Chapter 168: Monolith: Isolated Rock
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 168: Monolith: Isolated Rock
"Did Kang Geomma have any other requests?"
At the Spear Saint's question, the employee standing guard in front of the treasury gates replied.
"No, sir. He only said he was finished over the intercom. If there was anything unusual, his voice sounded a bit sad... but that might just be my imagination."
"I see. If he had asked for even a single treasure, I would have gladly given it to him. Did he really just look at the Monolith and leave? What a peculiar fellow. Is he always like this?"
The Spear Saint turned his gaze to Medea. She met his eyes with a calm expression.
"That's just how Geomma is. He has absolutely no greed for material things. He doesn't act like a kid at all—he's incredibly down-to-earth, I suppose you could say."
"In that regard, he resembles Nibelung in his youth."
"He's a bit different from Zieg. That old geezer grew up wanting for nothing, so he just didn't care about those things. But Geomma is... how should I put it? It feels like his focus is somewhere else entirely, beyond wealth or fame. Whenever I look at him, I feel strangely anxious. It makes me feel like I need to look after him even more."
Medea let her voice trail off, then shook her head.
"Enough small talk. Let's go in."
"Very well."
As the two entered the treasury, the Monolith gradually came into view. They also saw Kang Geomma standing blankly in front of it.
Even though he must have sensed their presence, Kang Geomma kept his eyes fixed on the Monolith. Medea spoke to him gently.
"Did something happen...?"
"Ah, no. I'm fine."
Only then did Kang Geomma tear his eyes away from the Monolith. He looked at the woman staring back at him with a slightly surprised expression. He gazed at her in silence for a long moment.
Her hair, fresh as spring greenery, and her green eyes. For a brief moment, she overlapped with the little girl he had just spoken with. A faint trace of pity flickered in Kang Geomma's eyes.
Mesther.
He had acted on impulse, thinking it was merely a quest. And as a result, history had been rewritten. The scene he had experienced was no illusion. The status window that appeared after he cleared it was proof of that.
`[Hidden - Using the Crown of Flower as a catalyst, the history of the worldline is rewritten.]`
If he had only received additional rewards, he would have surely regretted it. No matter how one looked at it, he had twisted history. Tampering with the past triggers a time paradox that clouds the future—the classic time paradox seen in sci-fi movies.
Thus, considering what major events this might trigger, any reward became meaningless. Whether it was immense fame, gold and silver treasures, or an Essence Spirit-class Blessing, all of them lost their value.
It might have been an act of sheer recklessness. Official history had already been heavily derailed. And now, even the past had reached an inflection point? The butterfly effect went without saying.
Yet, there was not a single shred of regret in Kang Geomma's eyes. Instead, a look of satisfaction washed over his face.
Kang Geomma leisurely walked to the back of the Monolith. Drawings with a completely different atmosphere from the front were revealed.
It was a mural depicting cows and sheep grazing in a pasture, and the step-by-step process of cultivating a small garden. In the corner, something was written in crooked, uneven handwriting.
Drawings that allowed him to guess how the little girl had spent the rest of her life. Her footprints were carved into this stone.
Kang Geomma let out a long, silent sigh. Though their meeting had been brief, the lingering emotions were profound. Was it because of a sense of kinship? He himself had suddenly dropped into a strange game world one day. Though the details differed, their situations were similar. Solitude.
Kang Geomma suddenly looked at Medea and chuckled softly. He could easily picture what that cheeky little brat would have looked like if she had grown up well.
She probably looked a lot like the beauty standing in front of me.
The descendant of the child who had lost everything had grown into an adult who nurtured the youth. She stood as a sturdy roof protecting Joaquin Academy, showing benevolence not just to him, but to all the cadets.
Though the little girl had lived in loneliness, her descendant lived surrounded by rich relationships.
Kang Geomma felt a faint sense of irony. At the same time, his bitter smile softened into a gentle curve.
As he silently examined the Monolith, Kang Geomma suddenly asked Medea.
"Principal, do you happen to know what is written in the corner over there?"
"Of course! If it's your request, I'll do anything!"
Medea reacted enthusiastically. She squinted and peered closely at the corner.
"The form is primitive, but... the structure itself seems to be Rune Language..."
She was one of the greatest intellects in the world. On top of that, the Poison family possessed an extraordinary, generation-spanning talent for linguistics and writing.
"The grammar is archaic, but it's well-structured, so I should be able to translate it."
While Medea examined the text, the Spear Saint, stroking his beard, chimed in.
"...But was that always written there? I find it hard to believe the Association's research team would have missed such a long text."
"Ah, seriously! Shut up, you gorilla! Geomma finally asked me for a favor, so let me concentrate!"
Hmph—Medea glared at the Spear Saint before turning her gaze back to Kang Geomma. Her eyes instantly curved into a sweet, gentle smile as if nothing had happened. The Spear Saint scratched his cheek, looking a bit embarrassed.
Having finished the deciphering, Medea read the contents aloud.
I was so cross that Mister vanished without a word. I wanted to get my words to you somehow, so I looked for a way and ended up inventing these things called 'letters.'
Before Father passed away, he kept telling me I was smart. I guess he was right.
I'll have to refine it over time, but this is pretty impressive, isn't it?
·
The twentieth spring since Mister left.
You know what? Honestly, when I was first left all alone, I resented Mister so much.
Ah, of course, I'm deeply grateful to you. You saved me from that winged monster, after all.
But you could have at least left a single word before you went... Come to think of it, you even left behind the flower crown I made for you, didn't you? Unbelievable, really!
On second thought, I don't miss Mister at all. Hmph!
·
The fiftieth spring since Mister left. I've grown taller, you know? Of course, not as tall as you, but now I can look down on most of the bushes!
But I just remembered... didn't you say you were three years younger than me, Mister...?
Why have I been calling you 'Mister' all this time? To my little brother!
·
The one hundred and second spring.
Hello, little brother? You know, I've thought about it carefully for a hundred years, and it suddenly occurred to me that you might be someone from the distant future.
A woman's intuition, perhaps? Once I reached that conclusion, I stopped waiting. I only hope that this writing will reach you in the far future. But if I were to indulge in a little greed...
·
The three hundred and fifth spring.
Last winter was exceptionally harsh. Every time it's like that, I feel sad being alone. Do I really have to live this long...?
Countless times I've wanted to end it, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Little brother, this is the life you saved. So, I'm going to try to live for as long as I can.
·
The three hundred and forty-seventh spring.
The three hundred and ninety-first spring.
The four hundred and twelfth spring.
The four hundred and seventy-sixth spring.
·
The five hundredth spring.
You know what? Today is my five hundred and twentieth birthday.
Lately, I don't think about how hard things are anymore. Instead, I feel happy to be alive. Now, I almost want to live for thousands of years.
...But if I keep living on and on like this.
...
Will I eventually reach the future where you are, Mister?
Listening to Medea's voice, Kang Geomma stared at the traces carved into the Monolith.
The handwriting grew progressively neater with the passage of time. Every single character contained her contemplation of life and her struggle to survive.
"Just pick one, either 'Mister' or 'little brother,' you dummy..."
Kang Geomma muttered to himself. It was hard to hold back the groan escaping his lips.
At that moment.
Flash!
`[Your Humanity Rank has risen significantly.]`
Kang Geomma pressed his forehead against the rough stone surface and closed his eyes. Then, he repeatedly thumped his head against it.
It had been a truly long time since his emotions had welled up like this.
If there were no eyes watching, he would have wept aloud.
* * *
After finishing our business, we left the Seoul Branch. Even though Medea had repeatedly tried to stop him, the Spear Saint insisted on seeing us off.
Just before we got into the car, the Spear Saint offered a handshake and spoke.
"I'm sorry to send you off without even treating you to a meal. I haven't really done anything for you, either."
"..."
I stared at his thick hand for a moment before taking it. I replied in a flat voice.
"Treat me the next time you come to Korea."
At my casual acceptance, both the Spear Saint and Medea flinched in surprise at the same time.
Even the Spear Saint, who had made the offer, looked taken aback. Having stood dazed for a moment while holding my hand, he grinned, baring his teeth.
"Bwahaha! We'll definitely do that!"
Receiving numerous farewells, Medea and I got into the car. The black sedan departed immediately.
I stared out the window for a moment before turning my gaze to the side. Medea was nodding off.
Thud.
Soon, her head came to rest on my right shoulder. I quietly let her lean on it.
The driver, watching through the rearview mirror, also slowed down to a gentle speed. The exhaust note quieted down.
Thanks to that, Medea was able to sleep soundly without waking up once until we arrived at the Academy.
* * *
Lancelot Company. It was a company considered by far the best among existing hero agencies.
"Pant... pant..."
A man was rushing down a polished marble hallway in a flurry. It was Kane, All Mute's secretary.
Kane only managed to catch his breath when he reached the door labeled 'Training Room.' He opened the door, skipping even a knock. It was an act contrary to Western etiquette, but he had no time to worry about such things right now.
"Ellie!"
All Mute, who was casually lifting a 220-pound dumbbell, merely shifted her eyes.
"What's the matter?"
"Do you remember the Sashimi Sword Saint we saw at the festival back then?"
At Kane's words, All Mute nodded with a puzzled look.
"Of course I remember. The foreign media kept reporting that he stood against the Demons that suddenly appeared during the Joaquin Disaster. According to the articles, he's practically the second coming of the Hero of the Origin."
"Hey, Ellie! Is this really the time to be singing your rival's praises?"
All Mute's eyebrows twitched.
"Rival?"
"Someone competing with you for a seat among the Seven Stars is a rival. What else would he be, a comrade?!"
"And here I thought it was something serious."
When she gave such a lukewarm response, Kane yelled out in frustration.
"Is this really the time to be working out?! I just got a call from the White House. Ellie, they said if you don't become the next Seven Stars, they're going to pass a bill to drop a tax bomb on our company!"
"What's so strange about paying taxes? It's just paying what we haven't paid all at once."
"Are you kidding me? The amount we'd have to cough up is a whopping 300 million dollars! That's 300 billion won in Korean currency! That's our company's quarterly revenue! If they seize all of that? Have you even imagined it?"
All Mute casually asked back as she lifted and lowered the dumbbell.
"Paying taxes is a natural duty as an American citizen."
"..."
"And you know I don't have much interest in the Seven Stars seat. It's only because the White House keeps pestering me. It's only natural for that seat to go to someone who deserves it. The Sashimi Sword Saint, he's the hero of this Joaquin Disaster."
Indeed. All Mute was this kind of hero. An upright personality who knew how to acknowledge others without reservation.
That was why the public found her charming, but conversely, she was a massive headache from the agency's perspective.
Honesty? Sure, that was fine. However, everything in this society ultimately boiled down to money. Yet, their star player lacked any business sense... It was practically an insult to the capitalism of the United States of America.
If it has come to this...
Kane slumped his shoulders with a tearful face. Then, he mumbled in the most pitiful voice possible, making sure she could hear every word.
"Fine... if that's your decision, there's nothing we can do. But I guess the 'citizens' back home, who were so full of hope that the next Seven Stars would come from our country, will all look like fools."
"..."
"And do you think the company is doing this just for the money? This is all reflecting the wishes of the 'citizens.' They truly want you, All Mute, to become one of the Seven Stars."
Thud— A heavy sound. The dropped dumbbell rolled across the floor and bumped against Kane's foot. Kane stole a glance at All Mute.
Her complicated feelings were clearly reflected in her eyes. After standing still for a long moment, she spoke.
"Book a flight to Joaquin Academy."
Kane desperately suppressed the smile that threatened to break out on his face.
"For when?"
"As soon as possible."
"OK."
Kane immediately made a call to prepare the private jet.
Sorry, Ellie. I know it's petty, but this is the only way for the company to survive.
The only underhanded trick that could provoke the noble hero, All Mute.
It was her extraordinary patriotism—her national pride.