Chapter 283 |
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Yeah.
The hero acknowledged it.
He could have defeated her and run away as much as he wanted.
Even if Kasim said he had improved considerably, it was impossible to catch him if he ran away with all his might.
But his feet didn’t move as if nailed to the ground.
A tightly squeezed voice was heard from behind.
“Don’t go.”
“……”
“I won’t ask anything. Just stay for a moment.”
Kasim also approached in silence and grabbed the hero’s hand.
It was a strange sight.
But how did he recognize him?
How did he look at him with the same eyes as before?
The hero’s mouth was blocked.
The reason he could barely respond to Pia’s words was because he felt the eyes around him.
“…There are many eyes watching.”
“Yes?”
The hero closed his eyes tightly and sighed.
“First, let’s go inside.”
With those words, Kasim and Pia simultaneously let out a small cheer…
They surrounded the hero from front and back.
Perhaps they were worried he would escape somewhere.
The hero could only laugh at their childish appearance.
‘Failed. It turned out like this.’
However, unexpectedly, ??? said nothing all along.
He expected him to go crazy trying to reproduce Kasim.
It may be that he was upset by the more positive reaction than he thought.
He couldn’t tell, but for now the hero followed them into the mansion.
So the three arrived at the reception room.
Because all the employees had been asked to leave, Pia and Kasim personally served tea and snacks.
To the three people who had tea in front of the mug, a strange silence descended.
“……”
Of course, there was something to say.
The throats of Kasim and Pia were full of questions to be answered.
It was just being pushed down for consideration.
The hero’s mouth opened.
“…I’m glad you’re doing well.”
Pia and Kasim nodded cautiously without saying a word.
“Is the professor well, too?”
“Yes.”
“…I’m glad. Really.”
Kasim comforted Pia, who seemed to cry.
The hero shook his head, feeling the atmosphere and ventilating it.
“But how on earth did you recognize me?”
Kasim shrugged his shoulders and replied.
“At first, I thought it was an intruder….”
“But?”
“Your expression and eyes seemed familiar. Then suddenly my intuition went crazy! Do you understand what I’m saying? Yes?”
“I have no idea… Anyway, I see that you’ve grown enough to see through my concealment technique.”
A deep smile spread across Kasim’s lips.
“I have something to protect.”
Pu-
Pia, who was drinking tea, spewed its contents.
But Kasim ignored her and looked at her with a hot gaze.
The hero shook his head in relief.
‘…This is very nice.’
It wasn’t exactly the reunion he wanted, but it felt like he was back in the lab three years ago.
…Well.
It was unexpectedly comfortable.
The hero also picked up the teacup.
“I’ve heard bits and pieces of your news.”
“Yes, I never thought you’d leave me hanging. I didn’t know you’d not show up for so long…”
Pia guessed.
In the case of the Sanctuary, Lotus Knights, and Dawn Knights, the hero’s plan was indispensable.
Of course, he was also monitoring their trends and issuing appropriate instructions through Euphemia.
“First, congratulations on your marriage. I didn’t think you two would become a couple.”
Both of their faces turned slightly red at the same time.
“We owe it to the professor. If it wasn’t for the professor, we wouldn’t have met.”
“…Well, that’s how it turned out.”
A relieved smile spread naturally.
“Let me hear your story.”
“Huh, it might be quite long?”
Kasim brought out liquor from the display case excitedly.
There was a short exchange of glances between Pia and Kasim.
Actually, there were many things that they wanted to ask.
Where have you been all this time?
What exactly did you do?
What are your plans for the future?
Will you continue to hide without revealing yourself to your old acquaintances?
…Even after the demon king is subdued, will you not come back?
But they kept silent.
That’s how the enjoyable story began.
Mainly, Kasim would tell a long story, and Pia would add a comment.
The hero listened with enjoyment, occasionally throwing in questions.
“By the way, when did you give up on Senetta…?”
“Ah, Professor!”
Anyway, the glasses continued to be emptied amidst laughter and conversation.
Kasim was fine, and of course, so was the hero.
Pia was the only one getting a bit tipsy.
Her sudden outburst came when the bottom of the bottle was about to be revealed.
“Professor, I mean it. I really hate the public. I despise them to the core.”
A moment of silence settled.
“Sometimes I wonder. When the professor’s identity was revealed. Did everyone truly hate him? Did they think of him as humanity’s enemy?”
“Pia.”
Kasim seemed to try to stop Pia from drinking further, but she shook her head vigorously.
“…No. Some surely understood the professor’s actions and didn’t think they were that bad.”
“Perhaps.”
“But once the negative opinions swept through like a wave, everyone stopped thinking. They blindly tore him apart without any judgment. It was as if every tragedy was solely the professor’s fault. They just needed a target for their anger.”
The hero silently observed Pia.
Her disgust towards human crowds ran deep.
It stemmed from the unfair torment she endured throughout her school years.
Gulp-
Pia was the one emptying the glass.
“…So, I decided I might as well become that wave. I vowed to become a massive wave that could sway the public as I pleased. That’s why I created the Sanctuary. People may praise me as a saint or whatever, but… that was my true reason.”
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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The hero already knew Pia’s essence, so he just listened without showing it.
“That’s right.”
Pia’s pupils focused on the hero.
“You can always come back. I’ll have a place for you next to me.”
“…That’s more than I deserve.”
“Hehe, I’m just an assistant.”
After mumbling those words, Pia leaned against the sofa and fell asleep.
A heavy breath.
It had been a long time since he saw him asleep.
Kasim suggested a walk to the hero who was caught up in emotions.
“Would you like to walk a bit?”
“Sure.”
.
.
.
The two walked in silence for a while.
The biting winter wind brushed against their cheeks.
It was a weather reminiscent of the day when the hero and Kasim first met in Rosenstark.
“Pia used to say. She felt at ease only by your side. She said you gave her a ‘place.’ She couldn’t find a place anywhere in the world, but next to you, she felt comfortable.”
“…Yes. So, she wants to create that ‘place’ for me.”
“It’s a kind of guilt.”
He knew.
“A guilt of not repaying enough… that kind of guilt.”
“A useless guilt. She has already repaid everything by being an excellent assistant to me.”
Kasim clenched his lips for some reason after saying that.
After hesitating, he spoke up.
“What… do I seem like to you?”
The voice that just a moment ago was lively in the drinking session now sank deep into thought.
The hero chuckled.
“What do you mean? What?”
“Do I seem like I’ve repaid everything?”
Suddenly, Kasim’s feet stopped.
The hero also stopped and looked at him.
But Kasim couldn’t meet the hero’s gaze.
“Kasim.”
“I was afraid. In reality.”
The hero let out a soft sigh.
“…You?”
“Yes.”
“What were you afraid of?”
Kasim slowly opened his mouth.
“I was afraid that you would be disappointed in humanity and turn your back on us. In these times, if a figure like you were to oppose humanity, it would all be over. You might become a nightmare worse than a demon.”
“…….”
“While helping Pia, I kept thinking about it. What if you were uncomfortable with what we were doing? Maybe our actions weren’t really helping… I had such thoughts.”
When the hero first came to Rosenstark.
His approach was merely out of curiosity and interest.
But soon after, his life, which was full of flirting with women and mocking professors behind their backs, slowly changed without any purpose.
The hero reignited his passion for martial arts, and instilled in him a sense of purpose beyond the mundane and dry life.
‘But I’m still…’
The hero’s eyes met Kasim’s, who was looking down at the ground.
“I’m quite cowardly, aren’t I? Pretending to be honorable and supportive in front of others, but inside, I were just calculating. While being by Pia’s side, genuinely trying to help you, I was enduring with such thoughts.”
Even without duplicating Kasim, it was clear he was pouring out his true feelings now.
Perhaps even Pia couldn’t hear Kasim’s innermost thoughts.
The hero let out a light sigh.
“So?”
“…Yes?”
“So, what have you accomplished?”
Before Kasim could answer, the hero continued.
“You helped create the unprecedented advocacy group called Sanctuary. You became a fence for the powerless and breathed hope into their dark lives. Moreover, you protected and assisted my cherished assistant as her mentor. You threw her brilliant youth into this difficult path, didn’t you? Thanks to people like you, despite everything, I could still have a positive view of humanity.”
“…….”
“Isn’t that enough? Congratulations. You’ve achieved your purpose.”
Kasim’s eyes were slightly reddened.
The hero smirked.
“Besides, I haven’t done much for you in the first place. I just used you.”
“Well…”
“So, if anything, I’m the one who owes something.”
The hero’s hand flicked, hitting Kasim’s waist where the rapier was attached.
“It’s not exactly a congratulatory gift, but I can give you something right now.”
Light returned to Kasim’s eyes at that moment.
“Hahaha… it reminds me of the old days.”
Kasim chuckled softly and then slowly raised the rapier.
“Even in this situation… Professor, you always save me.”
Wooooong-
A golden wave emanated from the hero’s fingertips.
“No.”
From the Key of Valber, the hero pulled out Dark Hope and a smile resembling Kasim’s appeared on the hero’s lips.
“We saved each other.”
His logs were still burning brightly.
* * *
Having enjoyed a lively sparring match until Kasim passed out, the hero left the mansion in the morning.
It was regrettable not to bid farewell to Pia, but it couldn’t be helped.
He had a tight schedule ahead.
Still, if he had time now, he might occasionally visit or communicate.
Just that fact alone seemed to restore a bit of the stability the hero had lost over the past few years.
‘…But commendable.’
The hero smiled contentedly as he reminisced about the sparring with Kasim.
Despite being busy with running Sanctuary, his swordsmanship had greatly improved.
Thanks to the responsibility of ‘protecting,’ as Kasim had put it.
It was far superior to Kasim from four years ago, who was easily neutralized with an incomplete Ritual 1 technique.
Back then, he had to use up to Ritual 3 Flare to subdue him.
Step by step-
With a light heart, he headed towards the palace.
He had asked Euphemia to come if he visited the capital, so he called ???.
‘Why have you been silent all this time?’
[……]
‘……?’
Just as the hero was about to call him again.
[Let’s talk for a moment]
…What can I say?
A voice full of frustration echoed in his mind.
[I have something to ask]
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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