Chapter 115: A Complete Mess (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 115: A Complete Mess (2)
A week had passed since then.
Real estate prices in devastated Seoul plummeted. Those around me told me there was absolutely no reason for me to feel guilty about it.
Thanks to them, I was able to shake off some of the lingering uneasiness. However, that was merely the opinion of my close circle, not public sentiment.
On Earth, citizens of Seoul would go to desperate lengths to block news reports whenever a sinkhole appeared in their neighborhood. All because property values would drop.
Granted, a sinkhole is a man-made disaster, whereas an apocalyptic event like the Kali Yuga was a natural disaster. Strictly speaking, one shouldn't hold a grudge over the latter. When a tsunami hits, do you blame the ocean? You might criticize a government's bizarre response, but resenting the sea itself is just a waste of time.
My family and acquaintances shared my view.
But the victims caught in the disaster—namely, the residents of Seoul—might feel differently. To put it bluntly, everyone predicted that public sentiment toward me would be overflowing with negativity.
I had already confirmed the existence of hostile factions targeting me during the tragedy sparked by the Kali Yuga. To make matters worse, I had turned the entirety of Seoul into a battleground against the Kali Yuga. On top of that, at some point, it was broadcast live on public television.
‘It wouldn't be surprising if all hell broke loose.’
The privileged class of Seoul, who foamed at the mouth over mere sinkholes, were hardly going to nod understandingly and say, "Ah, I see. The Heavenly Sword was just trying to protect us! That's understandable." Thus, even my own people anticipated a grim outcome.
But that was a miscalculation.
Despite the finest minds putting their heads together, an entirely unexpected resolution awaited us.
* * *
“Geomma.”
Ryozo expressed her opinion to me separately.
“First off, we're stuck at the very first step—convincing people that the Kali Yuga was a natural disaster.”
Ever since that day, she had worked tirelessly day and night—in 'more ways than one.' Most of it involved dealing with the aftermath.
“We understand it because we received thorough explanations from you and Yoo Se-in, but there's a high chance that not just the public, but regular heroes won't accept it either. Since we've agreed to coordinate with various government departments for disaster management, we just need to quell public opinion.”
“Do you have a plan in mind?”
I asked, rubbing an egg over my swollen eyelid, courtesy of a certain someone's beating.
When I arrived at the Academy Principal's office upon Ryozo's summons, there was a whole basket of eggs sitting on the tea table.
“No response.”
Ryozo answered in a dry, drained voice.
That cold, icy gaze wasn't directed at me. It was a warning aimed at the dissatisfied factions bound to pop up soon.
“Geomma, the moment you apologize, it's tantamount to admitting fault. You'd basically be saying, 'Please turn me into your scapegoat.' Isn't that exactly what the Kali Yuga wanted?”
True.
Ryozo was rarely wrong.
“The citizens of Seoul are looking for a target to vent their resentment on. It's quiet for now, but... at this rate, protests and chaos will erupt by tomorrow at the earliest. But what if you step forward?”
“Things will get weird.”
“Exactly, so don't step forward.”
This was separate from being irresponsible. Ryozo emphasized several times after that I bore no fault whatsoever.
Now that I was an adult, this kind of thing was truly exhausting. Things that used to slide by under the excuse of being young during my cadet days were different now. People's mouths would be itching to drag me down, spouting excuses like "He's famous" or "Aren't heroes living off public funds?"
The best target for those impatient wild dogs was none other than me, Kang Geomma. I possessed an exquisite blend of every single element they hated.
‘A special student, terrible relations with the nobility, plus ordinary people trying to pick fights for no reason...’
That last part was actually due to my family composition. Given who my family members were...
I had wives—not just one, but two—who were women that could make anyone dizzy just by looking at them. If I were an outsider, my stomach would probably twist in envy too. And...
‘Ryozo, this girl...’
She clearly demonstrated that she was prepared to turn her back on the entire world if it meant protecting me.
“You should just go spend some quality time with 'Big Uncle' since it's been a while.”
"Big Uncle" referred to the Boss.
The title almost solidified into "Father" after Rachel kicked things off, but...
—By the way, Geomma, your parents back when I was the Academy Principal...
Medea's single sentence shut that down.
At that moment, the quietly observing Sword Emperor's quick wit shone.
—This gentleman is the Heavenly Sword's big uncle.
—...Big uncle?
—I heard he spent a long time in seclusion training in Gehenna. He even took a look at my swordsmanship once upon a time.
—He seems far too young for that, though.
—What does age matter when it comes to a swordsmanship master, Medea? Even a three-year-old child can teach you something if there's a lesson to be learned.
—I don't know about anyone else, but hearing it from an old geezer like you makes it sound completely untrustworthy.
...It was a stopgap cover story, but it worked remarkably well. My family and friends were somehow convinced by it. These guys completely dropped their guard whenever they saw black hair. If they suspected someone shared even a single drop of blood with me, affection practically dripped from their eyes.
My former classmates were head over heels for Yoo Se-in, and even Chae Lina. At this point, wasn't it basically a cult?
The Boss, who was in the middle of beating me black and blue, gave no particular reaction when the Sword Emperor cast him a subtle look. He went along with it through silence. Given the Boss's personality, he hated lying, but since it wasn't a crucial matter right now, he let it slide.
—Don't try to bring up nonsense like him being your disciple using this as an excuse.
It seemed like some kind of secret deal(?) was struck beyond that, but whenever I asked, both the Boss and the Sword Emperor dismissed me instantly. How depressing.
‘Tsk.’
Ugh.
Forget a bitter taste in my mouth, I could actually taste blood.
‘No matter how much of an old man he is...’
How could he beat up his son, whom he hadn't seen in years, into a bloody pulp like this?!
I licked my swollen lips with my tongue. Ryozo offered me another egg with a bright smile.
“These are fertilized eggs.”
“...I see.”
Her focus was strangely off.
“Won't the swelling go down quickly?”
The flow of conversation was completely disjointed.
“Let me know if you need more. I'll consider renting out an entire poultry farm.”
“...”
“What, do you have something else to say?”
“It's not that...”
Fiddling with the egg, I managed to squeeze out some words.
“You don't have anything to say about the thug Boss... I mean, Big Uncle beating me up?”
“Look at him. How is that a beating? That's family discipline. Fa. mi. ly. dis. ci. pline.”
I wanted to ask her back. I got beaten so badly that I flinched every time I looked in the mirror—how was that "discipline"? I had slight doubts about Ryozo's qualifications as an educator.
Perhaps sensing my suspicious stare, Ryozo spun her chair around. Facing away from me and looking out the window, she spoke.
“Big Uncle is completely right. Two wives are plenty. Taking on any more might not be a 'legal' issue, but his argument is that it could cause disharmony. Mm-hmm. Absolutely right. Big Uncle is the best.”
“I... don't have any intention of taking more wives.”
“You're not being firm with Rachel or the former Academy Principal. That's giving them hope. Do you understand?”
“Mmm.”
“Anyway, Geomma. I want you to spend more time talking with Big Uncle. I heard it's your first time seeing him in over ten years. Listen more, learn more, and get beaten more.”
“Huh?”
Get beaten?
Did I hear that wrong?
“Today is the 13th, so see you tonight.”
I left the Academy Principal's office as if I were being kicked out. Trudging along, I pondered: Will I be able to talk to that man today?
‘Since those girls won't leave him alone.’
Besides, maybe because it had been so long since we last met, I felt awkward around him too.
Step, step.
Walking aimlessly, I reached home in no time. I took a deep breath and opened the door. Sure enough, it was the exact same sight as yesterday.
I couldn't even bring myself to cross the threshold and just watched the situation unfold.
‘What a mess.’
So much so that they didn't even notice my presence.
“Big Uncle. Did you pass twelve o'clock safely today?”
Rachel, pretending to be a refined lady from a good family, bowed politely to the Boss. The Boss, who had been appalled at first, now seemed to have given up.
“Rachel. Why on earth do you pay your respects like this every single hour?”
“To earn a place in Big Uncle's good graces, of course.”
“Haha. You're so honest I don't even know what to say. Truly transparent. So transparent it's almost excessive.”
“I am flattered.”
“I said that so you would be embarrassed.”
That aside, the internet had been abuzz lately. Rumors originating online claimed that the Hero of the Origin had returned. The problem was that these weren't baseless rumors—they were grounded in fact. Very solid fact, in fact.
I needed to ask the Boss about this...
“Big Uncle~!”
But they didn't give me a moment to do so, just like now.
“It's all ready~”
A coaxing, charming voice flew toward the Boss. Medea, wearing an apron, placed a plate containing a purple substance in front of him.
“Here.”
“...Lady Medea.”
The inaugural Academy Principal was speaking formally to the relatively recent Academy Principal. According to the cover story, the Boss was Medea's junior.
The fact that she was an Ancient was now public knowledge. Medea, whose concept of age differed from ordinary humans, currently looked to be in her mid-twenties. However, because the Boss had never had the chance to interact with Ancients in the past, he was experiencing severe cognitive dissonance. He lived for nearly eighty years, so how is she in her mid-twenties? He maintained a state of sheer shock.
‘When should I reveal that he's actually Balor Joaquin? If this goes on any longer, the family tree is going to get way too tangled.’
I would reveal his identity when the time was right, but until then, we had to maintain this setup... In many ways, it was a completely dysfunctional family. The funny yet sad reality was that this mess was my house.
Haha.
Hahaha.
“Oh, really. I told you to speak comfortably to me.”
Medea waved her hand bashfully.
“Then I'll speak comfortably. What is this?”
“It is lunch, my lord.”
Oof. The visual was enough to make even my chest chill.
“It was a dish my father used to love.”
The reason why the former Association President, Victor Poison, went mad was finally revealed. As was the inside story behind why he tried to end his life all the time. It was because he was constantly subjected to daily threats of poison murder.
“...It looks similar to something I saw back when I was in Gehenna. Meaning, it looks like vomit spewed up by some nameless magical beast in Gehenna after eating something bad.”
“So you mean it's an exotic dish!”
“Did you guys collectively fall under some kind of hypnosis by Geomma? His ability isn't a hypnosis app, it's...”
As the Boss shook his head, I caught his eye. He finally noticed me.
“Hey, you brat!”
The chair the Boss was sitting on flipped over. I quickly spun around. Feeling the prickle of sharp killing intent, I bolted immediately.
“You brat! Stop right there!”
The Boss drew his sashimi knife and gave chase.
“Would you stop quietly if you were in my shoes?!”
“What kind of bizarre, monstrous trick did you pull in my hometown, huh?! Did you obtain the Blessing of a Hypnosis App?!”
“Don't go twisting the genre of Miracle Blessing M into something weird!”
“You little bastarddd...!”
It was a peaceful day, for a change.
* * *
A short while later.
“...And that's how it happened.”
Having fled to the Sword Emperor's residence, I spilled the story. As a side note, I shook off the Boss's pursuit by activating the Blessing of the Sword God. Ever since that bald old man regained his youth, he turned out to be quite the fleet-footed runner. With my Lightning Magic confiscated, I had only one option.
“I see.”
The Sword Emperor drooped his eyebrows sympathetically, as if feeling sorry for me. Abel served black tea.
“Drink. It will calm your startled heart.”
“Thank you.”
“Hahaha, my word. Big Uncle is certainly an extraordinary individual, but dear me...”
The Sword Emperor cleared his throat and carefully chose his words.
‘Besides me, he's the only person who knows that the Boss is the Hero of the Origin.’
For that reason, I used the Sword Emperor's temporary residence as my sanctuary. He was extending a warm hand to my pitiful situation, after all.
The Sword Emperor stroked my back with his remaining hand.
“It must be tough in many ways, isn't it?”
“I'm fine. I've adapted.”
“Living as a renowned hero, there are times when you feel disillusionment toward the species known as 'humanity.' Sometimes, sacrilegious as it may be, thoughts like this cross my mind: 'I'd rather understand the demons.'”
I found solace in those deep golden eyes.
Because it was me.
Because I was Kang Geomma, that single remark sent ripples through my heart.
“It's funny, isn't it? That demons, so distant in kinship, are actually easier to understand. That is just how incomprehensible a world-saving hero is to others.”
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me.”
The Sword Emperor leaned in a little closer to me.
“In the end, I'm the only one for you, right?”
“...Pardon?”
“In the end, I'm the only master you have, aren't I?”
What's this? Goosebumps suddenly broke out all over my skin.
‘Looking closely now...’
In eyes I had thought to be dignified, a golden madness was blazing. I had seen this before. Possessiveness, exclusivity, obsession.
“I am your master. Keep that in mind.”
...Perhaps the Kali Yuga's magic had actually succeeded after all.
– A Complete Mess. End -