Chapter 53 - The Ultimate Fan (1)

1

"You are watching some incredible footage!"

"The Witch, famous for her epithet Black Witch, is commanding the floor-eleven assault team. This is the latest footage we have just obtained here at BBS. Ah! Let's zoom in on this part."

"Yes, right here! Shall we pause the footage for a moment?"

In a quiet waiting room, I stared blankly at the television.

"Viewers, can you see this? The Black Witch is holding hands with another hunter. This hunter is believed to be Death King."

"Unless the footage has been doctored, Death King appears to have slain the floor-eleven stage boss with a single slash. Hunters commonly call that a one-shot kill. But until now, there have been no recorded cases of anyone one-shotting a boss monster."

The presenter and commentator were making a huge fuss.

"So you're saying this is a first?"

"Yes, that's correct. The Black Witch did assist him, of course, but Death King appears to be the only hunter who directly confronted the boss monster."

A breaking-news caption at the bottom of the screen read [Death King to Hold Press Conference This Afternoon].

"Now, everyone, let's take a look at the next video."

"Death King, who has remained shrouded in mystery until now, finally appeared yesterday afternoon. He returned to Babylon through the teleportation stone. As you can see, the Black Witch and the Sword Star are accompanying him."

"It almost looks as though the two of them are escorting Death King, doesn't it?"

"Yes. Let's turn up the audio for a moment so our viewers can get a sense of the atmosphere at the scene."

A video that looked as though someone had recorded it on a phone began playing. In the middle of the screen, I was walking with an expressionless face.

"Please look this way for a moment!"

"Stop shoving! Please say something!"

"Black Dragon leader, when can we expect an official announcement?"

"What is the relationship between you two—"

CLICK!

Unable to take any more, I jabbed the button on the remote. The attendant spirit watching television beside me frowned.

"Hey, why'd you turn it off? I was really enjoying that."

I spoke up.

"Because I feel like I'm going to die of embarrassment!"

I was in a waiting room. A night had already passed since the Sword Star acknowledged me.

Today was the press conference on our progress through the Tower. Normally, that was something the major guild leaders would handle themselves, but this time I had been invited as a special guest. The conference would begin shortly.

"So what if you drop dead? You don't die even when you die anyway."

"I still don't like it!"

With nothing to do before the conference, I had thought I might watch some television. That had been a mistake.

"Ah, shit. Fine. Then change the channel."

"Every channel is talking about me anyway!"

Whether they were news channels or not, almost every broadcast was covering the clearing of floors eleven through twenty. And it wasn't just television. The internet was exactly the same.

People talked about waking up famous overnight. That was precisely what had happened to me.

[The Goddess of Protection points out that your accomplishments are that extraordinary.]

The holy sword at my waist vibrated with a hum.

[Fame is like a tax that heroes pay every day. The Goddess of Protection advises that you must grow accustomed to your position as a hero!]

"..."

Feeling thoroughly overwhelmed, I looked down at the holy sword.

"I was so tired yesterday that I fell asleep before we could talk much... Hey, Miss Goddess? Aren't you overestimating me a little?"

[You are light itself!]

The holy sword vibrated even harder. Maybe it was just my imagination, but she sounded exactly like a fan obsessing over an idol.

[The Goddess of Protection whispers that she still remembers it clearly. The lion's roar you unleashed alone atop the imperial pavilion! You looked so truly gallant when you declared, "From this moment onward, I entrust the empire to you"—]

"Aaaagh!"

I covered my ears.

"Stop! Stop it! I said that because I was completely worked up!"

But it was no use. The sword's voice went straight into my head, not through my ears. She kept whispering about my embarrassing past without pause.

[The Goddess of Protection speaks. A hero must love themself! Heroes who lack self-love always meet miserable ends and make those around them unhappy as well. In that sense, your confidence is highly commendable! Utterly magnificent!]

Yes. The Goddess of Protection was none other than my die-hard fan.

"Stop... Please, just stop...!"

Just as I had once obsessed over the Flame Emperor, the holy sword obsessed over me. I wouldn't have minded if she indulged her fandom somewhere out of sight, but this sword's voice was broadcast live into my head twenty-four hours a day.

[The Goddess of Protection confesses.]

[She is happy to serve someone like you as her second master!]

Good God.

Have you ever had someone beside you constantly singing your praises in complete earnest? Worse, doing so while endlessly reciting memories you consider your most embarrassing moments, memories you want to forget as quickly as possible?

Just kill me instead.

[In particular, the moment you took the Demon King of Autumn Rain into your service and murmured, "A lord has a responsibility to protect his people," was truly an iconic scene—]

This really couldn't go on.

I took some sword oil out of my backpack. Sword oil was used to clean blades. I dampened a cloth with a little oil and glared at the holy sword.

"You started this."

My hand approached the blade. The holy sword flashed white light.

[The Goddess of Protection feels threatened.]

[The Goddess of Protection asks you to stop.]

[The Goddess of Protection—]

Ten minutes later.

[The Goddess of Protection apologizes for her wrongdoing.]

Gleaming, the holy sword was now clean thanks to my painstaking polishing. The blade had become as clear as a mirror, reflecting my face perfectly. But the holy sword trembled in humiliation.

"Whew. Finally, some peace and quiet."

I looked down at the much better-behaved holy sword.

"So why are you a sword if you're a constellation? Were you possessing a sword from the start?"

As I understood it, a constellation was something like the administrator of a stage. There might be cases like Hungry Ghost, who had started as a monster and become a constellation, but I couldn't imagine how a sword could possibly become one.

When I explained my question, the holy sword emitted a soft white glow.

[The Goddess of Protection shakes her head.]

[It is easier to understand a constellation as "something that represents" its world.]

A representative of a world.

[The Goddess of Protection speaks.]

[She was originally a holy spirit revered as a deity. But the founder of the empire, Lefanta Aegim, split her into five swords and sealed her away.]

[She is the first of those holy swords, Idol.]

I blinked.

"The sword's name is Idol?"

[Affirmative.]

Then the Goddess of Protection listed the five swords.

[The First Sword, Idol.]

[The Second Sword, Compassion.]

[The Third Sword, Prayer.]

[The Fourth Sword, Sacrifice.]

[The Fifth Sword, Deliverance.]

[These are the five sister swords.]

[The Goddess of Protection boasts that gathering all the sister swords would allow her to regain power comparable to that of her prime.]

"Oh?"

In short, the sword glittering before my eyes was a fragment of the true holy sword. To draw out her true power, I would have to find the other four blades.

"Interesting. So where are your sister swords?"

No answer came. An awkward silence settled over the waiting room.

"Hello? Miss Goddess? I asked where your sisters are."

Not a word. My eyes narrowed.

"... Don't tell me you don't know either?"

After a moment, a quiet voice came through.

[The Goddess of Protection exercises her right to remain silent.]

"So you don't know after all."

[The Goddess of Protection protests that she can sense their presence if they are nearby.]

I shrugged.

"Well, it's not urgent. Anyway, you must have at least a fifth of your power. Miss Idol Sword, what can you do?"

[You can receive the absolute support of the people of the Aegim Empire.]

"I know that better than anyone. What else?"

The holy sword blazed with light at maximum output, as if she had been waiting for the question.

"Aaagh! My eyes! My eeeeyes!"

I rolled on the floor, clutching my eyes. The holy sword's boastful voice sounded inside my head.

[The Goddess of Protection boasts that she excels at emitting light.]

"Obviously I know that too! I've seen it enough to last a lifetime!"

Good grief. It was a good thing I had instantly protected my eyes with aura. I had almost gone blind!

"No, I'm asking what you can do besides getting support from the empire's people and sparkling!"

Silence fell. The holy sword gave off a dim glow. If she were a person, it would have been like stammering.

[I excel at slicing monsters.]

"..."

[The Goddess of Protection hastily adds that she also excels at slicing humans.]

KNOCK, KNOCK. KNOCK.

As I sat speechless in disbelief, someone knocked on the waiting-room door. I quickly sheathed the holy sword. To anyone else, the sight of me talking to a sword would make me look like nothing but a lunatic.

"Who is it?"

"It's me."

The Witch's voice came from outside the door.

"It's been noisy in there for a while. Is something wrong?"

"I'm fine. Nothing's wrong!"

"Really...?"

The Witch sounded suspicious, but she didn't press me.

"The press conference starts in five minutes. The reporters will probably bombard us with questions. Floor twenty-one should open around the time the conference ends. We just need to give them some reasonable answers, then head straight to floor twenty-one. Understand?"

"Yes!"

"You certainly give splendid answers... Make sure you come out on time."

I heard footsteps beyond the door, steadily receding. Only after making sure the Witch had gone far away did I draw the holy sword again. Then I quietly stared at the blade.

"To sum it up, you're completely useless except for glowing."

[The Goddess of Protection protests this unfair assessment—]

"Enough. From now on, you're not the Goddess of Protection. You're Sparkle. Calling you a holy sword is a waste of the name!"

Come to think of it, this constellation was utterly pathetic! Hadn't she failed to protect her own world and let the Demon King of Autumn Rain devour it all? In the end, I had to carry her and save her world. Just like Hungry Ghost, this constellation had no right to hold her head high before me.

"And you're too noisy. My head's already overloaded with just the Sword Emperor in it. You keep blabbering 'Goddess of Protection' this and 'Goddess of Protection' that, and it's driving me crazy! From now on, don't talk to me unless it's absolutely necessary."

[The Goddess of Protection—]

"Ah-ah. Maybe I should just send you back to the Aegim Empire. Do you understand, Sparkle?"

Silence lingered for a while. A moment later, the holy sword trembled.

[Sparkle replies, "Yes, Hero."]

That was the moment I acquired a constellation as loot.

2

The press conference was held in the square.

Not only the central square but even the alleyways were packed. The crowd looked easily tens of thousands strong. As we walked onto the stage erected in the middle of the square, camera flashes went off all around us.

The Witch, the Sword Star, and me. The three of us sat side by side at the table prepared for us.

"... Thank you for your warm welcome."

The Witch took the microphone. As her calm voice rang out, cheers erupted from one side of the square.

"Black Dragon leader!"

"Aaaaaah!"

"Please look this way, Black Dragon leader! Just once!"

A group of people waved placards. Some had even brought magazine-cover photographs featuring the Witch.

'Impressive.'

Was it because the Saintess had yet to appear at this point in time? As a female hunter, the Black Dragon leader enjoyed unrivaled popularity.

The Witch bowed in greeting, then got the conference properly underway.

"As you all know, we have cleared floors eleven through twenty. As various newspapers, broadcasters, and smaller media outlets have highlighted, this is a tremendous achievement. We wondered how we should share this happy news... but there was no need to worry, because you publicized it for us. Yes. We are deeply grateful to you for saving us the publicity expenses."

A ripple of laughter came from the press corps occupying the front rows before the stage.

"However, there is something else we are proudest of this time."

The square gradually grew quiet.

"It is not the fact that we finally cleared floor ten, something everyone has wished for over the past several years. Nor is it the fact that we cleared up to floor twenty faster than anyone could have anticipated. Zero casualties. The fact that not a single person died... makes me happier than anything else."

A little humor, followed by sincerity. Even to someone like me, who knew nothing about public speaking, the Black Dragon Witch had handled the conference masterfully from the beginning.

'I suppose this is what it takes to lead the top guild?'

It was hard to believe she was the same person who had acted so silly while dressing me in all sorts of clothes yesterday.

"Everyone, please look down for a moment," the Witch said.

"Please look at the paving beneath your feet in Babylon's square. You will see a name engraved on each stone. The names of those who have fallen until now. The names of our predecessors who gave their lives to conquer the Tower."

WHIRRR.

The reporters' cameras all turned toward the ground.

"When floor two was cleared, and when floor three was cleared, countless names were engraved on these stones. We are here today because of their sacrifices. Before them... I am truly happy to be able to make this declaration."

The Witch's voice flowed across the square.

"Today, we will engrave no one's name in the square."

CLICK! CLICK!

The reporters alternated between photographing the square's paving stones and the Witch. That decided the photographs that would run in the newspapers, as well as the tone of today's conference. The crowd cheered, shouting the Witch's epithet.

'There's no need for me to step in at all.'

I watched the conference while keeping my face expressionless. I felt oddly pleased.

'It really pays to get in with the right people!'

Feeling at ease, I glanced up at the sky.

[01:22:10]

It was just like when floor eleven opened. A clock of light was drawn across the sky again. The instant the numbers reached zero hours, zero minutes, and zero seconds, floor twenty-one would open.

'I wish we could hurry up and finish this conference and go to floor twenty-one...'

The press conference was proceeding smoothly, with reporters asking questions and the Witch answering them, when a reporter abruptly stood up.

"I'm John Evans of the Babylon Daily News! I have a question for Death King, who has newly risen to third place in the rankings."

'Huh? Me?'

I looked at the reporter. Naturally, the eyes of everyone gathered in the square turned toward me as well.

"There has been considerable discussion about your sudden rise in the rankings, Death King. In particular, the theory that you are [a major rookie whom the large guilds have been secretly grooming for a very long time] is gaining credibility!"

"Uh..."

"If this is true, it would mean that you are a hero deliberately manufactured by the large guilds. What are your thoughts on these allegations?"

Murmurs spread, and the square grew a little noisy.

"There are also considerable concerns that the large guilds are banding together to monopolize floors eleven through twenty. In particular, I hear that you have been granted exclusive rights over floor twenty, Death King! Is that true?"

The crowd grew even more unsettled.

The Witch clicked her tongue. Seated beside me, she remained expressionless, but the sound was quiet enough for only me to hear. She switched off her microphone and murmured,

"He's baiting you. Don't answer. I'll handle it."

"No."

I shook my head.

"People like that are going to keep showing up anyway. I should make my position clear at least once."

"But..."

"It's all right."

I held out my hand to the Witch.

"Please give me the microphone."

"..."

My resolve was firm. Before climbing to floor twenty-one, I would nip this kind of baiting in the bud once and for all.