Chapter 378: Episode 72 – Three methods (2)
Erich Striker was the captain of Kaixenix Archipelago’s royal guards.
‘She’ wasn’t just the archipelago’s best knight in title only; ‘she’ was also the first sword of the nation’s ruler. And the sole reason why ‘she’ was able to climb up to that position was due to her constant training throughout the day and night.
Swiiiish!
Erich sliced and cut the silent night of the training hall over and over again. Thick sweat drops fell non-stop. ‘She’ looked down on the droplets and thought that they should’ve been someone else’s blood drops, instead.
‘I let them slip away. In front of her majesty, no less.’
The rebellion of the First Prince – the assault on the audience chamber three days ago had found itself in the mouths of the gossipers already. Some minstrels began singing songs about it, too. Most of them were singing songs that extolled the First Prince.
⸢Oh, oh~ the great revolutionary Schweichen Von Kaixenix~.⸥
⸢Look at his wide shoulders and his back~.⸥
The bright sword light scythed past the darkness of the practice grounds. The hateful face of the Fourth Prince, who had escaped alongside the First Prince, floated up. It didn’t want to disappear no matter how many times it was cut apart.
The strange thing was, every time Erich recalled that face, ‘she’ felt a rather subtle emotion float up, too.
Seeing the backs of the First Prince Schweichen and Fourth Prince Ricardo, as well as Bilston Framer, getting further away, Erich was overcome with this inexplicable longing.
Not wanting to acknowledge that emotion, ‘she’ continued to swing ‘her’ sword. As usual, ‘she’ swung the blade over and over again, trying ‘her’ best to shake off all the distracting thoughts.
Unfortunately, it seemed that today’s training would have to end here.
‘Is it a sneak attack?’
There was a slender shadow gently wavering within the darkness.
Erich quickly unsheathed the real sword mounted from ‘her’ waist. ‘She’ thought of killing the intruder the moment it displayed any suspicious behaviour. Quite unexpectedly, though, the opponent revealed his presence first.
“Please, put away your weapon. I didn’t come here to fight.”
Under the faint light of the moon, a man with the slender physique walked out from the darkness. It was Ricardo Von Kaixenix, the Fourth Prince of this archipelago.
Erich loudly shouted out. “Are you out of your mind? With what balls have you come here?”
“Even though the world has changed, you still enjoy swinging your sword.”
Erich raised ‘her’ sword up high while emitting a dense murderous aura. The Fourth Prince, however, placed his sword down on the ground, instead.
The former’s eyes narrowed to a slit. “What are you planning here?”
“I know that in ten minutes, guards would show up to surround me. And also, subduing me wouldn’t be all that hard for you with your skillset.”
“So?”
“I’m turning myself in. Meaning, I’ll have you arrest me and take me to the execution ground.”
Erich knew that the Fourth Prince was not right of his mind recently. However, ‘she’ didn’t expect to see a situation like this one. It had been only a couple of days ago that he escaped with the First Prince’s help, yet he walked right back in, of his own volition, so he could be executed?
Still being wary, Erich slowly walked over to the Fourth Prince.
Without a doubt, he was in a completely unarmed state. Erich didn’t miss this chance and quickly captured the Fourth Prince. A pair of pure eyes sparkling under the moonlight met ‘her’ gaze now.
“In return, I’d like you to listen to my tale for the next ten minutes.”
“And why should I do that?”
“I’m going to die anyway. Not hearing the last words of a dying man will leave you with an unclean taste in your mouth.”
Erich stared at the Fourth Prince with complicated eyes. “If you’re going to plead your innocence, I won’t have any of it.”
‘She’ knew that the Fourth Prince was not guilty. However, the throne had changed hands, and Erich was the captain of the guards serving the new ruler.
The Fourth Prince smiled and shook his head. “This story isn’t about that.”
“If not, what then?”
“Honestly speaking, I was in a serious dilemma on what to say here so we could get the ‘you’ we know back. I couldn’t even make a wild guess at all.”
The unexpected opening remarks managed to make Erich flustered and ‘she’ frowned deeply.
Was this a new type of underhanded scheme? Everyone in the kingdom knew that the Fourth Prince used his silver tongue to seduce many women in this land.
“A long time ago, there was a certain woman.”
Regardless of what his listener was thinking, the Fourth Prince began his tale.
“She loved kendo and was talented enough to enter the competition as the representative of her own district.”
Along with a faint bout of pain, an unknown emotion began stabbing ‘her’ head.
“And with her sword, she rescued her precious comrades many times.”
Something that disappeared a long time ago....
“She swung her sword against the unfairness of the scenarios over and over again, and with that very same sword, she also protected me.”
“What are you even talking about? I’m solely the blade of her majesty.”
The Fourth Prince looked up at Erich with emotions of lamentation.
“You really can’t seem to remember anything.”
It was then, another voice came out from within the darkness.
“Prince Ricardo. I’d like to say something.”
Erich flinched in surprise and quickly raised ‘her’ body up. Since from when did those two men appear in the darkness? She growled menacingly and spoke. “So, it was a trap all along.”
“No, it is not.”
The one to reveal himself from the darkness was Bilston Framer, the only knight she acknowledged in this kingdom.
“Sir Erich.”
Bilston took a step towards ‘her’. ‘She’ got startled and quickly issued her warning. “Take one more step, and I shall cut off the Fourth Prince’s head.”
This is a trap. I must escape from here – Erich thought like that and scanned the exit to the training ground.
However, something felt wrong.
[Fables related to you have begun going on a rampage!]
As if her entire body had become frozen, she couldn’t move at all.
[Your Fables are resisting against the control of the ‘Kaixenix Archipelago’!]
“We promised never to forget, didn’t we?”
Bilston stared at her with sorrowful eyes.
‘No, but, his.... name is....’
[Fables related to you are ruminating on the old memories.]
“Hui-Won-ssi.”
[Forgotten Fables have begun their storytelling.]
At that moment, ‘her’ world crumbled away. Fables flooding in covered up Erich’s memories.
That was the story of the forgotten ten years. A story from when Erich wasn’t Erich yet, while Bilston was not Bilston, either.
*
It was exactly ten years ago when both Yi Hyeon-Seong and Jeong Hui-Won arrived in this world.
“Hyeon-Seong-ssi! It is you, right?”
“Uht? Hui-Won-ssi??”
Tsu-chuchuchut...!
They had become the ‘possessors’ at a similar point in time and luckily enough, got to recognise each other pretty quickly.
– Looks like we’ll have to resort to using voice projection in this place.
The two of them began gathering information on this world little by little.
First, they learnt that this was the final preparatory stage before they could participate in the ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’.
Two, that there were time differences between the summoning of each member of <Kim Dok-Ja’s Company> to this place.
And that the scenario wouldn’t begin unless all the actors had arrived.
– Besides all that, Hyeon-Seong-ssi, it looks like you took over a person pretty similar to you.
– Hui-Won-ssi, you also suit your host really well.
And finally, their sense of self would steadily erode away with the passage of time.
[Great Fable, ‘Kaixenix Archipelago’, is monitoring your actions.]
[Probability of the world is pressuring you to perform your given role.]
Whenever they sensed the gaze of the Great Fable, they acted out their roles in order to not get on that thing’s nerves.
– It seems that Su-Yeong-ssi has completely forgotten about everything. It doesn’t matter what I say, she....
– Will we end up in the same situation as her?
– I believe that Dok-Ja-ssi will show up before that.
And so, they waited, and then, waited for some more.
– Are Ji-Hye and the kids doing well, I wonder?
– If it’s them, they should be alright.
They only had each other to rely on in this world.
[Fable, ‘Most Pure Comradeship’, has begun its storytelling.]
In a world where no one knew of their story, they simply had to continue talking to each other in order to protect themselves.
Claaang!
“Sir Erich! Please defeat it right now!”
“Let us get going, Sir Bilston!”
The hosts of the two being rivals came about quite naturally; they needed to create more opportunity to stay next to each other, as that would increase the opportunities to use [Voice Projection] to talk to each other.
– Looks like your swordsmanship has improved by a lot. Your title of ‘Emperor of Steelsword’ perfectly suits you, no?
– When we go back, I better ask Dok-Ja-ssi to buy me a new sword.
Every time their blades crossed, they shared voice projections.
– At this rate, we might end up becoming Swordmasters before Dok-Ja-ssi arrives here.
One year passed by, and the second year went by just like that.
And they were assigned to different posts that matched their personalities. Yi Hyeon-Seong was thrust into Fourth Prince Ricardo’s faction, while Jeong Hui-Won was put under the banner of the ‘Dark Magician’.
Once their affiliation changed, the environment they experienced also changed.
The two of them couldn’t cross their swords as often as before. And they had to live the lives of ‘Erich Striker’ and ‘Bilston Framer’ more and more, and not as Jeong Hui-Won and Yi Hyeon-Seong.
They had to eat food as Erich Striker and speak as Bilston Framer. In the process of acquiring something that wasn’t theirs, Yi Hyeon-Seong and Jeong Hui-Won began gradually forgetting some things about themselves.
The two of them were slowly and steadily becoming the characters of the ‘Kaixenix Archipelago’.
There was a time when Jeong Hui-Won, drunken out of her mind, came to speak to Yi Hyeon-Seong.
– I’m a horrible person, Hyeon-Seong-ssi.
– Why are you saying such a thing?
– Isn’t that reason why I’m being punished right now?
She then began talking about things no one had brought up until now.
– Do you remember.... the Geumho Station’s mother and her child? They fought against Cheoldo faction with us.
– ....Yes, I remember. We also met them in the Dark Castle, didn’t we?
Yi Hyeon-Seong recalled the mother-and-daughter duo from the Geumho Station – the mother who fought to protect her child, and a little girl who was holding onto the hand of such a mother.
The child’s mother lost her life in the Dark Castle, and the girl was handed over to the care of the wanderers.
– Both of them could have survived. If only I had realised the truth of the ‘Paradise’ sooner....
– It’s not your fault, Hui-Won-ssi. That was not something we could’ve prevented.
– In all honesty, there were many smaller Fables then ours, right? Those fables that couldn’t even become proper Fables.
The drunken Jeong Hui-Won laughed out. When she did, the vestiges of Fables staining her hands glowed brightly. All of them were the stories that she had acquired along the way. Stories created by fighting against the great and noble Constellations as a member of <Kim Dok-Ja’s Company>.
Jeong Hui-Won was proud of that story, and lived her life without shame.
However, a slightly different thought had permeated her head lately.
– Maybe, the Fables we have collected so far were created after we also trampled on such small Fables?
– Hui-Won-ssi....
– And maybe, it’s our turn now to be trampled on.
Four years, then five, passed by like that. Both Jeong Hui-Won and Yi Hyeon-Seong didn’t give up.
– By the way, what were the surnames of Yu-Seung and Gil-Yeong?
– Wasn’t it.... Yi Yu-Seung, and Shin Gil-Yeong?
– Something sounds wrong, but...
Their memories disappeared bit by bit. And the sixth year passed them by.
– Where is Dok-Ja-ssi and what’s he doing right about now?
– I don’t think he’ll come this year, as well.
The seventh year passed by.
– Being seven years in arrears with our wages, isn’t it completely an evil corporation?
– Let’s definitely create a labour union later.
– Yes, we must. Let’s not forget it.
Their initial promise of meeting up at least once a week to talk was changed to once a month, and that eventually became once every two months, instead.
The days they did meet but were unable to say anything increased, too.
And on a certain day during their eighth year, Jeong Hui-Won asked him in a dazed voice.
– Weren’t we supposed to wait for someone?
Yi Hyeon-Seong couldn’t reply to that question.
– You know, Hyeon-Seong-ssi. If I ever forget about you, then...
– I’ll remember you.
– ....Then, please kill me.
That was the last time they met.
A short while later, the ‘Dark Magician’ started a revolt. And Yi Hyeon-Seong stood on the side of the former royal family to face off against Jeong Hui-Won.
– Hui-Won-ssi.
Their swords clashed intensely several times in the air.
Wounds on Yi Hyeon-Seong’s body accumulated inside the storm of blinding sword lights. The trajectories of her sword swings were definitely different compared to when they were sparring in the past; each of her attacks contained her clear will to kill him.
– Hui-Won-ssi!
Even when subjected to the repeated [Voice Projection], Jeong Hui-Won didn’t reply. Her silence substituted for her answer.
As if she had been holding back until now, Erich’s merciless sword swing sliced Yi Hyeon-Seong down. The latter’s vision seemed to grow distant, then. Even though he was staggering about, he still walked closer to Jeong Hui-Won.
One step, two steps...
Finally managing to get close, Yi Hyeon-Seong stared into her eyes and, for the first time ever, spoke the words he couldn’t say for the longest time, and quite likely, he’d not get to say ever again.
– I love you, Hui-Won-ssi.
*
[Fable, ‘Most Pure Comradeship’, has concluded its storytelling.]
I wordlessly read the unfolding Fable. Some words were quietly sorrowful, while some parts were painful enough to tear my heart out.
[Ego of Character, ‘Jeong Hui-Won’, is waking up little by little.]
Faint light floated around the bodies of both Bilston and Erich. I could sense that their souls were resonating with the Fable.
Yi Hyeon-Seong collapsed, but a smile remained etched on his face. I quietly studied that face for a bit, before breaking the silence. “Looks like the company’s internal rules need to be changed somewhat....”
In any case, our second goal had been met. Next up would be....
“Over there!”
“Sir Erich is in danger!”
Yu Joong-Hyeok picked up both the unconscious Jeong Hui-Won and Yi Hyeon-Seong. But, before we could safely get out from there, the doors to the training ground burst open and the royal guards rushed in.
However, it wasn’t just them who showed up here. Someone else was walking out from the line of guards and towards us.
⸢The First Triple Master of Kaixenix Archipelago⸥
⸢The genius who had reached the peak of Swordmaster at barely 18 years old⸥
⸢The youngest-ever Ninth Circle Archmage⸥
⸢The ruler of the Archipelago who controls an evil black dragon⸥
No one in the Kaixenix Archipelago was capable of defeating her right now. The ‘king’ with a silver-coloured crown was quietly smiling at us.
“You dare to steal away my loyal knight?”
The royal guards all knelt down before her.
Yu Joong-Hyeok’s expression hardened and he sent me a message.
– This is different from our plan.
– Actually, this is for the better.
Because, our next target was Han Su-Yeong, anyway.
There were four members of <Kim Dok-Ja’s Company> present right now. The Fable of the Nebula would be strengthened further if more of the Nebula’s members were in one place.
I looked at the queen’s face and spoke up. “Your majesty, we didn’t come here to fight.”
Without a doubt, Han Su-Yeong’s ego was lying inside that queen, asleep. And I simply had to get her ego back from that character, no matter what. And, with things like this, we could use our Fable and....
“I’m aware. You came to tell me a story.”
Feeling startled just a little, I stared at her.
[Great Fable, ‘Kaixenix Archipelago’, is sending a mocking jeer in your direction.]
“Why are you so surprised? This one, too, enjoys stories very much. However, this one enjoys telling stories rather than listening to them. So, keep your ears wide open and listen well, Ricardo Von Kaixenix.”
The queen spread her arms wide and grinned brightly towards me.
“No, should that be the ‘Demon King of Salvation’, Kim Dok-Ja?”
< Episode 72: Three Methods (2) > Fin.