Chapter 43
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: An Ordinary Daily Life is Strange (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I straighten my appearance.
I tidy up the stray hairs poking out and adjust my crooked tie. I slip into the uniform tailored perfectly to my body and lace up my shoes. The regulation cape, meanwhile, is getting a thorough ironing from the maids' busy hands.
This kind of treatment was something I'd never experienced before—always awkward, something I'd rejected from the very first moment it was offered. But now, the maids were frantically primping me up, insisting there was no way I could go out like this. It was downright terrifying.
Whether it was the uncomfortable outfit or the uncomfortable occasion ahead, my body creaked with tension. My hands trembled slightly, and my feet in their shoes kept tapping the floor restlessly.
The send-off ceremony.
It had been postponed under the excuse of my growth, but now it was right upon us, with only thirty minutes left.
- Arsius, are you ready?
The voice from beyond the screen was so calm, I couldn't detect any difference from usual.
"Not yet."
- Pfft!
"Why are you laughing."
- Oh, come on~ Why are you so stiff? It's just a send-off ceremony~
"You're the weird one for being so calm about something like this, aren't you?"
Seren kept giggling, teasing me relentlessly over whatever she found so amusing.
- Ahaha~ You're an adult, but you act so cute~
"I'm not."
- You're not~
I pout my lips for no reason, letting the maids drag me this way and that. Looking in the mirror, I don't seem any different, so why are they all so frantic? I can't even resist their urgent hands.
They usually kept such strict decorum and distance, which had hurt my feelings a bit, but now they were rolling me around like they were grooming a pet before taking it out.
Having been at their mercy since morning, I let out a sigh and close my eyes, utterly exhausted. Who knew swinging a sword like mad, blasting magic, and building strength would feel easier than this?
As I close my eyes and sink into thought, the busy hands fussing over my clothes finally stop. Only one hand remains, wrapping around my tie to finish adjusting my outfit.
"The uniform suits you well, Arsius."
I open my eyes at the voice right in front of me, coming from chest level.
Seren beams as she fiddles with my tie. She smooths my epaulets unnecessarily and straightens my collar.
"Seren, what are you doing here all of a sudden...?"
"Hmm~ I just got curious what you'd look like, so I came without thinking. Ahaha..."
Seren smiles sheepishly and steps back a bit. Now I can see her properly, and she looks neat and tidy.
The black priestess robes, rare to see around the Evgenia Temple, contrast sharply with her snow-white hair. A faint light emanates from the cross pendant around her neck.
"That suits you too. I didn't expect dark clothes to give off such a holy vibe."
"Huh...? Don't praise me out of nowhere...! Ughhh..., anyway, you're ready, so let's go!"
Seren's face loses its relaxed smile, replaced by flushed cheeks and shaky pupils. She turns on her heel in a fluster, grabs my hand, and pulls me outside.
Outside the waiting room, the others—who were already prepared—greet us.
"Hero, why's a guy taking so long to get ready...? You didn't put on makeup, did you?"
Sio snaps at me irritably, dressed more formally than usual. Even in his uniform, that swagger of his is impossible to hide.
"I'm not the one who took long to prepare... This is tough on me too, man."
"Ah, whatever. Hurry up and get to the front. You're the hero, so you gotta lead the way, punk."
Sio comes over and shoves my back. Lissroom, the twins, Seren—everyone's looking at me and nodding. Seren slips behind me with a gentle smile.
"Arsius, it's time to go. Relax."
- We are confident that we can drive out the darkness from this Pretoria.
From outside, the sound of an ongoing speech reaches us. The emperor's voice, usually gravelly, carries unprecedented strength, and the path ahead is bathed in bright sunlight.
- All citizens of the Empire who have suffered until now.
I—we—step forward. The speech grows louder, the presence of countless people palpable. I hide my trembling hands behind my back.
- Now is the time to vanquish evil under the hero's protection and reclaim our peace.
"Oppa, it's okay. No need to be nervous."
Puer speaks softly.
- With the Saintess, the Sword Saint, the Magic Tower Lord, and the Divine Archer at our side.
"Hero, isn't it fascinating? That people's faith can be forged so easily by the eloquence of an emperor like that."
Even now, Lissroom's eyes sparkle as he comments.
- I believe this is the time to fill the world with light.
The emperor's final words unleash a roar of cheers from the crowd, and we step out before them.
My expression gentle, my posture straight.
Just as we'd rehearsed countless times, I maintain my image and give a light wave.
The vast crowd below looks up at us, and I look down at them.
Despite the imperial grandeur, their ragged, haggard appearances can't be hidden. They gaze at us endlessly.
The moment I see them, the scripted lines sink deep into the back of my mind.
"I'll save you all."
That's all I say.
********
The dream I'd had after so long reflected my pure, untainted self from back then.
Everything in the world deserved salvation, all evil had to be punished, and those pitiful people staring up at me endlessly were all good souls.
I recalled how firmly I'd clung to those beliefs.
Of course, my convictions haven't changed much even now—but it was naive, foolish, a laughable view that saw the world only through rose-colored glasses.
At least I had the power to make it happen back then. That's some consolation.
Lost in those thoughts, I slowly open my eyes.
The sobbing near my ear sounds so heartbreaking, and the voice is so familiar.
I open my eyes fully and look at Sihyun. I reach out and stroke her hair.
"Oppa...? Sniff, hic. What is this...! You said it wasn't dangerous, so why are you the only one...! Hngg...!"
"Hey. Looks like I didn't get hurt bad enough to make you cry like this~"
"Don't joke! Do you know how serious it was when you first came out...? Everyone else walked out fine, but you were carried out covered in blood. Are you insane... sniff, sob...!"
Her eyes are all puffy. Guess I worried her a lot.
"I'm fine. See? Alive and kicking. I told you, I'm not gonna die."
"I don't care... I'm going to the bathroom... My makeup's ruined because of you, ugh...!"
Sihyun clenches her fist like she wants to hit me but can't bring herself to, lowering it repeatedly before storming out of the room.
As I talk with Sihyun, I notice the other two people who've been silent.
"So, not Yuna—who might you be...?"
Someone from Luna Guild? Her face is a bit fuzzy.
"Um... I was with you in the gate, you know...? Kim Jiyeon, healer from Luna Guild...?"
"Ah, sorry."
I should've talked to her in the gate besides Yuna.
"No, it's fine... This is our first real conversation anyway. I'm your assigned healer, Hunter Ansiu, that's why I'm here. Gotta monitor your status, and now that you're awake, I need to fill you in on anything you're curious about."
"Oh... Thanks for that. So, am I totally fine now? And how much time has passed?"
"Time-wise, only two days have gone by. As for your condition... Hmm. To be honest, I thought you were a goner in that gate. The amount of blood you lost was insane."
Why scare me like that? Hurts my feelings.
"So we started emergency treatment right from the gate... But wounds like that shouldn't heal this fast. Why are you so healthy already...?"
She tilts her head repeatedly, her face full of confusion. I can't help but chuckle.
"Ahaha, guess my body's just tough~"
"Hmm... You took hits in an S-rank gate head-on and you're calling yourself 'tough'... And you're an A-rank hunter...?"
I laugh awkwardly and turn my head away.
"Well... I can keep your secret, but have you ever thought about joining Luna Guild? We can compensate you for this gate incident, of course, and offer treatment befitting someone of your caliber."
She asks cautiously, glancing at me slyly. Was that her real goal? Perfect timing with Sihyun stepping out.
I have no intention of joining a guild, so I need to decline. She already offered to keep my secret—how do I turn her down cleanly?
"No."
A firm voice cuts in. Yuna, who'd been sitting quietly beside me, glares and continues.
"Siwoo said he's not joining any guild. Don't approach him like that."
"But... Hunter Ansiu. We're the top guild in the country..."
"No. He's mine."
"What do you mean 'he's yours,' you bitch."
I haven't said a single word, and here she is answering for me, getting mad, and spouting nonsense all on her own.