Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4)
tBYZThe night grew deeper. The cool dawn breeze fluttered between Ryozo and me before fading away. Despite the cold air, our conversation flowed effortlessly.tE6SDd
Du9kqI’d started listening to Ryozo’s story almost unintentionally, and even though she spoke with an impassive face, what she told me was heartbreaking. It was comparable to my own story as an abandoned orphan. Just by listening, it was clear that Ryozo, in practice, also lived without a family.BvBO0xf
Snt5iL“…And that’s how I ended up completely alone in the family. But later I found out my mom had simply left me. In Japan, it’s not that uncommon. There are cases where parents just vanish and leave their kids behind.”jaZVI
9q7VOUmRyozo’s feet crossed under the bench as she spoke. She didn’t look at me. Throughout the whole conversation, her eyes shifted only between the sky and the ground.Pkk8Sp5
lNvRHK“And even so, that Jeokgung guy insisted I had to become one of the Seven Stars. Can you believe it? My mother had vanished overnight, and the only thing he had to say was that. Does that make any sense to you?”rUZ
CmRV“No wonder you had a nervous breakdown.”Scdo
Y6M“Right? Honestly, back then, I just wanted to shoot an arrow right between his eyebrows. But since I couldn’t do that, I practiced by picturing his face as the target. That way I never missed.”VDVN
1hLmGiRyozo let out a small laugh. I just gave a quiet murmur in response.xbUdtTm
4bLShe said she pictured her father’s face as a target—what was I even supposed to say to that? If I added anything, I’d probably end up sticking my foot in my mouth.I9Or
ilj1mkg“Hina wasn’t like that before, you know?… It’s kind of embarrassing, but as a kid, I used to follow her around and even called her ‘big sister.’ But Kojima, that man, encouraged competition between us, and eventually, it ruined her personality.”z3pB
efQ“What I’m curious about is why your father is so obsessed with making one of his children a member of the Seven Stars.”eTniK
27Zp“……”El7ps
Ox24pgRyozo fell silent for a moment. With her gaze drifting into the void, she slowly replied.g0veJ8R
PDC“Like I said before, that man has many wives. I think it’s five, if I’m not mistaken.”HVbN5xa
x3tKIn this world, there are a few countries where polygamy is allowed. Under the justification of creating stronger heroes, men can have multiple wives.OQoz
oVIhgvIt was a scenario made possible by the existence of a shared enemy to all humanity demons.1xY2wGD
Bx7igKAfter all, superior genes were considered vital for the survival of the human race.6UK3Nl
4QxGbskBut in the end, it was just another excuse in a world trying to stay logically consistent with its own system.2jYGqH2
reaIt was the classic “protagonist privilege.” This world was practically designed for one man—Leon van Reinhardt.sdhif
fGAehaThat marriage system, so out of step with my sense of normalcy, existed solely so Leon could reach his harem ending without moral conflict. And Jeokgung was one of those taking full advantage of that regressive system.6ayBhk
z0DrKcJStill, even within that context, Jeokgung was an extreme case. The norm was a maximum of three wives. But he had five. That was completely abnormal.o3lFUWB
Qvk5Five wives. For some reason, I felt both shocked and dizzy. But what Ryozo said next left me even more stunned.gPquz3
0uO“And that’s just the living ones. If you count the one who passed away, it’s actually six.”kBI92
6uwQSix? Was he insane? Jeokgung Saki Kojima was no ordinary man.3NIl
pAHpRyozo kept talking.5XFj7Fc
1ub6S“The deceased wife… she was the only person Kojima truly loved. Her name was Alice Louise. She was one of the Seven Stars, known as the Iron Warrior. Does that ring a bell?”tKE
ZWZ7“If she was one of the Seven Stars, then…”DoFIq
sHio6“Exactly. She died forty years ago during the operation to eliminate Basmon. It happened right after they lured him from the Gate of Gehenna into the military base. You probably haven’t heard her name—history class barely mentions her. I only know because she’s family. Otherwise, I’d have overlooked her like any other in the group.”xqQ4aYj
sIjH69A spark of emotion flickered in Ryozo’s eyes.s8kBGIc
Cz8ng“Kojima, that man, he’s furious at the idea that the person he loved most is being forgotten. And he believes it’s because she wasn’t the best of them all.”PAz4Qgh
ISUc“……”GrNI2Ml
JeGYi“I know what you’re thinking, Geom-Ma. ‘What do you mean “not the best,” so she gets forgotten?’ It sounds stupid, right? But after losing his first wife, Kojima went insane for years. Even if he seems normal now, inside, he’s completely broken.”sKh
WjU4JThe image came to mind of sashimi restaurant owners drinking soju like madmen after a breakup. Some had lost their partners, and it took them ages to return to normal. Losing someone you love changes you deeply.Y4uO3
80wN“I’m sure that guy wants to find a replacement for Alice Louise among his children. The other wives and relatives are just tools for that goal.”rXVHX
7JzUjThe death of his first wife had shattered him, and when he saw the world beginning to forget her, he searched for meaning in the darkest possible way.qGpCCCj
oZ8O7HZ‘He seemed like someone calm, with a serene gaze…’DujK
3xGBut his thinking was on another level. Is that what they call “a madman with innocent eyes”? Seriously though, how does he have six wives? Is it just because he’s handsome? If you look at Leon, I guess… yeah, that’s enough.6AWwd
tjBFDvoA stab of defeat made me sigh bitterly.A21g
ztiZo“But anyway, setting all that aside…”PFuzli
Wa4Ryozo looked at me silently. Her gaze told me it was my turn. Time to tell everything.eA8Q2d
bTi5gK“The real reason I became one of the Seven Stars…”91LIx
qAKdBFVI told Ryozo everything that had happened.sqD4vqo
x9ZThe subjugation of Corps Commander Agor, the purging of Elder Cladi, the incident with the villain alliance.LUWaNNa
AEAtjDwDespite all that, the circumstances had forced me to keep everything hidden. That frustration was what led Jeokgung to propose the Seven Stars succession to me. After several months of reflection, I accepted. That’s the summary.hl4cnt
00klRyozo listened carefully. Even her legs, which she’d been swinging back and forth, came to a stop. A calm stillness lingered in the air.gmm
HtJ17n5I swallowed. Just as the silence was beginning to feel heavy and I was about to say something, Ryozo opened her lips.6alqNRz
p0m“You’ve been through a lot.”SkZd0gU
GRP36GOHer voice was quiet, spoken in her usual tone.YOc3S9
HhZOLKIn that moment, a lock of her sky-blue hair brushed my shoulder. An autumn fragrance tickled my nose. She was hugging me.WHt7e
8csCThe situation took me completely off guard. My mind went blank, frozen. I couldn’t move. I don’t know how many minutes passed like that.0tLx
In7mNeRyozo slowly pulled away. Her face was slightly flushed.n6t
6sWrF“Don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t do that because I got caught up in the moment.”L8ej
GRl68w“……!”aomVGr
1ODjU“And well… congratulations. Regardless of my personal feelings about the Seven Stars, you, Geom-Ma, you deserve it. At least now they won’t look down on you just for not being noble.”rJip4JI
Wi5UxDV“T-thanks.”wx4MY
Ljz“And one more thing…”1yR
F0X6Ryozo hesitated for a moment, then brushed off her clothes and stood up. As if nothing had happened, she began to walk away. But just before turning the corner, she glanced back slightly.3JfFZ
06A7lrH“I’m proud of you, Geom-Ma.”HjhZc
AhkWith that, she kept walking. The unevenly placed streetlamps lit her figure one by one. I stood there silently watching her go. That’s when my pocket buzzed.pVsHak
kUeXZ[♩ ♬ ♫ ♪]F0O
8CwCSuddenly, Vixbig started whistling suspiciously, like a complete pervert.I6VMP
F2OK6EK[My master had a moment of great bravery tonight. How do you feel about that?]wcaK
MgbU“I don’t know, idiot.”XkbER
4okE[In these situations, you can honestly say you felt ‘moved,’ you know? I, Vixbig, am an AI who fully understands human sensitivity. I can even guess exactly what you’re feeling, Geom-Ma!]CZo7C0
udvx“If I record this and show it to Ryozo, I bet that sensitivity of yours would disappear in an instant.”Hbm7eBX
Fz7LPF[…]7PEKd
uIXBI dropped onto the bench. What the hell was that, anyway? Ryozo just left, saying, “You’ve been through a lot.”G5X7u
HWD77wJI expected her to say something sarcastic or at least coldly brush me off. But with such an unexpected reaction, all I could do was blank out.2N9Dyb
9SC‘Congratulating me is one thing… but a hug? What the hell does that mean?’9PBt
8w8I leaned my head against the bench’s backrest. My scalp felt hot with blood rushing up.GAIY
KvWFI asked Vixbig,03RS
PKB“Why do you think she hugged me?”k7J9
G8pG[I don’t know.]NM1ocK
9547JCDamn it, is she offended?RoHEEEY
4FWS“Come on, Vixbig, the superior emotional-sensitivity AI with godlike efficiency.”lOFrI
xcBVSbR[Hehe.]ddYY
GWxE“You’re part of her family, so you must know something. Plus, you claim to have emotional intelligence. I know it’s weird to say this to an AI, but… I don’t really understand people’s feelings anymore. I used to, but lately, it’s like I’ve forgotten how to read others.”ULeoPP
x2Da[About that, Ryozo has mentioned it several times. She sometimes wonders if you might be a psychopath. She says you seem to have trouble with empathy.]Xe1co
KK8wI pulled out my phone. And my sashimi knife.gZT
lMFZS[B-but! According to my personal analysis, the likelihood that Geom-Ma is a psychopath is extremely low. I believe… you fall into another category. In any case, to answer your question… I recommend asking Ryozo directly.]tKjd82
hkfL“So basically, you don’t know.”Be5m
dDS0Sa0[I, Vixbig, at least have more emotional sensitivity than you, Geom-Ma. Honestly, you’re completely disqualified as a human being just for asking me this.]1HT
sVF“Ugh, I’ve had enough.”71maf
xrhI clicked my tongue and turned off the phone. Just as I slipped it into my pocket, Vixbig threw out one last comment in a distorted voice, like one of those damn systems from another novel.XGh
EX3UuT[Did you know? A bill to legalize polygamy was recently proposed in South Korea’s National Assembly.]KdAz4
xDxxhR2“What?”CDWsJu
xOy[They’re going with the flow. Even Korea, the land of eastern virtue, is hopping on the trend. It’s likely that by the time Geom-Ma is of legal age, it’ll already be officially implemented.]Ri1RNu
rT5yaw“This world is insane.”o4xVxY
d6jvq[Good luck to you.]MEK
9EN***AOSX
dFan9OPJoaquin Academy was bustling with preparations for the succession ceremony.nX8IoL6
p5d1DThe entire campus was thoroughly cleaned, and vibrant bouquets of flowers were placed everywhere.bEUe
X2cyRCAll of it was made possible thanks to the initiative of Changseong, the Vice Director of the Association, and the tireless efforts of the guild staff, who darted back and forth without rest.OTkW1
gTwjWR9In just four days, Joaquin Academy completed the setup for the succession ceremony—a truly astonishing execution speed.1bZMc
GSCThe students, unaware of what was happening, initially wondered if something unusual was going on. It wasn’t a festive season, yet the academy was being decorated as if it were.ibFaqX
fBPhBut as the saying goes, rumors travel faster than the wind. Before long, word spread that it was all for the succession ceremony, and the atmosphere among the students grew increasingly lively.5RD
Vcgl0LThe media began publishing reports on the arrival of important guests from around the world.aSEdfN
dAqJust looking at the guest list made it clear how grand the ceremony would be.Ah0x
7LMHeads of state, along with prominent figures like All Mute Khan Elizabeth, Mao Lang, Warrior, and even several Senior-ranked heroes were expected to attend.wiaK
8oIDuring those days, I was so busy that I could hardly breathe.RGhjr4
d5UEN90In fact, I don’t think I slept more than an hour or two each night recently.dRQRx
ppyCWgRehearsals for the ceremony, last-minute adjustments to the uniform I would wear that day, piles of documents to sign…pnJcJKZ
nkQ0aHiThe bags under my eyes practically reached my jawline, but I couldn’t complain.pf3n
ssTvi9I wasn’t the only one putting in the effort—Jeokgung, the academy director, and Changseong also stayed up every night helping me.jlCOX
VYqAnd not just them. The Association staff, especially Chief Sung, were on the move day and night as well.RqdW8
iuZIt was a nationally significant event, the first of its kind in half a century, and the academy, the Association, and the government were all working together as one.1YC89M
j4ObDThus, the first, second, and third days passed in the blink of an eye, and now, as the fourth arrived…i0l0BT
WRmaz.
.
.mZy3Z5
y8LThe morning of the succession ceremony had come.QhDMT
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Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaSo it’s finally here hero ceremony.
nothingjkps
MortalDidn’t mc say that hes emotionally numb and that his body doesn’t feel anything?so whats with the reaction?