Chapter 417: The World is Crazy About Him (2)
qKVi5YgAuditore da Sicilia.TRxe
6eOtUWA group in the shadows of heroic society.ffMq5N
uHQxCalled by many names, they were a family of assassins tasked with carrying out the internal purification of the corrupt hero society.jOCnzg
tXoEGFor heroes who fought hand-to-hand against magical beasts, they were both an object of fear and of repulsion.eAtYtH
CGByL0kThe reasons were many, but the main one was that they practiced torture. Their inhuman acts were tolerated under the pretext of being a “tradition.”6EKB6v
Yw1IFurthermore, due to a tacit pact between the founder of Auditore and Balor Joaquin 700 years ago, only Auditore had official permission to “torture” heroes.E1zS
ZWnAEh1There were various methods, but the most feared among the heroes was, without a doubt, the so-called heavenly space.BM3z
51iUpA curious name.EPGV
AuGxAnd the strangest thing was that it didn’t leave a single scratch on the target’s body. They were simply left there, in a completely white space.Qlv0KdJ
FkzTotal abandonment. Until the mind withered and collapsed.B34
VoJThe group in the shadows, Auditore da Sicilia.JE9g4
pRtGrhAfter centuries of research, they concluded that the most terrible and brutal torture was solitude.zltZj
L60***ztN
Qu7qGBTap.axYz8wH
5EtM5Knox’s fingers touched the glass and stopped.bKj
U0oRgAt that moment, he was inside the heavenly space. Not as a prisoner, but as a visitor.2wM8xeY
HBoa3Ns“…Chloe…”4epvd0
Zg6uh0NHis voice was broken, cracked. Through the glass, Knox looked at Chloe.hQRjZZ
9cqjnKShe was huddled in the exact center of the space, with a vacant stare. They were her eyes, the windows of the soul, but they didn’t reflect a shred of spirit.XTJguJ
W7T8p7n“I’m not at ease either, Knox.”BS8U
GKIkRBAltair Auditore was at his side.JDN
rsb0Knox controlled the rage rising to his head. His intention was to convince the head of the family, no matter what.ouRw
MsOpifd“Was there really no other way, chief?”6Kqy
jNhcQNa“You also know what condition Chloe was in.”WCeTTg
lDmkp“…But her condition improved thanks to the Awakening of the Blessing, with Heavenly Sword’s help…!”qoy13
MDmBecause of the constant killings, Chloe had reached the threshold of Blessing Awakening. Although it sounded grand, it was in reality a curse that devoured life expectancy.ijE
4todg3Even the Sword Master limited the time he maintained that state.bEIHKC4
bbaChloe, both physically and mentally, was still immature. If she was exposed to the awakening at such a young age, she would die before reaching forty.Yqoyuay
MQbAnd in that state, after what happened in Seoul, everything changed. While she was confined, she not only awakened the Blessing, but also as a mage.3ZoNetr
PQ85dA cruel joke of fate.3NAQoUo
VTfYAll at once, Chloe had absorbed the two most extreme supernatural phenomena in the world.nx75W
PAhnHer mind was crumbling in real time. She was constantly entering berserker mode.ZB1Sb61
LzanThat was why Altair made the heart-wrenching decision to temporarily confine her in the heavenly space.12k
7HeuIs Chloe destined to die young?4eBG
cSBz0Her health was also visibly deteriorating. Each time she writhed in pain, Knox’s chest tightened.nWJ
Eu0fAnd then, Kang Geom-Ma put an end to the Seoul disaster. Not long after, Chloe’s health began to improve, if only minimally.7tpSm
0y6xWpEBut there was no time for gratitude.94haMbv
DxsPh1“…Inside Chloe, a substance similar to a subspace is proliferating.”ellONK
wcWCfgEven Altair, when saying it, felt as if he were chewing stones with his tongue. It was too shocking, even after hearing it several times.ct71MGf
kUJUZAKnox’s hand, which was touching the glass, slid downward.f5u
oGyL0“Why… why is this happening to Chloe?”oN7
1RTiIcb“…I’m sorry. It’s my fault…”wHCoWsM
5PL06Knox didn’t respond.XaRYIz
CZibMzThe chief wasn’t to blame.exy
fpo7CThis was just a tantrum, a powerless scream against reality.iWx6L
EHuPpB“Even so…”BkLo
4Ru7gY6When Knox was beginning to fall into despair, Altair looked into his eyes with tenderness.Vwb
EHsqG“…It seems that a possibility has arisen.”70Ic
XW1El“…R-really!?”7Ph4
BI6y“The situation seemed absolutely hopeless, right? But you know what they say—the lower you fall, the higher you bounce. Knox.”vX9U
HBXrWKnox raised his head abruptly.Kal66m
gGH“What is that possibility? If it’s in my hands—no, even if it’s not—I’ll do whatever it takes.”X7pJ
DsGtdD“Don’t worry. As I said, the shadow covering Chloe was so dense that the sun won’t take long to rise. We only need to acquire one item.”MxY4d
CrXP5VL“Acquire? Then no blood will have to be shed.”CfvGcS
YkOXSAt that moment, he finally felt like he could breathe again. If it was something they could buy, it wouldn’t be a problem for the Auditore family, one of the richest among the nobles.zSIoIAG
o3N“I misspoke. It’s not acquisition… it’s an auction.”uH5i1
Pr2gE“An auction? Do you mean…?”jP8D
FvnRUt“Do you remember the Pertinax auction house?”flq
Q8bGGvO“Of course. The one where Heavenly Sword saved Horntail. And where Chloe also…”EJd
D37Knox looked to the other side of the glass and sighed. His breath fogged the surface.gw0pey
IjweLtX“…Yes, I remember. It was where she lost control.”hRT
jSsUZbC“Near there, a new auction house has opened. Rumors are circulating that they are going to put on sale an ancient tome that contains information on Blessing Awakening and magic.”z26NJ
R4t1w2D“With all due respect, I doubt the reliability of that information. If it’s in that field, it should be in the Joaquin Academy library.”kRBK
sHU4QMWSeven hundred years.amYtv
auOhThe Joaquin Academy prided itself on its long history and legacy.dOzmKm
Vwp“This comes from an organization with even more history than that.”DH7UW8d
N1c0“One with more than seven hundred years…?”g6Lqp
hSEVBgKnox held his breath.qnh
NHhP1XaThere was only one such place.u7Y9
zoWb“The Imperial Family.”NGSP4
90qFwwAltair nodded.LLk8
H6X“It seems you’ll have to go with Heavenly Sword.”jOd9
qOv1“…But he and Joaquin are now…”xQh
MdmVrG6They were busy preparing for the Commemorative Ceremony. It was tomorrow, if he remembered correctly.o1gmra
NaYDuo“I already told you, Knox. The darker the shadow, the faster the light arrives. Fortunately, the auction will be after the ceremony.”cF6AMRc
N9MAltair gave a faint smile as he looked to the other side.KIkZ2
qVFCAt his granddaughter, Chloe.p8GJH
YDbOuNUAged feelings were reflected in the wrinkles of his eyes, uncharacteristic of a hardened assassin.Dm2
0KTJVE“Even so, it would be best to make the request in advance.”XZXYl
spr***PXB
tXJP“Hey! How could you hang the lamp there?! Everything in the back is misaligned! Take it down and put it back again!”l2IL
9z4beUSpeedweapon shouted. His subordinates, who were up on ladders hanging lanterns on the trees, lowered their heads in embarrassment.8V6
eK4mh“That’s not the color that goes there!”bqjYNo
AQh1Speedweapon was personally directing the site. Only half a day remained until the commemorative ceremony.qQDM7
APNmOf all the people I know, the fastest and most efficient at working is Speedweapon.RUnMa
9hx7qt‘Ryozo is a goddess.’naxBXzB
Gd6FOThe academy director knew this too, which is why she entrusted him with organizing the event. Although in reality, it was Ryozo’s maneuver to exploit him thoroughly.GgKA
nHf2Look, I’ll say it clearly—Speedweapon is easy to handle. He’s absurdly diligent.djFU
BiTHkWhen Ryozo transferred total control of the event to him, Speedweapon’s face lit up with excitement. It seemed that directing an event at his old school had him euphoric. You could see it even in the tension weighing on his shoulders.UBNak3J
dAT“Speedweapon.”U2aqbxB
GQtbGG6I put a hand on his shoulder. Damn, so tense. As soon as I did, his hawk-like eyes turned toward me.S8z
x29xwpqHis tight features relaxed when he recognized me.UF6or
LfrR“Ah, it’s you, president.”KBHBNaP
DfEtp5u“And if it wasn’t me? What were you going to do, Speedweapon?”Pm5Ue2u
sePc08Y“Take it easy. This is an academy activity, and the association is just helping. No need to kill yourself over it.”gQRL8
1ND6NKb“No, no. Joaquin’s festivals have always had a lot of help from the association. And besides, the director herself told me…!”gMZc
hL8qHe pointed his thumb proudly at his chin.RGwxW
rBF27YB“She said that in the hands of this Speedweapon lay the destiny of the ceremony.”oH3D
0aD“That’s not exactly what she said.”59tHTZ
Utb“President, you know I’m a bit of a perfectionist, right?”EkGx3
DccoZ“Ha. There you go, running away. That only makes me want to tease you more.”qGUv
6yBf“And yet, in the academy you weren’t exactly perfect with your grades.”vH2yPO
D9qynO“P-president, you…!”5kkOzba
BqXThe stares settled on us. The association employees who were hanging lights stopped to listen. They looked at me with pleading eyes.velfu
ppE6‘Crush him, please!’oC3clO0
vbe7wk‘A dose of justice, boss! We want an ice-cold soda!’18GaxuN
ntwhyWith pleasure, I’ll crush him with facts.MBQNg
X6zD“Eternally second place.”WTk
1V1G“That was…!”beBM
UvWFT0“The king of almost.”uqD
ihQ“Argh!”kj89tkn
Vei“And that was when Ryozo didn’t even study.”HER72b
cVud“Aaaaaaah!”TPJ
GsFlfA cry of anguish exploded in the place. The subordinates cheered openly. You could tell they were enjoying it.Q29o
VmDB“We love you, Heavenly Sword!”Fsn
jZy“You’re the hero of our generation!”5Wdlc
BecZ“More, more! Hit him harder!”iBiQ1
xBlYO‘What a great reception.’yIR
ED6But better leave it there. After all, Speedweapon was the general manager of the event. I couldn’t leave him in shambles.rJ9
AOBYNFI took him to a café, while the employees followed me with eyes burning with fervor. Some even looked at me with reverent eyes that Abel and Ryozo would hate.gN982g
18mHIn fact, that’s why we left.e07GwIP
yuGpGfAnyway, after soothing his wounded soul with a café au lait, Speedweapon began grumbling.diQrWm
peRle“President, that was too much. Comparing me with Ryozo is cheating. How are you going to compare a heavenly with a human?”Obrfd
jCg“Sorry, sorry. But honestly, I think you’re also from the heavenly plane.”HKKB
LE86“Heavenly, me? Yeah, right…”Nu8T8zV
QgwjmBhWhile sipping his café au lait, Speedweapon looked out the window. Outside, students strolled around campus with faces full of excitement. Youth was in the air everywhere.PDX3T
mIaj9u“When I was a student, I thought I was going to be someone important. But then I went out into the real world… and I wasn’t anything.”gFJxml3
na4MRE“Come on, don’t be modest. You’re making great progress in the association. At your age, no one else has achieved what you have.”A8nKjg
LYZEkeJ“Yes, that’s true… but…”JE9BE
4T82DfSSpeedweapon gave a bitter smile.VbTGR
D2rThough the café au lait was sweet.Z9Wi
tCd5k“My classmates… my classmates, you know? Not to go far, Saki is the academy director, Abel is the queen of the social circle, Leon is a hero, Rachel is the new face of Lancelot. And you, president… bah, you don’t count, you’re outside the category.”3n4rVv
jqcxHmm.DNnkfo
xhCM‘So he also had his own burdens.’2Vgn3iW
Fc5h0Speedweapon is the one who keeps the mood. When things get tense among my old classmates, he’s always the one who speaks up to ease it. Thanks to him, the inflated egos don’t explode into conflict.U9r
N4HBut now I realize that maybe, for a long time, he’s felt left behind among us. As if he were the only one lagging. It wasn’t envy, it was anxiety.dyV8t
susUDThanks to you, we’re still friends.JzA0
7FG26But between men, this kind of words sound too corny. And I know he doesn’t want to hear them.U0fJVQ
JZZH6hUnfortunately, this is something Speedweapon has to overcome alone. Internal struggles—each person must solve them for themselves.FUN
vS7F“Hahaha. But come to think of it, I’m pretty amazing.”acXeeB
Wa7IdwSpeedweapon burst into laughter.HcA
1vEh“After all, I was the one who competed for first place in written exams with Saki during school.”aPy
zwHyq“Yes. That’s impressive.”sF05g1a
bGLR00jSpeedweapon smiled proudly.poL
RWY7Tn“And since I was her rival, I can say it with certainty: that woman is absolutely incredible.”i8xgyZG
lYo“I know.”meL9f
vwt“No, Kang Geom-Ma. More than you think.”agA1wRu
slkA“Hmm?”GOaobDK
jJzOQ“Hey, you know the matter of moving the capital is underway, right?”1luc4
doQI nodded halfheartedly.Mlzlgmi
rAg5ckA“Yes. It’s causing a huge stir. But most people seem to agree. For once, the public says the politicians are doing something useful.”Sh7hP1
Lu5JPz“The moment when the deputies broke with the nobility. And how they quickly consolidated new sponsors. Do you really think they did that on their own, in such a volatile and confusing situation?”u5Qhb
cCE…Ah.p68f8
NiZjtR“Did you know that recently Saki invited en masse Japanese nobles living in Korea, with her as prime minister?”hyLYOD
EiaBGtF“Well, it’s the neighboring country, I guess for diplomacy…”H1xeA
ENSwDP“Right at this moment? It wasn’t coincidence. Everything comes from one mind.”rhP
CkoIHYSpeedweapon tapped his temple with his index finger.sGIW7
oweQgYAnd smiled broadly.13wSAx5
E4ABv0“If you think about what Saki was like when she entered the academy—it’s like heaven and earth. Before, she only slept and ate sweets. And now she’s sacrificing sleep to move all her staff and available resources.”HB9BJjc
SSN5“…”sbpK
kaUv“I feel proud to have been her rival back then. That person is pulling the strings of all Northeast Asia from the shadows.”n1JgG
eQ9“Speedweapon.”Cwbn
q9HWI stood up.wHaG
bj9BVWjSpeedweapon shook his head as if he expected it.sgw
kNL“Go. With family, you have to show gratitude on time. If you take it for granted, you become a bad person, president.”9kCB39
9bXXc“I… thanks.”SYnJ
413aAfter being the one who gifted soda to the employees, now I felt a lump in my throat.11T
eKq“This was confidential, and you told me just like that.”dBd6h
LuoI3“You were going to find out soon. I just gave you the news two days early. Go on, go.”taUj
vUtofI turned around. Speedweapon stayed sipping his café au lait. As I took the first step, I spoke without looking at him.qFsEE0
KnfCw“You’re more incredible than you think.”x8r
VTp2yMoHe didn’t turn around. Even so, I kept speaking, even though it embarrassed me.YkM
6e3“Just as you feel proud to have been Saki’s rival… I feel proud that you’re my friend.”5tGf
f0wE“…”7MU
QanUezt“I’m going. Don’t bully the employees too much.”7ZGZK
zCg9L7I left the café. It was a bit away from the bustle of the festival, so it felt quiet.Kv9s
bIei57hOnly the soft sound of someone sniffling remained.LJW
M2HviurAnd so, between emotion and expectations, we welcomed the commemorative ceremony.3W0b0f
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