business, our people.’

Normally, I wouldn’t have snorted.

‘But since you like it, it’s worth it.’

Shouldn’t we keep our promises, even if it’s belated?

Of course, our Grandfell is strict about his promises.

It was unlikely that he would grant the wish.

Nevertheless, Grandfell, who is in a good mood, speaks.

“What Lox needs is also time.”

Possession, of course.

[Exorcist], a new class-specific skill that can even offset Corruption.

Needless to say, I haven’t forgotten about the corrupted Lox.

“In my heart, I want to bring him back to himself right now.”

As mentioned, in order to activate the Exorcist, one had to hunt down or subdue certain conditions, namely the Ten Thrones that manifested Corruption. That’s what the [Exorcism Ritual] was all about.

‘It’s the same thing with hunting demons, the source of malice.’

I was able to save Hyunmin and the others from the Corruption because the source of the Corruption, Barbatos, fell into Hell himself.

But it has not yet been revealed who the Ten Thrones manifested the Corruption in Lox.

“One of the living ten, of course.”

Until it is hunted down or defeated.

That meant Lox could not be freed from the Corruption.

Still, don’t worry, Lox.

‘Grandfell is a man of his word when it comes to these things.’

He said time would fix it, and if it took a while, he would surely save you from the Corruption. If so, it was time to address the second most pressing issue.

[unread message: 999+]

You can tell just by looking at the numerous numbers.

Yes, my Wensu.

No, my love-hate sisters were waiting for me.

..!

*

Lee Eunhye watched the video over and over again.

“……Something is different, isn’t it?”

Lee Jiyoon nodded with a serious expression.

“I know.”

“I thought it was just a mood thing. Why, I thought it was just our chemistry. I thought it could be different, like the mood at work and the mood at home are completely different. But…….”

“No, sis.”

Lee Jiyoon said with conviction.

Her finger.

In the paused screen.

Hoyeol.

No, she pointed to Grandfell.

“At least the ‘boy’ you see now is not our Hoyeol.”