Episode 202 Succession Ceremony (4)
The night deepens. A cool night breeze lingers between me and the room before disappearing. Even in the chilly night air, the flowers of conversation are ripe.
I started hearing about Ryozo’s past by chance. Although he spoke with a calm expression, it was a miserable story. It was comparable to me, an orphan. Just listening to him, it was like Ryozo had no family.
“… I ended up alone in the house. But then I found out that my mother had just left me. It’s surprisingly common in Japan. Parents leaving their children behind.”
Under the bench, Ryozo’s feet crossed and moved. She didn’t look at me. She looked back and forth between the sky and the ground throughout the conversation.
“Even in the midst of all this, that guy Jeolgung keeps telling me, ‘You have to become Chilseong.’ No matter what, it’s like that. Do you think it makes sense that he said that when his mother disappeared overnight?”
“You could easily become neurotic.”
“Right? At that time, I really wanted to put an arrow between that person’s eyebrows. But I can’t do that. Just shoot while thinking of the target as that person’s face. Then you’ll hit every time.”
Ryozo let out a sly laugh. I just added a little bit of humor.
I didn’t know what to say because he thought of his father’s face as a target. If I interfered, it would be a tantrum.
“Hina wasn’t originally like that. … It’s a little embarrassing, but when I was little, I used to call her ‘big sister’ and follow her around. But that guy Kojima incited competition between the siblings, and that’s how their personalities turned out.”
“I wonder why your father is so obsessed with his son becoming Chilseong?”
“… … .”
Ryozo was silent for a moment. She stared blankly into space as she answered.
“As I said earlier, Kojima, that guy has many wives. Maybe five?”
There are a few countries in this world that allow polygamy. It is a practice where one takes multiple wives under the pretext of creating a stronger hero.
It was possible because there was a public enemy, the Demons. Superior genes are linked to the survival of humanity.
But this was just a setup to make it seem more plausible.
It’s like the so-called protagonist’s privilege. It’s safe to say that this world was designed to fit one guy, Leon Van Reinhardt.
This form of marriage that goes against my common sense was a necessary institution for Leon to achieve a harem ending without moral problems(?). It seems that Jeolgung is also enjoying this old-fashioned privilege.
But even so, Jeolgung is a hero with many successors. Normally, three would be the Maginot Line, but he has five wives. It was unusual.
Five wives. For some reason, I felt both shock and dizziness at the same time. However, Ryozo’s next words doubled the shock.
“But I have five living wives, and six if you include the dead one.”
Crazy. Six people? Saki Kojima, the archer, was not a man to be taken lightly.
Ryozo continued speaking.
“The dead wife. She was the person that Kojima loved the most, no, the only one. Her name was Alice Louise. She was one of the Seven Star Heroes, known as Tetsuro (鐵武). Isn’t that a strange name?”
“If it’s Chilseong, then surely… … .”
“That’s right. A hero who lost his life 40 years ago during the Battle of Basmon. A hero who died right after luring Basmon from Gehenna Gate to the frontline base. It was probably the first time I heard his name because it came up in passing in history class. I’m the only one who knows because I’m the oldest in the family. If I were normal, I would’ve just thought, ‘He’s one of the Seven Stars.’”
Complex emotions flashed across Ryozo’s eyes.
“Kojima, that human is angry that the person he loved the most is being forgotten. And he thinks it’s because she wasn’t the best.”
“… … .”
“I know what you’re thinking, Kenma. Not the best, but forgotten. That sounds like nonsense, right? But Kojima, who lost his first wife, was apparently crazy for several years. He acts normal now, but inside, he’s a completely broken person.”
I remembered the men who drank soju from bottles after breaking up with their lovers when I was a sushi restaurant owner.
There were also those who had lost their loved ones, and it took a long time for them to get back to their daily lives. Losing a loved one is an indescribable pain. It can completely change a person.
“Perhaps that man wants to find a replacement for Alice Louise among his own children. The rest of his wives and family are just a means to an end.”
He was deeply depressed because of the loss of his first wife 40 years ago. Furthermore, he looked for the reason why she was forgotten in people’s minds in strange places.
‘On the outside, his eyes looked clear and neat.’
The way of thinking itself is a different level of character. Is he a clear-eyed madman? But how does he have six wives? He’s a madman? Is being handsome everything? When you look at Leon, it seems like everything.
Feeling momentarily defeated, I let out a bitter sigh.
“by the way.”
Ryozo looked at me silently. His eyes seemed to indicate that it was my turn. Now it was time for me to explain.
“The decisive moment that made me a Chilseong hero is… … .”
I told Ryozo everything that had happened, without leaving anything out.
The subjugation of the 5th Legion Commander Agor, the purge of Elder Claudy, and the involvement with the Villain Alliance.
Despite all the hard work, the situation was so frustrating that I had no choice but to hide it, so the inspector suggested that I become the successor of Chilseong. After thinking about it for several months, I agreed. The summary was as follows.
Ryojo listened quietly. Her legs, which had been moving alternately, also stopped. An eerie silence fell.
The saliva rolled down my throat. Feeling embarrassed, I was about to say something when Ryozo opened his lips.
“You’ve had a hard time.”
Ryozo said so in his main voice.
The next moment, a strand of sky-blue hair flowed down my shoulder. The smell of the end of autumn wafted into my nostrils. She was embracing me.
I was taken aback by the sudden situation. My head felt numb and my body froze. How many minutes had passed?
Ryozo slowly pulled away. Her face was flushed with a faint blush.
“Don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying this because I’m caught up in the atmosphere.”
“… … !”
“And what’s more, congratulations. Regardless of my personal feelings toward Chilseong, you are more than qualified, Geomma. Now you won’t have to be looked down on by people for not being noble.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“There’s something else I want to say… … .”
Ryozo, who had been mumbling, quickly got up from his seat and walked away as if nothing had happened, then turned his head slightly and spoke.
“I’m proud of you, Sword Maiden.”
After finishing speaking, Ryozo continued walking. The streetlights placed intermittently illuminated her one by one. I stared at her back without stopping. At that moment, my pocket vibrated brightly.
[♩ ♬ ♫ ♪]
Bigsbig suddenly whistled like a pervert.
[My master has shown great courage today. How are you feeling?]
“I don’t know, Emma.”
[In times like this, can I honestly say, ‘I’m excited.’ I, Bigsbig, am an artificial intelligence that perfectly understands human sensibilities. I feel the same way as you, Mr. Geomma!]
“If you record this as is and let Ryojo hear it, don’t you think that the sensitivity you boast about will be erased right away?”
[… … .]
I leaned back on the bench. What on earth was going on? Ryozo suddenly left, leaving only a word saying that he had worked hard.
I was prepared for a cold scolding like “I’ll shake your hand off” or something. But I was just dumbfounded by the unexpected response.
‘Congratulations are fine, but what does a hug mean?’
I tilted my head back against the bench. My fever rose as the blood rushed to my crown.
I asked Bigsbig.
“Why did you hug me?”
[I don’t know.]
Puppy, you’re whining.
“Tell me, Bixbig, an artificial intelligence with overwhelming intelligence and work processing capabilities.”
[Hehe.]
“You’re Ryozo’s family, so you probably know a lot. And you’re also very sensitive. It’s a bit odd to say that to an AI, but… I don’t really understand people’s minds. It wasn’t like that at first, but at some point it became like that.”
[Ryozo often talked about that. He said that sometimes he thought that Kenma-sama was a psychopath. He said that he seemed to have a problem with empathy.]
I took out my cell phone. I also took out the sashimi.
[Ha, but! According to my personal research, the probability that Mr. Kenma is a psychopath is extremely low. However, he seems to be of a slightly different type. Anyway, to answer the question you just asked… … . I recommend that you hear it directly from Ryozo.]
“You don’t know?”
[I, Bigsbig, am proud to say that I have a more sensitive mind than you, at least. By the way, just as I heard, you really have no sense. In the first place, you are disqualified from being human from the moment you ask me this.]
“It’s dirty so I won’t listen.”
He clicked his tongue and put the phone away. As he was putting it in his pocket, Bigsbig threw out his last words. He modulated his voice like other mechanics.
[Did you know? A while ago, a bill on ‘polygamy’ was proposed in the Korean National Assembly.]
“what?”
[It’s just following the trend. Even Korea, the land of courtesy in the East. I think it will be fully introduced when Mr. Geomma becomes an adult.]
“crazy.”
[Good luck.]
* * *
The Joaquin Academy has advanced its succession ceremony.
The entire site was cleaned thoroughly, and colorful wreaths of various kinds were placed here and there.
It was thanks to the association staff running around under the leadership of Vice President Changseong.
So the Joaquin Academy prepared for the succession ceremony in just four days. It was an amazing speed of work.
The cadets who didn’t know English wondered at first what was going on. They had started decorating the academy even though it wasn’t even the festival period.
But as the saying goes, a horse without legs can travel a thousand miles. The fact that the series of events was preparation for the succession ceremony quickly spread. The atmosphere among the cadets also became noisy.
News of visits to Korea by distinguished guests from all over the world also poured in through the media.
Just looking at the list of people visiting Korea, one can guess how grand the succession ceremony will be.
It included many state guests, including Olmute Khan Elizabeth, Ironclad Mao Lang, Warrior, and senior-level heroes.
In the meantime, I too was very busy with no time to breathe.
It really feels like I’ve only slept one or two hours a day these past few days.
I rehearsed the succession ceremony, got the clothes I would wear on the day, and signed the mountain of documents.
The dark circles under my eyes reached down to my chin, but there was nothing I could do about it.
It wasn’t just me who was working hard, but also the inspector, the headmaster, and Changseong, who stayed up all night to help prepare.
Not only them, but also the association staff, especially Manager Seong, worked day and night.
As it was a national event that had taken place once in half a century, everyone from the academy, associations, and government worked together.
One, two, three days passed by so quickly, and today is the fourth day.
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The morning of the succession ceremony dawned.
