Chapter 198: Conflict (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 198: Conflict (4)
I stepped into the VIP reception room. My eyes widened instantly at the sight of the unexpected guest waiting for me.
"Ah, you're here! I was starting to think you'd never show up!"
"Spear Saint?"
The Spear Saint, who had been sitting with his arms crossed, welcomed me with open arms.
Thunk!
Just then, a sword blade suddenly plunged into the floor right at the feet of the Spear Saint, who looked ready to leap forward at any moment.
I turned my head in the direction the sword had flown from.
"Do not approach Cadet Kang Geomma any further, Richard."
Frowning deeply, the Sword Emperor approached the Spear Saint. He then retrieved his sword from where it was embedded in the floor.
"If you take even one more step, I won't stop at a mere threat."
The Sword Emperor warned again in a fierce voice. His sword pointed directly at the Spear Saint's throat.
"Bwahaha, look at you on guard. I was just welcoming him as a fellow man. And..."
The Spear Saint's grin, baring his teeth like a bandit, twisted. He crossed his arms again, deliberately being difficult.
"Since when do I bow my head and say 'Yes, sir' just because you speak? Keep in mind that the only one who can treat me, Richard de Myura, like that is the Association President."
"..."
"If you have a complaint, feel free to bring it up anytime. Ah, but of course, I won't accept mere words. I only accept a man's demands through fists or blades."
"Just because I retired from the Seven Stars doesn't mean my skills have vanished. You of all people should know that, Myura. Yet you still spout such nonsense?"
"Oh, I know it well. That's why I'm relieved. I'll only be satisfied if I finish you off when you're at your best. After all, who could I brag to if I only beat a half-witted Nibelung?"
Despite the Sword Emperor's threat, the Spear Saint didn't show the slightest hint of intimidation.
Instead, he gestured with his hand, provoking him to bring it on. At that, a thick vein throbbed on the Sword Emperor's temple.
"Fine. I'll take this opportunity to rip that smirk of yours from ear to ear."
"Yes, Nibelung. That's the spirit. It's been a while since my blood boiled like this!"
Watching the bickering between the two Seven Stars, I let out a low groan.
I knew they didn't get along, but I didn't expect it to be this bad.
It was a powder-keg situation. The sheer momentum radiating from the two of them made the table legs tremble, and the hanging chandelier swayed left and right like a pendulum.
At that moment, Medea, who was sitting a short distance away, spoke in a low voice.
"You dare think of brawling in front of the Academy Principal, and inside the Academy at that? Have you two gone senile together?"
"..."
The raging torrent that had been shaking the surrounding objects ceased in an instant. The Sword Emperor, the Spear Saint, and I reflexively turned our gazes toward where Medea was sitting.
Tap, tap.
Her fingernails tapped the table. It was a gesture of mediation and a command to shut up and sit down.
"How about you two re-enroll in the Academy? I can start by re-educating your minds."
Medea said. The Sword Emperor cleared his throat repeatedly. He was extremely embarrassed, but he tried to salvage his remaining pride by protesting.
"Ahem! Medea, this is an important meeting. I would appreciate it if you refrained from such dismissive remarks."
"You know it's an important meeting, yet you throw a sword first, you bastard? It's a good thing Kojima stepped out for a moment, but what if he had seen this? Have you even thought about that?"
"..."
"Combined, your ages add up to nearly 150. Yet, how is Geomma, who is still a teenager, more mature than both of you? Aren't you embarrassed?"
At Medea's sharp rebuke, the Sword Emperor couldn't bring himself to speak. With his elderly pride thoroughly crushed, he turned around and sat back down. The Spear Saint also scratched his chin and took his seat.
I hesitated for a moment before sitting in an empty seat. Then, I quietly scanned the room, reading the atmosphere. A solemn air hung over the reception room.
Why all the Seven Stars were present, and why they had called me—I had many questions, but it was awkward to find an opening to speak. It seemed the mood had been terrible even before I arrived.
Why does everyone get along so poorly?
These were the four survivors of the subjugation war against the 6th Corps Commander Basmon. Yet, from what I could see, they were worse than strangers. Medea, with her naturally bright personality, treated both the Sword Emperor and the Spear Saint casually, but those two openly showed hostility toward each other.
As for the Archery Saint, Medea had warned me to stay away from him from the moment he was mentioned, so there was no need to even question their hostile relationship.
Why were comrades who had shared life-and-death experiences growling at each other like this? Even if they lacked a tight-knit bond or deep camaraderie, there had to be a reason they became enemies. It didn't seem to be simply because they had aged or because time had passed.
I pondered. There must be a hidden history among the Seven Stars heroes that I didn't know about. That secret was likely what had dug such a deep rift between them.
The door swung open.
Right on cue, the door to the reception room swung open, and the final member of the Seven Stars entered. The Archery Saint spoke with a bright smile.
"I apologize for keeping you waiting, seniors. It took longer than I expected."
...The core or the beginning of the conflict among them was likely that man. I could tell the moment Saki Kojima appeared.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Because not a single one of the three spared him a glance. Could there be any clearer proof of a conflict pushed to its absolute limit?
As far as I knew, no. There was nothing worse than being ignored. It would have been better if they glared at him as if they wanted to kill him.
The Archery Saint didn't mind at all. He pulled up a chair and sat directly across from me. At that, the expressions of the Sword Emperor and Medea soured, but that was it.
The Archery Saint offered me a bright smile.
"Since everyone is here, we can begin right away."
"...Begin what?"
I had only received the location of this place from Medea, who was currently sulking over there.
"Ah, it seems you haven't heard from the Academy Principal."
The Archery Saint's gaze lingered on her for a brief moment before returning to me.
"Perhaps the Academy Principal was simply too busy."
His expression remained relaxed and gentle, completely unlike the other three Seven Stars. However, there were hidden thorns in his words.
"If you weren't informed, it can't be helped. I will tell you now."
The Archery Saint rested his chin on his clasped hands.
"From this moment on, Geomma, you must undergo the interview evaluation for the Seven Stars succession. Right here, in this room."
* * *
Before starting, the Archery Saint explained the reason for the evaluation. Honestly, when I first heard it, I was secretly nervous. I thought they would dissect my personal details, my past actions, and my private life down to the bone.
Let's look at myself objectively.
First, my personal details. I have no family, no relatives, no siblings. If I went to the community center to print out my registry, it would come out as a blank sheet of paper. That is the absolute orphan, Kang Geomma.
Then what about my past actions? Any red flags? There's no end to them if I start listing them. The annihilation of the Undertakers, the annihilation of Vendetta.
Even if they were villains, I still ended up wiping out humans, not demons.
Reporters could spin that however they wanted. I would have to explain myself, and the vicious cycle of that naturally played out in my head.
It's not like I haven't been screwed over by those reporter bastards once or twice.
What about my private life? It used to be relatively clean. The reason it's in the past tense is because of Hon's existence. I was the one who allowed Hon, a demon, to reside at the Academy.
It was a fact known to those in the loop, but at the same time, it was definitely not something that should be widely publicized. After all, it was far too controversial.
Hon isn't just any demon; she's a dragon. The fallout would be insane.
There were so many things to hide. I, Kang Geomma, was the textbook definition of a suspicious person.
What if even one of these things got caught? The Seven Stars succession wouldn't be the only problem. The aftermath would cast doubt on my very existence in this world, as well as the people around me.
But as I listened quietly to the Archery Saint, I realized that these worries were completely unfounded.
"This evaluation is nothing special; it is simply a place to gauge whether you, Geomma, possess a character suitable for the Seven Stars."
In other words, it was a personality test. The Seven Stars were the heroes of heroes. Therefore, they needed to be backed by a fitting sense of duty and character. Just like checking a person's character in an interview for police officers or firefighters.
"For your information, this interview won't hinder your succession. With the date already set for a few days from now, this interview won't cancel the succession ceremony itself."
To summarize the Archery Saint's words: this evaluation was a mere formality. So, there was no need to feel pressured.
...But was there really a reason for everyone to attend just for my interview?
They hadn't even attended the Joaquin Academy festival, yet all of the Seven Stars had gathered just for a single interview. As far as I knew, it was the first time in half a century that the entire all-star lineup had assembled.
But anyway.
I nodded. There was a saying that you can't spit on a smiling face. Especially when he was speaking with such a kind smile.
"Just as I heard from my daughter, you have a straightforward personality, Geomma. Excellent."
Once I gave my assent, the Archery Saint smiled faintly and began the interview.
"Lately, the movements of the demons have been unusual. And understandably so, since three of their Corps Commanders have died at the hands of humanity. If the remaining Corps Commanders use that as a pretext to attack in the near future, what will you do, Geomma?"
"I'll send them to the same place as the ones who kicked the bucket first."
Humanity's outlook.
"Once you ascend as a Seven Stars hero, you will receive tens of billions of won per month as a maintenance allowance. It is funded by the taxes of citizens worldwide. How do you plan to use that support fund, Geomma?"
"I'll put it in a savings account. One with high interest."
Rights and responsibilities.
"Once you ascend to the Seven Stars, there is a high probability of backlash. The nobles will surely throw a fit, and senior-rank heroes and above will also express dissatisfaction."
"It must be because of my age. Since I'm wet behind the ears, it's only natural they'd find it offensive."
"Sometimes, even if people understand with their heads, their hearts cannot follow. They will likely look down on you or make you a target of criticism."
"I'll have to shut down that background noise quickly."
Shring—
"Everyone will shut up in front of my sashimi knife."
The example to be set after becoming a Seven Stars.
Just as the Archery Saint had said, the questions were extremely common-sense and ordinary.
"You can view this not as a question, but as a personal proposal of mine."
As the interview approached the one-hour mark, the Archery Saint spoke to wrap things up. His eyes flashed coldly for an instant.
"As I mentioned earlier, once you ascend to the Seven Stars, you will inevitably make enemies. Climbing to the top naturally breeds enemies, both externally and internally. No matter how great the authority of the Seven Stars is, it is impossible to face them all alone. There are things in this world that cannot be resolved by force alone. Therefore, I propose..."
The Archery Saint's expression shifted completely. As if this question was the main point, his clear smile faltered for the first time.
"If you wish, I will wipe out all those inferior factions. So that they won't even dare to rebel against you. In the name of the Prime Minister of Japan and the Archery Saint, Saki Kojima."
"You insolent fool!"
Suddenly, the Sword Emperor roared in anger. He immediately threatened, exuding a thick, suffocating bloodlust.
"Kojima, do not even dream of dragging Kang Geomma into your personal greed."
"Senior, you are already retired. So I would appreciate it if you stayed out of this. Unless you want this to escalate into an international incident."
"Do I look like someone who cares about such things? I tolerated it even when you approached Kang Geomma with insidious intentions. But if you show such blatant intent, I will tolerate it no longer."
The Archery Saint swept his indifferent eyes over the Sword Emperor. He remained silent for a long moment before finally letting out a sigh.
"Senior Siegfried, you really have grown old."
"...?!"
"I say this because a man who used to be so quiet is speaking so aggressively. In the past, you were an insurmountable mountain to me. But now—"
In the next instant, something intense flickered in the Archery Saint's eyes. Something sinister, bordering on madness and desire.
"You look weak."