Episode 199 Succession Ceremony (1)
sacrifice.
The crowd doesn’t know the weight of those two short words, and of course they force them on the hero.
They want heroes to burn themselves to achieve great feats, and they expect them to be willing to give their lives for humanity.
Moreover, as the hero’s fame rises, the word ‘sacrifice’ becomes a burden and weighs down on his shoulders.
So, what is the total amount of sacrifice that the Seven Star Heroes must make? And is the sacrifice worth it?
Saki Kojima thought about that proposition for a long time.
Surprisingly, the answer he gave when he was young was ‘yes’. Of course, it was thanks to other people who had a huge influence on that conclusion.
‘Shouldn’t someone bear the weight? It’s better if we do it ourselves. What’s with the ‘why?’ look? Of course! We’re stronger! We can handle it better.’
This is what Alice Ruiz said when she was a cadet at Joaquin Academy, showing off her muscular arms. At the time, it sounded like a pipe dream to Kojima.
Anyone can talk plausibly. The question is how well they follow through on their words.
But Alice really stood by her word. She would go to any trouble to help someone who needed help.
She was the one who set an example by leading by example as a hero. And that course of action continued even after she and Kojima became married.
Kojima wanted his wife to stay at home, but Alice refused with a stern look.
‘If you say that one more time, I’ll call it divorce.’
…and yet, the days continued without incident. Until that day came.
40 years ago, the 6th Corps Commander Basmon suddenly appeared near the Gehenna Gate. At the same time, the seven strongest forces on the human side were drafted. They were the heroes who would later become the Seven Stars.
The biggest obstacle was Basmon’s haunting place. The closer the demon is to the demon realm, the stronger the demon becomes. Therefore, the key to subjugating Basmon was to keep it far from the gate. To do that, someone had to be the bait to lure it.
The grave task of confronting the 6th Corps Commander at his strongest and dragging him into the battlefield without him noticing. It was practically a suicide mission. He had to complete it alone.
If there were two or three people going, the bastard might sense something.
‘I will do it.’
Siegfried readily volunteered for the job. Someone had to do it, and he felt it was right for him to do it.
The other six might be able to replace him, but their chances of survival would be greatly reduced. Even at that time, he was considered the strongest man in the world.
Although Richard de Murat belatedly declared that he would go, the opinion was in favor of Siegfried going, as Richard’s impetuous temper could have derailed the plan.
It seemed like the negotiations would end with Siegfried’s departure.
In the early morning, before the twilight had even begun, someone visited Siegfried’s outpost.
‘I’ll go, senior.’
Alice spoke to Siegfried, who was preparing, with a look of strength in her eyes.
‘I’m a tank. This is something I should be doing.’
Siegfried frowned and dismissed it.
‘I can’t force my juniors into a corner as a senior.’
‘I know the reason why you’re baiting me while leaving me, the tanker, behind is because I just gave birth to my third child.’
Alice put her hands on her hips and asked in a loud voice.
‘I appreciate your consideration, but what if you say something bad to your senior? The possibility of punishment ends there.’
‘But what can’t be done can’t be done.’
Siegfried shook his head with determined eyes. Alice insisted on her unyielding determination.
‘I was drafted here to step forward at a time like this. If you, my senior, try to step forward, it’s clearly a violation of my rights. That’s why I’ll go. Both you and I know that this is the only way to minimize the damage.’
‘… … .’
Siegfried’s face became gloomy. He knew it. Alice’s argument was the best.
‘…Does Kojima know?’
Alice had a bitter smile on her lips.
‘He doesn’t know. If he knew, would he just stay still? He’d do anything to keep you from leaving.’
‘Even if I were to do that, you’d still be resented by Kojima.’
‘I know. And he knows, too. I’m the right person for this role. But he can’t bring himself to say anything.’
Alice suddenly looked up at the pale dawn sky. The darkness that had descended was fading away and the sun was being born.
As the veil of night is lifted, the shining moon and stars disappear into the sky.
As the morning dawned, the lights that had decorated the sky disappeared as if they had fulfilled their duty. Without leaving behind even a little bit of resentment.
He was simply stepping aside because he had done his part. And the same was true for Alice.
‘This is the only way to reduce further sacrifices.’
This arbitrary sacrifice would be a selfish decision for those around her, especially her family.
But this selfish choice was the only thing on her mind. There was only one reason: she was a hero.
Alice muttered as she quietly gazed at the sunlight bathing the earth for a long time.
‘Kojima, he’s a hero too. I’m sure he’ll understand my choice.’
* * *
“What did you just say?”
The voice full of rage came out of Changseong’s mouth, not that of the swordsman. He beat Omansang without mercy, then stomped his feet and stopped right in front of Jeolgung’s nose.
“I’ll ask you again, archer. What were you babbling about to the Nibelung just now?”
“Senior Richa, are you too old to listen if I say it to you once?”
The archer responded as if he was annoyed.
“Senior Siegfried clearly said, ‘You seem to have weakened.’”
“… This cheeky brat… … Let’s see, let’s see, he’s trying to stand on top of his senior’s head.”
“Ha, since when have you been saying that you and Siegfried-senpai are close? Even if our faces just pass each other, you growl at each other. But I know we’re not close enough to get angry at each other.”
Changseong did not respond to Jeolgung’s sarcasm. Instead, he immediately threw a punch. Jeolgung, as if he had expected this, took a step back clockwise to avoid the government.
Although it was unrivaled in terms of brute force, it was a simple-minded Changseong with simple movements. Even if it was a fist that carried wind pressure, it would just slip away.
Thud.
The left shoulder of the archer was grabbed. A hand the size of a pot lid tightly gripped his upper arm.
“Enough with the tantrums, Archer.”
Changseong looked down at the immobile palace with a cold gaze. Then he opened his mouth in a low voice.
“Let’s do this for Alice’s sake. Grit your teeth. If you don’t want to replace all your teeth with implants.”
As Chalseong’s shoulders shook, a green new figure suddenly appeared between the two.
Kuung!
A terrible crash. A violent crash that made dust rise, and the chandelier collapsed.
The regime was blocked right in front of the palace. The wrist held in a slender hand trembled in the air.
“Gorilla, you’re the one who should do that. You have a sword too. And have you forgotten what we promised each other? To remain silent while I conduct the interview.”
Media released the hand she was holding. When she shook her wrist, only then did Changseong lower his fist.
“I got excited. Sorry, Media.”
“If you know, then you should refrain from doing it. You keep doing it and apologizing. I’m so tired. Anyway… … .”
Media turned her gaze to the palace.
“Junior. If you ever talk like that again, I won’t let you off easy. I’ll let today pass as a mishap, so leave while I’m talking to you nicely.”
“… … .”
“And I warn you, from today onwards, do not approach the swordsman again.”
Jeolgung stared at her intently and then turned around. He turned around and glared at the three with narrowed eyes before quietly leaving the guest room.
The situation was settled for the time being. As the atmosphere calmed down, the inspector approached me.
He faced me with a stiff and embarrassed expression, having just been humiliated.
I guess he thinks he did something adults shouldn’t see in front of me.
The inspector broke the silence and spoke first.
“I made a fool of myself. I’m sorry.”
As expected. The reaction was as expected.
I took the conversation as naturally as possible.
“Your Majesty, you must be very angry. You heard those words in front of your face.”
“Haha, it’s okay. I’m not a kid. I don’t get upset and stuff just because I hear things like that.”
Only then did his stiff face relax a bit, and Geomje looked at the spot where Jeolgung had left. He suddenly asked me a question.
“It must have seemed to you that Kojima resented me very much. Didn’t it?”
“To be honest… it seems like you look at me like an enemy.”
“Yeah, that’s what it looked like.”
The inquisitor’s calm, composed voice continued.
“Even if Kojima has feelings for me, it probably won’t be that big now. But he won’t like it either. The person he’s most angry about isn’t me.”
“… … .”
“The person he is most angry with is himself. It’s self-loathing, so to speak. He still doesn’t understand the choices of the person he cherished most. This is because Kojima tries to see every situation with intuition, not emotion.”
Self-loathing? The choice of a loved one? It was a bit difficult for me to understand since I didn’t know the context of the story.
As I was unable to answer, the inspector belatedly came to his senses. Then, he scratched the back of his neck as if he was embarrassed.
“Oh, you’ve gotten older, so you’ve become sentimental. You must be tired, so hurry up and go inside. The succession ceremony is in three days. You’ll probably be busy without a moment to breathe, so get some rest.”
* * *
It was late at night. I returned to the dormitory and lay on my side, staring at the wall. I couldn’t fall asleep even after tossing and turning in bed for a long time.
I felt elated. I had also received the funeral a few hours ago, and more than anything, the thought of the ‘succession ceremony’ filled my mind.
I turned my body and looked at the ceiling, following the wall. Traces of life pressed down dimly. Two years had already passed since I came to this world.
I thought back on my past memories one by one. Just two years ago, I was cutting fish, but in three days, I will be crowned a Chilseong Hero.
This is something I could not have imagined even at the beginning of my schooling. At that time, I was only concerned with surviving without any particular purpose. However, from now on, I must shoulder the fate of humanity and act accordingly. The vessel that contained only me has been broken.
It wasn’t a matter of choice whether you could or couldn’t do it. It was an obligation.
“… … .”
That was when.
Boohoo.
The cell phone on the desk trembled low. I lightly got out of bed and checked it.
[Nice to meet you, Master. My name is Bigsbig. Please understand that I will only talk about the main point as the situation is urgent.]
The LCD screen lit up again.
[Ryozo has disappeared.]
