By Zephyria 
Jin Geum-ryeon, who had been watching Ak Mujin standing as if rooted to the spot, spoke calmly.
“We will try our best to rescue him.”
Then, Ok-ryeong glanced at Jin Geum-ryeon with worried eyes and spoke cautiously.
“Lord, it is not good for the Sandow Union to directly clash with the Demon Cult. Please avoid creating any possible pretexts.”
Although she whispered softly, Ak Mujin heard her clearly. Only then did Ak Mujin blink once and compose himself. Jin Geum-ryeon, keenly aware of this, looked down at Ok-ryeong coldly and said,
“Who is the Lord here? Do I seem to you as if I have no thoughts of my own that you speak so?”
“…Forgive me, Lord! This one overstepped her bounds.”
“Your apology should not be directed at me.”
At the low but sharp voice, Ok-ryeong realized her mistake and immediately bowed her head. Then, as Jin Geum-ryeon instructed, she bowed once more towards Ak Mujin and apologized.
“I am sorry, Sir. I will hasten to devise a plan.”
Ak Mujin waved his hands and shook his head, startled, as Ok-ryeong bowed to him. How could he, as a person with any sense of shame, simply rest on their goodwill? Moreover, he had been feeling uneasy all along, burdened by the guilt that he had only received Chun-wol’s help and ultimately put her in danger.
“It’s alright. Please don’t worry too much about it.”
And after thinking, he added to Jin Geum-ryeon. He decided that he could not continue to rely on Jin Geum-ryeon.
“Geum-ryeon, you don’t need to worry about this anymore. I am relieved just knowing that Chun-wol is safe.”
“But…”
As Jin Geum-ryeon raised his eyebrows and tried to retort, Ak Mujin cut him off and asked Ok-ryeong.
“More importantly, from what you said, it seems the situation was quite urgent. Has there been any friction between the Sandow Union and the Demon Cult?”
Ok-ryeong glanced at Jin Geum-ryeon. With Jin Geum-ryeon’s nod as a signal, Ok-ryeong cautiously continued.
“The warriors of the Black Dragon Fortress assisted in this matter, but they were caught by the Demon Cult while moving Chun-wol. Since they exchanged blows, it will only be a matter of time before they realize that the Sandow Union is protecting Chun-wol.”
Hearing that story, Ak Mujin’s heart sank even more heavily.
“…If there is anything I can do to help, I would like to.”
“Of course.”
After that, Ok-ryeong continued with minor reports, but Ak Mujin’s mind was filled with the thought that Seo-mok’s life was in danger now that she had been captured by the Demon Cult. No, she might already be dead. As someone who had been involved with the Demon Cult for several years, Ak Mujin knew well how cruelly they could act without any purpose or grudge. He could clearly imagine how they would treat Seo-mok, who was branded with the crime of betraying the main sect.
Even if he had any time to spare, it wouldn’t be much. Ak Mujin’s eyes darkened. After a brief thought, he concluded that he had to save his subordinate himself.
He had no choice. He didn’t want to burden the Sandow Union any further, and even if Jin Geum-ryeon didn’t feel burdened at all, he didn’t want to rely on him.
*
Late at night, after confirming that everyone was asleep, Ak Mujin took the sword he had prepared for self-defense and slipped out of the Sandow Union through the window.
How far had he run? He could sense that he was being followed not even a few miles away. His heart sank in an instant. A presence that he hadn’t felt until just now was following Ak Mujin at a rapid pace.
Ak Mujin gripped the hilt of his sword, tense. And he was just about to draw his sword towards the ‘someone’ approaching him.
“Ahn Do-hyun.”
“……!”
The sword blade was out by about an inch, but as soon as he heard the voice, his hand stopped abruptly. Only then did Ak Mujin stop walking and turn his head to look up at the figure over six feet tall standing behind him.
“……Jin Geum-ryeon.”
Jin Geum-ryeon approached Ak Mujin with quick steps, stood beside him, rummaged through his clothes, and took out something floppy to hand over. Ak Mujin immediately recognized it as a Human Skin Mask.
“It is dangerous to walk around with your face exposed at times like this.”
“……I….”
As Ak Mujin hesitated, dazed, Jin Geum-ryeon held out the mask once more.
“Ahem…. I made it myself, so you might feel uncomfortable using it… but please keep it with you.”
The words ‘made it’ and ‘uncomfortable’ combined to make the meaning sound somewhat unpleasant, but Ak Mujin took it anyway. It would be better than nothing.
Only then did Jin Geum-ryeon start walking with Ak Mujin, taking one step at a time.
“……I didn’t think you wouldn’t know that I snuck out.”
“Then you must have expected me to follow you, right?”
At Jin Geum-ryeon’s light reply, Ak Mujin sighed quietly and ended up chuckling softly. It was true that he felt a sense of relief in his heart when he faced Jin Geum-ryeon.
“Since it’s already been revealed that I’m traveling with the Evil Cult Lord, what’s the point of wearing a mask?”
“…You never know.”
Judging by the slightly slow reply, it seemed that he had chased after Ak Mujin under the pretext of bringing him the mask. Ak Mujin found that action subtly endearing.
“……I didn’t want to be indebted to you any further….”
Even after hearing Ak Mujin’s sigh-like murmur, Jin Geum-ryeon only smiled silently.
“Does Ok-ryeong know you came out?”
“She will probably be a little taken aback tomorrow morning, but it’s not like I’ve never wandered outside before, so she’ll just brush it off as nothing.”
He hesitated slightly and looked at Ak Mujin.
“More than that…….”
Without thinking much, he raised his head to meet his gaze, and he saw the two eyes looking at him, sparkling with the moonlight. Feeling his face flush in an instant, Ak Mujin quickly turned his head away, fleeing from Jin Geum-ryeon’s gaze. It was fortunate that it was the middle of the night. Otherwise, his suddenly reddened complexion would have been completely exposed.
“Is Seo-mok a loyal subordinate worth risking danger to save?”
Jin Geum-ryeon’s voice was very serious as he asked that, so Ak Mujin was soon able to refocus his attention.
The question of whether she was a ‘loyal subordinate’ was probably asking whether she was someone who would reveal Ak Mujin’s location. If she had been in constant contact with Chun-wol, Seo-mok might also know Ak Mujin’s location.
But if he were asked if she was loyal, well… she had already captured Ak Mujin once and taken him to the Demon Cult. Of course, she regretted it as soon as they arrived at the Demon Cult and helped with the escape plan, but that didn’t make it disappear.
If he were asked if Seo-mok had loyalty towards Ak Mujin, he would say no. But Ak Mujin couldn’t guarantee how she would act if a knife was held to her throat. How could he trust someone who had already betrayed him once? Jin Geum-ryeon was probably worried about that very point.
But Ak Mujin had made up his mind the moment he climbed out of the window.
Ak Mujin had been very distressed every time he had to harm someone, even if they were just extras. So he had to think of Namgung Cheon’s death, the victims of the Demon Cult, and the lives he had taken as nothing more than means to an end in this story. He had endured by rationalizing that this world was just a Doujinshi.
Yes, it was all just rationalization.
Seo-mok’s impending death felt surprisingly real. Although she was an extra with not a single ounce of importance in the original story, he couldn’t possibly think of his subordinate, who had been with him for so long, as just a means to an end in the story, someone who could just lose her life and disappear from the story right now.
Ak Mujin gritted his teeth once and said to Jin Geum-ryeon.
“……I am going to save Seo-mok, even if she betrays me once again.”
“…….”
“I believe that human life is precious. Just as I want to live, others must feel the same way. Don’t you think so?”
Ak Mujin broke the silence and spoke to Jin Geum-ryeon.
It was somewhat difficult to say those words. It was a thought that contradicted his belief that this world was just a Doujinshi and that he was completely an outsider. The moment he looked at Jin Geum-ryeon with that thought, the figure standing before Ak Mujin was clearer than ever before.
The two eyes looking at him were still warm and contained only Ak Mujin.
And Ak Mujin… slowly realized.
Accepting this world without any filtration meant that Jin Geum-ryeon’s feelings for him were also real.
Ak Mujin became even more confused. He wondered if he had finally gone crazy from being in this world for too long.
Contrary to his intention to keep his mouth shut, the words came out on their own.
“Your father would have thought so too.”
If he could go back to that time now, would Ak Mujin let Namgung Cheon live? Before he could finish his thought, his eyes turned red. His steps slowed down, and he finally stopped abruptly. Jin Geum-ryeon also stopped walking and looked at him.