Chapter 391: The Unfathomable Abyss (4)
jQtNAOn the screen, the heads of state shifted their eyes nervously. Even though they couldn’t see each other, their pupils rolled as if they were waiting for someone else to speak first.asplU
b0YPym‘They look like elementary school brats. They’re all thinking “you say it…” while nudging each other.’mi7LCy
JrneThe longer one spends in politics, the stiffer the mind becomes, and the more childishly one behaves.W5LDN
oehGyom(Mr. President, I don’t mean you.)PLmP2l
jeNbAAnyway, that’s how it is.iMKVntX
MVXpThe silence that had settled over the room showed no signs of leaving.SzGKg
LYE01mPThirty-two faces, but not one dared to open their mouth.jdYJZ5
B97—— ……MKuu
Ltb—— ……EXpFF8
3YNrLhI started to get impatient. I raised my voice a little.qXlR2i1
AoGy“Are you going to keep rolling your eyes forever? Do you really want to disappear from the map completely?”B3YPZa
Nd88It was a joke. I’m not that irrational.5LD
5r7“……!”RoWuEC8
JIXAnyway, they all flinched just the same.JbW
riUPpAfter a brief moment, the gazes converged on one point. Had they rehearsed it beforehand? How did they know where each one would appear on the screen?rV3
6gjHNaturally, all eyes went to the center. The President of the United States. Because he had been the one who dared to issue an ultimatum to Altair Auditore.AoAi
TVpVv—— Heavenly Sword…bDuZC
cg8He forced the words out with difficulty.U0GTrd
9xc—— …What you just said is quite problematic.AcEw
YBIJust as I thought, his breathing cut short. He gulped air, swelled his diaphragm, and stared straight at me. The static of the connection distorted his face, making the features shift erratically.ZgfAv4q
yWZh1Pa—— No matter how much this is a family in the shadows, they cannot stand above international law. Therefore…1dqlf
TZjxguv“You may run your mouth, but at least say things correctly. The Auditore are not officially a shadow family, but a family of order. And even now, yes, we can transcend the law as many times as necessary.”mRvJs
j2Ax0—— Not as many times as necessary. That prerogative is only recognized when the position of the other party is clearly established.hp2n4
Z4QY7“That position is going to be pulverized very soon. The only thing is, the Auditore are in the process of verifying it, and that takes some time.”8LWY
4Xz—— That verification process, in fact, is a subsequent process, Heavenly Sword. And the accused is Chloe Auditore da Sicilia.ttJV
ob5“Accused?”AgYXVk
8M0—— …V3oFEd
NbWThe static spread dynamically across his face, as if he were changing expressions dozens of times in an instant.BNdE
jWi—— Chloe Auditore has already attacked more than fifty government institutions across different countries. And all within just a week. This is considered a flagrant act of aggression.JxlYmG3
e8Pb6XThis American president was younger, and perhaps for that reason he had more backbone.vpaYx
9Y6FHis predecessors usually resigned long before their term ended.24C
rUgsFor “health problems.”OGq
USs0In reality, they were just collateral damage, crushed between nobles and heroes.78tei
DDq9jwThey ended up stepping down of their own will when their body’s alarms could no longer be ignored.EAkn
TWOZL2So, in the last election, the citizens voted for someone stronger and firmer. That dark-skinned man who was now staring at me.cNIN
gs5O8ml—— Furthermore, in today’s society, only two organizations can exercise supra-legal authority: the Auditore and the other.0Wb
gdQbTtThe president clung to the momentum of the situation and spoke more forcefully.S0UrlkB
vrOB—— To quell this international controversy, both organizations must be in agreement. Has that ever happened in history?PJI
LhfHe said it with airs of superiority. And the other leaders, at last, began to smile with confidence.TClEBj
Atsl2History and experience are a powerful logical backing. What hadn’t happened in centuries rarely happens overnight. Almost never.jzjo
4gpjHzQBut there was something they were overlooking.NTpS
jJ6‘That I am…’Qh9yq
q7rThe very one who tore down that thick wall called history.1Kp
KaX6VStep.lOf9
PdGfUOCI took a step forward. The sound echoed. The heads of state fell silent at once and grew serious.Ua5YeSU
edCyk“So, if the other organization with supra-legal authority approves, you won’t make a fuss… is that what you mean?”24g
bEuO79—— Until the verification of evidence is complete, yes.dplvX2M
4oMatW“Don’t beat around the bush. Say it clearly.”sqI16
nswpnp—— Yes……K33fo
A5KzKld“Then perfect.”8VC05Eh
FACMI lifted my foot from the floor. They couldn’t see it, nor did they know I had been pressing it against a red thread. The Thread of Transfer. And they also didn’t know where this video call was being transmitted in real time.d66
X53— I agree.dgnEQ
XvfA5The deep voice rumbled, and the leaders were stunned. First they looked to our side, but immediately after, they looked at each other. Once again, the center of the screen shifted.kk1N4Z5
oELb4□□□□□□□□□□□
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□□ ■□□□□□□□
□□□□□□□□□□□
□□□□□□□□□□□RxCrA68
hMLHtSuddenly, a new frame appeared. The screen, once divided into 32, now became 33.z8u
t4Z— Wha…? How did it breach security…?!CGRxW
rTo19— This isn’t a public server, it’s exclusive to the OECD!b0lZA
taSAThe face of the new participant grew suddenly, filling the center. He shoved the President of the United States and all the others to the margins.q3g
GLCR□□□□□□□□□□□
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□□ □□□□ | □□□□ □□
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hi20e5A middle-aged man. On the screen, he seemed to be in a cabin, chopping firewood, but in reality he was someone who ruled above the law.zdHZ
riIkMl— I.jNq2
k8DC3wHis voice echoed among the thirty-two countries.YTtc
0z7R0— The Empire shares the will of Heavenly Sword.ibg
kshIbsBAnd on the screen, he gave me a smile.BdkU
JCs***9qD
RPMb7Do you remember Garyeon, the one from the Consulate, and her abilities?MZQ
D7W7RHer hearing was like that of a bat. Just like when she clung to Kang Geom-Ma like a vampire, Garyeon’s hearing was truly superhuman. And on top of that, she possessed the Blessing of Transmission.uUJ
GhiOMDmOf course, that didn’t allow her to cross national borders. Much less continents. For that, one required the Awakened Blessing of Transmission, which she didn’t have.1PXpq
G0JwkJIf she had been alone, it would have been impossible.16Y3OPF
nBaTOwBut Kang Geom-Ma, while heading to the conference hall, released his presence through the Blessing of Transmission.QgOxO
N4tUxLThe distance traveled was no less than 2,000 km. A feat only possible thanks to the Awakened Blessing.8EYMlw
gVHGaryeon perceived it with her unique sense and understood that it was Kang Geom-Ma. She relayed it to the Emperor as if she were receiving a direct signal. (And in the process, she nearly exposed the closeness between the Emperor and Kang Geom-Ma, but in the end it was resolved—or at least it seems so?)tkuw
y6UUTlvThanks to that perfect collaboration between Transfer and Transmission, the Emperor was able to break into the meeting.b84W0H
3Hmzu‘Authority against authority.’YOh
CYbAs expected, with the Emperor’s appearance, the complaints died down.WhDRwtu
GFXasuFrom the very beginning, what the American president had said left a mark, and no politician in the world would dare raise a finger against the Emperor.rJd4W
4t2oLTQEveryone had to stay silent and switch off their screens.f0oKU
tZd6mAs the faces of the old heads of state vanished one after another into blackness…KabCi8b
66gc— I’m counting on you.ZRg
OMX9xEWith those meaningful words, the Emperor closed the transmission. Kang Geom-Ma felt uncomfortable, but soon erased any trace of it from his face. Then he departed hastily. His destination, surely, the Joaquin Academy.L0EnVMc
Npk7oFlavia lifted her gaze toward the trail Kang Geom-Ma left as he disappeared amid thunder. She was still shaken by the impression of having seen him.hbl
u6eOIHw“Flavia.”v4hbDj
0HrkVNrKnox’s voice pulled her back to reality.3SUiS5M
V6wpY“Ah, yes. I’m sorry.”Tnu80c2
lF1ZqKnox’s mask shifted with a faint tic. He was smiling. But, contrary to what one might expect, he shook his head.w8uqQU8
GWcbYbK“It’s not something you need to apologize for. Almost everyone reacts like that the first time they see Heavenly Sword. It’s fine, be as astonished as you want.”uCT
lPAx“…I’ll regain my composure soon.”ZYjri1d
sz7l“If that’s what you wish.”Vt6Lx
z2P5Knox sighed with relief. Then Flavia hesitated, but asked.nLyRKk
Bg9“How exactly did Heavenly Sword get the Emperor to cooperate with us?”azvRN
RkIeDT“Not even I know.”XqGMKyY
r2HShe hadn’t asked out of mere curiosity. She knew her brother had had a deep relationship with Heavenly Sword ever since he had stormed into his life at eighteen.NfRt
QYlDMq“Well, it’s only natural to think about it.”nS4WYJv
OyiGv“Why? Do you want to dig deeper?”4vN
pqPRLTo“I’m sorry.”ixLz
qF3de“Haa… Still, for me, that memory is now a medal.”W3V
qF74IbIt had already been ten years since they mockingly called him “First Blood Knox.” A decade, enough to erase that ridicule.VnNOPq
CRd7oghHeavenly Sword had become the absolute hero. And who was the first to taste Kang Geom-Ma’s blade? Knox Auditore da Sicilia. A name that would go down in history.x9ldL
IOu8DdFirst Blood Knox. First Blood Knox. Damn it.8O96c
em0rCY“…Brother, why are you crying?”JI4d
Dtv6“It’s saliva.”yIMnIKa
sNxpR“Are the salivary glands next to the eyes, perhaps?”Kswg65
fx0aG“Flavia. If you analyze everything, it loses all fun.”vXdBoa
PEZ‘What’s not fun is the way you talk like you’re in a historical drama…’M75Es
K4S5She thought to herself, but stayed quiet.WUJ0Ad
mxMcwQBack to the matter.fEtTD
zP2“It’s known that there have been conflicts between Heavenly Sword and the Emperor. And even so, the Emperor supported him. I don’t understand how.”ORSbSXK
HWhRfvX“Flavia.”tyWm
bBC“Yes?”LFc
OhAnBefore responding, Knox lifted his gaze to the sky. With the Blessing of the Raven, he confirmed that Kang Geom-Ma’s trail had vanished. After making sure, he brought his mouth close to Flavia’s ear.ped
C5cY“Almost all of Heavenly Sword’s threats are real.”jVwE1uH
rSpkyn“Do you mean when he said, do you want to disappear from the map?”0v54c
XFGAtl“Silence. Listen carefully.”X2oKSqX
kweHYMo“……”6jks
LYMlkShe swallowed.L10
rMwWrY“When he was seventeen, Heavenly Sword went into the Japanese prime minister’s hospital. Do you know what he did?”93j
iSPgMaFlavia didn’t know. She had been barely ten years old when it happened.zvbkPk
EpqHdnN“He stabbed him in the stomach with a sashimi knife.”0qjQ
OZBg“Excuse me?”nvR
oH6“Without hesitation, he stabbed him.”1EIU6C
fTrC4“Absolute Archer… but back then the Prime Minister of Japan…?”sjY
L44aE“Heavenly Sword, or rather, Kang Geom-Ma, didn’t care.”KeUxpH
TmGvehKAh…VKVa9
IjxVyF“It wasn’t the only time. Later he traveled to Antarctica to see Victor Poison.”5TGxhc1
IHPThe father of the Hero Association and father of the Poison sisters.Hplrz
sfVJiA“Don’t tell me…”TBpi0
OR6T“Yes. He stabbed him too.”4tE
VSlSKo“…Incredible.”shb
Q3h“Heavenly Sword is like that. He doesn’t care about rank. If someone doesn’t listen, he eliminates them. That’s how he uses his sashimi knife in his own land.”yyQUs6
Pjc“He is… someone astonishing.”ZeX2tBJ
p38The heat in the air dissipated. Knox stepped aside a little. Flavia thought for a moment, and suddenly a flash of realization struck her temple.wUzLvy
KXeS“The Emperor too…?”nqdVqH
eYLzb“Probably.”mYHg
Q1DEo0Knox lowered his mask.hvt
ZmO2z“Besides, if Heavenly Sword decided to destroy those 32 countries, the Emperor would lose power too. He appeared to prevent that.”2BOHIC
6YM“B-but then… Heavenly Sword is like a Demon Lord.”ljUl
g8G“Kang Geom-Ma is that kind of man.”WSc
P7p2iYThe stars shone in the sky. Twilight over the Mediterranean was brief, and as night fell, the stars glittered above them.rXkVeAy
4fjIK“For the sake of harmony, he doesn’t mind becoming a villain.”Q5BfJF4
zpXj“Then he’s not a hero.”EqlUc
YhbL“No, he never has been.”3SayA9
gfR9DKnox said it smiling, with the stars reflected in his eyes.WY4
YSS“And yet, even for us, the Auditore, who live and die in the shadows… he is light.”DvD4
eCvALsDLike the stars in that night sky.dcu9
cH8hTrH***cFQrT
bJmAAs soon as I returned to the country, I left everything aside and headed to the academy.Pb8xzF
wEefZIn the laboratory they were washing clothes. The graduate students had to take care of the professors’ socks, an event that repeated every other day.bo82j
5ps22Ignoring the laments of those modern slaves, I arrived at Meian Poison’s laboratory.EvB63E
8Hb940y“Professor.”XssZ9J
16m2x6I forgot to knock on the door and barged right in.mffe
THub4W“Ah.”cX0px
cdKRMistake.vFS
v9VMeian Poison was right in the middle of her metamorphosis.CnBP
enFQUnlike her sister, whose Blessing consisted of making the target younger, Meian’s was different—she could change her own appearance. It was more direct and powerful, but it had its limitations.C0VxD
3eebVThe process took about an hour. During that time, she was completely defenseless. She couldn’t have a single thread of clothing on her, otherwise the Blessing would be interrupted.i3MLygM
x44P“Oh.”blUPx
q7mwvPMeian covered her lips with both hands. In that situation, shouldn’t she be covering another part instead of her mouth?CJ0
MP4C“A lucky sukebe?”kKSSdLY
pMyuQc“…I’m sorry.”YEJisb
WYDv“It’s fine. I was changing back to my original appearance to receive a guest anyway. If you came for something urgent, sit down.”TOhEo6
dUqCxTMeian covered herself with a velvet cloth hanging from the back of the chair. It didn’t even look like clothing. Rather, it gave the impression of someone caught halfway between undressing and dressing.xDSY8
fm9HvB‘If Ryozo or Abel saw this…’aJBle
vV3QnMy neck hurt just thinking about it.kOH4f
lre0Y‘No. I have to get out of here.’AYPIi
9Se“I’ll come back in an hour.”NAS
VFy“Eh? Wasn’t it urgent?”CZJ
Wfo0“I think I should talk to Ryozo and Abel first.”gWK
6uhVKU“Oh, that makes sense. Although…”MOUn
mubOKzTap, tap, tap, tap.x67Vc
kMPCkThe footsteps of two people could be heard. The rhythm and cadence were very familiar to my ears.Xdr0BT
zS5ilv“In fact, I had an appointment with them.”48H
GVgTClack!Z7He43Q
Nt4TThe door opened, and an icy wind struck my back. I turned my head stiffly.mB03hp
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