Chapter 157: The flower that bloomed with death (2)

After burning all the slime masks, Yuri’s group entered the royal castle of Joachim with their hoods tightly drawn.

Joachim, having successfully repelled the continental invasion, was immersed in a festive atmosphere.

Yuri muttered in annoyance as he pushed through the cheering crowd.

“Do we really have to see it?”

“Of course.”

Yuri only wanted to return to Briol, but Jose had insisted on seeing the statue that had been erected in the center of the castle, so he had no choice but to come back.

Jose smiled with satisfaction.

“That statue was put up because of us.”

“Not because of us. It’s for Hopper and the three brothers.”

“And we are them!”

“But nobody knows that.”

“We do!”

“Yeah… I guess.”

That’s how they arrived at the entrance to the plaza where the statue stood. Jose commented:

“I’m excited. I wonder how they portrayed us…”

Jared nodded.

“Now that we’re here, I’m nervous.”

“Right?”

Inariel, on the other hand, kept his distance, arms crossed with a clearly indifferent expression.

“I don’t feel like looking at it.”

“Why not?”

“It’s ridiculous they sculpted you.”

“Deep down, you think it’s cool, don’t you?”

“Not at all…”

People were already gathering around the plaza. Among them, a gray figure stood at the center.

“That must be it.”

“Yes, that’s it.”

Jose and Jared ran ahead. Though he said nothing, Laurent also walked quickly toward it.

Yuri, left behind, sighed before heading toward the statue.

“I have a bad feeling about this…”

As he approached, the statue’s shape became clearer.

Yuri lowered his head and couldn’t help but laugh.

“Pff…”

He couldn’t lift his gaze.

“What the hell is that?”

Jose stared in disbelief, and Jared simply collapsed to the ground.

“That’s supposed to be us…?”

The statue was terrible. It didn’t resemble their real appearances at all.

It looked as if their bodies had been absurdly inflated and given generic faces.

Lou and Javid at least looked somewhat similar due to the beards, but Hopper and Yubi, who didn’t have such distinct features, looked like entirely different people.

All four had stern expressions, but the whole composition was ridiculously absurd.

Jose murmured in shock,

“This can’t be… our mythical struggle turned into a joke…”

Yuri shrugged with a smile.

“The war just ended. They probably made it in a day. You can’t expect great quality. I bet the sculptor didn’t even know what our faces looked like.”

“I can’t believe this…”

“This is an insult… an insult…”

Laurent, now composed, stood next to Yuri and nodded with a resigned air.

“It’s disappointing, but there’s nothing we can do.”

While they were completely disappointed, the reaction from the rest of the citizens was quite different.

Many prayed in front of the statue, others left flowers at its base.

“Dear three brothers, please help me pass my exam…”

“Lord Hopper, please help my family’s business thrive…”

“I wish my son could have the virtue of Lord Yubi…”

The wishes varied. Some were even asking for things one shouldn’t ask of a volunteer militia, but in the end, that’s how prayers worked. Yuri decided not to make a fuss.

Then someone spoke to them.

“Did you come to pray too?”

A man with thick blond curls approached Yuri and addressed him.

“Ah, yes. And you are…?”

“I’m the sculptor who made this statue.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

He pointed to the statue with a smile and said something rather odd.

“Try praying in front of that statue. Your wish will come true.”

Yuri looked at him suspiciously. The statue already seemed sketchy, and now this guy was telling him to pray? Suspicious.

He looked like a scammer.

Yuri glanced at Jose. His face was starting to twist.

If he didn’t intervene, someone might end up dead, so Yuri tried to break the ice with a smile.

“Hahaha, praying to a statue makes wishes come true? Do you really believe that?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

The sculptor nodded seriously and even clasped his hands together.

“The truth is, the more you pray, the closer you get to your goal.”

“And what’s that based on? Those four were heroes, not gods.”

“I see you don’t believe. Hehe… Then, shall I tell you a secret about them?”

“A secret?”

“Yes. I know the truth about those four.”

Not just Yuri, but the whole group turned to look at the sculptor. Did he know about the slime masks?

What was he going to say? Everyone waited intently.

Inariel, however, still didn’t seem interested at all.

Yuri asked.

“What’s that truth?”

“Well…”

The sculptor placed a hand on his chest.

“They’re not heroes.”

The whole group stared at him grimly.

“Eliminate the witness…”

Jared murmured under his breath, and Laurent quickly covered his mouth. Yuri asked with a trembling voice:

“If they’re not heroes, then what are they?”

“The truth is…”

Everyone held their breath.

The sculptor declared.

“They’re human.”

An anticlimactic conclusion. The four’s shoulders sagged in relief.

Yuri retorted.

“Well of course they’re human. What were they supposed to be? Elves?”

Inariel looked at him, but Yuri ignored him. The sculptor laughed.

“Hahaha, I didn’t mean it like that. I mean they were ordinary people. But even being human, they became something more. Something we call ‘heroes.’”

“But you just said they weren’t.”

“It was a figure of speech. They weren’t born heroes, but they became them. They must have worked incredibly hard to achieve that. Day by day, through blood, sweat, and tears.”

That was true. Yuri’s group seemed a little less tense. The sculptor’s voice became firmer.

“So then, where do you think that strength and perseverance came from?”

“Where?”

“From here.”

The sculptor pointed to his chest.

“From the heart.”

“From the heart?”

“They wanted, day after day, to become stronger to protect Joachim. The power of that desire is immense. It can change the world. And in fact, it did. Wasn’t it thanks to them that Joachim changed?”

Yuri was moved by the sculptor’s words. If he replaced “Joachim” with “Briol,” everything aligned with his own story.

Thanks to superhuman effort, he had come this far, and recently, he had even defeated Yalta, one of the Ten Greats.

All thanks to his desire and dedication.

“So, praying is…”

“Yes.”

The sculptor spread his arms.

“If someone has a desire so strong that it makes them pray every day, they will inevitably move closer to that goal, even without realizing it.”

“Ah…”

“I’m not denying the heroes’ achievements. I just want that by remembering their steps, we also give our best in each moment, as they did.”

“So that’s why you invited us to pray.”

“Yes, exactly. And through that prayer, we’ll discover what we truly desire deep within.”

Although they had initially felt suspicious toward the sculptor, after hearing his explanation, the opposite sentiment arose.

That sculptor was, more than anyone, someone who truly understood the heroes. He smiled at Yuri.

“That’s why I made this statue with that feeling. In honor of the four heroes.”

“Wait, I have a question.”

But Jared, still not entirely convinced, raised his voice.

“The face looks kind of off. Are you sure those faces really represent the four? Didn’t you just make them up?”

“Well…”

The sculptor smiled.

“Yes. You’re right. Those faces aren’t real.”

“So you made the statue without even knowing what they looked like? Don’t you think that’s disrespectful?”

“Maybe. But those faces were a deliberate choice.”

“A choice?”

“I collected the faces of the native inhabitants of Joachim, and from them I extracted the most average face possible.”

Yuri and the others thought about it. It was true. The statue’s faces were completely ordinary—like the kind you’d see on any street.

“Instead of representing the actual heroes, I wanted to use the faces of common people. I wanted to convey that anyone, if they truly work hard, can become a hero.”

The more they thought about it, the deeper it felt. Even Jared’s expression softened.

Yuri spoke.

“Mr. Sculptor.”

“Yes?”

“Give me your hand.”

“Haha, of course.”

They shook hands. Yuri said,

“I’m impressed. Your statue holds deep meaning.”

“I’m flattered to hear that.”

“May I ask your name?”

“My name is Smith. Just an ordinary sculptor. Hahahaha…”

“Smith…”

Yuri committed his name to memory.

“I hope to see your statues all over Joachim.”

“I hope so too.”

“I’m sure you will.”

Yuri began planning to make Smith the representative sculptor of Joachim.

He intended to sponsor him under the name of the Elaine Guild and display his statues, infused with his philosophy, throughout the cities of Joachim.

“For the future of Joachim.”

Even though they had won this war, Joachim’s future would be full of thorns.

The Empire, having lost many troops, wouldn’t retreat so easily. That’s why the people of Joachim needed something to give them hope—like this statue.

The statue of the four fallen heroes, created by Smith, would uplift Joachim’s pride and patriotism.

“Look over there.”

Suddenly, Smith pointed behind them.

“Hmm?”

They recognized a few familiar figures.

It was the second generation of recruits who had trained in Briol, now returning to the royal castle. They looked like beggars, but their eyes gleamed with determination.

“It’s a new unit that just finished training. They say it’ll be a special unit, like the Alloy Brigade.”

“I see.”

“As long as there are young people like them, I believe Joachim will never fall. Because they are all heroes.”

“I agree.”

This time, the guerrilla war had been fought near the royal castle due to the unexpected invasion, but next time would be different.

The Alloy Brigade was now firmly established in the forests around Joachim. No one knew where their traps or arrows might be.

To the Empire, Joachim had become a terribly bothersome neighbor.

“Well, shall we all pray together?”

“Yes, let’s.”

Yuri’s group joined hands with the sculptor and began to pray. They weren’t alone.

Numerous citizens of Joachim joined in.

The death of the four disguised heroes was becoming, for the people of Joachim, the wind that guided them into a new era—a symbol of patriotism.

***

While the deaths of Hopper and the three brothers—fabricated by Yuri’s group—were uniting Joachim, the deaths of Yalta and Graham were causing the opposite effect in the Empire division.

“Yalta is dead? Yalta is dead!?”

Emperor Ivar trembled beneath his mantle, seated on the throne. Though he had recovered from the poisoning, the aftereffects left him shaky and with a vastly different temperament from before.

He kept muttering.

“What to do about Joachim? I must kill those arrogant, shameless people. But Yalta is dead… Yalta…”

It was then a servant announced the arrival of a visitor. It was Crown Prince Eugen.

He approached the emperor, bowed, and said,

“Your Majesty. We’ve deployed troops to the border with Joachim. Just give the order and we’ll advance.”

“Yalta is dead…?”

“Yalta was just one of our cards. He wasn’t that valuable.”

“Hmph…”

“If we do nothing, the Empire’s prestige will crumble. We must punish Joachim severely.”

“Really…?”

Ivar fell into a trance-like state.

Eugen pressed on.

“If you give the order, we’ll mobilize a much larger force this time. The Knights’ Order will bring the king of Joachim to his knees.”

“Hmph…”

“Your Majesty?”

“Why would Yalta and Graham fight each other…?”

“We don’t know.”

Ivar held his head in both hands.

“Graham…”

Eugen commented,

“Sending Graham as commander wasn’t a good idea. He’s a great knight, but too narrow-minded…”

“Enough.”

Ivar interrupted him.

“Leave me. I wish to be alone.”

Eugen looked at him for a few seconds and nodded.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

He withdrew.

Left alone, Ivar curled up beneath his blanket and murmured softly.

“Hmph… Now that I think of it, what if it wasn’t Joachim who poisoned me, but another country…?”