Chapter 67 – Choice (1)

At the news that there were citizens isolated outside, the atmosphere sank coldy.

Because the place pointed to by the women wailing to save their families was the section first raided by the mutant wolves.

Speaking coldly, they were bound to be dead.

But the problem was that it was difficult to refuse this request.

‘They were workers who had gone out for mining work even in this harsh weather for the sake of the Ember and the citizens…’

They were true pillars who displayed a spirit of sacrifice for the Ember.

Could we coldly give up on such people?

No, absolutely not.

“Please do not give up on our families! They are people who went out for the Ember. The Ember shouldn’t abandon them. Right?”

“…….”

Although everyone learned of the circumstances through their wailing, no one dared to open their mouth rashly.

Because if they stepped forward in vain and things went wrong, all the arrows of criticism would be aimed at them, and it was already a hopeless case.

That meant they were secretly hoping for someone to take the lead and take responsibility, and in the end, that someone was none other than me.

“Aylen… It can’t be helped. It’s right to give up.”

“Sullivan?”

At that time, Sullivan, the squad leader of Section 11 who was leading the column next to me, spoke.

He was trembling with his fists clenched and the corners of his eyes quivering.

‘Why is he volunteering as a scapegoat instead of me?’

The choice to abandon those people outside the Ember.

This was an unavoidable choice, but it was a choice where the criticism that would pour down in the future could not be avoided.

It might even cause his reputation to drop to the point where he would have to leave the Ember.

It was a task of a completely different level of difficulty from shedding my rascal image.

“This is nonsense. Even if they are dead, shouldn’t someone go to rescue them!”

“…If we don’t go to rescue them, I won’t move a single step from this spot.”

“Yeah, what’s the point of living? If we end up in that situation, we’ll be abandoned just the same. Ultimately, that is our future!”

The people began to be agitated.

A neighborhood where everyone knew how many spoons were placed at the dinner table of every other house, and shared the joy of birth and the sorrow of parting.

In this Ember where connections and humanity were everything, telling them to abandon their neighbors was no different from telling them to abandon their identity.

Awoo—!

Around the time the commotion arose, the howling of the mutant wolves echoed throughout the Ember.

The howling was used as a signal to summon comrades when prey was discovered.

‘It seems to be coming from a distance… Are they swarming toward the center?’

Seeing that the howling was heard near the Eternal Embers, the beasts seemed to be gathering toward the center where the leadership and the Magic Engineering Department were located.

Meaning that battle would begin soon, so there was no more time to delay.

Just as I was about to take control of the personnel while enduring the criticism that would pour down.

“My younger brother is also out there.”

Sullivan began his story.

Before long, hot tears were flowing down his cheeks in his eyes.

“Oliver also went out there following them. So… so just this once, please follow my words. I beg you.”

“…….”

This time, the crowd fell silent in a different sense.

As said before, this small Ember was a family-like neighborhood where there was no one who lived without knowing each other’s faces.

That was why the backlash was severe when Sullivan suggested abandoning the isolated people.

But what if not a family-‘like’ family, but a ‘real’ family member said such a thing?

What if a family member said they should abandon their own family?

“I want to go rescue them more than anyone here. But I cannot put all of you in danger to rescue my brother Oliver, whose survival is uncertain. Because I am… a hunting squad member who must protect the Ember, not my family.”

Weight, meaning, and sincerity were added to those words.

“Sullivan…!”

“You…”

“…….”

By that time, neither the hunters, the citizens, nor the women could find fault with Sullivan’s words anymore.

Though those isolated outside had the justification of a sacrificial spirit for the sake of the Ember, Sullivan was similarly armed with the sacrificial spirit of giving up his family for the Ember.

As irresistible justification clashed against justification, the backlash ended up offsetting.

“Let’s move quickly. We must protect not only ourselves but also the citizens who would be gathered at the leadership and the Magic Engineering Department!”

Sullivan shouted, and the citizens followed.

However, even if the backlash had subsided, emotions were not something that could be helped.

“Sob!”

“How will I live now? What do I do now…”

It was absolutely impossible to prevent wailing from leaking out of the column that should have been stealthy.

Although the persuasion succeeded through Sullivan’s decision, there was nothing that could be done about the gloomy atmosphere.

Turning my head to look at that sight, I gritted my teeth.

‘I must not end it like this.’

In , the production rate and accident rate were determined by the citizens’ morale or the atmosphere of the Ember.

A hopeful or despairing atmosphere, positive or negative public opinion, good news or bad news, and such influenced society.

The story after this was obvious.

The despair that encroached on the column of slightly over two hundred people would soon infect the thousand-odd people and swallow our Ember.

That end up causing a drop in production rate and constant accidents.

Meaning that the Ember’s period of stagnation would begin.

‘My life and the Ember’s survival… the two are no different.’

Therefore, I had to stop it.

Since I had to avoid the worst result of the Ember self-destructing like this.

Since the survival of the Ember was ultimately no different from my own life.

“Wait.”

Midst the sorrow of losing family and neighbors continuing mournfully along the column.

“I will go bring them back.”

I decided to risk my life once.

* * *

Inside the column accompanied by stifled whimpers for fear of being detected by mutants.

“Set off first. I will go bring them back.”

Suddenly blocking the column, there was someone who said he would rescue the isolated ones.

It was Aylen Vale.

“You’re going to search for them alone? What nonsense are you talking about.”

It was a self-sacrificing statement uncharacteristic of the rascal Aylen.

Because it meant he would set out to find those whose survival was unclear at the risk of his own life in this situation.

However.

“Aylen. Don’t act rashly. I have no desire to clear away more corpses.”

Words that were hopeful but at the same time hopeless.

Toward words that were spirited but would end up as mere bravado, the hunters’ reaction was negative.

Wielding alone in a situation where it was hard to guarantee lives even if the entire Ember united was unacceptable, but if even Aylen, who went to rescue them, died, the size of the dark cloud that would cast over the Ember could not even be imagined.

“Please don’t. I’ll just take the thought gratefully. Just as Sullivan said, I don’t want to see an innocent person die because of my family…”

“Yes. We cannot afford to lose even you, Aylen. I know what thoughts you had when you said that, but this is reality. Accept it.”

Perhaps because of that, the reaction of the women and the citizens was not much different either.

But this was not out of compassion or affection for Aylen.

Because he was still remembered in the people’s perception as a rascal who ate away at the Ember.

It was merely an expression of regret that they could not lose such a talent in a place like this, since such a rascal had now become the top-scoring magic engineer.

To put it simply, compared to the great decision Aylen made, the returning reaction was lukewarm.

But Aylen did not care.

Because he knew better than anyone that mere words could not change anything.

“Sullivan, you lead the people from now on. Whether I rescue them or bring back their corpses, I must confirm their survival somehow.”

No matter what the people said, he stepped out of the column and moved immediately.

He was translating mere words into action, creating meaning.

“Nonsense, this is just bravado and recklessness…!”

Sullivan’s desperate voice, having lost his brother, held him back.

No matter how hateful he was, they could not just stand by and watch a guy who was going to walk to a meaningless death for the Ember.

Yet, even amidst such critical gazes, Aylen’s words only continued calmly.

“I am a magic engineer. Do you know what that means?”

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

“It means one who has the duty and responsibility to pioneer the future at the forefront of humanity.”

The very famous passage written in the Magic Engineer’s Manifesto.

This was a sentence containing the meaning to save the world through endless research and development of magic engineering, a great passage to remember that the essence of magic engineering lies in the salvation of humanity.

“So what about it?”

Sullivan asked at the sudden words.

Completely unable to find the connection between this situation and the passage of the Manifesto.

There were words of Aylen that followed.

“Only when there are humans can there be an Ember, and only when there is an Ember can there be magic engineering. In the end, a magic engineer is someone who takes the lead before anyone else to execute the salvation of humanity.”

“…….”

“A few days ago, I read the Manifesto before a crowd of thirty million in the Immortal Embers. How can I, who did that, turn a blind eye to humans in danger?”

“……!”

At this moment, his words were leaving a deep ripple in everyone’s hearts.

Although they were moved by his firm resolve as a magic engineer and the broad interpretation of professional ethics, they trembled several times more at the fact that such words came from the mouth of the rascal Aylen Vale.

‘Aylen, what on earth happened out there for you to change this much? Is it truly the guy I used to know?’

To express the expressions of everyone at this spot in words, it would be just like this.

Everyone was looking at Aylen with the same thought.

“Don’t look at me with those eyes. I am only doing the duty and the work given to me to be treated as a magic engineer.”

But as if going to do what was naturally to be done, Aylen walked without hesitation toward that danger zone.

Because there seemed to be no regret in those steps.

“I will wait! I will wait at this spot until you return!”

Although they had never imagined such a day, Sullivan and the hunters shouted to show respect for the rascal Aylen… no, the magic engineer Aylen.

Although they themselves and everyone who heard it were surprised, no one denied it.

The words and actions Aylen showed just now were undoubtedly real.

“Don’t talk nonsense. Didn’t you hear the howling of the wolves? They are gathering.”

“But…!”

“The people you must protect are not only here but also at the Magic Engineering Department and the leadership headquarters. I will fulfill my role, so you fulfill yours.”

But even rejecting that, Aylen disappeared into the far side where snow was fluttering, without listening to any further words.

“…….”

What filled the space left behind after he disappeared was only silence.

Aylen Vale did what no one else could do.

Now, a person who could call him a rascal, at least, did not exist at this spot.