Chapter 45: The Academy Exchange Meeting: Conclusion (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 45: The Academy Exchange Meeting: Conclusion (2)
“It’s a heartwarming sight.”
Mikellan stood shoulder-to-shoulder with me as he spoke, gazing at the father and daughter of the Nibelung family with tear-brimmed eyes.
The Holy Heroes surrounding the two like an escort carried similar expressions. The cruel wheel of fate had veered slightly off course during its journey, all because magic power that shouldn't exist in the Human Realm had infiltrated it.
How truly ironic.
Because a single cog fell out, the wheel of the universe creaks. Yet humans find satisfaction and warmth within that imperfection. It is a stark reminder of just how imperfect we humans are.
But I think to myself: that is precisely why humanity is beautiful. If we were perfect, complete, and flawless, humans would choose maintenance over progress.
'Even if we creak, we move forward.'
In that sense, I am proud to be human.
Above all, I am certain there is no such thing as "perfection" in this universe. The mob of False Gods boasted about being flawless and absolute, but didn't I wipe them all out in the end?
'Watching my wife reunite with her father is making me overly contemplative.'
My heart was swelling. Perhaps it was because the ripples spreading out in steps beneath my feet had ultimately touched my mindscape as well.
Episode. ■■To■■a
“Truly... it is heartwarming.”
Mikellan muttered the same words again.
He still bore the face of his youth, back when he was human. A halo of light hung from every strand of his hair, making him look like a saint. If anyone saw him, they'd sooner believe he was a god, not me.
“When you spend hundreds of years in a cold body, lingering in a cold place like this, you feel as though your very soul is freezing over.”
Mikellan spoke to me without turning his head.
“How should I put it? It's as if heavy weights are tied to the ankles of your soul, pulling you down to the bottom. I knew I would sink eventually... but to delay that moment as long as possible, I needed to lighten myself. So I cracked silly jokes and lived by constantly reflecting on the memories of when I was human.”
Mikellan's pupils traced back through the past, his eyes moist with vitality.
“When you chew over those memories again and again, Sword Demon, you come to realize something.”
“Acquiring more information is fine, but ruminating on the past from time to time is good too—is that what you're saying?”
“From a cosmic perspective, we humans are merely dust that doesn't even exist for a fleeting instant. Yet during that brief time, we experience and learn so much. It's likely because we are greedy creatures. While such desires make us human, I believe that to preserve one's humanity, one also needs time to immerse oneself in the past, Sword Demon.”
“……”
I turned my head in silence. Mikellan was smiling warmly.
“…You've roughly figured me out, haven't you?”
“There was a blank period between our time as undead and as ghosts. During that time, we experienced the 'afterlife.'”
The afterlife. Naturally, it was a concept that the Miracle Blessing M System hadn't mentioned even once.
I focused more on Mikellan. Nearby, Abel and Orion were sitting comfortably together, sharing an affectionate family conversation.
A quiet warmth bloomed over there just as it did here. The lake and the moss seemed to add vitality to each of our conversations.
We watched the scene for a moment before Mikellan continued.
“That world, which had no specific name, possessed a landscape fairly similar to this place.”
“…The afterlife was in the form of a lake?”
Now that was noteworthy.
My mindscape was also a lake. Perhaps this was a clue regarding the Counterforce, a hint to glimpse what lay beyond the truth.
“Without a doubt.”
Mikellan nodded, a clear glitter in his eyes.
“The only difference was that the lake was made not of ordinary water, but of mirrors. Through those mirrors, we could observe not just the Human Realm, but the entire universe in detail. And during that time, we happened to witness your fierce battle against those deep-sea creature-like entities, Sword Demon.”
“……”
“It was truly magnificent! How could a human achieve such feats? Not only I, but Lord Orion in particular was practically jumping for joy.”
“Ah.”
Unintentionally, I turned my head and locked eyes with Orion. My father-in-law gave me a gentle smile before resuming his chat with Abel.
It wasn't something to be embarrassed about. I should be proud. It was just awkward having praise heaped on me right to my face—especially in front of my father-in-law.
I covered my mouth with a fist and let out a dry cough. Clearing my throat, I adopted a playfully nagging tone with Mikellan.
“So you knew all along and just played dumb, old man.”
“Hahaha! My apologies. We didn't mean to pry, but I suppose I unintentionally touched a nerve.”
“Well…”
Better to just confess honestly.
“…No, it's fine. I'm just being narrow-minded. I'm sorry, old man. I'm really glad to see you, and I appreciate the praise, but I got a bit twisted up.”
“It is precisely that slightly twisted side that allows the Sword Demon to remain who he is. Perhaps that very flaw serves as the anchor keeping the human named 'Kang Geomma' grounded in his humanity.”
“Keep talking like that and I'll wear down.”
Mikellan let out a hearty laugh.
“It wouldn't hurt for you to wear down a little! Your sharp edges are your charm, but accepting praise gracefully makes the other person happy too. Just an old man's unsolicited advice.”
“Fair enough.”
I rubbed the back of my neck.
'Mikellan... this guy always tried to see people for who they really were, even back when he was an undead.'
He focused on a person's strengths rather than their jagged edges. In that sense, Mikellan might truly be a wise man. Strangely enough, chatting with him made me feel as though the heavy lead weights dragging down my own ankles had lightened.
'Thoroughly digest the past, and accept yourself for who you are.'
I etched those two lessons deep behind my eye sockets.
While my mind wandered for a moment, the colors of Mikellan, Orion, and the other Holy Heroes began to fade.
“It seems our time is up.”
Mikellan held out his palms and looked at them.
“…Is there a time limit?”
“Yes, so it seems. If it were just me with my high mobility, perhaps it would be different, but the Human Realm lacks the abundant magic power required to hold all these people in the living world. Besides, parting ways is what leaves a lingering sweet regret and makes moments like this beautiful.”
“……”
Mikellan and the Holy Heroes gradually grew faint. Yet, conversely, the smiles on their lips grew brighter.
Abel's lips parted in reluctant hesitation. Her hand, extended toward Orion, trembled slightly before she clenched it into a tight fist.
“Father. I'm going back now.”
“Abel.”
Rising from her seat, Abel turned her back to Orion. As she stepped toward me, Skoll and Hati trotted along at her heels.
Only then did Mikellan quietly smile and step forward. The two passed each other halfway.
“Thank you, old man.”
“No, thank you, my lady.”
The living to the realm of the living, and the dead to the realm of the dead. Each returned to where they belonged.
Across an invisible boundary, the Holy Heroes bowed deeply to us repeatedly. Having heard the truth from Mikellan, I understood why they acted so respectfully. They knew I was the God of Sword.
“Brief though it was, it was a pleasure.”
And yet.
In my eyes, the Holy Heroes looked far larger than me. Even though our eye levels were nearly equal, they felt like giants.
Once, my boss had quoted a famous figure—mostly to sound profound:
— If you can see further in the future, it is because you are standing on the shoulders of giants.
Here, "giants" referred to those who laid the groundwork beforehand. Even if I appeared as a transcendent being in their eyes, to me, they were holy, heroic figures.
“…It might be shameless of me to ask, but please continue to watch over us.”
At my offhand request, the Holy Heroes, led by Orion, smiled and agreed.
“We will always be with you.”
The giants would protect me, and this world.
Fwooooosh.
A fierce wind surged down from the ceiling. We closed our eyes against the bitterly cold snowstorm.
When we opened them, the mercilessly icy wind had already expelled us back to reality. Instead of a lake beneath our feet, there was a field of snow. As if we had never left, we stood in front of the main gate, heads bowed in silent prayer.
“…Talk about spooky.”
Just as a faint sense of floating washed over us, Skoll and Hati tugged at the hem of our trousers, as if telling us to wake up from the dream.
The two of us looked down at the affectionate pair before raising our heads to meet each other's eyes. Abel gave a soft smile.
“Shall we go?”
I smiled and nodded.
“Let's go.”
The moment the words left my mouth, Skoll and Hati rapidly expanded in size. Carrying us, the wolves sprinted across the snowfield as if folding space itself beneath their paws. Though the cold stung my cheeks, my chest felt warm.
* * *
A day passed. Which meant there was only one single day left until the final event.
By that point, everyone—including myself—was starting to sweat bullets. This final match would decide the joy and despair of each academy in the Exchange Meeting.
One side would cheer, while the other's atmosphere would sink to the bottom.
'If... by some bizarre twist of fate, we lose...'
Since I had recklessly run my mouth at the conference, the stench of defeat would be several times thicker for us than for Parsi.
Not only that, but since it was the finale, prominent figures from around the world had been invited. To say nothing of all the Old Seven Star Heroes, even America's top hero agencies were attending in full force. The seating at the Parsi Arena, which normally seemed bottomless, might actually prove insufficient.
So, what was the event that would cap off this historic, first-ever Academy Exchange Meeting?
I didn't know.
'I thought about squeezing Weapon for info, but...'
Vice Association President Seong seemed determined to nip that in the bud and locked Speed Weapon away somewhere. Damn it, that old guy moved faster than me.
'Sashimi Faster Than Words disqualified.'
...Well, considering I was openly planning to cheat, the old man was having a tough time too.
What could I do? I wasn't some picture-perfect, honorable hero like Leon. Besides, Uncle Mikellan said it himself: accept who you are and maintain your identity.
— That's not what I meant at all!
I brushed away the sudden echo ringing in my head.
'Not knowing the event...'
Maybe because I had been abusing my possessor privilege to monopolize information, the uncertainty made me even more anxious. I trusted Victoria.
'It's Chae Lina I don't trust.'
Chae Lina, who had that incident with me. She was suspicious. Aside from the Exchange Meeting itself, was she plotting some foul scheme?
Still, I couldn't just draw a blade on her and demand answers. There were too many eyes around, and what Yoo Se-in had said kept flickering in my mind.
Yoo Se-in didn't view Chae Lina as an enemy. If she felt that way, there had to be a reason. Gamer shut-in or not, Yoo Se-in was a Saintess—essentially an upgraded shaman.
'For now, I'll keep quiet about Chae Lina.'
But other things remained stuck in my throat like chicken bones. For instance, those scum hiding all over Parsi Academy. Even if they lost to Joaquin, they'd pull a "lost but fought well" card to line their pockets; and if by some chance they won, they'd go all out to humiliate us.
If they won fairly, I wouldn't say anything... well, maybe just a little.
'It's just that those rotten bastards would never play fair.'
Corrupt nobles and I were natural enemies. Just listing out our history showed a bad matchup unlike any other.
Extremes attract, or so they say. Their intentions were crystal clear to me.
“If I just had a solid lead...”
I could start by doing some "cleaning" before the grand finale. Win or lose, if there was a nasty aftertaste, it would tarnish the whole point of the Exchange Meeting.
As I leaned my back against the railing, deep in thought, the uniquely sharp sensory pulse of the Auditore family pricked my mental net.
“…Nox.”
I called out the owner of the presence with a sigh.
“The door's unlocked. Why do you always sneak onto the balcony like a thief?”
On the balcony, a shadow squirmed in the blind spot of the light before standing upright.
“It's fundamental for an assassin.”
“Inflexible fool.”
“Heavenly Sword, I could say the same of you.”
“Oh? Talking back to your elder brother, are you?”
“…Strictly speaking, I am a year older than you.”
Ah, right.
I neatly ignored Nox's last remark.
“So, what's up?”
“I secured the list of Parsi's vermin.”
My ears perked up.
“…Vermin, you say?”
My heart pounded.
“The names of those planning to commit fraud in the final match. Chloe secured it. They refer to themselves as 'Shareholders.' As for how she obtained it, explaining right now is a bit...”
“Lead the way.”
“What?”
I stepped onto the balcony railing.
“Time to have a little 'chat' with the vermin—no, the Shareholders.”
When you're feeling restless, nothing beats a little blade work.