HRB 120

Eddie stood above the gray city.

The bustling people, the cars whizzing by, the blaring horns, and the chatter of someone’s voice.

Near the kindergartens and daycare centers within the apartment complex, the innocent laughter of children could be heard.

In a space that felt like it had sprung from memory, or perhaps one not much different from it in reality, Eddie looked around with a calm expression.

Things that once felt familiar now seemed entirely strange. As if this place wasn’t where he originally belonged.

“It’s an interesting place.”

Seeing that Eddie’s choice was taking too long, Tarajiel materialized the world Lee Jeong-hoon lived in upon a blank white space.

Cruelly, the daycare center near where Lee Jeong-hoon had died and the pond within the apartment complex were visible. Eddie looked around and then settled onto a nearby bench.

Unlike Eddie, Tarajiel’s eyes sparkled as he looked around, seemingly fascinated by everything.

He rode a giraffe-shaped seesaw and lay on a ladybug-shaped playground ride.

Watching him quietly, Eddie asked,

“If you wished, could you go there too?”

“I can open a path, but I can’t cross over.”

He said so, and then brought his hand towards the portal on the side of Eddie’s original world, out of the two still shining portals.

Clang!

However, the portal immediately repelled Tarajiel.

“It says not to cross the line.”

He laughed as if it were nothing.

“Not me, unlike you who belonged to both sides originally.”

Although Tarajiel had many abilities due to the characteristic of ‘space’ assigned to him in the novel, he didn’t seem to possess absolute power like a god.

Indeed, if he were such a being, Ketron would never have been able to defeat him in the first place.

For example, he was a uniquely strong being, like a spike protruding from the world, but not an absolute entity capable of tearing through this world and moving forward alone.

Born from a story, yet a being who stands alone.

But his roots were still within the story, making him unable to escape it entirely.

He was undoubtedly not an ordinary being. Even by the standards of the world outside this one, Tarajiel was a remarkable existence.

Should Ketron, who defeated such a Tarajiel with much help, be considered even more remarkable?

As Eddie unconsciously gazed at his smooth face, Tarajiel, who had just slid down an elephant-shaped slide, looked at Eddie and grinned.

“Even I get shy if you stare that intently.”

…Except for his tendency to boast, he would seem even more formidable.

Eddie sighed. For some reason, he was starting to feel less like the great and cruel Demon King and more like a childish neighborhood older brother.

Of course, Eddie knew better than anyone that he was not such a being. He knew how cruel this man could be.

Had Eddie’s soul not flown to the space where 〈The Hero Doesn’t Hide His Power Vol. 2〉 was hidden due to his death, he would never have found the location of the original work.

He was certain of this fact and acted himself to ‘kill’ Eddie. He did it because he felt it was the only way to find the original work.

“Of course, by killing you, I also gained the pleasure of seeing the Hero suffer. My revenge was successful.”

He even laughed as he said this. For Eddie, these words were suffocating.

In many ways, Eddie was a ‘grateful’ existence to this man. Just as he had said in the past.

That’s probably why he was given this choice.

He was grateful for that. Only for that.

Even if one argued it was good that he had escaped the influence of the original work, the shock of being pierced through the abdomen still lingered in his body.

The very cause of him being sent to this space, and yet the one who saved Eddie and gave him a choice.

Eddie couldn’t decide whether to hate him or not.

“This place is really nice.”

This time, he settled on a net-made sky bridge. The small playground, suitable for children, even infants, didn’t quite match a Demon race member of his stature, yet his dazzling appearance made it feel like looking at a magazine photoshoot.

“I almost want to try crossing it myself.”

His enjoyment seemed genuine as he shook the creaking net of the sky bridge back and forth with interest.

“So, have you made up your mind, Eddie?”

At his casual question, Eddie, who had been gazing at the net sky bridge Tarajiel was on, flinched.

Made up his mind? How could that be so easy?

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but he felt he wouldn’t be able to choose no matter how much time elapsed.

Choose?

Was he being asked to weigh his family against Ketron?

To choose the heavier one?

How could anyone ask for such a cruel choice? No, could that even be called a choice?

It wasn’t a choice, but rather, abandoning one side.

Eddie couldn’t choose anything.

Both were precious.

His family, with whom he had lived his whole life, and Ketron, who had taught him what love was.

Even though all he had returned to Ketron were unrequited feelings and wounds.

Unable to even properly look towards the portal showing Ketron’s image, Tarajiel spoke again instead of urging Eddie to choose.

“This place seems very peaceful. Of course, war is probably happening somewhere even here.”

It didn’t seem like he was expecting Eddie’s answer. With a somewhat vacant expression, resting his chin on his hand, he spoke again.

“Still, if I die again, I should try to come over to this world. It seems like it would be fun.”

Eddie’s expression turned strange at his lighthearted remark, accompanied by a whistle.

Die again?

Seeing him assume death, he felt a peculiar sensation.

For him, wasn’t death a defeat by the Hero?

“Do you think so too?”

“Hm?”

At the question, Tarajiel turned sharply to look at Eddie, pondered his own words, and then chuckled, “Ah.”

“Well, it’s a wonderful world, isn’t it?”

That was true. It wasn’t necessarily a feeling of “this world is unconditionally better than that one!” but it was certainly an attractive world. Especially to Tarajiel, perhaps.

Although it was a slightly off-topic answer to Eddie’s question, Tarajiel didn’t seem inclined to reply further.

“What do you think? I’d definitely want to go back, right? Eddie.”

He then subtly urged Eddie to return. From the moment he first proposed the choice, he had been subtly advising Eddie to choose the path back.

“No matter what anyone says, one’s original world is the best. Regardless of whether one remembers it, it’s the place where the soul was born. Repeating reincarnation there is good for the soul too.”

By then, he wasn’t even trying to hide his desire for Eddie to return to that world.

“You’re surprisingly a gentleman.”

“Hm?”

“I thought you might force me to go if you wanted.”

“Ah.”

Tarajiel’s expression became complex.

“As I appear, I tend to keep my promises.”

“You were quite harsh, considering that.”

“Ah, that’s why I’m giving you a chance right now! The right to choose!”

He exclaimed, his voice rising. Even as he said it, he made a ‘tsk’ sound and avoided Eddie’s gaze, suggesting he was aware he had used Eddie quite thoroughly.

And that it was incredibly harsh, considering he was his benefactor.

At that moment, Eddie grasped something that had been bothering him like a hangnail.

He felt a strange sense of déjà vu from Tarajiel’s words, and he thought he knew why.

“Tarajiel.”

“Why.”

“Is there a reason you don’t want me to go to your world instead of my original one?”

At that, Tarajiel’s lips snapped shut.

Instantly, the surrounding warmth seemed to drop by about 5 degrees. As if he had never been suited for a kindergarten playground, his face turned cold, and he stared intently at Eddie.

“Because it seems like you want that.”

“…I think I said it? It’s no good for me at all.”

“Why?”

“If you are here, that guy gets stronger.”

“Is that really the reason?”

Sigh, Tarajiel sighed.

“It might seem simple to you.”

“…?”

“But not to me. The difference between you being here and not being here is huge. If you are here, probably.”

He hesitated for a moment, a flicker of anguish crossing his eyes, but unable to resist the innocent gaze fixed upon him, he replied honestly.

“Humans gain a chance.”

Humans gain a chance. His face, which spoke of his own probability of defeat increasing, was filled with irritation. As if he couldn’t even bear to imagine it.

The past him would never have accepted such a fact.

But he had already experienced a bitter defeat once, and though he had died from it, he was a being who had somehow clawed his way back from that death.

He knew better than anyone that pride wouldn’t save his life.

Eddie swallowed hard and asked,

“…Conversely, if I am not here?”

To that, Tarajiel offered no further reply.

Instead, he slightly raised one corner of his mouth.

That alone was a sufficient answer.

Eddie’s heart grew heavy. In a way, the story’s judgment had been correct. Eddie was having too great an impact on this world.

Tarajiel, gazing at Eddie’s suddenly heavy expression, let out a small sigh. “I didn’t want to say this,” he muttered, ruffling the back of his head.

“Whether it’s like that or not, you just worry about yourself. Frankly, isn’t it just a world from a novel to you? In the end, it doesn’t change that this is your reality.”

Saying so, he pointed his finger towards the portal still showing Lee Jeong-hoon’s Mother.

Eddie’s heart ached.

He saw the hand endlessly stroking Lee Jeong-hoon’s photograph.

Just one step. If he took just one step forward, Eddie… could return to his original world. He could start a new life there.

“You should go back and live your life. Forget everything and live peacefully. If you hadn’t gotten caught up in this story, that’s how it should have been.”

With a pop, it sounded as if a transparent film that had been layered over the portal disappeared.

It was the transparent wall that had prevented Eddie from crossing over when he had seen Ketron’s image and tried to go that way earlier.

Now, if Eddie truly headed that way, the portal would swallow him.

Watching Eddie gaze at the portal reflecting his Mother with dark eyes, Tarajiel spoke in a heavy voice.

“Go.”

Go back to your world.