Chapter 88: Abyss (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 88: Abyss (1)
I considered taking matters into my own hands using force, but Ryozo stopped me. She asked if someone who had just been discharged should really be drawing a blade. Glaring at me with sharp, fierce eyes, she made me step back and yield to public authority.
Taking a moment to think it through, that path was truly a road to hell for the Prime Minister. As expected, Ryozo was a hundred percent right. Rather than getting on her bad side, it would be far better to beg for death.
Episode. Abyss
Judging by his demeanor, the Prime Minister wasn't an actual villain. If he were, Choi Seol-ah would have noticed long before the matter ever reached me.
"The Prime Minister is likely just a middleman. Middlemen usually need to maintain a gray area, so I figured he wouldn't be a villain himself."
Ryozo explained to me as she watched the side profile of the Prime Minister being put in handcuffs.
"Connecting the military facilities to the villain cells was actually just an educated guess. What mattered was finding the person with the strongest motive among those capable of mobilizing military forces. That was the real key."
The Prime Minister was immensely popular with the public. After all, he was a member of the Do You Know Club. His political standing was rock-solid. Anyone from Earth looking at this setup would probably find it strange.
On Earth, the president is undeniably the top leader. But this world operates on Miracle Blessing M. Here, the president and the prime minister hold each other in check—a split executive branch. To an Earthling, it was a somewhat bizarre power dynamic. I didn't know all the complex details, but it was likely due to the unique existence of 'Heroes' in this world. While the president is elected by the people, the prime minister is strongly perceived as being chosen by the heroes and nobles.
That Prime Minister was a special case. Someone who held favor with the nobility while also being liked by the general public was rare. If I had personally detained a man like that, it would have sparked massive backlash. Doing it for personal reasons on top of that? Oh shit, indeed.
Before stepping into the police car, the Prime Minister stole a glance back at me. In his trembling eyes, I could read a cocktail of dark emotions: terror, utter despair.
"He won't really be living anymore," Ryozo said, her eyes devoid of emotion. "I've already finalized arrangements with the Minister to publish the evidence-gathering process in real time. He'll suffer a living hell at that stage first. Second, he'll be plagued by constant terror, never knowing when the Villain Syndicate will come to end him."
Yeah. Exactly as she said.
"I think anxiety is the true opposite of expectation. Just as the anticipation before a climax is more heart-pounding than the resolution itself, I believe death works the same way."
"..."
"Suffering from the terror of never knowing when you'll die—that's the absolute worst punishment we can inflict on him."
Ryozo carefully gauged my reaction.
"...You might think the retribution is too harsh, or that it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. But considering recent public opinion, this is the best way."
"I know. Thank you for always being so thoughtful."
At my smile, a faint warmth returned to Ryozo's expression. Keeping a smile on my lips, I shifted my eyes away.
Hmm.
Watching the Prime Minister's departing back, a quiet sigh escaped me. It definitely wasn't because a member was being ousted from the Do You Know Club...
Actually, yes, it hurt. To think that a man who had elevated Korea's global standing was secretly a traitor to the country. Far from feeling enraged by the betrayal, I just felt hollow.
"Well then, we shall transfer him now," reported the Minister of Strategy and Finance, grinning foolishly. With his narrow eyes and mustache, he had a face that looked completely untrustworthy.
"Yes. Please handle it well. It couldn't have been an easy decision, but thanks to you, Minister."
"Heheh. Thank you."
The group of law enforcement officers moved off down the road. We watched the taillights shimmering red and blue. Seeing this, passersby within the academy began to buzz with rumors. But as if even that had been anticipated, secretaries from the Academy Principal's office immediately stepped in to quiet the commotion. Just how far ahead did Ryozo calculate all this?
A short while later, just as the lingering excitement began to settle softly, Ryozo spoke up again.
"He looks like a treacherous snake at first glance, right? But what's funny is that the Minister of Strategy and Finance asked me for absolutely nothing in return."
"Giving him the justification to drag the Prime Minister down was probably the greatest gift you could give him."
"...!"
Ryozo whipped her head around in surprise.
"Did you study politics while you were hospitalized?"
"Not really. Just... 'a dog at a village school recites poetry after three years,' as they say. Being by your side, I've learned a thing or two."
"Mmm. I feel happy, but at the same time, not entirely pleased?"
"What's there not to be pleased about?"
Ryozo linked her arm tightly through mine. It was lucky the onlookers had dispersed, as it was quite an intense display of affection for broad daylight.
She clung close to me for a moment, then opened her lips to murmur softly.
"Just... I wanted to be helpful to you in some way, Geomma. But if you can handle even things like this all on your own, it feels like my purpose is fading..."
"Ryozo."
I gently pulled her off and gripped her shoulders. Her upper body was trembling faintly. The tension traveled up my hands, reaching straight to my heart.
"I don't like you or Abel because you have 'value.' I like you simply because I like you. That's all there is to it. You don't ever need to prove your worth to me."
I knew Ryozo's past.
She had grown up tested daily by her father, the Archery Saint Saki Kojima. She had to constantly prove her worth just to survive. That was why she had been forcibly separated from Cynthia of God.
"The day we went to the Buffalo Dungeon, you told me you hated the Seven Star Heroes."
"Mm."
"I'm not like your father."
"..."
Ryozo stared up at me blankly, then buried herself into my arms. She rubbed her face against my chest before slowly pulling back.
"...Still, I want you to rely on me—no, on us—a little more."
She made her request. I nodded.
"I will."
"Just in words?"
"Umm."
As we talked, we walked toward our next destination. Ryozo had a mountain of work to do, and I had my own tasks. Now that I was discharged, I had to show my face at the graduate school, if only out of formality. And see Choi Seol-ah while I was at it. Haha!
"How are you going to rely on us?!" Ryozo pressed, puffing out her cheeks.
Scratching near my eyebrow, I replied, "Then teach me how to play chess."
It was just something I blurted out, but I did want to try it. It looked fun. However, Ryozo trailed off with a troubled look.
"To be honest... I don't know how to play chess."
"What...?"
Then what was that earlier?
"I pulled up all the past games the Prime Minister played back in his prime and analyzed them in my spare time. He'd played about 1,300 games, you see? Still, it only took me about a second per page, so it didn't take long. Looking through those, a pattern roughly emerges."
"You beat the Prime Minister on patterns alone? Without even knowing the rules?"
I was rendered speechless. I couldn't even think of a proper analogy. Isn't that like solving an advanced math problem just by looking at shapes, without even knowing basic addition or subtraction?
"Finding answers from past data is my specialty, after all."
"That's way beyond expert level..."
"If you ever face an obstacle that seems impossible to overcome, come consult me anytime. As long as there's past data, I'll find the right answer for you."
"Even if the number of variables is absurd?"
"Yes."
Ryozo nodded her chin confidently.
"Even if it approaches infinity. If it's for you."
* * *
Joaquin Academy, 1st Year.
After the Golden Generation—a crucible of geniuses that came along once every two centuries—the 1st-year class had remained quiet. But now, a new cadet had caused a massive stir.
No need to even mention who. It was Chae Lina, publicly announced to be the cousin of the Heavenly Sword, Kang Geomma.
The reason she didn't bear the striking surname 'Kang' was because she took after her mother's side. Furthermore, her looks seemed to have come entirely from her mother's side as well.
Chae Lina possessed an appearance that seemed to concentrate every single element of 'beauty' in existence. While Kang Geomma was quite handsome himself, his sharp eyes docked his score slightly.
She was a female cadet of outstanding, flawless beauty, with pitch-black hair, dark eyes, and a blemish-free complexion. On top of that, her skill was overwhelming.
True to her family line, she primarily dual-wielded swords. Her swordsmanship was so impressive that rumors circulated among the instructors calling her the second coming of the Sword Princess, Abel.
Chae Lina was naturally a topic of intense interest for cadets and faculty alike.
"Ah, damn it."
A male cadet jiggled his leg anxiously, his gaze glued to Chae Lina. Seeing him so nervous, his friends chuckled.
"Dude, you're gonna cause an earthquake at this rate. Why don't you shake all the way down from your core?"
"Hurry up and go confess so you can get rejected. What if our pretty Lina's face wears out from you staring so much?"
"Shut up!"
Exasperated, the male cadet bit his nails.
"You think I want to be like this? It's because people are confessing to Lina literally every hour... I'm going crazy too."
"Every hour? Ever since the Parsi Exchange Meeting, it's been practically every minute. And Jaewu, you're just scared of losing, so you won't even try."
"You gonna keep picking at me?"
Friend B smirked.
"Then go for it like a true hero. I just feel bad watching a guy aspiring to be a hero shaking his leg out of fear that Lina might suddenly get a boyfriend."
"Exactly. Hey, be careful. Shake too much and another thing might fall off. You need to be a man if you want to confess to Lina, after all."
Friend B chimed in on C's comment.
"Why? There are girls who confess to Lina every now and then."
"Yeah, but they're not interested in Lina herself—they just want to meet Lord Heavenly Sword through her."
"That's what I'm saying."
The banter must have gotten on his nerves, or perhaps male cadet A was trying to redirect the focus of his anxiety. He suddenly complained aloud.
"Honestly, Lord Heavenly Sword is cool even to another guy, right? He's awesome, but... it's a bit much how openly anti-noble he is. Is it just me?"
"Yeah. Just you."
"...No, think about it again... Huh?"
Huh? A female voice?
A turned his head so fast it left an afterimage. Thick, lustrous hair reached down to her collarbones. Perhaps because it was pitch black, it shone so translucently that one could almost see their reflection in it.
Did she teleport? Chae Lina, having approached like a ghost, looked down at A, B, and C as if viewing the most insignificant creatures in the world.
"It's just you who thinks that."
"Th-Th... Li-Li-Lina! Argh!"
Tears welled up in his eyes. While stammering, he had bitten his tongue.
"This world is filled with arrogant people. People who don't know gratitude when they receive help. People who care about nothing but their own pride."
"Lina..."
"That's why I hate this world."
"Th-That's not it..."
Slap! Eyes converged on the sound. Chae Lina stood with her hand raised, and A's head was jerked far to the side. A slap. Funny enough, in this world where violence was commonplace, a slap was just a light touch. If someone had a real problem with it, they could simply initiate a Subspace Sparring to settle it.
Everyone was merely slightly surprised; it wasn't shocking enough to make their jaws drop.
"Because I hate this world, I'm going to turn it into hell."
Chae Lina turned on her heel, whipping up a cold breeze behind her. As she walked away, she chewed over her resolve.
"Since I... already turned it into hell once... this time..."
Ignoring the gazes piercing her skin, Chae Lina exited the classroom. The male cadet touched his cheek with a bewildered expression. B and C rushed over to him.
"Hey, man. You okay?"
Friend B glared toward the door for no real reason.
"Whoa. Her temper is no joke. As expected of someone with that bloodline. Man, just shake it off. Is Chae Lina the only girl in the world?"
"Well, she is the only girl that pretty..."
"Damn it, I'm trying to comfort you! Shut up!"
While B and C bickered, only A maintained a completely hollow look in his eyes.
"...It feels great."
"Whoa, this guy is relentless."
"N-No. I mean..."
Did they mishear? Not 'Lina feels great,' but 'it feels great'?
"It feels great... My chest feels burning hot."
"..."
"..."
B, C, and the rest of the Star Class slowly backed away from A, treating him as if he had caught a contagious plague.
Whether aware of it or not, A was lost in his own world as he mumbled softly.
"...Hell."
Did he hallucinate because he was so infatuated? When he was slapped, his vision had reeled for a second, and in that moment, he felt as though he had witnessed the hell she spoke of.
Through the crack of a door, he had seen a boy who looked about middle school age getting beaten up.