Chapter 90 – Placing the Accent (3)

Everyone whispered.

“They said this Emperor is half-crazy…”

“Why is he smirking while looking at the mirror?”

“Why does he only look at the mirror instead of speaking?”

“I don’t think his face is something he should be looking at so pleased with himself…”

Even as they said so, people thought there must be some reason for that behavior.

Although the new Emperor had a bizarre personality, he was not completely out of his mind. There was always a reason for his silly-looking actions. Otherwise, how could he have won the tournament using the Angels concept and even received the acknowledgment of the Imperial Throne?

Soon, the Emperor placed the mirror on the podium.

Was he finally going to start speaking in earnest? Everyone held their breath and waited for the Emperor’s first words.

He was about to say something, but then hastily picked up the mirror again, tapped it with his fingertips while staring intently into it.

Everyone’s expressions turned strange again. The Emperor, who had been fiddling with the mirror for a while, finally put it down completely.

[Ahem.]

His voice spread throughout Sargassonia through the sound magic installed on the podium.

[Everyone, please understand. As you can all see, it is a face you never get tired of looking at. Isn’t that right? Hahaha…]

The Emperor began his speech with a light joke.

Had it been any other place, a burst of laughter might have broken out, but he was the Emperor, and he was currently delivering his final speech on the eve of the war.

Everyone hardened their expressions as one. Silence enveloped Sargassonia.

The Emperor hardened his expression as well.

[Laugh.]

The citizens did not realize what this meant.

Laugh all of a sudden?

However, laughter began to be heard from the front.

The front was where the commanders were located.

They were desperately squeezing out laughter.

Se-min had personally trained the officers harshly. Tamed by his violence, the officers began to burst into laughter reflexively before his mood could turn more displeased.

As the officers laughed, the lower-ranking soldiers laughed, and since the superiors were laughing, the private soldiers also had to force out laughter.

Sargassonia, which had been serious, suddenly became a sea of laughter.

The Emperor nodded in satisfaction.

[Listen lightheartedly, everyone. I will not speak long.]

Se-min looked down at the troops filling the square.

Every single person who could hold a weapon in Sargassonia was mobilized. They all had tense expressions. It was natural. This was the final war on which the survival of humanity, and furthermore, the fate of all life living in this world depended.

[Has anyone here met the former Emperor? Raise your hand. My eyes are good. I can see everything.]

Se-min spoke abruptly. At his words, some of the old veterans raised their hands. The number was not large.

Se-min nodded.

[He was a very fine guy. He worked for the weak, pursued things in a peaceful direction, and always handled matters fairly. That was why it was a peaceful reign. They say it was a happy time back then.]

Even if they had not met him in person, there was no one who did not know the former Emperor.

Everyone missed him.

Although he ultimately suffered defeat in the final war, he did his best to protect the people until then.

It was also him who generously distributed the dragon hearts stored in the capital’s basement to establish barriers.

[I am different from him.]

Se-min looked at the soldiers one by one. Although he was too far away for the soldiers to see him, Se-min could recognize their faces.

[I am not a fine Emperor like him. Rather, I am the opposite.]

What did this mean?

[But I will fight much better than him. How strong am I? Strong enough to beat Badurbarok to death and eliminate him.]

The Emperor drew the sword slung on his back. A strange current began to rise from it. It was a dark red aura.

It grew, grew, and grew, turning massive enough to dye the entire sky of Sargassonia.

Everyone looked up at the sky.

Something writhed inside it. However, they had no way of knowing what it was. There was only a feeling of something infinite lurking within.

As the Emperor slashed downward with his sword, it was sucked into the blade in an instant.

Everyone doubted their own eyes. Unleashing and recalling a force of this scale in an instant was a realm they had never even imagined.

To think that the Emperor, of all people, possessed such power.

[So, believe in me.]

The Emperor’s voice did not echo toward the crowd; instead, it reached everyone watching him individually.

The power of the Imperial Throne instilled faith in them.

[I am neither a fine Emperor nor a sage ruler. However, I promise you one thing. I will kill Badurbarok. So, fight believing in me.]

To kill Badurbarok, the lord of the demons who trampled their world and the enemy of the world.

That was his role, and that was what he was good at. That was why the Imperial Throne selected him.

What the world needed was neither a great Emperor nor a sage ruler to bring about a peaceful era.

Someone who could kill the enemy.

Everyone understood that.

They could also understand why the Imperial Throne chose this man as the Emperor. It was that kind of era, and that kind of world. That was why this man came.

And that was the single thing everyone desired from the Emperor.

The world had already ended long ago.

Therefore, the only option left to them was also to kill Badurbarok.

The Emperor promised them that.

[The ancient races are waiting for us.]

Goblin.

Orc.

Troll.

Ogre.

And human.

There was no time in history when they had all fought as one.

Even in the great war fought with Badurbarok in the past, a complete alliance was not achieved. Only some of the trolls and ogres joined them; most of them simply looked on.

It was different now.

The entire world was moving toward war with a single mind.

[Then…]

Now, Se-min withdrew his gaze. In a short moment, he saw everyone’s face.

As he had approached the realm of transcendence, it was not difficult for him to glance at the numerous people, distinguish them, and add his own sentiment toward each of them.

Se-min, in his heart, delivered his own blessing to everyone.

[We depart.]

Se-min raised his eyes.

Sargassonia’s castle gate, which had always been tightly shut, opened. Shozen, Kaorak, Kubar, and Biryu were waiting for him there.

Se-min stepped off the podium and walked in a straight line toward them, stepping on the empty air. Everyone’s eyes followed him.

***

Sargassonia’s troops began to march.

The same was true for the goblins, Orcs, trolls, and ogres. Everyone was marching toward a single point. Gathering at their destination, the five races would strike the capital of the ancient empire.

And Emperor Lee Se-min was leading the rest at the very front of the troops.

“How will Badurbarok act?”

“He never fights a disadvantageous battle. He is cunning. He will charge in once before we gather.”

“I suppose so, right?”

Badurbarok had an overwhelmingly larger troop count. He possessed the power to produce magic beasts almost infinitely. That scale was something they could not catch up with.

Therefore, they had to gather and defeat the enemies by utilizing maximum synergy.

Badurbarok would try to disrupt the alliance by sending troops before then. Se-min would have done the same.

It was unknown who the opponent would be.

It was impossible to know whether the troops would head toward everyone or select one race to attack.

“Which way will it be?”

“He will strike the weakest side.”

“Which place looks the weakest?”

Biryu smiled quietly.

Se-min ended up laughing as well.

That would be the humans. The goblins with the dragon, the Orcs with the Elder Orc, the trolls shrouded in mystery, and the ogres with the demigod.

Compared to them, the remnants of the fallen empire did not seem all that great.

“Wait a moment.”

Saying so, Se-min stepped out of the column.

They did not employ scouts. Given the characteristics of the magic beasts, if an ordinary person stepped forward, they were highly likely to be snatched away without a trace. Rather, it was better for Se-min at the front to expand his sensory perception and guard the surroundings himself.

Se-min kicked off the ground and rushed toward a flying magic beast in the sky. It hastily tried to change its trajectory, but it could not escape Se-min’s blade.

After skewering the magic beast, Se-min plummeted to the ground, using its body as a cushion.

Upon collision, the magic beast died.

“Look at this guy…”

Se-min shook off the blood on his sword while looking down at the magic beast.

The magic beasts continued to appear, identifying their location several times a day. Since their numbers were vast, the death of a few would be nothing to them.

“It means he is guarding against me that much, right?”

Se-min decided to look on the bright side.

Sending Kim Won-jin in the first place was an expression of such caution.

Although he did not know whether that guy’s name was actually Kim Won-jin or dog bones, he tried to shake Se-min anyway and even went so far as to blow himself up at the end. Unless it was a threatening opponent, such shallow tricks would not be deployed.

Even now, wasn’t he sending magic beasts every hour to find out their location?

Se-min waited for the column to reach them and then took the lead again.

“There is a city over there.”

Se-min discovered something towering beyond the horizon while hunting the magic beast.

It was the outline of a city. It was probably one of the ruins of the ancient empire that had already collapsed.

“If it is a city that was over there, it must be Jenetia.”

“Jenetia?”

“It was a beautiful city. It was a city of peace-loving people. It was a place where they did not lock their doors even at night, and no harm would come to you even if you fell asleep drunk on the streets.”

Biryu’s face showed a bitter smile.

Gradually, the outline of the city began to be seen in detail. The temple appeared first, and the shapes of houses surrounding it began to rise.

Se-min looked at the sky. It was getting dark. They had walked enough today.

“Let’s stay there for a day.”

“Yes.”

Biryu contacted Kila at the rear.

The supply unit was following the troops. The experienced Germanos and Kila escorted them.

The entire army entered Jenetia.

The city was several times the size of Sargassonia.

They built barracks around the temple. Although there were many intact houses, the soldiers chose instead to sleep in the open in the square around the temple.

No one wanted to stay in an empty city where the owners had disappeared.

“It is desolate.”

Se-min climbed the temple and said while looking down at the city.

Biryu sat beside him.

“It must have been a lively city in the past, right?”

“It was.”

“The place where I lived was like that too. There were really so many people, but they were all killed by magic beasts. You won’t be able to imagine how many people were in my dimension, and how great the things they built were.”

“I would like to see it.”

“I also want to show you. If I could show you.”

Se-min suddenly felt his inside pounding. At first it felt like a vague anxiety, but he soon realized it was the voice of the dark red magic dragon.

The guy occasionally whispered something in Se-min’s ear in a voice full of resentment.

It was close to auditory hallucinations of expressing hatred or rambling about fear and death, but now it was conveying a more organized will to Se-min.

“If the city was this large, the dragon heart must have been an incredible one, right?”

At Se-min’s words, Biryu looked at the temple as if he had realized something.

“Did you feel something?”

“I think this guy felt it.”

When Se-min tapped his own chest, Biryu’s expression darkened slightly. Se-min chuckled and rose from his seat.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

They entered the temple.

The structure was not much different from other temples. They opened the hidden door and proceeded to the basement as usual.

Blink, blink.

A faint something was felt.

However, it was not strong enough to take substance. They opened the last door.

A dragon’s heart, completely faded in light, was placed alone on the altar. It was the end of the dragon heart, which had consumed all its energy on the city’s barrier without leaving a shred of power.

“It looks like a rock.”

Se-min touched the tip of his finger to it.

It was hard.

At that moment.

“Uh?”

The magic dragon dwelling inside Se-min ran wild. As if blood vessels were connected, Se-min’s aura began to flow into the petrified dragon heart before his eyes.

A feeling of longing was felt.

Now, color returned to the dragon heart. It glowed faintly in a golden color.

Se-min discovered something raising its head beside the dragon heart.

It was a small, thin, golden thread snake.

It rubbed its cheek against the back of Se-min’s hand as if acting cute. Then, the dark red energy flowing from Se-min’s body reacted.

The two seemed to know each other. Perhaps they were friends.

However, it was an incredibly fleeting encounter. Their lives ended long ago. These were nothing but the dead dragon’s thoughts.

Even so, did they bring comfort to each other?

The golden thread snake climbed up Se-min’s arm and raised its head.

“What?”

Se-min could feel the will conveyed by the snake.

“You will grant a wish?”

Would it be enough to make a wish like, please kill Badurbarok?

While thinking so, at some point Se-min realized that the scenery inside the room was changing. Se-min and Biryu looked at each other.

“It said it will grant a last wish.”

“Ah…”

Biryu smiled.

“It seems this guy heard our conversation.”

Only then did Se-min realize as well.

They had been talking about wanting to see the old scenery of Jenetia in front of the temple.

The thought of this dragon heart, revived just before its connection completely ran out, wanted to show them the beautiful times of this city one last time.

“This guy makes my heart flutter…”

The surrounding scenery changed. It was a familiar scene to Se-min, who had experienced this sort of thing several times while encountering the thoughts of dragon hearts.

Soon, the dragon heart, which had faded like stone, recovered its whole appearance.

The walls also returned to being clean.

They were standing in the old Jenetia.

“Shall we go out?”

Se-min turned around first.

Something flew up onto Se-min’s shoulder. It had the appearance of a small winged dragon. Se-min could tell that it was the small thread snake from earlier.

“Alright, let’s go.”

They opened the door and stepped out.

The old illusions of the residents could not see Se-min and Biryu.

They became observers of the past and headed outside the temple.

“So this is Jenetia.”

Se-min admired purely.

Sargassonia was the only city of otherworlders he had seen. So he thought other cities would eventually be similar to it.

It was a miscalculation.

During the time when the empire enjoyed prosperity, they built a massive city. The scale was enormous. The city overflowed with vitality, and high towers of unknown identity towered here and there. No worry could be seen on the faces of the people.

Se-min fell into the illusion of walking through a modern European city.

“It was beautiful.”

“Yes.”

“Shall we go down?”

They passed by the people and went down below the temple. Occasionally, there were moments of overlapping with people, but the bodies of the people passed through Se-min and Biryu.

This was merely looking at old memories.

They could not exert influence, nor were they influenced.

“Uh?”

Se-min, who was strolling through the city, suddenly looked back. There was a familiar face there.

It was Germanos in his youth. Unlike now, there were no wrinkles on his face, and his expression was bright. With a sword slung on his back, he was talking about something with his companions.

Se-min stared at that figure quietly.

Germanos vanished into the crowd like that.

Could it be that he had passed through Jenetia like this when he was young?

“Germanos traveled all over the place to train in the sword when he was young.”

Said Biryu, who watched the scene together.

“It seems he was here at one time.”

“What a coincidence.”

Se-min chuckled. He would have to ask Germanos. Se-min turned around again and strolled through the scenery of Jenetia.

“To think that such a city became like that now.”

“Time changes everything.”

“It’s not time, but Badurbarok.”

“……That is correct.”

Se-min put on a bitter smile as he watched the illusion of a young child passing through his knees. The more beautiful Jenetia was, the more bitter emotions welled up.

The current Jenetia was a ruin. It was a bleak place, so desolate that the soldiers refused to go inside houses and pitched tents instead.

It was hard to believe that such a place had once been this lively of a city.

Suddenly, the flow of time wrapped around. People moved in an instant, and the speed of the clouds quickened. They ended up standing in Jenetia at night.

People gathered and were looking at one place.

From there, light soared into the sky. It burst in the sky, forming the shape of a flower, before fading into the night sky.

It was fireworks.

Fireworks began to burst everywhere. Se-min stood in a daze, looking at the sight.

Could it be a special day for the citizens of Jenetia? They put their hands together and prayed for something when setting off fireworks.

Among them, Se-min discovered Germanos in his youth again.

He was also clenching his fist and thinking about something.

Could he, in his youth, have ever imagined the current world where everything collapsed due to magic beasts? What kind of wish did he make?

“It is pretty.”

“Yes.”

Se-min stopped thinking and just looked up at the sky. It was beautiful.

The fireworks continued to soar, embroidering the night of Jenetia.

Looking at the sight, Se-min suddenly thought of Earth.

The city’s night view came to mind.

He missed the modern night view, where countless lights rose and illuminated the night.

The dragon sitting on his shoulder flapped its wings. That breeze tickled his cheek. Se-min suddenly realized that the night sky was frozen.

The lights of the fireworks, which should have continued to spread, were stopped as they were.

It overlapped onto another screen just like that.

The night view of the city.

“Uh?”

Even his sense of balance shook strangely. At some point, Se-min was not looking up at the sky but was rather looking down at a distant scenery.

“It’s a different place.”

Se-min gaped while looking at it.

This was not Jenetia.

“Was this Your Majesty’s world?”

Their wishes were not just one.

They had talked about the past while looking at the ruins of Jenetia, and Se-min had also said he wanted to show Biryu his world.

This dragon returned the city Se-min remembered as well.

“So such a world existed.”

Biryu, who rarely showed agitation, looked around frantically while looking at the scenery of Earth.

They were standing on top of a skyscraper, and countless city lights glowed below.

Biryu tilted his head in wonder at what the queue of flowing car headlights was, and also marveled at the light of an aircraft flying in the sky.

“Such a world…”

Biryu was lost in daze.

He was gradually realizing what the surrounding objects were and becoming more surprised.

The strange steel carriages controlled directly by humans, the tools that flew in the sky, and the wondrous buildings erected up to a dizzyingly high position.

“It was like this in the past. Now, it’s all over.”

Se-min said.

His world was beautiful.

Although it was something realized only after losing it, Earth was filled with wonder. If one had not seen and experienced it firsthand, how could they believe that humanity could build such cities?

Se-min put on a bitter smile while looking at the city.

“It is no different from Jenetia. It became a ruin.”

“Is that so.”

Se-min tried to take in the scenery he would never see again into his eyes just a little more.

It felt like a very long time ago.

Although he had wandered after dropping out of school, he lived quite well after meeting the Transcendent Network, reforming, becoming a Raider, and racing through the city.

They were good days.

Such times will never come again.

“Everyone who was here died.”

He looked at the numerous crowds flowing through the busy street. There were so many people. They were all killed by magic beasts.

“We are in the same boat.”

“Indeed.”

They had lost their respective worlds and were moving forward to kill the culprit.

Se-min shook his head. There was no time to indulge in sentimentality anymore. He tapped the dragon that had settled on his shoulder.

“Hey, stop looking and let’s go back.”

The dragon nodded.

The scenery before his eyes began to change again. The shining lights gathered into a single point, and dark stains spread out from the margins.

Now they stood in the darkness, and when they opened their eyes after closing them, they had returned to the basement of the temple again.

It was a short time travel.

“Thank you.”

Se-min muttered like that.

Before they knew it, the dragon heart in front of them had returned to looking like a boulder again. Since it had squeezed out its last bit of power, thoughts would no longer remain.

Se-min placed the tip of his finger on the dragon heart. Then, its form flowed down like grains of sand, and it completely collapsed.

At the same time, a corner of his heart throbbed.

The magic dragon dwelling inside Se-min also seemed sad.

They stepped outside the temple. Fires were being lit and meals were being prepared everywhere. When Se-min and Biryu returned, Shozen welcomed them.

“The meal is being prepared. Please come.”

“Sure. Where is Germanos?”

“He should be eating separately at a distance.”

“Tell him to eat with us.”

Se-min called Germanos. He came to Se-min while tilting his head.

“Why did you call?”

“Just to eat together.”

The menu was similar for the soldiers and Se-min. Se-min did not particularly want a special dish. If needed, he could just hunt magic beasts.

“Have you ever been to Jenetia in the past?”

“This place?”

Germanos, sitting opposite him, answered while rummaging through his bowl.

“I think I came here a long time ago.”

“When?”

“When I was young. Back then, I was traveling all over the place to train in the sword. Was it on the way to the capital through Jenetia?”

“To the capital?”

“Yes. I met the former Emperor in the capital. For the first time, I thought I wanted to use my sword to protect someone. That was why I took the exam to join the Emperor’s guard.”

“What kind of guy was the former Emperor?”

“He was a fine person.”

Biryu, who had been quiet, asked.

“Since everything collapsed because he lost the war, can you really say he was a fine Emperor?”

Germanos glanced at Biryu. Biryu’s expression was calm as usual. Germanos smiled and continued.

“That was not Your late Majesty’s fault. When he was here, it was truly a good time. If it had not been for Badurbarok, the empire would have enjoyed an unprecedented peaceful reign.”

Se-min said.

“You praise the former Emperor but not me?”

“I don’t see anything to praise.”

“Look at this old man talk. You were quite a bumpkin when you were young.”

“What?”

“When the fireworks burst, you were surprised, opened your eyes wide, and only looked at the sky, didn’t you?”

Germanos’s eyes widened. He stared into space for a moment, tracing his memory, before looking at Se-min again.

“How did you know that?”

“I have my ways.”

“It comes to mind. It was a night when a festival was held in Jenetia. I think that was the first time I saw something called fireworks.”

He looked up at the night sky of the ruined Jenetia.

It was different from before. Under the lonely sky, only the sound of soldiers eating ahead of the final war was heard.

“What kind of festival was it?”

“His birthday.”

Germanos smiled, looking at Se-min.

“It was the former Emperor’s birthday.”

“The former Emperor guy must have been really popular.”

Kaorak and Kubar, who were just listening quietly, also pitched in.

“I have also heard about it. I heard he was a decent Emperor.”

“Losing the war was not because of that Emperor. Keekeek. Anyone would have done the same.”

They continued their meal, exchanging old stories. In the ruined city, campfire smoke rose instead of fireworks.

The night darkened.

***

As soon as day broke, they left Jenetia. Se-min, who was checking if there were any magic beasts around, asked Biryu.

“Biryu.”

“Yes.”

“If Badurbarok dies, a city like Jenetia will appear again, right?”

“It’s hard to tell.”

This time, Biryu asked Se-min.

“Does Your Majesty intend to return to your original world once you kill Badurbarok?”

“Of course.”

“Are you confident that you can rebuild the city we saw back then?”

Could they rebuild the city of sleepless lights, where skyscrapers towered and lights never went out even at night?

Se-min shrugged.

The current Seoul was a completely broken ruin. The survivors were also extremely few. How much time would be needed for it to become like that again?

“Well, I don’t know if I can…”

At that time, a voice was heard from behind.

“You can.”

Se-min turned around.

Shozen, Kubar, and Kaorak, who were walking together right behind, looked at him. Se-min stared at them in turn.

It was the voice of none of them. It was a strange voice, heard for the first time yet somehow familiar.

Failing to find the owner of the voice, Se-min tilted his head and turned his head forward again.

And he saw.

Golden wings soaring toward the sky.

It flapped its wings while looking at Se-min, before soaring into the blue sky and completely vanishing. It was a very short mirage.

Se-min said.

“They said I can.”

“Pardon?”

Biryu tilted his head.

“They said it can be done.”

Se-min chuckled and quickened his pace.

The capital of the ancient empire was drawing near.