‘It said five demons. Before, when there were six, it called them six humans.’
Then the dead boy hadn’t been a demon.
He had been an ordinary human?
‘Was that faint white light divine power?’
If it was—
why had someone possessing divine power been abandoned on an island cursed by divine punishment?
Evelyn had no time to contemplate it.
Five demons grieving.
One person completely motionless.
‘The person they most desperately wanted to protect……’
No wonder they had lost their minds after that child was murdered so brutally.
Honestly—
it was unbelievable they were still as sane as they were now.
Apparently even killing that boy hadn’t satisfied the perpetrators.
Their madness only intensified.
But the demons no longer allowed themselves to be attacked like fools.
To survive—
it was the obvious choice.
If they didn’t kill, then they and those precious to them would die.
Holloway had told the truth.
‘Neither I nor my friends have ever—’
‘—killed anyone innocent.’
The demons had never killed innocent people.
They endured.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Only after losing someone precious did they finally understand.
If they continued like this—
they could lose whoever remained too.
The abandoned hotel never stopped smelling of blood.
Because no one returned from the island, people outside eventually began sending explosives through the gates.
It continued while the demons grew.
And even after they had fully matured—
it continued for a very long time.
[They refuse to give up and continue attempting to erase the hidden truth.]
[They use every possible method but ultimately fail.]
‘You still haven’t found the written pact?!’
The family heads were too terrified to enter personally.
So they simply vented their rage on those beneath them.
‘There is no other choice. If we cannot destroy the written pact kept on that island, then we must erase the island itself.’
Everyone agreed.
And eventually—
[The gates are sealed.]
Every family sealed the gate it possessed.
No one would be able to enter.
No one would be able to leave.
Evelyn’s vision darkened.
Then gradually brightened again.
The location changed once more.
A woman stood in the imperial palace library.
The current Empress of Balone—
Samilia Foekas.
Mother of that delinquent Prince.
And the one sending criminals into the abandoned hotel to find the box.
She pulled out a thick book.
[Samilia Foekas discovered an ancient text.]
Evelyn didn’t understand.
An ancient book just sitting openly in the imperial library?
[The ancient text, which claimed it could grant any wish, pointed toward a sealed gate beneath the palace.]
[When she followed the map drawn inside the book and arrived at the location, the ancient text disappeared.]
Almost like it had deliberately lured her there.
‘Weren’t all the gates sealed?’
The gate beneath the imperial palace didn’t seem sealed at all.
[According to the ancient text, ‘Pandora’s Box,’ capable of granting every wish, exists beyond the gate.]
……Pandora’s Box?
Evelyn found the book itself too suspicious to trust.
Why would people desperate to erase every record leave something like that behind?
‘This is it……! With this box, I can get rid of that damned Princess and put my son on the throne!’
Greed flooded Samilia’s ecstatic face.
‘For my son……’
Her eyes gleamed like a predator watching prey.
Desire boiled inside them.
[Samilia attempts to obtain Pandora’s Box for her son.]
She immediately gathered vicious criminals condemned to death—
people no one would ever search for.
‘Bring me the box. It is white, with two wings drawn upon it.’
Samilia reproduced the image from the ancient text and showed it to them.
Then she made a promise.
‘Whoever brings it to me will receive not only a new identity, but enough wealth to never worry about survival again.’
Of course death-row prisoners wouldn’t reject such a sweet offer.
The criminals entered the gate without hesitation.
Then, some time later……
A blood-covered man stumbled out.
“……Impossible.”
Someone came back?
People who entered weren’t supposed to be able to leave.
Evelyn stared in disbelief at the man emerging from the gate.
‘T-The box? Did you find it?!’
‘M-Monsters……. Monsters live there……. S-Scary! So scary! P-Please, save—ghk!’
He never finished.
Blood erupted from his mouth.
Then he died.
Samilia narrowed one eye.
‘……Of course something like that would not be easy to obtain. Gather more criminals. As many as possible. I will provide everything I can. I absolutely cannot give up that box.’
Because of Samilia’s greed—
the demons’ lives became targets once again.
[LOADING=͟͞(๑•̀д•́๑)…….]
[Completing ‘The Story Afterward’=͟͞(๑•̀д•́๑)…….]
[‘The Story Afterward’ complete! (•̀ᴗ•́)و]
[‘What Happens Next’ is currently in progress!]
Currently in progress……?
Does that mean this system is watching to see what happens between me and the demons?
[Story Collection (5/7)]
The remaining stories were Suriel’s and Dilaf’s.
But what about that boy?
He simply died like that and that was the end?
I had wondered whether he might be the system……
Maybe he really was simply someone precious to the demons.
A catalyst that pushed them over the edge.
He had clearly died.
Otherwise the demons wouldn’t have grieved like that.
They wouldn’t have fallen into darkness.
Then perhaps he had nothing to do with the system.
I still didn’t know what the system was……
Who was it?
Who brought us here……?
[You have learned about ‘Pandora’s Box’!]
[Main Quest Triggered!]
[Main Quest <Whose Box Is It?>
Objective: Find ‘Pandora’s Box’ somewhere inside the hotel before the Empress does, and protect it!
You must personally protect it until the day you discover the escape gate.
※ ‘Pandora’s Box’ can be found by detecting an extremely faint trace of divine power.]
Excuse me?
Divine power?
……I don’t have any!
[Time Limit: Until immediately before your escape.
Clear Reward: Pandora’s Box.
Failure: Death.]
You’re giving Pandora’s Box to me?
If it truly grants wishes……
Then there was only one thing I had to do.
Your Majesty the Empress—
I’m afraid Pandora’s Box belongs to me.
I intended to hand Pandora’s Box to the demons and let them make the wish.
It might be the only object capable of granting what they desperately wanted.
Of course, one box couldn’t erase my family’s sin.
Still—
why the hell is it called Pandora?
That name sounds like it contains every disaster imaginable.
But I’m not in a position to be picky.
Whatever it was—
I would find the box.
And I would give it to the demons.
……If it could bring them even the slightest peace.
I don’t possess even the tiniest scrap of divine power.
How am I supposed to find the box?
Usually the protagonist in stories like this has divine power.
Maybe Moran has some.
But even if she did—
how was I supposed to confirm it?
First, I should at least try searching.
[Hint: Once the escape gate opens, you will recognize it instantly.]
Every hint you give me is useless.
Are you holding back because you plan to give me some overwhelmingly important final hint?
Fine.
I’ll wait and see how incredible that hint turns out to be.
“You again……”
Sellir glared at me.
At some point, my family’s signet ring had found its way onto her ring finger.
Why is she wearing that?
Maybe she used demonic power.
The ring should’ve been loose, but it fit perfectly.
Give it back.
As if that wasn’t enough—
a small pouch had appeared in my own hand.
“What is this?”
“Why are you asking me? It suddenly appeared.”
Was this my reward for viewing the past?
I opened the pouch.
Inside were the remaining family signet rings I hadn’t found.
Fuck.
I can’t exactly throw them away.
I shoved every disgusting family crest I had collected into the pouch.
Then held out my hand toward Sellir.
“Give me that ring.”
“No.”
“Why not? That ring belongs to the family that harmed this island and you.”
Sellir’s expression twisted strangely.
“Who said House Lodriz harmed me?”
“……?”
What?
Before I could ask, distant voices began approaching.
Humans.
Sellir’s expression instantly hardened.
“Go.”
“Where?”
“You have things you want to talk about without us hearing, don’t you?”
My eyes widened.
She knows?
Apparently my expression gave me away.
Sellir clicked her tongue.
“I’ll take the others away. Do whatever you need.”
Then she looked toward Holloway.
“Boss.”
Holloway remained beside me.
Sellir’s brows furrowed.
“Come with us.”
“No.”
That was immediate.
Sellir looked irritated.
But she didn’t argue further.
She left with the other demons.
Soon—
my companions entered the room.
Humans only.
Perfect.
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