I silently watched my father as he descended the stairs.
'Father. In my life before I regressed, do you know when I thought of you the most? When you passed away? When I was running around gathering ingredients, dreaming of revenge? When I was exhausted in body and mind? Or when I was lonely? It was none of those. It was when I became as old as you.'
I had never once had a proper heart-to-heart conversation with my father, so I thought I wouldn't miss him.
I thought it would just be a vague sense of longing.
But strangely, as I grew older, I would think of him from time to time.
If it were now, I felt like I could have a deep conversation with him.
If it were now, I felt like I could understand him a little better.
If it were now.
My father stopped a few steps in front of me.
Our gazes met and intertwined in the air.
I had faced my father many times, but never had there been a moment as tense as this.
At last, my father asked.
"Did you say you were jealous because my Demon Sovereigns were impressive?"
His first words were for me.
He was letting them know that I had said the Demon Sovereigns were impressive.
I glanced at the Demon Sovereigns standing on either side.
Briefly, my eyes met with each of them.
The emotions in their eyes as they watched us were all different.
As always, the Fist Demon's gaze was heavy.
Next to the calm Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign were the half-closed eyes of the Drunken Demon, hiding his own complex feelings.
The Demon Buddha's eyes were full of interest, the Poison King was indifferent, and the Blood Heaven Blade Demon was intense.
The Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign was confident, and the Evil Heart Laughing Demon was smiling.
"Yes. I'm so jealous I want to make them all my Demon Sovereigns."
The first person to react was the Blood Heaven Blade Demon.
"Young Cult Master, do not say such things, even as a joke."
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon had clearly taken it upon himself to scold me today.
He knew.
He knew that someone had to play this role here today.
I was grateful to him.
"What can I do if they are so impressive?"
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon shot me a stern look.
Are you going to be like this? I suppressed the urge to joke with him and bowed my head respectfully.
"I apologize. I will be more careful with my words and actions from now on."
As I apologized, I saw him.
The Demon Buddha was looking at me and smiling.
He was having the most fun of anyone in the audience today.
You've been stepping back, just carving statues lately, so this kind of thing must be exciting, right?
As if in response to my thoughts, the Demon Buddha's radiance deepened.
Still, I couldn't treat him carelessly.
If I were alone with a Demon Sovereign, or if the Demon Sovereigns were by themselves, it would be a joke, but a clumsy joke in front of my father could be a great discourtesy to them.
Knowing when to hold back a joke is more important than making one.
I looked at my father again.
"Father, there is one thing I would like to ask you."
Everyone's gaze focused on me.
Amidst the palpable tension, I finally asked my father this question.
"I would like to ask what your dream is, Father."
I could feel everyone flinch.
No way, he's asking the Cult Master that directly? That must have been their thought.
Naturally, everyone's gaze shifted to my father.
It wasn't that they were waiting for an answer.
There was no one here who didn't know what my father's dream was.
They were curious about how he would react.
Whether he would answer meekly or get angry.
My father gave no answer.
His silence heightened the tension.
He wasn't emitting demonic energy, nor was his expression stern, but he made everyone nervous.
The one who resolved this swelling, bursting tension was the Drunken Demon.
He stepped forward with a slurred voice.
In times like these, only a drunkard could intervene.
"Before asking for the Cult Master's dream, you should first reveal your own, Young Cult Master."
"Of course, I should. That was thoughtless of me. My dreams change often, so if you ask me later, I might give a different answer."
I intentionally added this part for my father to hear.
Telling him not to cling to a single dream.
That dreams can change.
At that moment, the Drunken Demon thankfully asked this question.
"Does our Young Cult Master's dream change as often as he says?"
The quick-witted Drunken Demon knew my intention behind those words.
"Is it necessary to have only one dream? We only live once, so we can have this dream and that dream. And what if we have no dream at all?"
I was speaking to the Drunken Demon, but in truth, my words were for my father.
Of course, he knew that as well.
I didn't let the drunkard who had crashed the stage leave just like that.
"By any chance, Drunken Demon, do you have a dream?"
Normally, he would have laughed and said something like, my dream is to drink my life away.
"It is to achieve the Unification of the Martial World while serving the Cult Master."
The Drunken Demon said the words "Unification of the Martial World" in his stead.
He knew that my father would not say those words himself.
I will step forward for you, so use me to say what you want to say to the Cult Master.
This was how he was repaying his apology for siding with my father.
"Do you think the world will become a better place if we achieve the Unification of the Martial World?"
Right, I couldn't ask my father such a thing directly.
"It would be better than it is now, at least."
"No, I think it will become worse."
"What is your reason for thinking so?"
"Imagine a world where demonic practitioners, Righteous Path practitioners, and Unorthodox Path practitioners are all gathered together. The demonic practitioners will try to oppress the Righteous and Unorthodox practitioners since we unified the world, and the Unorthodox practitioners, steeped in defeat, will commit even more terrible evil deeds. The Righteous Path practitioners will search for any and all ways to reclaim the Righteous Path Martial World. In that process, there will be countless more sacrifices. In the end, it will become a world where everyone is dissatisfied."
My father and the Demon Sovereigns were all listening to me quietly.
"Can't we just control that chaos with our power?"
The Drunken Demon offered a solution on their behalf.
"A martial world ruled by oppression and control, is that the world you hope for with the Unification of the Martial World?"
I was speaking to the Drunken Demon, but these words were truly meant for my father.
I had actually experienced it.
A martial world where the balance between the righteous, demonic, and unorthodox had collapsed.
And that the nature of power never allows a vacuum.
Another power, the Twelve Zodiac Kings, took that place, and life became even harder for martial artists.
It would be the same for us.
The Eight Demon Sovereigns would take the place of the Twelve Zodiac Kings.
"I believe it is a world that should not have been combined in the first place."
Thanks to the Drunken Demon stepping in, I was able to say everything I wanted to.
Now, letting the Drunken Demon off the stage, I looked at my father.
I couldn't tell what meaning my preceding words had for him.
Because he was looking at me with the same unchanged expression as from the beginning.
"Father, putting everything else aside, I don't want to lose anyone here."
"No one here fears death."
"Yes, I know. I know that they are all brave people. I also know well that they are people who would throw away their lives without hesitation at your command, Father. This is just my personal feeling. It is my selfish desire not to lose them."
I looked around at the Demon Sovereigns with a serious gaze.
"I do not want to lose a single person here. You might ask, if one dies, won't seven remain? No, for the rest of my life, I will miss that one person."
My father probably couldn't understand.
Why I wanted to save them to this extent.
Because he wouldn't know the efforts I made before my regression to save those who needed to be saved.
My gaze, which had been on the Demon Sovereigns, turned to my father.
"To be honest, this is an effort for my own life. That's right. It is my desperate struggle not to live a life missing the dead."
"Is that your dream?"
"No, this is my personal wish. It is merely my selfishness."
"Then what is your dream?"
My father was allowing me to say everything I wanted to on this stage.
He was making it as if I were the main character of this stage.
Say everything you want to say in front of me and the Demon Sovereigns.
That's why this might become an even more difficult fight.
"My dream is to live my life pondering in that Grand Advisor's seat."
Not just my father, but everyone else showed a look of bewilderment.
They wouldn't know what I meant by those words alone.
"Sitting in the Grand Advisor's seat, I will ponder. Which Demon Sovereign should I visit today? What dish should I ask the Heavenly Demon Hall chef to make?"
"Does that seat look so leisurely to you?"
"I know it's not. I am well aware of how much work you handle in that seat, Father."
His expression asked why I would say such a thing if I knew, and I calmly asked him back.
"Isn't that why I should ponder even more? I can't spend my whole life just working."
Depending on how one thought of it, it was a clear provocation towards my father, so the atmosphere sank once more.
My father himself remained still, but the reactions of the Demon Sovereigns created the mood.
"How can I handle work more efficiently? How can I have as much of my own time as possible? I will ponder every day. And when I get tired of it, I will go visit the Martial Alliance Leader. When I get tired of teasing that rigid man, this time I will go find the Unorthodox Alliance Leader and ask if his dancing skills are still as good as ever. Living like this is my dream."
My real dream is to not be trapped in that Grand Advisor's seat.
To travel the world and live freely, that is my true dream.
But I couldn't say such a thing in front of my father.
I couldn't speak of such a dream to a father who had lived his whole life for the Main Sect from that Grand Advisor's seat.
And for my brother who was pushed out of that seat.
So the words I offer now are a compromise of my dream.
Father, can't dreams be compromised like this? Isn't it because you treat it so preciously that you can't achieve it?
"How about you, Father? Don't you want to try living such a life?"
My answer and question were treading a fine line.
But if I didn't speak this strongly, I couldn't face my father on this stage.
I couldn't persuade him.
But the reality my father envisioned was cold.
"That rigid Martial Alliance Leader you spoke of will one day stab you in the back and say he had no choice. That he had no choice because he is the Martial Alliance Leader. And as you die, he will look down into your eyes and spout some worthless righteousness."
The Fist Demon, the Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign, and the Demon Buddha nodded.
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon and the Drunken Demon didn't react, but their expressions weren't much different from my father's thoughts.
Apart from their relationship with me, they didn't trust the Righteous Path practitioners.
And would that distrust be limited only to the Righteous Path?
"How long do you think the Unorthodox Alliance Leader will be able to dance? When will a surprise attack spring from that dance? Do you really believe that humans won't change? Do you believe they will remain steadfast in the face of situations or profit?"
I didn't give any answer.
If I wanted to argue, I had things to say, but I didn't.
At least in this part, it was a decision made from my father's long life and experience.
I let out a light sigh and said softly.
"Perhaps that might be so."
As I said that, I looked around at the Demon Sovereigns.
"In a time like this, isn't there anyone who will step up and help? 'Cult Master, it won't necessarily be like that!' Anyone who will say that for me!"
The Blood Heaven Blade Demon spoke with his eyes.
You brat, stop fooling around.
Be serious!
The Demon Buddha was beaming, truly finding it amusing.
The Plum Blossom Sword Sovereign's eyes said, I'm sorry, and the Drunken Demon pretended to be drunk.
And at that moment, a person I never expected stepped forward.
"The Young Cult Master will not be easily defeated."
It wasn't the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
The one who stepped forward was someone who seemed like he would never step forward, the Fist Demon.
"He only appears that way on the outside, but the Young Cult Master does not trust people easily."
"Of course! My Master knows his disciple well. But is that a compliment? Or an insult?"
I spoke to my father again.
"Even if I am deceived by them, it's alright. In preparation for that time, I am training in martial arts like a madman. The knife at my back will not be able to pierce my skin, and in the end, the dance will end as just a dance."
"Are you saying you will let the martial arts you've built up so arduously rot?"
"I'm saying I will enjoy life with those skills."
"Just by worrying about what to eat or where to go play?"
"Yes, I will."
My father, who had been staring at me, slowly moved his feet.
The place he headed was in front of the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon had a calm gaze, but I was the one who became tense.
"Will you still support the Young Cult Master?"
It was a burdensome question.
The question itself contained the demand to answer no.
But like his pure white mask, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon's heart was of one mind.
"Yes, I support the Young Cult Master's will."
My father asked him again.
"Even if it means you can never use that Immortal Ghost Mask of yours again?"
The Immortal Ghost Mask was the mask the Evil Heart Laughing Demon wore when he went to war.
In the past, when the Demon Sovereigns had stood before my father for my sake, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon had worn the Immortal Ghost Mask and made his plea.
It was his most cherished mask, so he had struck him where it hurt the most.
But the Evil Heart Laughing Demon spoke to my father more respectfully than ever before.
"Fortunately, I have several masks."
The Evil Heart Laughing Demon's gaze, which had been on my father, turned to look at me.
"I will live my life wearing the Joyful Demon Mask with the Young Cult Master."
The Joyful Demon Mask was the mask worn for large events or banquets within the sect.
Even though he had given up his favorite Immortal Ghost Mask, his two eyes behind the mask were clear and deep.
The gaze he had when he revealed his true feelings.
This was likely the only way I could repay the sincerity he showed, not just to anyone, but to my father.
I will make that banquet the grandest of all.
All the Demon Sovereigns looked at the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
Their gazes each held different emotions.
My father said no more to the Evil Heart Laughing Demon.
Did he really ask without knowing how the Evil Heart Laughing Demon would react?
This time, my father stood before the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign.
She was confident even in front of my father.
It was a well-known fact that my father did not like the Poison King and the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign.
So she tried to be even more confident.
I thought he would ask why she sided with the Young Cult Master, but my father asked an unexpected question.
"Is your training going well?"
Inwardly flustered by the gentle question, the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign answered respectfully.
"I am training diligently."
I thought he would just offer encouragement and turn back.
"Do not forget. You are my Demon Sovereign."
This time, the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign was surprised and moved.
Because she had thought she was out of my father's favor.
"Will you still stand here?"
The Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign was flustered.
She looked at me.
There are many times I don't know what my father is thinking, but at least I am certain of this.
He is not the type to pressure a young Demon Sovereign in a situation like this to bring them to his side.
Which means? This isn't my father pressuring me, but him looking out for her.
It was my father's thought and consideration that it wasn't her time to stand out yet.
That she should just grow quietly among the Demon Sovereigns.
I conveyed my thoughts to her with my eyes.
It's okay to go.
The Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign, who understood my meaning, respectfully clasped her fist to me.
"I will serve you well later."
She crossed the red carpet and stood on the opposite side.
Of course, I said something completely different from the look I sent her.
"This is too much! Did you really think about who you'll be spending more of your Demon Sovereign life with before deciding? Where in the world is there such a fickle ghost!"
The Demon Buddha, standing next to her, smiled brightly.
'It's not easy, is it?'
On this stage, my father was strong.
He was leading this stage while taking care of and showing consideration for me, the Evil Heart Laughing Demon, and even the Soul-Devouring Demon Sovereign.
My father never got excited.
His fight was classy and elegant.
The gazes of all the Demon Sovereigns turned to me.
The question in their eyes was the same.
Young Cult Master, what will you do now?