Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: New Myth (2)
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"The Hero exists for purification..."
When he reached that point, Bulki closed the book. He shut his eyes and recalled the strongest foe he had ever faced.
Eden Sonain, the empire's former Hero and his master's master.
Lightning burning in flames, flashes of light, a desperate brilliance.
There had clearly been something like that in his eyes. Even in the very moment he breathed his last, extinguishing that light.
'Even if I die, my sword has been passed on to you. The Hero's fate is to guard the brazier. Please surpass that fate, new Sonain...'
Once the guiding star for everyone, he had corrupted an ancient tree in the Sun Forest, attempting to bring down the empire through the sun fairies, those otherworldly beings.
And as that man lay dying, he had claimed to pass his sword to Bulki, speaking of the Hero's fated duty to protect the brazier and the saintess-and the need to transcend it.
"What is a true Hero? How can one surpass fate and exterminate the demons? A Hero for the Holy Brazier, for the saintess who guards it. If I'must surpass that... then in these past five years, I've..."
The demon invasion, the shortage of knights, and the friend who died trying to stop the riots from discontented citizens. Bulki clutched his late friend's letter tightly.
The book he had just read stated that a Hero was one who guards the Holy Brazier and saintess, follows their own path, and passes it on. But now, with his own guiding star-his sword-extinguished and gone, what on earth was a Hero?
"All I ever wanted was to share a drink with my friends..."
A bitter loneliness made even the candle flame flicker unsteadily.
But just as fate refused to let the Hero Bulki live in shadow,
"Still here today, I see?"
The 3rd Knight Order Captain Hyeon appeared before him. Pretending to tidy up his books so Hyeon wouldn't notice, Bulki slipped the letter between them and replied.
"Yes. Bulki Sonain greets the 3rd Knight Order Captain."
"Ah, like I always say, I'm just Hyeon."
Hyeon looked pityingly at Bulki, who was like a son to him, then sat beside him and continued.
"I heard only the Hero's party is going for the investigation ahead of the Sional Federation treaty. With demon subjugation as the goal, you can't avoid needing help from other races, but not everyone truly welcomes them yet, so bringing knight orders isn't feasible, right?"
"Yes. When it comes to other races, we still have to watch the church and central office. Sometimes it makes me feel like even a Hero is just the shiniest trinket in the propaganda."
Bulki bowed his head, sounding like he was venting. Hyeon sat closer again, offering encouragement.
"But Sional already has ties with the empire, and the northern dwarves are friendly to us, aren't they? Excluding witches who live in the Somins' western forests cursing away, if you gradually unite these friendly races, the public will follow Hero Bulki entirely."
Bulki gave a wry smile at the word "Hero" and asked again.
"Speaking of which... do you know anything about curses?"
"Well, I know they're traded for sums that could topple the empire's economy in utmost secrecy, but I've never seen one myself, nor are there records. They're so secretive and cursed, after all."
Bulki tried to speak seriously to Hyeon, who tilted his head.
"What if there's a kind of curse we don't know about, one that doesn't leave records..."
"Bulki."
Hyeon reached out reassuringly and took his hand. Bulki's sorrowful eyes met Hyeon's, which held the same sadness.
"Calm down. I understand how you feel."
In that instant, Bulki saw the countless books reflected in Hyeon's eyes.
How many had he borrowed, searching for what was right and wrong?
The man who had pondered most deeply what the witch's curse was and what killed him spoke to Bulki.
"The knight who came to this hollow archive stuffed with nothing but knowledge every day, borrowing these books most often... he was more than a comrade to me-he was like a son. Now we have you, the Hero."
"My friend has been branded a criminal. He tried so hard to protect the people, but now we can't even say his name. No matter how much I say it, no one... believes me. It's like everyone's conspiring to forget him, fading from memory bit by bit."
By imperial law, Bulki and all knights were forbidden from mourning or remembering criminals. As Bulki's eyes welled with aching longing for the friend he had sheltered, Hyeon, wearing the same expression, turned away and spoke again.
"Family or friends, isn't grief just between those who've lost them?"
Hyeon couldn't hide his choked sob and forced the words out with a groan.
"Let's just... miss him quietly, very quietly."
Bulki understood his heart. Perhaps like him, the three knight order captains his friend always spoke of in the dorms were the ones who missed him most-the only ones who had acknowledged him. And so, the archive filled with the grief of two knights.
"I'll sort the remaining books and hand them to Phil Sub. By the way, heading to Sional for diplomacy might get you the info you want."
"Pardon? What do you..."
To the flustered Bulki, Hyeon smiled kindly once more.
"Haipoji Mountain, the ceiling of the eastern continent right next to Sional, is said to be where the Holy Brazier was forged. Whatever our knights seek is probably there too."
It was like words that gently burned, pushing away all the archive's darkness.
"Yerutsa Rahav... the place where knights' swords were first inherited?"
"Yerutsa Rahav, the mythical land where all gods and mir gathered."
Bulki now had his direction.
To exterminate demons by uniting other races, transcending fate to become a true Hero. The answer to how lay at Haipoji Mountain, where fate began.
This very moment was the start of what would later be recorded as the new Hero myth. Of course, it was also the moment the princess's plan restarted-and Bulki meeting his criminalized friend again was...
a bit further in the future.
***
"Bulki, care for a spar?"
"Saint? Why me, when you're the strongest in the 1st Knight Order besides Lady Riu?"
Saint Holden wasn't even looking at Bulki on the training grounds; he was honing his sword. Of course, each punch unleashed a ghostly gale that battered the cavern-like walls here.
"What's going on? You've always trained calmly alone..."
Saint had stripped off his thick upper armor, revealing muscles covered in scars, wearing only his spiked greaves and fighting gauntlets as he assumed a martial artist's stance.
A chilling wind blew again.
Bulki realized the strange aura he'd sensed in the training grounds was Saint's rage.
"Just... want to vent some anger today."
"Ah, then the dummies over there..."
Whoosh! Boom!
"Huh?"
Before Bulki could even stance up, Saint's kick sent a deep green blade-wind-like moss in an ancient forest-from his greaves, obliterating all the dummies.
Why was he doing this all of a sudden? Bulki stared back and forth between the shattered dummies and Saint, too stunned to speak properly.
"Hup!"
Suddenly, Saint closed the distance like a forest shadow, ducking low for a spinning heel kick.
"Kuh!"
Bulki twisted his waist to barely dodge, but the follow-up spin was impossibly fast.
"Hep!"
"Stop!"
But Bulki was no pushover either.
He caught the swift, heavy kick aimed at his waist and hurled Saint far away. Saint flew a good distance, flipped in midair, and landed lightly, declaring firmly.
"Draw your sword, Bulki."
Saint cracked his joints with a series of pops. Flustered, Bulki asked again.
"Saint, I don't know what's happening, but you know I'm heading to Sional soon? It'll be a long trip, so we both need to stay safe, right?"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Kwaboom!
This time, invisible winds flew like cannonballs, slamming past Bulki. The stone steps shook violently.
"That's exactly why, Bulki. No chance after today. I know firsthand that you, trained directly by Captain Riu, are unmatched in martial prowess except for her. You've got talent. Last year's battle with the ashen wolfmen, and before that single-handedly wiping out the undead horde from the eastern beaches due to plague-they prove it. And we've spent the same five years."
Saint wore a strange expression. Bulki didn't grasp its meaning but felt an odd familiarity.
"But now, no matter what anyone says, you've got a Hero's prowess in combat. I acknowledge you between us. But others... I can't accept."
"You've never sparred for personal reasons before. Why now? You're scaring me."
Bulki asked, truly baffled. No wonder-the sudden, surging killing intent from Saint was overwhelming.
"Ah, fair point. That's not my style."
Saint spat his next words and turned the training grounds into the eye of a massive storm with indiscriminate attacks.
"But right now, I want to beat you to death!"