Chapter 261: Blessing (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 261: Blessing (4)
“Nox.”
At my call, Nox merely turned his head back while remaining perched in a crouch on the window frame. Pulling his mask up over the bridge of his nose, he replied.
“Yes, Heavenly Sword.”
His voice shifted in an instant. It seemed to be one of the functions of those black clothes that made him look like a petty thief.
I guess those are a type of armament, too.
I scratched my forehead and asked him.
“You said earlier that you no longer have a human heart left. That’s the product of the Auditore style of assassin training, right?”
“Yes.”
Nox nodded beneath his mask. I threw in another question.
“Don’t you feel wronged about that?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Nox tilted his head, eyes showing his confusion. Hand moving from my forehead, I ruffled the back of my hair.
Ah, damn. Should I not have brought it up?
Opening up my inner thoughts to someone was a first for me across both my past and current lives, making it feel awkward and unfamiliar. On top of that, it felt like prying into his family background, so I was even more cautious.
But since I had started the conversation, I had to spit out something. If a swordsman draws his blade, he ought to slice at least a radish—that is the duty of a swordsman.
“If you hadn’t been born an assassin, you could’ve hung out with kids your age and… you know, dated and stuff. I’m asking if you don’t feel cheated in that regard.”
“Hmm.”
At my words, Nox crossed his arms while staying in that position for a moment. Then he opened his mouth to speak.
“Since you ask so seriously, I will speak honestly. I am indeed curious about what thoughts kids my age live with.”
Nox raised his eyes to stare at me.
“However, I do not feel wronged by my situation, nor do I envy them.”
“Why?”
“To smoothly carry out the work I have done and will continue to do, emotions become an obstacle. Striking with my blade without hesitation, even if the assassination target is an acquaintance—for this, we Auditore shave away our emotions over a lifetime, again and again. All of this is for humanity, to hand down a better present to future generations.”
In this moment, I saw it. A faint, unique light flashing in those eyes that had previously only gleamed with a bloody light.
“There is pride in that. That is why, even if my emotions vanish, I do not consider myself a lacking human being. Rather, I live believing that my current state is the best and most optimal for my position.”
The gist of it was this: pride as an assassin replaced his lack of emotion. Thus, he had no regrets or dissatisfaction whatsoever.
Pride, huh.
As I rolled the word over in my mind, a smirk escaped me. It was because of those two letters that I had held on to my sashimi knife until the very end, despite all the hardships in my past life.
Come to think of it, my past life was also one of giving up many things, much like Nox.
Normal friendships, leisure, romance, marriage. Excluding all the usual elements of a human life, I lived looking only at a single sashimi knife. Ever since I was seventeen.
Even so, I swear to the God of Sashimi, I never felt even a hair’s breadth of unhappiness.
Feeling proud of my daily growth, I gradually fell deeper into the profound mysteries of the sashimi knife.
The determination to become the best in this field. Before long, it turned into pride, engraved upon my heart.
The achievements made from brushing aside daily life were sweet and grand.
‘The Nation’s Best Swordsman.’
A beggar who once roamed the streets came to be called the nation's best. If I had indulged in everything and enjoyed all there was to enjoy, achieving it would have been impossible.
“Heavenly Sword…?”
When I said nothing, Nox stealthily tried to read my expression. He pulled down his mask slightly and stepped down from the window frame.
They say a superior’s silence is torturous for a subordinate.
I gave a small smile to the guy who swallowed hard while waiting for my words.
“Thanks for everything. Thanks to you, I feel like a blocked passage inside me just opened up.”
Was it too out of nowhere? His blood-red eyes widened twice as large.
“…I am glad if I was of help.”
Nox did not ask back. He might not know what I was thanking him for, but since Heavenly Sword’s expression relaxed, that was enough. Thinking so, he quietly pulled up his mask and approached the window frame again.
“Heavenly Sword.”
With his back turned, Nox hesitated for a moment. Then, with difficulty, he opened his mouth.
“It is I who am grateful—for risking your life to stand against humanity’s great evil. And…”
…for giving me, an assassination machine, the chance to work at a sushi restaurant, and above all, for teaching my younger sister what it means to be human.
Nox swallowed the words that rose to his throat.
“The Auditore will support you, both materially and spiritually.”
Delivering that other piece of sincerity instead, he leapt lightly off the window frame. Melting into the night’s darkness, the assassin erased his presence in an instant.
I stared blankly in the direction he had left. Sporadic sounds of dry twigs snapping reached my ears, as if he were moving across tree branches.
“…Gratitude is gratitude, but why doesn’t he ever close the window?”
Shaking my head, I closed the window, thinking that I ought to reinforce the latches double or triple times.
* * *
A day in December, hit by a cold wave.
Even in the severe winter cold, Joaquin Academy was bustling with cadets. Bright, dazzling colorful lights adorned the scene of youth throughout the grounds.
The Festival of the Seven Champions.
The grandest event marking the end of the year. Equivalent to Christmas on Earth. Only the name had changed; it was unmistakably Christmas.
Inside the dressing room.
“Oh my, Heavenly Sword-nim! It suits you so well!”
A stylist with a sharp impression gushed, licking her lips. Her lips, thickly coated in lipstick, were a seductive crimson.
“Because of your tall height, the fit really pops! You’re on the leaner side, so I think it suits you even better!”
“……”
Letting her words go in one ear and out the other, I looked at the full-length mirror set up in front of me. There stood my reflection wearing a tuxedo with a blank expression. The bow tie was choking my windpipe like a leash.
Was that why? My face burned hot as if blood wasn’t flowing properly. To be honest, it was just because I was embarrassed.
“I can tolerate the tailcoat, but can’t I just wear a normal tie?”
“Absolutely not.”
A firm rejection. The stylist pushed up the frames of her sharply angled glasses.
“Heavenly Sword-nim, you are the most influential hero in recent times. As such, you must maintain your dignity and propriety.”
“What does propriety have to do with a bow tie?”
“There is attire suitable for the time and place.”
She replied, tugging and adjusting the wings of my bow tie to the sides.
“A standard tie is for office work. For a formal annual event like today, you must wear this bow tie. Many distinguished guests are scheduled to visit—what would happen if they saw you in attire that lacks formality?! You’d become a laughingstock!”
“I don’t really care.”
“No. I care. I, Han Hye-shin, cannot let my pride tolerate making a precious client like you a laughingstock. Absolutely not!”
“…Alright. I get it, so please just loosen it a bit. If the client suffocates to death, that would be a laughingstock in its own right.”
“Ah, I’m sorry! It’s just been so long since I catered to a model with such a great fit.”
She hummed cheerfully, taking a step back to observe me. Half-resigned, I let out deep sighs.
Screeech.
Just then, the door to the dressing room opened, and Sage Medea and All-Power Meain stepped inside. The twin sisters were wearing identical dresses in inverted colors of black and white.
The younger sister, Medea, was in white, while the older sister, Meain, was in black. Like in Go, black took the first move.
“Are you ready?”
The stylist answered.
“Yes, Principal.”
Medea approached with the clicking sound of her heels, scanning me up and down. Meain stood side by side with her sister a beat later, walking with a slow stride.
What’s with the bow tie!
Looking at them inspecting me thoroughly with narrowed eyes, I inwardly hoped they would say something like that.
But that expectation vanished the moment Medea spoke.
“Ooh—our Geomma, doesn’t he look so handsome all dressed up?”
The twin sisters gave the stylist a big thumbs-up.
“Great job, Hye-shin. A stylist who exclusively takes care of S-rank celebrities really is something else.”
Meain, standing beside her, chipped in.
“Especially the bow tie choice. You truly have an eye for taste.”
“You flatter me.”
The stylist gave a faint smile and feigned modesty. The warm chatter of the women spread across the dressing room. Isolated among them was a man—that was me.
Oh, wonderful.
They were hitting it off so well without me. Made me feel quite left out, jeez.
Tsk. Smacking my lips, something suddenly came to mind that I needed to say.
“Principal, a moment, please.”
My voice cut through their conversation, drawing all eyes to me. Since I had already ruined the mood anyway, I kept speaking.
“Let’s talk in private.”
“Uh, sure.”
At my low tone, she nodded with a reluctant air.
“Then I will step out for a moment to prepare Heavenly Sword-nim’s makeup. Please talk comfortably.”
Sensing that the atmosphere was unusual, the stylist gave a bow and left the dressing room. It seemed she immediately realized she was an outsider. Having dealt with top-tier celebrities, her observational skills were sharp.
“If it’s something for just the two of you, should I step out as well?”
Meain asked with a gentle smile. I shook my head.
“I think Senior should listen too.”
“Mm, okay. But hold on a second.”
Meain walked toward the door. Then, locking it firmly, she quietly recited something.
“She’s casting a Silent spell so our voices won’t leak out.”
Medea explained to me with a subtle expression. My eyes widened.
“I told you before, right? That my sister roamed the Demon Realm for decades.”
“Yes.”
“It’s an acquired unique constitution resulting from that. A tiny amount of magic power accumulated in her body, so she can cast simple magic.”
“Ah…”
“I don’t really like phrasing it this way, but she’s in a state not much different from half-villains. Though there’s a clear difference between her and those who can’t use Blessings.”
Though I didn’t show it, this was quite shocking news. The attributes of Blessings and magic are polar opposites.
They could never coexist in a single bowl. That was common sense or a universal truth. But Medea’s assertion refuted that truth head-on.
So Senior All-Power can cast simple magic along with her Blessing awakening?
I glanced out of the corner of my eye at the dark-colored cotton dress.
Meain Poison.
I knew she was a person full of secrets, but…
Like an onion, no matter how many layers you peel back, something keeps coming out.
Medea continued talking about her sister with sunken eyes.
“But she’s satisfied, thinking she’s blessed. Saying she’s the only human who can use both a Blessing and magic together.”
“Why are you talking like that about me!”
Meain cut in with a soft curve on her lips. Medea sneered and sarcastically replied:
“Geomma and I were just talking smack about you.”
“I heard everything, you know!”
Meain glared sharply at her younger sister with narrow eyes, then turned her gaze to me. Playfulness sparkled in her delighted eyes.
“If you want, I can teach you. I can’t do anything professional, but I can manage simple magic.”
“Pass. I don’t have magic power anyway, so even if I knew, I couldn’t use it.”
“That’s true, too, hehe. Anyway, what were you going to say? It sounded like you were about to talk about something really serious.”
Since it had only been a day since I received Nox’s report, there hadn’t been time to pass along the news.
Furthermore, the Poison twins had been so busy preparing for the Festival of the Seven Champions that neither side had a moment to spare. For these reasons, I was only now informing them of the Villains’ infiltration.
Besides, I had already laid out my own defensive measures.
If word leaked out and the Villains noticed, there was a risk they’d flee like cockroaches.
Taking various things into consideration, with one hour left until the ball, now is the perfect timing.
Still, preparations had been made. Heroes were handpicked from the Association staff to serve as guards. Instructions had also been given to prioritize the safety of the cadets above all else.
Since Medea had handed over a portion of the Academy’s administrative authority to me as a fellow Seven Stars, I had already taken measures at my discretion on behalf of her busy self.
One regrettable thing was that a significant portion of our forces had been compromised on Hawaii Island, leaving our personnel somewhat lacking.
But with me, the Academy Principal, and Senior together, that gap could be more than filled.
As long as it’s not a Corps Commander class.
Thus, this was merely a formal report. In any case, Medea was the Academy Principal, so she needed to know the situation.
I took a breath and was just about to speak again.
Thump, thump, thump!
Someone violently pounded on the dressing room door. Surprised, all three of us snapped our gazes toward it.
“H-Heavenly Sword-nim! Sage-nim, Lady All-Power!”
It was the stylist who had left moments ago. She shouted in a desperate voice. Because the door was locked, she couldn’t enter even if she wanted to.
“E-Enemies! Enemies have appeared—”
With a sharp popping sound, the stylist was unable to finish her sentence.
“……”
The door that had been shaking violently fell dead silent, as if nothing had happened. However, a pool of blood slowly crept into the dressing room through the gap beneath the door.
BANG!
As if by agreement, the three of us kicked off the flagstones.