Conquest trailed after Liu Han with Granny Chiyo at her side, leaving Kamui and Gundo behind in the conference room. Neither Liu Han nor the old woman had said a word about where they were going.
Not that it mattered. However, the silent walk had given Conquest time to consider a few things.
Igarashi Kenji was still within her. And with him being a cursed spirit, she was afraid Liu Han might trace her issue back to him. In fact, she expected it.
"Liu Han…"
"Yes?"
Conquest scratched her head, searching for the right words.
"Before we start, there is a cursed spirit residing within me. I'd rather you know now than assume he's the cause of my clogged mana."
Liu Han didn't turn around and just kept marching without a care in the world.
"Is that so? Well, could you tell me what sort of relationship you have with this cursed spirit?"
"His name is Igarashi Kenji. He was a close friend of mine. But the due to disappearances his body is trapped in Purgatory while his soul resides within me as a cursed spirit."
Granny Chiyo put a hand to her lips.
"Oh, that poor boy. How did you two meet?"
Conquest slowed her pace.
"To answer that, you need to understand what my life was like before him."
She tilted her head toward the ceiling as her mind drifted back to her high school days.
"Before I reincarnated, I was simply a seventeen-year-old human girl who went to Kyoto High. In my first year, I struggled to make friends besides of course Riko who I knew middle school. And it wasn't because I was difficult to get along with. If anything, I was easy to talk to and very approachable. But I was also an A+ student in every subject. Including gym and art. All of it came naturally to me. So of course, they praised me for it. But over time, their praise turned into jealousy, and their jealousy turned into resentment. Eventually, they all kept their distance from me."
Granny Chiyo lowered her gaze.
"So even as a human, the deep-seated emotion of pride followed you like a plague."
Conquest let out a breath through her nose.
"Yes. It pushed everyone away. Well, everyone but him. No matter how many times I flaunted my achievements, he never once pulled away. He challenged me. Laughed at me when I got too full of myself. And still sat next to me every single day. He just treated me like a regular person. Even though there was nothing regular about me."
Liu Han chuckled.
"So you were a loner because you were too prideful? I would say deserved. I can't stand people who flaunt their success in front of those who are less fortunate."
Granny Chiyo hit Liu Han in the arm.
"Hey! That was clearly not her intention. Why do you make it sound like she was going around homeless shelters showing off her wealth?"
"First of all, that hit was uncalled for, and to be frank with you someone who is less fortunate does not need to be homeless. In fact, I sometimes do it myself and know that I'm a piece of shit for it. There's nothing wrong with admitting that."
He wasn't wrong. Liu Han saw right through her.
"You're right. I enjoyed watching them realize that the gap between us wasn't something they could ever close. Not only that, but I know for a fact that once I get my mana back and can use my abilities normally, I'll be consumed by that same pride once more."
Granny Chiyo's mouth trembled. It was obvious she wanted to comfort her, but what could she say? Everything Conquest had said was the truth.
Conquest couldn't help but scoff as she remembered what Sasaki had said to her during their battle. "I live the way the Sovereign made me, as a demon, as the Sin of Greed, a mantle bestowed upon me without choice, and I move through existence according to that design."
She may not have been given the mantle of Pride that Lucifer carried, but pride was woven into her design nonetheless. And it didn't help that the power she gained from becoming a Horseman only fed it. The stronger she grew, the more prideful she became.
Gripping her large crystal shard tighter, Granny Chiyo let out a slow breath before she spoke.
"Hmm, there's nothing wrong with being prideful, sweetheart. It only becomes a problem when you can't control it. As long as you're aware of your own mistakes, can accept feedback from others, I see no issue with it. Many individuals in the Unseen Realm hold a level of pride, but only a few know when to be humble."
Liu Han planted his feet in front of room 485 and pushed the door wide open.
"You can worry about reverting back to your old self after we fix your mana problems. Now how about you get inside already?"
An operating room stretched out before Conquest, rows of medical equipment lining the right wall and a flat bed in the middle.
Above it, a fluorescent light beamed down onto the bed. The room felt disconnected from the Junei Hotel in a way that made her uneasy.
Not to mention, how was an operating room even constructed inside a hotel? At this point, Liu Han must have been so rich that he had all kinds of rooms that felt like portals to different dimensions.
"That's enough reminiscing about the past. Let's get you ready for the examination. Step inside and take off your jacket."
As she got inside the operating room, she sat down on the bed and began to remove her black slim jacket.
With that off, she stopped at the thin black high-neck top underneath. She pinched the collar between her fingers, unsure whether she was meant to remove it too and expose her chest to him.
Granny Chiyo quickly grabbed her hand.
"What are you doing? He just said to remove your jacket."
"Oh okay? Fine then."
Liu Han clicked his tongue in annoyance as he glared at Granny Chiyo.
"Tsk, always ruining the fun, huh?"
"Just lay down on the bed, dear, and relax your muscles. He may be a pervert, but he is quite competent at using his needle relics."
Conquest took a deep breath and laid back on the bed as the fluorescent light hit her eyes.
"Okay, I'm ready! Do your thing."
Liu Han pulled four thin, finger-sized needles from his pocket.
"Alright, here we go. Just try to stay calm and don't move around too much. I need to hit your mana nodes so I can diagnose you properly. Oh, forgot to mention. Just so you know, you might feel a sting. But then again, you're a Horseman. I doubt it'll bother you too much."
A sting? I've had much worse.
Liu Han took one of his four needles and slowly brought it toward her sternum. The tip nearly grazed her skin. Conquest clenched her fist, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.
A pale hand shot out of her chest and seized Liu Han's wrist. On its back, a black crescent moon tattoo was visible. It was the exact mark Conquest had on her chest, only this one was on the back of a hand. It was the mark of the Horseman's.
"W-what! A hand!" Liu Han yelled.