The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master

It had been about ten days since the incident with Kali Yuga, also known as the “Seoul Disaster.”

During that time, international politics had been on pause, but finally, it was beginning to move again.

It was a sign that, in another sense, winds of war were beginning to blow.

***

Even in Miracle Blessing M, the capital was still Seoul. It was also a hellish megacity with nearly 20 million people crammed into a brutal population density.

And that place had been reduced to rubble.

Not only the representatives of Seoul districts, but also those of other regions, were desperate.

That the capital had been destroyed meant that the function of the State had been paralyzed.

“What do we do now?”

Boom!

“Damn it, right now of all times!”

In a meeting where politicians gathered regardless of ideology, each exploded in their own style—pounding desks, shouting, shifting alliances at lightning speed.

Several general and local elections were approaching. There wasn’t even time to breathe.

And now they were about to be destroyed by the wrath of the citizens.

“No, seriously, I think they really are going to throw flour at us.”

“Hahaha haven’t you ever been made into a snowman for being a rookie lawmaker? I’m so used to getting pelted with eggs and flour that I feel nauseous just looking at a tonkatsu. Hahaha…”

Everyone was on the verge of mental collapse.

“I’m used to being the target of hatred, but still…”

“Ah, damn it! I don’t even know how we’re supposed to campaign. I wake up in the middle of the night from anxiety.”

“Your situations are better than mine… My district was practically wiped out.”

An empty water bottle rolled through the halls of Parliament. They had to cool themselves down somehow, even with cold water, since in that world the poison called nicotine didn’t exist.

“So then, since we’re at it…”

“Don’t you dare! Don’t even think about mentioning that!”

“R-right, right…”

“Damn it! Expand Seoul’s land? The true citizens who fund our campaigns will crucify us!”

In crude terms—the sponsors. More than half of them were aristocrats.

“Really… sometimes I just want to set fire to everything and start over.”

What kind of city was Seoul?

A city that could explode at any moment. They had crammed too many people into too little space.

And yet, it couldn’t be expanded because of pressure from the sponsors. If the territory expanded, density would drop, and that would reduce demand.

It was a deadlock.

At that moment, the Minister of Planning and Finance, who had been watching silently, spoke up.

“Honorable representatives, since we’re like this, why don’t we just move it?”

That minister had been key in the ousting of the prime minister a few months earlier.

With those narrowed, sinister eyes, he had collaborated with the director of the Joaquin Academy to bring him down.

Politicians had their eyes on him. And his connection with Joaquin was what weighed most heavily.

Even the president was wary of Saki Ryozo. No, rather, he feared her, even without factoring in the halo of Kang Geom-Ma.

Saki Ryozo.

Saki Ryozo was a monster.

Because of the incident, Kang Geom-Ma was about to become the target of public criticism. And just at that moment—

Saki Ryozo announced that she would move up the Academy’s greatest event: “Joaquin Day.”

They changed the name to “Commemorative Ceremony,” and instead of a parade, they would hold a candlelight vigil.

Naturally, the social queen and Lady of the Sword Abel von Nibelung played a fundamental role.

She secured all the necessary items for the ceremony with her overwhelming network of contacts.

In addition, Rachel Mura and the Lancelot Company raised funds. The contents of the festival were the responsibility of the Hero Association, so it was Speedweapon’s turn.

Finally, the Joaquin Academy’s graduate school, focused on magical research, would present a thesis on the “Seoul Disaster.”

Even the pretext for organizing it was perfect.

What kind of person is Saki Ryozo, really?

Is she even human?

They say she defeated the prime minister like a chess piece.

Faced with the overwhelming drive of Joaquin Academy, the politicians could do nothing but grit their teeth.

And just then, the Finance Minister, marked as a spy of Saki Ryozo, said.

“Move it? Move what?”

“The capital.”

He said a total absurdity.

“…?”

“Are you talking about relocating the capital?”

“Yes. Isn’t the city where the academy is just as good as Seoul?”

What the hell is this guy saying?

BAM!

“Minister! Even if you’re an unofficial minister, we have the rope around our necks for every single vote. And you dare to say something so ridiculous?!”

“And why would it be ridiculous?”

“Sure, people have talked about moving the capital for a long time. To Wonju, where Joaquin Academy is? Not a bad idea. But right now, Heavenly Sword’s public image is in the gutter. If we move the capital to his territory, the people…”

“Haa…”

The minister let out a sigh loaded with emotion.

“Was that a sigh?”

“How is it possible that you, being representatives, understand less of the people’s feelings than I do? No, wait—could it be that because you’re representatives, you no longer understand them?”

Without another word, the minister looked toward Parliament’s monitor. The others followed his gaze.

As if waiting for it, the giant screen lit up.

— Did you see that article? They say in the Seoul Disaster there were practically no casualties.

— Wtf, how can there be ZERO deaths when everything was in chaos?

— I was there. I saw a black-haired hero and the Sword Master saving people like crazy. I swear I ran faster than sound for the first time in my life.

— Ah, that one! My cousin says that man introduced himself as Balor Joaquin.

— Go to sleep, kid!

“W-what…?”

Chaos broke out.

Everyone had completely forgotten that Parliament’s server had been hacked.

As they sank into silence, another post appeared on the screen.

========================

[Citizen present at the scene]

〈Evidence photo.jpg〉

(I can upload more if you want)

This is my first time writing something like this, so it may be a bit messy.

Sorry about that.

I hesitated a lot about whether to post this right after a national tragedy, but since there are still people criticizing Heavenly Sword, I decided it was worth receiving insults to say this.

I know everyone can freely share their opinion on the internet. In fact, I think blindly supporting a single person is also dangerous.

I’m not saying everyone should blindly believe in him.

I only ask that you think calmly about what he has done, what he is doing, and what he will do.

☞ To be continued in the next part.

========================

Gulp.

The Adam’s apple moved with a big swallow.

Those present watched with such tension that their eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

========================

…Think about it. This is already the second time a disaster like this has happened. There is no guarantee that it won’t happen again. In fact, it will happen again.

And then, are we going to depend on other heroes?

Yes, I know.

Of course, there are many wonderful heroes.

Among the previous comments, the heroes who safely evacuated the citizens should be textbook examples.

I’m not generalizing, this criticism is directed at a specific “privileged group.”

They want Heavenly Sword to be despised. It’s a mix of complex emotions.

Envy, jealousy, and so on.

It’s human to feel that. But I wonder if we should also join in on that.

Heavenly Sword. The hero Kang Geom-Ma will be criticized no matter what he does. Because little by little, he is moving away from what we can understand.

That’s why, at least until that moment comes, I, a simple Citizen A who owes him my life, intend to trust and support Heavenly Sword.

I’m not saying I’m right. I’m just one among many citizens. Also, I clarify that this post is not meant to convince anyone.

I just wanted to leave a message of gratitude to Heavenly Sword, using the internet as a medium.

Thank you, Heavenly Sword.

And to all the other heroes.

👍895,095,326

The eyes of the lawmakers widened layer after layer.

“W-what is that number of likes…?”

A simple post had an absurd number of reactions.

Apparently, an AI with the Vixbig logo had translated and spread it around the world.

This was followed by articles from international media. They used this post and the photos from the scene as reference and broadcasted them.

The whole world was under the wave of Heavenly Sword.

“Public opinion toward Heavenly Sword is not just emotional.”

A voice broke the silence.

The minister went up to the podium, but it wasn’t his voice. It was a woman’s. The giant screen changed images.

“You are…”

“I am the director of the Joaquin Academy.”

Saki Ryozo.

From the other side of the screen, she spoke calmly while leaning back in her chair.

“As you know, Seoul is currently overcrowded. Even a house like a chicken coop is impossible to acquire even if one works their whole life. And yet, people want to live there. Because others also want to live there.”

“……”

“And now what? There’s nothing left, neither for you nor for me. Forced equality born from destruction. So I ask—between the privileged and the non-privileged, who are greater in number?”

“Well of course the non-privileged…”

“What you must remember is that being non-privileged doesn’t mean being weak. The moment you ignore their voice, your votes will hit rock bottom.”

It was nonsense.

That Saki Ryozo, a person with the most extreme blood, lineage, and privilege, would say that.

But far from resisting, the lawmakers who normally opposed her were moved by her frankness.

“As you’ve seen, people want a new beginning. Although it’s unfortunate that this start came because of a disaster, thanks to Heavenly Sword and the many heroes, the situation has stabilized quite a lot.”

That there hadn’t been a single victim in such a tragedy.

It was practically impossible.

“Now is the time to start again. And the best moment is now.”

“May I ask a question?”

“As many as you like.”

A young lawmaker stepped forward.

She tilted her head and faced him from the screen.

“If we are going to move the capital, then we must completely sever ties with the so-called privileged you mention.”

“I know.”

Saki nodded.

“Your words are certainly inspiring, director, but that would expose us to danger.”

“You mean you need a wall, is that what you’re saying?”

“Frankly… yes.”

“I like your honesty.”

Saki smiled with satisfaction.

“But you’re overlooking something.”

“What do you mean?”

“The wall.”

Saki rested her chin on her interlaced hands.

“Heavenly Sword has always been your wall.”

“……!”

“As long as you don’t suddenly become enemies of humanity, Heavenly Sword will be your greatest support.”

Is this what it feels like when the hardest enemy becomes your ally? The politicians had always been ingrained with the idea that Heavenly Sword was their enemy.

But Ryozo directly refuted that prejudice.

Thinking about it, the reasons to oppose Heavenly Sword were.

“They don’t exist.”

There were none.

Certainly, they would have to turn their backs on the privileged, the aristocrats, but those were too busy trying to rebuild their assets lost in the tragedy.

The young lawmaker’s head buzzed.

“Are there no more questions?”

Then a sweet voice brought him back to reality.

“O-one more!”

“Go ahead.”

“If it is decided to move the capital, then we must at all costs minimize public recognition of your merit in this crisis.”

“You mean that we shouldn’t allow the public to have the impression that the Joaquin Academy was behind all this?”

“I can’t hide anything from that woman…”

“That’s right.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“W-what?”

How could she react so calmly despite not being recognized with even a single word of merit?! No matter how little she desired recognition!

“I receive my reward every day.”

“What kind of reward do you mean…?”

At that moment, the sound of a door opening was heard from the other side of the screen. Saki, who had been smiling so much that her cheeks were trembling, quickly regained her composure.

“Then, I’ll disconnect.”

In Parliament, silence reigned for several minutes.

***

Same moment. Office of the academy director.

“Sorry. Were you in a meeting?”

“No. It just ended.”

Saki got up from her seat, walked over to him, and took his arm.

“What’s for dinner today, chef?”

“The boss… since my father came, I was thinking of making kimchi jjigae with tuna.”

“I love it.”

Ryozo doesn’t use the word “happiness” lightly.

She fears its meaning will be diluted if she says it too often.

“Geom-Ma.”

“Hmm?”

“Are you happy?”

He scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. It was adorable. Even so, he always ended up avoiding her gaze and replying in the end.

“…You ask obvious questions.”

“Say it with words~.”

“H-a-p-p-y.”

“Ugh, you’re so dry.”

Ryozo laughed. Just looking at him made her laugh.

“If you’re happy, then I’m happy too.”

She rested her head on his firm shoulders.