Chapter 45 - Episode 8. The Last Romance (1)
Chapter 45: Episode 8. The Last Romance (1)
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“Sometimes, the heart is drawn more to a distant romance than to the power right before its eyes. But back then, no one wanted to admit it. No one wanted to admit that kind of purity still remained in their hearts.... The moment they did, they were afraid they would be buried in an even greater despair.”
―Cayman, 18th South Sea Hall Master
* * *
One week after the infamous “Fortress Lord Retirement Declaration” incident.
The following slogan spread throughout 《Chaos》.
―Whoever wants to become Fortress Lord, step forward and challenge me! But the defeated will go to the Abyss!
The declaration from Gorgon’s newly enthroned Fortress Lord lit a fire in the hearts of the people of Chaos.
That anyone could become Fortress Lord, so long as they had the strength.
To the powerful wanderers of Chaos, it was an irresistible temptation. On top of that, the bizarre rumor that the Fortress Lord was a 「Non-Adapter」 only added to it.
“How could that be true? How could someone who became Fortress Lord be a 「Non-Adapter」?”
“I’m telling you, it’s true! The Deputy Hall Masters and the senior elders of the Ten Halls checked his spiritual power themselves!”
The rumor spread everywhere.
“How did a Non-Adapter become Fortress Lord?”
“Could they be someone from the 《Palace of Rebirth》?”
“No way. The Lords and Great Families of the 《Palace of Rebirth》 agreed not to get involved in Chaos.”
There were also those who doubted the Fortress Lord’s intentions.
“What exactly is he after?”
He had said that if he lost, he would give up the position of Fortress Lord, then suddenly attached a condition for what would happen if he won.
Any normal soul feared soul extinction. If it was a soul that had lived only sixty years, all the more so.
If someone with a soul that young was staking their life on a wager, then there could be only one conclusion.
He was certain he would win.
So someone among the Ten Halls thought this.
‘Could he be planning to use the Guardian Horned Beast?’
If the Guardian Horned Beast was set loose, even the Hall Masters of the Ten Halls could not guarantee victory. But then again, he had already made it clear in advance that this would be a fair one-on-one duel, so there was no way he would use the Guardian Horned Beast, which he could move by virtue of his authority as Fortress Lord. In the first place, the Guardian Horned Beast was not a weapon made to fight people.
People’s opinions narrowed to the one most likely answer.
“...This Fortress Lord is insane!”
But as always, people grew more excited by what clearly was not sane. The people of Chaos were no different. Ever since the appearance of the 《Palace of Rebirth》, they had lost hope in resurrection, and now an unfamiliar favorable wind was blowing through their hearts.
“We’re heading to Gorgon first!”
Even then, the people of Chaos still had not realized it. The real reason their hearts had caught fire was not because of the condition for victory.
* * *
After finishing an inspection of the Inner Fortress, Yulhen headed toward the Inner Fortress’s main gate, thinking:
What in the world is all this?
When Gorgon first announced its ambition to abolish the very office of Fortress Lord, Yulhen had wondered if something was wrong. Even when Jaehwan made the absurd declaration that he would unify Chaos, Yulhen had still thought, surely not. Even when Jaehwan climbed onto the platform with that bizarre gait, it had felt ominous, but still bearable to watch.
Yulhen had believed. Not in Jaehwan, but in the former Fortress Lord.
This man was someone the former Fortress Lord had acknowledged.
No matter how strange the things he did, in the end he was still Gorgon’s Fortress Lord. He would never do something that would harm Gorgon’s future.
“Open the gates!”
“We have the right to fight the Fortress Lord too!”
“Fortress Lord, keep your promise!”
He would never do such a thing....
“Damn it.”
At the sight of the crowd gathered in front of the Inner Fortress, Yulhen pressed a hand to their forehead.
“Fortress Lord, what in the world are you thinking?”
By rough estimate, the line in front of the Inner Fortress alone numbered over four thousand. There were even reports that if the Outer Fortress was included, the total easily exceeded twenty thousand. Gorgon’s inns were enjoying an unexpected boom, and even the residents who had hastily turned to private lodging as a livelihood had smiles blooming across their faces.
“Cheap, cheap! One night for half a One-Horned Beast horn!”
Normally, half a One-Horned Beast horn had a cash value of around three hundred thousand horn. And three hundred thousand horn was enough to stay comfortably for a full week at a decent inn. But these mere lodgings were devouring half a One-Horned Beast horn for a single day. It was outrageous profiteering.
“I’ll book a week in advance.”
“Ha ha, thank you!”
The problem was that, for the people who had come aiming for the Fortress Lord’s seat, three hundred thousand horn was barely money at all. Every single one of them was a renowned powerhouse in Chaos. The sort who could kill a One-Horned Beast half-asleep with a couple of Skills.
As Chief Internal Administrator Yulhen surveyed the Inner Fortress, Yulhen’s expression gradually turned complicated.
Yulhen truly could not tell whether this was something to be pleased about or not.
Still, with outside figures entering one after another, it was only natural that the Fortress’s tourism revenue would surge. The longer they stayed, the greater the tourism windfall Gorgon Fortress would enjoy.
“...Could it be he even foresaw this?”
When a new Fortress Lord took office, it was normal for the Fortress’s systems to go through a major upheaval.
Simply appointing new Horn Lords to handle the political, administrative, and military organizations of the Inner and Outer Fortresses, readjusting the subordinate agencies, and overhauling the Fortress’s internal administrative structure required an enormous budget.
But if things went on like this, refilling the depleted treasury would happen in no time.
Yulhen could not tell whether the Fortress Lord meant to rule as Fortress Lord or abolish the position altogether. Then again, who could say they truly knew what the Fortress Lord was thinking?
“Haa....”
As Yulhen grumbled to themself, Yulhen’s eyes fell on the guards standing watch at the entrance to the Inner Fortress. They were passing around some sort of booklet and snickering.
“What do you think you are doing right now?”
At the Chief Internal Administrator’s sudden shout, the Inner Fortress guards’ shoulders snapped stiff.
Had discipline slackened because the Fortress Lord had changed?
Four of the five Horn Lords who had governed the Inner Fortress were dead, so it was understandable, but this was too much. The guard unit protecting the Inner Fortress was far too lax.
At times like this, they had to be disciplined harshly.
With the intention of making an example of them, Chief Internal Administrator Yulhen began to recite 「Edict」. The one who had taught Karlton the superior Skill 「Edict」 was Yulhen himself.
A power feared by every official in Gorgon.
Under the deluge of laws, the guards’ eyes rolled back wildly. Some twisted in agony, while others slammed their heads against the floor.
“Aaaagh! Please spare us!”
“We were wrong, Chief Internal Administrator!”
Chief Internal Administrator Yulhen shook their head and snatched the booklet from the guards’ hands. From how they had been giggling over it, Yulhen had assumed it must be some lurid magazine, but unexpectedly, it was an ordinary monthly magazine. Then Yulhen’s eyes widened.
『Chaos This Month』
+
Feature Article 1. Gorgon’s Fortress Lord, a shocking retirement speech delivered as an inaugural address.
Feature Article 2. Gorgon’s Fortress Lord, “I could stab the Ten Hall Masters to death with a single finger.” What did he really mean?
Special Interview. “I’ve fought Gorgon’s Fortress Lord before.” A mysterious Master of Slash exposes the truth about Gorgon’s Fortress Lord.
+
Yulhen’s fingertips trembled as they gripped the magazine.
“No, Fortress Lord. When did you say something like this too...?”
『Chaos This Month』 was the best-selling monthly magazine in Chaos. Once it had been printed there, whether the article was true or false no longer mattered. The anger of the Ten Halls’ higher-ups was guaranteed.
What troubled Yulhen even more was the article published as a “Special Interview.”
Yulhen quickly opened the page in question.
Fought the Fortress Lord? No way.
Never mind fighting him, things were being controlled so tightly that no one could even get near the Fortress Lord.
As soon as Yulhen opened the page, a holographic image produced by a Skill floated up. On the holographic screen, an interviewer and a masked guest were talking.
―I’m Myshark, the interviewer in charge of the special interview corner for 『Chaos This Month』. Today, we have a special guest with us. This person claims to have once fought the much-talked-about “Gorgon Fortress Lord.” As you all know, absolutely nothing has been made public about the identity of Gorgon’s newly appointed Fortress Lord. Some say he is a powerhouse on the level of the Ten Hall Masters, while others say he is a Non-Adapter. First, for the sake of fact-checking, let us begin with an introduction from our guest....
―Hold on. If I do this, do I really get to have a drink with those Goddess Hall girls?
―Uh.... Sir, we can discuss that a little later....
The image cut out for a moment.
―Ha ha, there was a slight error in the broadcast just now. First, please introduce yourself.
―I am the “Master of Slash.”
Yulhen’s eyes narrowed as they watched the masked guest.
...That was the Divine Doctor no matter how one looked at it.
The interview continued.
―Amazing! Are you saying Gorgon’s Fortress Lord only knows “Stab”?
―Yeah.
―And Master of Slash, you can only use “Slash”?
―I can do other things too, but when I fought that bastard, I only used Slash.
―A duel of Slash and Stab! Incredible!
―So you do know a thing or two? It really was incredible, that fight.
―According to our investigation team, Master of Slash was defeated. Is that true?
―What? Who are you saying got defeated?!
The Master of Slash started causing a scene. The interviewer held the microphone closer, looking amused.
―That was a draw, not a loss!
―If it was a draw, then how....
―Strictly speaking, you could practically call it my victory. I still had a trump card in reserve. Anyway, if we’d kept fighting, I would’ve won!
When it started to look like the interview was about to veer completely off course, the interviewer cut the answer off at the right point and steered things toward the most important question.
―Then in Master of Slash’s opinion, how strong is the current Fortress Lord?
At that, the Master of Slash answered in a voice full of certainty.
As if this was the line he had been waiting to say all along.
―Well, even if all Ten Halls came at once, they still couldn’t beat that bastard.
―T-Then does that mean Master of Slash could also face all Ten Halls at once?
―Ah, no, well.... Maybe yes, maybe no.
Yulhen’s hand was no longer merely trembling. It had begun to shake violently.
Just what have you been doing, Divine Doctor?
Yulhen also knew Jaehwan was strong. But to bring up all Ten Halls? At this point, whether it was true or not was no longer the issue.
Yulhen immediately ran to the Fortress Lord’s office in the Inner Fortress.
The root cause of this entire mess had to be there.
“Fortress Lord!”
Inside the office, someone was stamping documents beside towering piles of law books and administrative paperwork. Yulhen strode over, fuming. But the moment Yulhen reached the table, Yulhen realized that the person sitting there was not the Fortress Lord.
“...Why are you here?”
Bright golden hair, and the silver aura of a Celestial shimmering around the shoulder blades.
For a moment, a brief memory flashed through Yulhen’s mind. Jaehwan flipping through law books with an annoyed expression.
―How am I supposed to read all these one by one and approve them? Shouldn’t the Chief Internal Administrator handle it?
―The only people authorized to approve legal documents are the Fortress Lord and the Inner Horn Lord in charge of Edict.
At that, Jaehwan’s expression brightened.
―Where is the Inner Horn in charge of Edict?
―The Third Inner Horn, the Edict Horn.
―Who is the Horn Lord?
―You stabbed them to death a few days ago, Fortress Lord.
―Ah.
Jaehwan’s expression turned grave. He frowned as if thinking hard about something, then his expression suddenly brightened.
―Wait, there was that guy.
And only now did Yulhen finally understand who that “guy” was.
“...Chief Internal Administrator.”
Karlton, wrapped in bandages from head to torso, was holding the seal with a trembling hand, his face worn with exhaustion.
* * *
I wonder if that guy is doing all right.
Jaehwan thought of Karlton, who was probably stamping documents diligently right about now.
He had not originally intended to appoint Karlton as the Edict Horn Lord among Gorgon’s Ten Horns. Karlton had been hospitalized with serious injuries only a few days earlier.
―Lord Karlton! Try posing like this!
―As expected, he’s too handsome!
―Good. The next sculpture will be 「Tentacle Deadman Karlton」!
If Jaehwan had not gone to the hospital room that day, Karlton might have spent a peaceful rest serving as a model for the fervent artists’ works.
As Jaehwan drove a Stab into the sculpture 「Deadman Karlton」, which he had confiscated under the authority of the Fortress Lord, he thought:
I think I’m finally starting to get the hang of it.
Jaehwan was currently immersed in Stab training at the training ground.
Scattered across the distant floor were all the Karlton Deadman collection sculptures, including 「Tentacle Deadman Karlton」, 「Fallen Angel Karlton」, and 「Karlton Being Attacked by a Deadman」, all reduced to powder by his Stabs.
Watching that sight, Cheongheo spoke.
“Brat, do you even know how much all this is worth?”
“How should I know?”
“Tsk, tsk. What kind of Fortress Lord knows this little about the world? Do you have any idea how popular these are with the girls these days...?”
Clicking his tongue, Cheongheo quietly began slipping several of the sculptures into his robes. Watching that, Jaehwan spoke.
“Old man.”
“What?”
“I think I’ve completed a new technique.”
“Really?”
The reason Jaehwan and Cheongheo were at the training ground in the first place was to create a new technique together.
After his fight against Catastrophe, the Sole King, Jaehwan had felt the need for a new technique. Until now, the three forms of Stab had been enough, but now that alone was no longer enough.
The Hard Stab he had been using was powerful, but its range was too wide, making it unsuitable against a single opponent.
For five days now, Jaehwan and Cheongheo had been coming down to the Inner Fortress’s training ground and exchanging techniques.
“So you don't need any more training now?”
“I’m fine now.”
“Tch, is that so.”
Cheongheo sounded a little disappointed. The past five days had not only been useful to Jaehwan, but to Cheongheo as well.
An exchange between one who had spent a lifetime doing nothing but Slash, and one who had spent a lifetime doing nothing but Stab.
Over the course of thousands of exchanges, Cheongheo’s “Slash” had advanced by leaps and bounds.
Jaehwan said,
“Well, I’ve seen enough of your Slash, old man.”
“Oh, really? So now you can use Slash almost as well as Stab?”
Cheongheo asked sarcastically, his pride stung. Jaehwan nodded.
“A little.”
Cheongheo let out a small scoff.
“What nonsense. A brat who has spent his whole life doing nothing but Stab thinks Slash comes that easily?”
“I think I need a little more practice with that Hard Slash thing, but....”
“It’s not Hard Slash, it’s Extraordinary Slash!”
Jaehwan nodded.
“If it’s something like a Slight Slash, I think I can do it.”
“It’s not Slight Slash, it’s Ordinary Slash.... What did you just say?”
“This. Slight Slash.”
Jaehwan drew back the left foot, then stepped forward and drew a straight line through the air. There was nothing particularly special about it, it really did feel like he was merely making a slight cut through empty space.
Cheongheo snorted.
“How dare you compare a slash at that level to this old man’s ‘Ordinary Slash’...”
Then, in the next moment, from the empty air his sword had passed through, there rang out a crack, as if something had torn apart.
Footnotes:
Chapter discussion