Chapter 117: The World Plays Favorites (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 117: The World Plays Favorites (2)
Auditore da Sicilia.
The shadow organization of the hero society.
Known by many epithets, they were an assassin family tasked with the self-purification of the often corrupt hero society.
To the heroes who risked life and limb fighting against magical beasts, they were an object of fear and disgust. There were many reasons for this, but chief among them was their habitual use of torture. Such inhumane acts had been tacitly tolerated under the guise of tradition. Furthermore, due to a tacit pact made 700 years ago between the founder of Auditore and Balor Joaquin, officially only Auditore was permitted to 'torture' heroes.
They employed various methods, but the torture that heroes feared above all was none other than the Celestial Space. It was a strange name. Strangely enough, this torture inflicted not even a scratch on the target. They were simply placed in a stark white void.
Abandoned. Left there until their mind withered away into nothingness.
The shadow organization, Auditore da Sicilia.
The worst, most heinous torture they had devised after centuries of research was solitude.
Episode: The World Plays Favorites
Tap.
Nox’s fingertips met the cold surface of a glass pane. He was currently inside the Celestial Space—not as a subject, but as a visitor.
“…Chloe……”
His voice was cracked and raspy. Nox stared at Chloe through the glass partition.
His younger sister was curled up right in the center of the Celestial Space. Her eyes were dull. Though eyes were said to be the windows to the soul, hers reflected not even a flicker of life.
“My heart is not at ease either, Nox.”
Al'tair Auditore stood beside him. Nox swallowed down the boiling rage rising to his head. He intended to persuade the Head of the Family no matter what.
“Was this truly the only way, Patriarch?”
“Do you not know Chloe’s condition as well as I?”
“…Her Blessing Awakening was improving thanks to the Heavenly Sword……!”
Whether due to repeated slaughter or sheer strain, Chloe had ultimately reached the threshold of a 'Blessing Awakening.' Calling it an awakening sounded nice, but in reality, it was a curse that gnawed away at one's lifespan.
'Even the Sword Emperor keeps his awakening duration brief.'
Chloe was still immature, both physically and mentally. If she were exposed to awakening at her young age, she would undoubtedly die an early death before reaching forty.
She had already been in that precarious state, but the situation shifted due to the Seoul incident.
While confined, alongside her Blessing Awakening, Chloe had also awakened as a Magician. What a cruel twist of fate... All at once, Chloe had become host to two supernatural phenomena existing in this world.
His sister’s sanity was collapsing in real time. She plunged into a rampage on a regular basis. That was why Al'tair had made the decision with a bleeding heart to temporarily detain her in the Celestial Space.
'Is Chloe fated to live a short life?'
Her health had deteriorated noticeably. Every time she writhed and groaned in pain, Nox’s nose stung with impending tears.
It was during that dire period that Kang Geomma put an end to the Seoul Disaster.
Soon after, Chloe’s health began to slowly recover. However, the situation gave Nox no time to drown in gratitude.
“…A substance similar to subspace is propagating inside Chloe.”
Even as Al'tair spoke those words, he felt as if he were chewing on gravel. Hearing it again was no less shocking.
Nox’s hand, which had been resting on the glass pane, slid down limply.
“Why... Why, of all people, Chloe?”
“…I am sorry. It is my responsibility……”
Nox did not reply.
'It is not the Patriarch's fault.'
He was just lashing out—a childish whim directed at an unyielding reality.
“Even so.”
Just as Nox was about to sink into despair, Al'tair looked into his sorrowful eyes and spoke.
“It seems a single way forward has presented itself.”
“……!”
“The situation was exceedingly hopeless, was it not? In life, the further something falls, the higher it bounces back, Nox.”
Nox abruptly snapped his head up.
“What is it? As long as it is within my power—no, even if it is beyond my power, I will do whatever it takes.”
“Do not worry. As I said, the darker the shadow cast over Chloe, the faster the light seems to break through. We only need to purchase a certain item.”
“If it is a purchase, then we won’t need to shed blood needlessly.”
Only then did Nox feel a breath of cool air clear his tangled mind. Buying something with money was practically a non-issue for the Auditore family. They were among the wealthiest of the nobility.
“I spoke incorrectly. It is not a purchase, but a winning bid.”
“A winning bid? Then it’s an auction?”
“Do you remember the Pertinax Auction House?”
“Yes. Is that not the auction house where the Heavenly Sword rescued Hontail? Chloe also……”
Nox glanced beyond the glass pane and let out a sigh. A pale fog of breath condensed where his exhalation hit the glass.
“…I remember it as the place where she went on a rampage.”
“A new auction house has been established near there. Word is circulating that an ancient tome containing information regarding Blessing Awakenings and magic will be put up for auction.”
“If I may speak candidly, I doubt the reliability of that information. Information of that caliber should be in the archives of Joaquin Academy.”
700 years.
Joaquin Academy boasted a long history and rich legacy.
“The item was put up by an organization with a history even longer than 700 years.”
“An organization with a longer history……”
Nox gasped softly.
There was only one such place.
“The Imperial Family.”
Al'tair nodded.
“It seems best if you go together with the Heavenly Sword.”
“…However, the Heavenly Sword and Joaquin are currently—”
Busy preparing for the memorial service. It was scheduled for tomorrow, if memory served.
“Did I not say, Nox? Just as deep as the shadow was cast, things will go smoothly from here on out. Fortunately, the auction is scheduled for after the memorial service.”
Al'tair offered a faint smile as he gazed across the room at his granddaughter, Chloe. A surprisingly old, human emotion flickered in the wrinkles around the eyes of the battle-worn assassin.
“Still, we ought to ask him in advance.”
* * *
“Hey! Why are you hanging the lantern there?! Everything behind it is getting misaligned! Take it down and hang it again!”
Speed Weapon shouted at the top of his lungs. The subordinates hanging lanterns on the roadside trees from ladders looked sheepish.
“Not that color over there!”
Speed Weapon was personally directing the scene. In just half a day, the memorial service would begin.
As far as I knew, the most swift and efficient worker was Weapon.
'Well, Ryozo is a god, though.'
Perhaps the Academy Principal knew this as well, which was why she entrusted the preparations for the memorial service entirely to Weapon. In truth, it was Ryozo’s scheme to exploit him.
Weapon, you see... it feels strange saying this, but he's really easy to handle. He's way too diligent.
When Ryozo handed over the command of the memorial service, Weapon’s face flushed with overwhelming emotion. The thought of running an event for his alma mater made his heart race. That was probably why his shoulders were puffed up so high.
“Weapon.”
I grabbed him by the shoulder. Ow, why are his muscles so tense? In any case, no sooner had I touched him than a sharp, hawk-like glare shot back at me.
His stiffened facial muscles relaxed immediately.
“Ah, Director.”
What would you have done without me, Weapon?
“Take it easy. The Association is here to help Joaquin with its event—there’s no need to wear yourself out like this.”
“No way. Association involvement in Joaquin festivals is standard anyway, not to mention the current Academy Principal herself told me...”
He pointed at his own chin with his erect thumb.
“She said that the fate of the memorial service rests on the shoulders of this very Weapon.”
“She definitely didn't put it like that.”
“As you well know, Director, I'm a bit of a perfectionist, you see?”
Look at him trying to play it cool.
When he acts like this, I just want to tease him.
“For a perfectionist, your grades back in school weren't exactly perfect.”
“D-Director, you...!”
Eyes gathered around us. The Association staff hanging lanterns on tree branches perked up their ears to our conversation. They cast desperate looks in my direction.
Please give our boss a piece of your mind!
Please... give us some satisfying payback!
How could I refuse? Time to deliver a beatdown of cold, hard facts.
“Perpetual second place.”
“That was!”
“Forever runner-up.”
“Urgh!”
“And I heard Ryozo didn't even study separately.”
“Gaaaaah!”
A scream echoed across the grounds. His subordinates broke into overt cheers, looking utterly delighted.
“Heavenly Sword, we love you!”
“As expected of the hero who saved the world!”
“More! Give him a harsher reality check!”
The crowd reaction was fantastic.
'Let's cap it here, though.'
Weapon is technically the head supervisor here; dampening his spirits any further wouldn't be right.
I took the crestfallen Weapon to a nearby cafe. All the way there, the Association staff passionately showed their support with their eyes. A few of them gave me deep, longing looks that Ryozo and Abel would definitely hate. Honestly, I was escaping the place because of them.
Anyway.
Soothing his wounded pride with a cafe au lait, Weapon grumbled.
“Director, you went too far. Comparing me to Ryozo is unfair. How can you compare a human to someone in the celestial realm?”
“Sorry, sorry. But to me, you're in the celestial realm too, Weapon.”
“Celestial realm, my foot……”
Weapon took a sip of his cafe au lait and stared out the window. Students were walking across the academy grounds with flushed, excited expressions. A fresh aroma unique to youth filled the air.
“Back when I was a student, I thought I was hot stuff. But once I got out into society, I realized I wasn't.”
“Don't be so humble. You're rising fast in the Association. Making that kind of standing at your age? I haven't heard of anyone else doing that.”
“Sure. But...”
Weapon wore a bitter smile.
Even though the cafe au lait was sweet.
“Our classmates are who they are. Without looking far, Saki is the Academy Principal, Abel is the queen of high society, Leon is a hero, Rachel is the new face of Lancelot. And you, Director... never mind. You're out of the question altogether.”
Hmm.
'He must have been struggling in his own way.'
Weapon is the mood maker. Among my classmates, who tend to get stiff and tense, he talks and keeps the atmosphere smooth. Thanks to him, my ego-heavy classmates don't let their excitement turn into overdrive.
Yet, at some point, Weapon seemed to have felt intimidated among us. It was understandable if he occasionally felt like he was the only one falling behind. It wasn't inferiority so much as impatience.
'Thanks to you, our group stays together.'
I couldn't bring myself to say such embarrassing, sappy words between guys. Weapon wouldn't want to hear it either.
'Regrettably, this is something Weapon has to overcome himself.'
Internal struggles must be conquered on one's own.
“Haha. But thinking about it again, I guess I'm pretty amazing after all.”
Weapon let out a boisterous laugh.
“I'm the guy who went neck-and-neck with Saki on written exams back in our school days, aren't I?”
“That's right. You really are amazing.”
Weapon puffed out his chest.
“As someone who was Saki's rival back in the day, I can say this: she really is a terrifying individual.”
“I know.”
“No. Geomma, she's beyond what you're thinking.”
“Hmm?”
“You know about the capital relocation this time, right?”
I nodded hesitantly.
“Yeah. It caused a huge fuss. Most reactions are positive, though. The public is actually saying the assemblymen are earning their tax dollars for once.”
“The timing of the assemblymen openly clashing with the nobles. And the political maneuvering to quickly unite new supporting factions. Resolving something so quickly amidst these turbulent times, regardless of party lines... do you really think that was thanks to the assemblymen?”
...Ah.
“You know Japanese Prime Minister Saki Hina recently invited a large group of nobles residing in South Korea, right?”
“On the surface, it was presented as fostering diplomatic friendship with a neighboring country……”
“Why at this specific timing? This isn't a coincidence. It all came from the mind of one person.”
Weapon tapped his temple with his index finger. His lips pulled back into a wide smile.
“Compared to Saki right after we enrolled, it's a complete transformation. A girl who used to do nothing but sleep and eat yanggaeng... to reduce her sleep and mobilize all her usable manpower and resources.”
“……”
“To think I once competed with someone like that makes me feel proud all over again. She's practically the mastermind pulling the strings of Northeast Asia from behind the scenes.”
“Weapon.”
I stood up from my chair.
Weapon shook his head as if he had expected this.
“Go on. You should express your gratitude to family when the time is right. The moment you take them for granted, you turn into a real bastard, Director.”
“Hey... thanks.”
My throat felt tight—the same me who had just served satisfying payback to his subordinates.
“It must have been classified information, yet you shared it so readily.”
“You would've figured it out soon enough anyway. I just moved it up by two days or so. Either way, hurry up and go.”
I turned on my heel. Weapon stayed in his seat, sipping his cafe au lait. As I took a step forward, I murmured toward his back.
“You're a more incredible guy than you think.”
Weapon didn't look back. Biting back my embarrassment, I continued.
“Just as you're proud to have competed with Saki... I'm proud that you're my friend.”
“……”
“I'm off. Don't push your subordinates too hard.”
With that, I left the cafe. Isolated from the academy bustling with festival preparations, the cafe fell quiet. Only the sound of a single person sniffling softly remained behind.
And so, amidst various positive expectations and excitement, we welcomed the memorial service.