Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Revolution's Prison (3)
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I didn't know what results those words would bring. But this was a fact that had to be revealed, even for Ubowo's sake. To become the vanguard of the revolution, one needed deep pride in their own banner. Just looking at that face, you could tell the banner was racing toward the right place.
"I've thought about it for a long time. What the kingdom is trying to protect, and what the Revolutionary Corps is rebelling against. What is this revolution for? This is the answer I arrived at. Commander."
Ban spoke in a quiet voice.
"The revolution exists for the sake of revolution itself."
The Shionel Village where Ban had lived was a den of people who had fled from the world. Naturally, they couldn't understand those who sought to protect the world or those who wanted to change it. And Ban was no different.
"Those who talk about revolution are always filled more with anger at the current world than with visions of the world their revolution will create. Even if the revolution succeeds, will that anger subside? In the changed world, will there be no need to listen to the revolutionaries' divided voices anymore?"
"At least then, they'll be talking about a higher level of revolution than now."
"And once again, people will die for that higher discourse."
"You called yourself a swordsman, not a vanguard. You can cut down a vanguard, but you can't become one. But isn't it strange? In the end, you live always ready to cut someone down, yet you watch with those narrowed eyes whenever blood stains our hands. Ban. Let me ask you one thing too. Why did you become a swordsman? What do you want to cut down?"
"......"
Ban couldn't answer. He wanted to cut the moon. Cut the sky. But on the other hand, he also wanted to cut down wicked villains. He wanted to earn glory and live as the Sword God, upheld by the entire world.
"...Before I knew the weight of blood, I wanted to be a hero."
"But even so, if you saw a child in front of an enraged wild boar, you'd cut down the boar without hesitation."
"That's right."
"We're the same."
Ubowo spoke in a voice like a professor teaching a student.
"We're just trying to save the child by cutting down the boar."
"That boar's awfully big."
"That's exactly why it must be cut down. Because we know that if we don't, it will lead to even more blood someday. You seem to think we're like vampires quenching our thirst with blood, but it's the opposite. We have no choice but to stain our hands with blood now, precisely because we want the world to shed a little less."
"'You can't stitch a wound without getting blood on your hands.' An old proverb. But what I want to ask is this. Who made that wound? The Revolutionary Corps? The kingdom?"
"......"
Ubowo smiled silently. The question might have seemed sensitive or rude, but he was pleased that Ban was asking it. A sword doesn't just shine in the hands of the strong. It finds its true meaning in the hands of one who knows who to point it at.
Ubowo gestured to Ban and rose to his feet. Ban followed him to the window. The streets of Pendel, illuminated by White Flame, came into view. Beasts, humans, and wraiths walking in harmony.
"What do you think when you see that scenery?"
"...It's confusing."
"Why is that?"
"I know the Revolutionary Corps inherits the will of the Northern Region. If so, the night creatures are beings that must not be left alone... beings that must be punished. So how can they live together like this?"
"Northern studies and the Northern Campaign were the favorite topics of Northern scholars back then."
Ubowo sat on the windowsill and looked at the people.
"Some said there was no room for dialogue with the night, while others said we must understand them before fighting. In the end, the latter proved right. Not all night folk—whether Seeds of the Night or nobles—bare their teeth at us. Of course, I can't say they're all harmless to us, but there's still room for dialogue."
"...Interesting."
Ban's voice echoed with loneliness.
"You're willing to talk even with monsters, yet you've given up hope on the kingdom."
"No expectations for the kingdom? Hardly. The kingdom holds my greatest hopes and expectations."
"For all that... it seems like nothing but blood has flowed between the Revolutionary Corps and the kingdom for far too long."
"The fight between the Revolutionary Corps and the kingdom isn't just humans against humans. It's eras against eras, ideologies against ideologies, tradition against change. And in such fights, words aren't exchanged with voices. They're exchanged with actions."
I've been calling for dialogue for a very long time, Ubowo said. Ban had nothing to say. Ubowo wasn't just strong; he was fighting with the fate of the world on his shoulders. What was on Ban's shoulders?
He had always thought his steps were heavy, but they weren't.
Feeling like he had advanced a little, Ban spoke.
"...From the commander's room, you can see so much. People and beasts, the souls of dead wraiths, even the kingdom's light that seems unreachable. I don't see much. I see the gaps in my sword, my opponents. Do you think that's wrong of me?"
"Each of us sees what we can from our position. Is there right or wrong in that?"
"Do you truly believe the Northern Region was abandoned by the kingdom?"
"Some say the lighthouse going out was mere coincidence. Others say it was night trickery. But what matters is that even after the Northern Region fell and twenty years passed, the kingdom made no attempt to reclaim it."
"Probably because they feared the blood it would cost."
"You said it yourself. 'You can't stitch a wound without getting blood on your hands.' But if you leave the wound because you're afraid of the blood, the end result will only be worse."
"What if I think that way? The Revolutionary Corps has dedicated even your lives to your cause. ...Is that why? You seem to say that since you've given your lives, others should too. What will you do if you seize the kingdom? Advance to the Northern Region, or even the night realms beyond the southern, western, and eastern borders? Do you plan to stain history with war and struggle until the night vanishes?"
Ban didn't entirely fail to understand the Revolutionary Corps' thinking. The kingdom's inaction didn't sit well with him either. But he still couldn't agree with their extremism.
"Struggle is inevitable in history, whether we like it or not. So I just want to guide the struggles that will happen anyway... in a more constructive direction.
And it's not just about fighting. Watching the Northern Region's fall, I realized how dangerous it is to pin humanity's fate on a lighthouse. And I came to understand that my mission is to lead humanity beyond the lighthouse."
"Beyond the lighthouse...?"
Ban looked out the window with a confused expression. The sight of night and day folk mingling was certainly unique. In a way, even wondrous. But was that the scenery people desired? Would people want to live in such a landscape?
Ubowo read Ban's mind. He shook his head.
"I'm not saying I'll lead them to a place like this Pendel right now. This is literally a prison. The moment the revolution succeeds, we'll turn the prison into paradise."
"...Paradise... do you mean the paradise the Drampo Clan speaks of?"
"The Drampo Clan spent their lives wandering in search of coordinates. Coordinates leading to paradise. But they couldn't find it within the kingdom. Of course not. How could paradise exist in a land living in darkness, dependent on the lighthouse's light?"
Ubowo's eyes gleamed. When the conviction unrustable by time shone clearly, Ban couldn't avert his gaze.
"Whether it was the kingdom, coincidence, or even a god, the Northern lighthouse going out was like a revelation to me. Only after the light vanished could I see the world as it truly is. This world has been abandoned. I'll extinguish the kingdom's illusions and lead humanity into a new era."
The fervor only a man with a mission could have boiled in Ubowo's voice. Ban felt both discomfort and awe toward such a Ubowo. He hesitated for a moment, then sighed and asked.
"What do you want from me? You're strong enough on your own. Does my power even matter? Even with the Revolutionary Corps' backing, shouldn't you be angrier at me? I... discovered your base."
"Discovery doesn't scare me. The kingdom, fearing the night, hides like a turtle in its lighthouse. They won't confront us head-on now. If anything, if they finally decide to face the night, to escape their narrow prison, I'd welcome it. ...And you're quite special to me."
"Because of Iseo Clan's prophecy?"
That was the only thing Ban could think of. The sword that would pull Seonwoo Clan's book from the pit. The guardian. What other reason would Ubowo have to favor him?
Ubowo laughed.
"How much do you know about that prophecy?"
"Seonwoo expected me to restore their fallen clan."
"...Iseo's prophecies always come true. Trying to overcome them makes them come true because you try; ignoring them makes them come true because you ignore. The prophecy about Seonwoo's sword isn't just about your clan."
"...What is it?"
"We've talked enough for today."
Ubowo smiled faintly. He said quietly.
"I've already told them to guide you and your companions to guest rooms, not cells. Of course, you can't leave freely."
"...Is there nothing more you want from me?"
"Even if I asked you to join the revolution and you said yes, it would mean nothing without your heart. You'll see me every day from now on. And I'll do my best to convince you each day."
"...You said you believe in Iseo's prophecy, in fate."
Ban asked, puzzled.
"If so, whether you convince me or not, what's meant to happen will happen. So why bother with me?"
"That's a results-oriented view."
Ubowo shrugged.
"Even if the result is the same, I just want to give my all in the process. And if you're truly the 'key' sent by the gods... I want to be understood. By that key."
"The key?"
"That's enough talk."
Ubowo turned his back.
"Go back. To your companions."
"...There's one thing I want to ask."
"Ask."
"Do you know... the one in Kalsmori Library?"
Ubowo turned his back. A strange smile played on his lips.
"I wondered why you came all this way with the lighthouse folk."
"...You know?"
"The road to Kalsmori Library is long and perilous. And once you arrive, even harsher trials await."
"I understand what you mean, but I have a reason I must go there."
"Yes. But remember one more thing."
Ubowo smiled oddly.
"My goodwill toward you doesn't change the fact that you're a prisoner in Pendel."
"...I'll remember."
Ban bowed his head and withdrew. Right, he was a prisoner. And without him, his group would likely have been executed by now.
'What should I do?'
He had bought time for now. But what choices lay ahead? Armed resistance was pointless, escape, waiting for aid, or hoping for 'negotiations' between the rebels and the kingdom...
Ban glanced at his empty waist. All his swords had been taken; he was practically unarmed. If he had even one sword, his heart might feel a bit more at ease...
'...When will I ever get stronger?'
He could cut steel. Fell a hundred leaves with one slash, send slashing strikes to shred foes dozens of paces away. Swordsmen who could stand against him were probably countable on one hand.
Yet when facing the world, he didn't feel any stronger than the boy peeking at training grounds.
Maybe that was the truth. The world overflowed with the weak who seemed strong, tearing at each other's weaknesses because they couldn't bear them.
Ban needed strength. Strength that wouldn't fade no matter who he faced or where he stood.
'...Ubowo. Are you strong?'
Ban thought, looking back at the commander's room. Did Ubowo know? That to Ban's eyes, the man vowing to slay the boar had always looked like the boar itself.
He looked ahead. Walked toward his companions. The swordsman without a sword hadn't discarded the glint of resolve in his eyes.
Just as a prison without prisoners remained a prison.