Chapter 54. The Ultimate Fan (2)
Chapter 54. The Ultimate Fan (2)
"Haaah."
The Witch let out a worried sigh.
"Just don't go too far. I can cover most mistakes. But if you truly go too far, even I won't be able to control the media."
"There's no one as well-behaved as me. You know that. I'm a prophet, okay? I have a rough idea of what the most model-student answer sounds like."
"...Can I really trust you?"
"Hey, of course."
I took the microphone from the Witch. Even up to the last moment she handed it over, the Witch seemed worried about me, but it really was fine.
Because I had a [secret weapon].
"Ah, ahh."
I lightly cleared my throat. My voice spread through the speakers across the square.
"Hello, everyone. I am the hunter who received the alias Death King. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Click! Click!
Light formed a grand wave. I wasn't particularly flustered. Maybe being surrounded by a crowd yesterday had served as a kind of vaccination. I weathered the barrage of flashes more calmly than expected.
"Your name is... Reporter John Evans?"
"Yes, that's right."
The young reporter stared straight at me, his eyes burning with journalistic spirit. His gaze blazed as though he were determined not to miss a single move I made and to expose my true identity.
It was a fairly intimidating stare.
"Hmm."
At this moment, facing those eyes.
Exactly one thought occupied my mind.
"I believe all of it is concern arising from my own shortcomings."
A cautionary tale.
Let's never become like the Flame Emperor!
"Excuse me?"
The reporter blinked while holding the microphone. He probably hadn't expected me to react this way. Meanwhile, I spoke while recalling the Flame Emperor's greasy face in my head.
"I'll say it again. I believe all of it is concern arising from my own shortcomings."
My secret move was very simple.
'Just say the exact opposite of whatever the Flame Emperor would say!'
What great interview skills could I possibly have?
I was different from the Witch. I had no talent for captivating a crowd with speeches. I had no talent, no technique, not even experience.
But there was one thing.
I possessed knowledge that others didn't.
The interviews of the most insufferable hunter in this world!
'If I just go the exact opposite of the Flame Emperor, I'll at least hit a solid double.'
I had been a fan of the Flame Emperor for nearly ten years. Thanks to that, my head was no different from a library. A library recording all the atrocities and outrageous remarks the Flame Emperor had committed.
If the person holding the microphone right now were the Flame Emperor instead of me?
He would have said this.
「I cleared up to the 20th floor entirely because I'm amazing. You little brats.」
「I busted my ass clearing it, and what? So what. The items and experience I got there are obviously mine. Hey there, Mr. Trash Journalist. If I don't take them, then who the hell should I give them to? Huh?」
「Your daddy?」
This wasn't something I was making up on the spot.
He actually said that!
'That's why, before the regression, the Witch's face went pale as a ghost during press conferences.......'
The so-called [Your Daddy] Incident.
Naturally, the press conference exploded spectacularly. The sound of reporters cursing went out on live broadcast, and by the time the Witch hastily ended the conference, it was already too late.
A complete catastrophe.
The live broadcast was urgently cut off, but the tragedy did not end there.
Personal broadcast streamers relayed in full the scene of Yoo Soo-ha firing back at the reporters, spewing every curse that exists in the world—insults about their parents, their in-laws, every profanity imaginable—all from his tongue.
'They didn't call him that bastard for nothing.'
Rumor had it that after that day, the Witch was bedridden for a week.
Probably, the [Your Daddy] Incident was what made the Witch swear off the hunter named Yoo Soo-ha. Wasn't it also because of this incident that the major guilds split from Yoo Soo-ha?
'In the past, the Flame Emperor spectacularly ruined this press conference.'
In other words.
'I just have to say the exact opposite of that bastard.'
Flip the worst, and it becomes the best!
I gripped the microphone tightly, recalling Yoo Soo-ha's collection of outrageous remarks.
「I cleared up to the 20th floor entirely because I'm amazing. You little brats.」
"I am aware that public opinion about me is heated. But it's an overestimation. If the Black Dragon Master and Sword Saint here had not helped me, I could never have cleared up to the 20th floor alone."
「I busted my ass clearing it, and what? So what.」
"Of course, I pride myself on having tried my utmost. I set a goal of zero casualties and truly put in bone-grinding effort. But I do not consider this my 'sacrifice.' I consider it something a human being ought to do. Something a hunter ought to do. Above all... it was something I did because I wanted to."
「The items and experience I got there are obviously mine. Hey there, Mr. Trash Journalist. If I don't take them, then who the hell should I give them to? Huh?」
"Therefore, I have no intention of claiming my rights. That is also why I entrusted the rights from the 11th floor to the 19th floor entirely to the guild masters. You asked whether I intend to monopolize the 20th floor... No. The 20th floor is a kind of [greenbelt] zone. The Tower residents who originally lived there will live on the 20th floor. I will be satisfied with merely the role of administrator."
「Your daddy?」
"Reporter Evans, that is all."
"......."
"Do you have any further questions?"
The young man burning with journalistic spirit stammered.
"Uh... no."
Good.
I racked my brain even faster.
If it were the Flame Emperor, how would he have responded to that reporter?
「Yeah, if you've got nothing to say, get lost, you American pig bastard.」
I could picture it vividly.
He'd probably add the magnificence of his middle finger on top of that.
'Let's see. If I recite the exact opposite line.......'
I spoke.
"Thank you. Ah, if anyone else has questions, I'll take them for a moment, everyone."
A brief silence fell over the square.
It truly was only a brief silence.
"Over here! Hwanmun Newspaper!"
"Please take my question, Death King! Yutap Daily!"
"I'm from the Babel Tower Broadcasting System!"
"Death King!"
The reporters raised their hands all at once. The moment they sensed I was someone they could communicate with, they rushed in frantically to turn me into a story.
They looked like baby ducks eagerly shaking their beaks toward a mother bird.
'Wow.'
I inwardly admired the press corps.
'...The cautionary-tale strategy is insane, isn't it?'
As expected of that bastard. The most obnoxious psychopath in this world.
He was always my compass in the worst possible sense.
Even now, the compass clearly told me how I should react.
「What? Hwanmun Newspaper? I'll never do an interview with you guys. That place is full of old farts. Just opening the paper reeks of old people. Hey, if you call yourself a reporter, at least wash up before coming around.」
I spoke, recalling the Flame Emperor's words.
"...Then let's start with the Hwanmun Newspaper reporter."
The effect was tremendous.
The press conference came to a successful close. A literal smash hit. The Q&A continued for over an hour, yet I didn't make a single common slip of the tongue.
In fact, even ending the press conference wasn't easy. The reporters desperately clung on, trying to squeeze out even one more line for their articles. In the end, the Witch had to snatch my microphone and placate the press corps.
"Everyone! I understand your desire to learn a little more about our new hero. But unfortunately, there isn't much time left."
The Witch pointed at the sky with her fingertip.
[00:05:27]
Before I knew it, the clock of light was approaching 0 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds.
Barely five minutes left until the new stage opened!
There was no better excuse than this to end the press conference.
"We will conclude our night's rest and devote ourselves once more to clearing the Tower today. Please watch over us with deep interest and warm support. We will once again strive our utmost toward the goal of zero casualties."
"Awww......."
Regretful sighs rippled from all around.
Just when it seemed the conference would wrap up like this, one brave soul raised their arm.
"Huh, Black Dragon Master! Just one last question, please!"
"Yes, I will truly take only this one question and end the conference."
"Black Dragon Master and Death King! What is your relationship!"
At that moment, people's eyes sparkled.
Pure interest. A hint of salaciousness.
Since time immemorial, the topic people had been most curious about was romance. The reporters probably wanted to link the Witch and me in that direction.
"Hmm......."
The Witch glanced back at me.
Should I call it a mischievous feeling?
A faint playfulness lingered in the Witch's eyes.
"Our relationship, you say... Indeed."
The Witch spoke slowly.
And then came a remark destined to remain an immortal classic.
"...We are comrades-in-arms, more than friends."
A stir ran through the crowd.
The press corps buzzed. Should they focus on the words "more than friends"? Or should they focus on the word "comrades-in-arms"? The atmosphere was one of not knowing which way to take it.
The person who had asked the question also widened their eyes.
"M-more than friends, you say?"
"Well."
The Witch spoke leisurely.
"I'll say it again. We are comrades-in-arms, more than friends. That is all. I hope there is no room for misunderstanding or mistaken assumptions."
"Room for misunderstanding and mistaken assumptions......!"
"The press conference hosted by the Black Dragon today will end here."
The Witch rose from her seat.
"Once again, I sincerely thank everyone who has sent us interest and support. This was the Black Dragon Guild Master, the Black Witch. I wish you all a good day."
The reporters also shot to their feet.
"Huh, Black Dragon Master! You can't just leave like this!"
"Please, we beg you for a more detailed comment on that statement!"
"Black Dragon Master!"
"Death King, what do you think of that statement just now! Death King!"
Whoa.
The reporters clamored until their voices went hoarse. But the Witch remained composed from start to finish. She grinned as she guided me behind the stage.
"Let's hurry along now."
"Yeah."
I glanced back at the press corps for a moment. They were all making miserable faces.
"...You're just going to get everyone worked up like this and then leave?"
"I'm a woman who watches dramas."
The Witch gently closed her left eye.
A playful wink.
"You have to set a fire at the end for it to leave a lasting impression."
It was a remark that revealed the seasoned authority of a guild master who reigned over the Tower.
3
Behind the stage.
We walked until we reached a place away from prying eyes. Only then did the Witch finally let out a big "Phew!" and grab both of my hands.
"That was perfect! Death King!"
The Witch's eyes sparkled brightly.
I wondered if this was really the same person who had managed her expression so impassively throughout the press conference.
"When did you learn how to do interviews! Good for you!"
"Uh......."
I just did the exact opposite of what the Flame Emperor did.
"Your humble attitude was especially a plus! People like heroes, but there's something they like even more. A hero who bows their head to them! Of course, if humility goes too far and becomes servility, that's no good... but you were just right. My goodness. The balance was exquisite!"
I just recited the exact opposite of what the Flame Emperor said.
"I didn't know you also had a knack for handling the media. Ah, what on earth was this child doing all this time to only appear now! Clearing the Tower, crafting a good image—I feel like my shoulders are ten times lighter......!"
"......."
What was this?
Seeing her this happy made me feel a little guilty.
I couldn't bring myself to say that I had merely imitated a psychopath in reverse.
"If there's anything you want, just tell me. Money? Fame? Power? Or a lover? Don't worry. If it exists in the Tower, I'll give you anything."
"I'm managing to get the things I want well enough, so it's fine....... Black Dragon Master, what was that remark earlier about being more than friends but less than comrades? I was startled inside, you know."
"Ah, that?"
The Witch shrugged.
An expression that said it was no big deal.
"It's nothing. I deliberately laid down a smokescreen."
"A smokescreen?"
"Yes. The media is going to dig up nonexistent scandals anyway. Your image would be damaged by that, so rather than that, it's better to lay down a smokescreen so that attention focuses on you and me."
"Is that so......?"
Since I'd never dealt with the media, I couldn't tell whether this was right or wrong.
The Witch smiled faintly.
"Don't worry, Death King. It's already been years since I started handling public opinion on my own. In this field, trust me completely and leave it to me. Leave professional matters to professionals. Understood?"
"Ah, yes."
Strange.
I couldn't put my finger on it, but something felt odd....... Yes, it felt like being watched by an unknown monster in a hunting ground. But this wasn't a hunting ground—it was Babylon, the city on the 1st floor. There was no way a monster could be here.
Was it just my imagination?
-Tsk tsk tsk.
The guardian spirit clicked his tongue.
-How pathetic, zombie. You have a head, but no brain attached to it, so how could I not call you a zombie? A creature who calls himself a hunter doesn't even realize he's walking into a death trap on his own two feet. Good grief.
'What are you on about now?'
-Pathetic! Pathetic!
The guardian spirit pounded his chest as if frustrated. A man who already looked fierce pounding his chest made him look exactly like a gorilla.
It was around then.
"Waaaaah!"
From beyond the stage, in the direction of the square, a loud cheer erupted. It was slightly different in character from the cheers that had been directed at us.
"Ten!"
"Nine!"
"Eight!"
A countdown.
I stopped talking with the Witch and looked up at the sky.
[00:00:05]
Before I knew it, the time for the 21st-floor stage to open had nearly arrived.
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
And then.
[00:00:00]
The streams of light that had formed the numbers in the sky scattered in all directions. The people's cheers grew even louder. As if to repay that cheer, the streams of light gathered once more and took the form of a goddess.
[O warriors.]
The blue firmament.
The goddess's form spoke.
[Those who climb the Tower.]
[Congratulations on breaking through the shadow steeped in the Demon King's grudge.]
It was the moment a new stage opened.
Perhaps because people had already witnessed the goddess's form once, they chattered noisily, seeming purely delighted.
But I, who had experienced the Tower in the past as well, knew.
-Zombie.
'Yes.'
I nodded.
'It's fine. I won't let my guard down.'
Just as the Tower, which had been a tutorial up to the 10th floor, changed from the 11th floor onward.
The fact that from the 21st floor, a stage completely different from everything up to the 20th floor would unfold.
[You could have remained on the Tower's 1st floor forever.]
The goddess's form coldly proclaimed that fact.
[This place is a refuge for those who fled.]
[You could have chosen complacency instead of abandoning the challenge.]
[But by breaking through the 10th and 20th floors, you made your choice.]
The voice resounded across the wide sky.
[You would see the end of this Tower with your own eyes.]
[Then it is only right that I answer your resolve.]
Whoosh!
Without warning, white light enveloped us. It wasn't only the Witch and me. Bewildered voices could be heard from the direction of the square as well.
"W-what is this!"
"No one said anything......."
This was the biggest difference from last time.
No one had yet said the word 'teleport,' yet the white light swallowed us.
The Witch looked down at her feet with a startled expression.
"...Don't tell me, forced teleportation?"
That guess was correct.
[Those who climb the Tower.]
[O you who have resolved to climb the Tower.]
[O you who willingly received new names and became warriors of the Tower.]
The goddess clasped both hands to her chest.
As if praying for someone.
[From now on, only the chosen warriors shall bear the noble karma.]
In an instant, the white light completely covered us.