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“I think I’ve heard that name before, but I can’t quite recall.”

I was lost in thought when the strange phrase escaped my lips.

“What are you talking about? What does that even mean?”

“Hmm. This might take a while… It’s somewhat related to alchemy, and I’m not sure if everyone here would understand my tale.”

“Huh?”

Aasura, who was standing next to me, was rather blunt. “We’re just a bunch of born fighters from the East. How do you expect us to get a grip on Western mysticism and alchemy? It’s bound to be torture for us. Just let those who can understand stay, and everyone else should disperse.”

“Oh! Everyone, please disperse.”

Finally grasping the situation, I asked everyone to scatter for the day. Those who left busily took the people from the slave market back to their quarters, and soon, only Aasura, Mangnyang, Saint Germain, and I were left.

Saint Germain spoke in a serious tone. “You don’t know anything about Hermes Trismegistus?”

“Um… I feel like I’ve heard of him, but hang on…”

As I rummaged through my memory, I eventually stumbled upon what I’d vaguely heard before and said, “That’s right. Matteo Ricci from the Jesuits mentioned that the Crystal Stele was the greatest treasure left by that Hermes before his ascension. Umm… and…”

“……!!”

“I can’t quite remember… Hmm…”

There were just so many memories that it was hard to recall. As I crossed my arms and pondered, Saint Germain looked rather flustered.

“Matteo Ricci? The priest of the Zodiac was in the Great Ming Empire and met him?”

“Uh? Well, sort of. It seems he was also looking for the Crystal Stele.”

“Ah! They must all be risking their lives for it…”

“……”

Ah, I can’t remember. I’ve been through so much, and it just isn’t coming to me. But it feels like there was something there…

I sighed in defeat and said, “Anyway, what’s this Hermes again…”

” Hermes Trismegistus.”

“Let’s just call him Hermes… Anyway, can you just give me the gist of what this guy did? If it’s too complicated, I won’t be able to grasp it.”

Nodding, Saint Germain continued. “Hermes is, essentially, a god of alchemy. By the time I was born, he had already ascended and became a deity, and this legendary figure descended into this world through the Crystal Stele.”

“…Hmm. So, literally, a god? The [Old Ruler]?”

“That’s a bit of a different story…”

Saint Germain carefully chose his words before he explained further.

“In the West, the [Guardian] is protecting humanity through the power of the [Old Ruler]. However, before the Guardian appeared, the Ancient Gods had been watching over humankind in secret, and back then, humans had channels to communicate with the Ancient Gods. The dimension that exists beyond those channels was referred to as ‘Titanion’ or ‘Chronos Diastasy.’ When tormented by the [Old Ruler], humans would call upon these channels just to stay alive.”

“…….”

“Hermes was a mortal who first gained divinity, crossing over to Chronos Diastasy and obtaining a divine body, bringing alchemy that originated in Atlantis to humankind. He was a human at least 4,000 years ago and was a divine being of mortal origin.”

“Um, that’s difficult to grasp… What does it even mean?”

As I fumbled, Aasura interjected coldly. “Baek Woong, the alchemist is just making it complicated. To put it simply, he’s like a demon king who attained divinity by receiving blessings from the Ancient Gods, which makes him a rather elevated kind of demon king.”

“Ah! A demon king?”

“Right. Though he’s referred to as a god, hearing the explanation makes him sound just like any other demon king. It’s just that unlike ordinary demon kings who are subservient to the [Old Ruler], it’s quite rare for him to be aligned with the Ancient Gods. He’s definitely not someone like the [Old Ruler].”

“I see…”

Now I really grasped it.

And then, Saint Germain, who was listening to Aasura’s words, seemed genuinely surprised. “Someone like you… could it be that you’re a demon king as well?”

“What if I am? Alchemist.”

“Oh, no. I don’t sense any magical power from you.”

For a moment, a bloodthirst glinted in Aasura’s eyes.

“Hehe… I don’t want to be bothered by a lowly creature like you, so I’ll just make that clear in advance.”

With steady steps, Aasura moved right in front of Saint Germain, releasing a hint of malice as he growled.

“Speak simply. Baek Woong is currently in a situation that prevents him from acting, but a scholar or sorcerer of your caliber won’t be hard to find. If you intend to use Baek Woong for your purposes, I will tear you apart first.”

“…Understood.”

I calmed Aasura down. “That’s enough. He likely means no harm.”

“Hmm. Folks like him would climb over your head endlessly if left without a warning.”

“Alright, I get it, just stop…”

As Aasura backed off, Saint Germain’s color seemed to finally return. After taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he began to explain again.

“Aasura is right. If we had to classify it, Hermes could be seen as a higher-tier demon king. However, the term ‘ascension’ was used because he has crossed over to the realm of the Ancient Gods and does not return to the human world.”

“Huh? Is that unusual?”

“Indeed. Historically, there have been many who reached the realm of magic and became demon kings, but they all colluded with the [Old Ruler] to become apostles or avatars. However, it can only be said that Hermes, who made a contract with the Ancient Gods and was allowed to live in their dimension, is the only human to do so.”

Saint Germain articulated slowly.

“A demon king of the order, a divine being, and an alchemist, sometimes even serving as a herald of the Ancient Gods. He is undeniably a uniquely special being. It might be why he’s attached the name Hermes from mythology…”

“Wait? Hermes Trismegistus isn’t his real name?”

Saint Germain shook his head. “No. No one knows his true name. He is such an ancient alchemist that there is no being left to confirm it. There may be one such being, but they are also a legendary figure, so you could say there is none among humans. That name has been passed down in legend, and he ended up taking the name of Hermes, the messenger of Greek and Roman mythology.”

“Only one?”

“His disciple.”

“A disciple, huh…?”

At that moment, memories surfaced in my mind.

[You foolish person. You’ve surpassed the criteria for talent. No human sorcerer has ever learned the language of otherworldly races faster than you. Even the demon king Simon Magus, the head of Western landlord doctrines and the divine alchemist Hermes’s disciple, couldn’t learn it faster than you.]

That was a remark made by Zhuge Sa when he taught me summoning techniques, marveling at how swiftly I advanced! The words suddenly came to mind, helping me realize where I had heard about Hermes. I shouted.

“The demon king of landlord doctrines, Simon Magus’s teacher! That’s who Hermes really is?!”

“……!!”

Saint Germain looked genuinely shocked, his eyes wide. “You know Simon?! Really, you don’t seem to understand alchemy or mysticism at all?”

“Ah… Actually, the sorcerer I know is Simon’s disciple and master of a heretical sect. He mentioned Simon occasionally.”

He had a expression of shock on his face.

“…Simon’s disciple? A being that became a demon king had a human apprentice? That’s impossible.”

“Hmm. Regardless, to summarize, it means the demon king Hermes’s disciple Simon forged a contract with the Ancient Ones and was promoted to the demon king of chaos. Did the master and disciple become opposing demon kings? For both to become demon kings…”

“That’s right. Of course, they are infinitely higher beings compared to an alchemist like me, so their thoughts are unfathomable.”

Then Saint Germain continued.

“Anyway, it seems we’ve covered all that needs to be said about Hermes.”

“I understand now. Now tell me how that Hermes used the fragments of the Crystal Stele to meddle in the affairs of the world.”

“It’s just as it sounds. As I mentioned, Hermes is a herald of the Ancient Gods and a sort of lower deity. To borrow his power, someone smashed the Crystal Stele on purpose to utilize its pieces’ magical power to conduct a summoning ceremony for Hermes.”

“So you’re saying there’s a powerful demon king called Hermes summoned in the Great Ming Empire right now?”

“Probably…”

After a pause, Saint Germain spoke up.

“The phenomenon where Cheon Woo-jin transformed into a dark egg indicates that the summoning of Hermes was successful. Because that egg is the forbidden potion of alchemy that gathers the law of cause and effect towards Hermes.”

“Forbidden potion?”

“A spell that has been around since the super ancient times of Atlantis, deemed too evil for its inheritance to continue. Although I am just a humble alchemist, I roughly comprehend its existence. It’s known as the ‘Eternal Seed’ (Αιώνιος σπόρος)… That black egg would forcibly reincarnate the parasitic host to incite slaughter, and the souls of those slain would become the laws of cause and effect and provide power to the sorcerer.”

“……”

“If that black egg was left alone, it would transform into a powerful demonic lifeform and bring calamity to the world. We’ve managed to avert that.”

I found myself taken aback by Saint Germain’s words.

“Are you serious? Cheon Woo-jin was defeated by such parasitism? What in the world happened in the Imperial Palace?”

“Perhaps he was tempted by promises of greater power. He must have become even stronger this time by embedding pieces of the Crystal Stele into his body.”

When I glanced at Aasura, he nodded. “That’s correct. While I’ve tested my pure physical strength without magic, he was indeed much stronger than the Cheon Woo-jin from your memories.”

“Hmm. So those who have embedded fragments of the Crystal Stele have become substantially more powerful, huh?”

“Quite likely…”

With Aasura’s following statements, I felt a headache coming on.

“If other parts of the Divine had done that, it might be quite difficult for you to take on the Imperial Palace alone and wreak havoc.”

“……”

That was a valid point. Based on my previously measured power, I could have charged into the Imperial Palace alone for a clean victory, but if the Eight Parts of the Divine reinforced their power with something like the Eternal Seed, it would genuinely become dangerous. I spoke anxiously.

“No, after all, we’re talking about a forbidden spell that turns oneself into a demonic lifeform, right? Would demon kings really go that far…?”

“Embedding pieces of the Crystal Stele in their bodies can be seen as an act of acquiring cause and effect. If they’re willing to bear the side effects, it’s an enticing proposition for demon kings like us, as it makes our powers far greater while reducing our limitations in the human world…”

“……”

“Be it as it may, there’s no point in worrying too much right now. The only important issue is one, isn’t it?”

Aasura’s eyes glimmered. “We must find out who destroyed the Crystal Stele, summoned Hermes to this land, and performed the act of the forbidden spells using the pieces.”

“The perpetrator? Isn’t it Zhuge Yulong or Yacha?”

“Could be, but it’s not confirmed. They have the capability but lack a definite motive.”

“Hmm.”

As I pondered, Aasura, who had been observing me intently, spoke up. “Baek Woong, the situation you’ve dreaded has come to pass.”

“What?”

“You’ve been suppressing the world’s changes forcefully, but the bizarre occurrences in the Imperial Palace can no longer be contained indirectly. Whether it leads to your demise or survival, you’re facing a direct clash now.”

“……”

“It’s your choice. If you wait any longer, you might not be able to fix anything. From my perspective, if that Hermes guy and the Eight Parts of the Divine team up, it could be disastrous. They might not be as potent as the [Old Ruler], but they’re certainly capable demon kings.”

“Damn…”

I grit my teeth, realizing every word Aasura spoke was true.

What on earth should I do?

Should I really just storm the Imperial Palace and engage in a bloody fight with the Eight Parts of the Divine or Hermes Trismegistus?

After a bout of inner turmoil, I spoke with a restrained voice.

“I don’t want to… No matter how you say we have to face it directly, it would ultimately engulf me in this world’s calamity! Is there really no other way?!”

“Are you scared of facing calamity?”

“Damn it! Who’s afraid?!”

I shouted out in exasperation.

“It’s obvious!! Even if I bring them down, an even stronger opponent will emerge, and eventually, there will come a time I can’t handle it with just my power! I don’t want to escalate things, but I know there’s no other choice!!”

“Hmm…”

“Now that we’re at the point of demon kings rampaging, it won’t be long before the [Old Ruler] appears. Damn it!”

“That much is true.”

Aasura nodded, seemingly in agreement. Yet he had a troubled expression, as if he had no substantial words to offer.

What on earth should I do?

I wanted to stay as low-key as possible, but has it already spiraled out of control to this extent?

Just at that moment…

“Then just shrink the stage back down, huh?”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Mangnyang. He, who had been silently listening all along, finally spoke up. I found myself bewildered, questioning him.

“Shrink the stage?”

“I’ve caught on to the general context, but Baek Woong, you’re lacking in tact. The idea of taking down one by one on a grand scale is flawed, and rushing in directly to take them down has no feasible alternative. If you keep that up, you’re bound to feel several times more hellish than you anticipated…”

Mangnyang lamented and added, “In circumstances like this, first consider what the demon king has summoned Hermes for, and deduce the backstory as to why he absolutely needed to summon that being.”

“Huh? Naturally to strengthen their own power…”

“No. You mentioned earlier that the Ancient Demons were clashing with the Eight Parts of the Divine in the Imperial Palace, right? Then at some point, the Ancient Demons were harvested, and the Eight Parts of the Divine planned to enact a ‘heavenly path’ by moving the country’s capital.”

“Well, yes.”

“And after hearing the rest, I gathered that the alchemist of the Imperial Palace got summoned here and was killed, leaving behind a remark about advancing the research of the Portrait Immortal using that ‘Ancient Demon.’ If that were true, then the Ancient Demons were defeated at the hands of the Eight Parts of the Divine.”

“Ah.”

“Can we deduce this? Were they truly able to take down the Ancient Demons without sustaining any wounds? I think not. If they had, they wouldn’t have gone through the risky act of breaking the Crystal Stele to summon Hermes. The reason they desperately needed to summon Hermes likely implies that they’re running low on power, meaning the Eight Parts of the Divine suffered considerable damage in their battle with the Ancient Demons.”

“……!!”

I was starting to feel as if I was being pulled into Mangnyang’s logically coherent words.

‘Wait, for sure.’

That actually seems quite plausible?!

While I was astonished, Mangnyang continued.

“Right now, your actions have inadvertently brought significant damage to the Imperial Palace. By slaughtering the entire Golden Eagle Guard, you sealed their supporting minions completely! And by rescuing all the prisoners from the Great Thunder Valley, you drained their offerings! You assassinated the alchemist who was researching the Portrait Immortal, leaving Zhuge Yulong, a mysterious formidable enemy, to disrupt their focus on the battle against the Ancient Demons. It’s highly likely that your actions have greatly influenced the degree to which the Eight Parts of the Divine suffered severe consequences. Had they concentrated on the confrontation, the damage could have been much less.”

“Is that so…?”

“Thus, the summoning of Hermes was a cause set off by your actions. There’s no need to be taken aback but rather feel delighted. The reason being, the Imperial Palace is presently facing a significant crisis, and they have no choice but to resort to hardline methods.”

“Hmm… Then how do we shrink the stage?”

“That’s quite simple.”

Mangnyang unfolded a fan and his eyes sparkled.

“From now on, ignore whatever the Imperial Palace does. And make the Eight Parts of the Divine leave the Imperial Palace.”

“……?!”

“The reason the Imperial Palace is problematic is that it’s crawling with demon kings from the Eight Parts of the Divine. If they abandon the human world, peace will return, and the summoning of Hermes will fizzle out. If the enemy is not the Eight Parts of the Divine, it won’t matter much, right? Of course, during this process, there mustn’t be any fighting. Engaging would make them have reasons to linger here.”

“…….”

“Reducing the number of formidable enemies without fighting. That’s the way to shrink the stage.”

Not just me, but Aasura, who was listening in as well, appeared astonished and wide-eyed. I was taken aback and replied, “Wha- how is that even possible? How do we make them leave?”

“This is also easy to understand when considering the underlying reason. What was the initial cause for the Eight Parts of the Divine to settle in the Imperial Palace?”

“That would be their alliance with Zhuge Yulong, the dark lord of the Imperial Palace.”

“Why did powerful demon kings choose to unite with my father, a mere human like Zhuge Yulong?”

“Uh… Well, probably because it was what Changhil, their master, wanted. They must have formed an alliance back then, likely to manipulate the history of this land from behind the scenes at Zhuge Yulong’s request.”

“Then where is their overlord, Changhil?”

“……”

I glanced over at Aasura. As he solemnly nodded, I opened my mouth again.

“He’s gone. He has perished. However, the Eight Parts of the Divine believe only that their lord is missing.”

“Hmm… As expected, is that so…”

Mangnyang smiled widely before continuing.

“Then the reason why the Eight Parts of the Divine are clinging onto the Imperial Palace is not out of loyalty to Zhuge Yulong but rather a fixation stemming from their anxiety over having no master. In other words, it’s a sense of loyalty to ensure there’s a ‘place for their lord to return.'”

“Hmm…”

“Therefore, the method is simple: spread a rumor that their missing master, Changhil, exists in an absolutely unreachable location, and make them believe it. Given their psychological tendencies, they would likely fall for it easily.”

“Wait?! An unreachable location?!”

“Sending them all there would ensure that during our lifetimes, he won’t return. That’s probably the cleanest solution there is.”

Mangnyang shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ve thought about this much up until now, but my imagination falters from here. However, considering your standing as the village chief, you might know of such a place…?”

“……”

“If you could just provide a location like that, I could craft the rest of the plot.”

At that moment, a particular place came to my mind.

And I muttered out loud without realizing it.

“Outer Dimension…”

Saint Germain, who had been listening, suddenly gasped.

“Y-You, despite being a mortal, know how to traverse into the outer dimension? Such an unfathomable being….”

All I need to do is get to the Aokigahara Life Sea and break past the [Guardian] there.

Of course, knowing how to go there and carrying it out are two different things. But as long as I’m not the one going, it shouldn’t matter much.

“I don’t not know…”

I casually answered, starting to find myself more intrigued by Mangnyang’s words. I then said, “Mangnyang, I know a place that leads into the outer dimension. Please tell me how to lure them there.”

Mangnyang confidently replied, “That’s very easy to achieve. It can be done simply through human means. Given the psychological pressure they’re feeling from your actions, it could be effortless to lure them in.”

“How?”

Mangnyang grinned as he opened his mouth.

“Spread a song honoring the great Changhil throughout the Central Plains… Hehe.”

And thus, the schemes set forth by Mangnyang began the following day.