92. Two Out of Four, One Out of Two
92. Two Out of Four, One Out of Two
As a rule, people drunk on their own importance always had to throw their arrogance around to prove it.
In that sense, Ga-ram and Im Taeyang were perfect targets for the other heroes' malice.
Ga-ram was still saddled with the aftereffects of the Failed Hero stigma, and Im Taeyang, for all his title as the Big Game Hunter, didn't look the part in the slightest.
A paper bag and a tattered straw mat were the sum total of his gear, and yet he was called the strongest...
Anyone would think the rumors were fake or blown out of proportion, right?
'So if I crush that guy, the title of strongest hero is mine.'
One hero let that arrogant thought get the better of him and tried to charge.
—BANG!!
Before he could, Im Taeyang's fist swung first and smashed his face.
Unable to withstand the force, he went sprawling.
"Uh—huh?"
In that instant, horror dawned on every face present.
The downed hero hadn't fully grasped what had happened either.
Because before he could even close the distance, Im Taeyang—who had been sitting there vacantly—lunged first and slugged him in the face.
"You bastard..."
Whatever the case, the other guy had attacked first.
—Crunch!
But his attempt to bristle and pull a weapon from his coat proved futile.
Im Taeyang's foot stomped down on his hand and shut it down before the action could start.
"You son of a—!"
—Whack!
Even his attempt to sweep with his leg and strike got repelled by a kick.
Then, as Im Taeyang closed in slowly to dominate his upper body, the hero threw a hand at him—but Taeyang just nonchalantly batted it aside with a mana-infused palm.
"Hey, wait—"
Im Taeyang shut down his initial killing intent and his follow-up resistance alike, as if he'd predicted every move in advance.
Only when Taeyang's clenched fist was aimed squarely at his face did the hero finally grasp the situation and shriek.
"A-Alright! I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry, so just stop!"
He hadn't actually acted on it, but since he had entertained the hostility, a sharp pang of guilt stabbed through him.
Im Taeyang stared at the sincere plea in silence, then withdrew his fist and quietly rose.
And silently turned to go back to his original spot.
Watching from behind, the hero, belatedly unable to contain his surging fury, prepared to arm himself again.
'You motherf—'
How dare some ragged bum lay hands on his noble self.
—BANG!!
Before he could unleash that indignant rage, Taeyang moved like an afterimage and landed a kick that sent the hero crashing into the wall.
The impact wrenched his guts, his eyes rolled back, and his body slumped. Gasps burst from the onlookers.
"Wh... what's with that guy? He just pounded someone who didn't do anything one-sidedly..."
"Wait, is that what matters? The guy was fully armed and lost to someone who's practically naked!"
"Is that guy just weak?"
"Then you go find out."
Yes, that exchange was more than enough to squash any such criticism.
The rumors were true. The man before them was stronger than any other hero present.
That assessment was, if anything, all the more undeniable precisely because he had no gear whatsoever.
—Rustle.
When Im Taeyang turned his head, the eyeholes of his paper bag facing them, every hero's body went rigid, and they all began avoiding his gaze.
He said nothing.
He showed no emotion. He merely stared at them in silence.
"W-We were just watching."
"Yeah! We didn't do anything!"
At first, they might have entertained similar thoughts, but after witnessing that one-sided beatdown, their hostility had evaporated.
It was only after Im Taeyang lost interest in them, returned to his spot, and stared blankly out the window that they realized it was true.
Yes, that man could sense the hostility of anyone before him.
Ga-ram, who had watched the whole situation from the beginning, was certain of her deduction.
'He sees through everything.'
The instant he sensed even a hint of hostility, he blocked the opponent's actions.
Even the counterattack that would follow—he predicted when and where it would come and neutralized it... This was a realm impossible through mere battle experience alone.
'Could it be some kind of mind-reading ability? Or perhaps he can see...?'
"What's all this ruckus about?"
Startled by the sudden voice, Ga-ram flinched and her thoughts cut off.
She turned to look back and saw a helmeted man carrying a shovel enter the assembly hall.
His appearance was just as unique and eye-catching as Im Taeyang's, but he gave off a hearty, boisterous air—the polar opposite.
"What's this? Why's that guy lying over there? Did a fight break out?"
"You—Nam Ja-seong, you bastard!!!"
Right on cue, one hero recognized him and charged, teeth bared.
Dressed in the robes of the Priga Church, she called his name—and Ga-ram knew that name as well.
Because the culprit behind the recent uproar, the 'Cardinal Murder Case,' was none other than the man before them.
"You scum, how dare you crawl in here with that face!"
"Why'd I come? The excavation's gonna need plenty of shoveling—how could I skip that?"
"Do you think that's what I'm asking?! You killed a cardinal and you still walk around with your head held high—!"
"Heh, I was wondering why you were so worked up. Guess you're one of those heroes that damn sex offender sponsored."
The hero's body flinched and recoiled in shock.
The fact that she looked more taken aback than insulted meant she, too, had some awareness of the cardinal's corruption.
And that was something the broader church authorities and the empire were equally aware of.
"They could've easily covered it up, but the fact that the empire made a big public announcement shows they saw no need to protect him. From what I hear, with the cardinal's seat vacant, the ones gunning for the position are busy piling on additional accusations..."
"Y-You bastard..."
"Heh, what? You know what's up. You really gonna kick up a fuss here?"
If a fight broke out here, she'd be the one to suffer.
No matter how high-ranking the dead man had been, the dead can't speak, and if all manner of corruption surrounded him, the people seeking to tear down his reputation would only multiply.
The upshot was that Nam Ja-seong's punishment had been a severe warning—not execution or imprisonment.
He couldn't expect a medal since he hadn't followed proper procedure, but on the contrary, the empire had even actively recommended him for this commission, giving him a chance to make up for the blunder.
"...Damn savage. Don't think you can always walk around with your head held high."
Understanding how the wind was blowing, the hero reluctantly retreated.
Nam Ja-seong, who had been watching her back, turned away nonchalantly—until he noticed Im Taeyang sitting nearby and shifted his focus.
"Speaking of which, what's with you? Some beggar who can't even afford clothes?"
—Flinch.
At that moment, all the heroes who had witnessed the earlier incident tensed up simultaneously.
Even as their uneasy stares fixed on him, Nam Ja-seong paid them no mind and simply inspected Im Taeyang, who was staring back at him expressionlessly.
"And why's your body so gaunt... Hey! Are you eating properly these days?!"
"......."
Im Taeyang silently stared at Nam Ja-seong.
As if irked by that taciturn attitude, Nam Ja-seong clicked his tongue and reached for Taeyang's limp arm.
"Food's lying around everywhere. What's the point if you don't eat? If you just don't have anyone to eat with, I'll join you."
This was the man who, the moment hostility was shown, counterattacked before his opponent could so much as move and subdued them effortlessly.
There was no way someone like that would meekly accept being touched.
—Rustle.
But he just stared blankly through his paper bag as Nam Ja-seong grabbed him, making no move to attack like before.
As if he recognized—unlike with the previous hero—that this person was simply trying to lead him with pure goodwill.
If that was the case, it made perfect sense that he wouldn't attack and would just follow.
'Are those two really okay being that close?'
Still, Ga-ram watched the situation anxiously.
It figured that two troublemakers would get along, but Nam Ja-seong even extended unbiased kindness toward Ga-ram herself.
"Hey, kid. Get over here too."
"Huh—me?"
"At your age, you've gotta eat a lot to grow up big and strong."
It was an almost nonexistent distance, as if they'd known each other from the very start.
From Ga-ram's perspective, it felt incredibly sudden, but under the other heroes' stares, she had no choice but to reluctantly stand beside him.
Indeed, aside from Im Taeyang and Nam Ja-seong, the other heroes hardly looked favorably upon her existence.
"Hah—a criminal, a beggar, and a Failed Hero."
"Birds of a feather."
It was only natural. The heroes had their own culture, and in that climate, the three of them could never fit in.
And this atmosphere would undoubtedly persist throughout the entire mission.
'...I miss Hyosung oppa.'
Suffocated by that realization, Ga-ram eventually turned away from them and quietly focused on eating.
Missing the one person in this world she could lean on, who had temporarily gone off for individual training.
*****
"...Looks like you're all enjoying your meals."
It was at that moment that an unexpected person intruded into the assembly hall.
The murmuring heroes' attention soon swung toward the entrance, where they saw someone stepping out from among a formation of knights.
As he lifted his helmet's visor, sharp, coldly rational eyes were revealed.
His face was etched with wrinkles that proved the passage of time, but his gaze was even sharper than the scars carved across his skin.
He was a person who could be called a seasoned veteran without a hint of exaggeration.
"You are... from the Imperial Army?"
"Yes. I am Marcus Cradle, an officer of the Imperial Army. I have been appointed Legion Commander to lead the legion you will be part of in preparation for the coming war."
Legion Commander Marcus.
At the old veteran's self-introduction, puzzled looks began to spread across the faces of the assembled heroes.
"What do you mean, war? Weren't we supposed to head to the excavation site where the dragon's bones are buried?"
"The situation has changed. While excavating the site, a large number of undead have been confirmed roaming the area."
The Undead Legion.
A fearless army that formed a key part of the forces threatening humanity.
"...So the Undead Legion has occupied it?"
"Since they're scattered without forming organized groups, they're likely naturally occurring undead. But it doesn't hurt to prepare for the worst."
It hadn't been confirmed that they were under the Undead Legion's control, but the dragon bone excavation was an operation so critical that the imperial house was personally spearheading it.
Since they wouldn't tolerate even the slightest risk, they had to necessarily consider the possibility of interference.
"Therefore, from this point forward, I want the heroes heading to the excavation site to be incorporated into the legion I lead and to join in reorganizing our battle line. This is an official order backed by imperial decree, so once you've decided to participate, there will be no turning back."
If you won't comply, leave this place at once.
With that declaration—amounting to an ultimatum—tension began swirling among all the heroes present.
And then...
*****
"...As expected, they're intervening."
"Has it begun?"
"Yes, unfortunately."
The old temple of a ruined kingdom.
There, Gwen Hwibar, who had been praying and sensing the presence of the dead, answered the Blue Knight following her and quietly rose.
"As expected, war with humanity seems inevitable."
A cold, withered body. Frail enough that even standing was a struggle.
Yet as she looked back upon her retainers, she showed no sign of distress.
What reflected in her hollow retinas was solely the lingering attachments that helped raise the dead.
"...Everyone."
The woman who closed her eyes to forget everything else
soon faced her four loyal servants before her and spoke.
"From this moment forward, we will unleash the army we have kept dormant and begin a war in preparation for the future."
To preserve the truth that even in a world destined for ruin, glory, beauty, and someone's life had once existed.
The army that rose from death solely for that purpose was even now readying to fearlessly face their enemies.
"The Demon Lord Army's cohesion has noticeably weakened over the past few months. For us, that can be seen as an opportunity... And humanity, having noticed this, is also preparing to oppose our forces in order to claim for themselves the power we must obtain."
The chance for either side exists only now, but the Queen of the Dead did not choose to abandon one for the other.
As the world gradually descends into ruin, their power would grow—but if they didn't act now, those they couldn't save would only increase.
"Therefore, we too will now divide into two groups and go to war. Two knights will accompany me in a full-scale battle against the Demon Lord Army, and the remaining two will head to where the dragon's remains lie..."
The moment to move, then, was now.
Having conveyed her intent, Gwen parted her parched lips and prepared to deliver a cruel verdict upon humanity.
"...Two out of four."
"Who among you will leave my side and head to the 'Dragon's Tomb'?"
Just two knights.
That would be more than enough force to annihilate the humans there.
***
And so, a training journey had begun for that reason.
Having set out with Jang toward our training destination, I resolved to take some time to steel myself, keeping the impending training in mind.
I didn't know what kind of training we'd do, but to win back Philoi's heart, I had to be ready to endure anything.
Yes, at first, that was all I had in mind...
"Hey, you two. Calm down first..."
"No, we need to settle this clearly."
"That's right, Hyosung. Please say it plainly with your own mouth."
By the time we reached the camping spot, Airi and Marilyn were glaring at each other with murderous eyes.
They'd claimed to come along to help with my training, but the whole trip, all they'd done was stand in opposition to each other.
"Hyosung."
And at this moment, their heated emotions had reached critical mass.
As if to announce that, they turned their gazes from each other to me and spoke in unison.
"Tonight—who will you share a tent with?"
"......."