Snuffing Out the Spark
"He stopped it! He stopped it! Nobody died—wait. It's Gaon! It's Swordmaster Gaon!"
Breaking news. The live broadcast on the television was so vivid it had tipped over into outright frenzy, and every gaze in the restaurant was glued to the screen. Lee Bok-dong and Jijonmussang were no different. Caught up in the spectacle unfolding on TV, they had forgotten all about the meal in front of them.
A full five minutes passed before the situation on screen came to a close. The reporters on television were gasping for breath. They hadn't been putting on a show to keep the audience hooked—they had been genuinely rattled.
"Ah... this is truly a relief."
"If that terrorist attack had succeeded, this could have been a second Sarajevo."
"That might be stretching it a bit, but... then again, you never know. As we all know, war breaks out the moment a single spark hits a situation that's already primed for it. And as the Korean people are well aware, we are currently in a situation where a war could erupt over the most trivial nonsense."
"Yes—so stopping this was as good as snuffing out the spark of war. He really did save us. Of course, I doubt he did it for the sake of us Earthlings, but we owe Lord Gaon our deepest thanks. Truly..."
A moment later, the camera settled on a gray-haired elf standing with a blank expression on his face.
As it happened, a group of pretty high school girls were eating in the restaurant as well.
"Holy shit, he's so fucking hot!"
The squealing did not appear to sit well with everyone present.
Jijonmussang spoke up.
"Handsome my ass. That knife-eared Gaon is a goddamn menace. You know how many people have suffered because of that one elf?"
Lee Bok-dong grumbled inwardly.
Just eat your food. Why do you keep talking to me...
Coming out here hadn't even been Lee Bok-dong's idea in the first place. Jijonmussang had kept pestering him to meet up for a meal, and he hadn't had the courage to turn him down flat. Perhaps that was why his tone came out brusquer than he intended.
"We're making money thanks to our Gaon, though."
"Huh? Oh—not that Gaon! I mean that Swordmaster. You have any idea how much I suffered during my military service just because that guy exists? They said we had to prepare for a Swordmaster cutting through the barbed wire or teleporting in, so they made the sentry rotations a complete fucking nightmare..."
Keeping the conversation going was an ordeal. Lee Bok-dong sighed inwardly and focused on eating.
The food was, in fact, good. With no friends and no courage to eat out alone, he had never even set foot in a restaurant like this. So even as he grumbled, Lee Bok-dong finished a thoroughly satisfying meal.
He was just pulling out his wallet when he saw that Jijonmussang had already gone to the register. Lee Bok-dong watched as the older man paid, came back, and announced:
"Alright, time for the after-meal treat! What'll it be? Coffee? Ice cream? Just say the word. Hyung's buying!"
Lee Bok-dong's eyes went wide.
"I thought you said you were broke?"
"I've always got enough to feed my Bok-dong!"
Jijonmussang grinned, clearly in a good mood. A short while later, he really did buy two cups of Americano—and paid for those too.
Lee Bok-dong felt a twinge of guilt. Something he had been sitting on came to mind, and he made an offer.
"I was the only one who got the merit bonus this time."
"Hm? Yeah."
"Thinking about it, you were the one who watched our loot for me, so I made a lot of money off that too. Doesn't feel right to just pocket the whole merit bonus myself. I was thinking of giving you half..."
"Nah, I'm good!"
The answer came so fast that Lee Bok-dong's eyes went wide again.
"You're sure? Really?"
"Yeah. I said it's fine!"
"Just this morning you were whining to the officers in-game that you deserved a cut too..."
"Yeah, well, that was me trying to squeeze the guys who actually have money!"
The Korean assemblyman was exceedingly humble. The moment he laid eyes on Gaon, he bowed at the waist and cried out:
"I stand before the Great Warrior of the Goddess. This is an honor not only to my own soul, but to my family line for generations to come!"
"Mm."
"And for stopping what happened today—you have my deepest gratitude! If things had gone even slightly wrong..."
Gaon gestured with as much gravity as he could muster.
"Sit down, for now."
"I—yes. Thank you!"
The assemblyman scrambled into his seat, and only then did Gaon allow himself a faint smile.
"Don't be so stiff. Relax."
"I couldn't possibly... as both a believer and someone so much younger, how could I dare..."
"It's fine. I'm fond of Joseon folk, you see."
"That's... truly an honor!"
"As you know, my closest friend was a man of Joseon. That's why I speak the tongue so well. To use it again after all these decades—how it pleases me."
O Goddess. The lore is that your Great Warrior was so consumed by his training that he hasn't spoken to a soul in decades and is wholly indifferent to worldly affairs. Pretty cool, right?
The Goddess clicked her tongue, but Gaon pretended not to hear.
The assemblyman spoke carefully.
"Ah... it's Korea now, not Joseon. The country's official name has changed."
"Understood. I'll correct myself, then. I'm fond of Koreans. Which means it doesn't exactly delight me that Koreans are worrying I might become their enemy."
"I beg your pardon? We've never had such concerns..."
"Come now. You didn't request this meeting for no reason. You wanted to sound out my intentions after I attended that political rally recently, didn't you? Whether I'll take part in the war or not."
The assemblyman's face hardened, and he nodded.
"Yes. Frankly, it is something I wished to ask."
"Fine. To put your fears to rest, and so you can save a little on defense spending... honestly? Whether a war breaks out or not, I don't want any part of it."
The assemblyman's face lit up.
"Is that true?"
"It is. But that doesn't mean I've forgiven my enemies."
"By which you mean..."
Gaon tried to spin a suitably impressive reason, then gave up. He let out a sigh and spoke.
"I don't even know where I'd start. I've got too many enemies."
"Pardon?"
"Have you studied any history?"
"I—yes. I've studied it, in my own way. Enough to have a rough grasp of the affairs surrounding you, my lord. The British fomented racial conflict inside Hugin. With things already in that state, the French backed the revolutionary rebels, and the Gray Elves—who were Hugin's royal family..."
"Close enough. Yes. I have plenty of enemies on Earth and plenty on As. And one of them is an elf. A High Elf."
"You mean Hago, I take it?"
"That's right."
"We don't like that bastard either. Ever since he joined IS, the American military has been in an uproar. Ah—of course, I understand why the elves are furious. America never should have burned the World Tree. After that, Hago has thrown himself into any war where he might kill Americans. For a hundred years, no less! He even took part in the Iraq War..."
"A hundred years... that's a long time. And after all that struggle, did Hago destroy America?"
"No."
"Of course not. Revenge like that takes a long time. A very long time. But me? Hago's only targeting America and he's still dragging it out. I've got two whole countries to take revenge on, plus a Swordmaster. So which one am I supposed to start with?"
"Well... I'm not sure I..."
"I wasn't sure either. The people of Hugin first? Or the French? Then I'd just hear that I left the enemy Swordmaster alone because he's strong and only took revenge on the easy targets. Should I take down Hago first, for the sake of appearances? That was the plan—until I lost to him. Ugly as hell."
The assemblyman had no idea what to say, and shut his mouth. Gaon went on alone.
"And so the decades just... passed. I sat down before I even started, basically. At this point, going on about how I've suddenly got another chance to take revenge on the imperialists is just..."
"Has the passage of time eased the grudge, even a little?"
"The grudge is still there. It's still there—but when I actually try to settle it, it all just... fizzles out."
"Then..."
"I can't be bothered to do anything anymore. I don't have the energy for it. I just..."
The assemblyman held his breath as Gaon finished.
He couldn't even register that Gaon's tone had grown lighter somehow. The assemblyman did not have it in him to meet the elf's eyes.
So he stared at the table, and Gaon asked:
"I've been honest with you. Does any of that land?"
"Yes."
"Anyway, when you go back to Korea, tell them Gaon won't be joining any war. Don't bother passing along the rest of the tedious details."
"Yes."
"Can you swear that to the Goddess?"
"I swear it."
"I'll take you at your word."
"However... as for why you attended Charmmahwang's rally..."
"Just think of it as an old friend getting in touch after a long time, me going out for a meal, and it turning out to be some cult gathering. I showed up without knowing what kind of affair it was. Understood?"
The assemblyman nodded. He was sweating cold, then suddenly remembered his original purpose. He found his courage and opened his mouth.
"Yes. But, speaking of your friend—it just occurred to me. Your late friend..."
"Ban Ji-sung?"
"Yes. A grave for him is scheduled to be established at the National Cemetery."
Gaon's eyes went wide.
"Ban Ji-sung? Isn't he the worst serial killer in history? After he lost to Lord Hyungtun and got captured, his body never even made it back to Korea... The National Cemetery is where they bury people of national merit. They're interring him there?"
Gaon's pupils trembled. The assemblyman forced a smile and pressed on.
"Regardless, that he is a person of national merit is beyond dispute. As Earth's only Swordmaster, he took part in the Vietnam War and all but won it single-handedly... and it's true we don't have the body here, but in honor of his service, a decision was made to officially establish a grave."
Gaon muttered, a sour look on his face.
"Well. Good."
"It is a good thing. And so... on your late friend's coming memorial day, we would like to invite Lord Gaon, who was his closest companion. Would that be possible?"
Gaon considered it for a moment, then spoke.
"Alright. I'll go."
"Your departed friend will be glad of it."
"I wouldn't know about that."