Chapter 91: The Abyss (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 91: The Abyss (4)
On the screen, figures of national-power rank were stirring nervously. Even though they couldn't possibly see one another, they darted their eyes around pointlessly.
'At this rate, they look like they're about to nudge each other with their elbows, whispering, "You say something..."'
What were they, elementary school students? The more people are steeped in power and glory, the stiffer their brains get, making them surprisingly childish.
Boss, I don't mean you.
Anyway, it was what it was.
The silence that settled over the room showed no sign of leaving.
Even excluding us, there were thirty-two of them.
Yet not a single person uttered a word.
—...
—...
I was getting annoyed. I put a bit of edge into my voice.
"How long are you just going to roll your eyes around? Do you really want to be wiped off the map entirely?"
Just a joke. I'm not that unreasonable, am I?
"..."!
Tsk, spineless cowards, every single one of them.
After a brief pause, their gazes began to converge. Did they rehearse this beforehand? How did they even know where they were positioned on the screen?
At any rate, all attention naturally gathered at the very center: the President of the United States. He was, after all, the party who had dared to slam Al'tair Auditore with something resembling an ultimatum.
—Heavenly Sword...
He squeezed out the words with great effort.
—...What you just said is somewhat problematic.
Or so he tried to say, before catching his breath with a sharp gasp. Building up his abdominal pressure, he controlled his breathing and opened his eyes wide.
However, due to the constant crackle of static, his facial features kept jumping around erratically.
—No matter how prominent a shadow family may be, they cannot transcend international law. Therefore—
I dismissed him coldly.
"Watch what you say, even if your face is warped on screen. The Auditore family isn't officially a shadow family—it's a House of Order. And when the situation demands it, the law can be transcended as much as necessary."
—Not unconditionally. Auditore's extrajudicial authority is recognized only when the charges against the target are clear.
"The charges will be revealed soon. It's just taking a bit of time because Auditore is going through the verification process."
—We are taking issue with the fact that this verification is happening after the fact, Heavenly Sword. Defendant Chloe Auditore...
"Defendant?"
—...
Bzzzt.
Static spread dynamically across his face. Dozens of expression changes flickered past in an instant.
—...The government institutions raided by Chloe Auditore da Sicilia already exceed fifty. And in just a single week, no less. This is considered an explicit act of aggression.
Perhaps because the current US President was young, he had quite a backbone. His predecessors usually stepped down long before their terms were over.
'Due to "health issues."'
Pushed around between nobles and heroes, they lived with chronic ailments. Then, the day a major red flag popped up regarding their health, they resigned on their own two feet.
That was why, in the previous presidential election, the public made a conscious effort to vote for someone with unyielding integrity. That was the man with the cinnamon-toned skin on screen right now.
—Furthermore, in current society, there are only two organizations capable of exercising extrajudicial power: Auditore, and one other.
The President seemed to catch the momentum. Riding the wave, he pressed on.
—To dispel this international controversy, at least both organizations must come to an agreement. But has such a thing ever happened in history?
The President spoke boastfully. Only then did the faces of the other heads of state brighten up.
History and experience provided the strongest logical backing of all. Something that had never happened for centuries rarely occurred overnight. In fact, it almost never happened.
But there was a fact they were overlooking.
'That I...'
'...am the very person who broke down that impossibly thick wall called history.'
Tap.
I took a step forward. The sound of my footfall echoed. For a moment, the heads of state turned solemn and attentive.
"So what you're saying is, if the 'other entity with extrajudicial authority besides Auditore' approves, you won't make an issue of this for the time being."
—...Until the verification of the materials is complete, that is...
"Don't quibble over details. Be clear."
—Yes...
"Alright then."
I lifted the foot I had stepped forward with.
They couldn't see it, nor could they possibly know: the red thread I was pressing down with the tip of my foot. That this was the Blessing of Transfer. And to where this video conference was being transmitted in real-time.
—I concur.
In that instant, the heavy, resounding voice threw the heads of state into confusion. At first, they looked toward us, but soon their eyes turned toward themselves—once again, right at the center.
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A new screen had intruded unnoticed. The split screen, previously divided into 32 tiles, had quietly changed to 33.
—S-Security, how did...?!
—Isn't this an OECD Private Server?!
The speaker who suddenly claimed the center of the grid expanded rapidly in size. He instantly pushed aside not only the US President but everyone around him in all directions.
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A middle-aged man sat comfortably occupying the screen. Though currently engrossed in chopping firewood at a log cabin, in truth, he was a ruler who stood above the law.
—We...
He proclaimed to the thirty-two nations:
—The Imperial Family shares the same will as the Heavenly Sword.
On screen, he flashed a smile toward me.
* * *
Do you remember Garyeon, the Royal Steward, and her abilities?
Just as she clung to Kang Geomma like a bat, Garyeon's hearing was practically bat-like. Which is to say, insanely good. On top of that, she possessed the Blessing of Telepathic Transmission.
Still, even she couldn't cross international borders. That was obvious. Crossing whole continents, in particular, was an impossible realm unless one possessed the Divine Blessing of Telepathic Transmission.
That is, if she had been alone.
On his way to the conference room, Kang Geomma had extended his presence across a vast distance using his Blessing of Transfer.
A distance of a whopping 2,000 kilometers. It was a feat unique to him, made possible only because of his Divine Blessing of Transfer.
In any case, Garyeon detected the Heavenly Sword through her unique sensory abilities. Taking his signal, she reported to the Emperor. (Though along the way she almost got caught colluding with the Heavenly Sword by the Emperor himself, she handled it well... right?)
Thanks to this fantastic collaboration between Transfer and Telepathic Transmission, the Emperor was able to make a triumphant intrusion.
'Authority met with authority.'
As expected, the moment the Emperor appeared, the complaints of those politicians subsided. Between the US President's previous commitment and the fact that no politician dared raise even a slight objection against the Emperor, they had no choice but to shut off their screens without making a peep.
As the screens went black one by one, like teeth falling out of an old man's mouth...
—I shall look forward to it.
With the Emperor's meaningful final remark, the screen cut to black completely. Kang Geomma felt a bit uncomfortable, but quickly wiped the look off his face. He then departed in a hurry—his destination likely being Joaquin Academy.
Flavia stared up at the trailing wake of Kang Geomma as he disappeared with a crash of thunder for quite a while. The shock of the experience just prior refused to let go of her.
"Flavia."
Only when Nox addressed her did she snap back to her senses.
"Ah, yes. I'm sorry."
The mask covering Nox's mouth twitched. He was smiling. Contrary to her expectation, he shook his head.
"I'm not scolding you for being surprised. Most people react that way when they see the Heavenly Sword. It's fine. Be as astonished as you like."
"...I will regain my composure shortly."
"If that is your wish."
Nox let out a sigh as if relieved of a burden. Flavia parted her lips hesitantly before asking him:
"How in the world did the Heavenly Sword get the Emperor to cooperate with us?"
"If you're asking me, I don't know either."
"I wasn't asking expecting an answer. It's just that you have a deep connection with the Heavenly Sword, Brother. Ever since you were sliced up like raw fish when you were eighteen..."
Ah, that's Brother's sore spot.
"A-Anyway, you know what I mean."
"Why stop? Go on."
"I'm sorry."
"Sigh... Still, that event is a badge of honor to me now."
Ten years had already passed since he was mocked as "First Blood Nox." Ten years is a long time—long enough for that disgrace to be reframed completely.
Today, the Heavenly Sword was the undisputed apex of heroes. Who was the very first person to taste Kang Geomma's sashimi knife? Nox Auditore da Sicilia. That name would surely be passed down to future generations.
First Blood Nox, First Blood Nox, First Blood Nox. Fuck.
"...Brother, why are you crying?"
"It's drool."
"How do salivary glands end up around your eyes...?"
"Flavia. It's no fun if you pry too much."
...What's really no fun is Brother's sageuk speech pattern to begin with. Flavia swallowed the words that were bouncing against her throat like a punching bag. Time to get back to the main topic.
"It's common knowledge that there's bad blood between the Heavenly Sword and the Emperor. So I just can't understand why the Emperor agreed with him."
"Flavia."
"Yes?"
Before speaking, Nox looked up at the sky. Using Raven's Blessing, he confirmed that Kang Geomma's presence had vanished.
After a thorough check, Nox brought his lips close to Flavia's ear.
"Almost every threat the Heavenly Sword makes is real."
"You mean when he said, 'Do you really want to be wiped off the map?'"
"Hush. He might hear."
"..."
Gulp.
"When the Heavenly Sword was seventeen, he went to visit the Archery Saint. Do you know what he did back then?"
She didn't know. It was an incident that occurred when Flavia was around ten years old.
"He jammed a sashimi knife right into his gut."
Pardon?
"Without asking questions, he just stabbed him with a sashimi knife."
"The Archery Saint was the Japanese Prime Minister back then..."
"The Heavenly Sword—no, Kang Geomma—doesn't give a damn about things like that."
Ah...
"That's not all. After that, he went to visit Lord Victor Poison, who lives in Antarctica."
The father of the Poison sisters and the Hero Association.
"No way."
"Yup. Stabbed him."
"...Wait, what?"
"The Heavenly Sword is that kind of man. Regardless of the opponent's status, if he thinks they aren't listening, out comes the knife. In his eyes, that's what sashimi knives are for."
"He's... quite a fascinating person."
The warmth lingering near her ear pulled away. Nox stepped back slightly. As Flavia pondered for a moment, a sudden, ringing realization struck her temples with a ping!
"The Emperor too?"
"Most likely."
Nox pulled down his mask.
"Besides that, if the Heavenly Sword seriously wiped out thirty-two nations, the Emperor's standing would collapse as well. He probably showed up to prevent that."
"B-But then, doesn't that make the Heavenly Sword essentially a Corps Commander? He's practically no different from a Demon King."
"Kang Geomma is that kind of man."
The sun set and stars twinkled. Dusk over the western Mediterranean was short. The sunset fell above their heads, and the stars sparkled.
"A man who wouldn't hesitate to play the villain if it's for what is right."
"He's certainly not a hero."
"Not a hero. Absolutely not."
Nox smiled as he took in the sight.
"And isn't that precisely why he shines a light even on us Auditore, who live and die in the shadows?"
Just like the stars in that night sky.
– The Abyss. End
* * *
The moment I returned to the country, I put everything else aside and stormed straight into the graduate school.
In the lab, laundry was in full swing. It was a sort of event where graduate students washed the faculty's socks—held every other day, mind you.
Ignoring the wails of these modern-day slaves with some effort, I reached my destination: the lab of All-Power Meain Poison.
"Lady All-Power."
I barged into the lab, forgetting to even knock.
"Ah."
Big mistake.
Because Meain Poison happened to be in the middle of undergoing her rebirth-transformation.
Meain's Blessing differed from her younger sister's, which made the target younger. Hers altered her own appearance. It was a far more intuitive and potent Blessing.
So, naturally, there were restrictions.
The manifestation time of the Blessing took quite a while. Roughly an hour? During that time, Meain had to render herself completely defenseless. Wearing even a single thread on her body would stall the Blessing.
"Oh my."
Meain covered her lips with both hands. Shouldn't she be covering something other than her lips in this situation?
"A Lucky Pervert moment, isn't it?"
"...I'm sorry."
"What's there to be sorry about? I was changing back into my original form out of boredom while waiting for guests anyway, so it doesn't matter. You came because of an urgent matter, right? Just sit over there for now."
Meain draped a velvet cloth hung on the chair back over herself. Calling her attire 'clothing' was borderline embarrassing. It was hard to tell whether she was taking clothes off or putting them on.
'If Ryozo or Abel saw this...'
Ah. The back of my neck throbbed.
'I can't stay here.'
I had to get out of here.
"I'll come back in an hour."
"Huh? Wasn't it urgent?"
"I think it's better if I see Ryozo and Abel first."
"Oh. That makes sense. But..."
Clack, clack, clack, clack.
The sound of two pairs of high heels echoed. The stride and gait sounded remarkably familiar.
"As it turns out, I also have an appointment with those two."
—Bang. A gust of wind rushed in through the opened door. A chilling frost cold enough to cut through skin. Creakily, I turned my head.