Chapter 1: Do You Admit Your Guilt? I Admit You’re a Fool!
Episode 91 – Chaos and Hero (9)
“Is that a helicopter? Or a crazy monster bird or a monster bat?”
[It’s a helicopter.]
Two days had passed since I wandered aimlessly through the wasteland, and I finally discovered our allies, which made me think I might be in danger.
The helicopter didn’t seem to notice me, but that didn’t matter. I just needed to make it see me.
I raised my sword and focused my power. I still lacked the necessary strength to unleash this power fully. However, the secret of Resonance Law is to draw other powers and merge them with your own.
The energy drawn from the crystal in my other hand transferred to the sword, causing it to ignite with a reddish glow.
Waving it around like a signal flare seemed to have an effect.
[They must have seen it.]
Through the floating letters in the air, I observed the helicopter’s movements change.
I immediately lay flat on the ground. For now, more than anything else, I wanted some cool water and warm food.
“Soon, the escort vehicle will arrive! We must continue our mission!”
“Thank you, thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Everyone will be happy about the hero’s safe return!”
“…Huh? Wait a moment!”
The noise from the helicopter’s rotor created a ruckus.
That Japanese man just raised his thumb in response to my request to wait and hopped back into the helicopter.
I stood there, dazed, holding only the communicator and water bottle he had given me, watching as the helicopter took off again.
I felt disoriented, but it wasn’t just the deafening sound of the rotor.
“They probably didn’t think I would make it back alive. Still, I feel like there’s some misunderstanding here.”
[Think again. From their perspective, how did your actions appear, not knowing the truth?]
“…Ah, this is crazy.”
It was only then that I realized and hit the ground.
At that moment, my thought was to buy time and save the people; to do that, I had to summon the legion. However, I couldn’t show the legion to the people.
That was the only thing on my mind. So, I sent the others safely while I stayed behind.
The problem was that anyone who saw that scene would inevitably misunderstand it.
“I didn’t do it intentionally.”
[You should know… The problem is that others won’t see it that way. Decimation, annihilation, despair, and sorrow. It’s only natural for miraculous stories to attract attention in the midst of that.]
“I messed up.”
From afar, the sound of a revving engine approached. An army vehicle was rushing toward me.
Thinking back, it was strange for an army vehicle to come pick me up. After all, I had joined as just a mere mercenary.
“Kang Shin Woo. I’m Brigadier General Seong Jin Woo of the Allied Forces’ 32nd Legion.”
“Ah… Yes. Brigadier General.”
When I spotted a star on the bulletproof helmet of the middle-aged man disembarking from the vehicle, I instantly knew my prediction was correct.
“Get in. At a time when everyone is struggling, the only good news is the safe return of Kang Shin Woo.”
He personally escorted me and helped me into the back seat of the vehicle.
Though it was burdensome, I couldn’t refuse. The sergeant in the driver’s seat had sparkling eyes.
“Thanks to you, those who returned safely are all saying the same thing, so it has already spread everywhere. By now, it has probably reached Earth.”
“…I guess so.”
An unprecedented alliance of nations transcending boundaries, religions, and ideologies. Hence, the Allied Forces represented the pride of Earthlings and stood as a symbol.
The achievements of the Allied Forces were the headline that the entire planet focused on. Their victory was Earth’s victory, and their defeat was a defeat for all of Earth.
“A glimmer of hope in an incredibly bleak situation.”
He pulled out a tablet. There, a single blurred and shaky photo was displayed.
A glimpse of the grand war between the legion and the enemies was captured in that photo.
“So please, tell us the truth. All the military has is this one photo taken and transmitted just before the reconnaissance helicopter was shot down…!”
He grasped my hand with a serious and desperate look in his eyes.
I held onto my senses, which threatened to slip away in shock over being discovered.
It wasn’t that I was caught. At least it seemed true that the military had only this chaotic photo.
“Actually, my intent was to bury them with the remaining shells and explosives.”
I calmly began to lie. If I had been the ordinary college student I once was, I wouldn’t have been able to utter a word in this situation, but I had gone through too much in the past few months.
“But suddenly, those things appeared. Do you know what they are?”
“To be honest, I don’t really know. They just seem like monsters.”
“I’ve seen them myself, but I don’t know much. All I could do was hurry and hide…”
Words flowed easily. The legion consisted of strange monsters that appeared out of nowhere, and I just watched them fight among themselves.
What could they do if they didn’t believe me? After all, there was no evidence.
More importantly, there were suddenly gathered demons swinging spears and strange skeletons, so it wasn’t unbelievable that monsters fought each other.
“However, people…”
“I’ll be honest with the people too. I know what worries you, Brigadier General. Still, please believe me. Revealing the truth is better than telling lies.”
I forced a smile at the look of disappointment crossing the Brigadier General’s face.
For them, it would be disappointing to think that the birth of a powerful hero was simply a coincidence.
However, even when we arrived at the base and announced the truth to the people, the response did not change.
“Regardless, you’re saying you’ll keep fighting, right?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Then that’s enough. You’re already a hero. Everyone thinks so. If anything, they might like it more that you stepped forward without transcendent strength.”
Robert approached me, grinning as he saw my bewilderment.
*
“Hurry…”
“The gate! Open the gate!”
On a late evening, the soldiers guarding the city stood ready, moving busily.
The city walls were relics of the past. However, these ancient relics had now become a great bastion to protect them.
“Report to the command that Councilman Austin Schultz and Mage Reina from Clawclaw Academy have stabilized the defense forces. And open the gate immediately! So we can get to Menace!”
“Y-Yes!”
The person in charge, who hurriedly ran over, turned on his heel and dashed back in the same direction, just as Austin commanded.
In that brief moment, Austin and Reina gulped down the water brought by the soldiers.
“What were those things, anyway?”
“I can’t figure it out no matter how much I think about it. Were they really demon beasts? They’re so different from the records.”
Austin clicked his tongue at Reina’s words.
They gathered the remnants of the defeated and immediately chased after the separate unit that Rosa was leading.
And there, they witnessed the complete annihilation of the detachment led by Rosa.
‘Were they dozens, hundreds?’
Austin trembled at the realization that he wasn’t facing just a singular elite enemy.
‘Moreover, that black-winged creature…’
He was horrified to find that there were beings who appeared stronger than the elite.
The only reason they had managed to come this far without being discovered was that the enemies they had seen had all vanished in an instant while launching an all-out offensive.
“Councilman! It’s confirmed. Currently, Vice President Rosa LeBlanc is in Menace!”
“Hmm, she must have fled ahead of us!”
As they headed toward the City Hall where the gate was located, they received news. Austin gritted his teeth.
Setting everything else aside, there was no excuse for Rosa, who volunteered to lead the separate unit, running away when a crisis hit.
“Don’t be too angry. We can still hold her accountable.”
Now, it was even Reina who had to soothe his anger.
Before long, they reached the front of the gate. The mayor of the city, elected by the Continental Council, bowed before Austin.
“Councilman, perhaps you should rest a bit…”
“Be quiet. The fate of the continent is at stake; we don’t have time to hesitate. Open the gate now.”
As Austin frowned, the mayor flinched and hastily urged the mages in the city hall.
Soon, a massive, mirror-like device installed with magic stones began to absorb magical power, turning a deep blue as it started to vibrate.
‘Convincing the councilman was a stroke of genius after all.’
Reina sighed in relief internally as she witnessed the swift action.
No one would have listened to an ordinary research mage, but the words of a sitting councilman carried weight.
“Ahem. Hurry up.”
Soon, a blue curtain unfolded before them. Austin, tapping his staff, led the way to the gate.
“Now hold on. You must go, but you have to come with us, Councilman.”
However, he couldn’t take more than a few steps before halting.
Coming out from within the curtain were several individuals, a dozen strong men and women dressed in black uniforms.
Reina’s face turned pale upon seeing them.
“Vice President of Clawclaw Academy, Rosa LeBlanc has filed charges against you. Please cooperate for the investigation.”
The blonde man leading them held up a document.
“Charge? Isn’t it that one who abandoned the mission and fled? How dare you turn the tables…”
The enraged Austin fluttered his robe and pointed a finger.
“Let’s discuss the details once we get inside. Let’s go.”
Yet they remained unfazed.
When a pair approached him, Austin, clicking his tongue, shook off their arms and walked into the curtain on his own.
“We don’t have time for this! There are terrible monsters crawling out of the labyrinth…”
“We are aware of that, but it’s rude for a mere research mage to defy us. Are you defying the investigators? Right now, finding corruption is more important than dealing with those monsters.”
“How dare you?!”
Reina’s neck was openly aimed at with a sword drawn.
Ultimately, even Reina was caught and taken across the curtain, leaving only the city hall staff, who were left confused amidst the chaos.
