Chapter 183: Responsibility (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 183: Responsibility (2)
Reinforcements arrived from the Empire to transport the bodies of the Platinum Knights. The bodies, not entirely intact, were placed in coffins and carried away.
The funeral was a grand affair.
The entire Empire mourned their deaths, proving that the title "Pride of the Empire" was no empty boast.
After the week-long funeral, the Emperor immediately moved to celebrate the Heroes' achievements. It was an attempt to reverse the somber mood that had fallen over the Empire.
On a dais five times the height of an average person.
Frillite and I knelt on one knee before the Emperor.
The Emperor addressed us, and by extension the crowd, in a solemn voice.
“For the past decade, without a Hero, we were forced to live in fear of the demons, never knowing when they might appear. But now, after so much time has passed, the Heroes who were once young have grown splendidly and have vanquished evil.”
The Emperor's voice grew louder.
“These two Heroes have brought judgment upon the lich, a traitor who dared to defy the cycle of reincarnation. They have driven out the succubus, a terrible monster that preys on the vital essence of innocent men. These are great deeds that none can deny. I shall bestow upon them rewards befitting their great deeds!”
-Hoorah!
-Long live His Majesty the Emperor!
-Long live the Heroes!
Amidst the fervent cheers of the crowd, the Emperor announced the rewards he would grant us.
*
“I’m sorry.”
The moment we stepped down from the dais, Frillite suddenly apologized. Seeing my confusion, she explained.
“The credit for defeating the lich and driving away the succubus queen was split between us, wasn’t it? Even though you did it all.”
“Oh, is that what this is about? Don’t worry about it. It’s all for the Empire’s prestige, some political nonsense, right?”
The Empire was a step ahead of the other kingdoms in both military power and culture. For the Empire's Hero to be outshone in fame by the Hero from the Prona Kingdom, one of the weakest of them all?
To them, that was something that could never be allowed to happen.
“We should be glad they didn’t just erase my contribution entirely.”
“I don’t find that fortunate at all…” Frillite said with a sour expression. She seemed displeased, as if she had stolen my accomplishments.
I waved my hand dismissively.
“Anyway, it’s fine. The title and territory they gave me as a ‘reward’ are more than enough. I didn’t even need them in the first place.”
Even so, Frillite didn’t look convinced. How could I get her to stop this needless self-reproach?
After a moment of thought, I spoke.
“If you feel that bad, you can buy me a drink. Let’s get properly drunk, just the two of us, for the first time in a while.”
A light flickered in Frillite’s eyes. She soon smiled and nodded.
“Let’s.”
“Do you know any good pubs? I’d prefer…”
“No, let’s not go to a pub. The Imperial Capital has a much larger population than the kingdoms. Especially on a day like today, every pub will be crowded. It’ll be a hassle if the citizens recognize us.”
“That’s true. So where should we drink?”
“What’s there to think about? We can just drink in the room the palace gave us, like we used to. Let’s go to my room. The one you were given isn’t bad, but unlike your room, which is a standard guest room, mine is my own. The facilities are a bit better.”
“Oh? If you say so…”
Frillite left to fetch the drinks, and I headed to her room. Upon entering, I couldn’t help but narrow my eyes.
“You said a ‘bit’ better… this is more than a bit.”
The intricate patterns on the walls looked like they’d ground sculptors to dust to create them, and the furniture was made from expensive materials. The finishing touch was the adamantium covering the luminescent stones.
“How thin did they have to grind the adamantium for light to pass through?”
It did give the room a soft, ambient glow, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was excessive. Does Frillite not feel anything looking at a room like this?
Is this why they say you have to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth?
After looking around for a while, I got bored and lay down on the bed. A moment later, someone called my name and shook my shoulder. When I opened my eyes, I saw Frillite’s beautiful face. She was looking at me with a hint of displeasure.
“What is the person who suggested we drink doing, falling asleep before we even start?”
“Was I sleeping?”
“Yes. Quite soundly. So much so that I felt bad for waking you.”
Was I imagining it?
She looked a little pouty.
It must be my imagination.
She wasn’t the type to get sulky just because I dozed off while waiting. And indeed, when I apologized, her expression softened immediately as she said it was fine.
Frillite and I sat facing each other with a table between us. As I looked at her, I realized something.
“Did you change your clothes?”
She was no longer wearing the uniform from the ceremony but a simple white shirt and leather pants.
“The uniform is too flashy and uncomfortable. I didn’t think it was suitable for drinking.”
To my eyes, her current outfit looked even more uncomfortable.
I thought as I looked at the shirt and pants that clung tightly to her body.
The shirt, which seemed a size too small, accentuated her already large breasts, and the tight pants revealed the curve of her wide hips and the long lines of her legs.
Well… if she says it’s comfortable, I guess it is.
Instead of questioning her choice of attire, I held out my glass. A red liquid flowed from a fancy wine bottle, filling it. I tried to savor the aroma as one would with any fine wine, but instead of a subtle fragrance, the harsh smell of alcohol stung my nose, making me frown.
“What is this? Why is it so strong?”
She chuckled at my muttering and replied.
“It’s a wine aged for 100 years in a Dragon Heart. Of course it’s strong.”
“Someone made wine with a dragon’s heart? What kind of crazy rich fool was that? If the Dragon race found out, three generations of their family would be wiped out.”
“That was my ancestor.”
“He must have been a true man, unbowed by external pressure. You have a fine ancestor.”
“Indeed. This is the drink that fine ancestor left behind. Don’t leave a single drop.”
Frillite held out her glass, filled to the brim with wine. I clinked my glass against hers and downed the wine. Gulp, gulp. With every swallow, a searing sensation, like drinking hot water, lingered in my throat.
As I somehow managed to empty the glass, a dizzying sensation washed over me, and I could feel the alcohol hitting me.
…Damn, this is strong.
I never thought I’d get drunk from a single glass.
I’d better slow down my pace.
With that thought, I lifted my head.
I looked at Frillite, who was also slightly flushed, and asked.
“So, have you finished thinking?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You haven’t said a single word to me since that day. Then today, you were the one who spoke to me first. I thought it was because you’d sorted out your thoughts.”
“…Were you worried about it?”
“Of course I was. Do you have any idea how anxious I was, thinking you were cutting me off for good?”
“…I’m sorry. It’s my fault for being inadequate.”
Frillite gave a bitter smile. Even that faded quickly, leaving only a somber expression.
“When I heard that Cloud’s party had disbanded and I met you again, I was relieved to see you so carefree. I thought to myself that the legend had not fallen.”
The legend she spoke of was the tale passed down through the continent for generations—that four Heroes would defeat the Demon King.
“But I was wrong. By the time I met you, the legend had already crumbled.”
“Why? There are still four Heroes, right?”
Frillite shook her head.
“According to the legend, the Hero must be wholly a person of the continent. You. Do you think of yourself as Cloud? Do you consider this place your home?”
“No.”
I answered without hesitation.
I am not Cloud; I am Han Jisu. Even if I wear Cloud’s shell, my identity doesn’t change.
So, naturally, this continent is not my home.
My home is Earth.
At my answer, Frillite nodded as if she had expected it.
“Just as you said, you are not a person of this continent. Therefore, the legend crumbled long ago. Which means I failed to keep my oath to preserve it.”
“It was beyond your control. It’s not like you can watch over everything in the world. How could you have stopped someone from taking their own life?”
“That doesn’t excuse my failure to keep my oath.”
“…So, you’ve been so powerless all this time because you felt guilty about failing your oath?”
“That’s part of it. But it’s not the whole story.”
She rested her chin on her palm and looked down.
“I was ashamed.”
She poured herself another glass of wine and drank it alone. Her face, now a shade redder, continued in a lamenting tone.
“I saw your past in a dream. Your subordinates, friends, comrades, even the one you loved. You lost so much. It was a situation that would make anyone despair, and you did. But in the end, you chose to move forward. You burned your despair and anger as fuel and pushed onward, no matter what. But what about me?”
She rubbed her face with both hands. When her palms pushed back her bangs, her expression was dark.
“I hesitated and doubted. I couldn’t be sure if the path I was taking was the right one. I was afraid. Afraid that the path I chose might be stained with the blood of my allies.”
“…”
“And I was like that even though what I lost was but a mere handful compared to the loss you suffered.”
Another glass of wine disappeared into her mouth.
“All this time, I thought I was stronger than others. But that wasn’t the truth. I’m ordinary. I only pretended to be strong out of necessity. I realized that this time.”
Was it because she was completely drunk?
Her hand trembled as she poured the wine. She gulped down the wine that had precariously filled the glass.
Thud. She slammed the glass down hard.
Wiping the wine trickling from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, she looked at me with slightly unfocused eyes.
“Cloud. I’ll be honest. During the days you were gone, I took on various missions and told myself I was fine. That it was just business as usual. That was a lie. It was fucking hard. It was especially unbearable when an ally died because of some unforeseen variable, even when I thought I had a perfect plan. On very rare occasions, I even cried.”
The image of Frillite, crying silently in an empty room, afraid someone might hear.
It wasn’t hard to imagine.
I had seen her tears once before.
“Do you know what I thought about to endure those times?”
“…What did you think about?”
Frillite poured wine into my glass. And into her own. She held out her full glass.
That was her answer.
Since she offered her glass without a word, I did the same. We clinked our glasses and downed the wine in one go. After emptying her glass, she set it down.
“…At some point, this time together came to mean a great deal to me.”
She stood up from her seat.
I watched, wondering what she was doing, as she walked toward the door.
Was she going to get more wine?
It’s probably better if I get it, rather than a drunk Frillite.
Just as I was about to get up, I heard it.
Click.
A metallic sound reached my ears.
I looked to see what it was and saw Frillite locking the door.
“Frillite? Why are you locking the door?”
Again, Frillite didn’t answer. She just staggered toward me. Her steps were so unsteady that I moved to support her.
But then, something unexpected happened.
The moment I approached, she threw herself into my arms. I couldn’t avoid it, so I caught her. With her head buried in my chest, she spoke.
“Perhaps that’s why… That day you saved me and defeated the lich. When you said you would share my responsibility, I was so happy. The fact that it was you who said it brought me a joy beyond words.”
She slowly began to push me. The force was stronger than I expected, and I was slowly pushed back.
“I wondered why I was so happy. It didn’t take long to figure it out.”
Thud. My legs hit the bed.
“Cloud.”
She didn’t stop pushing. I eventually fell onto the bed, and she climbed on top of me. She caressed my cheek gently and said.
“It seems I have fallen in love with you.”
Frillite’s hand supported the back of my head, slowly pulling me toward her. It was obvious what would happen next. I had no choice but to stop her urgently.
There was something she needed to know.
Her red eyes, hazy with alcohol, filled with confusion.
I looked straight into them.
“Frillite, there’s something you need to know.”
“Something I need to know…? Ah… are you talking about your past with women? It’s alright. You told me you would share my responsibility. Then it is only right that I do the same. I will try to understand your pain and help you heal. I will also understand the period of wandering you went through—”
“That’s not it.”
“It’s not?”
Frillite tilted her head as if to ask what else it could be.
I told her.
“I’m seeing someone.”
“…What?”
“I have a girlfriend.”
“…”
The haze in her eyes from the alcohol vanished. The eyes that returned were endlessly cold. I knew that cold gaze well. It was the look she gave her ‘enemies’.