Chapter 54
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Two Heroes - 2
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Memories always leave vivid footprints in our minds. As the wheels rolled and the carriage headed toward the capital's massive gates, fragments of the past flickered before my eyes.
I still remember the thrill of arriving in the capital for the first time. Even from the distant horizon, the Emperor's castle boasted immense grandeur, and as we drew closer, the explosive cheers of the crowd still rang in my ears. Back then, as a pure country boy, I was overwhelmed amid the pouring cheers and applause, realizing I was the hero destined to carry on the empire's glory. I never doubted that this city's splendor would endure forever.
The situation now wasn't much different. Just like back then, I was heading to the capital after slaying the Minotaur, and as we approached, the massive roar of the crowd grew louder. But their cries weren't praises for the empire's glory—they were testimonies to its downfall.
"Step back! Any closer, and we'll deem it treason against His Imperial Majesty!"
"No, please! At least let the children in!"
"Your Majesty! Can you see us, Your Majesty? We're your subjects too! Please save us!"
"We told you to fall back! The capital accepts no more refugees! Go to another shelter!"
A single stone had fallen into the false calm, shattering everything. People who once showered respect and praise on the Emperor now begged for survival in his name, cursing the goddess and heroes they had trusted while swallowing their despair. Watching countless fates and stories drown in this disaster, Rachel finally uttered a single word.
"...It's horrible."
"Demons have invaded the capital, after all. For those who were cozy in their cradles, it must be a massive shock."
"And yet they're desperate to cling to the capital's embrace, so their faith in Leo must be incredibly strong."
"Whether they believe or not, he's their only option. No choice in the matter."
"What do you think people will do when they learn that hero is a fraud riddled with lies?"
"They'll collapse. Or deny it. But either way, they'll end up leaning on him again. Because he's the hero."
Suddenly, I recalled the guard in Mailer who had interpreted the hero's arrival as divine grace. But the hero's existence was proof that it didn't make everyone equal. The gods of this world were cruel, creating a clear divide between strong and weak from birth.
How fragile is a world dictated by one person's will.
And how tragic are the fates of those plunged into despair by that one will.
"...Time to get off."
I quietly spoke after grimly reflecting on our plight. Rachel, still unable to tear her eyes from the crowd, replied.
"Looks like we really don't need those papers after all."
"Take them if you want. I might be the only one who can get through."
"Planning to use force?"
"If necessary."
"Guess I need to brace myself."
I glanced at Rachel taking deep breaths, then signaled the coachman. The poor man, who had family in the capital, looked at us with pleading eyes. As the carriage stopped, I stepped toward our final destination.
"Let us in! Please!"
"Lord Leo! Your Majesty!!!"
The moment I opened the door to face the world, fragments of a crumbling realm crashed over me like waves. The fear of those who hadn't faced the battlefield was immense in its ignorance. Gripping Rachel's hand—she still couldn't look away from them—I pushed through the desperate throng.
"We have nowhere else to go! Please take us in!"
"Sob... We'll die like this! Everyone's going to die!"
Even trying to ignore them, their voices tormented me. As always, excessive imagination gnawed at my brain like a parasite. What story did that woman holding the child have? Why was that man alone screaming his family's names? Even now, my fragile heart tried to cling to their tales.
In the end, being a hero might mean being buried under people's voices, whether you will it or not.
"Luca..."
"Hold on tight and follow."
"...Okay."
A small hand dug into my palm. Holding her sweat-slick, racing pulse felt like clutching Rachel's heart itself. Had I held Eli's hand like this back then? To shake off the crawling memories and ringing sounds, I gripped that small hand firmly.
"Hold it. Stop right there."
A gruff voice blocked my path. Looking up, I saw a guard in a thick helmet covering his face glaring down at me. His massive build and impeccable stance marked him as leagues above the rabble I'd faced before.
"By His Imperial Majesty's solemn decree, no entry without permission. Show the seal-stamped permit if you wish to enter."
The Emperor's seal. Even Rachel couldn't forge that. I looked up, meeting the gaze beyond the thick visor.
"I don't need that."
"What did you say?"
"I got permission over five years ago."
"What...?"
"I'm here to see His Majesty."
My words rang clear amid the noisy anguish. I felt nearby guards turn toward us.
"His Majesty wants to see me too. Open the gates now."
"You arrogant bastard... Get lost!"
"Wait..."
As one guard lunged in rage, the one before me held him back with a hand. After staring at us for a long moment, he asked an unexpected question.
"That girl with you... Mind if I ask her name?"
"M-Me...?"
Rachel, who had been watching us tensely, pointed at herself in surprise. Hesitating, she finally spoke.
"I'm Rose Maringetty..."
"Rachel."
"...Rachel Moonlight."
"I see."
He nodded and approached us, bending his massive frame toward me.
"...Do you know Professor Hyde?"
"How do you know him?"
He didn't answer, scanning me up and down. Then, nodding, he murmured low.
"You're that monster from Erendel."
"What..."
"I'll handle these guys."
He said it loudly on purpose, exchanging knowing glances with his fellow guards. Grabbing our arms, he added.
"Come on. We'll talk details inside."
We followed the guard inside the gates. As the massive doors closed and the outer clamor faded, silence dominated the inner side. He glanced around, then led us briskly somewhere.
I didn't bother asking where, instead scanning our surroundings with my eyes. Shockingly, there was nothing to see. Not suspicious, just... empty. Aside from us and a few guard groups, the streets bore no human traces—no signs of life at all. The capital I'd returned to after five years had become a ghost town.
"It's eerily empty..."
"Shh. Almost there. Keep quiet."
As Rachel voiced her thoughts, he hushed her softly and turned into an alley. Twisting through passages like a tunnel, he stopped before barren ground. Looking around, he pried open the dirt floor. Soil cascaded down, revealing stairs plunged in darkness, lit only by faint lanterns below.
"Go on in."
"...Luca. What if this is a trap?"
"Even better. I'd meet Leo sooner."
I descended without hesitation; Rachel hurried after. Soon, the door shut behind, thickening the darkness.
After a long descent, my feet hit flat ground before another door. I waited for him to lead, then asked quietly.
"Where are we?"
"You'll see inside."
He opened it without pause and entered. I grabbed Rachel's still-trembling wrist and followed.
And there, we faced the people dying alongside the empire.
Crowded on the floor inside the door, countless people huddled, muttering their own tales. Like those outside, they sank into despair, embracing myriad fates, their eyes drained of life as they stared ahead.
"These people..."
"Empire citizens we smuggled in, like you. We've done our best, but under the imperial knights' watch, this is the limit."
The guard removed his helmet, meeting my eyes. Forties? Maybe fifties or more. Even in the dim light, his face showed clear wisdom, but his gaze was as sharp as any youth's.
"Name's Chris. Professor Hyde spoke highly of you. Said you killed the baron couple and saved him."
"Knowing the professor... You're part of the so-called rebels he mentioned."
"Call us the Revolutionaries. Shall we sit and talk?"
Chris guided us to a small table in the corner. He leaned his huge frame into a chair, eyeing me.
"You look surprised. Didn't expect the capital gate captain to be a revolutionary officer."
"I guessed from knowing the professor. But I thought it'd be a shelter, not... revolutionaries' base."
"You saw the revolutionaries' base already."
It took a moment to grasp. Frowning slightly, I asked.
"All the gate guards are revolutionaries?"
"Their leader was from the start—why wouldn't the rest be? Since Leo seized power, we're the only soldiers loyal to His Majesty, not him. Not everyone at first, but as Leo manipulated the court and we had to oppress citizens ourselves, most troops except knights joined us."
"Then why still seal the gates on Leo's orders?"
"We'd lose."
His calm voice held bitterness. Fidgeting with thick hands, he continued.
"We have pride as capital defenders, but knights outmatch us. Plus, Leo himself is asymmetric warfare. Mess up, and we're slaughtered. If we die, no one protects the citizens."
"Still, why not let everyone inside? No matter how cruel he is, he wouldn't massacre civilians outright."
"You don't know him. He'd snap a baby's neck if it threatened his power. That's why the empire's like this—with a monster like him in the hero party. But now, things have changed."
Chris's eyes flashed. Smirking, he looked at me.
"Professor told me everything. You executed the tyrannical baron couple and archbishop, then soloed the Minotaur in Mailer. With you, we fear nothing. Now's the time to execute Leo and restore His Majesty's dignity."
"You trust me?"
"Professor said you're good. Unlike fake hero Leo, the true hero to save this era. First time meeting, but yes. I believe. Miracles and heroes always pierce crises. No doubt this is that moment."
Even after all this.
Clinging to the hero illusion.
Vanessa's words surfaced. Even seasoned soldiers grasp delusions at the end.
I met his eyes. This veteran, who'd forged achievements for decades, entrusted not just himself but everyone's fate to one person without qualms. Is this the lot of the unchosen in this world?
Or is relying on me everyone's destiny?
Silent, I stared. Growing uneasy, he glanced around, stood abruptly.
"I've kept you long enough with heavy talk. Something to drink... or eat. And we can't discuss alone. Rest here. I'll fetch key people."
"...Got it."
My curt reply lit his face with relief as he rushed off. Watching his back, Rachel asked.
"What now?"
Instead of answering, I looked at her. Seemed more than asking my plans.
"What do you really want to say?"
"Starting a rebellion here is like handing the city to the demons."
She glanced at the room's occupants, voice soft. Since witnessing Mailer's horror, Rachel had changed. She wasn't like this in Erendel. Following her gaze, I replied.
"That's why we hurry."
"...Did I say something stupid again?"
"No."
If anything, she hit the core.
Gazing at the coughing elder in the corner, I mulled her words. With demon armies incoming, striking Leo would plunge the capital into worse chaos. Saving people and killing Leo might not mix. If they must, speed is key.
Everything boils down to time. Like that elder racing toward his end.
...
...
"..."
Lost in thought, I realized the elder in the corner looked familiar—too much for coincidence. Approaching slowly, he looked up at my footsteps amid his death rattles. In the dim light, his withered face hit me, and his name slipped out.
"Sir Leonhart."
"You... know me...?"
Nadia's father.
Only once, in the capital, had I seen his face. Bursting with joy at his daughter's honor, now he crawled in rags through shadows. Composing my turmoil, I sat before him.
"Natural you don't remember. Recall a young man your daughter called her disciple?"
"...Sorry, but I don't want to talk about my daughter."
Sir Leonhart answered firmly, coughing harshly. No need to imagine how the father of one of six heroes fell this far—Nadia and her damned husband's rampage sullied the family.
"But I vaguely recall you. The poor youth dragged to war for my daughter."
"Good memory."
"You're a victim I made, after all. Can't forget."
He coughed, lurching forward; I steadied his shoulder.
"What business with this sinful old man? If absolution, of course..."
"Not that, Sir Leonhart. Just a question."
"A question? For me?"
He eyed me curiously. Now just a discarded patriarch tainted by his daughter, once he strode the capital with honors. Thus, best suited to answer.
"Ever seen a black-haired girl who smells like mint flowers?"
"..."
I felt Rachel's gaze from behind but kept facing him, heart quickening. Reading my emotions with faded eyes, he answered slowly.
"Yes."
"...!"
Rachel, now beside me, covered her mouth in shock. My nerves taut, I locked eyes with him. Sir Leonhart regarded us, then spoke.
"Never thought of her that way, but spot-on description. Yes. Saw the mint-scented girl. Here. In the capital."
"Where exactly?"
"When seeing His Majesty in the palace. He was in good spirits, took me to the treasure vault. Saw rarities: Ennesic goddess relics, life-size wyvern statues of gold, prophecy slates from legends. Amid them, I first saw her statue."
He paused to cough. I ached to fetch water, but trembled too much. After prolonged hacking, he continued.
"Seen many statues, but none so lifelike. Truly like a person turned to stone. And that scent you mentioned."
"Mint flowers."
"Yes... mint flowers. It made her stand out among treasures. Staring, Leo stormed in furious, yelling rudely at His Majesty and chasing us out."
"...Secret vault."
I mulled his words. Secret vault—not the Emperor's, Leo's likely.
"Sorry I can't help more; that was first and last sight."
"It's plenty."
I placed a hand on his shoulder, words automatic. My mind overflowed with her. Imperial secret vault—perfect for Leo's treasures, inaccessible even to the Emperor. So...
"...Because when I went back, the girl was gone."
"...Pardon?"
I looked up blankly. He nodded.
"When Nadia and that wretched son-in-law's tyranny worsened, tainting our name, I felt threatened and offered family treasures to Leo. He mocked me, made me move them myself. Humiliating—alone, without servants."
"..."
"Back in the secret vault... I sought the girl statue from years ago, but it was gone. Leo noticed, asked what I sought. No lies—told him the girl statue. He said..."
"She's not here anymore."