If it was an order, he had no right to refuse. Yet, the whole affair felt troublesome.

The boy had always wanted to see ‘that being,’ at least once.

From the time he was born and became aware of the world, he’d heard countless times that his life was prepared for ‘that being.’ It was impossible not to wonder who this person was, what they did, and where they lived.

Living a life that was prepared for someone else was more frustrating because he didn’t even know the face or name of the subject.

A clear curiosity, a slight aversion. Also, a confusing fondness that he couldn’t tell whether it was imposed on him by someone else or was genuinely his.

All these feelings were intermingled in a complicated way.

But his perception that it was troublesome remained unchanged. It took almost two months to go from here to the island, and it would be summer by the time he returned.

‘A long way to go.’

If that was the case, why couldn’t the one who created him and was the master of the doctrine simply abduct him now? The master had been oddly fastidious about matters concerning ‘that being.’

‘What did he say? It’s not the time? Doesn’t want to foster aversion?’

Frankly, the boy thought it was already too late to avoid fostering aversion. If it wasn’t the right time, he wondered when ‘that time’ would come.

But if the master wished for it, there was no point in arguing. He had no choice but to stay quiet.

“When will you depart?”

“If it’s a long journey, it’s better to leave early. I’ll leave in three days.”

“Understood. I’ll prepare. Who will accompany you?”

“It’s a hassle, so I’ll go alone. If anyone tags along, I’ll kill them, so take note.”

The man sighed.

“This is a matter of great importance to our leader. I ask that you take it seriously. If you die or get injured severely, it’s also a great loss for the doctrine. I will assign only three escorts; accompany them at least to the island.”

With that, the man bowed lightly and left the boy’s room. Whether he cared or not, the boy, left alone, sprawled on his chair once more.

‘…Well, fine.’

He was in a position where he couldn’t refuse the order anyway. The boy decided to stop thinking about how troublesome it was and focus on what he could gain from this. This time, he could at least see what ‘that being’ looked like. If possible, he might even have a brief conversation.
The boy knew he was in no position to acknowledge or deny ‘that being.’ He was born and raised in the cult, and there was a reason for it. It was like a taboo.

“But isn’t it okay to be curious about who that person is?”

Acknowledgment and curiosity are separate matters, so it shouldn’t be a sin. As long as it doesn’t lead to permanent harm, it would be fine to dabble a bit.

After all, the cult leader had done the same before.

When the boy arrived on the island, the vernal equinox had just passed.

He could chalk it up to unnecessary defiance. Although he took his time and arrived leisurely, he found himself regretting it as the timing seemed ambiguous.

However, after collecting various rumors and confirming the situation in ‘that upper echelon’ he’d heard about a couple of months earlier, he was able to immediately retract his previous sentiment about the ‘ambiguous timing.’

Even without deliberately taking action, it seemed possible to just encourage the current situation a bit and reap the benefits.

‘The eldest son is dumb, as they say.’

The boy gave a hollow laugh.

‘At least my own eldest brother was somewhat smart.’

Of course, he was no longer in this world…

With a light heart, the boy collated the information he had gathered again.

The conclusions drawn from combining rumors heard from spies affiliated with the cult, information from the Hao Sect that could deliver anything if paid the right price, and facts confirmed by his own investigations, were as follows:

The current leader of the ‘Sanctuary Upper Echelon,’ connected with the volcano, had four children.

Among them were two sons; the eldest was lacking in many ways and was jealous of his clever younger brother. Knowing his own stupidity, he was anxious that his father might pass the leadership to his younger brother instead.

Thus, the inadequate eldest son allied with a dark sect called Hei Tian Men, which had recently secured a place in Shangluo, away from the prying eyes of the volcano and the imperial family.

A nefarious symbiotic relationship was formed with the promise that if he made his younger brother fall ill and die through a curse, he would favor Hei Tian Men from now until he ascended to the leader’s position.

From Hei Tian Men’s perspective, having the backing of the influential Sanctuary Upper Echelon in the Shangluo market was not bad. They treated each other as loyal partners, and trust had been built up between them.
Rabble has no concern of mine. The boy focused on their transactions.

“Like being ill.”