Letip was standing there. He sat at a small table in the corner of the room, reading a book with his legs crossed as if heâd been there from the beginning. There was also a packet of sweets opened in front of him.
After looking at him for a moment before finally opening his mouth.
âWhy did you save Neil?â
The lightning bolt at the end had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. It was easy to guess who had intervened.
At that moment, when Neil was on the verge of death, it was Letip who had interfered and saved him. And it was probably him whoâd saved Leo as well.
Letip replied with a smirk.
âFirst of all, I was simply protecting a friend. I couldnât just watch him die.â
It was only then when Lukas finally realised why Neil had gone to face a Duke on his own. He seemed to have been driven by emotion, but he still would have been able to make rational decisions.
It turned out that Letip was Neilâs insurance. He had to have known that Letip would save him if worse came to worst.
âThen why didnât you kill Rose?â
âIf I did that, Iâd have to fight the Demon King.â
âSo you want to stay neutral?â
Tak.
Letip closed the book.
Then, he took a sip of cold water from a glass in front of him before getting up from his seat. Contrary to what heâd shown before, there was now a serious look in his eyes.
âSedi is dead.â
Lukas knew. Or to be precise, heâd gotten a vague feeling.
The influence, the death of an Absolute had on a universe, was by no means small. Especially for a small and fragile universe like this one.
And yet, the reason he hadnât been entirely sure was because of how sudden it was.
But now, Letip was telling him directly that Sedi was dead.
This meant that Sedi had truly died.
Perhaps within hours of their last meeting.
âShe disregarded my advice, and now, she has disappeared from this [Weak World]. Iâm sure I donât have to tell you who killed her.â
âThe Demon King.â
He didnât say that it was Kasajin. Lukas wasnât sure if it was his own stubbornness or for some other reason.
âThe Demon King, Nodiesop, and me as well. We donât care what happens to this universe. It doesnât matter to us if it collapses if we use power that exceeds its capacity. You felt it, didnât you? There are already a few cracks in the universe after the fight between Sedi and the Demon King.â
âYouâre not usually this long-winded. What is it that you want to say?â
The corners of Letipâs mouth rose once again.
âRuler.â
ââŚ?â
âLord, Manager, Assistant.â
From top to bottom, Letip listed the different levels of Absolutes.
Lukas remained silent because he didnât know what he was trying to say.
âOnly an Absolute who ârulesâ more than one âconceptâ deserves to be called a Lord. The same goes for you, Lukas Trowman.â
ââŚâ
âIn other words, among Lords, there are some who rule over more concepts than others. This is why there can be large power gaps between Lords despite them being on the same level.â
Lukas had a feeling that Letip was about to say something very important, and his hunch wasnât wrong.
âThe Demon King, for example, is the Black Horned Demon Godâs right-hand man.â
ââŚright hand?â
The right hand of a Ruler.
This was Lukasâ first time hearing such a concept.
Whether he read Lukasâ expression or not, Letip continued to explain.
âItâs not surprising that you donât know about it. Most donât even know they exist. Personally, I call them Conquerors, but⌠Well, their title isnât important. Just know that each of them is within the top five of all Lords.â
ââŚâ
âThe Demon King appeared like a gust of wind. One day, he suddenly appeared and killed the Absolute who used to serve as the Demon Godâs right hand before taking his place. Heâs an Absolute with mysterious origins, but his power is clear to all.â
This was the first time heâd heard any information about Kasajin since he disappeared.
With a strange feeling in his chest, Lukas continued listening to Letip.
âI am also a Conqueror.â
ââŚthe Lightning God.â
âHeâs my one and only Master.â
Letip nodded his head slowly.
âI received a call from God not too long ago. He probably wanted to give me a hint on how to deceive the laws of this universe. Do you know why I didnât go?â
He answered his own question before Lukas could open his mouth.
âBecause thereâs no need to care about that at all. Lukas, stop paying attention to trivial things. The Demon King has begun to move.â
âYou seem pretty wary. Are you afraid of him?â
Lukas asked, a hint of provocation in his voice.
However, Letip nodded with a scarily calm expression.
âRight. Iâm afraid of him.â
âWhat?â
Then he said something that was even more shocking.
âBecause at this moment, the Demon King is stronger than me.â
* * *
âNow, the Demon King has gone to Nodiesop. If my predictions are correct, then the twoâs goals coincide and there is a high chance that they will work together. I donât have to tell you whom they want to kill, do I?â
As if opposed to Letipâs assertion, Lukas refuted him.
âThe Demon King might not be hostile towards me.â
âWhy? Because you know him and the two of you came from the same world?â
ââŚâ
Letipâs hoarse voice made Lukasâ head become cold.
Just a moment ago, heâd said that Kasajinâs origins were mysterious. It couldnât be said that he lied⌠He said Kasajinâs origins were mysterious, but he didnât say that he didnât know them.
Letip had once again twisted his words to suit himself.
âHahahaâŚâ
Letip let out a hollow laugh. Then, he furrowed his eyebrows.
âThat little friendship game you played back when you were both humans. I donât know for sure, but Iâm certain that it didnât last more than a century. Human lifespans are the same regardless of the universe⌠It has been a long time since he became an Absolute. Do you think the memories of when he was a human, a period of only a few decades, would still be important to him now?â
âAre you trying to say that you know more about Kasajin than I do?â
âI donât know anything about the human Kasajin. But I know the Absolute Kasajin better than you do. To become an Absolute is to say âgoodbyeâ. Goodbye to the world in which you were born and lived. Goodbye to your fate as a mortal. Goodbye to anything you might have created. In order to rise to new heights, itâs necessary to empty your vessel.â
ââŚâ
âIâm sure youâve seen it before. Absolutes who have become completely different from their mortal days. Memories of the past are nothing more than bits of data for Absolutes. They are driven only by their mission, their responsibility, and their sense of duty.â
Letipâs eyes grew cold.
âYou are the only exception.â
He spoke with certainty.
âDonât try to generalise your case. You are the only special one. There was never and will never be another Absolute like you who is bound to their past, origin, and race. Canât you see why all Absolutes are so hostile towards you yet?â
Letipâs voice was like cold daggers.
There wasnât a single wrong word. Even before Lukas began acting as he pleased, there hadnât been any Absolutes friendly towards him.
Among the Absolutes, who were extraordinary beings from all over the multiverse, he was the only exception. The only one who was different.
ââŚyouâre unusually talkative today, Letip. What exactly is it that you want?â
âHelp me kill the Demon KingâŚâ
That was a ridiculous request at this point.
Letip nodded expectantly when Lukas remained silent.
ââŚeven if I say all of that, you will continue to trust him unless you see it with your own eyes. Thatâs fine, too. Sooner or later, youâll get to meet the Demon King. Then youâll be able to see for yourself and make your own decision. About what kind of being Kasajin is now.â