Chapter 269 |
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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After the first communication with Euphemia, the Hero focused on recovering his body while also receiving regular reports from Mother Ghost about the academy’s situation.
There were a few developments that even he hadn’t anticipated.
“…Wait a minute. What did you just say?”
“A private organization… For what purpose?”
Mother Ghost responded calmly.
[It is likely to continue your legacy.]
The Hero had a subtle expression upon hearing this.
“My legacy?”
[A highly practical anti-demonic curriculum.]
It was an extreme slogan.
[Publicly, it’s presented as a club for skill improvement.]
When the Hero left the academy, the ‘Extremes’ naturally dissolved.
To make matters worse, with Labin’s death, there were no useful Unir lectures left.
The students, temporarily divided into the remaining senior professors’ classes, were far from satisfied.
They decided it was better to teach and improve each other.
…Mother Ghost, hesitating a bit, added a few more words.
[But that is only one of the surface reasons. Ultimately, it is an organization dedicated to following and affirming you, preparing for the eventual return of their mentor. That is the core purpose of this organization.]
The Hero opened his mouth to respond, but then closed it again.
“…What is the organization’s name?”
[Lotus. They call themselves Lotus.]
It was the birth of the so-called Lotus Knights.
…And as far as the Hero knew, one of the meanings of the lotus flower was ‘purity.’
The Hero remained silent.
Simultaneously, scenes from a few weeks ago flashed through his mind.
“Are you alright? I’m fine.”
Luke, standing in front of him, battered and bruised.
“Please step back for now. We will hold them off here.”
Ban standing firmly by his side.
Evergreen, deflecting arrows aimed at him.
And the students lined up behind them.
Their names were on the list Mother Ghost mentioned.
“……”
Mother Ghost cautiously continued, seeing the Hero’s expression.
[I can relay letters or short messages if needed.]
“…No need for now. I’ll let you know if I need anything.”
The Hero understood.
Some would go to great lengths to embrace him, even if he appeared before them immediately.
But for now, keeping his distance was wise.
‘My existence will only increase the confusion.’
The Hero had dealt with people under the guise and demeanor of ‘Ted.’
Approaching them as someone else would be pointless.
It would only risk tarnishing precious memories and relationships.
It was better to hide and be forgotten.
‘Moreover, any contact with me is dangerous in the current situation.’
The current public opinion was not favorable towards him.
Despite the efforts of the Shadows, all sorts of rumors and slander continued to spread widely.
Some even believed he had killed Ted and taken his place, calling him a monster.
While some appreciated his past actions and viewed them positively, they were not the majority.
Those who had been close to the ‘fake Hero’ were discreetly suspected and ostracized, especially without proper backing.
…Pia Kasim was a prime example.
[Just yesterday, Pia Joyce and Kasim Pierre, along with a few professors, submitted their resignations and left Rosenstark.]
They had defended the ‘fake’ openly before the senior professors.
While the students had the shield of their status, Pia and Kasim, as faculty members, were easy targets for blame.
‘Pia stayed because of me, but Kasim saw Rosenstark as a stepping stone for his career… It must be a bitter pill to swallow.’
With a heavy heart, the Hero continued listening to Mother Ghost’s report.
[Their destination is the Pierre family estate, likely planning to establish a comprehensive guild with the funds from the ‘Awaken’ copyright.]
“…A guild, huh. Similar to the Lotus Knights?”
[Yes. As you know, Pia Joyce is a smart person. Seeing the children form a military group, she seems to be setting up a supporting force in advance.]
Mother Ghost glanced at the Hero, who was lost in thought.
Having observed and analyzed this situation closely, she found the Hero’s popularity astonishing.
‘…How can there be such a favorable response?’
Humans are creatures who easily change their attitudes based on benefits.
From Mother Ghost’s perspective, the ‘fake Hero’ would not be able to provide any benefits to others for a long time, if ever.
Yet, there were still people willing to stay by his side.
Despite his inhuman identity and the complete revelation of his deception and lies over the past year, people still chose to stand by him.
Mother Ghost, who believed most humans were close to garbage, found this more remarkable than defeating Ivar and Yol.
‘…Is he just lucky to have good people around?’
Or perhaps…
‘Does he have a light like the real Hero, who illuminated his surroundings?’
But the feeling was different.
If Ted Redymer was a bright flame, this fake Hero was like a mirror.
A mirror that reflected the light within people.
That is why even insignificant humans regain their noble qualities in his presence.
…Perhaps that was also why Mother Ghost was cooperating more proactively with the Hero.
Dark Division.
As its leader, she wondered if the light could reach even this darkest corner of the empire.
[…Are you there?]
Mother Ghost bowed her head toward the crystal ball.
“Oh, I apologize. I’ll continue.”
[That’s unusual, for you to space out.]
“…I’ve been overwhelmed with work lately.”
The eyes behind the mask narrowed slightly.
“Then I’ll proceed with the report. Lastly, it’s about the movements of the Dawn Knights members….”
* * *
“Now that everyone is here, let’s begin.”
With Felson’s words, the emergency meeting of the Dawn Knights began.
It was an unprecedented large-scale meeting, attended remotely by members in the eastern region and even Barun from the capital.
Half the conference room was filled with gleaming crystal balls, and the other half with grim-faced humans.
“Today’s agenda is about countermeasures against the entity that impersonated our captain for the past year.”
The most important issue was determining whether this entity truly had goodwill towards humanity.
If, by any chance, it had malicious intent while playing the role, countermeasures had to be established immediately.
Whether to pursue and eliminate it, or to secretly cooperate.
To decide this, the conference room quickly became noisy.
“Do you believe the fake Hero had any malicious intent in his actions over the past year? I don’t think so. As much as it pains me to say, he made an effort to be just like the captain.”
“It’s only been a year, Noubelmag. Anyone can fake it for a year.”
“Let’s approach it from the aspect of ‘necessity’ rather than intention. Now that the captain is dead, we need the fake who has the power to defeat Yol. This is not a problem that can be solved by outright rejection. Let’s try to win him over.”
“That’s nonsense! Do you think it’s safe to ally with such an inhuman entity without knowing what it wants?”
“…That’s offensive to those of us who aren’t human.”
Felson and Noubelmag had relatively moderate views on the fake Hero.
This was because they had experienced him directly.
They knew there was something deeper about him that couldn’t be explained simply by lies and deceit.
However, the other members reacted vehemently.
For them, Ted Redymer was a spiritual anchor who had inspired them to embark on this perilous path.
The fact that some unknown entity was impersonating him was simply unacceptable.
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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“The word ‘audacity’ couldn’t be more fitting. Once the situation in the east stabilizes, I will personally track him down and hold him accountable.”
“Track him down? How do you plan to find someone who can disguise themselves at will? You’re dreaming.”
“…Mind your words, Noubelmag.”
“Oh, I’m so scared.”
Arguments ensued.
…Yussi watched the scene blankly.
The past year.
There had been many changes.
The injury she thought she would carry for life was healed.
She had regained all her former strength and could be deployed to the battlefield again.
Her fame would rise again.
But what did that matter?
The Hero was dead.
Ted Redymer was dead.
Yussi repeatedly reminded herself of this fact, staring blankly at the ceiling from a corner of the conference room.
Her memories played in reverse.
It was a dark, damp space.
“Is anyone there? Please get me out of here!”
Bang-!
A breaking iron door.
Moonlight streaming in.
A rough hand and voice.
“Get up.”
“Th… Thank you.”
The handsome senior who saved her from a warehouse crawling with bugs.
That was Yussi’s first impression of Ted.
The next memory was probably from when Rosenstark was attacked long ago.
“Everyone step back. I’ll fight.”
It was a dead-end shelter.
Despite having the skills to escape alone, he fought at the front to protect others.
That was the first time in her life that Yussi seriously considered a purpose other than numbers.
So when Ted offered her a position, she was overjoyed.
“I need your alchemy, Yussi.”
“…You need me?”
Those words were enough.
Despite losing her limbs in fierce battles, she never once regretted fighting by his side.
A senior she admired and respected as a commander.
A reliable comrade and a shining idol.
…And a man she loved.
That was why the past year had been the happiest time of her life.
The moments she spent with the Hero, sharing everyday life, were worth more than mountains of gold.
Yussi closed her eyes tightly.
Tears fell onto the table.
“I’ve already found the best use for it.”
When he healed her with the divine gaze.
“It’s the second-best day of my life.”
“…I thought it would be the first.”
“There’s the day I first met you, Hero.”
He had laughed lightly.
“That’s a kind thing to say.”
What kind of thoughts had led him to say those words?
Would the real Ted Redymer have said and acted the same way?
It was a question she would never be able to answer now.
And what was most horrifying… was realizing that even knowing he was a fake, she still wanted to see that face.
Remembering that even the shell of Ted Redymer no longer existed in the world made her feel like she was losing her mind.
At the moment she discovered she felt a sense of loss for even the fake, Yussi understood what she had to do.
“I…”
As she spoke in a cracked voice after being silent for so long, the conference room fell silent for a moment.
Yussi stood up slowly and continued.
“I’ll find him.”
A deep breath.
“Somehow.”
* * *
Wooong—
The movements of the thought-form were as soft and flexible as threads fluttering in the wind.
Yol flew cautiously.
Of course, having no physical form, it would be invisible to the eyes of ordinary people.
But if there happened to be a master with keen senses nearby, it could be detected, so Yol moved with tense caution.
‘It looks like I’ll reach the Great Mountain Range soon.’
All he needed was to reach the Demon Realm.
There were plenty of demons and monsters there that he could use as a temporary body.
Although he wouldn’t be able to fully recover his previous immense power, he wouldn’t have to move so cautiously around mere humans as he did now.
With that hope, Yol increased his speed.
…Or tried to.
Tssss—
With the sound of the air vibrating, the demonic energy that had been faintly mingling in the atmosphere gathered and flowed in one direction.
The energy formed a shape as it condensed more and more.
Seeing the figure, Yol had no choice but to stop in his tracks.
An old man with deeply wrinkled skin smiled warmly.
[I’m going to enjoy this, Yol.]
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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