Chapter 197: Conflict (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 197: Conflict (3)
Across both my past and present lives, there was only one person I could truly call family.
My first master. Honestly, since he was the only person who ever taught me anything, the modifier "first" is a bit pointless.
Still, the old man always insisted on emphasizing that "first." I don't know why. I just couldn't be bothered to argue, so I let it slide.
Regardless, it's hard to deny that he played the role of family for me. He took me in after I ran away from home at seventeen, fed me, gave me a place to sleep, and even taught me my trade.
Perhaps because of that, my beliefs and values were profoundly influenced by my first master. Honestly, it was inevitable—the old man nagged constantly. If I took even a brief break, he was the type to immediately scowl.
Even so, the things he said were deeply engraved in my mind. Several of his words left a strong impression, and one of them came to mind in my current situation.
—Beware of any woman who throws herself at you without reason.
Thinking about it, it's obvious advice. But my first master had a way of saying the obvious as if it weren't. That made it sound quite plausible and strangely persuasive.
A woman showing affection for no reason? It highly reeks of ulterior motives. Maybe if I were handsome, it would be a different story, but that has nothing to do with me. Neither in my past life nor my current one have I ever had a face that could be considered handsome.
"Seeing you up close is truly amazing. How should I put it... it feels like seeing a celebrity right in front of me? Like I said, I'm a huge fan of yours."
That's why the blatant flirting of the woman in front of me is incredibly grating. Her revealing outfit, her gestures, her body language—every single thing about her is suspicious.
Even if I generously chalked it up to personal preference, the 'System' seemed determined to rule out even that possibility.
[An unauthorized external intrusion into your mind has been detected.]
[This is a toxic blessing intended to seduce the target.]
[However, you are unaffected due to your 'Mental Rank.']
I didn't let it show on my face, but I was dumbfounded. First, that such a blessing even existed, and second, that my 'Mental Rank' had automatically deflected its interference. It was the exact opposite of what happened with Agor, where an error had occurred. It was probably because my Mental Rank had risen several stages since then.
It seemed convenient in many ways. It meant I could ignore trivial external stimuli now. At the same time, I felt a sense of emptiness. To put it another way, it meant my body was now incapable of being stimulated by ordinary things.
'Sigh.'
A bitter sigh escaped my lips. Meanwhile, the mysterious woman smiled brightly, as if determined to seduce me. She kept babbling on about something. Every time she did, the status window beeped noisily, warning me of her coquetry.
I stared blankly at her. Only then did she snap her fan shut, revealing her face completely.
She was certainly a beauty. But that was as far as my appreciation went. Having hung around girls like Abel, Saki, and Rachel, my standards had skyrocketed. No matter how pretty someone was, I felt no real inspiration.
The woman wore a confident expression, clearly thinking she had won me over. She gently extended her delicate hand. Seeing how she showed the back of her hand, it wasn't an offer for a handshake.
It looked like she wanted me to kiss it. Showing up out of nowhere, making small talk, and now this aristocratic gesture.
I let out a dry chuckle and shoved my hands deep into my pockets. Then, I resumed walking. As I brushed past her, the woman flinched.
"W-Why?"
Realizing that her plan had gone awry, panic flooded her face. She shouted at my back.
"Wait! Aren't you curious about who I am? I told you! I'm someone who could become your family."
I turned my head halfway to look at her. At my icy glare, she took two steps back. I spat out my words at her.
"I'll let it slide once. But there won't be a second time."
"..."
At my warning, the woman's face turned pale and stiff. She bit her lower lip hard, then suddenly sneered.
"Ha, that bitch Ryozo really snagged herself a decent man. If even my blessing doesn't work on you, then—cough!"
Before she could finish her sentence, her fan clattered to the floor. Clutching her throat, she let out a series of sharp, strangled gasps.
'Th-This is...'
A sensation as if her heart were being squeezed. Soon, losing her balance, Saki Hina fell face-first onto the hallway floor and crawled. She collapsed, drool dripping from her mouth.
Saki Hina barely managed to look up. Through her suddenly blurred vision, a pair of dark eyes looked down at her.
Sssss.
A dark red energy bound her body like a curse. This was bloodlust. An overwhelming aura so dense it took physical form.
Saki Hina instinctively knew. The man reflected in her eyes was a being completely detached from humanity.
He had brought her—a member of the Archery Saint Family and a senior-class hero—to her knees without lifting a single finger. He was a monster who could easily snuff out her life just by releasing his killing intent.
Kang Geomma spoke.
"The first time can be a mistake."
"Gack..."
"But the second time is not. Furthermore, you had the audacity to refer to someone close to me in such a manner."
Saki Hina's pupils began to dilate and blur. At this rate, her breathing would stop completely.
'I-I can't... b-breathe...'
She had to escape this swamp of bloodlust as quickly as possible. Just as she reached out a trembling hand—
"Hina."
A voice echoed from down the hall. Kang Geomma and Saki Hina's eyes naturally turned toward the sound.
A man in a handsome dress uniform was walking toward them, his footsteps steady. Despite the suffocating bloodlust, he remained perfectly composed.
Kang Geomma stared at him. The handsome, middle-aged man exuded a strange atmosphere. He looked genial, yet his cold eyes seemed to harbor a deep darkness. He walked calmly through the surging waves of bloodlust.
'He's no ordinary person.'
Kang Geomma narrowed his eyes and watched him for a moment. He felt no hostility from the man. And since this was the Academy's main building, the likelihood of him being an enemy was extremely low.
Having reached his conclusion, Geomma withdrew his bloodlust. Instantly, the dark red masses filling the hallway dispersed and dissolved into nothingness.
"Haa, haa..."
Saki Hina gasped raggedly for air. Her disrupted breathing wouldn't easily stabilize. Even so, she somehow dragged herself up. Showing proper respect was more important than the relief of surviving a near-death experience.
"...P-Prime Minister."
Saki Hina quickly adjusted her appearance and bowed deeply. The Archery Saint, who had approached within arm's reach, narrowed his eyes slightly.
Quickly assessing the situation, he stepped right up to Kang Geomma. Then, without hesitation, he bowed his head.
"It seems one of our people has caused you trouble. On behalf of the Saki family, I offer my sincerest apologies. If you wish for compensation, please speak to my secretary."
I stared at the man, taken aback. I had expected someone associated with that temptress to scowl and threaten me.
Instead, he was treating me with utmost respect and taking a low posture, which made things a bit awkward. To be precise, I didn't know how to react.
As if reading my lukewarm gaze, the man introduced himself.
"I am Saki Kojima, the Prime Minister of Japan. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Ah... Yes. I'm Kang Geomma."
Saki Kojima, the Archery Saint, smiled warmly. He continued in an informal yet polite tone.
"Is there anyone under the heavens who does not know your name, Cadet? Introductions are for second-rate people like me. It is not something someone at the peak needs to do."
Medea had spoken of the Archery Saint as if he were public enemy number one. Yet, he was treating me with more courtesy than any adult I had met so far, using polite honorifics to someone young enough to be his son.
'But...'
The woman who had been hitting on me was trembling slightly behind him. Even when I had released my bloodlust, she had only struggled; she hadn't looked this terrified.
Which meant... she feared this man more than she feared death.
Come to think of it, this middle-aged man hadn't said a single word about his subordinate gasping for breath right next to him. Normally, a sane person would have reacted with something like, "Isn't this a bit much?"
Of course, I had absolutely no intention of apologizing even if he demanded it. If he had used that as an excuse to press me, I would have drawn my sashimi knife.
'Even so, the relationship between these two is incredibly bizarre...'
As a creeping sense of unease washed over me, the Archery Saint spoke.
"Please, head inside to the VIP reception room first. I will follow shortly after handing my daughter over to my secretary. I am worried because Hina's complexion looks so poor. I must also give her a stern talking-to on the way for her rudeness to you, Lord Geomma. Haha."
I glanced at the woman called Hina. If she was his daughter and looked to be around twenty, did that make her Ryozo's older sister? Their vibes were so completely opposite that I hadn't noticed at all. Well, looking at her again, they did seem to share a slight resemblance.
'But I recall that in the game's lore, Ryozo was supposed to be the only daughter of the Archery Saint Family.'
Then again, mobile game lore books didn't always match reality perfectly. In the first place, the Archery Saint Family was shrouded in mystery, and trying to verify the truth of a mismatched setting was pointless.
"The Sword Emperor and the Academy Principal are waiting inside. If we take too long, they will likely come out to see what is happening. That would make explanations tedious, so please, go on ahead."
I pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"Understood."
Even if I felt uneasy, I couldn't show it openly. I just had to keep a close eye on them.
I finally let go of the sashimi knife I had been fingering inside my pocket.
* * *
The Archery Saint stared blankly at the spot where Kang Geomma had been standing just moments ago.
"Hina."
The Archery Saint called her name without turning. Hina squeezed her eyes shut before opening them again. She forced herself to act calm.
"I acted on my own. I will accept any punishment."
The Archery Saint slowly turned around. He looked down at her with lifeless eyes, then patted her shoulder.
"You did well, Hina."
"...Pardon?"
"It is a pity, though. It would have been better if you had tried harder and successfully won 'him' over. Still, I will not forget your hard work."
"I-I will work harder."
"Yes. I have high expectations for you. So, find a way, by any means necessary."
Having said his piece, the Archery Saint turned his back and gestured for her to leave. Hina gratefully accepted the dismissal and quickly made her exit.
...Left alone in the hallway, Saki Kojima took a few more steps. Stopping in front of a framed portrait, he stared at it endlessly.
`Hero of the Old Seven Stars, Alice Louise`
The Archery Saint slowly reached out to the frame. He wiped away the thick layer of dust with his finger.
"My dear, it has been forty years since you passed. But did you know? Slowly but surely, the number of people who remember your name is dwindling. Even though all of the Seven Stars saved the world together. In the end, the only name on everyone's lips is the Sword Emperor. Perhaps the Spear Saint, the Sage, and I will be forgotten within a few centuries. Because..."
Saki Kojima continued to mutter to himself, as if conversing with the woman in the painting.
"This world only remembers the number one. The only one engraved in the minds of the masses is the one who reigns at the peak. But... if one can grasp that peak in their hands, they too can enjoy eternal life."
An icy, freezing sneer played on his lips.
"And that day is not far off."