I Became the Teacher of the Imperial Family’s Bastard

054. Girgoor (1)

The moment I heard those words, countless thoughts flashed through my mind.

A servant of the Observer.

In other words, a member of the Dagger knew our identity.

So, who else knows about our actions?

If things go wrong, everything we’ve built up so far could collapse.

The moment they knew our identity, the dark forces might have slipped away.

The immediate option that comes to mind is interrogation.

It was a moment when the killing intent surged.

“Please withdraw your killing intent. We are different from those currently in the center.”

“……”

“I don’t want to be lumped together with fakes. This is truly unpleasant.”

The old man, who introduced himself as Rabon, genuinely expressed his displeasure.

Then he turned around.

“Follow me. The master of Igrosia is waiting for you.”

He exchanged glances with the prince.

Immediately, I tore off the disguise magic that had been attached to my face.

Then Beatrice removed the disguise magic from herself and the prince.

Is there any need to maintain a disguise when they already know our identity?

We went inside and reached the basement.

There, we could face each other.

“A child?”

“Haha, the prince is quite straightforward.”

As the prince said, the child looked about ten years old.

His appearance was so androgynous that it was only by a few features that one could tell he was a boy.

The peculiar thing was that he had black hair, like Hannah, which was uncommon among the imperial people, and his right eye was sewn shut.

The boy spoke.

“Nice to meet you. I’m the real Gilgore. I’m the master of this city.”

The smiling face was unwrinkled.

But the words he uttered were filled with extreme confusion.

“The real Gilgore?”

“Yes, nice to meet you too, prince. Would you mind sitting down? Sorry, I have nothing to offer. I’ve lost my foundation.”

The boy, who had crossed his legs, spoke.

The prince then stepped forward and sat down.

“You’re not hostile. If this is a trap, that’s unfortunate.”

“Not at all. I called you to get to know you. I’m desperate enough to borrow even a cat’s paw.”

“How did you find out about us?”

“I’ve been watching you since before you left.”

“What do you want?”

“I’m about to tell you.”

The boy’s attitude was consistently relaxed.

It instilled a sense of caution within me.

I know from experience.

Those who show such an attitude are one of two kinds.

They either have nothing to lose, or they are confident.

I realized immediately that this boy was the latter.

“First, you need to give me a reliable reason to trust you. Miss Beatrice? You can cast a lie detection spell on me if you like.”

A particularly peculiar kind of magic.

Lie detection that only activates with the subject’s consent.

Is there a way to break it?

No, at least to my eyes, there was no trickery involved.

The only suspicious thing was,

‘A curse?’

The boy’s entire body was so heavily layered with curses that it made me want to vomit.

Beatrice asked,

“What should we do?”

“Go ahead. We have nothing to lose.”

“Yes.”

Click, the prosthetic arm split open, and the magic device emitted a light.

Soon, blue mana tightened around the boy’s neck.

If he lied, he would forget how to breathe.

Since it was that kind of magic, the activation mechanism was clearly visible, and it didn’t feel obstructed at all.

“Ahem.”

The boy cleared his throat, rubbing his neck.

“Is this enough to prepare for the conversation?”

To such words, the Crown Prince replied.

“It’s quite confusing. Your words, your attitude, and the whole situation we’re in.”

“I thought it would be. But it’s easy if you admit it. The one called Girgoor is originally my substitute, and the true master of Igrosia is me. See, even magic isn’t strangling my neck? This is the truth.”

The Crown Prince furrowed his brows.

“I didn’t expect such a shady backstory.”

“You believe me?”

“It seems like there’s a lot to hear.”

It was a wise response.

If he had recklessly threatened and charged in, he would have gotten less information.

The boy… should I call him the real Girgoor?

He deepened his smile.

“Hmm. Alright. So where should I start…?”

I said.

“From the beginning. Before the birth of the dagger.”

“Oh?”

“Isn’t it proper to reveal your identity first? You look too young to be the mastermind behind the dagger that appeared 20 years ago.”

Isn’t that right?

What immediately comes to mind when looking at him is the nocturnal race in the scriptures.

They are free from such physical changes.

I placed my hand on the switch.

Girgoor answered with a smile.

“Hmm, alright. You want me to lay my cards on the table too? Mutual trust is important, I think.”

“Master…”

“It’s okay. It’s not something I can’t say. I just didn’t feel the need to tell others.”

Girgoor dispelled the old man’s worries.

Then, burying his back in the chair, he began to speak as if singing.

“In conclusion, this appearance is a curse. I am a human like you.”

The story began.

* * *

The life of Girgoor had already continued for over two hundred years.

If we go back to its roots, there was a tragedy in a certain village.

“It wasn’t a big deal. Just an accident that could happen. A peddler visited the village, and among the peddler’s goods, there was a curse.”

“Did you touch it?”

“No way. I didn’t even know it was there. I was just a ten-year-old back then.”

It was merely the greed of the peddler.

If he could lift the curse on the artifact, he could sell it for a higher price.

But lifting it himself was dangerous.

So, he decided to use the village men.

It would have been an easy task.

Just give them some money and ask them to do something.

But,

“It was unfortunate. Who would have known that the power of the artifact was the curse itself.”

It was the moment they tried to lift the curse.

The power embedded in the artifact immediately transferred to the person attempting to lift it, drained their life, and then moved to the next person.

This happened dozens of times in an instant, and the last one was Girgoor.

“I lost consciousness. When I woke up, the curse was attached to my body. It was absurd. Everyone was dead, and I was tormented by the curse.”

“…What about the peddler?”

“I killed him. The curse and I were quite compatible, so using its power wasn’t difficult.”

Though it was called a curse, it was a kind of supernatural ability.

Even a kitchen knife can be a tool or a weapon depending on who holds it.

For some reason, Girgoor’s body was compatible with the curse.

The curse embedded the lives it had drained from the villagers into Girgoor’s body.

Thus, he became immortal.

Girgoor’s body would not die until the lives consumed by the curse were exhausted.

“I didn’t like it much. Living for a long time, especially in the body of a child for hundreds of years, wasn’t something I enjoyed. I realized that in less than five years.”

So, he searched for a way to lift the curse.

What was the true nature of this artifact, and what was needed to break the curse?

But that matter was still a mystery.

“That’s my background. And now, the story about the dagger.”

Then, Yuren paid particular attention.

Girgore smiled at him once and continued speaking.

“That kid… So, the first time I met the fake Girgore in the center of Igrosia was when I stopped by here briefly to gather information. I used to come here often. It’s easier to find dark information here.”

He was smart and quick-witted.

He didn’t show his emotions recklessly and was quick to calculate.

Thus, he was capricious.

“I don’t usually stay in one place for long. The moment they find out I don’t age, many people get greedy for the secret of immortality. It’s annoying.”

But,

“Even considering that, it seemed interesting, so I took care of him. I thought, if I’m going to do it, I might as well do it right, so I created an intelligence agency and put him at the forefront. That’s the Observer’s Dagger. Does that make sense?”

“…So, the one at the forefront now was a scarecrow from the beginning?”

“Not to that extent. Well, I can’t deny it.”

Kallios let out a hollow laugh.

He seemed to be deep in thought, and then the expected question came out.

“Then, what do you mean by losing your foundation? Did the factions split? Or were you betrayed?”

“Both are wrong.”

It was a bit embarrassing.

But he had to be honest.

“I’ve been away for the past ten years. As I mentioned earlier, I was looking for clues about the Haiju. This time, I thought it was quite reliable information, so I left. In the meantime…”

“Things turned out like this?”

“…Well, originally, I wouldn’t have known this either. It’s because of you guys. I returned to Igrosia.”

“…?”

“They said they caught a demon or something. With that level of ability, I thought I’d dig a little to see if there was any connection to the curse.”

Girgore took a moment to catch his breath and continued.

“There are strange outsiders. They’re the ones next to the kid, and after a little investigation, I found that since they arrived, something strange has been happening one by one.”

A probing remark.

In response, a blatant reaction of vigilance returned.

Girgore raised his eyebrows.

‘This is it.’

Indeed, it seemed he had chosen the right person to help.

* * *

The false exploration never shone.

It means that there was no lie in what the real Girgoor said.

And one more thing.

‘Now I understand.’

Before entering Igrosia, I could see where the curse that had spread like mold throughout the city originated from.

It was that guy who spread it.

To be precise…

‘…a minion?’

The old man, that human called Rabon, must have received power from Girgoor and spread it.

The method of the contract was clear.

Both of them are missing one eye.

Girgoor must have given one of his eyes to that old man to share his power.

From such trivial things.

‘Outsider.’

To the core information.

“We suspect it’s related to human experimentation. The number of missing persons has increased, mostly the poor. If you gather rumors, you can see something similar to a different race attacking forces at night…”

It was certain.

The way they acted was very similar to those b*stards.

But doubts still remain.

“…So I want to ask for help. You seemed to be chasing that outsider.”

“Evidence?”

“Don’t underestimate our intelligence. We can at least know what you’re looking for. The runaway priest. Am I right?”

There was something I could feel.

‘They’re hiding something.’

They don’t lie.

But they don’t reveal all the information either.

Within the limits of not violating falsehood, they were trying to wield us according to their purpose.

That was the only way to judge.

‘The man who said his limbs were all cut off is asking for information.’

And as the words continued, it was so.

To seek a solution in this situation, we are left with no choice but to play along with Gilgoor’s intentions.

I don’t like that.

I had no intention of being dragged around and used as a pawn.

“Your Highness. Would you please step outside for a moment?”

When I said this, the Crown Prince frowned.

But he didn’t argue.

It must be because he felt the same emotions as I did.

He must have understood that I had come up with a plan.

“Alright. I’ll stand by the door.”

“Huh?”

Gilgoor blinked.

In the meantime, the Crown Prince left, and Beatrice remained.

“What, why aren’t you leaving?”

“…Yes.”

Even Beatrice slumped her shoulders and left.

I sat down.

I faced Gilgoor, who was staring at me as if to ask what was going on.

I heightened the tension.

Though he had the form of a boy, he was undoubtedly an old monster.

He wouldn’t give what he wanted right away.

But it wasn’t a big problem.

There was only one thing to keep in mind.

Now, how does one negotiate?

‘It’s about exchanging the desires of the other party with my own desires.’

The superiority of the negotiation is determined by how much and to what extent each party can fulfill those desires.

The current structure is one-sided.

They hold the information, but we have nothing.

What if that guy uses another trick in this state?

What if he uses us as disposable pieces?

‘That would be a disaster.’

Fortunately, I had a secret weapon to change this situation.

Piiit―!

I cast the magic of the eye.

A headache came.

‘So many of them.’

Curses, dozens, hundreds of them, were attached to Gilgoor’s body.

Understanding all of this… would have been very difficult before my eye was enhanced.

In other words, not now.

“What are you doing?”

I didn’t answer the question.

Instead, I took out the sacred tree and drew it through the air once.

Then,

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Tuduk―

One of the curses vanished.

Out of those hundreds, just one.

“…!”

Gilgoor’s eyes widened as if they were about to tear apart.

I observed the flow of his expression.

From confusion, to bewilderment, to shock, and then to hope.

He must be feeling this change more keenly than anyone else.

As I mentioned earlier, it’s a negotiation, an exchange of what we desire.

He revealed his weakness himself.

For hundreds of years, no one had been able to lift this curse.

That’s what he said.

“I thought I might be able to do it, and it worked.”

Just now, our, my value changed from disposable to ‘unique.’

“Shall we talk again then?”

“What…!”

Gilgoor’s lips twisted into a grin.

I leaned back on the sofa and crossed my legs.

He tapped his palm with the sacred tree and said,

“Recite everything you know. That curse, I’ll lift it as much as I like your answer.”

There were still over a hundred left.

That guy would have to answer diligently.

＜ Girgoor (2) ＞