“I know it is hard to believe…but His Majesty was…a caring father in his own way.”
He was not a caring king towards his people.
But he was caring towards his children and was not a tyrant towards his people. He simply held many suspicions and, after injuring his head due to a rebellion, started to hit the pedestal of madness.
“I see.”
Sungjin could finally accept some aspects and nodded his head.
According to the information he received, there were times when Eustasia’s advice towards Heyzo II teetered on the line. If it were any other servant, they would have crossed an unreturnable line.
But strangely, the king was benevolent towards Eustacia. Not only that, he also accepted her requests easily.
She was ‘the only’ child left.
Although according to history, royal families often showed unstable relationships between parent and child.
Seyzo II, the mad king had been, in the end, a human who became gentle before his own daughter. And despite the risks and danger towards ‘himself’, he had raised his child.
He had a thought that perhaps the king saw himself in the positive girl who was born out of wedlock, but what was more important than the reason would be the final decision.
Even the mad king had been a human before his daughter.
Although now he had tried to kill her too.
“I acknowledge your valid reason.”
She lowered her gaze.
A warrior had to use their sword in righteousness. Therefore, protecting the mad king with a realistic excuse did not give her a proper argument.
“I will not resent you for killing my father.”
“But…”
“Still…I cannot participate in that fight.”
Even her voice started wavering.
She was not ignorant as to what was right and wrong, but with a dilemma she could not resolve she became smaller.
“Okay. I will not talk further about this issue.”
Sungjin resolutely closed the conversation.
“Won’t you blame me for not differentiating emotions from war?”
“Even if it may be for the greater purpose, it’s not my hobby to pit a child against their parents.”
He grinned.
He did not bring out any socratic reasons or ethical arguments.
He closed the conversation with a word of his hobby.
Seems like I really cannot do anything about this.
Frankly, he had predicted that she would turn her mind.
Even if she was a rule-abiding warrior who found great importance in loyalty in a world where such actions were praised, beneath that was a heart for the country and, therefore, a heart for the people that composed the country.
So he had expected that she would be with him in the last battle.
But his predictions went out of line.
When there is not enough data, variables are prone to have mistakes.
Against Seyzo II, he had no choice but to fight with himself and his other teammates.
“I’m sorry I brought forth this situation to prevent you from going further.”
She respectfully grasped the edges of her skirt and lowered her head.
It could be…that my situation…
She had argued that it was for the best, but perhaps it was arrogance which yearned to correct her father and the country under the name of justice.
In the past, she had said so proudly, but here she lost that confidence.
“Don’t apologize. It’s only the conditions and team members that have changed. Just because your personal emotions were entangled does not mean you have spoken falsely.”
Sungjin did not ask her any further.
He simply reassured her.
“You really think so?”
“There’s more than one justice in the world, and if it’s about personal emotions…”
Sungjin pointed towards himself with his thumb.
“Mine is greater.”
His motivations were truly the thirst for victory and conquering after all.
Before the man who had accepted her, even after fighting her so many times, Eustasia had no choice but to smile.
She could not walk the same path as this man.
She could not serve under a man who had killed her father.
She would not hate him but would relocate to a place where his power did not reach in the plains.
“But…”
“I’ll tell you… one thing.”
“What is it?”
“The power that my father has grasped is evil but strong. You can feel the difference almost immediately. That is a cheat item, which allows the wearer to possess a strength outside of his level’s domain.”
With simple brute strength or strategy or anything else.
“It’s different from the devil sword of the Blood Ruler. That was a complete conquering weapon within the rules of the Devil’s attribute. But this is an abnormal power that is forbidden.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve already faced it once before during the Blood Ruler’s time. I’m not so weak as to fail by underestimating an eerie variable that the other threatens me with.”
“If that’s so, it’s fine.”
At Eustasia’s words, Sungjin refrained from saying one last thing:
That just because he did not underestimate, did not guarantee his victory.
He simply used everything in his power in order to win.
As a winner.
As someone entrusted with others’ lives.
Chapter 19
The day of the war came.
In the waiting room, Seyzo II muttered while winding black substances around his arms and legs.
“Kill every last one. Eat every last one. I will punish by eating and ripping and shredding everyone.”
In the same waiting room, the other two kings, who remained standing, shivered in disgust, wariness, and fear.
Are we truly doing the right thing by allying with this bastard?
They had thoughts about simply abandoning this entire mission simply due to the instinctive otherworldly revoltingness.
But that was simply their emotions; once they thought about it rationally, this was a great chance.
Let’s just hold our tongues. We will take back our lost lands and must win this fight to protect the ones we currently have.
And they felt by the last battle, if they fought by themselves, it would only result in defeat, one by one.
If Seyzo II brought forth a disgusting but strong and mighty power into this, there were only positive words about it, not negative ones.
For now, they would reclaim their lands and think of everything else after their victory.
It might even turn out to be a good thing.
With that victory, they may be able to conquer the Kingdom of Sevrantina. And when Seyzo II is consumed by his own power, his land would be free for all without a ruler.
If they ate all of that, they would have lands twice the size they currently had.
And if all else went fine by grasping the other kings’ weaknesses, they would be able to achieve the great feat of uniting the four kingdoms.
Even if we may not like this bastard now, we will use him.
Even a mad person had his uses. It was befitting a king’s plate to use such characters too.
They decided as such.
Their desires had turned into revolting greed.
—
The camps of both sides were three to three.
It was the result of accepting Sungjin’s proposal to fight with only the elites, leaving behind all the weak nuisances.
Sungjin’s grounds finished their preparations.
The participating members were Sungjin, Ereka, and Jenna.
He looked at the two and said,”We’ll fight according to plan.”
“Yes, Sungjin.”
“Yes, Oppa.”
“If…”
Sungjin paused to take a breath.
“If a variable that you cannot account for appears, simply retreat.”
He would have been able to guarantee his victory if it were the old Seyzo II.
But the ring of Forbidden Evil had too many unknown variables.
They had planned according to the original breadth of knowledge but would have to play by hand after understanding the unknown power.
“Yes, Sungjin.”
“I won’t push myself, Oppa.”
You will enter in three seconds. 3… 2… 1… 0.
The battle began with the Valkyrie’s announcement.
—
If observed critically, it was not a formation where Sungjin could win.
The enemy was three level seven kings.
And Seyzo II even had powers that could not be considered level seven with the Forbidden Evil.
On the other side, Sungjin only had Ereka to contest King Ilkandii as the same level seven. Jenna, who was at level six, was a level below the same wizard occupant level seven, King Leoric.
And level zero, Sungjin, was obviously bound to fail in a matter of seconds against Seyzo II, even if he had the Sword of Heaven’s Will.
And in those conditions, a preemptive attack.
It was a fight that simply could not be.
But Sungjin informed all of the heroes of the four kingdoms quite confidently to come.
It is a moment of history. I hope you all come and watch.
At the slight threat that he would watch the level of ‘loyalty’ with whether other heroes may come to watch or not, the kings of the three kingdoms immediately called for everyone to assemble at the same the traitors were being punished, so nearly everyone of the four kingdoms was there.
And the atmosphere…
That extra bastard…no, he might really win?
Of course, once analyzed, he was disadvantaged.
But it wasn’t once or twice Sungjin had thrown that perspective completely off its hinges.
Once was a trick.
Twice was a miracle.
But a third even they did not understand, other than the fact that there was something to him.
So for the people gathered, their opinions were divided in half.
Half saying that this was reckless.
The other half saying that there had to be something unimaginable Sungjin would show, as by the mood he had set, and, therefore, should not judge so early on.
As I thought, does he have some sort of otherworldly power to manipulate the opponent’s mind; his level being a hoax?
I heard that he had the power to foresee the future.
I heard that he had the power to manipulate fate.
Because no one could believe the defeat at a ‘real’ extra’s hands, they exchanged conspiracy theories that seemed to make sense of Sungjin’s summoned background.
Although all the rumors were wrong, it also meant that the heroes had a new perspective of him.
The mood of the extras was also different from the past.
There was worry prevalent as to whether Sungjin could really win.
“Still…wouldn’t he be able to win like he always did?”
“Right? Even if we may not be able to see it, they would be able to see some path to victory, right?”
It was not to the point of ‘faith’.
But at least there was a level of ‘expectations’.
Lute grasped his hands together while talking.
“Sister. Let’s pray for Master Sungjin’s victory again.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Nania smiled, suppressing her anxiousness.
Sungjin had protected them several times, their dreams and wishes on his shoulders.
He won against everyone who tried to step on it.
Every time it had felt like a miracle.
So let’s not say there’s nothing like impossible any longer.
Let’s believe and believe and become his strength.
Their strength, which was only composed of prayers, would not have amounted to much, but they would still encourage him.
That’s what she decided.
***
Eustasia, mingled with the other onlookers, watched the fight.
So many are wishing for his victory and praying for it.
She did not know whether justice existed within Sungjin.
She also knew there was no room left to take a step back and correct mistakes one at a time. She was not wishing for her father’s victory at this point.
Father…
She was simply pitying him.
Where did it all go wrong?
She had thought many times as to whether there was a path to save her father. But there was no other path.
I don’t even know what to pray for.
The arena the three players entered was composed of a large tunnel, both above and below, and in the middle was a forest. As expected, there were mid-level mobs within the forests, so it was an area that could not be ignored.
“As planned, Ereka the North, Jenna the South, and I will take care of the forest.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“In high possibility, North will have magician, King Leoric, as the enemy, and knight, King Ilkandii, down South. Seyzo II would probably go after me.”
In the strange terrain, Sungjin predicted they would position themselves as thus.
“After that, according to plan.”
“Yes, Sungjin.”
“Yes.”
“If you do as we’ve trained, you can win. Don’t worry.”
“I trust you.”
“I’ll do my beest!”
Sungjin’s initial predictions went as planned.
At the North was King Leoric, the South, King Ilkandii, and Seyzo II graced the forest.
His observance, which had a one-sixth chance of succeeding, was truly special.
“It’s not as if the victors have been decided but…as expected there is no weakness.”
That was the evaluation of the heroes.
They were the same class but if Jenna had gone against King Leoric, she would have been oppressed on all sides. Similarly, if Ereka, who had the same level but a lack of experience, went against King Ilkandii in a one-to-one knight fight everyone predicted Sungjin would have lost quite stably.
But his perceptiveness, which gave some leeway by setting the different classes against each other, was truly remarkable.
Of course, the fact that his prediction was right on the first try did not guarantee his victory.
It made no difference from predicting they were walking to their deaths into a burning building if they could not overcome the difference in strength.
But who knows what else he has planned.
The people did not dare open their mouths rashly.
The risk of discussing a certain victor and having the other side win was too large.