Igeon was flustered.
For a moment, he thought he had misheard something.
But.
*It doesn’t seem like I misheard.*
Cheon Yuha’s expression as she looked at him said it all.
Her expressionless face wasn’t much different from when they first met, but her gaze was completely different.
*She seems sincere.*
No, actually, Yuha was difficult to read. He couldn’t even tell if she was joking or not.
The only thing he could read was her gaze.
And, how to put it figuratively. Those black eyes resembled a puppy staring intently at a human eating food...
That was why Igeon became troubled.
“Yuha.”
“Yes?”
“Um, never mind. Uncle didn’t hear any...”
“Marry me.”
“......”
This girl just went for the kill shot.
In the end, Igeon, who had tried to pretend he hadn’t heard, called out to Cheon Yuha.
“Yuha.”
“Yes.”
“It seems I didn’t explain my introduction properly. I’m your father’s friend...”
“?”
Cheon Yuha tilted her small face.
Her expression asked, *So what?*
“Aren’t our physical ages similar?”
“......”
That wasn’t the issue.
Even though his physical age seemed to have rejuvenated to be younger than Yuha’s, still.
And since the fact that she was his friend’s daughter didn’t seem like it’d work as an excuse at all, Igeon spoke seriously.
“That... the issue of mental age...”
“It’s fine. My father’s mental age is younger than mine.”
Well, that was true, but.
“......”
Realizing that reasoning with her was impossible, Igeon requested help from her younger brother.
That was because the brother had been staring, seemingly horrified at his sister’s words this entire time.
“Right. Seongjae. You say something too...”
“Whoa. Being a girl sure is enviable.”
“......”
These damn kids!
Igeon looked ready to shoot lasers from his eyes.
*That bastard Oh Taeksu. How the hell did he raise his kids!*
Just what kind of stories did he tell them for the children to grow up like this(!)?
Even the great Igeon was breaking out in a rare sweat.
How could he not? Wasn’t Hugo a fool for his daughter, to the point of hiding her photos so that Igeon couldn’t meet her?
If he found out about this, he might try to stab me in the middle of the night.
However, the one who had actually inflicted damage on her uncle, Cheon Yuha, was now growing serious about a different matter.
It was the issue of Igeon’s skill.
*As expected, he’s too different.*
That was the case.
The Igeon she had confirmed in reality was far different from the Igeon they knew.
*They definitely said Uncle was about B-rank now.*
Of course, they themselves had grown up listening to their father’s heroic tales. Because of that, they had rated Igeon a bit higher than other Holy Orders dismissed him as.
Even so, not B-rank, but roughly A-rank?
What’s more, her younger brother, though he pretended not to, believed the heroic tales a bit more than she did, so he probably thought of him as S-rank...
*But still, weren’t those battles only possible because of the adults’ buffs?*
However, looking at Igeon now, it was different.
She could see it with her eyes.
Simply changing one’s body didn’t create skill that wasn’t there before, did it?
So, seeming confused, Cheon Yuha asked.
“Uncle.”
“No. Whatever the case, it’s a no...”
“Did you really fall behind in the Demon Tower?”
“!”
That was not a question, but a confirmation.
And at the question, Igeon’s eyes flashed sharply.
“Do I look like I actually fell behind?”
The Cheon siblings flinched.
They had been so focused on the fact that Igeon had returned alive that they hadn’t paid any attention to that part.
*The official interview said he jumped into the trap of Red Eye, but.*
In reality, the rumor was that he got scared after seeing Red Eye and ran away.
And then, that he was discovered by a monster and died a dog’s death.
Even so, wasn’t it said that the 12 Saints had packaged him as a hero for the honor of their comrade Igeon?
“Then the rumor is a lie. As expected, you all caught Red Eye together after all.”
“No.”
“Pardon? No?”
“I caught Red Eye alone, though.”
“...Ah, I see. As expected, alone... Alone?!”
Both siblings were horrified.
That was only natural.
*Red Eye is Black Grade!*
Black Zone. The unofficial grade above the permanent-evacuation Red Grade. Colloquially, an absolute no-entry zone, a place where even Saints themselves had given up on subjugation. Practically land that had been given up on, territory practically erased from memory. Such places existed very rarely across the world.
And even the Red Zones below that were places where S-ranks were routinely wiped out.
Yet, the worst monster in human history, which might rival that Black Zone...!
*H-He caught it alone?*
*Really?*
They looked at Igeon as if looking at a ghost.
At the same time, their faces twisted. Igeon spoke, because he could more or less see what they were thinking.
“Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine. It’s something I left alone on purpose because I knew nobody would believe me even if I said it.”
“Then...”
“For this kind of thing, you have to line up witnesses and crush it definitively.”
“!”
Of course, in this case, would it be more correct to call it a voluntary surrender?
Dragging the lizard along, Igeon looked at the clock on his phone.
The time: 6:55 PM.
If he left now, he wouldn’t be late to the press conference.
* * *
“What did you say? It was caught?”
“Really?”
Meanwhile, the press conference venue was in chaos.
Honestly, how could it not be?
A full four years ago.
Hadn’t the chief culprit who turned northern Seoul into a Red Zone appeared?
At the time, all the Holy Orders of Korea united, but all they could do was defensively prevent it from descending below the Hangang River.
It was truly a bloody defensive war.
And if those monsters hadn’t been capricious, the entire area of Seoul would be a Red Zone by now.
But what?
“That thing was caught?”
“Yes! They say its signal has vanished from the observatory!”
People were as if in shock, unable even to think of moving.
In fact, among Korea’s Awakened, there would hardly be a single Holy Knight who wasn’t mobilized for the northern Seoul defensive battle. There was no way they couldn’t remember its terror, its menace. The citizens were the same.
“Then that tail that flew here earlier is, as expected...!”
The gazes of the escort Holy Knights focused on one spot.
“As expected, that! It really was that bastard’s tail!”
“......!”
The tail of the flame-spitting monarch had a rather unique appearance.
Its entire body looked as if clad in armor, and its tail shape resembled a hammer. That was why they could recognize whose tail it was at a single glance. The reason they hadn’t been sure until now was the doubt: could that fearsome monster’s tail really be severed?
But now it was certain.
“That monster from back then was caught!”
“They’re at least S-rank or higher!”
People’s voices grew louder.
The journalists who had flocked over because of Sophie’s press conference were also stirred up.
“Wasn’t that the thing that even Holy Order Leader level individuals struggled against?”
“Who on earth caught it?”
And hearing that story, Sophie’s body was trembling.
Catch it? Who catches it.
*Of course, it’s none other than Igeon...!*
Sophie’s hands, clutching her sacred robe, grew damp with sweat.
He said he’d come to the press conference, but she hadn’t known he was really near.
But whether they knew that or not, the Holy Order leaders beside Sophie were stirring.
“I heard that Yi was present at the scene.”
“What? You mean the Ten Stars?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, if it’s the Ten Stars, then it’s worth catching...”
“No! Observers say it seems another boy handled it early...”
“What? A boy?”
“Ah, Cheon Seongjae was also said to be at that spot. Could it be him?”
“It’s possible. The magician the Gemini Saint is known to cherish dearly...”
“No! They say there was no magical energy at all. What’s more, not even skill energy...!”
The Holy Knights let out a scream.
Because there was no way they didn’t know what those words meant.
“Make some sense! Are you saying someone beat that thing down with sheer physical force?!”
“Who on earth!”
For a moment, Sophie felt like even wrinkles appeared on her face. It was an expression as if she had aged ten years.
The more the people’s attention focused on him, the greater the terror became for Sophie.
If the world found out that the one who caught it was Igeon...
It was right then.
Ding-ding-ding-
“……!!!”
The sudden sound made Sophie slump down.
7 PM. It was the hourly alarm sounding from the electronic display board.
The crowd’s gazes turned to Sophie on the platform.
“The press conference begins!”
It was time for the execution.
* * *
“It’s the Holy Maiden!”
“It really is the Holy Maiden!”
The square was abuzz with people who had gathered to watch the press conference.
Even by rough estimate, the number was in the hundreds of thousands.
Helicopters for broadcasting were circling the sky, and around the exchange building, the area was packed with journalists and broadcast trucks. Even foreign press had teleported and flocked over in droves.
That wasn’t all.
“What on earth is this press conference about Igeon’s matter about?”
Overseas star-level Holy Order leaders, who normally would never attend in person, also made their appearance directly at the square.
“Is it related to the recent rumors of Igeon’s return?”
“No. They say it’s about a truth that wasn’t revealed 20 years ago.”
“The truth?”
It was then.
Squeal-
The microphone sound echoed. Everyone’s gazes focused in an instant.
Under those focused gazes, Sophie’s face suddenly seized up in fright.
She couldn’t help it. The first thing Igeon had demanded was this:
[You assholes confess your lies properly.]
Sophie shut her eyes tightly.
*If I don’t speak, I die.* She would surely die by whatever Igeon had fed her.
She had no choice but to start speaking.
“Do you remember Red Eye, from 20 years ago?”
People stirred. Red Eye was the greatest nightmare that had driven humanity to the brink of extinction 20 years ago. That name was common knowledge by now, and even a child would know it.
And the ones who saved humanity from that nightmare were the 12 Saints. Wasn’t that the very thing that led to the 12 Saints being revered as saints?
“Didn’t they say the twelve caught it, excluding Igeon?”
“It was definitely the Leo Saint who finished it...”
At that moment, the Holy Maiden spoke.
“The one who actually caught Red Eye was Igeon.”
The square stirred greatly. A completely different kind of stir than before.
“What are you saying...!”
Meanwhile, journalists were furiously typing away on their phones.
It was clearly related to the messages presumed to have been left by Igeon. Even more so because these were the words of the Holy Maiden, who had great influence.
“Then are you saying the 12 Saints lied?”
“Yes...”
But it was right then.
Bang!
“The Holy Maiden is being threatened right now!”
“!”
The ones who appeared were none other than the Aquarius Saint’s Holy Knights.
At the appearance of Sophie’s subordinates, people buzzed about what was going on.
“What, are they putting on a show among themselves?”
“What’s going on!”
But the most flustered one in this situation was none other than Sophie. Why on earth were her subordinates coming out like this?
But it was then.
“!”
Sophie flinched and whipped her head around. Because she had felt a familiar presence not far away.
*The Saints!*
Of course, the presence was far. There were even several of them. So she couldn’t recognize who it was at once. After all, it was Igeon who caught the Saints’ presence the best.
But that was enough. Sophie bit her lip as if she knew it would happen.
*There’s no way those bastards wouldn’t take an interest in the press conference.*
Of course, it wasn’t unexpected. If she was holding a press conference about events 20 years ago, they would have no choice but to feel cornered. The appearance of her subordinates was surely the doing of the Saints. They were trying to obstruct the press conference.
And sure enough, her subordinates shouted.
“Igeon being alive is also a lie!”
“Don’t be swayed! The Holy Maiden is simply being used!”
“She is being held hostage by a certain faction!”
“The recent Demon Tower and series of incidents are all their doing. It’s not Igeon!”
“Even now, she is being forced to speak such absurd words!”
At this, Sophie quickly stood up. Her subordinates stepping forward would only cause misunderstandings.
“Stop it at once! It’s not a lie...”
But it was then.
“If he is alive, why doesn’t he show himself?!”
“!”
This time it was a different voice. Someone else appeared on the platform. At his appearance, the people stirred greatly.
They couldn’t help it.
“...The Cancer Saint!”
It was a white man. He looked to be in his mid-thirties at a glance. He appeared quite young, yet also gave off a strangely seasoned aura. His dandy style was similar to Hugo’s, but his short dirty-blonde hair and brown eyes seemed sly and even chilling.
And at his appearance, Sophie’s eyes shook violently.
*Why is that man here...!*
Cancer. The man in the brown suit grabbed the microphone on the platform.
“Igeon caught Red Eye? And as if that weren’t enough, this Igeon is alive?” He was smiling gentlemanly, but his eyes weren’t smiling.
“Tell us. Where is Igeon?”
At this, the press conference venue stirred. And when nothing happened, the Saint brightly smiled.
“You see? This Igeon nonsense. If you are taken in by such baseless incitement...”
But right at that moment.
Whoosh-
Something flew from the sky. It was an enormous object.
And around the time everyone realized what it was.
Crash!
The object that flew from the sky sent the Cancer Saint flying mercilessly.
The platform being smashed to pieces was a bonus.
“Kyaaa! Your Holiness!”
“What the!”
What had flown from the sky like a missile was none other than a lizard.
“T-This!”
If you lived in Korea, it was a form you couldn’t possibly not know.
At the same time, it was the very monster from which only the tail had flown in earlier.
Journalists screamed.
Even the Aquarius Holy Knights who had obstructed the press conference couldn’t help but be bewildered.
“The Fire Monarch...!”
“Who on earth, w-who!”
It was then.
Someone appeared at the press conference venue.
“What. You called for me?”
(To be continued in the next chapter)