Chapter 300: Epilogue (END)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 300: Epilogue (END)
Sky-blue hair was spread across a desk piled high with paperwork. In the office, where dead silence hung, only the soft sound of quiet breathing echoed.
Clack.
A clinking sound pulled Ryozo from her deep sleep. She snapped her head up, her vision filled with pure white.
"……?"
Before she could even wonder what was going on, Ryozo let out a long sigh. Her breath fluttered the piece of paper stuck to her forehead. Peeling it away revealed a steaming cup of warm coffee and a delicate, white hand.
"Principal..."
"Oh dear, did I wake you?"
Medea wore an innocent smile at the corners of her mouth. Ryozo gave her a tart glare before pressing the coffee cup to her lips.
"I don't think someone who went out of their way to bring me coffee to wake me up gets to say that."
"Haha, my apologies. But you know how things are right now. Bear with me just a little longer—'Next' Principal, Saki Ryozo."
Ryozo quietly set her coffee cup down. She idly rubbed her thumb against the lip of the cup where her lipstick had left a mark.
"I don't want to overwork my pupil like this either, but please endure it just until the handover is complete. The succession ceremony is right around the corner, isn't it?"
"Yes, well..."
"Still, Ryozo, because it's you, you managed to master everything in a month. In my case, the handover alone took half a year."
"...Why am I getting in one month what took you half a year, Principal?"
Ryozo spoke as if aggrieved.
"The smarter you are, the harder your body works!"
"Isn't it usually the other way around?"
"Whatever I say goes~"
Medea offered a sweet smile and leaned back deeply into the sofa. Though the leather was stained and peeling, the cushioning was still intact.
Only one week left for me to sit on this sofa.
Medea stared at the quiet ceiling before closing her eyes.
Seven years since that day.
Seven years had passed since the day humanity and demons fought with their very survival on the line—a day when this world might have vanished entirely.
Back then, I truly thought the world was ending.
Memories of the past flickered beneath her eyelids.
That day. Innumerable casualties occurred. To say nothing of the heroes who fought, the civilian casualties were catastrophic. Medea knitted her brows while keeping her eyes closed. She had personally estimated and compiled the casualty lists. Every time she wrote down a single character, tears and nausea welled up, yet she forced herself to record every name.
It wasn't just the casualties. Joaquin Academy was on the verge of collapsing, too.
In the immediate aftermath of the war, the academy grounds were turned to ashes in every direction. Even though the estate was the size of a small city, roughly two-thirds of it was literally erased. The surviving buildings weren't in any better condition.
Back then, it was truly...
Just thinking about it choked her up. She was the Principal. And during her tenure, the academy came close to sinking into ruin. Guilt weighed heavily on her shoulders.
Everything was despair.
Medea smiled bitterly. Then, at a clinking sound, she opened her eyes slightly. A sweet aroma tickled the tip of her nose.
"The one who needs to drink coffee isn't me, Principal, but you."
Ryozo, who had seated herself opposite her before she realized it, was brewing coffee. She dropped three sugar cubes into it with a plop-plop and stirred with a teaspoon.
"You like yours sweet, don't you?"
Ryozo swirled the teaspoon in her mouth to taste it before pushing the cup forward. It had been a month since she began receiving handovers from Medea. Counting her time as a student, they had known each other for eight years. They were at a point where they shared not only taste preferences but intimate family affairs.
Medea looked back and forth between the mug and Ryozo's face. When she first met her, Ryozo oozed youthful greenness, but now she had grown into a respectable lady. Even among her peers, Ryozo was exceptionally mature.
After Kojima died, she was the one who effectively handled the administration of the Saki family.
As if foreseeing his death, the Archery Saint had written a will in advance, designating his eldest daughter, Saki Hina, as the next head of the family.
However, inheriting the Saki family carried a meaning vastly different from taking over a mere noble house. It was no different from shouldering an entire nation, Japan. It would have been too overwhelming for Hina alone.
So Ryozo helped her elder sister. Ryozo took charge of, handled, and reviewed the actual administration. Medea didn't know what caused that change of heart. The Archery Saint's death likely contributed to it. Medea simply guessed as much without asking.
No matter how I look at it, she's an extraordinary child.
Ryozo was a genius second to none, and she preserved the prosperity of the Saki family and, by extension, her motherland. After finishing the work, she handed over full authority to Saki Hina without lingering regrets. Though she could have swallowed the family if she had set her mind to it, she never abused her power.
Medea, who held that quality in high regard, offered Ryozo the position of the next Principal. She picked Ryozo as the new Principal who would rebuild the academy and bring a wave of reform.
Ryozo flatly refused the offer at first. She didn't want to get involved in such matters anymore. She was busy preparing for her marriage.
I begged her so endlessly.
Medea was persistent. After spending two days and nights prostrating herself in repentance (though she herself had forgotten that part), she finally won Ryozo's consent. Since people knew how competent Ryozo was, few objected. Of course, some grumbled that twenty-five was too young, but when that person offered his support, the voices of dissatisfaction melted away like snow.
When 'he' steps up to support her, who could possibly object? Meeting his eyes alone would make anyone wet themselves.
Medea smiled, keeping her gaze lowered onto her coffee cup. Her smile was reflected in the cinnamon-colored liquid.
"Ah, right. How are things with Abel? You're living under the same roof, aren't you?"
At the mischievous question, Ryozo's eyebrows twitched slightly. She feigned composure with a dry cough.
"It's a little unfamiliar, but we're getting along decently enough."
Five years ago, South Korea, a nation of Eastern etiquette, made a bold decision: legalizing bigamy. It was one of the measures to tackle the population decline caused by the Human-Demon War.
"Oho~ Is this the dignity of the senior wife?!"
Medea giggled with the coffee cup pressed against her lips.
"If you're going to tease me, I won't accept the Principal position."
"I apologize."
Medea bowed her head. Having spent a month doing dogeza, her motion was smooth as flowing water. Her forehead was hard and sleek.
"May I ask just one more thing, Lady Ryozo?"
Knowing Medea's nature, she couldn't resist her curiosity. From Ryozo's perspective, that morbid curiosity looked like nothing more than old-age greed for gossip.
...Still, what choice did she have?
"Ask away. It's not like you'll let me go home if I don't answer."
Ryozo raised an index finger warningly.
"Just one, though. If you break your word, I swear I'm really going to..."
"Of course, of course, ehehe."
Medea slurped the entire cup dry. Licking the remaining coffee from her lips with her tongue, she opened her mouth again.
"So, um... when there are two wives, how do you handle the bedrooms...?"
Ryozo's eyes chilled instantly. They looked like a sky choked with dark rainclouds.
"Odd days are mine, even days are Abel's. Satisfied?"
Ryozo stood up abruptly and strode out of the office. SLAM! The sound of the door shutting echoed loudly.
"Hmm."
Medea crossed her legs and pondered. She calculated whether odd days or even days occurred more often.
Come to think of it... Ryozo and Abel split it fifty-fifty, but for him, it's every single day.
A sudden chill ran down her spine. Shivering, she wrapped her arms around herself. It was the beginning of summer. The time of dusk was pushed back, a season when plants absorbed nutrients late into the evening.
* * *
Click, clack.
Ryozo's brisk footsteps trod along the paved street. The sidewalk blocks had been laid not long ago; there wasn't even a single weed sprouting through the gaps between them.
Bzzzz.
Her pocket vibrated. Ryozo pulled out her cell phone. The group chat of the Travel Club was lively for the first time in a long while.
[Weapon: Ryozo, off work yet? When are you coming? If the sashimi spoils because of you, are you gonna take responsibility?]
The one opening the group chat was always Speed Weapon. He was currently working at the Association. He was working his fingers to the bone under Spear Saint, who became the Association President after Victor Poison retired. Still, his brain hadn't gone anywhere; he was known as a promising young man within the Association. Vice Association President Seong (former Director Seong) was his direct superior.
[Rachel: (Photo of drinking beer.)]
Meanwhile, Spear Saint's niece had joined Lancelot Company, where All Mute was stationed. Rachel's job satisfaction was at an all-time high. The company's free-spirited culture suited her energetic personality perfectly.
[San Hana: Oh dear, I'm the only one who can't make it today... (ㅜ△ㅜ). Enjoy my share as well~]
She tried imitating someone in her twenties, but age was hard to hide. Meain Poison. As the former Principal who would soon become the principal before last, she was currently in charge of overseeing Gehenna in the Demon Realm. No one knew the place better than she did.
In addition, Meain was secretly helping Leon and Metatron live in seclusion. Normally, Leon should have been locked away in a dungeon. However, his final heroics were taken as mitigating circumstances, resulting in a compromise: exile to Gehenna. Here too, "his" influence played a big part. This was classified information known only to those in the loop.
[Hontail: U-Um...]
Humanity and demons declared an end to the war. Not a truce, but a full termination of the war. Firing another shot would have meant mutual destruction. However, the rift between the two factions ran deep. If possible, they would have established smooth relations long ago.
[Hontail: I can't hold back anymore!!!]
[Weapon: (Photo of Hontail inhaling sashimi.)]
[Weapon: Looks like an entire lake's worth of fish will vanish today.]
A bridge was needed between the two, and the Dragon Clan volunteered for the role. They were a deeply rooted neutral faction and hadn't participated in the Human-Demon War, giving them ample justification. Hontail, as an envoy representing them, was still freeloading in the human world—specifically at Choi Seol-ah's place.
"They sure gathered quickly."
Ryozo chuckled softly and slipped her phone back into her pocket. The setting sun behind the stone building next to the soaring main hall washed Joaquin Academy in shades of pink and crimson.
Suddenly, she looked to her side. A memorial monument engraved with the names of fallen warriors killed in action. Ryozo's eyes lingered on a single spot for a long while.
「Archery Saint, Saki Kojima. 1973. 02. 23. ~ 2035. 01. 27.」
Instead of the provided chrysanthemums, Ryozo plucked a wild chrysanthemum from the lawn and tossed it lightly in front of the memorial stone. Then, with an indifferent expression, she continued on her way.
Korean Sushi was bustling and noisy. It was packed with familiar faces. The Sword Emperor, the Spear Saint, the Iron Leg, All Mute, Vice Association President Seong. Everyone was there except those who couldn't make it due to work.
"Oh, you're here?"
The first to greet Ryozo was Abel. She held a tray in her arms, serving customers.
"Look who's here, the next Principal!"
Following her, the others also spotted Ryozo and called out welcoming remarks one by one. Everyone was already pleasantly tipsy.
Nox and Chloe were busily gutting fish behind a counter across from them. Behind the siblings, various awards and trophies were on display. The Auditore siblings were well-known blade masters in the culinary world. It was thanks to learning under a "good boss."
"Where are the kids?"
Ryozo asked, hanging her coat on a rack. Abel gestured with her chin.
"In the room."
"How much did they eat?"
"Probably two million won's worth? Most of it went down Hon's mouth, though."
"Good grief. Put it on the tab. Two million won is crossing the line."
"Of course. Since it's come to this, should we bring out the expensive liquor and gouge them?"
"Deal."
Trivial chatter bounced back and forth between the mistresses of Korean Sushi. Their tones weren't overly soft, but neither did they carry an edge. Though awkward, they were two women wed to the same husband. Hating each other would only leave wounds.
Thump, thump.
Someone walked down the stairs. The sound stopped, and all eyes gathered in one direction. The alumni who had been drinking heavily in the room opened the door and turned to look at the same spot.
"Did you sleep well?"
Ryozo smiled. Kang Geomma yawned lazily and nodded.
"You should've woken me if you arrived. The soundproofing upstairs is so good I didn't even know everyone was here."
"You were sleeping so soundly that someone could have carried you off without you knowing. So fix your sleep schedule. What's the point of taking a rare vacation if you're going to ruin your health?"
Abel nagged. Kang Geomma scratched his cheek awkwardly.
Ring-ring!
Vice Association President Seong's phone rang. He only answered after politely excusing himself from the stellar array of heroes.
"What?!"
In an instant, Vice Association President Seong's face turned deathly pale. His urgent gaze slid toward Kang Geomma.
"What happened?"
"It seems... a clash broke out between the standing army near the Gate and the demons in camp. Right now it's just raised voices, but if left unattended, the situation could escalate..."
Vice Association President Seong's prosthetic hand covered his phone screen. This cautious nature was precisely why he held that position.
Kang Geomma nodded.
"I'll go handle it."
Vice Association President Seong opened his mouth to object, then fell silent. If that man stepped up, the situation would be resolved perfectly. He was the sole figure capable of commanding respect from both humanity and demons.
Kang Geomma walked past everyone toward the door. Then, with an "oh right" expression, he turned around abruptly.
"You forgot these, didn't you?"
Ryozo held out two sashimi knives. They were her husband's alter egos.
"Today is July 7th. Your birthday."
"That's why everyone gathered."
"It's an odd day, too."
Kang Geomma wrapped his hand around both Ryozo's hand and the knife hilts.
"I'll be back."
-Fin-