HEO 39

He just hoped his guess was correct. He hoped the “something” they were hiding was hopeful. For example, that this nightmare was actually a hallucination caused by the innkeeper accidentally mixing a large amount of powdered drugs into the meal. Unlike the prince and his servant, who firmly believed they were in hell, Black Weasel and Silver, who usually took drugs, quickly grasped the situation and were actually enjoying it.

It was far too vivid to be just a hallucination…

Wolf suppressed his anxiety and looked around. Many were still crying. Several were sitting on the floor, laughing boisterously. However, some warriors were gathered in awkward groups of six.

The villagers, however, were the problem. Every family clung tightly to each other. Wolf became even more anxious after seeing this. What happens if they can’t form a group in time? A harsher punishment?

Punishment.

His limbs felt heavier, as if extra weight had been hung on them. Wolf glanced at Silver. He was staring down while randomly rubbing the floor with his toes.

“Um, Silver.”

Wolf hesitantly opened his mouth. Silver only replied, “What?”

“Aren’t you scared? God’s punishment…”

“What?”

Silver glanced at Wolf.

“Didn’t you see me crying my eyes out? I was scared.”

“Ah…”

“I remembered the moment I opened my eyes here. Right before my eyes, Bingapsu, you, and the prince were torn apart one after another. Then my own chest ripped. As I remembered that, I couldn’t help but cry.”

He asked a stupid question.

It was the dumbest, most pointless question imaginable.

The moment Wolf lowered his head and cursed himself inwardly,

“I guess all the fear disappeared back then. I’m not particularly scared now.”

Silver mumbled as if he were talking to himself.

“I’m already dead, right? Yes… I’m dead. Like a mutt whose skull cracked from a rock thrown by some bratty kid. Fuck, even if I get punished, could it be as scary as when my body got split in half? Well, even if I’m like this now, I might end up crying again later when I’m swimming in water hot as lava.”

“……”

Wolf clenched his jaw. Even though he knew he shouldn’t, he spoke on impulse.

“It’s all his fault.”

“Huh?”

Silver flinched and lifted his face. Wolf took a breath and continued.

“If you’d grown up with parents, you wouldn’t have ended up killing people.”

“You think if I hadn’t grown up under Bingapsu, I’d be different now? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Of course, you’d be normal…”

“You’re delusional, idiot. Even in Stoll, I’m at the bottom. Even if I’d grown up under my mother, I’d still be tying my shoelaces every morning, wondering whose head I’d bash in today to grab their gold coin pouch. Becoming a pirate captain would be the pinnacle of success.”

Silver, who had blurted out the words in a hurry, closed his mouth. Wolf’s face burned hot, and he couldn’t continue. If possible, he wanted to nail his own mouth right then. Why did he have to say such stupid, useless nonsense again? Blaming Black Weasel wouldn’t change Silver’s past…

“Hey, Silver! Wolf and I can understand what the voice is saying!”

Red Eagle tried to break the frozen atmosphere, he spread his hands wide and waved them while forcing an exaggerated laugh.

“It’s speaking Atanian just for us, out of consideration. Isn’t it amazing that a Stolk god speaks a foreign language? Amazing, right!”

Silver didn’t respond and abruptly turned his head away.

“That voice was… pretty? Even the court singers of Levenon didn’t have such a beautiful tone… What did you think, hearing it as a Stoll person?”

“It sounded like a demon hag. I’m going.”

“Where?”

Wolf asked in surprise as Silver turned away.

“To that trembling family of fools over there. To advise them it’s better to obediently follow the god’s commands. If I do good deeds like this, maybe my punishment will be a little lighter? Not sure if they’ll listen to me though.”

Silver waved a hand and quickly walked away. Wolf closed his eyes. Good deeds were just an excuse, Silver couldn’t stand the awkwardness and fled the scene.

This is unfair. This is just unfair.

He knew the world was unfair, but this was too much. Some kid just nap in class while worrying about whether they will run a bakery or an art gallery someday. Others have no choice but to kill people. One side gets nothing but luck, the other nothing but misery. You arbitrarily decide their fate, and now you say, ‘Your sins are heavier’? Is this what a god does? At the very least, you should be fair!

“Wolf. I think this Stoll god is trying to water torture us.”

Red Eagle’s words brought him back to his senses. Wolf’s eyes suddenly widened.

“What are you talking about, Your Highness? Water torture?”

“The voice said it. It said we would play “water bottle game”. It plan to torture people by putting them in a huge water tank. Depending on the severity of their sins, the water will be lukewarm or scalding hot…”

“That’s …”

Wolf’s head started buzzing. It was only then that he began to understand something.

‘Well, even if I’m like this now, I might end up crying again later when I’m swimming in water hot as lava.’

Silver had also guessed that water bottle game meant water torture. Imagining Silver being boiled alive in bubbling water made Wolf dizzy. this can’t be real!

Red Eagle wiped his eyes with his sleeve and sniffled.

“We’re definitely going into water hot enough to burn us. We didn’t keep our premarital purity. I even used contraception. Even if we are engaged, a premarital pregnancy isn’t honorable…”

“Don’t… worry, Your Highness. Since it’s a Stoll god, maybe the sexual standards aren’t… strict? We’ll definitely be put in lukewarm water.”

Wolf stammered as he tried to comfort Red Eagle. He hadn’t even considered premarital chastity until Red Eagle confessed his sin. Damn it, at least you’ll only get burned. Silver won’t even have bones left!

What should I do? If I grovel to that monster and offer to take part of Silver’s punishment, will it agree? Judging by how it looks, probably not……

〔The clown’s first rotation has ended.〕

〔The clown begins its second rotation.〕

Wolf raised his head at the sound of a voice piercing through his ears. Has time already passed so quickly?

But?

The clown’s movements seemed slightly faster. No, they were definitely faster. By about half a beat?

Red Eagle also frowned.

“It’s gotten faster… right? Why is it doing that… it’s terrifying…”

“You see it too, Your Highness? It seems to speed up by half a beat each time it transitions to the next rotation. I just hope it doesn’t get capricious, heh… heh.”

Wolf’s laughter trailed. A sudden chill ran down his spine. Red Eagle’s face paled, as if he’d had the same thought.

The clown could be capricious.

Red Eagle and Wolf exchanged a glance, then swallowed dryly.

〔The clown’s second rotation has ended.〕

[The clown begins its third rotation.]

“One, two, three…”

The clown’s rotation noticeably quickened. Red Eagle raised his fingers and counted the beats.

“Five, six, seven, eight…”

Red Eagle’s voice grew faster and faster.

“Nine, ten, eleven…”

〔The clown’s third rotation has ended.〕

“—Twelve!”

By the time he shouted the final beat, Red Eagle’s face was deathly pale.

“Wolf, this time it’s twelve beats. It’s four beats faster!”

〔The clown begins its fourth rotation.〕

Cold sweat beaded on Wolf’s temples. Despite the pressing time, most people weren’t rushing. Quite a few were seen laughing and chatting. Their relaxed demeanor only made Wolf’s heart burn. Why are they like that? Is it because they committed no sins in life? Or have they committed so many sins they’ve given up?

〔The clown’s fourth rotation has ended.〕

〔The clown begins its fifth rotation.〕

“Argh, already!”

Red Eagle grabbed his head with both hands.

“Wolf, don’t just stand there! Let’s go save people too. If the old man doesn’t return before the rotation ends…!”