CHAPTER 93: AUTHOR AND PROTAGONIST

After Kai, Matt, and Reozaki conversed with Gimli for a while, and with Kai successfully convincing him to perform the vow, the three managed to get Gimli to examine their weapons and agree to craft combat suits for them.

Since Kai wanted his team to attain as much strength as possible, he also instructed Gimli to create three additional suits for the girls, and naturally, one for Neko-sensei.

Kai exhaled loudly as he leaned against the wall beside his bed, visibly irritated.

He had expected everything to proceed exactly as planned. However, there were several unexpected setbacks.

After concluding the contract negotiations and initiating the construction of their combat suits, Kai had gone on to address his primary reason for seeking out Gimli:

The matter of the Star of Ruin.

But the problem was, even Gimli knew little to nothing about it. The only insights he could offer were:

First, the vestige was distinctly alive and appeared to be one of many fragments somehow connected to Kai.

Second, the vestige was currently in a sealed state. This meant that no matter how much Kai attempted to utilize it, he would either suffer a penalty or be unable to fully access its potential.

Kai was disheartened by the revelation. But seeing that both Matt and Reozaki had managed to gain something from the encounter, he felt at least content that the trip wasn’t in vain. And it wasn’t as though he walked away empty-handed.

Kai looked up briefly, then rose and exited the room that only he and Reozaki had occupied.

Neko-sensei had gone out on an important mission, as had Reni, while Amy and Hari had gone to the market along with most of the first-year girls.

That left only him and Matt from the entire group. The issue, however, was that Matt had been acting strange ever since they left Gimli’s hideout, or perhaps even earlier. Kai wasn’t entirely sure.

Still, he wasn’t the most oblivious person alive. He could tell it was serious. And judging from Matt’s expression when he called for him, Kai knew he was in trouble.

At least, he was confident Matt wouldn’t kill him, which meant that whatever the issue was, it could still be resolved.

Even so, he couldn’t shake the lingering sense of unease. And if there was one thing he knew about himself, it was to trust his gut instinct. Every time his body tingled, it signaled that some kind of hell was about to unfold.

Besides Matt’s problem, Neko-sensei being dispatched somewhere also contributed to his anxiety. And he still hadn’t managed to have a proper conversation with Hari about Earth and the Weavers.

The number of unanswered questions continued to pile up in his mind, and for someone who despised ignorance, this feeling was worse than death.

Kai walked through the hallways and greeted a group composed of classmates and students from both A and B classes. Some invited him to join them, but he simply bowed and politely declined.

He had a lot on his plate, and he’d always wished for some downtime, not to be facing life-threatening events every other day, but life told him otherwise.

’Am I some sort of celebrity?’ he thought smugly, catching a glimpse of Matt standing at the entrance, dressed in their SPD uniform.

Matt gestured him over, and Kai responded in kind, signaling his approach. Both nodded the moment they drew near, exchanging a silent greeting without uttering a word.

Without speaking, the two began moving out of the building. It was already evening, and the sun had nearly set.

Kai didn’t understand why Matt had chosen to talk now instead of waiting until morning, but he couldn’t refuse. Matt wasn’t the kind to initiate such talks or sound off-balance in the first place.

Glancing at Matt briefly, Kai couldn’t help but sense the turmoil emanating from him.

Matt’s emotions were chaotic. He wasn’t usually the silent type, nor did he ever wear a scowl.

And Kai wasn’t exactly a master of emotional support, so all he could do was match Matt’s uneven stride in silence.

After they left the inn and stepped into a district known as the Red Light Palace, Matt came to a halt.

Kai turned to face his friend, who lagged slightly behind, but Matt’s next words nearly prompted him to draw his vestige.

"Tell me honestly... Who exactly are you?" Matt asked, his gaze fixed on Kai, cold and unreadable.

Kai chuckled lightly, as though trying to lighten the mood. "What are you even talking about?"

Matt’s expression remained unchanged. He repeated the question. "You’re not Kaiser Vanguard, are you?"

Kai’s body stiffened. "What do you mean by that? Who else would I be if not Kaiser Vanguard?"

He couldn’t fathom where Matt had gotten such an idea.

Yes, he wasn’t truly Kaiser Vanguard. He was Cha Jin-sung. But there was nothing he’d done to suggest otherwise.

In fact, he believed he’d kept a low profile, just like everyother "extra" in those kind of novels he used to read. Sure, he’d gone overboard at times, but it still shouldn’t have raised Matt’s suspicions.

Matt exhaled slowly. "You know I can tell if you’re lying."

Kai inwardly cursed, though he maintained his composure. ’Shit!’

He had completely forgotten what Matt’s talent was: Blessing, an ability Kai himself had written as a cheat skill.

A power that allowed Matt to borrow any ability from a god or outer being. The only drawback was the delay it took for a god to acknowledge the request.

Other than that, there were no penalties. He could do more than borrow powers; he could transfer injuries, steal mana, even take another’s constitution.

If it was Matt, then there had to be a way for him to detect deception.

Still, Kai wasn’t about to confess anything. He didn’t know what consequences would follow.

Matt was his friend, yes, but he was also the protagonist of this world, a righteous hero and the prince of England. He wasn’t someone who tolerated deceit.

Which meant that if Matt concluded he was an enemy of humanity or some malevolent entity who took possession of another’s body, then Kai, no matter their friendship, wouldn’t be spared.

Even worse, if Matt discovered that much of the suffering he’d endured was part of Kai’s, or rather, Cha Jin-sung’s, character development plan, then Kai doubted even a shred of their friendship would survive.

As Kai’s mind raced for a response, his hands growing sweaty under the pressure, and his heart pounding, Matt spoke again:

"You’re not from this world, are you?" he sighed, as if to reassure Kai that he didn’t mind the truth. "There’s no way you could have more foresight than Princess Frieren. That means you knew about this world before coming here."

He placed a hand on his chin. "Maybe my story was a novel you read, or a game you played, like in those webcomics."

Kai’s eyes widened as Matt continued. "Am I right?"

Kai never expected such a calm reaction from Matt.

The Matt he knew didn’t take these kinds of revelations lightly. And it wasn’t like they’d known each other for very long.

They’d only met three weeks ago.

Kai frowned slightly. "Why are you saying this so casually?"

Matt gave him a puzzled look, then shook his head. "Well, it doesn’t really matter where my best friend came from." He paused, smiling softly. "At first, I did get a little paranoid thinking about it..."

"Was Kai a villain? Did he deceive us? What was his goal? How did he know the future so accurately? That kind of thing." He paused. "But after thinking it through, I realized I didn’t care that much, even if you were evil."

Kai stared at Matt, unable to process his words. "Are you brain-dead?"

Matt chuckled. "Kai, you’re terrible at relationships. How are you going to make the princess and Amy happy like that?"

Kai shook his head. "I’m being serious. I might be the grandson of a demon god, for all you know."

Matt’s eyes widened. "What kind of joke is that?"

’But I am the grandson of the demon god.’ Kai sighed inwardly. ’He really is a madman.’

Matt stepped forward and leaned his arm on Kai, facing the same direction. "So are you going to tell me?"

Kai looked at Matt, who was slightly taller than him, maybe by two or three centimeters.

Honestly, Kai didn’t want to tell anyone, but at the same time, he wanted to unburden himself.

But never in a million years did he expect Matt to piece it together.

Smiling faintly, Kai finally said, "Don’t faint when I tell you."

Matt smirked. "I think you’re underestimating me. You’ve seen my detective skills, haven’t you?"

Kai’s smile softened. "I guess I have."

****

Matt and Kai moved to a private café almost immediately afterward, not feeling safe enough to discuss such matters out on the street.

After settling in, Kai began recounting his life to Matt, everything before his transmigration.

From his childhood, to the world he came from, which had no mana or powers, at least until he left, to Cordelia Blackwood, who was actually his cousin Hari, now reincarnated.

Finally, he revealed the truth, that he was the writer of this world. And just as he predicted, Matt didn’t find it amusing. But after Kai apologized a little, Matt accepted it and even admitted that the trials had helped shape him. Even he wouldn’t enjoy reading a story where the MC didn’t suffer some trauma.

They laughed it off, and Kai told him about the streaming channel or novel he was part of. Strangely enough, after telling Matt everything and summoning his laptop, it became visible to him.

But there was no way Kai would let Matt read the story about himself and alter the plot, even though Matt begged him multiple times.

After that, Kai shared knowledge about divinity and explained how the gods couldn’t be trusted. Only then did he learn that Matt felt the same way and was already trying to get rid of his talent entirely and create a new one.

However, he needed someone from a special lineage.

After thinking it through, Kai realized the person Matt needed was a Weaver.

Because of this, he began to explain to Matt what Weavers were and revealed that he was of both demon god and archangel descent, nearly causing Matt to pass out.

Matt also shared his own secrets, including information he had gathered about Weavers, how they were created and the strange dreams he had experienced since childhood, just like Kai had on Earth.

After their talk, the two sat in silence, digesting everything, before finally leaving the café.

The walk back was long, but peaceful and rather comforting.

As they reached the entrance of the inn, the moonlight casting a pale glow over their skin, Matt asked, "So should I call you Daddy from now on? Or maybe the one who ruined my life?"

Kai looked toward the door too, then replied, "I can accept the latter, but don’t you dare call me Daddy, it sounds gay as fuck."

Matt chuckled. "Yeah... it really does."