Chapter 199 – Succession Ceremony (1)
152PSacrifice.fI2v
s8uThe crowd doesn’t understand the weight of those two simple syllables. And yet, they demand it from heroes.ZnxK
FmfoTY7They expect a hero to devote their life to a noble cause, and they take it for granted that said hero will be willing to give their life for humanity.YrLl
oql4AThe more famous a hero becomes, the heavier the word — “sacrifice” — presses down on their shoulders.cUIEE7
dbuSo then, how much must a Hero of the Seven Stars sacrifice? And is the price of that sacrifice worth it?NZ9DYC
RyiS9iKSaki Kojima pondered that question for a long time.FooQh
Yp7oAnd strangely, when he was younger, his answer had been yes. Of course, it was largely thanks to the influence of another person.c0g
nzfZplA‘Shouldn’t someone bear that burden? And since we’re at it, isn’t it best that it be us? What’s with that why me face? It’s obvious! Because we’re the strongest! We can endure it better than anyone!’tVd7S
LDU51That’s what Alice Louise once said during their school days at Joaquin Academy, proudly flexing her robust muscles.ZVD
LOXhJAt the time, Kojima thought they were just empty words.5Y1
6Ov7mdAfter all, anyone can say something noble. What matters is whether they follow through.N2JCd
R5KcIVBut Alice did follow through. If someone needed help, she went — no matter how dangerous the place. She always led by example as a hero. And that conviction didn’t waver, even after she married Kojima.LCyYVg
I1TKojima wanted her to stay home, but Alice shut that down with a fierce glare.r6tb
nOXkXvI‘Say that again, and we’re getting divorced.’CC0wMDh
KNNeQ…And so, their life together carried on without incident. At least, until that day came.6WCBlMQ
YS27YForty years ago, the commander of the Sixth Legion, Basmon, suddenly appeared near the Gate of Gehenna. At the same time, the seven most powerful heroes of humanity were summoned. They would later be known as the Seven Stars.HBOsWF
EJLzJtaThe biggest problem was where Basmon had emerged. Demons grow stronger the closer they are to the demon world.ybw7
k3iWThus, the plan was to lure him away from the Gate. Someone had to serve as bait to draw him out.GG6K
80PmIt was a suicide mission — to face the Sixth Legion commander at full power, divert him without being detected, and lead him to the battlefield. And it had to be done alone.sgGcdL
v1Rt1z3If two or three people went, the risk of Basmon noticing would rise.kfCaqJ0
wLoFr‘I’ll go.’nQmttR
9TDTSiegfried volunteered without hesitation. Someone had to, and he believed it should be him.bJm0v
hX2LTeGOthers could take his place, sure, but the odds of success would drop significantly. At the time, he was considered the strongest human alive.4Q8wt
hQVRichard of Mura protested fiercely, saying he would go instead, but most agreed it should be Siegfried. They feared Richard’s impulsive nature would ruin the plan.Om3s5
pTzQbESo everything seemed decided.4EJz4
rLcHBefore dawn, while the sky was still pale, someone visited Siegfried’s post.57ocrhq
HQer6q‘I’ll go, senior.’has7k
ou7GAlice appeared, her eyes resolute.yIdnKx
cN2b‘I’m a tank. This duty is mine.’SJV
tWaasYASiegfried frowned and shook his head.IY7Pqgm
vQ6‘I can’t send a comrade to certain death.’ArcEpx
pLgrquV‘You’re saying that because I just gave birth to our third child, right? I get it. I appreciate the concern, but tell me this what happens if you die? Then the whole plan falls apart.’Z8aA0
dY6‘Even so, I can’t let you go.’jpEPuB
soLZjbXSiegfried was firm, but Alice insisted.6R1hh
4NAUUfm‘I was called here for this very reason. If you go in my place, you’ll be interfering with what’s rightfully mine. Let me do it. We both know this is the best way to minimize losses.’oFid
q4Q40r‘……’qoehv1
CPIvkSiegfried fell silent, his expression dark. Because he knew. He knew Alice was right.ErAZTh
SGj‘…Does Kojima know?’3BbK9
TfiU8qAlice gave a bitter smile.huGxnE
kww9O‘Of course not. If he knew, he’d do everything in his power to stop me.’lju4m75
0XGhE2C‘Even if I don’t say a word, he’ll resent me for it.’GYF
Zvv0l‘I know. And deep down, he knows too. He knows I’m the best suited for this. But he doesn’t have the courage to say it.’7oVp
xWo0voThen, Alice looked up at the pale sky. The darkness was beginning to retreat, and the sun was rising.DnUW5S
lwpZaThe moon and stars that lit up the night faded from view.iYshZTm
AxlyJust like those lights vanishing with the dawn, Alice was ready to step aside. There was no bitterness in her.Ecv
WlA1LOnly duty.0hr
tlez8j‘This is the only way to avoid an even greater sacrifice.’T4HH
dEyHer decision, though heroic, was selfish to those around her — especially her family.ZHaEn
KenBut in her mind, there was no other choice. Because she was a hero.V556UGn
XB6CIZAs sunlight brushed the earth, Alice silently murmured.OAw1B
MnI‘Kojima is a hero too. I’m sure he’ll understand my decision.’ov44XY
XJGD***6OMH
EmkoE“What did you just say?”SQi6h3
Sz3NThe voice, brimming with rage, didn’t come from the Swordmaster—it came from Changseong. He stepped forward with a heavy stomp and planted himself in front of Kojima, frowning hard.7ZFG9AY
2GRfy“I’ll ask again, archer. What did you just say about Nibelung?”cbtx
RR8T“Has Senior Changseong grown so old that he can’t hear properly unless things are repeated?”hvyn
EFNKojima replied with a scornful tone.vZnJ
wpnsvzF“Senior Siegfried looked like he’d lost his edge. I said it clearly.”CUNI
ONoH0v“…You insolent bastard… So you’re trying to step over your senior now, huh?”Ps3xd28
hPvYGP“My, since when were you and Senior Siegfried so close? You two snarl at each other just walking down the hall. I don’t think you’re in a position to be angry on his behalf.”A2SdtH
1ijb4Changseong didn’t respond to Kojima’s sarcasm. Instead, he threw a punch. Kojima, as if expecting it, pivoted clockwise to dodge.lOVy9
NIZgJ5bChangseong’s brute strength was unmatched, but his style was direct and predictable. A powerful hit didn’t mean much if it could be dodged.MnRw
v5EHowever…71f
71oZRPThud!DCwX
pR9ZChangseong grabbed his left shoulder. A hand as large as a pot lid gripped him tightly.KvoWwN8
Ds2cZD“Enough childish games, archer.”s2NI
Sr5AChangseong stared down at him coldly, then spoke in a low voice.NXOA3
ASn“For Alice’s sake, I’ll let this one slide. But grit your teeth—unless you want to replace your whole jaw with implants.”Q19a
tkgPVsJust then, a figure in green stepped between them.z6RDk
c3kIBoom!RbISK
asx9cPA thunderous impact rocked the room. The force kicked up dust and shook the chandelier loose.wpS
TCDrY5VChangseong’s fist stopped just short of Kojima’s face. A slender hand had caught his wrist mid-air.6pLObm
bAd“Gorilla, that’s enough. Kang Geom-Ma is here. Did you forget our promise? No one would cause trouble during the interview.”IQSR
zqSMedia let go of his wrist. Only then did Changseong lower his fist.g74Ul9z
HiZ“I got carried away. Sorry, Media.”MJsLHQ
o0r7l“Then act like it. You always pull something and then apologize. I’m sick of it. And you…”KEAqkD
FyzT7qYMedia turned to glare at Kojima.BNk0Zcq
vgqV“You, brat. If you speak like that again, I won’t let it slide. Today I’ll chalk it up as a misunderstanding, so leave while I’m being nice.”4uNr36
hJ3T2D“……”j4PlU3V
FZCD8V“And let me be clear from now on—don’t go near Kang Geom-Ma again.”b3J
dXCrKojima stared at her, then turned away. Before leaving the room, he cast a sharp glance at the three of them, then walked out without a word.kyxdfmy
FvJLsK7The tension eased—for now. In that slight calm, the Swordmaster approached me.eqb
gCOHis face was stiff, tinged with discomfort. No doubt he felt ashamed for setting a poor example as an adult.0xhs7qR
ztAHe broke the silence with a sigh.XVgb
LMQg“That was shameful. Sorry you had to see that.”H1PY0
KX6iDJust as I expected. The predictable response.N9hAoAl
572nI replied casually.Fwf0
toYuh“It must’ve been very frustrating for you, Swordmaster. Being told that to your face.”5oy
MAaG1Jt“Ha, don’t worry. I’m not a child who flares up over words.”kjkvh
Yx2His face finally relaxed a little. Then he looked toward the door Kojima had exited and asked me.WRoqYpi
b58k“From your perspective… did Kojima seem like he truly hated me?”1agQ
CmxxfKw“To be honest… yes. He looked at you like you were his worst enemy.”J7B
rY4AQve“I see. So that’s how you saw it.”zi9CBGG
v5Z6His voice grew heavier.Z0yym
VV3N“Kojima may hold some grudge against me, but I doubt he still hates me that much. He doesn’t like me, that’s true… but the one he truly despises isn’t me.”w4xevqv
RaINkD0“……”Dn3m
N4di“The one who angers him most… is himself. It’s called self-loathing. He still can’t accept the decision of the person he valued most. Because he always tried to see the world through logic, not emotions.”8WoR0
x7xHU0Self-loathing? The decision of someone important to him?MqX
G19Without context, I couldn’t make sense of it.c0A
s2c3oSince I didn’t respond, the Swordmaster seemed to come back to himself after a pause. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.gYKcN
yPHp“Geez… I guess I’ve gotten sentimental with age. You must be tired. Go rest. The succession ceremony is in three days, right? You’ll be too busy to breathe. Get some sleep while you can.”L80
DT7Is***lOWoSVZ
JuDW7GlNight had deepened. Back in the dorm, I lay on my side facing the wall. No matter how much I tossed and turned, I couldn’t fall asleep.dQeZxM
2D71uI felt unsettled. Everything that happened earlier weighed on me—and above all, the upcoming “succession ceremony” kept swirling in my mind.mhuR4
vEcSRI turned and stared at the ceiling, tracing the yellowed spots that had built up over time. It had already been over two years since I came to this world.vK5TD
Ts4uFI retraced each memory. Just a couple years ago, I was slicing sashimi. Now, in three days, I’d become a Hero of the Seven Stars.E6zlj
BOPWhen I first entered the academy, I never imagined this. Back then, I was just trying to survive, with no particular goal. But from now on, I had to move forward carrying the fate of humanity. My “self” alone no longer fit within that vessel.1Qlm
655NIt wasn’t about whether I could or couldn’t. It was a duty.js42225
HJtLOQ1“……”QnE
J3zEThen it happened.GJM4H
IxyYBzzz—OlAQZ
jp5kpI3The phone on my desk vibrated softly. I carefully got out of bed and went to check it.jXRiX
PJAck[Hello, Kang Geom-Ma. My name is Vixbig. Given the urgency, I apologize for getting straight to the point.]x74yn
DlMThe screen lit up again.Gvk
lwi[Ryozo has disappeared.]OH9m8M
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Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaThis prime Minister is starting to make his move he is just pain in the ass.
nothingjkps
Mortalbuddy theres a clear reason give as to why he acts the way he does.