Episode 280 Emotions (1)
[“De facto declaration of war”…Changseong announces sudden mobilization order.]
[〈Announcement〉 Humanity-Demon Race, ‘Second Human-Demon War’ Enters.]
[〈Breaking News〉 Jeolgung announces intention to participate in this war.]
[〈Breaking News〉“America also joins the war”… All Mute, position.]
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The whole world was turned upside down. It was a real mess. The press was more aggressive than ever before in their articles, and the number of views reached tens of thousands in less than a minute. If it had been like this before, the media would have been delighted.
But that was not the case. The press and the reporters reported the bloody future without exaggeration. They finally produced a plain article when the time came. If there was an irony, it was an irony.
Is it because of that? Netizens who were busy biting and tearing at each other were quiet today. There were some who occasionally tried to provoke a fuss, deny reality, incite, and fabricate, but they were quickly buried.
People aren’t stupid. The Joaquin disaster, the Joaquin terror attack, the invasion of the 4th Corps Commander Permish. It’s just a matter of timing. If you just list the series of events, the ‘2nd Inma War’ was a predestined event.
The comments that were blind arrows encouraged and cheered on the heroes who were going to fight. Heroes are warriors who will fight on your behalf, but above all, if they are pushed back, humanity will face the end.
What that means is that when the heroes die, I die too. That’s the underlying psychology.
“… … .”
Saki Ryojo slowly scrolled down, savoring each letter. After finally checking the article, Ryojo asked.
“Bigsbig. Are these articles true?”
[Yes, it’s all true, except for some fake articles and YouTube videos.]
“… … .”
Ryojo flipped his smartphone over. He didn’t have the energy to respond. She felt her energy draining and leaned her head back against the back of her chair. She used her wrist to shield her eyes from the bright fluorescent lights.
‘Sword sword… … .’
For hours, she had been searching through countless articles. It was to check whether Kanggeomma would participate in the war. However, since it was still confidential, there were few related articles.
Even if it was mentioned, it was just a speculative article like, “Would the 18 Cheongeoms be going into war now? Wouldn’t it be better to keep them as emergency forces?”
One, Ryojo was practically certain that Kangkenma would participate in the war. Kangkenma was not the type to turn a blind eye to the dark clouds of humanity. He would take the lead. That’s the kind of person he is. And that made Ryojo’s heart burst.
‘Ganggeomma… in this war… … .’
I don’t even want to imagine it. Even in such a situation, reason calmed down and estimated the possibility of survival. It dug deep into the probability down to the decimal point.
As my brain accelerated, my pretty eyebrows kept getting furrowed. My back was covered in cold sweat. That was when I felt someone’s presence.
Ryojo opened his eyes wide. His mother was lying upside down in front of him. Cynthia was staring blankly at her daughter, who was deep in thought, with her head tilted back.
“daughter.”
Cynthia wiped Ryojo’s forehead with her sleeve.
“Let’s eat, let’s eat. If you want to think, you have to eat first.”
“… … .”
Ryojo nodded silently and got up. Cynthia smiled brightly and absentmindedly shook off her apron.
Ryojo sat down at the table. Kimchi, stir-fried anchovies, braised fish cakes, and raw radish salad. A very Korean-style table setting. The center was completely empty.
“Ta-da!”
Cynthia placed the pot in the empty space. Her mitten ambitiously opened the lid. Red broth was bubbling through the steam.
“Mom’s special recipe, kimchi stew. Ryojo, since your taste is Japanese, I intentionally made it less salty. Instead, I made it a bit sweeter.”
Cynthia tried to put kimchi stew in a bowl. Even though it is a Korean custom to eat with a spoon in one bowl, it would still be unfamiliar to Ryojo.
“There’s no need to divide it up for my sake.”
But what the heck? My daughter refused.
“The dishes are getting dirty. Let’s just eat. Mom, sit down quickly.”
“Oh, um. Should I? Okay. I’ll eat some rice while mixing saliva with my daughter.”
“Even if you talk at the dinner table… it makes my appetite worse.”
Ryojo clicked his tongue briefly and picked up the spoon. As soon as he took a spoonful, the spicy garlic and pepper scent tickled the roof of his mouth and the bottom of his tongue.
My eyes and nose felt tingly. Mom’s words about not making it spicy were a lie. Ryojo sniffled and glared at Cynthia.
“It’s more likely that you cried because you ate something spicy than because you were just sitting in a corner of the room crying.”
Cynthia said, eating her kimchi stew as if it were no big deal.
“You can cry when you want to cry. If you’re worried about someone, you can cry even louder. But my daughter is Japanese by birth, so she’s not very honest. And I’m also a bit… .”
Light tears flowed down Cynthia’s cheeks. Ryojo opened his eyes wide. Then suddenly, he remembered an article he had seen earlier. The title of the article was clearly ‘Zeku declares intention to participate in this war.’
The Prime Minister resigned ahead of the war, saying that he would introduce democratic elections after the war ended. Although he was caught up in the war-related articles, it was a somewhat unconventional declaration. Especially to those who knew the Prime Minister well. Among them were not only Ryojo but also Cynthia.
“Mom… No way… … .”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
Cynthia put down her spoon. The kimchi stew was still bubbling in the pot.
“I really hate him so much I could kill him, but sometimes, that guy Saki Kojima appears in my dreams.”
“… … .”
“One day, the doorbell suddenly rang, and I opened the door thinking it was a delivery, and there was your father standing there. That was the dream.”
Ding-dong-
At that moment, the doorbell rang loudly. The mother and daughter blinked blankly in confusion. Only the faint ringing of the doorbell spread quietly. Immediately afterwards, the mother and daughter’s eyes sank as if they had made a promise.
There is no way it will be delivered. It is currently DEFCON 1, wartime. Services such as convenience stores and delivery services were paralyzed by the last housewife. Fortunately, Cynthia, who is well-prepared, had stockpiled food early, so she is able to prepare three meals a day.
But not all are like them. No, most are in dire straits. Therefore, these intruders were most likely residents who came to beg. Or they were burglars or robbers.
“I’ll go out and try.”
“Mom? I think it would be better if I went out.”
“Look at this guy. Is he ignoring me?”
Cynthia dug through a drawer in the living room, pulled out a scalpel, threw it up, and snatched it out of the air as it spun like a pinwheel. Her hands were nimble and skilled.
“Have you forgotten your nickname, Mom? I’m Cynthia of God.”
“What does it matter?”
“They say that those who are good at saving lives are also good at killing people.”
“Is that what a doctor should say… … ?”
“That’s what they say. Anyway, eat something.”
Cynthia hid the knife between her sleeve and wrist like a dagger. She felt the cold iron on her skin. She turned the doorknob with her empty hand.
As soon as the door opened, she froze. An unexpected face stood there.
“What, who are you?”
Ryojo peeked over his mother’s shoulder. After a moment, her eyes also widened.
Strong sword.
“Can you excuse me for a moment?”
He, who is the busiest person these days, suddenly visited Busan.
* * *
While the whole world was in turmoil, I was relatively calm. It may have been due to the influence of the Sword God’s protection, but it was also because this was a situation I had always kept in mind since coming to this world.
That’s why my head was cold when I actually faced it. It was like what was coming had come. Thanks to that, I calmed down and thought about what I had missed in the meantime. I thought I would regret it if I jumped into war without thinking.
‘This time I might really die.’
Kuarn is definitely a strong opponent. However, it is not an enemy that I can’t even deal with. I have unlocked all of the protections I possess, and I have also learned the Lycan’s Eye and magic. I could do it in a one-on-one close combat.
‘My enemies are the beings beyond him, the false gods.’
It was what the Sword God and the Lycans said. Even though they never mentioned Kuarn, they always mentioned the false gods.
It wasn’t because Kuarn was weak, but it was to emphasize that there was another main enemy. In short, my main enemy was the gods, and it was a hint that they would appear in this war. So this time, I really had to be prepared to die.
‘It’s funny when I think about it.’
When did I, who was desperately trying to survive, become so filled with a sense of mission? They say you can’t even see an inch ahead in life, but really.
anyway.
It was only when I was on the verge of the final battle that I began to think about what was most important to me.
The first thing that came to mind was my parents in this life. The two people who had disappeared without a trace. After that, I consciously held onto the existence of the two people who were slowly fading from my mind.
What would the two of you say if you saw me? You said that I was a source of pride for Mr. Seori Kang just for being admitted to Joaquin Academy.
‘If I told you that you were Chilseong, you would be dizzy.’
Since I can no longer see the two of them, my thoughts moved on to the next. The most important person to me, aside from my parents. There are quite a few people I have met. The principal, the inspector, Changseong, etc. Those who helped me both materially and spiritually.
I always have gratitude. But to Kang Geum-ma, or more accurately, to me, there is someone else who is the most precious to me. The bottom of my heart, which was left with only the dregs of emotion, said so.
My steps were guided by my emotions and I set out for Busan right away.
“… … .”
“… … .”
So, at the moment, I am sitting quietly across the table from Ryojo. The kimchi stew is bubbling on our behalf as we keep our mouths shut.
‘How did things turn out like this?’
Cynthia was momentarily taken aback by my sudden visit. She immediately said she had somewhere to go and left. It may have been a tactful act, but Cynthia’s absence was fatal. After she left, the two of us were left alone in this spacious and cozy 40-pyeong house.
“You must be busy, what are you doing here… … .”
Ryojo was the first to speak. She twiddled her fingers and glanced at me. Her faint blush seemed to convey exactly what Ryojo was feeling. Embarrassment, unfamiliarity, joy.
‘When I first saw you, Ryojo was so shy.’
She has really changed a lot. You could say she is a different person. Ryojo, who used to eat yokan, no longer looks for sweets. Ryojo, who used to value that more than his inner self, now cares about the other person’s safety. Ryojo, who used to be far from honest, now shows it just by looking at his face. Of course, he only makes this expression to me.
I decided to be honest too. I decided to use the final battle as an excuse to be honest. Even if people point fingers at me and say I’m cowardly, there’s nothing I can do about it.
“you.”
“Me, … Me? Why?”
My lips are trembling. I made up my mind, but my mouth doesn’t open easily. I must have said such embarrassing things at least once in my life.
‘But Ryojo has said this to me several times.’
If you look at it from another perspective, it’s quite a difficult thing to say.
“Ryojo.”
“…Why do you keep calling me? It makes people feel uneasy.”
I took a deep breath and let it out loud. I lowered my eyes as much as possible. It would be greedy to expect more from Mosol.
“I came because I missed you.”