Chapter 55
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Two Heroes - 3
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Baimletter.
My hometown.
The prison.
And the place where the woman I loved most in the world resided.
Just because I loved her, I had to leave that land behind. I abandoned everything I'd built there, everything I'd barely clung to just to survive. In that moment, watching it all vanish before my eyes, I stepped out into the vast world with one single resolve.
From now on, I'd seize everything I wanted.
Anything I decided to claim, I'd make mine no matter what.
That was my vow.
But now...
After grabbing it all, thieves started crawling out of the woodwork.
Parasites gnawing at my honor. Trash trying to tear me down any way they could.
The Demon King's army, thrashing around pathetically now that it was too late. And the utterly incompetent knights who couldn't even hold them back.
And then, the mysterious hero fabricated by those Mailer bastards.
...
It all pissed me off.
Pissed me off so much I felt like I was going insane.
"Welcome, Sir Leo. His Majesty the Emperor awaits."
The chamberlain bowed his head the moment he saw me. Even from that trivial greeting, I scowled and shot back.
"Is that just polite phrasing? Or do you mean it literally?"
It was the kind of question that would fluster any idiot subordinate. But the chamberlain shrewdly grasped my intent and answered promptly. His response didn't satisfy me, though—it only fueled my disgust.
"He said he wouldn't start until you arrived, Sir Leo."
"Fucking useless shits."
I spat out the curse without restraint. It didn't ease my anger, but holding it in felt impossible amid this suffocating frustration. I stood there seething for a moment before stomping roughly into the conference chamber.
Thud.
"..."
The instant I flung the door open, every gaze in the room stabbed toward me. I deliberately lingered by the entrance, scanning the room. The frail, doddering emperor. And his equally worthless ministers. Their desperate eyes fixed on me, lips parched and silent for far too long.
"Haa..."
The heavy silence permeating the air wasn't some sudden drop—it had lingered like this for ages, grating on my nerves. I approached the emperor without hiding my fury, giving a perfunctory bow.
"I'm late, Your Majesty."
"Ah... no, it's fine. We were just about to begin."
"Really? Felt like you'd been waiting a while."
I shot a glare at one of the knights without warning. He jolted like he'd been stabbed, bowing his head in panic.
"N-no, it's not...!"
He stammered out excuses, but his voice cracked from the prolonged silence. Lips cracked dry, too. I let out a mocking laugh and took my seat.
"Forget it. Just start. Anyone got a report to give first?"
I asked like I was granting a favor, but I didn't expect any takers. These puppets couldn't do anything unless ordered. Even then, they barely managed, always surpassing my low expectations with their incompetence.
As the silence dragged on absurdly, I shook my head and spoke again.
"Fine. Let's start with the most important thing. How far have the demon bastards advanced?"
It was a simple question, yet they exchanged glances, dodging an answer. Finally, a young knight—the usual type to step up in these messes—spoke.
"Aiden of the White Tiger Knight Order."
"Don't care. Spit it out."
"Y-yes, sir."
He could've bristled at the slight to his pride, but he bowed again and continued in a deflated tone.
"Despite your genius tactics, Sir Leo, and the brave efforts of the imperial army, the demons are pushing forward rapidly on numerical superiority alone. It's just the flailing of rabble, so no major crisis yet, but..."
"Get to the point."
"...At this rate, they'll reach the capital in three days at most."
Fuck.
I swore inwardly, but the emperor and everyone else in the room bowed their heads as if they'd heard it, faces wretched with shame. Frowning, I spoke up.
"Even if the Demon King's forces are mighty, the entire empire getting overrun this fast? You think that makes sense?"
"But that's..."
"Making excuses already? Go on, let's hear it. What do you want to say?"
"The mages who should be at the borders were concentrated in the capital, so..."
"Which let us defend the capital successfully, right? Or are you gonna argue otherwise?"
"...I'm sorry."
He bit his lip like he had more to say but forced it down. I could guess it anyway. Wasn't pulling the mages here for personal business? And shouldn't a hero like you—or that mystery kid from Mailer—have handled the Four Heavenly Kings alone?
Didn't the demons invade because you couldn't finish the job properly?
Unspoken barbs clawed into my head, stoking my rage. For a split second, I wanted to smash that young knight's skull. But then the emperor spoke in a feeble voice.
"...So, are the refugees still backed up outside the walls?"
"..."
No one answered his bitter question. In this context, silence was as good as yes. He stared at them quietly before turning to me.
"Seems that way. Shouldn't we let them in?"
"I told you that's not an option."
"But they're my people too. How can we abandon those crying out our names, begging to be saved?"
"Your people..."
His hypocritical words drew an involuntary scoff from me. What a joke—this incompetent puppet emperor playing the saint. I stared him down, sneer intact.
"But Your Majesty, the capital's resources are stretched thin. The demons hit us so suddenly that supplies are short everywhere. No troops to help them, and even if we let them in, we don't have food for all those refugees."
"What are you saying? The capital isn't that destitute..."
"Think long-term. This war will drag on. Letting in refugees out of pity will starve everyone inside too. And so what if a few useless ones die? What harm to the empire?"
The last bit slipped out carelessly. He could've objected, but unlike the young knight, the old emperor had enough wisdom to shut up.
And that silence only pissed me off more.
Did these people have no opinions of their own? Were they so spineless they'd bend to a mere mercenary like me who'd spent years killing? At first, their incompetence suited me fine—I could control everything. But now, in crisis, the empire's rotten foundations were crumbling, burying me alive.
"Goddamn it..."
This time, I cursed loud enough for all to hear. No one dared stop me. Why? Because in this mess, I was all they had. Without even a brute like me, this teetering nation would collapse in a heartbeat.
Crack.
Suddenly, something crumbled in my grip. Looking down, I saw I'd unknowingly crushed the armrest of my chair. Just like this fragile empire shattering in my hands.
Yeah.
No matter how hard we tried, it was crumbling anyway.
"I'm tired."
I muttered, rising from my seat. The chair toppled backward with a loud thud.
"I'll rest a bit, so try thinking for yourselves. Don't assume I'll fix everything—earn your keep for once."
I spat coldly, scanning the room again. No one dared lift their heads. Their future actions were predictable as ever. What the hell was I supposed to do with these idiots?
"Haa..."
I'd vowed to take everything I wanted.
And I'd seized it all in the end.
Yet it all slipped through my fingers bit by bit.
As if I'd never deserved it from the start. As if telling me to know my place. Everything I couldn't hold crumbled to dust and faded away.
...No.
I deserved it.
I was chosen.
I was the hero who'd save the empire.
I'd claim everything and emerge victorious.
Like always.
With that thought, I kicked the door open.
Bang!
It slammed shut with a resounding crash, as violent as my entrance. I considered spewing more curses when a small hand suddenly tugged my sleeve. I whipped around irritably, then froze mid-motion.
"Eric."
"D-Dad..."
I called my son's name, quickly schooling my face. The boy, who took after his mother so cruelly, looked up at me with teary eyes.
"Are you... really mad?"
"W-what? Mad? Me? Does Daddy look mad?"
"I heard loud noises from inside..."
"No, it's nothing like that. Why would I be mad? My Eric came to see me."
I forced a smile and scooped him into my arms. His shaky breaths burrowed into my chest.
"So, why'd you come here? You should be with Mom and Eli. Daddy told you—he has to protect the world, so you protect those two."
"I know, but..."
Eric nuzzled closer, then pushed back with his tiny hands.
"But I'm scared you'll get hurt too, Dad. You got hurt bad last time because of that monster."
"Me? Hurt? No way. Who said that? Who... who told you?"
Killing intent crept into my voice unbidden. Eric hesitated, sensing it.
"M-Mom did..."
"Mom said that? That Daddy got hurt fighting?"
"Yeah. She said you got hurt bad. She cried a little. Said you can't protect everything. That you should stop now."
"I see."
I tried to sound calm, but my heart wavered. She was the love of my life, but sometimes she dragged me into this shitty mood.
"No, it wasn't bad. Daddy's a hero, remember? The hero who beat the Demon King. This time, that puny—er, that guy's nothing. I'll crush him in seconds."
"R-Really...?"
"Of course. Daddy will... Daddy will kill them all."
"..."
Terror flooded his eyes in an instant. I noticed, but right now, I didn't care. My head was too full already.
"Do you... have to do it, Dad?"
Eric's trembling voice pierced me. I couldn't grasp the meaning, so I echoed it back.
"Have to do what?"
"You don't have to be the only one, right? Can't you make someone else do it?"
"Who? Who's left besides me? The knights under me? They're way weaker—no good."
A dry laugh escaped me. Sometimes I forgot my son was just a kid. His innocence was natural, yet I kept overlooking it. Moments like this reminded me of that bastard. The idiot from Lorenheim who once dreamed of becoming a knight. Lately, that naive village punk kept popping into my head...
"Not them. The guy who beat the Minotaur."
Eric's words sliced through my tangled thoughts. I stared blankly ahead before slowly looking down.
"...What?"
"H-His Majesty the Emperor told me... You don't have to do everything. Another... another person... appeared..."
"What did the emperor say exactly?"
My voice dripped venom, even to my ears. Eric fidgeted, on the verge of tears again.
"A hero... another one... appeared..."
...
"What the fuck."
I couldn't hold back the curse. Springing up, I said,
"Go back to your room, Eric."
"Huh?"
"That incompetent emperor filling my son's head with bullshit..."
I ignored my cowering son and kicked the conference door. Hinges shattered with a crunch, and the massive door collapsed with a bang. I strode over the dustless wreckage into the room.
"Your Majesty!"
My ragged roar filled the chamber. Ignoring all decorum, I marched straight to the emperor and loomed over him, ready to grab his collar.
"Le-Leo..."
"Your Majesty."
I gripped the arm of his jade throne. Even without much force, it creaked and crumbled under my hand. I vomited out the rage I'd been chewing on.
"The fuck did you tell my son?"
"Leo..."
"What about the hero? I told you not to spout that crap. There's no such thing. It's bullshit cooked up by those Mailer retards—there's no new hero! No Demon King either. Nothing! I killed them all myself, fuck!"
"Leo."
My outburst was unprecedented since entering the palace, but the emperor's eyes showed no fear of me. No—if anything, he feared something else. Lips quivering, he glanced sideways.
"What..."
I followed his gaze. A lowly extra I'd overlooked knelt there, staring. Spotting me, he flattened himself to the floor.
"Sir Leo..."
"What the fuck now."
Amid my murderous aura, he forced his head up. But his mouth wouldn't move. Silence blanketed the room.
Then, something began to rumble.
... ... ... ...
"What..."
I sensed the faint ground tremors and stood.
"What the hell is it?!"
...! ...! ...! ...!
For the first time, dread coiled around me. Something unknown. It squeezed me like the unexplained silence from Rick. From Bobby. Something incomprehensible closing in.
"Damn it all..."
My eyes scanned the air before clamping onto the sword at my waist. Glaring at the gawking knights, I bellowed,
"What are you idiots doing?! Go check outside!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
They bolted like whipped horses. Coughing in the dust and clamor they left, I turned to the emperor.
"Leo..."
"Fuck..."
Even now, he just called my name. Shaking my head, I marched out.
"Fuck..."
My heart pounded. The ominous rumble persisted.
"Fuck... fuck...!"
Soon, I was running. I didn't know what it was, but that vibration called to me. A bizarre terror laced the unknown summons, so I ran. But the foreboding didn't fade.
"FUCK!!!"