Saving My Favorite in a Doomed World – Chapter 93

Author: rolypoly

The slogan of the Hero Summit changes with every host period. The slogan put forward by the host country, Russia, this time was:

‘Even if our lives end today, everyday life and peace to the world.’

Is this a phrase Ignaty put up?

Hwashin looked at the slogan hung in front of the grand conference room and the sign indicating the start time. Contrary to the sign that read 11 AM, the hour hand of the wall clock pointed to 9.

‘Cha Jaeha is already up too.’

Fortunately, Cha Jaeha, that lightweight when it came to alcohol, didn’t seem to have a hangover. Muttering that he couldn’t skip morning training, he had stumbled his way toward the arena prepared in the hotel basement.

It seemed he was the only one who had stopped by the grand conference room early. The moment Hwashin put his hand on the doorknob, a voice came from behind him. A voice modulated to hide its gender.

It was the Japanese hero, Izawa.

“Ah. You’re already here.”

Perhaps because of the modulation, or perhaps because her original voice was quiet, Izawa’s voice was hard to hear unless you concentrated. Pulling her mask down further, Izawa walked forward. Hwashin first gave her a bright smile and then pushed down the doorknob.

“You’re early too, Izawa-san. Did you come to look around?”

Izawa silently nodded her head.

Hmm, this kind of kid is definitely uncomfortable. Having read , Yoo Hwashin roughly knew Izawa’s age and gender. Her gender was roughly guessed from Cha Jaeha’s perspective, so he wasn’t completely sure though.

Inside the grand conference room, a reddish-brown table that looked like it could easily seat 20 people was set up. It seemed they had chosen a round table so that hierarchical relationships couldn’t be distinguished. Let’s see. The national flags should be placed on the table.

Is Korea between China and Japan?

“There isn’t much to see, really. Since it’s my first time participating, I just came to have a look. Izawa-san, you came once last year, didn’t you?”

Izawa nodded her head slightly.

Japan still didn’t have double-digit S-Rank heroes. However, Izawa alone was always specially invited to participate in the Hero Summit. That’s how helpful her abilities were.

[ Spiritualist (S): You seem to have been influenced by a background from a shamanic maiden family. You are under the protection of local deities. From the earth to the sky, all the spirits of the land where you were born will share their abilities with you. However, they dislike fighting. Live a life that is truly helpful to others. That is the duty of one connected to the divine.]

Izawa’s ability, named as such, consisted mostly of auxiliary types but was vast in scope. While the ability was singular as ‘Spiritualist,’ her skills alone would easily number twenty if those up to B-rank were included. Since there was no need to reveal all skills, Izawa’s power was shrouded in mystery to that extent.

“Hmm, shall we go then? Since it’s morning, let’s go get something to eat.”

“….Excuse me.”

Izawa grabbed the sleeve of Hwashin, who was walking ahead. The fingers poking out from her cloak were thin, slender, white, and frail.

“Is something wrong?”

At Hwashin’s question, Izawa startled and stepped back.

“….I have something to ask.”

The small hand that had crawled back into the cloak now tightly gripped the hem of her own cloak. As if telling her to speak, Hwashin tilted his head to the side.

“Are you….. truly a person of this side?”

Huh?

“Haha. What do you mean by that? Could you explain in a little more detail?”

Does this mean Izawa has already seen through me with her skills? No, that’s impossible. That particular skill Izawa possesses is A-rank, and there are restrictions on using it on higher ranks. Therefore, perfectly understanding an S-rank hero is impossible.

“When I watched you fight Fomin Ignaty yesterday, I saw it very faintly. The shape of your soul. That’s… a state where the body and soul aren’t properly connected… I mean, a state that can only be seen… when a spirit has descended into the body… my ability told me that once.”

“Were you a person who could talk this much, Izawa-san?”

“…Please don’t tease me. Do you…. perhaps serve a spirit as well?”

Izawa swallowed hard. Asking a question like this took great courage for Izawa. If there was someone who conversed with spirits like herself, it would be a little nice-.

“Well, I’m not really sure.”

“….Ah.”

“But sometimes I do hear voices from the sky.”

Hwashin pointed a finger at the ceiling. At his answer, Izawa looked up as well.

“Pardon?”

— Are you talking about me? I’m not a spirit. Just a dragon trapped in a dimensional rift.

— Tsk tsk-! Youngest, you might not know, but at my level, shouldn’t I be at least considered a spirit of that dimension? Tsk, tsk. Not knowing how to respect your seniors like this.

“I can hear them right now too, and it’s not just one or two.”

“Th-then you really are hearing the voices of spirits.”

“Something similar. Since they’re guys who have lived that long. And sometimes.”

Hwashin deliberately made a gesture of glancing around.

“I also feel like a sly old spirit who has lived for over 200 years has entered this body.”

“Gasp! Then are you possessed by a spirit?”

“Not to that extent.”

It’s just an old magician residing in an empty shell, though. Smiling, Hwashin opened the closed doors of the conference room.

‘Anyway, it’s better to keep Izawa on our side.’

Among Izawa’s skills, there were skills related to prophecy and memories. Using that skill, there was also something he wanted to show Cha Jaeha.

“Shall we go, Izawa-san? Ah, come to think of it, what is your name? I know Izawa is the surname.”

“M-my name?”

Izawa’s hero name was simply Izawa. But she must definitely have a first name too. Hesitating, Izawa whispered softly.

“…..Chisaki. I’m Izawa Chisaki.”

“Then shall we go, Chisaki-san? Ah, it might be uncomfortable, so I’ll call you by your name only when it’s just the two of us.”

When Hwashin smiled, Izawa pulled her mask down further once again.

“Yes….”

Izawa Chisaki lived in a small shrine in a rural village until the gates opened, and after the gates opened, she operated as a hero.

She worked for the hopes of everyone, but had never once wished for her own happiness.

Even now, as a hero.

If there was one wish Izawa Chisaki had, it was to meet someone similar to herself.

There were two people Izawa Chisaki met who were similar to her. Yoo Hwashin was one of them.

***

The heroes sat around the round table to attend the conference. The national flags of each country were placed on the designated seats.

Those who could officially participate in the Hero Summit were the heroes selected that year and the moderator from the host country conducting the summit. Since real-time translation was provided through in-ear earpieces anyway, the nationality of the moderator didn’t matter.

“Then we shall begin the summit.”

The main topics of the summit consisted of the trend of gate occurrences worldwide, altered gates, and strategies for clearing them accordingly.

“….It is observed that the frequency of Red Gates will increase even further in the future. In fact, according to the measurements of our research team, we expect the appearance of Red Gates to surpass the occurrence rate of existing Blue Gates in half a year.”

Even if it was a meeting with world peace as its slogan, it was undoubtedly a summit ultimately aimed at securing national interests.

“Then the only ones who have experienced a Red Gate here are the US and Korea, right?”

Nathan said, leaning back in his chair. At that single remark, the eyes of the other heroes present changed. What Nathan intended to say was obvious.

Therefore, we will take the lead from now on. Without missing the moment, Ignaty added his words.

“In the end, isn’t it only a matter of time before everyone experiences it? It would be best to share the relevant experiences as soon as possible and have each country create manuals to prepare for when a Red Gate occurs.”

Adam followed up and opened his mouth.

“Even so, there will be a difference from actually experiencing it. America was also the first to create hero-related treaties. The probability of items dropping in Red Gates will also be much higher. What will you do if Korea and the US clear a gate together like last time?”

“I don’t need you guys for clearing it.”

“That shouldn’t be what this is about.”

A tight tension continued.

India, Canada, and of course Wang Hao, began to speak up, whether jokingly or not.

“Mr. Yoo Hwashin, Mr. Cha Jaeha. Do you have anything to say?”

Even amidst that chaos, the two men remained silent. The moderator, observing the situation, pushed up his glasses and asked them. After all, it was the Korean heroes who had experienced the most Red Gates among everyone here.

At the moderator’s question, Cha Jaeha, who had been listening with his eyes half-closed, slowly opened his eyelids.

“This is ridiculous.”

That was Cha Jaeha’s first remark. The following answer:

“This is my first time attending the summit, but if you’re going to play these kinds of jokes, it would be better not to hold a summit in the first place.”

“What?”

Ignaty’s face contorted sharply. Wang Hao, sitting next to him, whistled, and seeing that, Nathan giggled.

“Even if our lives end today, everyday life and peace to the world. Wasn’t this the slogan for this summit? But all you’re doing is acting like you’re trying to take the profits that came out of the gates for yourselves. It’s ridiculous to gather such things and call them heroes representing their countries.”

Wow, Cha Jaeha. His temper is coming out.

It seemed his nagging trait didn’t come from nowhere. Hwashin watched even that sight with a pleased expression. If Ha Cheongwon were next to him, he would have stopped him, but he had no reason to. Because watching the protagonist talk was the greatest joy of someone appreciating the book.

— You… should stop him a little. Cha Jaeha is going on a rampage.

‘I don’t want to.’

At his extremely light tone, he could almost hear the sound of Riel kicking the air up there.

‘There’s no reason to stop him either.’

Because everything Cha Jaeha said was absolutely right.

During the 30 minutes of the summit they had shared, there was nothing of substance. They weren’t investigating the cause of the Red Gates occurring, nor were they clarifying the reason for the gates themselves appearing. They were merely trying to take the profits they could gain in this situation.

Are they heroes? Is that a hero?

So is the hero here?

At least during this short time, it was hard to find such a sight.

“Then do you have a good plan to overcome the current situation as you see it, Mr. Cha Jaeha?”

Wang Hao looked at Cha Jaeha with snake-like eyes.

“That’s….”

With an attitude of arms crossed, Cha Jaeha spoke confidently.

“I don’t have one.”

— He says he doesn’t.

‘Right.’

“Kuha, hahahaha. Puhahaha.”

Ignaty burst into loud laughter as if impressed by that attitude. Adam, who had been barely holding back his laughter, also turned his head and ended up laughing. However, Cha Jaeha opened his mouth without stopping.

“I’ve never once thought about anything other than clearing gates and saving people. Because I wasn’t interested in anything else. The same goes for Red Gates. It’s just that the clearing method has changed; I’ve never been interested in anything other than finishing the dungeon. And I will continue to do so.”

Cha Jaeha’s gaze slowly turned towards Hwashin.

“But I do know a guy who can offer a different story besides me….Yoo Hwashin.”

“Hmm?”

“There must have been something you clearly wanted to say. Here. That’s why you must have attended this, persistently getting your resurrection published in articles.”

Cha Jaeha once again looked forward at the round table. There, the S-ranks who sought to become the leading roles in this world sat occupying their respective seats.

And the protagonist of this world spoke.

“Now, tell your story.”