Although my colleagues hesitated, my response came out surprisingly easily, as if I had anticipated this moment. “Tell them to watch as much as they wish,” I confidently told the Mirage-Walking Princess. “In fact, I’d like to request that you let the Terras know about everything I’ve done for them. Will you do that? Oh, my goodness. You’re very kind.” “We may not be able to say that we raised the best species, but we did our best. I can say this without a trace of guilt in my heart. What about you?” The Black Witch didn’t answer. “Anastasha, why are you hesitating? Are you worried your species will be shocked when they find out the truth? Once they learn that we’re humans, do you think they’ll feel despair, sadness, or worse, go mad? Is that what you’re thinking?” Anastasha didn’t answer, but anxiety was clear in her black eyes. What if they become disappointed in me? What if they don’t like me and curse me like the fake god that I am? What should I do if that happens? I nodded. “It’s normal to be anxious.” Parents knew everything about their children, so they could say they loved them without a doubt. But what about the children? They didn’t know almost anything about their parents, what they used to do when they were young, where they were born, the kind of people they surrounded themselves with, and how they had felt when they left home. The children didn’t try to find these things out, either. The parents showed their children only the sides they wanted to show, somewhat used to acting by now. With smiles, they stroked their children’s foreheads and watched over them like angels. I stood up and met Anastasha’s eyes. Because she was shorter than me, I had to drop to one knee. “Anastasha, please look at me. My orphanage director did his best to raise us. It’s tough to run an orphanage like he did for so long.” In a deliberately casual tone, I told my story while Anastasha listened. “When the grandfather of some public district office employee died, the director bought a black suit and went to the funeral. Neither the grandfather nor the employee had anything to do with us, and the director wasn’t even close to either of them. Still, he made sure to attend all the events held in the city. Well, he was trying to make an impression on the civil servants at the events. In Korea, this is really important.” “If the district office told him they were holding an event, he immediately went there. There were mountains of work needed to be done at the orphanage, but he always went out if someone from the district office called him. Even if a government office hosted an event, that was basically a small market among some people. Merchants lined up and put up some colorful pottery, succulent flower pots, handmade wallets... The list goes on. They were all from the stores established with the district office’s support. It was about reviving local businesses, or something like that. “Every time the director went there, he stuck by the district mayor’s side and bought three gifts each, calling the manual work splendid. Keep in mind that he was quite a cheap guy, but back then, he spent twenty or thirty thousand won without a care in the world.” I closed my eyes. That day, I had been secretly following the director from afar. The lines of merchants seemed to be part of some kind of festival. They even sold colorful masks. I put on a mask and pretended to be a child who was accompanied by some adults nearby. Pretty soon, I caught a glimpse of the director walking around with the district mayor. “Wow, District Mayor, look at this. How did she create such a pretty piece? It seems like there are only master artisans on these streets. I think this is another thing our district should be proud of. The kids will love it.” The director’s face, voice, and tone completely differed from when he dealt with us at the orphanage. If the other children had seen the director then, they would have received the shock of a lifetime. For us, the director was always a little distant. We could always go talk to him, but an unknown fog permanently surrounded him. “Speaking of which, these are all handmade products, right? Can I ask the craftsmen who made it to teach classes at the orphanage?” “Hmm? When you say classes at the orphanage...” “Yes, I’m the orphanage's director, and all the children there are gentle. But they don’t have enough things to play with or learn from. I think it would be good for the children’s ethical education if they could have a class teaching them to make pots once a week... Wouldn’t it be rewarding for you as well? A workshop street is created with support from the city hall and the district office. The artisans from the streets teaching local children creates a pretty picture, doesn’t it?” “Hmm. But the tuition fee...” “Oh, it would be great if the orphanage could have the district office’s support. Then it would solely become the district office’s project, right? Sir, you know how clean my orphanage is, right? The orphanage has the cleanest accounting in the entire district. It’d be very easy to work with us.” “Your orphanage is indeed famous for being an easy place to work with, Director Lee. There have been no incidents regarding document concealment. You have never violated document formatting or deadlines.” A middle-aged gentleman, whose name and face I didn’t know and I would probably never know, nodded. “Then, let the officer take charge. I’ll send out some guidelines... Hmm, if we only fund the director, things might look a little strange. Oh, wait, kindergarteners. Don’t you think children from kindergartens will enjoy playing with sand and dirt? Try to focus on a pottery class for them.” The orphanage director beamed. “Thank you, District Mayor! Not only do you fill the street with beautiful art pieces, but you also fill people’s hearts with love. I can’t tell you how relieved I am to have someone like you working with me.” “Haha, you’re very eloquent, Director.” The district mayor’s group got further and further away from me. I had to chase after them, but I didn’t have the energy to run. Seeing this side of the director was an enormous shock for me. I was embarrassed. At that time, the director was my father figure. Actually, he was something more than that. He was a teacher to us all and a counselor who gave advice whenever we had problems. The castle lord wisely ruled our isolated world known as the orphanage. Whenever we fell asleep, the director told us stories from thousands of years ago. Our entire legacy was his voice, tone, and facial expressions. His teaching was to dream on a continental scale and always remain calm and rational. Above all, he taught us to be angry at injustice. The orphanage children and I were young, so how could the director not be like a god to us? It was embarrassing. I learned what kind of face the director wore in the outside world and what kind of tone he used when he spoke. The director wasn’t our kind and wise god. When I saw him talking to the commissioner or the officer in charge from afar, I realized he was just an old man. An ordinary old man. I opened my eyes. Perhaps because I was unusually silent, Anastasha also stayed silent, watching me. The Inquisitor, the Countess, and the Paladin were also staring at me. “So what if they’re embarrassed by us?” I asked in a quiet voice. “They’re young, so they may be very embarrassed when they realize their gods are ordinary humans. ‘Ah, the one who gave us prophecies in a cool voice simply knows how to use aura very well. I thought they were looking after us using some great miracles, but they were all human. They’ve been running around and working from behind the scenes, where we couldn’t see them.’” One day, a free pottery class was held at the orphanage. The children were tired of cross-stitching and drawing caricatures, so playing with clay and making pots was a refreshing experience for the kids. Every time a pottery class was held, at least fifteen kids swarmed to the classroom to play with clay. The pottery teacher was kind, and the children had fun. I didn’t join the class. I felt somehow ashamed to attend it. It was like I was being very disloyal to the director. Without telling anyone what I had seen, I continued watching from afar. I recalled these memories from my childhood and said, “Once they see our true selves, they might be a bit embarrassed, but that’s it. As time passes, the children will gradually be able to accept the fact that we worked hard for them. They will understand that we are all just people.” Anastasha still hesitated. “Do you really think so? This is difficult even in classic parents-children relationships, but we’re their guardian gods and they’re our species.” “It’s okay. We are by no means ordinary parents, nor did we raise ordinary children.” In the hologram, the dragon had already collapsed, reduced to the size of a slightly large mammoth. Next to it, hundreds of thousands of people cheered and held a colorful aura festival. They had endured the disaster without any casualties. Moreover, their success was solely a result of their efforts. Everyone was happy, regardless of species. Yes, we weren’t ordinary parents and children. “Anastasha, we are one of the best Hunters in the Tower. And our children are, quite frankly, much better than the humans of our world. There’s no reason things shouldn’t work out.” I looked away from the hologram and calmly told the Mirage-Walking Princess, “Please let the kids now.” “Really? Are you sure you don’t want to think about this some more?” the princess insisted. “Why would I? No one could have raised them with more care than me. To be honest, they’ll accept me even if I’m some kind of alien monster with a hundred tentacles. Please tell the truth to the Terras right now.” “Wow, you surely are confident, Death King. Well, I do like that confidence of yours. ” The princess looked back at my other colleagues. “What about you guys? Do you want the same thing as the Death King? You were all together when you started this major quest on the thirty-first floor. If even one of you is against hits, it puts me in an awkward position. Well, I can put those of you who oppose this decision on a restriction, so you won’t be able to climb higher than the fortieth floor.” “Please let my species know, too,” Anastasha said, determination evident on her face. “I will go ahead with it. Whether the children despise me or not is up to me. If I don’t like it or can’t accept it, I shouldn’t have chosen a species in the first place. All of us have come this far, so raising the children in ignorance is selfishness. Please tell the Bloodborns the truth.” The Inquisitor raised his hand enthusiastically. “Ah, I think the same! I did my best to raise the Shellmounts! Hahaha! My best might differ from the others’, but my efforts are far superior to parents who don’t even try! Once the Shellmounts learn the truth, they will surely think highly of me. Please let them know as well!” The Paladin sighed. “Putting aside our innocent psychopath, children have the right to know about their parents, especially if they have matured. The species on this continent have clearly reached maturity. Let the Fingills know the truth, please.” The Countess, still in her cat form, contemplated. She wiped her face several times with her paw, groaning. After five minutes, she finally made up her mind. “Well, okay! I made sure they didn’t starve to death. Considering how many people are starving to death in our world, I think I’ve done the Sylvans a favor. All Sylvans basically belong to the middle and upper classes. Forget about aura. Money is the most important thing for them. I have nothing to be ashamed about.” “So you also agree, Countessy?” “Yes, I give you my consent. Show the Sylvans the truth!” The Mirage-Walking Princess laughed. “Really, you guys are so cute. I shouldn’t keep showing favoritism ... Well, what the hell.” With a clap, she added, “The Viper and the Sword Star, who are still on the stage, have agreed to disclose the truth. Since all seven participants have voted in favor, I will share the information with all the species under my administrative authority!” [Disclosing the information about the Inquisitor to all the Shellmounts!] Murmurs resounded from the hologram. —What is this, laimu? A hallucination?” —I doubt this is a mass hallucination since we still have our wits about us... The first species to react was the Shellmounts. While they carried the wrinkled snail shells on their backs and dismantled the wooden stairs and tools that had finished serving their purposes, they noticed something strange. As the princess had said, flashbacks from our expedition played inside their heads. “My Great Puppy, what in the world...” However, the confusion only deepened, like someone pressing the accelerator pedal all the way down. [Disclosing the information about the Black Witch to all the Bloodborns!] Bats hanging from the branches of palm trees in the jungle tilted their heads in confusion, screeching. They whispered to each other on the stairs built atop the monster’s body. Countless leaves in the jungle rustled. [Disclosing the information about the Paladin to all the Fingills!] The Fingills had been busy transporting food, drinks, and bedding for hundreds of thousands of people who arrived here after a long voyage, but they suddenly flinched. Splashes of water flew in all directions as their fins whipped about, causing several boats to tilt violently. “D-do you guys also see what I’m seeing right now?” “Yeah... Did that dragon cast a curse before dying or something?” “No, I don’t think so. I just heard a voice saying, ‘This is the truth of the Great Red Dolphin.’ Unless some devil is trying to trick us...” “Ugor? What’s wrong with you guys?” The jungle shook, then the entire world. Entire villages, towns, nearly all the warriors had gathered at the dragon’s tomb were in an uproar. Wherever there was an establishment, commotions erupted. [Disclosing the information about the Countess to all the Sylvans!] [Disclosing the information about the Viper to all the Skians!] [Disclosing the information about the Sword Star to all the Purens!] [Disclosing the information about the Death King to all the Terras!] This had to happen someday.