While Eun-chan was biting her lips, Akane-san was wearing a subtly suspicious smile. What is this?

“What’s going on?”

I set down the food I made on the table.

“Rize-chan. If you don’t mind, could you let us know where you and Eun-chan first met? You see, both YiChen and I are quite curious.”

Akane-san turned to me with begging eyes.

What the… suspicious, suspicious. Why would she want to know that?

“What did she tell you guys then?”

“She refused to disclose.”

“Then I won’t be telling you anything either.”

“Why?”

Ms. YiChen asked, puzzled.

“It’s probably sensitive information.”

Looks like Chow-san was on my side. Yeah!

“If you knew where I found her from, we might end up in big trouble.”

I quipped.

“Is that so?

Ms. YiChen turned to look at Eun-chan slowly.

“Yup. So to keep everyone safe, it’s better to not ask about our identities too much. All you need to know is that Eun-chan is my daughter.”

“Mn…”

Akane-san looked dissatisfied, balancing a fork on her puckered lips.

DaHong-san soon came out with Akane-san, Chow-san, and his own dinner. We split the cooking duties.

Eun-chan had teriyaki unagi don. Ms. YiChen’s was crispy fish in sweet, sour, spicy gravy with rice. Mine was a mini kimbap missing carrots.

DaHong-san made udon for himself. Akane-san had egg salad, and Chow-san went with a big bowl of kimchi stew and rice.

As for drinks we had black tea, warm or cold depending on personal preference.

“How was work day? Busy?”

I asked.

“Yeah.”

“So-so.”

“I think everyone managed well.”

The three restaurant members each had different responses. But it was generally positive.

“How about you two? What did you do outside today?”

Chow-san asked.

“We… went to visit Mr. Kim Hyeon’s home.”

“Kim Hyeon? You mean Sergeant Chu’s husband?”

“Yup.”

“Oh right, I remembered you telling us that just two days ago.”

“Yup, yup. And then because Akane-san had a new weapon prototype, we had to travel all the way to the barracks to pass it to Nana-chan and TaeHyun-kun.”

“How are they?”

“Well, they weren’t in, but from Sergeant Ng’s testimony, they seem to be doing well. It won’t be long before they return for a big break.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“I’ll never understand why that girl wants to be a soldier.”

DaHong-san was referring to Nana-san. In fact, I too vibe with his statement. Nana-san is such a sweet girl, I was worried it would be hard on her.

Though, you could never underestimate the power of dreams can you now?

“How about you Akane-san? What did you do today?”

“Nothing much. I stayed at home doing a bunch of personal research.”

“Oh? What kind of project are you working on right now?”

A workaholic even when she’s away from the office.

“I was trying to find a correlation between the density of prana’s static kinetic output to a demonica’s hyperreactivity state.”

Okay… a fancy way to determine the effects of prana density on a demonica’s sense of attraction.

Wait.

“You’re doing that at home?”

“Yes. What’s wrong with that?”

“Let me rephrase. You’re researching demonica in the house?”

“Ah…”

She seemed to have realised her slip-up.

“Akane-san…”

“Y-You said that you met the major right? How was she…”

Ignoring her attempt to change the topic, I looked at her (possible) accomplice.

“Did you know about this, DaHong-san?”

“She’s a scientist, isn’t it normal for her to bring some dangerous things into the home?”

Geh. I can’t disagree with that statement there.

“N-No. I assure you it’s super safe. I’ve taken multiple precautionary steps to ensure that there won’t be an outbreak…”

“Then I’ll just have to see for myself what kind of demonica you brought back home.”

As the landlord, I think it was time to conduct the long-awaited room inspections!

“I swear it’s nothing dangerous!”

“I’ll break into your room right this evening! You better prepare yourself!”

With both cheeks going round and round, Ms. YiChen, Mr. Chow and Eun-chan silently watched as chaos unfolded.

◃⊰⊱⊹. ⊹⌖Ω ⩏⊹ϑ ⊰⊱▹

During dinner, I got this ingenious idea of ransacking all the residence’s rooms. That included not only Akane-san’s room, but also DaHong-san’s.

I was hoping to find porn lying around… to think he had nothing like that. What a boring fellow.

Anyway, I looked around Akane-san’s room which I hadn’t seen in a long time.

There were so many additions to her laboratory. Like that fish tank and the special cabinet where she displayed the prana crystals I gave her.

“Why are you keeping Crazy Koi?”

“…I told you it isn’t dangerous alright?”

Even though Crazy Koi were categorised under minor demonica, they still had the potential to infect other larger organisms. Not by biting them, but by being eaten.

“If they ever run loose, I’m calling SGC on you okay?”

If the authorities found out that there was someone illegally keeping demonica as a pet, my house would be done for. Normally, to keep any sort of demonica, a special facility had to be approved by the island-state governor.

“I have a licence. You should trust me enough right?”

“Seriously, seriously don’t accidentally release them alright?”

There were only 4 Crazy Koi in the tank, so it shouldn’t be too hard to deal with if they got loose. I’m simply concerned for the 20 other normal koi that didn’t seem to find their demonised friends a threat.

“Where is your bed?”

“Oh, I didn’t think I needed it. A futon is enough since I spend most of my time in the basement anyways.”

When did she suddenly decide to live in the basement?

“You know, for days when I can’t stop my mad experiments.”

“Just be careful to not drink too much coffee. That’ll kill you for sure.”

“I hate coffee.”

“Then tea.”

Both were caffeinated beverages.

“Not a chance. I can’t stay awake without caffeine.”

“Then go to sleep. You don’t want to die young, trust me.”

“Then help me with my experiments.”

“No thank you. You should be the one helping me with my experiments. I’m the lord, you’re the baron.”

“How unfair.”

“Then I’ll take away the prana crystals.”

“Ah! No, please! Anything but that!”

In the end, Akane-san couldn’t deny the fact that she was bound to me.

“Anyways, what have the results of the experiments been like so far? Did you find anything interesting?”

“I did. They don’t seem to be reacting to prana cores the way I initially thought they would. There weren’t many people studying this, so it was hard to find research papers about the topic. Although prana density makes up for a large percentage of the attraction value, I realised that it alone isn’t the singular factor that decides what a demonica prioritises as a target.”

“Oh. That sure is interesting.”

It made much more sense when put that way. Had the theory been absolute, the Hive that raided Fortress 13 would’ve focused more on securing the prana core than killing humans.

“Which made me wonder, what exactly do these demons want?”

“Want?”

“They gather around a queen, and the queen gives out commands, which causes the demonica to act in certain patterns. That command… could it be electromagnetic waves? Sound waves? Or matters waves that the demonica responds to? And is this ‘something’ also being emitted by prana crystals?”

I roughly grasped how understanding this mystery could help improve current military strategies to subjugate Hives.

The two biggest weaknesses of demonica which scientists have discovered to date were a specific frequency of prana shockwave, and high voltage electricity. Both of which target the bioprana system within the demonica themselves.

The prana shockwaves temporarily render their ability of flight useless. This was good for small or medium-sized demonica, but ineffective against larger ones.

Meanwhile, high voltage completely sends prana into overdrive, essentially killing the organism’s prana organ. The problem however was that the electricity could potentially harm us humans too if not carefully used.

If Akane-san could distil down the ‘holy grails’ that the demonica chases after in order, it would make it possible to intercept their command line, or predict their movements with much more precision.

“Akane-san, keep researching this.”

“…Huh?”

“This project you’re working on could potentially revolutionise the way we fight the Hives. The priority of what a demonica follows, and a method to intercept it—if you can find a correlation, it would save many, many lives.”

“Oh. I didn’t think of that at all.”

Like how one invents antibiotics from an accident during the study of bacteria. Akane-san had just stumbled into such a territory.

I wasn’t sure why no other biologists had thought to study something so important. Either way, since we have a biologist here aware, I suppose she’s obligated to start it now. If Akane-san doesn’t do it after this, I might do it on her behalf.

“But it’s troubling you know.”

Akane-san placed her hands on her face and made a squeamishly pitiful expression.

“Someone said that it’s dangerous to keep demonica in the residence. What should I do?”

“Fine! Fine! You get to keep the demonica! Just be careful not to let them loose.”

Akane-san responded with a sly chuckle.

“Of course, I will take the utmost precaution, my landlord.”

Akane-san had a mischievous side to her too.

“Also.”

I felt my motherly instincts kick into gear.

“To even begin the experiment, I would need the source of the experiment’s inspiration.”

“The source…? And what could that be?”

Akane-san simply raised a smile. I figured out why in that instant I felt alarms going off in my head.

She was referring to Eun-chan.

She must’ve discovered something about her ability to fly—a human being with a prana organ. But what has that got to do with factors that affect a demonica’s attention?

“Why does she need to be involved? In what way do you intend to use her?”

I was vigilant, worried that Akane-san would force Eun-chan to do something ridiculous even with my consent.

“That girl you brought here with you. She’s not an orphan, isn’t she now?”

“Anyone could tell as much. Just get to the point.”

“I simply need her to touch the tank wall.”

“Touch the tank wall?”

“If you don’t plan to disclose how you two met, that’s fine. Just tell me one thing, Rize-chan. EiYun-san, that girl, she’s a God’s Emissary just like you, isn’t she?”

EiYun? A God’s Emissary?

I couldn’t say yes, nor could I say no. Yes would mean I lied, no would make her question Eun-chan’s identity further.

“I think you know the answer better than I do.”

So I simply gave Akane-san the right to choose which answer she desired.

Akane-san looked like she was on the verge of losing her mind.

“We really live in a small world.”

“…Not really. I think Second Eden is pretty big at least.”

A fraction the size of Earth, but still quite expansive. Akane-san chuckled.

“Don’t worry. I won’t try to put her in any harm. All I need her to do is use her weird magic to draw the attention of the demonica. She’ll be my scale for now.”

“No, what? Can’t you do it without her weird magic? I mean, just compare their reaction between a stone and some other factor, can’t you?”

Akane-san shook her head.

“You don’t understand do you?”

No. I don’t.

“I didn’t research this with the intention of figuring out what the demonica are attracted to.”

“Then what were you researching?”

I was getting closer to the truth.

Akane-san was weird in ways that I could empathise with. As her counsel in research, she had never deceived me with her interests.

“Hadn’t you realised by now that her magic could be acting as a queen-like existence to the demonica?”

“…What?”

A queen-like existence…?

“She told me that she easily attracted the attention of demonica. Not just these small ones, but entire Hives.”

How did Akane-san get hold of such a ridiculous theory in such a short time? And, when did Eun-chan tell Akane-san something like that? But Eun-chan was human though? Shouldn’t they be trying to kill her? No.

Why was she afraid of flying? If she was right, and EiYun was a sort of queen, then…

In the first place, the demonica hadn’t been passive. I witnessed it myself. That day I broke my arm to save her from that Bloodfin Orca. The demonica hadn’t been trying to protect her, it… was trying to do something else.

If Akane-san could draw on a hypothesis, I could layer my own on top of it..

Wouldn’t that explain why she had been experiencing all these misfortunes? More specifically, I was talking about having survived battles against demonica she should’ve died in.

It was just a thought but perhaps.

Just perhaps…

What if a human could turn into a demon?

It was an absurd thought for anyone who knew the common sense of this world. But I who have been to three would know that nothing was too ridiculous to prove impossible.

And…

Could this be the reason why the War Saint wanted Eun-chan dead?

◃⊰⊱. ϕ⊹ ⋈⊶⌖⊹⊰⊱▹

It was night.

Having just taken my shower, I came into the bedroom rubbing my still-wet hair with a fluffy towel.

I felt a nice cold breeze blow through.

The veranda’s window was open. Eun-chan was sitting on one of the chairs, looking towards the night view while stroking Cinnamon’s head in her hand. The capital of New Hangul created a small cascade of glittering, bustling lights that reached the skies and merged with the stars of the galaxies.

She turned to me.

“Mom.”

It was only when she was in this room, just the two of us together, that she’d refer to me in that manner.

Not that I disliked it. I was simply grateful for her consideration.

“Any particular reason why you look so sentimental?”

Being sentimental was better than being suicidal. Eun-chan had made significant progress in the past few weeks.

“I was thinking about Hyeon-ssi’s words and… about the major.”

“The major? Oh right, you went pale when you saw her right?”

Eun-chan let Cinnamon go, he snapped a few times and took his throne on her head. She didn’t mind his peculiarly annoying actions and came in.

She sat on the soft cushion.

“The major’s children… Sergeant Wang, and… Ayumi…”

Her voice choked up as she struggled to speak.

“Both of them… died before my very eyes. She… knows that.”

I silently urged her to go on with a nod.

“I… know I promised in Ms. Chu’s name… to stay alive, but it’s hard when I… still don’t know if I deserve to live. I don’t know… about the future, what if I cause another disaster like the one at Fortress 13 and lead to people’s death? What if because of me you… you…”

Die.

A disaster upon disaster. In fact, wasn’t I the disaster magnet here? If Eun-chan was a disaster magnet attracted to me who was also one, wouldn’t the next disaster that occurs be double the trouble?

“You know we can’t predict the future can you now?”

“Yes…”

“Then it’s honestly pointless to worry. Saying it is easier than practice, but in my hundred years of experience, I know its truth. As you know, I put people’s happiness above all, and sometimes that happiness comes with a price.”

That price is death.

They say the heart is the most selfish organ in the body. It takes the best blood for itself, leaving the rest for the other organs.

“Ms. Lili’s death was an unfortunate incident, and I clearly took my anger too far on you. I wouldn’t say that we’re all sane all the time, just, you know, people dying, or humanity ending… what does it matter?”

However, if the body lost the heart, everything else would die alongside it.

“We’re but small, inconsequential existences in this infinite pool of quantum jelly and electromagnetic waves. So enjoy the pain and sorrow while it lasts.”

I see myself as that heart. I am selfish, but I think it’s a necessary condition to fulfil my life.

“I can’t change the way you view the world overnight, nor can I take away your suffering without going through years of self-discovery and self-reflection. But what I can tell you is this.”

Because without first owning everything I need, I wouldn’t be able to help those around me.

“So as long I’m alive, I swear in every way possible, I’ll take care of you as my daughter. Bit by bit, we’ll overcome these hurdles together.”

At those words, the thought that I would actually die before Eun-chan crossed my mind. What would happen then?

Well, who knows. I’m simply doing what I think is best for my best-ever life.

As I sobered up to my cool speech, I found myself hugging Eun-chan. She wasn’t crying, but her tight embrace told me everything I needed to know.

“Anyways. Eun-chan, can I ask you something?”

“Yes? Ask what?”

She let go and looked at me confused. It was cute.

“You said you could fly because you are a half-human, half-marine-kind of lifeform right? Then is there a possibility that maybe you could become a demon, or more specifically, a queen.”

Eun-chan blinked a couple times.

“Did… XiaoLe tell you that?”

“Huh? No. Akane-san and I theorized about it.”

Eun-chan bit her lips. That gave me enough information to piece together some parts of the puzzle.

“So I was right. XiaoLe-tan knows about you becoming a demon in the future.”

I said. She nodded meekly.

“…And for that reason, you were sent for execution?”

She nodded again.

“You silly fool.”

I hugged her again.

“Well, you were lucky that I was there. Now we can sort out this problem together. So, can you tell me what you know about the future so I can get a clear picture of what we’re dealing with here? What did XiaoLe-tan tell you about being a demon? How did it happen? Were you hot and sexy? Did you grow a horn?”

“…”

I wasn’t sure if her silence was due to distress, or simply speechless.

If my daughter could become a sexy demon, I’d love to see her in that form.

◃⊰⊱. ϕ⊹ ⋈⊶⌖⊹⊰⊱▹

◬ Origin Year 138, 9th of Yǔ.

War was a place where people died.

“Mom! But I…”

“Don’t you dare fucking decide when you don’t know anything about the world!”

“Mom! I don’t want to die! I can’t fight I…”

The loss of a family and friends.

And ultimately, a part of oneself.

The loss that can’t be accepted becomes corruption, and this corruption spreads throughout.

Within communities, within families.

Soon, it causes a breakdown.

“We all promised him that one of you would live up to his honour!”

A kind, loving tender mother gone mad from the death of her husband.

Betrayal, and abandonment. Her husband’s sacrifice had been twisted into a false tale of deceit and crime.

“And brother died because of that!”

A daughter who wanted to deny her fate.

The mother… Shen GohJi grabbed her daughter by the shoulder.

In tears…

“Ayumi… Ayumi please… just this once… listen to your mother. You must… you must become a great, great general. Father wanted that for you, he loved you all so much…”

The girl, her daughter clenched her fist and bit her tongue.

She hated it. She hated how broken her family had become.

First her father, now her brother. Was she going to be next?

Did her mother want her to die? Did her mother not love her?

Such thoughts must’ve crossed Wang Ayumi’s mind.

But the mother wouldn’t be able to tell now that her daughter had passed.

Major Shen didn’t know. She didn’t know a thing.

Why her husband whom she loved so much could be framed for something he didn’t do.

Why she, her home, her reputation, her friends, her life—to forgo it all just to compensate for an unjust crime.

Why her son and daughter had to die in battle so young when that bitch survived.

Smoke left her mouth, the cigarette in her hands dimly lit under the moonlight.

Many years had passed since she lost her last family. And in those years of grief, she resolved herself to avenge the ones that had caused their deaths.

On her balcony office which overlooked the quiet field, she chuckled.

She crushed the cigarette in the ashtray. Picking up the document beside her to… read it again.

And again.

…And again.

It told her of her first victory. A revenge ploy she barely played a part in.

The monster who brought the death of her only two children. In the documents about that one person… Hwang EunHa.

She was finally dead.