translation by mourningmoor
When Bartholomeus flicked his fingers, the lift mechanism of the protruding stage moved.
Then, the remaining lights that hadn’t been completely destroyed lit up.
From beneath the protruding stage, Ichan’s mother, Mihyang, slowly came into view.
Her hands were tied behind her back, and her eyes were covered.
Whether she was too shocked or scared, her breath came out in ragged gasps through her parted lips.
I reached out to pull Mihyang toward me, but Bartholomeus’s power blocked it. As the forces pulled her from both sides, Mihyang let out a painful scream.
If I pulled any harder, Mihyang might get hurt, so I let go.
“Don’t strain yourself, Grand Mage.”
Bartholomeus smirked arrogantly and slowly walked toward the protruding stage.
“Now that I’ve taken the Demon King, I’m stronger than ever.”
“What are you talking about? The Demon King can’t even use his power properly.”
Bartholomeus nodded and let out a hoarse laugh.
“You’re right. The great Demon King seems to have weakened a lot after passing through the gate between worlds.”
The Demon King who crossed into this world was on the verge of disappearing. Shattered, only a small fragment of his original form remained.
“And it seems you saved him.”
That wasn’t my intention, but in the end, that’s what happened.
Because I shared the goddess’s blessing.
“Thanks to that, I’ve absorbed your precious power quite well.”
Yeah, with the obsession he had over a single strand of my hair from my childhood, it’s no wonder he coveted the power I gave to the Demon King.
“And the vessel that held the Demon King was quite an extraordinary person. When I engraved a magic circle on him, the power returned in an instant.”
So, he even thought of targeting Yoo Noah. That was quite clever.
Though it was probably the Demon King’s idea.
One Yoo Noah is worth more than thousands of mediocre mana transmitters. And combined with my power, it’s no wonder he’s boasting about having the greatest power he’s ever had.
Bartholomeus laughed boldly and looked at me with pity.
“You shouldn’t have trusted the Demon King.”
“Is that so?”
I shrugged my shoulders as if it were no big deal and stared straight at Bartholomeus.
“So, what now? Should I clap and say, ‘Wow, our senior is this amazing’?”
I was being sarcastic, but Bartholomeus actually seemed to want that.
“Would you clap for me? I deserve it, don’t I?”
Bartholomeus flicked his fingers, and the twins standing behind Timothy Gordon began to clap.
“And then, open the gate for me.”
He flicked his fingers again, and a faintly glowing line began to form from the floor of the protruding stage.
A massive magic circle.
This old man. He plans to cover the entire venue with a magic circle.
Well, it needs to be this big if he wants to bring an army through.
But so what? The key is still me.
No matter how intricate the magic circle is, it won’t activate if I refuse.
“What if I say no?”
Bartholomeus tilted his lips and snorted.
“You’ll do it even if you don’t want to. I don’t particularly care about this woman’s life.”
He dragged Mihyang to the center of the magic circle and sat her down. Then, he removed the blindfold covering her eyes. Blinded by the sudden light, Mihyang frowned.
“You know how many weak beings have been sacrificed in the battles between mages, don’t you? If you and I clash, the aftermath will kill this woman.”
I know. Just moments ago, we almost tore Mihyang apart while testing each other’s strength. If I attack this old man, he’ll use Ichan’s mother as a shield.
I’ll have no choice but to stop my attack, and the old man won’t care if Mihyang lives or dies. I have plenty of weaknesses.
“Ah, don’t worry about what will happen if this woman dies.”
Bartholomeus, having figured that out immediately, smiled coldly.
“I brought another hostage just in case.”
Suddenly, a spotlight turned on, illuminating the third-floor audience seats.
The door opened, and armed men rushed in.
Among them were the members of LIT.
The kids all had their hands tied behind their backs.
Their eyes were filled with confusion as they saw me.
“So, Jesquière, stop being stubborn and come here.”
Bartholomeus pointed to the center of the magic circle.
The center of the circle where Mihyang was seated. That must be where the key needs to be placed.
“If you can’t come, I’ll give you a little push.”
Then, he grabbed Mihyang’s hair and turned her head toward me.
“She was so noisy, I had to gag her.”
Bartholomeus flicked his fingers, and Mihyang’s voice came out.
“Ichan!”
Her voice was hoarse, as if she had been screaming. She must have cried a lot.
“Ichan. Mom’s okay.”
True to her usual composed nature, her first words were, “I’m okay.” That didn’t sit well with Bartholomeus.
“Mom?”
Bartholomeus tightened his grip on Mihyang’s hair.
“Open your eyes and see. How is that your son?”
Bartholomeus, his eyes turning white, pressured Mihyang.
“He’s a monster who devoured your son.”
Mihyang shook her head.
“No.”
Then, she looked at me and shouted.
“No matter what anyone says, you’re my son. Your body, your hair, every cell of yours. It was all made inside me.”
Her voice was filled with tears. She spoke as if she were fine, but it was no different from a scream. I could feel it, and it hurt.
“Just because your memories… have changed, it doesn’t mean you’re not my son.”
Truly, the words of Ichan’s mother.
A warrior who endured the finger-pointing and raised her remaining son alone.
“So, son, don’t worry about me. Find your own path.”
“Impressive. Jesquière, you’re truly an impressive being.”
Bartholomeus sneered.
“To be loved even after devouring your son, that’s quite a talent.”
Disgusted, Bartholomeus clapped his hands. Then, he pointed to the kids in the third-floor audience seats.
“Now, onto the precious little ones.”
Bartholomeus slashed his finger diagonally, and the kids, who had been silenced, began to move their lips.
“Chani hyung.”
“Hyungnim.”
“Ichan-ah. Are you okay?”
“Hey, Kang Ichan!”
“You crazy old man, let Chani hyung go.”
“If you touch Ichan, I won’t let it slide.”
Suddenly, the sound amplified, and the kids started chattering loudly. Bartholomeus frowned and silenced them again.
Then, he looked back at me.
“If this isn’t enough, there’s more. Plenty more.”
A cruel smile spread across his face.
“There’s the manager who just finished surgery, and plenty of other friends.”
Then, his gaze fixed on a distant place beyond the venue.
“It might be fun to mess with the fans too.”
With that, my dilemma was over.
What are the chances I can make all of this disappear as if it never happened?
Can I return to the members as if nothing happened?
A hollow laugh escaped me.
Because I know the answer too well.
Then, there’s only one thing I can do.
“Fine.”
I smiled resignedly and took a step toward Bartholomeus.
“I’ll go.”
No matter how much I think about it, there’s no other way.
The path where everyone ends up safe was always just one from the beginning.
“So, don’t touch anyone else. Let my mom go too.”
I could see the kids, their mouths sealed by magic, shaking their heads and stomping their feet as they looked at me.
Don’t do that. Kids. It’ll be over soon.
They might not see it from this distance, but I smiled to reassure them.
I even mouthed, “It’s okay.”
Did they understand? The kids quieted down.
As I approached the center of the magic circle, Bartholomeus smiled with satisfaction. Meanwhile, thick tears streamed down Mihyang’s face.
When I reached the center, I walked up to Mihyang.
“Mom.”
I knelt to meet her eye level and quietly looked at her face.
Her hair was disheveled from Bartholomeus’s grip, and it broke my heart.
I gently smoothed her hair and whispered.
“Mom. Did I ever tell you? I have no memories of you, but whenever I see you, my heart aches so much.”
Mihyang shook her head and burst into tears. Thick teardrops fell endlessly. I wiped her tears and untied the bindings on her hands.
“I really wanted to tell you. That your son is so sorry to you.”
Then, I patted the back of her hand.
Slowly, I stood up and looked at the kids in the third-floor audience seats.
“Hanjoon hyung, Siu. Roa, and the youngest.”
I looked at each of the kids, their faces streaked with tears and snot.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you earlier.”
For the first and last time, I’ll be honest.
“I don’t know about anything else, but this is certain. I love you all so much.”
My voice echoed throughout the vast venue.
“You’re truly the best team.”
If nothing else, Bartholomeus did well to silence the kids. I’m even grateful he kept them far away from me.
If I saw their expressions or heard their voices now, I might let everything go.
I gave the kids a faint smile and finally faced Bartholomeus directly.
Having made up my mind, I spoke with a solemn expression.
“Well, shall we begin?”
“Jesquière, you’ve made the right choice.”
Bartholomeus smiled contentedly and stepped closer to me. Then, he extended his hand.
A red light began to flow from his hand, soaking the magic circle.
The intricately designed, massive magic circle writhed as if alive, absorbing the red light. As I watched the magic circle come to life from the center to the edges, Bartholomeus pulled Mihyang close to him and said.
“Now, Jesquière. It’s your turn. If you don’t want to lose your beloved mother, open the gate. Hurry.”
Bartholomeus, his eyes red, tightly gripped Mihyang’s hair. Mihyang’s face twisted in pain, but she didn’t make a sound.
I took in her pained expression and slowly opened my mouth.
“Before that…”