READ NOVEL ONLINE In the middle of the city lies a square.
It was usually a bustling place, but today, it was especially crowded with people.
So many had gathered that almost no space was visible in the vast square.
Why were so many people congregated here, you ask?
“From now on, we will begin the 402nd graduation ceremony of Aegis Academy and the Hero Appointment Ceremony, so esteemed guests, please take your seats.”
Today was the day of the Aegis Academy’s graduation, and it was also the annual event where the graduates are officially appointed as heroes.
“Wow… there are so many people. I’ve only seen this on TV, and it’s my first time here. Do people always come in such numbers?”
“No, I usually come to watch, but it’s the first time I’ve seen this many people. It’s a popular event, but not this popular… I guess with you usually being busy studying and showing interest in things like this, it’s not surprising you decided to come. Oh, there’s a seat over there. If we don’t hurry and sit down, we might end up standing the whole time.”
“Oh wow, there’s a place to sit even here. Experience really does make a difference! Anyway, I really wanted to see this in person this time, and I’m so glad you said it was okay to come with me.”
“Um… it’s a bit awkward to ask now, but why did you specifically want to come with me? We’ve only talked a few times since you transferred.”
“Hehe, I’d feel lonely if I came alone with no one to talk to. Plus, I knew you were interested in this kind of thing for a while. It felt reassuring to come with you. Thanks to that, we can sit and enjoy the event. Right? Anyway, I appreciate you agreeing to go with me.”
“…It’s fine, it’s not a big deal.”
Even considering that, it was unusual for this many people to come to the event.
The reason so many were gathering was certainly because this particular graduating class was special in various ways.
“Ah! Look over there! It’s Yoon Si-woo!”
“Oh, he hasn’t shown his face much lately for some reason, but I guess he came for his classmates’ graduation.”
“Wow, I’m seeing him in person for the first time! He’s really good-looking, right?”
“…Yeah, I guess. Wow, look at all the people shouting. Are those his fans? The fan club that follows Captain Yoon Si-woo everywhere? They said they’d definitely come since it was the graduation ceremony today… Wait, did you happen to want to come here today for that reason…?”
“Huh? I couldn’t hear you over the cheers, so what did you say?”
“…Never mind. You weren’t really interested in that kind of thing anyway.”
First, regarding Yoon Si-woo.
Sloth, Gluttony, Greed.
He played a key role in defeating the three witches, achieving a mythical feat, and has already become overwhelmingly popular among heroes; this was the first special point of this graduating class.
Though he didn’t attend the academy for long due to graduating early, he was once part of this graduating class.
That’s why so many people flocked to see him in person, and those curious about his peers in the same generation must have been numerous.
“Wow, looks like the graduates are coming out.”
“Really? Let’s see… Ah, I think I know that person! Isn’t that Sylvia Astra over there?”
“Yes, she was chosen by the World Tree after 500 years and became the head of the Astra family. She’s well-known for her significant contributions during battles against the witches. Other well-known figures include Dwight Neinhart, who was said to have used magic to stop the Witch of Greed from escaping, and the former Captain Dolos and the daughter of Captain Eloise over there.”
“Wow, you really know a lot! Definitely a hero enthusiast.”
“I-I’m just doing some research out of interest, okay? I want to support heroes in the future.”
The second point of interest was the presence of some students who gained recognition even before graduation.
Leading the pack was the Astra family head, Sylvia Astra, along with Dwight, Florene, and Marin—already famous amongst those who know them.
Just like the saying, “heroes arise in troubled times,” many had come to witness the graduation of those heralded talents.
“So, is that why you’ve been looking up heroes?”
“…Didn’t I mention it? A few years ago, my family and I were saved by a certain hero. Everyone thought we were doomed, but that person sacrificed themselves to rescue us. Hearing that made me want to do something to help people like them.”
But there were others here for different reasons.
The boy, who had been sharing his experiences among the crowd, slowly gazed towards one side of the bustling square.
A girl who watched where he was looking flinched, then hesitated to speak her thoughts, finally deciding to share.
“…Actually, something similar happened to me.”
“…Something similar? What do you mean?”
“Do you remember that day? The day a demonic beast controlled people and made them kill each other.”
“…I remember.”
How could one forget?
It was revealed to be the doing of the Witch of Lust, one of the worst disasters in the city’s history.
Many thousands lost their lives or were injured because of the beast that controlled human bodies. Thinking back on that incident, the girl muttered.
“On that day… a hero saved my dad and me.”
“…Really?”
“At that time, my dad had already killed Mom by mistake while under control, so…”
“Ah…”
“Since then, my dad cried almost every day. It was too painful to watch… I ended up resenting that hero a lot. I would think, why didn’t they come to help us sooner? If this was going to happen, why didn’t they just let us die? I felt so stupid, haha.”
“……”
“Anyway, I just wallowed in self-pity for a while, but then one day, I ended up in danger again. And that hero came back to save us.”
“……”
“And once we got through that crisis, my dad told me we should be grateful to that person. He said he didn’t know how fortunate it was that I was still alive beside him.”
Reflecting on that day, the girl spoke with a hint of embarrassment.
“That day, I realized the hero didn’t take our family away; they saved what was left of it. My dad and I were too foolish to see that. Once I realized, I started thinking I had to live my life more diligently, just like that hero, and that’s when I thought I wanted to become a doctor so I could help others.”
“…A doctor? So that’s why you’ve been studying so hard?”
“…Hehe. There’s a lot more studying to do than I thought to become a doctor. That’s why I begged my father to let me transfer schools.”
“…Well, I think you can do it. There’s no one who studies as hard as you do at our school.”
“…Thanks. Let’s both work hard. So, one day, I can proudly tell that hero that it was thanks to them I became who I am.”
The girl smiled softly while gazing at one side of the square.
The boy, hearing her words, halted for a moment, then looked towards where she was staring, realizing something and gasping in surprise.
“Wait, wait! That hero you mentioned… is it… you?”
“Pfft, you too? Among all the people here, who hasn’t been saved by that hero?”
“…True, I guess. Ah, that’s why you insisted on coming here to thank them in person. Now I get it.”
“I wanted to express my gratitude while here, at least.”
And the third special point of this graduating class.
It was that ‘she’ was included in it.
To the side of the square, in the place where the boy and girl had been looking.
It was where statues were erected to honor those who devoted themselves to the city.
And among those, the most recently erected statues were two.
One was that of Eve, the witch who dedicated her life to humanity, now hero’s mentor.
And the other was the statue of ‘her’, just as the boy and girl had mentioned.
Scarlet Evande.
The hero who sacrificed herself to save the world and all its people.
Now revered not as a witch but as a saint of salvation, everyone knew she was included in this graduating class.
That’s why the people gathered here today.
Though she wouldn’t physically be present, they still came to express their gratitude.
“─Then, we will now begin the graduates’ oath.”
[─I solemnly swear here.]
Before long, the graduation ceremony was reaching its conclusion, and the graduates began to recite their hero’s oath together.
Echoing Yoon Si-woo’s hopeful words when he vowed to become a beacon of hope for the citizens.
The same words that Scarlet had once sworn when she was chased out by the city and labeled a witch.
[I will act for others before myself.]
[I will not abandon my comrades no matter the situation.]
[I will never come to a halt, even when everyone else has lost hope.]
The witches that were believed to be gone reemerged and threatened humanity; the chaotic era that produced countless victims.
The graduates currently taking the oath were the very generation that had to face that turmoil as first-year students at the academy.
Their graduation was like a declaration that the chaotic age had truly come to an end and that a peaceful era was dawning, making everyone look at the graduates with sentimental gazes.
[I pledge my honor and name that until this one life extinguishes …]
[I will fight solely for humanity’s peace and well-being.]
Suddenly, the graduates taking the oath all looked in unison toward a single direction.
There stood the girl’s statue.
Just as the words they currently recited vowed to fight for humanity’s peace and well-being, the statue of their friend and comrade, who had fought with all her might until her life was spent, stood there.
Everyone present knew very well whose grace allowed the graduates to stand here today.
Thus, they bowed their heads slightly in gratitude toward the statue, promising that they would fulfill that vow.
[I swear from this position.]
The people, along with the boy and girl, gave a thunderous applause towards them.
To ensure that this moment reached the one who made it all possible.
*
“Yoon Si-woo, the kids are planning to gather to celebrate their graduation today. Are you coming?”
After the graduation ceremony was over, Yoon Si-woo, tidying up in the square, lifted his head at someone’s question.
The one who asked was Mei, the class president of Aegis Academy Class 1-A.
Although she was no longer the class president now that they had graduated, she was still working as the representative for her peers.
Hearing her suggestion, Yoon Si-woo seemed to ponder for a moment before shaking his head.
“Sorry. I don’t think I can make it today. I have somewhere to go.”
“Sigh. I knew it would be like this. You’re going there again, right?”
“Hahaha…”
Mei sighed once, as if she had expected him to refuse, then chuckled.
“Well then, I’ll just tell the others to meet up later.”
“Huh? No, you don’t have to do that because of me. The others can just….”
“It’s fine. It wouldn’t make sense if not everyone attended. Besides, it’s not solely because of you. From what I can see, it looks like Sylvia will also be absent, and….”
She stopped halfway through her sentence.
But upon hearing the word “everyone,” Yoon Si-woo quickly grasped her intent.
Indeed, it must be that her consideration and leadership were what made all her peers view her as a representative.
Realizing that, Yoon Si-woo gazed at her with admiration, and Mei smiled back as she waved her hand dismissively.
“Well then, we’ll have the graduation celebration when everyone can attend. Hurry along, you seem to have your mind elsewhere already. Ah, I noticed your fan club has taken position at the front, so if you don’t want to get caught, you might want to go out the back.”
“…Thanks. Well, I’ll be off then.”
Thanks to Mei’s timely advice, Yoon Si-woo managed to sneak out of the square quietly without being detained by anyone.
His destination was Astra Mansion.
He practically ran into a room in the mansion and, upon entering, found a guest who had already arrived before him and couldn’t help but chuckle.
“What are you doing there? Hurry up and come in.”
The guest was Sylvia.
Whether to call her the owner of the mansion or the guest here was a bit of a toss-up.
Either way, the way she spoke, as if she’d known he was coming, made Yoon Si-woo chuckle incredulously.
“Why are you here? Didn’t you say you would be busy right after the graduation ceremony with a lot to do and even flew here with a spell?”
“As you can see, I’m working. Can’t you tell?”
Looking at the documents she was handling, Sylvia waved them in front of him.
Judging by the amount of paperwork, her claim of being busy certainly didn’t seem false.
After all, this room was where Sylvia used her office.
“Sure, real busy. If you were that busy, would you be fooling around here?”
However, the phrase “like an office” also implied that this place wasn’t originally intended to be a workplace.
After bantering with Sylvia, Yoon Si-woo naturally made his way to the empty desk on the right side of where she was sitting.
Once Yoon Si-woo was seated, Sylvia moved some of the documents piled on her desk over to him.
“All right, here you go. These are the documents that your subordinates were supposed to handle. It seems like with you coming here every day to work, your subordinates are thinking of this place as your office? But as you know, this is not your office.”
“But it’s not your office either.”
“Seeing you coming here daily and not getting bored means you’re not busy, right? You’re a great hero who has just taken the honored position of commander of the Astra family.”
“I told you, it’s just an honorary position. Ever since the witches disappeared, the demonic beasts have mostly been quiet, so I haven’t had much to do. You, being the head of the Astra family, must be much busier than me, right?”
After receiving the papers and joking around with Sylvia, Yoon Si-woo flipped through the documents briefly but quickly set them down, glancing sideways at Sylvia with curiosity.
“So, how’s Scarlet doing?”
“She’s the same as always. As you can see.”
“Right.”
Yoon Si-woo let out a small sigh at Sylvia’s reply and turned his chair to face away from the desk.
Behind him lay the bed where Scarlet was resting.
This place had become Scarlet’s recovery room ever since she had been revived by the Holy Sword of Wishes two years ago.
But unlike Yoon Si-woo’s situation, where constant care was needed, there was one positive aspect with Scarlet.
Her body had somehow been maintained in the same state without regular care, almost as if some mysterious force was in play.
They believed she would wake up soon since the only thing needed was for her consciousness to return, and that was why their visits were limited to short glimpses every once in a while.
But as a month turned into a year, both began to feel unease.
Initially, they thought she’d wake up soon, but doubts about whether something significant had gone wrong began to creep in.
That very day, when Sylvia had wheeled her office desk into this recovery room, she had suggested that doing so would allow for more time to be with Scarlet. They needed to be able to respond immediately in case something went wrong.
At first, Yoon Si-woo had been hesitant about the arrangement, but he felt as uneasy as Sylvia did.
Ultimately, he placed another desk next to Sylvia’s to make room for himself.
That’s how this recovery room had become almost a makeshift office for the two of them.
As Yoon Si-woo turned his chair back to look at Scarlet, he saw Sylvia glancing subtly at him from her right.
“…Sitting here reminds me of our academy days.”
“Out of the blue? Is it because we just graduated?”
“No. I hadn’t thought about it until now, but the seating arrangement here is just like in the academy. Your seat is right next to mine, and Scarlet’s bed is behind yours.”
“…True, I guess. It wasn’t intentional. It was initially you who brought it here.”
At Yoon Si-woo’s words, Sylvia giggled.
“To see Scarlet without turning around, I’d have to sit like this. According to some people, I’m busy, so if I keep turning to sit whenever Scarlet catches my eye, I might never get my work done on time.”
“…I see. Anyway, hearing you say that brings back memories of the academy. Back then, I never would’ve imagined we’d be like this.”
“Really? I knew since then! I vowed I’d always be by Scarlet’s side. Well, I never would have imagined that you, Yoon Si-woo, the obstacle, would have followed me this far.”
“Goodness, that’s ridiculous…”
At Sylvia’s words, Yoon Si-woo chuckled, momentarily lost in thoughts about their academy days.
Short-lived but cherished memories of the bonds formed back then made for pleasant reminiscing.
If only one more person were okay, it would have been absolutely perfect.
Thinking this way, Yoon Si-woo spoke to Sylvia.
“…I really hope Scarlet wakes up soon. Honestly, my visiting the mansion every day is a burden on you, Sylvia.”
Given Yoon Si-woo’s rising visibility, his every action became something of a hot topic, of course.
Just recently, a tabloid reporter even speculated whether the two were in a romantic relationship.
The article disappeared within minutes, deleted by someone, yet Yoon Si-woo couldn’t help but be concerned over the very fact such a news story had sprung up.
In contrast, Sylvia merely smiled at Yoon Si-woo’s apprehensions.
“Burden? What are you talking about? I’m the one who told you to come and go freely here, remember? But if you really feel that way, you could always stop visiting. I’ll be the first person she sees when Scarlet wakes up.”
“…No way, I can’t let that happen.”
“With this kind of obsession, it’s not surprising you thought of watching over an unconscious girl all by yourself in your house.”
“Hey…! That was just because I was out of it back then! I moved her here right after I thought about it!”
“Haha, I’m just joking. I know you’re not that kind of person, you know? But hmm… right?”
“No way!”
It had been two years.
The time Yoon Si-woo and Sylvia had spent together waiting for Scarlet to awaken.
Even through their playful banter, they had naturally become close enough to joke around.
Of course, it wouldn’t be correct to say they were each other’s closest friends.
The simmering rivalry over who would be the first to see Scarlet upon her awakening told that story well.
Neither of them was joking when it came to those assertions.
“Anyway, it looks like today will be another day of work. Ah, this will take a while to sort through all of this.”
“…I think I’ll have to stay here all day as well. I can’t believe how many approvals I have to deal with.”
After chatting away for a while, both realized they needed to handle the pile of documents, let out a collective sigh, and quieted down while penning away.
Then, a few moments later, the room filled with the sounds of paper rustling and pens rolling.
“…….”
“……”
Suddenly, just like that, the hands of both, who had been going nonstop, came to a halt simultaneously.
Pausing, they turned their heads slightly to look at one another and asked.
“…I’m not the only one who heard that, right?”
“It seems that way, yeah.”
Their heads jerked in unison to the source of the sound.
On the bed lay a girl who had just opened her eyes, gazing at them.
Throughout life, one can experience truly bewildering events that are hard to believe, even when you tell others.
For instance, one might suddenly find themselves transformed into a character in a novel due to a poorly phrased comment.
Or they might realize there’s a monstrous witch sleeping within their very being.
“Scarlet…!”
“Scarlet!”
But no matter how outlandish life seems, what if someone you believed was dead turned out to be alive?
And what if you unexpectedly reunited with those you thought you’d never see again?
“W-what’s happening with Scarlet…? Is something wrong…?”
“D-don’t tell me she lost her memory…? Scarlet! Do you remember who we are? You remember your name, right? Please respond, Scarlet!”
It was a mix of joy and embarrassment.
With thoughts of past conversations swirling in their minds.
So here, sitting diagonally behind the heroine of the academy.
Awakening once more from the seats of the academy protagonist, I could only answer the queries of my friends about my name in one way.
“Evande…”
完