The Seven Heavenly Virtues

Apparently, the people standing before me had completely lost their minds.

"The Knight looked at me!"

"No! He looked at me!"

"Ah... To see Truth liberated... How truly magnificent..."

Because they were making such an unbearable fuss, I had simply stood there frozen, doing nothing—and now they were fabricating reasons to worship me entirely on their own. Then again, the fact that they were praising me, their sworn enemy, wasn't normal in the first place.

"Excuse me."

"Yes, Sir Knight?"

"Could you please calm those people down?"

If I had to look at this spectacle any longer, I felt like I was going to lose my own sanity, so I quietly dropped the request on the Chairman prostrated right at the front.

"Everyone, silence," the Chairman commanded, rising immediately and projecting a grave, resonant voice across the room. "We stand before none other than Truth itself. Let us conduct ourselves without shame."

The heroes nodded at his words, sinking back onto their knees against the floor.

"Let us all offer our veneration... to the advent of the Knight of Prophecy..."

With that, the heroes raised both hands high into the air once more and bowed their heads deeply toward me.

Is it really because of this little guy in my arms?

I might not look it, but as the wielder of the Concept of Hypnosis, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could tell. Setting aside the fact that they all seemed to have a few screws loose, not a single mental ability was acting upon them. Which meant this absurd farce was unfolding purely by their own free will. No matter how hard I thought about it, the only possible cause was the bizarre creature squirming against my chest. All of this madness had started the very moment this beast—resembling something halfway between a fox and a wolf—poked its head out from inside my coat.

...I need to dig up some intel.

Regardless of why, this was undeniably an advantageous position for me. I had no idea what kind of misunderstanding they had fallen into, but right now, they were remarkably well-disposed toward me. If so, I had to seize the opportunity and pry out as much information as humanly possible. It felt like I had taken a rather dizzying detour, but extracting intelligence had been my original purpose for attending this seminar anyway.

"Chairman."

"Yes?"

"Who am I?"

I threw the question at the Chairman in a chilling, detached voice. First, I needed to ascertain exactly who or what they took me for.

"Y-You are one of the great Horsemen of the Apocalypse, destined to fulfill our long-cherished ambition."

"A Horseman of the Apocalypse?"

The Chairman replied in a voice wound tight with nervous tension, cautiously studying my expression. Come to think of it, they had been throwing around titles like Knight of Prophecy and Knight of Ruin earlier. Was this figure that important to them? It seemed I needed to probe a little deeper.

"Explain more precisely."

"Pardon?"

"I need to know how well you comprehend the Truth, and just how useful you are to me."

When I narrowed my eyes and whispered in a menacing undertone, cold sweat broke out across the Chairman's forehead.

"Consider this a trial bestowed by Truth."

"......!"

"Prove your usefulness with your own tongue."

"U-Understood!"

Fortunately, the bluff took hold. Things had been falling into place suspiciously well for a while now, but I never imagined the momentum would turn this favorable.

"Th-Then... shall I begin?"

A faint prickle of unease lingered in the back of my mind, but why complain when fortune was smiling on me?

"Proceed."

With that, I focused my attention on the Chairman's words.

"E-Ever since the Great Cataclysm, Concepts of every imaginable variety began taking root within human bodies. From basic elements like fire, water, air, and earth, to abstract notions such as joy, sorrow, rage, and love."

Just as the Chairman said, this was an era overflowing with Concept Holders. If you flipped open a dictionary and pointed at any random word, you could find at least one person possessing that exact term as a supernatural ability.

"And among them are ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠abilities so overwhelming they are dubbed 'Authority-Class.'"

That was also true. However loudly society preached that all Concepts were created equal, certain Concepts wielded power virtually indistinguishable from divine authority. The most famous Authority-Class Concept was none other than the Concept of the Hero, wielded by the First Hero. Beyond that, the Concepts of the Seven Great Evils who had held the world in their iron grip until a few decades ago, as well as the Concepts of the Seven Heavenly Virtues who rose to strike them down, were likewise classified as Authority-Class.

"Yet, no matter how mighty those abilities were, they invariably manifested at least once in every era. Even the rarest Concepts have been documented at least once since the dawn of supernatural society."

"Indeed."

"Except for four Concepts."

Pausing to catch his breath, the Chairman suddenly began stealing furtive glances at me.

"By any chance... do you happen to know what those four Concepts are, Lord Trauma?"

"I told you to explain, not to question me."

As he probed my reaction with that timid inquiry, I glared at him with frosty eyes and whispered back. Rather than exposing the depths of my ignorance, maintaining an aura of cold omniscience was far wiser.

"F-Forgive me! How presumptuous of this old fool..."

"Continue."

When I tipped my chin in a curt gesture to urge him on, the thoroughly intimidated Chairman hastily resumed his explanation.

"Four Concepts that have never once manifested a holder in this world: Conquest, War, Famine, and Death. Concepts symbolized, as you well know, by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were familiar enough to me. The four harbingers of doom from scripture who would usher in worldly ruin, often referred to as the Four Horsemen—that was who these people meant when they spoke of the 'Knights of Prophecy.'

"The Child of Prophecy foretold it," the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Chairman continued. "The moment the Horsemen of the Apocalypse gather all four fragments of Truth scattered across the earth, the old world will perish, and a new era will dawn."

"Four fragments?"

"Yes. The Eye, the Heart, the Brain, and the Body. Those four pieces."

Pointing toward the bizarre creature still poking its snout out from my coat, the Chairman added, "What we possessed was Truth's 'Heart.' The most vital core of all."

"......"

Come to think of it, when I first encountered this creature, it had taken the shape of a pitch-black beating heart. Did that mean this little critter was truly one of the four fragments destined to destroy the world once gathered? Just what on earth was this thing?

"And that very fact," the Chairman said, his tone turning obsequious just as I parted my lips to press him further on this 'Truth,' "is the definitive proof that you are a Horseman of the Apocalypse."

"...?"

"For the four fragments of Truth submit only to the Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

Gyureuk?

Is that how they saw it? Granted, the creature was currently nuzzling its furry cheek against mine, which probably looked like absolute subservience to their eyes.

"Furthermore," the Chairman pressed on, "a Horseman of the Apocalypse is the only being to whom a fragment reveals its True Name."

Unfortunately, that was a complete and utter misconception. I wasn't any Horseman of the Apocalypse. Having tested it repeatedly, I knew my own abilities inside and out. My inherent Concept was the Concept of Hypnosis. Formidable though it was, unlike Authority-Class Concepts hailed as divine powers, mine was a conditional manipulation ability that could be countered if its conditions and weaknesses were known.

"Forgive my insolence, but might we hear the name of the Truth you hold in your bosom?"

Naturally, holding a proper conversation with this tentacle monster was impossible. While it followed my commands well enough, that was merely the one-sided favor of a creature that took a liking to me. I couldn't decipher its squeaks, nor did I possess any way of discerning this supposed 'True Name' that a Horseman should intuitively know.

"I beg of you, Sir Knight."

As I bit my lip in silence, the Chairman's voice drifted up once more.

"Pardon the imposition, but it is customary. Please, grant us the honor of sharing in that glory."

What was I supposed to do? Could I just blurt out any random name?

...Come to think of it, nobody actually knows this creature's name anyway.

If only a Horseman of the Apocalypse knew its True Name, then even if I guessed wrong, none of them had the means to dispute it. I might as well throw out something plausible.

It feels chewy and springy, so maybe Jjondeuk-i...

Gyureuk!

"Ow."

Just as I was about to voice that fitting moniker, the strange beast suddenly slapped my arm with its paw. I couldn't be entirely certain, but it seemed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to be wearing an oddly pouting expression.

...Mallang-i? Squishy?

Gyureuk!

Jjindeuk-i? Sticky?

Gyur-reuk!!

And so, an involuntary naming session commenced.

"...Sir Knight?"

Noticing the faint seed of doubt beginning to take root in the Chairman's tilted gaze, I furrowed my brow slightly and answered.

"Gyureuk-i."

"Pardon?"

"Its name is Gyureuk-i."

It kept crying out gyureuk, so its name was Gyureuk-i. I had blurted it out in a momentary fit of pique, but on second thought, it was quite charming.

Gyureuk?

Whether the little creature liked the moniker or not, it stopped smacking my arm and tilted its head, softly echoing its own name. Well, maybe it was just making its usual noise, but potato, potato.

"Ohhh...!"

While I awkwardly scratched the back of my neck, an awe-struck gasp erupted from the figures before me.

"You truly... you truly are a Horseman of the Apocalypse...!"

"...Excuse me?"

"If even a single syllable of the True Name is mistaken, the judgment of Truth commences! Sir Knight, you have splendidly proven your qualification!"

What nonsense was this now?

Gyur-reuk!

There was no way in hell 'Gyureuk-i' was its True Name. Yet seeing that nothing catastrophic happened, the creature must have favored the name I gave it over its actual True Name.

Talk about sheer luck.

Fine, your name is officially Gyureuk-i from this day forward.

"We of the International Hero Association swear eternal loyalty to you from this day forth, Sir Knight! Hehehe..."

Wait a second. Now that I thought about it...

Did this old bastard just try to test me?

"I believe I made it clear that you were the one who needed to prove yourself, not me."

"F-Forgive my insolence! But this was an indispensable—"

"Stop babbling about insolence with empty words."

"Urgh!"

Thoroughly irritated, I kicked him squarely in the shin, sending the Chairman tumbling flat onto the floor.

"Tsk."

Had time slipped by that quickly already? I hadn't even uncovered the true nature of Truth or nailed down the finer details.

Well, now that things have played out like this, it's not as though this is my only chance.

Leaving so much on the table stung, but now that the Hero Association had effectively aligned itself with me, opportunities to dig up intel would be plentiful moving forward. If push came to shove, I could simply dial the Chairman's direct line. For now, beating a retreat was the wiser choice.

"I will ask one final question."

"Y-Yes, of course! Ask whatever you wish without hesitation."

Before leaving, however, this was something I had to know.

"Who, exactly, were the bastards that murdered Justia?"

"That is..."

"And who is the spy inside Dominating Hands?"

At those words, the color drained completely from the Chairman's face.

"We have no time. Answer concisely and accurately."

Determining whether he was lying or telling the truth was child's play. Having manipulated countless minds with my Hypnosis, reading human psychology had become second nature to me.

"T-The ones who killed Justia..."

What he spoke now was unvarnished truth.

"Are the Seven Heavenly Virtues, excluding myself... The guardians of the world scattered across the globe."

Finally, I had uncovered it.

The identities of the sons of bitches who murdered Justia.

"I-I actually tried to dissuade them until the very end! She still had utility left to exploit, after all... Ghhk!"

"Did I not say we have no time? Shut your mouth and tell me who the spy is."

"U-Understood! The spy within Dominating Hands is—"

In that fleeting breath, the crosshairs of my vengeance grew immeasurably sharper.

"P-Please take utmost care of yourself, Sir Knight!"

"We'll invite you to the private chatroom later!"

"Um, could I get just one hug before you go—"

"Get lost, all of you."

After packing the Chairman and the Top-Ranking Heroes back off to the seminar hall following their confessions, I stood alone on the outskirts and let out a weary sigh.

"...Ugh."

A moment later, my balance wavered, and my body began to sway.

"I'm hitting my limit..."

The damage I had absorbed from Ariel was genuinely beyond imagination. Had Justia always shouldered this agonizing toll on her behalf in the past? It was no wonder Ariel had abandoned her dream of becoming a hero once she learned the truth.

—Sigh...

"Miracle Shine?"

As I sank onto the ground drenched in cold sweat, racked by unending pain, Miracle Shine's voice filtered through the transceiver once more.

—I honestly don't even know what I just listened to.

"What else? The truth of this world."

—Mmh...

"Do you finally believe me now?"

Silence hung between us for a long beat. Naturally so; she had just witnessed the rotten underbelly of the Association laid bare—secrets she, despite being the Rank 2 Hero, had never dreamed existed.

—What... what am I supposed to do now?

"That is something you must decide for yourself," I replied firmly to her troubled question.

—Now that the Hero Association is on your side, what are you going to do?

Her voice sounded somewhat steadier when she spoke again after a prolonged pause.

"I'll milk them for every drop of usefulness they have, and then slaughter every last one. Because they're Kaijin."

—I see.

"And right now, there's something far more critical than the Association, which is already a caught fish in my net."

The Seven Heavenly Virtues.

The legendary figures who, alongside Humanity, had been the foremost contributors in subjugating the Seven Great Evils that once ruled the world. The heroes who had forged this very era, now scattered across the globe as venerable guardians protecting mankind. Yet wasn't the tale of heroes triumphing over villains themed after the deadly sins far too cliché by now? It was high time for a story where a villain hunted down and crushed the Seven Heavenly Virtues instead.

And as for the spy...

Just as I sorted through my thoughts and prepared to turn my focus toward that other lurking threat—

Step, step...

Footsteps echoed from the distance.

...Damn it.

I hadn't expected someone to arrive this quickly. I scrambled to push myself up, but with the recoil accumulated through Physical Link, my battered body refused to obey.

"Gyureuk-a. Eat this."

Gyureuk!

In haste, I yanked off Trauma's mask and held it out. The little creature slurped it right down in one gulp.

"Who's there?"

Reverting to Oh Ji-seok in an instant, I cast a tense challenge toward the approaching visitor.

"Professor."

Recognizing Ariel's voice, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Is that you, Student Ariel?"

"......"

"It's dangerous here. Don't worry about me, just—"

My words cut short the moment she drew close enough for me to look up into her face.

"Ariel...?"

A single tear was trailing down her cheek.

"Professor..."

Before I could process the bewildered expression on my face, Ariel collapsed into my chest, clinging desperately to my frame.

"I've finally reached you."

Burying her face into my collar, she sobbed, whispering in a voice trembling with overwhelming emotion.

"I'll never let you go again... Never..."

".........???"

What on earth was wrong with her now?