Chapter 54 – Two Champions – 2

Memories always leave clear traces in the memory. Memories of the past passed before my eyes as the wheels rolled and the carriage moved toward the mighty gates of the capital.
I still remember the thrill of reaching the capital for the first time. As I approached the emperor’s castle, which boasted great majesty even over the distant horizon, the sound of people exploding and shouting seemed to still ring in my ears. At that time, when I was still a pure rural youth, I was thrilled that I was a warrior who would continue the glory of the empire amidst the cheers and applause that poured out. And I had no doubt that the glory of this city would continue.

Even now, the situation was not very different. Just like that time, I was heading towards the capital after defeating the Minotaur. However, their cry was not a tribute to the glory of the empire, but a testimony of its downfall.

“Back off! If you approach any further, I will consider it an act of treason against His Majesty the Emperor!”

“No please! Please let the child go in!”

“Your Majesty! Are you watching, Your Majesty the Emperor! We are the people of the Empire too! Please save us!”

“Didn’t I tell you to back off! The capital is no longer accepting refugees! Go back to another shelter!”

Only a single stone had fallen on the false water surface, and everything was shattering. People were crying out for survival in the name of the emperor, whom they respected and praised, and swallowed despair by pouring curses on the goddesses and heroes they believed in so much. Looking at the scene where the fates and stories of countless people were covered in disaster, Rachel barely said a word.

“…That’s terrible.”

“Anyway, demons invaded the capital. It must have been a great shock to those who were lying in a warm cradle.”

“So, seeing that he is trying to fall into the arms of the capital no matter what, his faith in Leo must be very strong.”

“Regardless of faith or not, he’s the only possibility you can count on. You won’t have a choice.”

“How will people react when they find out that the hero is actually a fraudster full of lies?”

“It’ll collapse. Deny it. But either way, you’ll have no choice but to lean on him again. Because that’s a hero.”

Suddenly, I thought of the guards who interpreted the appearance of a hero as God’s grace in Myler. However, the existence of the Hero is also evidence that, in fact, all people are not created equal. The god of this world is cruel, so from his birth he made it clear between the strong and the weak.

In the end, how fragile is a world where everything depends on one person’s will?

And how cruel is the fate of those who fell into despair due to the will of that one person.

“…I have to get down.”

As I cruelly pondered over my situation, I quietly threw out a word. Then Rachel replied, still keeping her eyes on people’s faces.

“I don’t think you really need any paperwork.”

“Take it if you want. Maybe I’m the only one who can get through.”

“Are you thinking of using your power?”

“If you really need it.”

“I need to prepare my mind a little.”

I looked at her breathing Rachel and gestured towards her coachman. The poor man, who said she had left her family behind in the capital, looked this way with her pitiful eyes. Soon after, the carriage stopped and I took steps toward my final destination.

“Let me in! Please!”

“Leo-sama! Your Majesty the Emperor!!!”

The moment I opened the door and greeted the world, fragments of the collapsing world hit my whole body like a wave. The fear of those who did not face the battlefield was even greater because they were ignorant. I made my way through the crowd of despair, holding Rachel’s hand, who still couldn’t take her eyes off them.

“There’s nowhere else to go but here! Please accept me!”

“Hehe… I’m going to die like this! Everyone is going to die!”

Even when I tried to ignore it, people’s voices continued to bother me. As always, too much imagination eats away at the brain like a parasite. What kind of story does the woman holding that child have, why does that man alone call out the names of his family? Even at times like these, the weak heart tried to catch their story.

After all, being a warrior. It may be a job that has no choice but to be buried in people’s voices regardless of their will.

“Luka-san…”

“Hold well and follow me.”

“…Yes.”

A small hand dug a little between the palms. As I held my sweaty, pulsating hand, it felt like I was holding Rachel’s heart in hers. Was she holding Ellie’s hand even then? I held on to that little hand to get rid of the memories that continued to climb and the ringing in my ears.

“Wait. Stop.”

Then a thick voice blocked my way. When I looked up, a guard with a thick helmet covering his face was looking down at me. Even at first glance, he was huge, and his undisturbed stance seemed to be different from those of the janitors he had dealt with so far.

“According to His Majesty’s solemn order, only those with permission can enter. If you want to enter, show us the permission letter with His Majesty’s seal stamped on it.”

It is the official seal of His Majesty the Emperor. Even Rachel couldn’t fake something like this. I raised my head and cast my gaze over the thick helmet.

“I don’t need that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Because I already got permission over five years ago.”

“What…?”

“I have come to have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor.”

My words resonated clearly even in the midst of the noise of people’s pain. I could feel some of the guards around me looking this way.

“Your Majesty will also want to meet me, so open the way right now.”

“Such a cheeky bastard… Can’t you turn it off right now?”

“For a moment…”

When a guard rushed madly, the guard in front of me restrained him with his hand. And after looking at us for a while, he asked an unexpected question.

“That girl who came with you. May I ask your name?”

“Me… Me?”

Rachel, who was looking at us with a tense expression, panicked and pointed her finger at herself. She hesitated and then she finally opened her mouth.

“I’m Rose Maringetti…”

“Rachel.”

“…My name is Rachel Moonlight.”

“Right.”

He nodded his head and came towards us. And he asked, bending his huge upper body at me.

“…Do you know Professor Hayd?”

“How do you know him?”

He looked me up and down without answering. Then he nodded his head and spoke softly.

“You are the monster of Erendel.”

“What…”

“I’ll take care of these guys.”

He spoke in a deliberately loud voice, then exchanged curious glances with his fellow guards. Then, holding onto Rachel’s arms, he said.

“Let’s go. I’ll tell you the details inside.”

We followed the guards and entered the gate. As the huge gates closed and the voices of the people clamoring outside died down little by little, only silence reigned inside the gates. He looked around for a bit and quickly took us somewhere.

Asking where he was heading was meaningless, so instead I turned my eyes to look around. But surprisingly, nothing stood out. It wasn’t that there was nothing suspicious, it just meant that the whole city was empty. There were no footsteps of anyone on the street except for us and a few guards, and there was not even a trace of life that could be felt in any place where people live. After five years, the capital, which had returned, had been transformed into a ghost town.

“Surprisingly, no one…”

“Shh. We’re almost there. So be quiet.”

When Rachel let out a sentiment, he turned to the alleyway with a low caution. As if passing through a tunnel, he turned several times in an alleyway, but stopped in front of a land where there was nothing. Then he looked around, grabbed the dirt floor, and opened it. Then the dirt fell in torrents, revealing a stairway immersed in darkness. Below, only a few dim lights illuminated the interior.

“Come in.”

“…Luka-san. What if this is a trap?”

“Better. You’ll be able to meet Leo sooner.”

I went down the stairs without hesitation, and Rachel hurriedly followed. Soon, the door closed behind him, and darkness descended heavily.

After going down for a while, the soles of my feet met the flat ground and faced another door. I waited for him to come in front of me and asked quietly.

“Where is this?”

“You’ll know when you get in.”

Without delay, he opened the door and headed inside. I grabbed Rachel’s arm, who was still shaking uneasy, and followed her.

And, I faced the people who were dying along with the empire.

Inside the door, countless people were muttering their stories while crouching on the floor. Like the people outside that door, those who were sinking into despair, embracing countless destinies, were looking forward with eyes drained of all vitality.

“These people…”

“Like you, they are the people of the empire who secretly evacuated to the inside of the castle.

The guard put down his helmet and met my eyes. 40’s, maybe 50’s and beyond. Even under the dim lamplight, his age was clearly visible on his face, but his eyes were as hard as those of most young people.

“My name is Chris. I’ve heard a lot about Professor Hayd. He killed the baron and his wife and saved the professor.”

“Knowing the professor…Is he part of the so-called insurgency he was talking about?”

“I’d like you to call me the Revolutionary Army. Let’s sit down and talk.”

Chris led us to a small table in the corner. He laid his huge body on the chair and looked into my eyes.

“You look a bit surprised. You didn’t know that the captain of the guard guarding the gates of the capital was an official of the revolutionary army.”

“Actually, I expected it roughly because I knew the professor. However, I thought he would guide me to the base of the rebels rather than the shelter… No, the revolutionary army.”

“You saw the base of the Revolutionary Army earlier, didn’t you?”

It took me a while to understand what he was saying. But soon I frowned a little and asked.

“Are you saying that all the soldiers guarding the gate were revolutionary soldiers?”

“In the first place, their leader was a revolutionary army, but would they be different from subordinates? After Leo came to power, we are the only soldiers who are loyal to His Majesty the Emperor, not him. As the situation arises where we have to suppress the imperial people with our own hands, most of the soldiers except for the knights have joined the revolutionary army.”

“Then why are you still sealing the gates according to Leo’s will?”

“If we fight, we lose.”

There was a bit of bitterness in the voice that spoke calmly of reality. He continued to speak, stroking his thick hands.

“It’s not that we don’t have pride as the capital’s defense forces, but the difference in power with the knights is clear. On top of that, Leo’s existence itself is an asymmetric force. There is no.”

“But why don’t we let all the people outside go inside?

“You don’t know him well. He’s a human who would even twist the neck of a baby if anyone gets in the way of his power. Of course, that guy joined the warrior’s party, so the Empire came to Ji-kyung Lee. But now things have changed.”

Suddenly, Chris’ eyes lit up. He raised the corners of his mouth and looked at me.

“I’ve heard all about it from Professor Hayd. You killed the tyrannical baron and his wife and the archbishop, and single-handedly beheaded the Minotaur in Myler. As long as you’re here, there’s nothing to fear. This time, after killing Leo, It is time to reclaim the dignity of His Majesty.”

“Do you believe me?”

“The professor said. You are a good person. Unlike fake heroes like Leo, you are a real hero who will save this age. Although we met for the first time, yes. I believe. Miracles and heroes always emerge through crisis. That’s right now. I have no doubt that it is.”

Even if you suffer like that

After all, you believe in the illusion of being a hero.

Vanessa’s words suddenly came to mind. No matter how skilled a soldier may be, at the last moment he will resort to futility.

I met his eyes. This seasoned soldier, who has accomplished countless feats with his own hands over the decades, did not hesitate to entrust his fate and the fate of all to one man’s will. After all, is this the fate of those who are not chosen in this world?

Or, in the end, is it my destiny to be relied on by everyone?

I stared at him with his mouth shut. Then he looked around a little anxiously, then hurriedly stood up from his seat and said.

“I grabbed the person who just arrived and made a very complicated conversation. I’ll bring you something to drink…Or something to eat. And we can’t just talk about this among ourselves. You’re taking a break. I’ll call in people I can discuss the details with. I’ll come.”

“…Okay.”

When I answered simply, he smiled broadly as if he had been saved by that answer and hurried off to somewhere. While I was watching his back, Rachel suddenly asked me.

“What are you going to do?”

Instead of answering her, I just stared at her. It seemed that she had intentions beyond asking my thoughts.

“What do you want to say?”

“I heard that starting a civil war in this situation is the same as giving this city to the demons.”

She said in a soft voice, looking around at the people in her room. Somewhere in Rachel has changed since she witnessed the disaster at Myler. She definitely didn’t look like this when we met in Erendell. I followed her and looked at the people in her room and answered.

“So we should hurry up as much as possible.”

“…Did I say something stupid again?”

“It’s not like that.”

Rather, it was just a question that pierced the core.

I silently chewed on Rachel’s story as I watched the old man giggling in the corner. In the end, if you point a knife at Leo in a situation where you don’t know when the demon king’s army will invade, the capital will fall into even greater confusion than it is now. Saving people and killing Leo. Perhaps these two are incompatible. If these two are going to be compatible, I’ll have to really hurry up.

In the end, everything is a matter of time. Like that old man running toward the end of time.

…

…

“…”

I was alone in my thoughts when I suddenly noticed that the old man in the corner looked very familiar. I felt a sense of déjà vu too much to ignore, so I slowly approached him. The old man, who was coughing up what was left of his life under the lantern, heard my footsteps and raised his head. His name came out of my mouth the moment I saw his shrunken face in front of me under such a dim light.

“Sir Leonhart.”

“Do you… Know me…?”

Nadia’s. Father.

Just once. I had seen his face in the capital. Unexpectedly, he was crawling through the darkness, uttered with joy at the glory his daughter had brought him, now looking startlingly ugly. I sat down in front of him, taking care of my complicated feelings.

“Of course you don’t remember. Do you remember a young man whom your daughter introduced as her disciple?”

“…I’m sorry, but I don’t want to talk about your daughter.”

Sir Leonhart replied with astonishing resoluteness, then coughed again. There was no need to use a lot of imagination to guess what might have happened in the process of him falling in this form, who was once revered as the father of one of the six warriors.

“But I vaguely remember who you were. A pitiful young man… Brought to battle for my daughter’s sake.”

“You have a good memory.”

“After all, you’re the victim I made. You shouldn’t forget…”

He coughed again and stumbled forward. I held onto his shoulder.

“By the way, what’s your business with this sinful old man? If you want an apology, of course…”

“It’s not like that, Sir Leonhart. I just want to ask you something.”

“You want to ask. Are you talking about me?”

He looked at me with a surprised expression. Now he is only an old man abandoned by his family, which has been tainted by his daughter’s influence, but in the past, he was the head of a noble family who spread his shoulders in the capital with numerous honors on his back. That’s why, the possibility of answering this question was higher than anyone else.

“Have you ever seen a dark-haired girl who smells like peppermint?”

“…”

I could feel Rachel’s gaze on me from behind. But I didn’t look back and just stared at Sir Leonhart’s face quietly, holding my heart that was starting to beat little by little. He read the emotions in my face with his blurred eyes and replied slowly.

“I’ve seen it.”

“…!”

Rachel, who had come to the seat next to her, covered her mouth with her hand and looked at him with a shocked expression. I too felt the nerves in her whole body quiver and met his and her eyes. Sir Leonhart looked at us like that and slowly opened his mouth.

“I’ve never thought of it that way before, but it’s a wonderfully accurate description. Yes, I’ve seen a girl who smells like mint. Right here. In the capital.”

“Where exactly did you see it?”

“It was when I went to the palace to have an audience with His Majesty. That day, His Majesty seemed to be in a good mood and took me to the treasure house of the palace. I could see all kinds of rare treasures there. …A life-size statue of a wyvern made of gold, or a stone tablet with the prophecy from the legend. And among all those treasures, I saw the statue of the girl for the first time.”

He paused once to cough. I wanted to bring him some water, but my whole body was shaking and I couldn’t move. He coughed for a while, then opened his mouth again.

“I’ve seen so many stone statues, but I’ve never seen anything so elaborate. It really…Really looked like a person turned into stone. Plus, it smelled like you mentioned.”

“It smells like mint flowers.”

“Yes…The smell of mint flowers. Perhaps because of that, even among the countless treasures, her figure definitely caught my eye. I was staring at it for a long time when Leo came in with a fiery rage. He was rude to His Majesty the Emperor He shouted at us and threw us out.”

“…A secret warehouse.”

I quietly pondered his words. Secret warehouse. It was probably Leo’s rather than the emperor’s.

“I’m sorry I can’t be of any more help, but that was the first and last time I saw her.”

“It’s okay. It’s already helped a lot.”

I put my hand lightly on his shoulder, not knowing what I was saying. Her mind was already full of things about her. The imperial family’s secret warehouse. A stone statue of Eli inside it. It’s a place even the emperor can’t freely enter, so it must be the best place for Leo to hide his treasure. Therefore…

“…Because when I went back there, the girl was no longer there.”

“…Yes?”

I blankly raised my head and looked at Sir Leonhart. He nodded and replied.

“When Nadia and her goddamn son-in-law’s depravity escalated and the family’s reputation began to be tarnished, I felt threatened and went to present the family treasures to Leo. He laughed at me and moved the treasures himself to his secret storage room. It was a shame. I had to groan and move so many treasures alone, without servants.”

“…”

“When I went to the secret warehouse again like that… I remembered the statue of a girl I had seen years ago and looked for it with my eyes, but couldn’t find it. Then Leo noticed that I was looking around and asked if I was looking for anything. He told me not to lie.” I asked honestly in my thoughts. I was looking for a stone statue of a girl I saw a few years ago. Then he replied.”

“She’s no longer here.”