Chapter 116: The World Has His Back (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 116: The World Has His Back (1)
About ten days had passed since the Kali Yuga Incident—otherwise known as the "Seoul Disaster." The international situation, which had been frozen in place, finally began to move again.
The clouds of war were gathering once more, albeit in a very different sense.
Episode. The World Has His Back
Even in Miracle Blessing M, the capital was Seoul. It was the same infernal metropolis, boasting a hellish population density approaching twenty million.
And that very place had gone completely to hell.
Not only the National Assembly members representing the Seoul districts, but also those from other regions were nursing massive headaches. The destruction of the capital meant the nation’s governance was crippled.
"What do we do?"
Thwack!
"Damn it! Of all the times for this to happen!"
Gathering together regardless of party affiliation, the lawmakers vented their frustration in their own ways—slamming desks, shouting at the top of their lungs, and hastily switching political lines on the fly.
Elections were right around the corner—the general election, local elections, all of them. There wasn't even enough time to campaign across the country as it was.
Yet now, they were on the verge of being ripped to shreds by the public.
"No, literally—I feel like we're about to get pelted with flour."
"Haha. Is it because you're a first-term representative that you've never been turned into a snowman? I get pelted with eggs and flour so often that just looking at tonkatsu makes me feel like gagging nowadays! Hahaha."
Everyone had completely lost their minds.
"I'm used to being a scapegoat, but..."
"Agh, seriously. I don't have the slightest clue how to handle the election campaign. I keep waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat."
"Sigh... At least you guys have it better than me. My constituency was practically flattened!"
Empty water bottles rolled across the floor of the National Assembly building. They had to soothe their burning nerves with cold water, if nothing else, because the deadly poison known as nicotine did not exist in this world.
"Then how about... taking this opportunity to—"
"Hey! Don't you dare even bring that up!"
"R-Right?"
"Are you trying to jinx us?! Expanding Seoul's territory?! The real citizens funding our election campaigns would fly into a rage!"
Bluntly speaking, their financial backers. More than half of those backers were nobles.
"Honestly, at times like this, I just want to burn the whole thing down."
What kind of city was Seoul? A powder keg on the verge of exploding. They had squeezed that massive population into a cramped, tiny piece of land.
Yet despite that, they couldn't expand the borders due to the influence of those heavy pockets. Expanding Seoul's land would lower population density, which in turn would drive down demand and property values.
Stuck in a dilemma with no way out, the Minister of Strategy and Finance, who had been watching silently from among the lawmakers, chimed in.
"Assemblymen, since things have already come to this... why don't we just move it entirely?"
Minister Lee was the man who had played a key role in the Prime Minister's dismissal a few months back. True to his sly, narrow-eyed demeanor, he had colluded with the principal of Joaquin to oust the Prime Minister.
He was firmly stamped in the minds of the politicians, mostly because of his close ties with Joaquin.
Even the President kept a watchful eye on Saki Ryozo—or rather, feared her. Even setting aside the halo of Kang Geomma.
Saki Ryozo...
Saki Ryozo was a monster.
Due to this incident, Kang Geomma was bound to face public backlash.
Yet right at that timing, Saki Ryozo was moving up Joaquin Academy’s largest event, "Joaquin Founder's Day." She had renamed it to a "Memorial Service" and turned it into a candlelight vigil instead of a parade.
Naturally, the Empress of High Society, the Sword Princess Abel von Nibelung, played a massive role as well. She marvelously procured all the necessary supplies for the memorial service, making full use of her overwhelming network of connections.
On top of that, Lancelot Company, led by Bongseon Rachel, raised the necessary funds. Since designing event curricula had traditionally been the domain of the Hero Association, it was Weapon's turn to step up.
To top it off, Joaquin Graduate School, which specialized in magic research, announced that they would publish a thesis analyzing the "Seoul Disaster." The justification for holding the event was flawless.
What on earth is Saki Ryozo made of?
Is she even human?
It’s just a rumor, but word is she crushed the Prime Minister in a game of chess, right?
The politicians bit their nails at Joaquin Academy's astonishing initiative.
They were already feeling nervous enough as it was. And now, the Minister of Strategy and Finance—who practically had "Saki Ryozo's Spy" stamped on his forehead—was opening his mouth.
"Move it? Move what?"
"The capital."
He spouted utter nonsense.
"...?"
"...Are you talking about relocating the capital?"
"Yes. The city where the academy is located isn't inferior to Seoul, is it?"
What bullshit is this?
Bang!
"Minister Lee! You might be a behind-the-scenes puppet minister, but our necks are on the line for every single vote! How can you make such absurd...!"
"Why doesn't it make sense?"
"Listen here, man. Relocating the capital has been brought up since way back. Wonju, where Joaquin is located? Sure, it's not bad. But the Heavenly Sword's image right now is even worse than ours! If we relocate the capital to a place that's practically his home turf, public sentiment will—"
"Sigh."
The minister let out an exasperated sigh.
"Did you just sigh at us?"
"How is it that distinguished assemblymen like you understand public sentiment even less than I do? Or maybe it's because you're assemblymen that you don't know. Regardless..."
Without wasting more words, the minister glanced toward the center screen of the National Assembly chamber. The lawmakers followed his gaze. As if waiting for this moment, the large screen flickered to life.
– Guys, did you see the news? There were practically zero casualties in the Seoul Disaster.
– Crazy sh*t, fr fr. How is it 0 when Seoul was that wrecked?
– I was actually there. The Sword Emperor and some black-haired hero were rescuing people like madmen. I think I ran at the speed of sound for the first time in my life.
– Oh, that guy! I heard from my cousin that he called himself Balor Joaquin.
– Go wash your feet and go to sleep, kiddo.
"W-What?"
The chamber fell into commotion.
They completely forgot about the fact that the National Assembly server had been hacked.
Amid the sudden, stunned silence, the next post filled the politicians' eyes.
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[I am one of the citizens who was at the scene]
<Proof_Photo_at_Scene.jpg>
(I can attach more later if requested)
This is my first time writing something like this, so it might be a bit rambling. Please understand...
I debated heavily whether to post this during a time when a national tragedy just occurred... but seeing that there's still public backlash against the Heavenly Sword, I'm posting this prepared to take flak.
Since this is the internet, I believe everyone is free to express their opinions. In fact, I think nothing is more dangerous than blind support for a single individual.
What I want to say isn't that you should blindly trust the Heavenly Sword without question. I just want us to calmly reflect on what he has done for us, what he did, and what he will do.
☞ Splitting into the next comment since it's getting long.
========================
Gulp.
Their throats bobbed heavily.
The onlookers stared with wide eyes, utterly captivated.
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...Think about it. This is already the second "disaster situation." There is no guarantee it won't happen again. It will happen.
When that time comes, should we rely on other heroes?
Yes, I know.
Of course there are many wonderful heroes among them.
The heroes mentioned in previous posts who safely evacuated citizens are textbook examples of great heroes.
This isn't a generalization, but a targeted comment directed at "certain vested interests."
They want the Heavenly Sword to be criticized. It's likely a mix of complex emotions.
Envy, jealousy, and so on.
They're human, so it's understandable they feel that way. But the question is: do we, the public, need to go along with them?
The Heavenly Sword—Hero Kang Geomma—will be criticized no matter what he does. Because he will gradually move further beyond the realm of what we can comprehend.
So at least until then, as Citizen A who owes his life to him, I intend to trust and support the Heavenly Sword.
I'm not saying my opinion is correct. I am merely one citizen. I also want to clarify that this post isn't written to persuade anyone.
I simply wanted to use the internet as an avenue to leave a word of thanks to the Heavenly Sword.
Thank you, Heavenly Sword.
And to all the other heroes as well.
👍 895,095,326
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The lawmakers' eyes dilated in sheer shock.
"T-The number of likes... what on earth...!"
An absurd number of upvotes had been accumulated on a simple post.
Looking closely, an AI bearing the "Vixbig" logo was translating it and spreading it across the globe.
Immediately following, articles from international news outlets flooded in, attaching this post and the scene photos, fanning the flames.
A wave of support for the Heavenly Sword was sweeping the entire world.
"Public sentiment toward the Heavenly Sword is not merely emotional noise."
Someone broke the silence.
Minister Lee stepped up to the podium, but the voice wasn't his. It was a woman's. The display on the large screen shifted.
"You are..."
"The Principal of Joaquin Academy."
Saki Ryozo.
On the other side of the screen, she leaned comfortably back against her chair and spoke.
"As you know, Seoul is currently saturated. Even a coop-like apartment is impossible for a person to afford with a lifetime of work. Yet people still want to live there—simply because everyone else wants to."
"..."
"And how about now? Everything is gone for everyone—forced equality brought by destruction. Now, let me ask you a question: which group is greater in number—the vested interests, or the rest?"
"Well, obviously the rest..."
"What you must keep in mind is that just because they aren't part of the vested interests doesn't mean they are 'weak.' The moment you ignore their voice, the votes coming your way will hit rock bottom."
It was absurd. Saki Ryozo—who, by bloodline and background, was the ultimate embodiment of the ruling elite—was making such an argument. Instead of standing defiant, her candid directness left the hostile assemblymen visibly shaken.
"As you can see, people want a new beginning. Though it is unfortunate that the starting point is a disaster, the situation has smoothly subsided thanks to the hard work of the Heavenly Sword and various heroes."
Zero casualties in a calamity of that scale. It was practically impossible.
"Now is the time to make a fresh start. And the ideal moment is right now."
"May I ask one thing?"
"By all means."
A young assemblywoman took a step forward. She tilted her head up to face Saki on the screen.
"If we are to relocate the capital, we will have to completely sever ties with the 'vested interests' Principal Saki mentioned."
"I am aware."
Saki nodded.
"Your words are certainly impressive, Principal Saki, but doing so would leave us exposed to danger."
"In other words, you need a shield."
"To speak frankly, yes."
"I like your honesty."
Saki smiled warmly.
"However, you are overlooking one thing."
"What would that be?"
"The shield."
Saki rested her chin on her clasped hands.
"The Heavenly Sword has always been your shield."
"...!"
"Unless you suddenly turn into enemies of humanity, the Heavenly Sword will be your greatest pillar of support."
Was this what it felt like when your most formidable adversary became your ally?
The politicians had always had the notion etched into their minds that the Heavenly Sword was an enemy.
But Ryozo refuted that prejudice head-on.
Come to think of it, the reason they had to be at odds with the Heavenly Sword...
There wasn't one.
None at all.
True, they had to turn their backs on the existing elite—the nobility—but those nobles were currently swamped with trying to recover their property destroyed in the catastrophe.
The young assemblywoman felt her head throb with realization.
"Are there any more questions?"
Then, the sweet voice snapped her back to reality.
"J-Just one more thing!"
"Yes?"
"Assuming we relocate the capital, the merits you achieved in this incident must be intentionally downplayed."
"You mean we shouldn't give the public the impression that Joaquin Academy exerted political pressure."
There's no hiding any hidden meaning from that woman...
"That's correct."
"I don't mind."
"P-Pardon?"
How could she respond so nonchalantly when told that not a single word of her achievements could be highlighted?! No matter how devoid of vanity she might be!
"Because I receive my reward every single day."
"What reward do you mean...?"
At that moment, the sound of a door opening echoed from the other side of the screen. For a second, Saki smiled so deeply her cheeks quivered, before quickly regaining her calm composure.
"Well then, I will end the call now."
Silence reigned over the National Assembly chamber for several minutes.
* * *
At the same time. The Principal's Office.
"Sorry. Were you in the middle of a meeting?"
"No. It just ended."
Standing up from her seat, Saki walked over to him and linked her arm through his.
"What's for dinner tonight, Chef?"
"Since Boss... I mean, Uncle is here, I was thinking of making kimchi stew with tuna for a change."
"I'd love that."
Ryozo used the word 'happiness' sparingly, afraid that its colors might fade if spoken too often.
"Geomma."
"Yeah?"
"Are you happy?"
He rubbed the back of his neck as if embarrassed. He was adorable. Yet even while averting his gaze, he would always answer in the end.
"...Why ask something so obvious?"
"Say it out loud, please~"
"I'm. Hap. Py."
"Aww, so stiff."
Ryozo giggled. Just looking at him brought a smile to her face.
"If you're happy, I'm happy too."
She rested her head against his dependable shoulder.