Chapter 388: The Unfathomable Abyss (1)
VCVmrrI thought about acting on my own, but Ryozo stopped me. She said that if I had just gotten out of the hospital, I couldn’t go around brandishing a weapon. With that sharp look she gave me, I ended up yielding to her authority.X0PslBb
kf60iuThinking about it for a moment, I realized that for the Prime Minister, that was actually the direct road to hell. As always, Ryozo was completely right.6YMAKN
lvdARather than become her enemy, I’d rather beg for my own death.Svars7
5O1UUa***iRv6Ml0
utZzRFrom the impression he gave me, the Prime Minister wasn’t a villain. If he were, Choi Seol-Ah would have realized it long before I showed up.oYz
GCbYoR“The Prime Minister must just be a middleman. Normally, middlemen tend to stay in the gray area, so I figured he wouldn’t be a villain.”1Bu
bxSlUMYRyozo, watching the Prime Minister in profile as they put the cuffs on him, explained it to me.qStvZ
swt“The supposed connection between the military installations and the villain cells was actually just an assumption. The important thing was to find, among those who can move the armed forces, the person with the strongest motive. That was the key point.”VL6
uSFXThe Prime Minister was very popular among the citizens. He was registered in the Do You Know Club. His political position was solid.y7zaEuV
LtVtrMIf someone from Earth saw him, they’d probably find it strange.byUrKt
NUza9QOn Earth, the president is the supreme authority, but here, heroes exist. The president and the prime minister monitor each other, sharing executive power. For an Earthling, it’s a somewhat peculiar power structure.BLLDr3
eoUx3I don’t know all the details, but I think it’s due to the peculiarity of this world—the existence of “heroes.” The president is elected by the people, while the prime minister is chosen by the heroes and has a strong image of being appointed by the nobles.y3M
dcI3This Prime Minister was a special case—he enjoyed a good reputation among the nobles and also great popularity among the citizens. Arresting someone like that would bring me enormous opposition. And if I did it for personal reasons—oh, shit.ATmKF
J5tMirBefore getting into the police car, the Prime Minister shot me a sidelong glance.iOe2
Cws4UIn his trembling eyes I could read several emotions—fear, despair.FnpJ
ysfm4NS“It won’t be a life worth living.”DV733
zPf9xbRyozo said it with absolute coldness.pPRLG5
vgN“I’ve already spoken with the minister—the process of gathering evidence will be made public in real time. Just with that, he’ll want to die. And, on top of that, he’ll live with the constant fear of not knowing when the Villain Union will come to kill him.”vYsFG
fgBeShe was right.5Qe
fZA“I think the opposite of expectation is anxiety. Just like the emotion you feel before an ending, I think death works the same way.”XHlPiv
ddFB“…”CC5vexP
ISNhtxX“The worst punishment you can give is to make someone live tormented by not knowing when they’ll die.”bP6Y6x
epVx1That was Ryozo.r4QAS
taw7Yu“You may think it’s excessive punishment, or that it leaves a bad taste in the mouth, but given the current public opinion, it’s the best option.”dXY
9Fy“I know. Thanks for always thinking of me.”CKajTu
JfFMy smile made Ryozo form a small one of her own. I smiled too and looked away.C20WeXW
IoPOMmm.OJYMRg
tvj2wWatching the Prime Minister’s back, I let out a sigh. And no, it wasn’t just because a member of the Do You Know Club had fallen—though, actually, yes. It was painful. That someone who had raised Korea’s prestige turned out to be a traitor—rather than anger, what I felt was pure disappointment.8Ze
BAy“Then we’ll proceed with the transfer.”C36zh3
7ZVlvCThe Minister of Planning and Finance informed us with a forced smile. With those half-closed eyes and uneven beard, he wasn’t exactly someone I’d trust at first glance.JHujU
f6ftCI“Yes. I’m leaving it in your hands. I know it wasn’t an easy decision, so thank you, Minister.”dUuh
hHqcmV2“Hehe, thanks to you.”pNs6T
5mmbgThe police took him away and we watched as the red and blue lights receded. The Academy members passing by began to murmur, but the secretaries from the director’s office, as if they’d foreseen it, quickly contained the commotion. Just how much had Ryozo calculated in advance?urtWij0
dc0Shortly after, as the tension began to dissipate, Ryozo spoke again.nsgGfkE
Wvi7“At first glance he seems like a sycophant, right? But the curious thing is that the minister didn’t ask me for anything at all.”qmErVL
1jk0“Giving him the pretext to bring down the Prime Minister must be the greatest gift for him.”rHImb3M
ciEyC2“…!”9ex6LV6
F93Ryozo turned to me in surprise.2znYE
uB9Ycq“Did you study on your own while you were in the hospital?”LjhB
iHeV“No, but you know what they say—old dog that lives near the school learns poetry. Being by your side has taught me and made me realize a lot of things.”Cu59v6
WB2“Hmm… I feel good, but also a bit uncomfortable.”xawuMq
LjiYOL“And why’s that?”QlEuteU
pXwWRyozo hooked herself onto my arm. If it weren’t for the curious stares, it would have been a pretty heated scene for broad daylight.GS9m
nN9She stayed close to me for a few seconds and then spoke.hlXiSm
QeCl“It’s just that I want to be useful to you, Geom-Ma, even if it’s in this way. But if in these things you also do everything yourself, I feel like my value as a person is diluted.”snYOVl
pKPJT60“Ryozo.”Z7Mb
lYVI moved her back a little and took her by the shoulders. Her torso trembled slightly, and that tension traveled from my hands to my heart.panrwH
3L4vH“I don’t like you or Abel for what you’re worth. I like you just because. You don’t need to prove anything to me.”SB8f1Uw
LzMLhUI knew Ryozo’s past. She grew up under Saki Kojima’s constant testing, having to prove her worth to survive. Because of that, she even had to part from her mother Cynthia.DlBfg
OcA7qi“The day we went to the dungeon, you told me you didn’t like the Seven Star heroes.”Ept
CbIuYg“Yes.”yB1
wOiXgG“I’m not like my father-in-law.”rx9
3mLRyozo looked at me for a moment and then threw herself into my arms. She rested her face on my chest before slowly pulling away.oiTs
ABJAd9“Even so, I’d like you to trust me more. To trust us.”lPIMrrh
aVFTn“I will.”YmxT2EE
nJNU8“Just words?”59TVS
0wb“Hmm.”sVv0F
kGuMEqAs we spoke, we headed somewhere else. Ryozo had a mountain of work and I also had to tend to my own affairs. At the very least, I had to show up at the graduate school after being discharged. And while I was at it, visit Choi Seol-Ah.SKwbsmE
Aq0vA“Trust me with something for real!”HypfMY9
0ElRyozo puffed her cheeks, demanding an answer. I scratched my eyebrow.GwBT
h5iiP“Then… teach me to play chess.”Zp1RzDh
uxlI blurted it out without thinking too much, but the truth was I wanted to learn. It seemed fun. However, Ryozo hesitated with an uncomfortable expression.nJwx7K
Kg4QUd“The truth is… I don’t know how to play chess.”1ufI
IuucZw“What…?”A8YlIIa
TcsVYeR“Then that earlier…?”jWNUqs
UEN0JY“I took and analyzed, in my free time, all the previous matches the Prime Minister played when he was still active. They were around 1,300 games. Even so, it only took me a second for each, so it wasn’t a big deal. Looking at them, you can see a pattern.”SsDKc
YiGi7d“You beat the Prime Minister just with the pattern? Without knowing the rules?”8wa8w9T
xfTyHBI was speechless. I couldn’t think of a proper comparison—it was like solving a hard math problem just by looking at its shape, without knowing how to add or subtract.njW
HpDWeL3“Finding the answer in prior material is my specialty.”jwg9Ao7
HZBCcW“That’s expert level…”IaVJ
i24MHC“If you ever face an obstacle that seems impossible to overcome, consult me. As long as there’s prior material, I can find the answer for you.”wxb
GQBx“Even if the odds are absurd?”ODs
bEpDqn“Yes.”Khn
z7LRyozo nodded with determination.aWs8j
5ZwAT5r“Even if they were almost infinite. If it’s for you.”MUmh
bq40***HLpsH
NY2It had been a long time since the so-called “golden generation,” a crucible of geniuses that might only be born once or twice in a century. And now, a new cadet had shaken up the first year.JrTPr
APFXbVAThere was no need to say who Chaerina was—publicly announced as the cousin of Kang Geom-Ma, the Heavenly Sword.ygPn
uHQFShe didn’t carry the “Kang” surname because she was related through her mother’s side. And judging by her looks, that part of her heritage also seemed maternal.YzERL65
OKjeWUUChaerina’s face brought together every element of beauty that existed. Kang Geom-Ma was a very handsome man, but in his case, his gaze slightly lowered his score.3qAiV3
NE1hhbShe, on the other hand, had black hair and black eyes, without a single flaw, with a face of flawless beauty. To that, she added overwhelming skill.f2U4YGe
TQhUAs expected from her family, she primarily used dual swords. Her skill was such that among the instructors there was a rumor she was the reincarnation of Abel, the Lady of the Sword.tJvho
s069P4For both the cadets and the staff, Chaerina was a subject of maximum interest.wnug
1Nluuw***ff2V9P
4kTk“Ah, damn it…”cJB6MS
5Q4wxxA male cadet shook his leg nervously as he stared at her. His friends laughed at his jitters.lpY5
d9ORYg“Hey, are you gonna start an earthquake with that shaking? Why don’t you shake your danjeon too while you’re at it?”BgIX47
hEze“Go confess already so she can reject you. What will you do if our precious Rina wears herself out from having to keep rejecting you?”ijR
vaa“Shut up!”Nx7
MVRWMThe boy ground his teeth.C45IH2
SU8“You think I like being like this? It’s because people confess to Rina every hour—it’s driving me crazy!”00h
magV“Not every hour—ever since the exchange with Parsy, it’s almost every minute. And you, Jaewoo, you just don’t want to lose, so you don’t even try.”rp8
EHDA6d“You wanna keep provoking me?”Lg8Xm
VR6DrD5His friend B grinned maliciously.tyNA97
mbjBKQ“Then do it. Act like a hero, not like someone shaking in fear that Rina will get a boyfriend.”N2Kp
GOPsG“Exactly. And careful—if you keep shaking like that, something else might fall off. To confess to Rina, you’ve gotta be a man.”sQf
by027“So what? Even some girls confess to her.”yHM
0dFLAn“Yeah, but they mostly do it to meet the Heavenly Sword rather than for her herself.”0lVz6
DIcyPG“Exactly.”Psp0
ZaTlRMaybe out of irritation from all the chatter, or to divert attention from his own nervousness, boy A suddenly blurted out:YO1S
hxntf0i“Honestly, even for a man, the Heavenly Sword is incredible. But he’s way too anti-noble, and that kind of bothers me. Am I the only one?”iFNt
4jcaYci“Yes. Just you.”qPthp
hDCxjVz“Wait—come to think of it… huh?”NwCr9
mLpGs6cA female voice?StR
LobVZ9MHe turned his head quickly. In front of him was Chaerina, her black hair falling to her collarbones and shining as if it were translucent.SgsFg1
TvrRgYsIt was as if she had teleported there. She looked down at them like they were the most insignificant lifeforms in the world.C6bRHg
uXqFL“You’re the only one who thinks that.”or1UnPe
tpB“I-I-I… Ri… Rina…” he whimpered, tears welling up in his eyes as he bit his tongue trying to speak.k5Nc
ZlfH5“This world is full of arrogant people who don’t appreciate what they’re given and only have pride.”oDRt3pS
8kjX98g“Rina…”Zopopch
ooI“That’s why I hate this world.”Qzj431C
r5rRyua“No, that’s not it—”uO5Z
hqgCwiSmack.0TL8Hr
pKm6NEveryone turned. Chaerina had slapped A, making his head turn to the side. In this world, where violence was an everyday thing, a slap was nothing.694XkZ
sRY2“And because I hate this world, I’m going to turn it into hell.”rXAQD
JrRRCShe turned on her heels and walked away, repeating her vow to herself.WD4U
oEKShw“I already turned it into hell once—this time…”iVYWU
UizdlIgnoring the stares boring into her skin, Chaerina left the classroom. Boy A touched his cheek with a stunned expression.XJi
G43“You okay?” B asked, glancing toward the door.KsAi
iFz“Wow… what a personality. Definitely the same bloodline. Hey, get over it already. It’s not like Chaerina’s the only girl in the world.”w8yE
eTylm0“But… there’s no one as beautiful as her…”n8k
MZ9NY“Idiot, that was just to comfort you—can you shut up?”JrRPj
QPFSaDIWhile B and C argued, A’s gaze was empty.QGJ
M6o7W“…I like her.”6qZ
OAtwAm“Wow, this guy’s stubborn.”mX6
ie2Ya“No, it’s just… I feel good.”GV8
h8lHuh? He feels… good?Mf7Yk
k3r“I feel good…”6kwpTe
6CD9“…Like my heart’s on fire.”4iKlXiC
CjC“….”zp3VQoC
2K9“….”2kCD
Gu8LFB, C, and the rest of the class slowly stepped away from him, as if he had a contagious disease.3BM
aFeUUnaware of it all, A muttered to himself,8XW
EXZDf“…Hell.”ZLnt9q
tjDMaybe it was his imagination, but in the instant he was slapped, he thought he saw that “hell” she spoke of.u38
nJJINA scene, through the crack of a door—a boy, looking like a middle schooler, being beaten.pSHhJmv
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Shadow Monarch
MortalDoes A student has hell looking mashocist habit 🤣🤣