Sungchul noticed Bertelgia’s stare and turned around.
“Go, Bertelgia. I am no longer your master. How can a tool own a tool?”
Sungchul said with his eyes closed.
There was no strength behind his voice.
Bertelgia could tell, that nothing would get through to Sungchul no matter what she said.
The God of Chaos said to Bertelgia.
“I shall let you know one thing, Tool. You have one critical flaw. And that flaw has pushed that human into a corner despite your efforts.”
That was when Sungchul’s voice interrupted the God of Chaos.
“Don’t say anything unnecessary.”
Sungchul’s voice seemed on edge.
The God of Chaos grinned as it turned its head.
Meanwhile, what the god had said had already caused their intended effect.
“My…flaw?”
That was then that Bertelgia realized something.
An unsettling possibility she had been subconsciously aware of finally crossed her mind.
And that was when Bertelgia was reminded of a scene in her mind.
Of the hallway before the stairs, of the only door among countless others that had been sealed and locked behind chains and padlock.
‘Could it be that?’
Sungchul’s reactions revealed all she needed to know.
Bertelgia was filled with certainty. Her blue eyes glistened.
She stopped watching Sungchul become enveloped in darkness and turned around to run.
Ahmuge who had fallen to her knees in shock finally snapped out of it and chased after Bertelgia.
The hallway was no longer lit, and so the narrow hallway looked drearier and nearly consumed by the darkness.
Bertelgia ran to the locked door close to the entrance of the hallway.
The door that was chained up and locked behind a padlock.
Bertelgia grabbed the chains covering the door with her small hands.
The secret door Sungchul wanted to keep hidden was about to be opened.
Click.
The chains looked sturdy. But the moments Bertelgia touched them, they fell apart like rope made of sand.
“I want to get out of here.”
Ahmuge, who was still gripped in terror, wanted to search for an exit.
“Not yet.”
Bertelgia grabbed Ahmuge’s hands and shook her head.
“If you want to leave, I have to leave with you. And if we do that, we will forever lose our chance.”
Who knows since when?
The entire length of the hallway of doors was beginning to burn. The flames were still weak. But the fire would soon cover and burn everything in the hallways.
“There’s no time.”
Bertelgia took her eyes off of Ahmuge and grabbed the door handle.
And as soon as Bertelgia’s hands touched the handle, she could feel it. The emotions hidden beyond this door.
‘This is sadness…? No. This is fear!”
Where did this fear come from?
It comes from loss.
So, for those who have nothing to lose have no fear.
For Sungchul who had nothing else to lose, the source of his fear was hiding beyond this door.
Bertelgia turned the handle with a rigid expression.
Beyond the doorway was a circular space surrounded by a castle wall.
The Scroll of Calamity that existed at the center was looking down upon Bertelgia and Ahmuge without any expression.
Bertelgia felt a peculiar sensation upon seeing the Scroll of Calamity.
‘What is this? This…’
She had never felt anything like this before.
That might have been because this place not only recreated Sungchul’s memories, it also emulated the emotions he felt as well.
“Isn’t this the storage room of the Scroll of Calamity in the Tower of Recluse?”
Ahmuge said out loud after recognizing their location.
Soon, Bertelgia and Ahmuge finally discovered Sungchul standing on the other side of the Scroll of Calamity.
He, who still had no face, was looking at something.
Bertelgia walked slightly to the side to see who Sungchul was looking at.
It was a book.
Bertelgia’s eyes trembled greatly.
‘Unit 49? No. There’s something different.’
And soon, an identical voice but entirely different, cold voice filled the circularl hall.
“I am Bertelgia Unit 55.”
It was the first time Bertelgia saw her.
Bertelgia finally remembered, that she was not present here.
She felt strange. A powerful compulsion that she mustn’t enter the Tower of Recluse.
The faceless Sungchul and Bertelgia Unit 55 exchanged words for a while. The conversation seemed to revolve around Ryze Hymerr or the Dragon God clan and the like.
But that alone could not explain why this passage to the past was locked up behind chains and lock.
Just as Bertelgia was wondering why this conversation was so secret, a heavy voice echoed from afar.
“… I remember seeing someone like you.”
It was Sungchul’s voice.
Ahmuge glanced at Bertelgia from the corner of her eyes.
‘This child…’
Bertelgia gripped the edge of her skirt with both hands and glared at Sungchul and the book conversing without so much as blinking.
“Huh? Who are you talking about?”
Unit 55 asked back with her characteristically empty voice devoid of any emotion.
Sungchul let out a sigh and opened his mouth.
“No, when I was in a country called Ixion, I was approached by someone wanting me to do a quest. She was similar to you yet not quite the same.”
“Really? Was that child. Was she stoic? Like a machine?”
To this, Sungchul nodded.
“I think that child was probably Unit 49. Although I serve by our father’s side, only Unit 49 acts on behalf of father as his right hand.”
“Why is that?”
To this, Unit 55 didn’t so much as move as she gave a short reply.
“She’s jaded. She was in the Human world for too long.”
Though the voice contained no emotions, Bertelgia could feel a subtle contempt in Unit 55’s voice.
“Is the one from the Summoning Palace also your sister?”
Sungchul asked.
Bertelgia felt her heart sink to the pits of her stomach when she heard this.
It was because Sungchul was asking about Bertelgia’s background.
Bertelgia’s eyes blue eyes grew even wider.
Ahmuge watched Bertelgia from the side without an expression.
Unit 55’s voice continued.
“Summoning Palace? Ah, the kids placed around the tutorial courses? The thing outside right now?”
Sungchul’s eyes trembled when he heard this.
There was no malice in Unit 55’s voice, but he could tell how Unit 55 felt about Bertelgia.
“At least, even those ones are considered sisters, yes.”
“At least…?”
“Even if they are considered sisters, those children are mass produced and therefore have no abilities to speak of.”
“Mass produced…?”
Sungchul asked with trembling voice.
Anyone who knew Sungchul’s character would have been shocked to see this.
It was extremely rare to see him show so much depth of emotion.
But Sungchul seemed to be deeply and gravely shook by what he was told.
“Bertelgia is the name of the daughter of our father, yes. But that woman has followed her mother and abandoned father long ago. And in the absence of her presence, we Bertelgia types have filled her place. We are tools that exists for the sake of our great father who sacrificed everything for the sake of the world.”
“······.”
“…”
Bertelgia couldn’t help but cover her mouth with both hands. Even between her mouth covered by both hands, a faint sound of her screaming in shock was leaking out.
Ahmuge closed her eyes.
‘A tool created for sake of convinience. So that was the truth behind this child’s identity.’
Even amidst the whirlwind of confusion, Unit 55 continued to speak.
“There are many types of Bertelgias. Unit 1 through 7 are pilot units for the Colossi. 8 through 30 are acolytes for managing artificial souls. Unit 31 through 54 are combat specialists. And Unit 55 and onward are fully integrated autonomous models with free will. The ultimate evolution of the Bertelgia series.”
Endless unconcealable pride could be felt emanating from Unit 55’s voice.
The confidence that she was part of the best model.
Bertelgia felt chill seeping into every part of her body.
Sungchul replied a moment later.
“Bertelgia. What model is Bertelgia who is waiting outside?”
Sungchul was desperately hoping.
That, even among the mass produced Bertelgia models meant to serve Eckheart, that she would be of the highest tier.
But the reality was cruel.
“Ah, that child? She’s not the same model as me. To make it clear, she was created earlier than me, but she’s far less complete than our model.”
“B…Bertelgia, what unit number is she?”
“The mass produced Bertelgia serial numbers begin at 100. She’s probably Unit hundred something. If I wanted to know for sure, I would have to meet her directly, but there’s no way to know for now. Not to mention, it is pointless.”
“I…Is that so?”
Unit 55 answered mercilessly in her cold voice to Sungchul’s questions.
“There’s no way free ‘items’ meant to be distributed to newly arrived Summoned in the tutorial course would be of the highest quality, you know. Those kids are fated to disappear if their masters are killed after all.”
“…”
The reality was harsh.
To Bertelgia or to Sungchul.
But once the doorway to the truth was opened, it didn’t pause as it continued to come on like a hurricane.
“Even though those kids also carry the name Bertelgia, those of us with proper numbering don’t consider them true sisters. It’s the same reason why I sent a mental signal for her to be unable to come here.”
“Is… that so? Is Bertelgia not the daughter of Eckheart?”
“Isn’t that obvious? Did she tell you that? That she’s the daughter of our father?”
“…”
“Unbelievable. Well, it’s fine if she wants to believe that. Either way, she’s only an object. A tool to bring the woman who abandoned father after he devoted himself into the Realms back out into the world. Something like that. It would be best for you to find out for yourself if you want to know more about it.”
“I see.”
“It seems you have grown fond of that child. Either way, if you would like for your present life to continue for a bit longer, then it is best for you to give up following the path of the Creationist. For you, and for that child.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
The environment was growing darker.
Even through her shock, Bertelgia could tell that the recollection was coming to an end.
In the room that was becoming enveloped in darkness, only Unit 55’s voice remained clear and unbroken.
“A machine that completes its purpose will cease to function.”
This was the memory Sungchul wanted to keep hidden.
His fear.
And by the time the room was completely overtaken by darkness, Bertelgia and Ahmuge was back in the burning, narrow hallway.
The inferno was incomparably larger than before.
“…”
Bertelgia had dropped her head without a word. She was no doubt experiencing a great deal of shock.
Even Ahmuge who knew very little could tell that the reality for Bertelgia was unbelievably grim.
‘This child who moves and acts like a human was just a one time use item. Anyone would be shocked to find that out about themselves.’
More importantly, this was no time to be standing in place.
Even as they stood in silence, the flames were consuming more and more of the hallway.
Like this, the world was going to collapse.
“Um. Bertelgia.”
Ahmuge called Bertelgia’s name for the first time.
Bertelgia heard this voice and looked up.
The blue eyes that had always been glistening and shining was now moistened by gem-like tears.
The tears finally followed her rosy flushed cheeks before falling on the burning ground.
It was then that a very small miracle occurred.
Ahmuge watched a small flower of miracle bloom in the midst of all this despair.
“…I am not a tool.”
Bertelgia said, balling up her fists and gritting her teeth.
“I am not just a mere tool!”
“…”
Ahmuge thought that this was a meaningless outburst.
But at the same time, she could see.
That there was passion and will burning in Bertelgia’s tiny flame that could put the inferno consuming the hallway to shame.
“A tool is something that becomes manipulated and used by someone else without thought or resistance. I think and act and move according to my own will.”
Bertelgia looked at Ahmuge.
“It doesn’t matter what fate has in store for me. At least until I see for myself, I am not just a tool.”
“…Bertelgia.”
Ahmuge felt something moving her heart.
Bertelgia suddenly spread out hear arms and spun around like she was dancing and looked behind her.
“Look. In this world of dreams, I have such pretty face and a beating heart. How can you call me a tool. What a ridiculous thing to say. Don’t you agree, guys?”
As Bertelgia looked around, eight cute and tiny critters appeared.
They were the Carbuncles.
These Soul Gems that were in contact with Sungchul’s body came to answer their true master’s calling and appeared before Bertelgia.
“Kyun?”
Bertelgia kneeled and reached out with her hand.
The fist-sized carbuncles hopped onto Bertelgia’s hands and ran up her arms in a line, filling up the space on her shoulders and atop of her head.
But Bertelgia was too tiny for all of them to fit, so one of them had nowhere to go.
Bertelgia picked the last one up with both hands and handed it to Ahmuge.
“Cabungbung. I’m sorry but let this unnie carry you instead.”
“Kyu…”
Carbuncle did not conceal its disappointment in the slightest.
Even though Ahmuge felt anger for reasons no one could guess, she accepted the Carbuncle Bertelgia handed her.
As soon as she did, she felt something warm flowing into her.
In this world of nothing but suffering and despair, it was a familiar sensation she so desperately craved and missed.
And it was the feelings between Bertelgia and Sungchul.
The warm feelings that existed between Bertelgia and Sungchul was transferred to Ahmuge through Carbuncles that possesses the ability to connect the hearts and minds of others.
‘It’s so warm. Is this how the Enemy of the World and Bertelgia feel about each other?’
Ahmuge’s view of Bertelgia changed.
First it was doubt, caution, then pity. But now Ahmuge’s eyes slowly revealed the compassion and understanding towards the small girl.
“Let’s go, unnie.”
Bertelgia’s voice much more gentle than before.
Ahmuge could tell.
That this voice contained some power that was even more difficult to disobey than even the voice of the God of Chaos by the stairway.
Ahmuge’s face finally showed a faint smile.
For the first time in truly a long while. In this place being torn apart by black flames of destructions, no less.
1 more chapter to go!