Chapter 119 - Hero (1)

A fortnight had passed since our families met. Much had happened in that time. We had an audience with the Empire’s emperor. Several secret agreements were struck between the Empire and the Tower. But I put those historic upheavals aside—

And first did what I needed to do.

I still had an epilogue of my own to finish.

“Sparkle.”

[Yes, Hero, Sparkle replies.]

In the bedroom Raviel and I shared, a sword lay on the enormous bed.

“Devour it.”

The thing that had once torn my beloved’s heart apart. The blade that had imprisoned this world in ten endlessly repeating days.

The Sword of Prayer.

My holy sword poured white light toward that monstrosity.

[The Goddess of Protection absorbs her own fragment.]

The white light touched the Sword of Prayer. It shuddered violently! Immediately, a red aura rose from it. Blood-red mist gushed from the blade, as though resisting the light seeking to devour it.

[The Sword of Prayer recoils in shock.]

[The Sword of Idol persuades its sister.]

The white light and red mist struggled back and forth. But the mist was slightly denser. Just as the red threatened to overwhelm the white, another color flowed from my holy sword.

[The Sword of Compassion also persuades its sister.]

Black, filthy water. The second fragment of the holy sword I had acquired had joined the fight.

The tide turned. Pure white light ate away at the mist, and pitch-black water gnawed through it. The red mist dwindled in an instant.

[The Sword of Prayer is appalled by its sisters’ betrayal.]

[The Sword of Prayer thunders that it cannot serve any master but Lefanta Aegim.]

I spoke.

“I have a rough idea why Lefanta Aegim killed the constellations.”

The red mist faltered.

It had no eyes, but I glared at it as though meeting its gaze. A quiet tension settled between us.

“At first, I couldn’t understand it at all. But after experiencing this world, I realized something. Those bastards invade and attack other worlds whenever they please, then try to rule them however they like. They don’t give a damn what the inhabitants think.”

Though it took a different form, the [Shut-In Librarian] was no different.

The Librarian was interested not in ruling worlds, but in observing people. He designated people living perfectly normal lives as [characters]. He voyeuristically watched their [stories]. In molding worlds to suit his own tastes, he was exactly like the other constellations.

In a word, it was—

“A nuisance.”

It was violence.

“Lefanta Aegim is a guy who even managed to become emperor. He must think deeply. ‘Rather than exploit constellations to seek power, I’ll kill every last one of them.’ I suspect that’s roughly his plan. This world probably had a constellation too, but Lefanta Aegim must have killed it.”

[...]

“But your original master made a mistake.”

I lowered my sword.

“When a world loses its constellation, another is born. Look! On the continent where the ‘Goddess of Protection’ was sealed, the ‘Demon King of Autumn Rain’ arose. In this world, the ‘Silver-Plated Heart’ appeared. I’ll say it outright: your master isn’t solving problems. He’s going around creating bigger ones!”

[Lefanta Aegim...]

“If I’m wrong, go ahead and tell me.”

The blade wrapped in red mist—the red sword—fell silent.

“Perhaps I have less experience of life than your master. Yes, maybe he endured tremendous trials, learned far more than I have, and after endless thought and deliberation took on the burden of being the Heaven-Slaying Star. But there’s one thing I can say for certain.”

I spoke from the heart.

“If you’ve done something, take responsibility for it to the very end.”

[...]

“Because your master killed a constellation as he pleased, eternal winter descended on one world. The martial artists living there suffered the indignity of becoming walking corpses. ... Even if Lefanta Aegim held noble ideals, that isn’t something he can be forgiven for. Take responsibility.”

Then the red mist slowly gathered in one place. Before long, it took human form.

A child dyed blood-red from head to toe.

[My name is Prayer.]

The sword, now in the shape of a red child, parted its lips.

[My true purpose is to grant people’s prayers.]

[Lefanta Aegim prayed: ‘I will kill every constellation, so that people will never again be at their mercy.’ His prayer is noble. Weighty. Grand. That is why I entrusted my existence to Lefanta Aegim.]

[What prayer do you hold in your heart, human?]

I looked down at the child.

“To never run away from anything.”

And I said,

“I won’t turn away from what happens before my eyes. I won’t make excuses. I’ll take responsibility for what I say and what I do. I won’t brush aside things I believe are wrong by saying, ‘That’s just how the world works.’ As long as my sword can reach, and as long as I live.”

[Ah...]

The red child looked up into empty space.

[The road to hell is always paved with good intentions.]

[All I can do is bless your good intentions. Merely accompany you in your hell.]

It was a tragic, solemn lament.

[My ability is a trial.]

[Those whose hearts I pierce have their wishes tested. Was it truly a sincere wish? Was it a wish they wanted fulfilled even at the cost of everything?]

[To ultimately make them abandon their own wishes—that is my cursed ability.]

The child scattered into red mist.

[Our new master.]

[May you prosper in hell for many years to come.]

The mist slipped smoothly into my holy sword.

[The Goddess of Protection’s existence grows more distinct.]

Only then could I breathe freely.

“Whew.”

With that, I had more or less finished everything I needed to do before moving on to the next stage. The Empire and the Tower still had a great deal to discuss... but that was politics. A field where my wife would shine, rather than me.

“Are you finished?”

When I emerged from the bedroom, Raviel asked from where she had been waiting by the door. A maid attended her.

“Yes, Raviel. Everything’s done. There aren’t any constellations or constellation fragments left that could throw this world into chaos. At least, there won’t be for a while.”

“No fewer than three apostles formed an allied force and attacked, only to fail miserably. Rest assured. No fool who has witnessed your martial prowess would dare contemplate an invasion.”

“...”

The maid beside Raviel looked distinctly uncomfortable. Naturally. The maid attending her was none other than the very person who had invaded this world—the baron’s daughter, Lady Golden Silk Blossom.

“... I feel as though you’re saying that for my benefit, Your Grace. Is that just my imagination?”

Lady Golden Silk Blossom muttered. Officially, she was [the young lady who swung an iron hammer after a treacherous demon stole her body]. We had made her a victim, rather than a perpetrator.

But the rumor that she had been possessed by a demon was itself a stain on her honor, so she was to serve Raviel for a while to clear her name. That must have been a bitter blow for Lady Golden Silk Blossom, who had hoped to marry the crown prince someday.

Well, by now she seemed to be giving marriage some serious thought herself.

“You have sharp ears. Yes, I said it for your benefit. Reflect constantly on how foolish you were, my lady. Once I judge that you have repented sufficiently, I shall use my temple connections to restore your honor. Until then, shut your mouth and work for my husband and me.”

“Ugh...”

Lady Golden Silk Blossom bit her lip in her maid’s uniform. Sorry, but she could never defy either of us. The moment I withdrew [Rebirth of a Hundred Ghosts], she would crumble away.

“...”

This was the ending I had reached.

Taking in that scene, I slowly began to speak.

“I’ll head to the next stage now, Raviel.”

“Yes, I suppose you must.”

She met my eyes.

“I would like to follow you and explore other worlds, but the Empire needs me. Just as I have my work, you must have work of your own. Go and run wild to your heart’s content, Gongja. If you grow weary and wish for comfort, return whenever you like. I am here.”

“Yes, but...”

I spoke after a little hesitation.

“Well, the twentieth floor of the Tower is my land. I’d like to build a home there just for the two of us. If you’d like that too, Raviel.”

“Oh? I see. So that will be our family home from now on. In our new home, I could be simply your companion, rather than the Duchess of Ivansia.”

Raviel smiled.

She read my heart as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

“I shall look forward to it.”

She took a handkerchief from inside her clothing. It was white, embroidered with silver thread. Opening my hand, she quietly laid it on my palm.

This was—

“This is the handkerchief I usually carry. I used magic to make its perfume last almost permanently.”

“Perfume?”

“It is...”

Raviel rose onto her toes and whispered softly in my ear.

“The very lily scent you smelled when you first fell for me.”

“...”

“I hear that whenever you try to calm yourself, you touch the hilt of your dagger. It is an ugly habit. Abandon it. When your heart grows restless, instead of touching your sword hilt, breathe in the scent of my handkerchief.”

Ah.

“Gongja, it is not your unhappiness that makes you who you are. Nor your pain. I hope it is not. I wish for your memories of me, your love, and your happiness to keep you yourself. Will you grant my wish?”

“... Yes.”

I swallowed the emotion welling up in my chest.

“Yes. I promise, Raviel.”

“I love you.”

I pressed my lips to Raviel’s, wishing this moment would last forever. But our shadows soon parted, and I spoke.

“... Teleport.”

Light enveloped my vision.

The next time I blinked, I was already in the Great Library.

I saw the hunters who had returned ahead of me and were waiting.

“Welcome back, Death King.”

The Black Dragon leader spoke for them. The moment I saw her, I realized she was in a bad mood. Despite her welcoming words, her brows were deeply furrowed.

“Uh, is something wrong?”

“I wish I could tell you there’s nothing wrong.”

The Black Dragon leader sighed.

“Yes. Something’s happened. Something quite serious.”

“...”

Now that she mentioned it, something was odd. Only the highest-ranked hunters were around, including the Black Dragon leader. Normally, hunters like the Apothecary should have been here too.

“Wait. Where did the other hunters go?”

“We sent them far away because we need to talk among ourselves. What we’re about to discuss is practically classified. Though, well, this conversation is probably being broadcast live in the Tower too...”

Her voice grew lower and lower. Ominously so.

“What on earth happened?”

“Aha!”

It was the Inquisitor who answered, not the Black Dragon leader. He had changed out of the dress he wore in the last stage and was back in his usual priest’s robes.

“To sum up our current problem, let’s see... Death King! You have become far too successful!”

“What?”

“Think about it. In [Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon], you showed absolute devotion to your master! The scenes of you revering martial arts and comforting the cultists set countless hunters’ hearts racing all on their own. After [Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon] was cleared, thousands of martial artists from the outside world entered the Tower every day for a time!”

The Paladin took over.

“Someone has been recording the footage broadcast live in the Tower and distributing it unchanged in the outside world. No, to be honest, we permitted its distribution. Death King, the sight of you succeeding creates an enormous amount of publicity by itself. We had no reason to refuse.”

“But, you see.”

The Count opened a fan.

“It seems we rather underestimated something.”

“Underestimated...?”

“The impact of you as a person. No, of you as an [icon].”

What were they talking about? Bewildered, I looked at my colleagues. They all wore grave expressions. The sole exception, the Inquisitor, who smiled whether things were serious or not, responded.

“113,654.”

“Sorry?”

“That is the number of people who entered our Tower yesterday alone!”

“...”

I couldn’t comprehend what the Inquisitor had said.

A moment later, I registered the words “yesterday alone.”

“In just one day? Yesterday?”

“Yes! We do see an influx of that size when war breaks out or a country collapses in the outside world. But recently, there has been no fighting apart from small, localized conflicts! Ahaha. No countries have collapsed either! Despite it being [peacetime], this many people have entered the Tower!”

“This is a leaflet we obtained from the outside world.”

The Count handed me a leaflet.

My face was pictured on it, like a presidential election poster.

Beneath it were these words.

Make the King of Death Our King!

Head for Utopia!

My mouth slowly fell open.

“Don’t tell me this King of Death is...?”

“Of course it refers to your epithet, Death King. Countless leaflets like this are being distributed across countless regions. Just in case you misunderstand, we absolutely did not orchestrate this behind the scenes. People in the outside world are making them on their own.”

“...”

I didn’t know how to react.

“You may have guessed from the fact that it’s a leaflet.”

The Paladin smiled bitterly.

“Few people use leaflets for publicity these days. Do you understand what that means, Death King? People only resort to leaflets when they want to reach those who don’t use the internet.”

“... What do you mean?”

“People in regions with poor internet access. Poor people in poor countries. Conflict zones. Regions overrun by warlords. Countless impoverished people and refugees are entering the Tower. They are abandoning their [countries] and [nationalities], leaving behind the [lives] they led in the outside world, and coming to the Tower of Babel.”

Just as we once did, the Paladin said.

“Hmm.”

Viper had his arms crossed.

“Those people come into the Tower wearing black hats or black shirts. They’re saying they want to join the Demonic Cult... To put it more bluntly, they came here because of you.”

“It isn’t just the poor and refugees flocking here,” the Black Dragon leader said.

“A considerable number of wealthy people have come in too. Scientists, sociologists, even professors who entered with their colleagues. They’re volunteering to [help build a new society in the Tower].”

“...”

“Kim Gongja.”

The leaders of the major guilds looked at me.

“You haven’t simply cleared stages. In the outside world—no, everywhere—people want heroes. Courage in the face of adversity. Respect for humanity. Devotion to love. In short, nothing excites people more than a hero who dedicates their life to a good cause.”

The Black Dragon leader took out her smartphone and showed me its screen.

“You’ve become our banner.”

The screen showed the hologram that always floated in the very center of Babylon Square.

1st. Sword Star

2nd. Death King

3rd. Black Dragon leader

4th. Inquisitor

5th. Count

6th. Viper

7th. Linguist of Babel

8th. Wide-Area Communicator

9th. Paladin