Main Character Hides His Strength

in the direction of the airspace in Section 8 where the airships of the Defensive Fleet had stationed.

“This is…”

Sungchul’s premonition soon turned to reality as he saw thousands of fireballs falling from the sky.
Those who was watching the fireworks from the Floating Palace and the Sections below it gasped in awe.

“Hoh.
Is that a part of the celebration?”

“It’s a show incorporating the fleet that the Empire was so proud of.
It’s new.”

It was a show without comparison to the upper crust watching from above, but to the lower class living below, the fireballs recreated hell itself upon them.
Brutal magical carpet bombing unleashed upon Section 8 swallowed it up in flames and explosion. 

Boom! Boom!

There were tremendous sounds of explosions ringing out from here and there when Sungchul could hear the piercing scream of a woman.
It was Ahmuge’s voice.
Sungchul swung Fal Garaz at the fireball falling upon his head to blow it away using its wind pressure before heading toward her.

“D-Don’t come! Don’t come! Aaaaack!”

She looked at Sungchul with a crazed expression as though she had seen a ghost while her frail body trembled pitifully.

“Get a hold of yourself, Sujin.
It’s me.”

Sungchul lightly slapped her on her cheek.
He took special care to control his strength so as to not kill her, but the shock seemed to have some effect as she regained her consciousness.
However, the fear that had been on her face still lingered.

‘Am I that scary? She didn’t act like this back at the Summoning Palace.’

Sungchul recalled the anecdote of Saint Wonhyo and the Water from a Skull he had heard as a child.

“How did this happen?”

He wanted to know.
This place might be called the Human Sewers where all the irredeemable trash were gathered, but he still needed to know the thoughts behind the Human Empire pouring down this inferno upon people that were undeniably their citizens.

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“What are you talking about?”

Ahmuge who had regained consciousness looked unaware of what was happening just yet.
Sungchul pointed a finger toward the sky and pointed toward the airships of the Human Empire that was pouring out a magical bombing from the sky.
Ahmuge’s face grew stiff after seeing this.

“W-what is this? Why are they attacking?”

The second round of indiscriminate attack fell around the vicinity of Sungchul and Sujin causing another round of flames and explosions.
People that caught fire within the demolished buildings screamed pitifully as they jumped out.
Similarly pitiful wailing could be heard from every direction.

“Why is the Human Empire attacking their own citizens?”

Ahmuge watched her surroundings wide-eyed while repeating Sungchul’s question.
He couldn’t help but think that she wasn’t aware of the situation after seeing her reaction.

‘This woman, she doesn’t know anything.’

He was growing more concerned about Largo now that the situation had devolved as such.
She might have been safe from the army of skeletons since the entrance was blocked, but there was no guarantee that she could survive such an enormous magical carpet bombing.
He spoke calmly toward Sujin who had fallen into panic.

“Foolish.”

Sujin turned to look at him, so Sungchul continued.

“You’ve spent all this time with those in power of this age, and you still don’t know how they think?”

“W-what?”

Ahmuge looked surprised as she asked.

“Look with your own eyes and decide for yourself.”

Sungchul left her with only those words.
Sujin who had suddenly been left behind looked pale as she looked around the city streets that had now turned into a sea of flames with hollow eyes.
As she sat there with blank thoughts, she suddenly recalled something.

‘That girl’s voice.
What could have that been? I feel like I heard that for sure…’

Sungchul managed to find Largo within the burnt ruins of the inn.
She was breathing her last few breaths as she was crushed by a fallen rafters while the Curse of Extinction had already spread through her body.
She was no longer conscious and death would soon overtake her.

“…”

Sungchul could feel the flames of rage that he had barely managed to contain blaze up once again.
Bertelgia could feel his heartbeat growing irregular once again and hurried to speak up.

 

“Let’s try to use that.”

“What?”

“I’m talking about the Fog Guide.”

“Fog Guide?”

“According to legend, some king used it to bid farewell to those that couldn’t speak any longer.”

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“…”

Sungchul nodded and held the the Fog Guide tightly in his hand before entering Largo’s final dream with Bertelgia.
It was a glamorous room filled with luxury and decadence.
Countless people wearing masks were looking at one place.
It was Largo with her beauty of her youthful self, and a cute baby was sleeping in her grasp as she laid obliquely upon a plush sofa.

“Oh my, you’re here? Aren’t you too late? I was waiting.”

Largo smiled bright while looking at Sungchul and pointed toward something.

“Who’s the cute lady beside you? Seeing as she’s tiny like a puppy, she doesn’t seem like a girlfriend… a daughter? But, you look nothing alike.”

“I’m not a daughter.
I’m his advisor!”

Bertelgia pouted her lips and complained, but there wasn’t much time left.
The lights in the room blinked and powerful rumbling could be felt.
Masked men gathered in the room began to disappear into the darkness one at a time.
Her world was slowly being extinguished.
Sungchul realized this spoke with a groan.

“What a cute baby.
It looks just like you.”

Largo who heard her made a bright smile and nodded.

“What a lip service.”

The room shok once again, and one or two more of the fancy lights extinguished.
There wasn’t much more time left.

“Get a move on.”

Largo motioned them away as she calmed the baby whining in her arms.

“Then I’ll get moving.”

Sungchul waved and headed toward the door behind him.
In the darkness, Largo quietly called out after him toward his backside.

“Thanks for everything.”

“…”

Sungchul paused.

“Really.
I’m really grateful.
I won’t forget you even after I die.
I’ll, of course, talk about you so that even the child knows that someone… like you… existed…”

The rumbling stopped and she disappeared into complete darkness.
Her world had come to an end.
Sungchul let out a shallow sigh as he stepped back through the door returning him to reality.

Section 8 was swept up in flames and had completely burned down.
Sungchul saw that her corpse had become swallowed up by the flames and averted his gaze toward the sky.

“What are you going to do now?”

Bertelgia cautiously asked.
Sungchul pulled out a staff and flew toward the sky in reply.
One of the Soul Gems within his coat had been marked with the magic formation for Fly.
When he flew up high enough, a bright magic formation unfolded around him.
Soon after, a beam of cosmic light poured out from the tip of his staff and blew away one of the airships bombing the ground.
He finally spoke.

“I’m going to meet the Emperor.”

It was an astounding revelation, but Bertelgia was not surprised as the beating of his heart did not change as he spoke.