NOVEL WEB Chapter 53
Kim Mari.
Her name, which somehow makes me crave snacks, was associated with a human who had a slight connection to me.
It was because of our neighbor’s friend, Owl Bear, who caused his demise.
Of course, I was the one who ultimately killed him, but still, the cause did come from her side.
And according to my memories, this friend Kim Mari was also a streamer.
To share a bit of behind-the-scenes, there was a time when a lot of people gathered in the forest because of one of her streams, which was quite annoying for me.
To be honest, she was just an annoyance and not particularly memorable.
And even now, she was still quite bothersome.
Because she was currently streaming live.
I can see it. The chatroom right next to her, flooding with real-time messages.
[Yuha~]
[Chaeha~]
[? Why is this guy here ㅋㅋ]
[Who’s that?]
[You know, the one who’s often with that NPC named Yor]
[Oh, I see]
I frowned secretly, thinking, what the hell! I went through all this trouble to disguise myself to not be recognized, only to run into a streamer here.
[But who’s that tall person next to Chaerin?]
[Isn’t it hot with a cape on in this weather ㄷㄷ]
[But he’s quite big, is he a guy?]
[What the heck, a guy?]
[Oh, Yoo Chaerin is skipping streams to hang out with a guy ㅋㅋ]
It was a bit irritating, but I couldn’t ask them to turn it off.
Yoo Chaerin might readily fulfill such a request due to a contract, but I was practically a stranger to Kim Mari.
There was no way I could ask someone who makes a living off streaming to turn it off just because we were meeting for the first time.
Even if I make a fuss, I’m not certain she would stop.
“And why did you come here, Chaerin?”
While I was lost in thought, Mari asked Chaerin.
Chaerin hesitated, glancing at me before answering.
“Uh, um, I came to see if Amducias was here…”
“Aha!”
It wasn’t a very sincere answer.
But for Mari, that seemed to be enough.
“As expected, Chaerin hasn’t opened the 19 mode either!”
“Uh… yes?”
A question mark floated above Chaerin’s head.
Just then, Mari continued her explanation.
“I heard that the unicorn gives gifts to those who preserve their purity. That’s why I came here too.”
“Aha… Then it seems Mari hasn’t opened that either?”
“Yeah, heh heh. Not here.”
Whether she was Kim Mari or Kim Mal-hee, she gave a meaningful smile.
There was a strange confidence radiating from her grin.
“Anyway, Amducias won’t know about things happening in the real world, right?”
[This guy’s been acting all high and mighty since he got a girlfriend]
[Really, why did that priest even accept her confession?]
[Honestly, I just want to slap someone sometimes]
[Noona, you’re so cringeㅠㅠ]
I nodded internally. It really seems that reality doesn’t matter.
‘By the way, gifts, huh.’
This was news to me. I had only vaguely heard about how the demon looked.
I hadn’t properly grasped his personality or characteristics.
But from what I’m hearing, it seems like he can ‘detect purity’…
‘Ugh…’
Just thinking about it made me feel embarrassed already.
What if he meets me and boldly exclaims, “This guy is a pure virgin!” for the whole world to hear?
For your information, I’ve been keeping my virginity intact for 43 years combined between my past and present lives…
To have that openly acknowledged and praised.
Of course, a third party might not know, but just thinking about it myself made me want to die of embarrassment.
‘Suddenly, I’m getting scared of meeting him…’
With that thought, I want to go back.
“Well, since this is fate, how about a collab stream?”
Suddenly, Mari suggested a collab.
Chaerin looked at me with a “What do we do?” expression. I quickly shook my head.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I want to stream too, but I’m with my party now…”
“Aha.”
At that moment, Mari’s eyes glanced behind her.
Then she spoke.
“Sorry, this is my first time seeing Chaerin so I was a bit enchanted and couldn’t properly introduce myself. I’m Kim Mari. What are your names?”
All of a sudden, she wanted introductions, which caught me off guard.
Naturally, I hadn’t anticipated such a situation.
As I was thinking this, time passed.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Im Haneul… Chaerin’s editor.”
[Why’s his voice so small?]
[He sounds so cute www]
[His chest is huge ㄷㄷ]
With Haneul’s shy introduction, all eyes were on me.
I hastily made up a name, lowering my voice a notch to hide my identity.
“…Yohan.”
[Oh ㄷㄷㄷ]
[Sounds like a cave ㄷㄷ]
[Heeung… O-oppa…]
[My lower half is also in the cave; wanna take a look? Hehe]
[You have been kicked by the manager.]
Fortunately, it seemed to have gone smoothly.
“Then let’s meet again next time. It was nice to meet you!”
“Ah, yes! Me too…!”
After a lively chat, Kim Mari went back on her way.
It seems she was going to tell the villagers to evacuate again.
The locals who had lived here their whole lives didn’t listen well, but she said these small efforts would help with her reputation somehow.
“Phew…”
Once Mari left completely, Chaerin let out a light sigh. Haneul seemed equally drained.
Haneul muttered with mixed emotions in her voice.
“She’s quite a lively person.”
I nodded. Lively in both good and bad ways.
If we applied the old MBTI trend, she’d probably be over 90% E.
Being sociable is definitely a plus, but it could be mentally exhausting to be around such a person.
Well, I suppose that’s why she has her own guild and streams, right?
‘A spear… I can’t use it.’
I thought this as I licked my lips. That detail had already been widely exposed during her streams.
Just being able to wield a spear could lead to specific consequences.
This time, I was glad I brought a weapon pouch.
It was unfortunate I had to hide my main weapon, but it didn’t mean I couldn’t handle other weapons.
Spear and dagger are the best, but ultimately, as long as one can wield a weapon, that’s enough, right?
“Well, let’s take a break at the inn now.”
I said that as I was about to enter the inn.
But then, I heard a scream from somewhere.
“AAAH! A demon!”
“What?”
“He’s already here…?”
The group’s heads turned at the scream.
I darted toward the origin of the scream immediately.
*
“Please save us. We beg you!”
“Please, we still have a child who hasn’t weaned yet…”
A young couple that looked like husband and wife trembled in front of a giant white horse standing on all fours.
If it weren’t for the massive horn on its head, the couple wouldn’t be so terrified.
Even in a quiet rural village, rumors spread fast.
Thus, information about the demon, Amducias, was also well-known.
A psycho demon that only kills those who have lost their purity.
When the otherworlder had babbled about the demon coming here, they sneered and ignored it…
“No way would it actually show up!”
The couple expected their demise was inevitable.
Growing up together in this village, they had recently enjoyed the fruits of their love together.
“Wahh! Wahh!!”
In fact, a child was in their arms, crying loudly.
“………”
However, against the couple’s expectations, Ikgagong made no immediate move to attack.
Instead, his face was filled with a jovial expression.
If they could read the emotions on a horse’s face, they’d notice he was grinning broadly.
Ikgagong finally opened his mouth.
“Wonderful.”
“Uh, yes…?”
“To live your life preserving purity, marry a pure partner and have a pure child. This might be the highest beauty one can show!”
“Um, but…”
The father of the child, who had been dazed, spoke up.
“We lost our virginities to each other while embracing. As you can see with this child… So you’re saying you’ll spare us?”
Daring to question a demon, something unimaginable in normal circumstances; the father couldn’t contain his curiosity.
This was extraordinarily different from the crazy demon he had always heard about.
“Humans sometimes have misunderstandings about purity.”
Ikgagong chuckled as he continued.
“The ones I think have lost their purity are those who irresponsibly indulge in pleasure.
The act of giving birth should rightly be noble, yet such individuals have tainted the very perception of it.”
“…Ah.”
“Such wretches deserve to die. But aren’t you different?
You’ve maintained your loyalty all your life, have made a lifelong promise, and reaped the fruits of love. Is this not a blessing or an art?”
Ikgagong laughed as he placed his foot gently on the child’s head.
“What a feeling! I shall grant your child a gift. From now on, this child’s voice will sing heavenly praises.”
“Tha-thank you!”
Although it was due to the power of a demon, the couple bowed deeply.
They were just grateful that they weren’t dying.
The child, who grew up with such blessings, would become a remarkably talented bard in the future, but… that’s another story.
Despite the couple surviving, Ikgagong’s work was far from over.
“However, even in this village, there are indeed impure ones.”
A village is a community of dozens of humans, and thus, it’s inevitable to have impure individuals.
Ikgagong followed the unpleasant smell, ready to move on.
But at that moment.
“…Found you, you dirty beast!”
Crack-!
A cloaked human wielding a long sword stood in Ikgagong’s path.
Ikgagong frowned at the obstruction.
“How dare you…”
And he couldn’t help but be surprised.
Before him stood a human radiating a deep white.
Only visible to those who could perceive ‘purity.’ And its meaning was clear.
Seeing that milk-like whiteness, Ikgagong beamed and exclaimed.
“What pure essence!”