Chapter 205 - Easter Egg (1)

1

I had one fairly important task to take care of. It had absolutely nothing to do with clearing the Tower, but it was something I had to resolve before moving on.

With a solemn expression, I spoke.

“I want to introduce Uburka to Raviel.”

Immediately after clearing the thirty-fifth floor, we were summoned to that familiar white space. While my companions caught up with one another, I made a request of the constellation [The Princess Who Walks Through Mirages].

“No, I have to introduce him. I’ve put it off until now, but I can’t delay it any longer.”

“Hmm...”

The princess stroked her chin.

“Really?”

“Yes. He may not be my biological son, but I still consider the Earth Spiritfolk my children. Raviel and I are married. This is something she needs to know, and something I need to tell her.”

“I understand your personal circumstances, Death King, but... you’re currently on a chained clear starting from the thirtieth floor. A resident participating in the clear can’t just go visit another floor whenever they like.”

“Couldn’t you bring Raviel here for a moment?”

“No, no!”

The princess crossed her arms into an X.

“Silvyheart isn’t participating in the clear. Besides, she hasn’t even been incorporated into your Tower yet. Bringing her here is out of the question.”

Apparently, Silvyheart was her shortened version of [Silver-Plated Heart]. This constellation had a habit of calling people by nicknames.

“Why? We’ve already cleared Raviel’s stage.”

“How should I explain this... Right. Think of Silvyheart as a foreigner without a visa. There are places you can enter without a visa, and places you can’t, right? It’s the same thing. The thirtieth floor or below might be another matter, but I can’t bring her here. Those are the Tower’s rules! Even if you object, they’re hard to change.”

I thought it over.

“... Then what about Uburka and me stopping by Raviel’s world for a little while?”

“Mmm, that’s difficult too. Heartbroken Pig is a constellation, after all. He does qualify to visit other floors, but...”

I see. So Uburka was Heartbroken Pig.

Sorry Daddy couldn’t support your first love...

“It’s possible under the rules, but I can’t say for sure whether it’ll be approved. Because you’re in the middle of a clear too, Death King. Unless you drop out of the clearing party, you can’t come and go as you please.”

“Okay, then let’s do this.”

I smiled.

“As our reward for clearing the thirty-fifth floor, give Uburka and me visitor passes. At the very least, please let Uburka stay here.”

“Oh?”

Interest lit the princess’s eyes.

“Why’s that?”

“It would be different if Uburka had died at the end of his natural lifespan, but he’s become a constellation now. Once we move on to the thirty-sixth floor, another several hundred years will be skipped... I don’t want to leave him all alone out there.”

“In other words, [a parent’s responsibility toward their child]?”

“You could put it that way.”

“All right.”

The princess nodded.

“That gives me grounds to persuade the higher-ups. The Tower Master places enormous importance on things like maternal love and parental duty! Wait a moment.”

The princess closed her eyes. Then her bangs floated up and curled like an antenna, swaying from side to side.

... Was she communicating? With those?

“Yep, communication complete.”

The princess opened her eyes.

“Your proposal has been approved, Death King.”

“Ooh.”

“But! You can’t meet in the world where Raviel was born. The only permitted meeting place is the twenty-ninth floor. They’ll allow the three of you—Death King, Uburka, and Raviel—to meet there.”

“...?”

I couldn’t help tilting my head at her words.

“Thank you for granting my request, but, uh... why only the twenty-ninth floor?”

The twenty-ninth floor wasn’t an ordinary floor. It was none other than Kim Yul’s former stage: a recreation of Sinseo Middle and High School and the surrounding commercial district.

“That isn’t even a real world.”

That was right. The Librarian had named it the City of Heavenly Ascent’s [side story]. Unable to become part of our world’s main history, the city existed as a mere illusion. It had no particular resources or unique tourist attractions. Was there a reason to single out the twenty-ninth floor for special treatment?

“Sorry.”

Suddenly, the princess’s expression went blank.

“I can’t tell you why.”

Her face conveyed an unyielding resolve.

“I owe you a lot, Death King. I have [debts] to you. So I’d like to grant your requests whenever I can. But not this one.”

“...”

“I’ll acknowledge Heartbroken Pig’s standing as a constellation. If you act as his guardian, Death King, I’ll also allow him to visit the twenty-ninth floor. That’s sufficient compensation, isn’t it?”

I slowly nodded.

‘There’s some secret on the twenty-ninth floor.’

How could I press her when she was so adamantly opposed? The princess was my ally. There was no need to corner a Pillar who was favorably disposed toward me.

‘I’ve already gotten what I wanted.’

Freeing Uburka from hundreds of years of waiting. Introducing him to Raviel. Both goals had been achieved, so there was no need to be impatient.

‘But...’

A secret that could make even a Pillar this serious. What on earth could it be?

I firmly tucked my curiosity away and spoke.

“Yes, what you just offered is sufficient compensation.”

“Great! Then, sorry to everyone visiting the twenty-ninth floor right now, but you’ll have to step outside for a bit—”

[The constellation ‘The Princess Who Walks Through Mirages’ temporarily assumes administrative authority over the twenty-ninth floor.]

[The constellation ‘The Princess Who Walks Through Mirages’ removes all hunters from the twenty-ninth floor.]

The princess waved her hand with a “Hup!”

“I’ll adjust the local time while I’m at it.”

[Administrator Authority — ‘Closed Borders’ is activated.]

[The twenty-ninth floor is sealed off from the City of Heavenly Ascent.]

[The rank required to enter the twenty-ninth floor is raised.]

[You have been granted eligibility to enter the twenty-ninth floor!]

“Good.”

The princess gave a pleased smile, apparently satisfied.

“Now no one can enter the twenty-ninth floor until you come out, Death King. The constellations won’t be able to interfere either. This is a place prepared just for you. Enjoy all the private family conversation you want!”

“Uh... th-thank you?”

“You’re very welcome.”

I wasn’t quite sure what measures she’d taken, but I bowed my head. In any case, it felt as though a tremendous abuse of authority had just occurred on my behalf.

“Head to the twenty-ninth floor first. I’ll send Silvyheart and Heartbroken Pig there soon. Consider this another complimentary service. Don’t feel bad about accepting it.”

The princess snapped her fingers.

“When you want to come back, picture my face and say [Return]. Until then, I won’t interfere with the twenty-ninth floor either, so keep that in mind. Have a good trip!”

The princess’s beaming face was the last thing I saw.

[Confirming the Death King’s eligibility.]

[Entry to ‘City of Heavenly Ascent — Side Story’ is permitted.]

Pitch-black shadow engulfed my vision.

2

When I opened my eyes, I was standing in the middle of a crosswalk.

HOOOONK!

A car horn rang through the intersection. Loudly, too. It shook me out of my post-teleportation dizziness. When I turned my head, a driver was pointing an accusing finger at me.

“Hey! You wanna die? Get out of the way, you little punk!”

How rude, considering we’d never met. Still, the driver’s abuse had a point. The light was red. The signal forbidding pedestrians to cross flashed scarlet.

“I’m sorry.”

“Screw your apology, just move! Kids these days...”

I left the middle of the crosswalk. Only then did the cars I’d held up start moving again. Each driver shot me a glare, but that was all. They quickly receded into the distance. Cars streamed along in two rows, and before long, the ‘city’ became completely indifferent to my existence, carrying on according to its own schedule.

And just as the city lost interest in me...

“Mm.”

I lost interest in them, too. Because a face I had missed so dearly was waiting on the opposite side of the crosswalk.

“Raviel!”

A simple dress. An outfit utterly out of place in a modern city. Beneath the red traffic light, Raviel had established a sanctuary all her own.

“... Gongja?”

Perhaps the aftereffects of teleportation hadn’t faded yet. Raviel lightly touched her forehead.

“Illusion magic? An invasion by another constellation? What a sad predicament, to see my wife wagging his tail before me and have to worry about whether he is real before I can pet him...”

“Oh, are you dizzy? Shall we sit down? No, it’s too hot here. Let’s go into a shop and rest. First, let me hold you.”

“Mm, this lovesick fool. Definitely my love.”

Raviel’s furrowed brow relaxed, and at last she smiled.

“Forgive me for doubting you, even for a moment, Gongja.”

“It’s all right. We’re each other’s greatest weakness, so we always need to be careful. I ran into a dream demon imitating you while clearing the thirty-fifth floor, too.”

“Oh? Now that catches my ear. How many seconds did it take you to see that it was not me?”

“One second. I knew before I exhaled the breath I’d just taken.”

I smiled brightly.

“For a dream demon, it was stupid enough to show up without a wedding ring.”

“Indeed. A fatal mistake.”

Raviel chuckled softly.

Before her laughter faded, I gently took her left hand. I stroked the wedding ring on her ring finger, drew her hand toward me, and kissed her.

“I missed you.”

“I am happy to see you.”

“Has everything been all right with the house?”

“Ah, with the lady of the household absent and even the Golden Silk Blossom maid suddenly disappearing, the running of the estate has suffered severe disruptions. Had the head of the ducal house been even slightly less capable, the family’s fortunes might have declined.”

“Oh dear. Whoever married someone that capable must have saved a nation in a previous life—at least three times.”

“I hear he saved the world a few times.”

This time, Raviel kissed me. For a while, we drank in each other’s eyes.

“... By the way, what happened, Gongja? I was attending to my morning duties when a small blond child suddenly rose out of the floor. She said, ["Hi! Sorry. Death King asked me, so I need you to go to the twenty-ninth floor for a bit!"]”

“Oh. She’s... a Pillar.”

“A Pillar?”

“Yes. A constellation above constellations, you might say. One of the people who administer the Tower. I asked to see you for a little while as my reward for clearing the thirty-fifth floor, and she agreed. Hmm, but I didn’t expect her to teleport you so abruptly.”

“Aha.”

Raviel stroked my cheek.

As a reminder, we were at an intersection. Cars passed through it, and just as many pedestrians walked by.

“Good heavens. Kids these days...”

“The state of education is appalling...”

“No wonder they say classroom discipline has collapsed...”

Every passerby stopped to stare at us and whisper. Well, with a woman as beautiful as Raviel openly displaying her affection in broad daylight, anyone in their right mind was bound to have their gaze drawn to her.

Of course, we paid them not the slightest attention. I was seeing Raviel again after months apart. Why should I grant any other being even an inch of space in my awareness? My mind was currently busy enough capturing and storing her face and smile. [City of Heavenly Ascent — Side Story] was practically a world that existed because of me, so please forgive this much.

“What an adorable reward you requested. Did you miss me that much?”

“Mm. Actually, Raviel, there’s something important I need to tell you—”

“Father?”

At that moment, the world stopped for an instant.

“It is you, Father. No matter how I look at it, that’s definitely Father.”

Raviel and I slowly turned our gazes. There stood Uburka, glaring at me with his arms crossed.

Raviel tilted her head.

“...[ Father]?”

My heart sank.

“Uh, no, wait. Raviel, what happened was...”

“Good heavens!”

Uburka scowled fiercely.

“I’m disappointed! You were giggling away with your companion not long ago, and now you’re kissing someone else and trying to share your love with her? My hopes for you dwindle by the day, Father!”

A twitch.

Raviel’s eyebrows lowered by approximately eleven degrees.

“... Companion? Giggling?”

Raviel stared at me.

“Gongja, that stranger is uttering some interesting words and sentences. Unless I have been remiss in my study of linguistics, I am finding it difficult to stop my suspicions and deductions from veering in a particular direction.”

“No, no, no! Raviel! That’s not what happened!”

“What a truly shameless father. You boldly declared right before my eyes, ["It’s true that I have a special relationship with the Black Dragon leader."], and now you have the gall to see someone else? I cannot understand it!”

“...”

Oh-ho.

Raviel’s lips curved into an arc.

“The Black Dragon leader would be the person who attended our family meeting, if I recall.”

Raviel reached out and grasped my neck. Her grip was by no means strong. But even the Demon King seizing my throat wouldn’t have frightened me this much.

“Of course I trust your love. Surely words such as cheating or infidelity have no prospect of entering your life. And yet, for some inexplicable reason, I find myself wanting to demand an explanation. Inexplicable indeed. Gongja, I shall give you exactly sixty seconds. Speak, for the sake of your life and my peace of mind.”

I’m innocent!