IGWNI Ch 4

「What is this?」

However, the returned answer was the same.

“I asked, ‘what is this?’ If you call someone, you should speak.”

「Why are you standing there so stupidly?」

“…….”

「Seeing as you still don’t know where your place is, I’m starting to think you’re exceptionally stupid.」

“Hey, you, …forget it. Forget it.”

Grinding his teeth, Yoon Jaewoo climbed up onto the table and sat down. Whenever he entered this place, he would always look around, unsure of where to sit, and Eustace would pick him up and place him there.

Yoon Jaewoo, seated on the table, gave Eustace a look that said, “Is this alright now?” Eustace’s low voice echoed through the hall.

「Ramia.」

Yoon Jaewoo learned through the man in front of him what it meant for a voice to carry power. Just being called by name made the air thick with tension, to the point his knees felt weak.

「Ramia.」

The man called Yoon Jaewoo again. He wanted to run away somewhere, but Yoon Jaewoo barely managed to lift his head and look at him.

「It seems you know that you are Ramia.」

“Of course I would know that…”

「If you didn’t, I was going to brand it on your forehead, but it seems I’ve been spared the trouble.」

Yoon Jaewoo unconsciously swore, “Fucking hell.”

What kind of bastard is this? How can such a guy be a god? A god should have a taste for embracing and cherishing beings lesser than themselves! Does being omnipotent give you the right to act like this?!

「Ramia. What are you doing?」

“Ah, alright. You’re really annoying.”

I should have brought the ball with me, Yoon Jaewoo thought as he stood up. At the same time, Eustace tilted his head slightly, wearing a displeased expression.

「I didn’t give you permission to leave.」

“I didn’t bring the ball?”

He couldn’t possibly mean for me to juggle Ramia’s corpse in that display case, could he? Yoon Jaewoo, with a stiff expression, silently looked back and forth between the orbs and Eustace. However, the next words out of Eustace’s mouth were beyond Yoon Jaewoo’s expectations.

「Sing.」

“…What?”

「Sing.」

Yoon Jaewoo opened his mouth to speak, then covered his forehead with his hand.

After singing lullabies to Jin-soo hyung last night, he thought his singing might be somewhat effective here. However, on his way back from his walk, he ran into a servant who, with a deeply furrowed brow, protested, asking what on earth he was doing. Apparently, he had woken everyone up with the noise.

So, it seems it’s not actually effective. Is it just a beast’s preference then?

In the end, Yoon Jaewoo reconsidered singing in front of Eustace. But now, out of the blue, he’s asking him to sing.

“You want me to sing? Really sing? La la la?”

「Sing.」

The same words came back. Yoon Jaewoo hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Do I really have to?” He believed that even if Eustace couldn’t understand the words, he would understand the general meaning from his expression and tone.

「Why? Can’t you sing?」

“Huh? No, it’s not that I can’t, but… This is so random.”

As Yoon Jaewoo scratched his head with a perplexed look, the corners of Eustace’s eyes curved. Yoon Jaewoo’s heart dropped. Whenever this man made that expression, the words that followed were always terrible.

「If you can’t sing, that tongue is useless anyway.」

“Eek! Alright, alright!”

Yoon Jaewoo yelled out. Playing hard to get or refusing didn’t work at all with this man. This opponent was an omnipotent son of a bitch who casually threatened to cut off tongues, legs, and anything else.

“What should I sing all of a sudden? This is crazy.”

As Yoon Jaewoo paced back and forth, the national anthem came to mind. Feeling like, “Who am I to sing this song?”, he was just about to start when…

「You will entertain me for the first time.」

Eustace’s voice, flipping through a document, irritated Yoon Jaewoo.

He once had an experience with so-called karaoke helpers, when he went to karaoke with his seniors. Seeing the women in revealing clothes entering the room, Yoon Jaewoo was startled and asked what this was all about. His seniors laughed and replied that they were people who helped with entertainment. When Yoon Jaewoo, disgusted, tried to leave the room, one of his seniors dragged him to the bathroom, slapped him across the face, and yelled, “What makes you so high and mighty?” In the athletic world, seniors were like gods. After being slapped several times, Yoon Jaewoo was dragged back into the karaoke room.

The seniors deliberately hugged and sang to Yoon Jaewoo in front of the women. They groped his buttocks and wrapped their arms around his waist. Because of his pretty looks, Yoon Jaewoo often experienced such things.

Yoon Jaewoo hated such things with a passion. He hated the women who sold their bodies for money, but he hated even more the men who bought human beings for their so-called pleasure.

And now Eustace was treating him as if he were one of those people who sold their bodies for money.

Yoon Jaewoo glared at him with a hard look in his eyes.

「What are you doing? You haven’t forgotten how to sing, even if you are stupid, have you?」

Eustace asked without taking his eyes off the paper. Yoon Jaewoo gritted his teeth and glared at him.

You fucking son of a bitch, you piece of shit, goddamn bastard, you shitty-headed motherfucker.

Yoon Jaewoo cursed Eustace fervently in his mind, using every bad word he knew. But his vocabulary was limited, and unable to express it aloud, his insides burned with frustration.

He hated the thought of singing his beloved national anthem to such a bastard more than anything.

Yoon Jaewoo bit his lip hard, then suddenly his eyes widened at a thought that crossed his mind.

“Can I sing any song?”

At Yoon Jaewoo’s question, Eustace waved his hand dismissively, as if annoyed. It was permission to do whatever he wanted.

Yoon Jaewoo cleared his throat and started to sing loudly.

This song, starting with “Fuck you,” boasted the dirtiest lyrics he knew. Most of the song consisted of swear words.

He filled in the parts he couldn’t remember with appropriate curses, keeping the rhythm. Since arriving in this place, Yoon Jaewoo sang with the most radiant and cheerful face he could muster. He felt relieved. If he could, he wanted to sing this song to Eustace all night long.

“Fuuuck youuu….”

He was about to repeat the chorus endlessly, when Eustace raised his hand and stopped him.

Yoon Jaewoo closed his mouth. His smiling lips twitched. While singing, he had thought, “Take that, you bastard,” but now he worried what would happen if Eustace understood.

…He said before that even if he didn’t know the meaning of swear words, he could tell they were swear words by the tone… My tongue….

「How interesting.」

“What?”

「It makes me feel strangely bad when I listen to it, but the melody is exciting.」

“…Hahaha. Don’t mind the lyrics, hahahaha.”

Yoon Jaewoo desperately hoped that this man would never understand what he was saying. Eustace’s gaze narrowed. Just as he was about to address Yoon Jaewoo, rustling the paper he was holding…

“……!”

Feeling the ground shake, Yoon Jaewoo dropped to the floor and crouched under the table. Eustace’s lips tightened. Yoon Jaewoo yelled at Eustace, who wasn’t taking any action despite the continuous tremors.

“What are you doing! You’re a god! You should be able to do something about an earthquake!”

Now even the windows on the walls were rattling. Feeling nauseous, Yoon Jaewoo lowered his head, lying flat on the floor.

“Please, do something….”

Then it happened. The office, which had been shaking as if the ground would split open, fell silent. Yoon Jaewoo, muttering that he would curse the god if he died like this, didn’t even realize the earthquake had stopped. Only when he realized someone was poking his cheek with a finger did Yoon Jaewoo slowly open his eyes.

“Huh?”

A huge man with red hair was looking down at him.

“Ahhh! A ghost!”

Yoon Jaewoo screamed and tried to get up, but hit his head on the table and sat back down. The red-haired man, who had appeared out of nowhere, laughed heartily.

「You picked up something interesting, Rau.」

「What brings you here unsummoned?」

「When have I ever come at your behest?」

「Then get lost.」

Eustace’s voice as he said this was particularly cold. The red-haired man laughed heartily and approached Eustace.

Unable to believe the scene unfolding before him, Yoon Jaewoo rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and watched the two men.

「Is it that this time? I thought you loathed black ones?」

「I do. Still.」

Yoon Jaewoo flinched and covered his hair with his hand. But Eustace’s gaze was fixed not on Yoon Jaewoo’s hair, but on the red-haired man.

「Where did you pick it up?」

「Near the Najaf forest.」

Yoon Jaewoo diligently repeated the words “Najaf forest” in his mind. Since it was where he was found, there might be a way back. …Although he didn’t want to go back there yet.

「Have you heard that Basmal’s mouth has been restless lately?」

「…….」

Eustace frowned silently. Even though he didn’t say anything, it wasn’t hard to guess that he already knew.

「I thought you’d know, of course. Do you also know that all sorts of strange things have been popping up from there?」

「I don’t care.」

Yoon Jaewoo’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. There was a human in this world who casually called this omnipotent son of a bitch “you.”

「Don’t care, my ass. Didn’t you pick up this ugly black thing from there too?」

“Ugly?!”

Unable to contain his rising anger, Yoon Jaewoo shouted. He once again paid the price for forgetting there was a table above his head.

Yoon Jaewoo groaned, clutching the top of his head, and sat down.

「Hahahahahahahaha.」

The red-haired man roared with laughter. At that moment, the ground shook. Yoon Jaewoo gasped and quickly flattened himself under the table again.

However, only a slight tremor followed; the earth-shattering quake from earlier did not continue.

「Ugly and stupid too.」

Yoon Jaewoo glared at the red-haired man while clutching his head. He had never been told he lacked in looks, but today was the second time he’d been called ugly.

Yoon Jaewoo frantically gestured to Eustace with his eyes.

Even if that’s the case, I’m your Ramia. How can you just stand there and listen to another guy call me ugly?!

Eustace clicked his tongue softly as he looked at Yoon Jaewoo. He approached Yoon Jaewoo and reached out to pull him out from under the table.

「And slow-witted on top of that.」

It took Yoon Jaewoo a few blinks to realize that Eustace had added “slow-witted” to his assessment of being ugly and stupid.

Just as he was about to protest and ask where they had their eyes, something warm trickled down his face.

“Huh?”

His palm was also wet. Yoon Jaewoo held his palm up to his eyes and checked, then recoiled in horror. His palm was covered in red blood. It seemed the top of his head had been split open.

Eustace clicked his tongue and touched Yoon Jaewoo’s head. The wound healed instantly. Yoon Jaewoo opened his mouth as he repeatedly checked the top of his head with his hand.

「Hahahahaha. You really picked up something interesting, Rau.」

The red-haired man laughed loudly, and the ground shook again. At that moment, Yoon Jaewoo realized. The red-haired man, who casually addressed Eustace as “you,” appeared out of nowhere, and made the ground shake with his laughter, might not be human.

Pointing at the red-haired man with a bloodstained finger, Yoon Jaewoo managed to utter a few words he had memorized from this world.

“Dweord?”

Eustace nodded.

Yoon Jaewoo stared at the red-haired man with wide eyes.

His height was roughly the same as Eustace’s, but his build was a little larger. His red hair was unruly, in contrast to Eustace’s neatly tied-back hair. He was very handsome, but his overall appearance was excessively imposing.

Still, Yoon Jaewoo thought his hearty laugh and straightforward manner of speaking were a hundred times better than the inscrutable and terrifying Eustace.

「Dweord Yatenbaum Mäden. Do you understand me?」

Yoon Jaewoo quickly nodded. Eustace had regenerated his ear, he said.

「Oh. I see. You usually care that much? You?」

「He didn’t listen. But now that he understands, it seems to be the same, so I’m regretting it a little.」

Dweord Yatenbaum looked Yoon Jaewoo up and down with a blank expression. A sharpness could be felt in his seemingly generous gaze.

「Where are you from?」

「Who cares.」

「How could a Ramia of that color appear in the land you govern?」

Although he asked with a smile, Yatenbaum’s eyes were cold.

Eustace’s gaze lowered as he looked at Dweord, his old friend, cousin, and powerful rival.

Even though they interacted more frequently than gods from other regions, considering it had been 30 years since Yatenbaum last visited, this visit was not particularly welcome.

「I wanted a black orb. As it happens.」

Eustace’s eyes gleamed coldly. His lips formed a serene smile, but his eyes held an undeniably murderous aura. Seeing those eyes, Yoon Jaewoo briefly fell into serious contemplation about shaving his head.

「And so this ugly black thing popped out?」

A sly smile played on Dweord Yatenbaum’s lips as he looked Yoon Jaewoo over. A vein throbbed on Yoon Jaewoo’s forehead. He lost his patience.

“Hold on a second. I’ve heard enough, and it’s honestly ridiculous.”

The gazes of the two gods fell on Yoon Jaewoo.

“Are you two that great? Sure, you’re both taller than me and a little, well, a very little bit more handsome, I admit it. Yes. I admit it like a man. But calling me ugly?”

Yoon Jaewoo scoffed. The two gods looked at Yoon Jaewoo as if they had found an amusing spectacle.

“What’s so ugly about me? What’s this? I’ve been in the Top Five Handsome Athletes list for three years running! Is there anything wrong with my eyes, nose, or mouth?”

Yoon Jaewoo pointed to his features one by one in protest. Having been praised as handsome his entire life, being suddenly demoted to “ugly” made him feel incredibly dirty.

Yatenbaum turned to Eustace with a smiling face.

「What is he saying?」

「Who cares.」

「It sounds like he’s saying he’s not ugly?」

「No way. Not if he has eyes.」

Hearing Eustace’s cold and resolute answer, Yoon Jaewoo was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t speak any further.

「How does this black Ramia entertain you?」

Yoon Jaewoo’s eyes widened. This was an important question. Eustace’s answer was a much-needed survival strategy to ensure he didn’t die before escaping.

「It sings.」

「Sings?」

Yatenbaum looked at Yoon Jaewoo with an incredulous expression. Yoon Jaewoo looked at Eustace with hopeful eyes, thinking, Maybe my singing is really effective in this world.

「That Ramia sings well? It doesn’t look like it at all.」

Yoon Jaewoo gave Yatenbaum a triumphant look.

If I was just an amazing soccer player with average singing skills in that world, in this world, I’m a soccer player with singing skills that can melt a god.

The corners of Eustace’s lips relaxed. He gestured to Yoon Jaewoo.

「Ramia. Sing.」

“What? Now?”

「Sing.」

Yoon Jaewoo smacked his lips. While he could understand Eustace, he wasn’t thrilled about having to sing in front of Yatenbaum, whom he was meeting for the first time.

After a moment of contemplation, Yoon Jaewoo started to sing a song by his favorite idol.

“My beloved…”

「Not that one.」

Eustace cut him off abruptly. When Yoon Jaewoo stared at him with a “Then what?” expression, Eustace continued.

「The one from earlier.」

“…….”

A heavy silence lingered.

He dedicated that song to Eustace, a scoundrel who tried to capture and turn him into an orb, but what did that red-haired god next to him do wrong?

「Sing. Ramia.」

A heavy voice resonated. It was a voice his body remembered. The voice that had sneered, “You need to feel more pain to come to your senses,” while he writhed in agony. As the horrific memory resurfaced, Yoon Jaewoo began to sing without hesitation. It was more like shouting than singing.

Midway through his bellowing song, Yoon Jaewoo noticed a strange silence and cautiously raised his head. The expressions of the two gods were oddly frozen.

It was unlikely, but what if one of them understood the lyrics? …My tongue….

「Hahahahahahahaha.」

However, instead of giving the terrifying order to cut off his tongue right there, Yatenbaum burst into laughter. Eustace’s lips were also slightly upturned. He was holding back laughter.

「Ahahahaha. What is that? Is that supposed to be singing?」

「He says it’s singing.」

「It sounds like screaming to me. Although, it is a catchy tune. It’s strange how it makes me feel oddly bad when I listen to it.」

Yoon Jaewoo flinched. He gave an awkward smile to the two Dweords, who had the same impression after listening to his curse-filled song.

「But is that considered singing well?」

Yatenbaum asked incredulously. Yoon Jaewoo’s face flushed red.

Damn it. My song isn’t working on that red-haired goblin. It doesn’t matter. It only needs to work on that silver-haired bastard anyway.

「Do you really think so? My brother.」

Yatenbaum chuckled, asking Eustace. Eustace smiled faintly.

「Of course not.」

Yoon Jaewoo’s eyes widened at the shock, as if he had been hit in the back of the head.

「Unless I’ve gone mad.」

「Right. That’s my cousin. Rau, forgive me for doubting your sanity.」

“Wh, what do you mean? You said it was exciting earlier, wait. If my singing was that bad, why did you ask me to sing it again?”

Confused by the situation he couldn’t readily understand, Yoon Jaewoo couldn’t hide his bewilderment. Given that filthy Eustace’s personality, it was inconceivable that he would ask to hear a song he disliked a second time.

“Why did you make me sing?”

When Yoon Jaewoo asked the same question with wide eyes, Yatenbaum’s face broke into a slight smile.

「What is that Ramia saying?」

「Does it matter?」

「It seems like he’s protesting something.」

Seeing Yatenbaum accurately grasp his meaning, Yoon Jaewoo nodded vigorously.

「What’s the reason for making him sing such a terrible song? I bet that Ramia is curious about that too.」

At Yatenbaum’s words, which seemed to read his mind like a fortune teller, Yoon Jaewoo felt like crying.

「It’s entertaining.」

「What?」

「Because he’s so bad. That’s what’s entertaining. It’s funny.」

A cool laughter flickered in Eustace’s eyes. Yatenbaum slapped his knee and burst out laughing, saying, “That’s right, that’s my cousin Rau.”

With his face flushed as red as a ripe apple, Yoon Jaewoo ran out of the office. He didn’t get far on his limping leg before falling, and he lay face down on the floor, unable to even think about getting up. Yatenbaum’s laughter echoed behind him like thunder.

It was a terrible afternoon, one he wouldn’t mind dying twice to forget.

When Yoon Jaewoo returned to his room and stared at the mirror with a ferocious look, the head servant cleared his throat and spoke.

「It’s alright. To that extent… it’s not a particularly bad appearance….」

“Not a particularly bad appearance?”

Yoon Jaewoo’s eyes widened.

No joke, without a shred of exaggeration, Yoon Jaewoo was objectively handsome. He had relatively fair skin and long limbs for an athlete. He also had a small face and a round head, so clothes looked good on him.

The orphanage director who used to beat him as a child would habitually say, “You little bastard with only a pretty face.” So, to be treated like a complete ugly several times already was quite a shock.

「Dweord Eustace is generous.」

“Generous my ass! Are you kidding me? A guy who captures people and turns them into orbs is generous, my foot.”

Even without understanding exactly what was being said, anyone who wasn’t deaf and blind could tell that Ramia was refuting the idea of Dweord’s generosity. Head servant Ebner coughed and lowered his voice.

「Be careful what you say. It is because he is Eustace that he brought a black-haired Ramia here. If it were any other Dweord, you would have been killed on sight.」

“…What?”

「Everyone should be grateful for Eustace’s generosity.」

The head servant said with a solemn face. To them, Eustace was both a god and a ruler. However, Yoon Jaewoo was a Ramia, an outsider who didn’t belong here.

“Tell him to fuck off.”

When Yoon Jaewoo replied with a bright smile, the head servant nodded with a satisfied smile.

Smiling while cursing at a foreign player was twice as effective without getting caught by the referee. Yoon Jaewoo decided to use this method often in the future.

“By the way, old man, I have something I’m really curious about.”

Although he couldn’t understand the words, the head servant stood there and waited for his next words.

“Am I really ugly?”

Yoon Jaewoo pointed to his face. Recalling that all Ramia had done since returning from the office was stare at the mirror with a worried face, the head servant spoke.

「Appearance isn’t everything.」

“…….”

「If you focus on how to please Dweord as a Ramia, you can become the best Ramia.」

The words offered as a consolation by the head servant pierced Yoon Jaewoo’s heart like a dagger.

“Am I, am I, really ugly?”

Yoon Jaewoo raised the mirror with trembling hands and checked his face again. He scrutinized his face, wondering if something had gone wrong when he fell off the cliff. His flawlessly handsome face simply wore an anxious expression.

“I’m this handsome….”

Yoon Jaewoo’s hand holding the mirror trembled. The head servant clicked his tongue softly and went outside. Yoon Jaewoo threw the mirror he was looking into and stood up. As soon as he opened the door, a servant followed closely and asked.

「Are you going to the garden?」

“Do you think the garden is the only place I can go?”

Of course, the garden was the only place he could go.

Leaving the castle was forbidden, and the spaces he could move within the castle were limited. No matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn’t think of anywhere else to go.

After groaning for a while, Yoon Jaewoo muttered in resignation.

“…Let’s go to the garden.”

The servant followed silently. Yoon Jaewoo tugged on the servant’s sleeve and asked.

“Hey, how do I look to you?”

「We do not understand the meaning of Ramia.」

“I mean this.”

Yoon Jaewoo pointed to his face. The servant carefully examined his face, then shook his head.

「You are clean.」

“Who asked if I had something on my face? Ah, this is frustrating. This, this, what about this? This.”

Yoon Jaewoo pointed to his face, cupped his face with his hands, and even slapped his cheeks. Finally, the servant cleared his throat and spoke.

「Dweord Eustace is generous. He does not discriminate based on appearance, or… he might, but in any case, he is generous and great.」

“…Damn it, the conclusion is that I’m ugly.”

Yoon Jaewoo walked down the hallway, muttering curses to himself. He felt dejected.

He figured the head servant’s eyesight was failing due to old age, and the two Dweords were just too full of themselves, but even the servant saying this meant he was definitely ugly in this world.

Just how high are the standards here? Are there only one or two people in the whole country who meet the standards of handsome? Then I wouldn’t be so upset.

Yoon Jaewoo grabbed the servant again and asked.

“Who is more handsome, you or me?”

He pointed alternately at their faces, and the servant looked troubled. Yoon Jaewoo smiled and continued to move his finger until the servant understood the question.

「Ramia-nim. I don’t know if I should say this, but….」

“Go ahead. I’ll take it well.”

Yoon Jaewoo gestured with a smile. The servant standing before him was short, with narrow eyes and protruding lips, a distant relative of a catfish at best. He felt bad even comparing himself to him.

Yoon Jaewoo waved his hand, urging him to speak quickly. After a long spell of dry coughing, the servant whispered.

「When I first saw Ramia-nim, I was truly surprised.」

“Yes! You know what’s what. Finally, I’ve met someone who knows something.”

Yoon Jaewoo’s face flushed as he spoke. His cheeks, which had become much fairer and softer since he stopped exercising, were tinged with rose.

Looking at Ramia with pity, the servant continued with difficulty.

「I’ve never seen such an ugly Ramia…. Ouch!」

The servant grabbed his shin and hopped on the spot. Even a kick with his left foot was the kick of a soccer player. Yoon Jaewoo yelled with a red and blue face.

“Hey! Don’t follow me! I’m going alone!”

Yoon Jaewoo entered the garden, leaving behind the servant who was hopping around holding his shin.

The scent of flowers greeted him first. He began his walk, combatively navigating through the floral fragrance. Ignoring his aching leg, he walked briskly through the garden. He didn’t care even when thorns scratched his face or branches grazed his arms, leaving scratches. He felt like whatever happened, happened.

He heard the servant calling for him from afar, but he didn’t answer. After walking for a long time and arriving in front of the pavilion, Yoon Jaewoo looked up.

Yatenbaum, with his red hair, was leaning against the railing of the pavilion, looking down at the pond. He looked similar to Jin-soo hyung enjoying a moonbath. Perhaps sensing his presence from afar, Yatenbaum turned his gaze towards Yoon Jaewoo.

「What are you doing there?」

“Can’t you see? I’m taking a walk.”

「This isn’t a place for a Ramia to be.」

His tone was laced with bewilderment. Regardless, Yoon Jaewoo didn’t like that the red-haired man was occupying Jin-soo hyung’s spot, so he hardened his expression and turned to walk in the opposite direction.

「Where are you going?」

“Whoa! Please, make some noise when you walk!”

Yoon Jaewoo was startled by Yatenbaum, who had approached him in the blink of an eye. His heart was still pounding.

「Are you wandering around the garden alone? Looking like that?」

Yoon Jaewoo asked, “Why?” His expression was mixed with defiance, as if saying, “What’s wrong with the way I look?”

Yatenbaum smiled and removed a leaf stuck to Yoon Jaewoo’s hair. It must have gotten there when he passed under a flowering tree.

“So, so what? It happens.”

Yoon Jaewoo felt his hair with his hand to check if there were any more leaves. Watching him, Yatenbaum took the leaf in his hand and blew on it. The leaf, fluttering in the air, instantly multiplied into hundreds, thousands, and rained down like confetti.

“…Huh. …Haha.”

As Yoon Jaewoo stared at the gently falling leaves with his mouth agape, Yatenbaum asked with a smile.

「What color were the leaves you saw in the Najaf forest?」

“What?”

「I asked what color the trees were that you saw in the Najaf forest, Ramia.」

What is he talking about?

Yoon Jaewoo blinked, then remembered the conversation between Eustace and Yatenbaum from earlier, and nodded, saying, “Ah.”

“Najaf forest? Come to think of it, Eustace said he picked me up there.”

The last thing he saw in his original world was a steep, rocky mountain. And when he opened his eyes, what did he see?

As Yoon Jaewoo lost himself in thought, Yatenbaum tapped his shoulder and asked.

「Are you sure you came from the Najaf forest?」

“I don’t know.”

Yoon Jaewoo shrugged. He believed that this would convey his meaning sufficiently.

「Why would you appear in Eustace’s land at a time like this? During the Azan period like now.」

“How would I know? Really, you two are gods, so figure it out yourselves.”

He had no interest in the affairs of this world.

Yoon Jaewoo was already overwhelmed and struggling with the situation in front of him. The Azan period or whatever meant nothing to him.

Who cares? I’m about to die and become a prized orb in the collection of an omnipotent son of a bitch. If the next Ramia is a baseball or rugby player, my orb might be the first to get smashed.

He couldn’t forget the energy that had fizzled and disappeared when the orb fell at his feet and shattered. Yoon Jaewoo shuddered at the thought that he too might disappear someday.

「You can tell me if you know something. Why did Eustace bring you here? Nod if you know.」

“I don’t know, I said. You really don’t believe me.”

Yoon Jaewoo shook his head with a bright smile. He was starting to get annoyed with the red-haired Dweord.

「It’s strange. That Rau would bring a Ramia as black, ugly, and talentless as you.」

“Stop!”

Yoon Jaewoo interrupted Yatenbaum. His fingertips trembled. He felt like he had heard all the “ugly” comments he would ever hear in his entire life, all in one day.

“Enough. That’s enough. Let’s stop this conversation here.”

When Yoon Jaewoo burst out in anger, Yatenbaum burst into laughter. Feeling ridiculed, Yoon Jaewoo turned his back and walked through the garden again. Soon after, Yatenbaum, who was close behind, asked.

「Don’t you have some kind of secret?」

“…….”

「It seems like the things happening now are related to you. Otherwise, there’s no way Rau would have chosen you.」

…Suddenly, he became a black, ugly, and talentless Ramia with a secret.

Yoon Jaewoo tore off a vine from a nearby tree. Having made it a couple of times before, it quickly took shape. When it resembled a ball, Yoon Jaewoo held it up close to Yatenbaum’s face and said,

“Watch closely.”

He tossed the ball made of woven vines above his head. He lightly juggled it on his forehead a couple of times, trapped it with his chest, then bounced it off his knee. Yatenbaum watched with interest as Ramia moved the ball freely with light movements.

“I was a soccer player.”

Yoon Jaewoo exclaimed.

“The best midfielder. The magician of the midfield. The youngest player expected to enter the Premier League. Ranked number one among athletes who would have succeeded as entertainers. Yoon Jaewoo!”

He recited all the headlines that had accompanied his name. If he could, he would have translated these words into the language of the people of this world.

“That’s the kind of person I was. Me, Yoon Jaewoo. Ramia my ass.”

Yoon Jaewoo put strength into his knee, and the ball soared into the sky. He didn’t even glance at the ball as it arced and fell, but shifted his body slightly to stop it at his feet.

「Amazing.」

Yatenbaum said, looking down at Yoon Jaewoo. His generously smiling eyes held admiration for his opponent.

「You do have some talent. Why would that Rau make you sing when you have this kind of skill?」

“He made me sing because I’m bad at it! That bastard with his nasty personality.”

Recalling Eustace’s voice saying it was funny to see him struggling while singing badly, Yoon Jaewoo felt a surge of forgotten anger.

“I really don’t understand. How can a being with such a twisted and nasty personality be a god? A god should be more…”

Yoon Jaewoo’s gaze fell on the man before him. His red hair fluttered in the wind. Yoon Jaewoo stared up at Yatenbaum, who was looking at him with curious eyes and a hearty smile.

He had a rough and wild appearance, but he seemed several times better than the inscrutable Eustace.

“Do you, …collect Ramia?”

Yoon Jaewoo blurted out the question. Yatenbaum, who naturally didn’t understand, raised an eyebrow and asked, “Huh?”

“Please take me with you.”

He had a feeling that the country ruled by Yatenbaum would be a hundred times, no, a thousand times more peaceful and humane than this place. This man wouldn’t collect Ramia and imprison them in display cases as orbs.

「What are you talking about?」

“Please take me…, wait a minute.”

He broke off a branch from a nearby flowering tree. Then, he drew a large circle on the ground. He dropped a few white petals onto it and said, “Eustace, you son of a bitch.”

Yatenbaum crossed his arms and watched Yoon Jaewoo. Yoon Jaewoo drew a large circle around where Yatenbaum was standing with the branch.

Yatenbaum, now standing in the center of the circle, smiled and hummed.

“There, Dweord Yatenbaum.”

After saying this, Yoon Jaewoo clasped his hands respectfully behind his back and bowed. It was a sign of reverence shown to a god.

「You’re a Ramia who knows how to greet properly.」

“Of course!”

Yoon Jaewoo raised his head with sparkling eyes. The thought that his escape route might open here brought a blush to his cheeks. He stepped into the circle where Yatenbaum was standing and said,

“Please take me with you. Dweord Yatenbaum.”

Their eyes met. A deep smile spread across Yatenbaum’s lips. His eyes shone red in the sunlight.

Yoon Jaewoo stared blankly into his eyes.

He couldn’t explain why, but he suddenly felt a chill. He felt the same primal fear he had experienced before.

Just as Yoon Jaewoo flinched and tried to step back, a strong force yanked his hair from behind.

“Ouch!”

He screamed in pain as if his hair was being ripped out. He didn’t even have to ask who it was. He heard a soft click of the tongue from behind him.

「How impudent.」

Eustace was standing there.

He simply raised his hand slightly. That alone was enough to hold Yoon Jaewoo in place as if nailed to the air.

「You said you were busy, but you have time to come to the garden?」

Despite Eustace’s sudden appearance, Yatenbaum cast a leisurely glance.

「Because it’s my garden.」

Eustace’s smooth voice resonated softly.

Understanding the meaning behind those words, Yatenbaum smiled faintly. Azan was a war between gods. And in that war, the one with the most promising chance of victory was Eustace. It was a polite warning and a compulsion, telling him not to do anything unnecessary in his garden.

“Ouch, hey! Let go! It hurts! You’re not going to take responsibility if I go bald! Damn it!”

Yoon Jaewoo yelled, struggling as he was suspended in the air by his hair. Yatenbaum watched Yoon Jaewoo and roared with laughter. Eustace sighed as if exasperated and moved his hand. As soon as he was put down, Yoon Jaewoo checked his hair and glared.

“What kind of person, no, what kind of god acts like this? Why are you grabbing someone’s hair out of the blue?!”

Eustace’s blue eyes narrowed coldly. Yoon Jaewoo couldn’t tell what emotion resided in those eyes, but he was certain that this was the moment he needed to shut his mouth.

Eustace’s hand landed on Yoon Jaewoo’s shoulder just as he closed his mouth. Wondering if he intended to rip his shoulder out and split him in half, Yoon Jaewoo flinched and stepped back.

Eustace patted Yoon Jaewoo’s shoulder a couple of times with his palm. Yoon Jaewoo’s face paled at the affectionate gesture that made his hair stand on end.

From experience, when this man acted like this….

Eustace gestured subtly, and the ball Yoon Jaewoo had made from woven vines rolled towards him. Yoon Jaewoo stared blankly as the ball floated into the air without being touched.

「Ramia.」

Eustace’s call echoed in Yoon Jaewoo’s ears. The power in his voice made Yoon Jaewoo’s knees weak.

「Ramia. Answer me.」

“…Yes.”

The ball spun around at Eustace’s fingertips. Even without applying any force, the ball’s rotation speed increased. A burning smell emanated from the ball, unable to withstand the rotational speed, and smoke started to billow.

And then.

With a pop, the ball exploded in mid-air.

Yoon Jaewoo held his breath. Eustace slowly called, “Ramia,” again and waited for a response. When Yoon Jaewoo nodded, Eustace continued with a smile.

「If you do anything useless again, your head will meet the same fate next time. It’s a bad head, but I trust you can keep this in mind.」

Overwhelming power and absolute authority.

And the fragility of a human beneath it.

Trembling, Yoon Jaewoo nodded. Yatenbaum laughed loudly, and the ground of the garden shook.

Yoon Jaewoo was the only one frozen in place.

“I’ve made up my mind.”

Yoon Jaewoo, who had been lying in bed with a sheet over his head after returning from his walk of terror, sat up abruptly. He quickly got dressed. The servant waiting outside, sensing his movement, asked, “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Yoon Jaewoo didn’t answer and stuffed the bundle of food he had stashed away into his clothes. He put on another thin layer over it. He doubled up on the sock-like footwear and stuffed his pockets with small fruits. After wrapping his neck with a thin cloth, Yoon Jaewoo left the room. The servant waiting outside bowed his head.

“I, walk.”

Yoon Jaewoo said bluntly. He had been telling them he was going for a walk every night, pacing the garden on his limping leg, so they should understand this much. As expected, the servant obediently followed him.

「Won’t you be hot?」

“Cold.”

When Yoon Jaewoo shivered and answered, the servant tilted his head.

「You’re already sweating on your forehead. Are you alright? If you’re not feeling well, you should just go back and rest….」

“Chills. Don’t you know what chills are? Don’t worry about it. I’m going for a walk anyway.”

Yoon Jaewoo walked briskly.

Passing through the white marble hallway, he stood at the entrance to the garden. The scent of flowers wafted towards him. It was a sweet scent that evoked a sense of nostalgia. Yoon Jaewoo knew that this fragrance emanated from the tiny white flowers, no bigger than his fingernails. A little further on, there was a tree with white, maple-shaped leaves that gave off a pungent, mint-like scent. Walking further, he would reach knee-high, orchid-like grasses that emitted a comforting scent like sun-dried blankets.

Yoon Jaewoo had explored the garden whenever he had the chance, to the point where he was roughly familiar with the plants within. He walked and walked and walked. He strolled through the garden so much that he wondered if he had been this diligent with his rehabilitation training, perhaps he wouldn’t be limping as much as he was now.

“I’ll go alone from here.”

Yoon Jaewoo said, looking at the servant who was following closely behind. He pointed his finger at the roof of the pavilion in the center of the garden. When he went there to meet Jin-soo hyung, the servants would retreat without a word.

「Then I’ll wait here.」

Leaving behind the servant who obediently stepped back as usual, Yoon Jaewoo walked toward the pavilion.

The white-furred beast was capricious. It appeared when it wanted and disappeared when it wanted. Sometimes Yoon Jaewoo would be waiting at the pavilion first, and other times the beast would already be there, enjoying the moonlight. Of course, there were also times when it didn’t show up at all.

He half hoped Jin-soo hyung would appear, and half hoped he wouldn’t. As Yoon Jaewoo ascended the pavilion, he wondered if the large, white ball of fur would be lying in its usual spot today.

“Sigh…”

A sigh escaped with his breath. The beast wasn’t there. He wasn’t sure whether he was relieved or disappointed.

Yoon Jaewoo planned to escape from this castle today. He had been observing his surroundings every night he came up to this pavilion.

He scrutinized how the garden’s structure changed, how the direction of the trees differed, and the direction the guards moved when the moon hung in the center of the sky.

The pavilion, always in the same spot and situated on higher ground, was the optimal location for reconnaissance.

“I wonder if it’s not coming…”

Yoon Jaewoo craned his neck and looked around.

Escaping with the beast was a risky endeavor. It was nearly impossible to sneak out of the garden with such a large beast, easily noticeable even from afar. More than anything, he couldn’t put Jin-soo hyung in danger when he didn’t know what might happen. Rationally, it was right to leave Jin-soo hyung behind.

Even though it was the right thing to do, even though it was.

“Jin-soo…”

Yoon Jaewoo quietly called the name. It was a beast whose identity he didn’t know, a beast he hadn’t known for long and didn’t even follow him well. It was different from the white-furred dog that had protected him at the orphanage.

Despite knowing all this, his heart felt empty. That’s how lonely and isolated he had been. In that world and this world, his heart had been empty. And into that emptiness, a fierce and indifferent beast with beautiful white fur had wandered in.

“Jin-soo… where did you go?”

Yoon Jaewoo muttered anxiously.

The large moon, which seemed to be barely touching the horizon, was gradually tilting to the side. It was time for the guards to change shifts.

The direction the guards disappeared to was different every day. After persistent observation, Yoon Jaewoo discovered a pattern where the direction was the same every four days. The problem was that the pattern wasn’t perfectly consistent. It was a gamble. He wanted to observe for longer, but he had to escape now.

“…I can’t stay here any longer.”

Yoon Jaewoo muttered through gritted teeth, recalling the events of the day.

That Eustace was several times more violent and nasty than he had thought. Even knowing that Ramia would eventually become orbs, a part of him still held onto a sliver of hope.

Surely not. Even a god wouldn’t absorb a living being, trap its soul, and turn it into an orb. Could such a story be true?

However, after hearing the conversation between the red-haired Yatenbaum and Eustace today, he realized that that bastard was more than capable of such a thing.

He couldn’t stay here any longer, living in fear and twiddling his thumbs.

Yoon Jaewoo looked around. As he expected, the guards started to move. After confirming they had disappeared between the trees, he stood up. As he was about to descend the pavilion, he hesitated and looked back. His eyes fell on the spot where the beast always sat.

“Jin-soo hyung. I’m sorry… If you can smell me, please follow my scent.”

He turned away from the pavilion stairs. It was quite high, but it was a height he could easily climb down using the pillars. Yoon Jaewoo put his foot on the railing and pulled himself up. Even though he had been resting from exercise, his body had spent its whole life running on the field. His strength and agility were far superior to ordinary people.

Despite the handicap of his injured leg, he easily climbed down the pillar. This was to avoid the eyes of any servants he might encounter.

Once on the ground, Yoon Jaewoo carefully made his way in the direction the guards had disappeared. The rustling of leaves under his feet seemed unusually loud, making his heart pound. He walked through the garden, trying his best not to drag his right foot. The garden was so large that it was easy to get lost, but Yoon Jaewoo, having familiarized himself with the shapes of the trees and flowers, uncannily recognized the path he had taken.

“Do you think I was just taking walks every night for nothing?”

Yoon Jaewoo scoffed and weaved his way through the garden, finding his path. If he felt confused, he broke off branches and left them as markers.

By the time his body was drenched in sweat, he found the wall guarded by the sentries. Yoon Jaewoo cheered internally. He was halfway there.

The other half was getting past those guards.

Peeking from behind a tree, Yoon Jaewoo counted the number of guards. Three. It was both fortunate and unfortunate.

If there were two, he could try to fight them off and run outside, but three were too much for him. If there were four, he would have turned back, thinking it was over for today.

“What should I do?”

Yoon Jaewoo muttered anxiously, racking his brain. He had only thought about getting to the gate; he hadn’t planned for getting past the guards.

Groaning, he sat down.

Throwing rocks to create a distraction would only be a temporary solution. He couldn’t throw rocks simultaneously in different directions to lure all three of them away.

After much deliberation, Yoon Jaewoo, with a do-or-die attitude, started smearing dirt on his face. He messed up his hair and ruffled his clothes.

He stood up, clenched his fists, and took a deep breath.

If he couldn’t sneak out, it was better to make a grand entrance and completely bewilder his opponents.

“Haaaaah!”

He ran towards the guards, screaming. The startled guards ran towards him. Yoon Jaewoo babbled whatever came to mind.

“Go over there, quick! There’s something over there! Don’t ask me what it is. I don’t know! Hurry! Quickly!”

The guards were clearly bewildered as the disheveled Ramia rushed out, spewing incomprehensible words. Yoon Jaewoo whimpered and gestured with his hands, creating a large shape.

“There! I told you there’s something there! It didn’t attack the Ramia, but there’s something there! There’s definitely something big there!”

「That way?」

“Yes, that way, something huuuge! Damn it, what’s big? Anyway, it’s big!”

When Yoon Jaewoo gestured with his hands to indicate something enormous, the guard’s expression darkened as he was about to run in that direction. Yoon Jaewoo pushed the other guard standing next to him.

“You go too! Idiot! Hurry!”

The guard, pushed by Yoon Jaewoo, had no choice but to run in the direction he was pointing. The remaining guard looked at Yoon Jaewoo with a worried expression and asked,

「Ramia. Are you alright?」

Yoon Jaewoo raised his head. A subtle smile played on his lips. The guard tilted his head in confusion and asked again.

「Ramia. Are you hurt anywhere?」

“No, I’m fine.”

Yoon Jaewoo smiled and slowly approached the guard.

“Ah, damn. It’s freezing.”

Yoon Jaewoo grumbled, fastening his collar tightly. His chin trembled. Even though he had prepared and come out, it was extremely cold.

After knocking out the remaining guard and passing through the small gate into the snowy field, Yoon Jaewoo walked straight ahead without changing direction. He thought that if he kept walking in a straight line, he would eventually find something.

He walked for about an hour. He didn’t have a watch, so he couldn’t tell the exact time, but he believed he had walked for about that long.

But….

“Why can’t I see anything?!”

Yoon Jaewoo yelled at the vast expanse of white snow. He knew nothing would change, but he still shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Hey! You goddamn world!”

Yoon Jaewoo screamed until his throat was raw. In the wide-open snowfield with nowhere for his voice to reach, his voice only echoed far and wide, never returning.

“Damn you gods! Did you think you could control me as you pleased?!”

The gods of that world and this world were all obsessed with tormenting him. Having grown up in an orphanage run by a church, he had dabbled in Christianity, but he was essentially agnostic. Especially after the accident, his mindset changed to, “If I ever meet a god, I’ll beat them up.”

“Sigh, fuck. I’m not going back. Even if I freeze to death here.”

Yoon Jaewoo took out a piece of dried meat, put it in his mouth, and chewed it down. Maintaining his body temperature was paramount in a situation where he didn’t know how long he would have to walk.

The falling snow blurred his vision, making it difficult to see ahead, but he desperately focused his eyes, searching for something. He didn’t know what that something was, but in this entirely white snowfield, he had to find something different to survive.

Blowing warm air onto his freezing hands, Yoon Jaewoo focused his mind and strained his eyes.

“…….”

It was a tiny dot.

At first, he thought his breath had fogged his vision. That’s why he thought a tiny dot was flickering in the distance. However, even after blinking a few times and stopping blowing on his hands, the dot was still there. It was so small that he wondered if something had gotten into his eye. It was so small that it could easily be mistaken for a speck of dust mixed with the snowflakes.

However, Yoon Jaewoo’s instincts screamed at him to follow it. Boldly breaking his principle of walking straight, he changed direction and headed towards the faint dot in the distance. Just as doubt began to creep into his heart, questioning whether he had made the wrong choice, Yoon Jaewoo’s eyes widened.

“Oh!”

It was a red horse.

No, it wasn’t a horse. It was too big to be called a horse, and there was no way to explain the horn protruding from its head.

The horse-like creature, walking at a pace neither fast nor slow, approached Yoon Jaewoo on his left. Yoon Jaewoo looked around and then flattened himself on the ground.

Encountering something here didn’t mean it was the key to survival. Having learned this lesson from the black snake, Yoon Jaewoo lowered himself and waited for the unidentified horse-like creature to approach.

The falling snow quickly covered Yoon Jaewoo’s body. Even without the snow, he was so far away that it was unlikely the creature would see him.

“Hmm…”

The red beast had moved out of Yoon Jaewoo’s sight. Lying in the snow, he began to ponder. Should he follow it or continue walking straight as he had been?

The heavy snow was now up to Yoon Jaewoo’s chin.

His body shivered, and his teeth chattered involuntarily. Yoon Jaewoo got up. Brushing off the snow, he ran in the direction the red beast had disappeared. It was less running and more dragging his right leg and hopping with his good leg. It was physically demanding, but he couldn’t help it. He was desperate. After running for a while, Yoon Jaewoo stopped abruptly. He saw the red beast.

“Why is it doing that?”

Yoon Jaewoo lowered himself and observed.

The red beast, in the shape of a horse, stood still, stamping the ground with its front hooves. Was it looking for food? Or was there a hot spring gushing out there? Whatever it was, he hoped it would be helpful….

“……!”

He blinked rapidly, his frozen eyelashes fluttering. Yoon Jaewoo, at the unbelievable sight, pinched his face several times.

A hole appeared beneath the red horse’s hooves. Light poured out from the large hole, almost like a cave.

The red beast looked around for a moment, then naturally walked into the hole. Hearing the clattering sound of hooves fading away, Yoon Jaewoo jumped to his feet.

I have to go there!

His body moved before his mind could process it. He ran. His almost immobile right leg dragged on the ground, tearing and bleeding, but he gritted his teeth. The light emanating from the hole was gradually fading.

No. If I miss this, I’ll die here.

Yoon Jaewoo desperately dragged his leg. His good left leg, supporting his entire body, was strained to the point where his tendons felt like they would snap. The inside of his thigh twitched.

The hole was gradually collapsing inwards, disappearing. He knew this was his only lifeline.

Yoon Jaewoo threw himself towards the light. The light, expanding momentarily like an exploding star, vanished with a whoosh.

A single shoe lay abandoned on the snowfield.

“Waaaaah!”

He couldn’t support his body, as if being swept away by a strong current. Yoon Jaewoo screamed with his eyes tightly shut, flailing his arms.

Just as fear that his body might shatter and disappear rose within him, he heard a thud. It was the sound of his body hitting the ground.

“Ugh…”

Grimacing, Yoon Jaewoo tried to get up, but his face slammed back down.

“Ugh…”

A groan escaped his lips. His shoulder throbbed where he had hit it. Wondering if it was dislocated, he carefully moved his fingers while lying down. Fortunately, he could move his hand without difficulty. Yoon Jaewoo moved his other hand and both legs in turn. They were all attached properly and he could move them without much trouble.

Yoon Jaewoo gasped for breath. Sweet, soft air filled his lungs. It was the fragrant smell of grass. The memory of lying on the school lawn flashed through his mind.

Seriously. To be thinking about this at a time like this….

“Gasp!”

Yoon Jaewoo’s eyes flew open. Grass. Green grass. He turned his head and looked around. Various flowers and trees boasted their vitality, emitting fresh scents.

“…….”

A large swallowtail butterfly flew by in an arc. Yoon Jaewoo realized that this world he was lying in had “color.”

“…I’m out.”

He muttered in disbelief.

“Hahahaha. Finally, finally… Uhaha!”

Laughter burst forth. He lay on the grass, laughing like a madman. The places where he had hit the ground ached, but he couldn’t stop laughing.

“Uhahahaha, haha! I, I finally! I escaped!!”

He had finally arrived somewhere else, out of that castle that was so white it was almost colorless.

“God? You’re a joke. What did I say! I told you I’d get out!”

Even though Eustace couldn’t hear him, he shouted at the top of his lungs as if for him to hear.