Chapter 437. Going Down and Up
The stadium that had been stirring up in a great commotion only a couple of minutes ago was swept by a strange silence. They had all praised Chi-Hyun as everyone’s hero, put him on a pedestal, and cheered for a future that existed solely for them. Yet Chi-Woo had torn down Chi-Hyun’s heroic speech right in front of them. All sorts of emotions rose from their hearts, and they felt such a strong sense of discomfort that they wanted to rise from their seats and leave.
But they couldn’t, and they were left at a loss for words. Not many could stand up confidently when asked if any of them were innocent and faultless. Of course, there were a selected few who could say that they hadn’t committed any of the crimes Chi-Woo accused them of, but those people had agreed with Chi-Woo in the first place. They had walked a similar path that Chi-Woo took and possessed similar thoughts as him. And even though some didn’t think exactly the same as Chi-Woo, Chi-Woo’s words would make them rethink what a hero was.
A hero could be described in many ways, but in short, they were those who sacrificed themselves. Their sacrifices weren’t limited to their lives, but also their fortune, honor, and anything that could personally benefit them. And at times, they could also sacrifice their feelings for the salvation of the world. Chi-Hyun’s speech was sweet to hear but at its core, it didn’t require any of them to sacrifice anything. In Celestial Realm terms, they would be acting more like the ‘modern-type of heroes’.
Of course, some could ask what the problem with that was and question the absolute necessity for heroes to sacrifice everything. And they wouldn’t be wrong—if the world in question wasn’t Liber. Liber was a world where thousands of individuals, each worthy of saving one world in one generation, were gathered. It was only natural that they would each hope for a different future, and ideological clashes and disagreements would occur. Thus, at times like this, they had no choice but to make sacrifices. They had to give up something, let go of what they wanted, and put aside their own desires—just like those who had sacrificed their lives at the altar in the beginning like kindlewood: Giant Fist, Mua Janya, Salem Yohan, Lionheart who led the fifth recruits, the native couple Hakob and Mala, and many more.
It wasn’t as if those people hadn’t had their own desires and wants. They must have also wanted to live, have people they wanted to see, and a future they wanted to reach. Yet they gave up their wishes and threw them away forever without hesitation for the sake of other people, their future, and Liber. It was thanks to them that they were able to reach this point. If not for them, they wouldn’t be standing in this stadium but some secluded, ruined outskirts. That was why Chi-Woo was certain that they wouldn’t be able to achieve salvation on Liber if everyone lived as they wished.
If people’s wishes aligned with Liber’s salvation, perhaps there would be nothing to disagree about; yet if their wishes were at odds with the salvation of the world, they would have to hold back and accept reality even if they didn’t want to. And currently, the remaining members of the Demon Empire could be of help to the salvation of Liber. This matter wasn’t just about increasing the number of troops. Chi-Woo’s intuition, which had never been wrong so far, was shouting at him to act on this, and he was sure that this was the reason Mamiya had set up the particular condition. The moment Chi-Woo thought this, a faint white light poured out from his hand.
It was his weapon, ‘Armed with the Sixth Element’. As soon as the wavering light solidified into a club, he walked up to the heroes that Ru Amuh had dumped nearby. They had already been shaking in fear, and Chi-Woo’s approach made them visibly flinch. The audience responded similarly. What Chi-Woo intended to do was clear: he would kill the heroes the moment it was decided that the Demon Empire would be punished. Because these men had done the same crimes committed by the Demon Empire.
It didn’t really matter whether Chi-Woo killed people like them or not. The important part was what would happen afterward. Seven Stars threatened to leave Shalyh, but they would not truly do that. Instead, there was a higher possibility that they would use today’s decision as a precedent to swing their swords mercilessly at Shalyh. Perhaps they would catch every single one of those who had committed a crime, reveal their sins, and punish them.
“If you still insist on destroying the Demon Empire, perhaps you can do just that. But you must all know that it will be nothing more than an indulgence to release your emotions and stress, and it will have nothing to do with the salvation of Liber. There’ll be nothing heroic about it.” Chi-Woo made a bold blow against Chi-Hyun’s claim that wiping out the Demon Empire would be for Liber’s future, yet Chi-Hyun didn’t open his mouth.
Though he had been criticized heavily for everyone to hear, he remained silent. His response seemed to mean one thing. The audience began to think of one possibility when suddenly, one person sitting in the VIP audience seats stood up. He was a tall, slender man wearing loose clothes.
“We’re in a meeting right now. Please sit down…!” Zelit immediately tried to warn the man.
“I am Ismile.” But the man shut him down with a few simple words. “Ismile Shain Hakmart Nahla.” His name alone gave him the qualification to speak, and he walked toward the center of the stage. Unlike his usual, carefree att.i.tude, he looked solemn and serious. Chi-Hyun glanced at Ismile and waved his hand. Flick!
A burst of light lit Ismile into view. He stopped walking and looked at Chi-Woo, his eyes piercing and cold, and while glaring at Chi-Woo, Ismile spoke in a low voice.
“How impudent.” It was an antagonistic provocation. “You have absolutely no manners.” Ismile clicked his tongue like he wasn’t pleased by the situation. “Even though you are a war hero who has achieved several great feats for Liber, this isn’t it.”
“What are you saying?”
“Are you really asking because you don’t know?” Ismile asked. “Do you even know where you are?” With his arms crossed, Ismile continued in a reprimanding tone. “This is a place that Choi Chi-Hyun prepared. The legend did it while putting his family name on the line.”
Ismile said, “This isn’t a place where someone like you can run their mouths as they wish. That’s all I’ll say to you. When addressing the legend, show the proper respect and att.i.tude.”
Chi-Woo didn’t know why Ismile had stepped forward at first, but he realized it now.
“Is the family name Choi that important?” Chi-Woo asked just in case, and the response he expected came back at him.
“How could you even ask that?” Ismile responded like he had been waiting to be asked the question. “How long are you planning to make a mockery of us?” For this part, he was probably speaking from his heart rather than acting.
The debate just now between Chi-Hyun and Chi-Woo ended with Chi-Woo’s victory. Chi-Hyun’s arguments were all torn down, and he had failed to refute any of Chi-Woo’s points and insults. Normally, the meeting would’ve ended just like that—if Chi-Woo’s opponent hadn’t been Chi-Hyun.
What Ismile was insinuating was basically this: ‘I can’t refute anything you said but remember your status and cower back down.’ Because Chi-Hyun was losing with his words, he was trying to push Chi-Woo down with authority and power. The more shocking part of all this was that the majority agreed with Ismile. And the reason was simply what Chi-Woo had said before: this was the legend they were talking about—a member of the Choi family.
[It’s the same for justification.]
[It’s an excuse or reason to carry out an action, but it’s not just limited to moral principles that one must follow. Name or status alone could be reason enough so that others would have no choice but to understand and concede your point; a justification that they have to accept even if they don’t like it.]
It was exactly as Eval told him. This was the reason Ismile had stepped onto the stage and pretended to not know who Chi-Woo really was. He was asking how long Chi-Woo was planning to hide his ident.i.ty and telling him that if he was really planning to lead, it was about time for him to step up.
‘Is the family name Choi that important?’ Before, Chi-Woo would’ve asked this question earnestly and tried to disprove the point, but that was no longer the case. There was no other method he could employ at this spot. There was no reason for him to refuse any longer when there was an easy path to take.
“Then, I will also put my name on the line.” As soon as he spoke these words, Chi-Woo clearly saw a smile flash through Ismile’s face.
“Your name?” Ismile looked completely immersed in his role now. “We all know your name already. What I’m talking about is—”
“Chi-Woo is just my personal name rather than my family name,” Chi-Woo replied with a faint smile.
“…What?” Ismile stopped for a moment. He scrunched up his forehead like he had no idea what Chi-Woo was going on about.
Chi-Woo let out a small sigh. Yes, there was no need to hesitate any longer. He was already determined. “My name is…” Chi-Woo looked around him—his brother and everyone surrounding his brother.
“Choi Chi-Woo.” Everyone he had met told him to not reveal his name, that he should keep it a secret until he returned home. Yet it didn’t matter now. He didn’t have enough strength then, but he had enough power to reveal his true ident.i.ty now. The already quiet stadium was swept by an oppressing silence.
“…What?” Ismile blinked hard. “Choi…? Choi…Chi-Woo?” He looked blankly at Chi-Woo. “Choi Chi-Woo is your name?” He sounded doubtful. Then, he snorted like he was beyond baffled. He glared at Chi-Woo like he was a madman and scoffed, “Ha! As if!”
“It’s true.” A calm voice interjected then. Ismile swung around and asked, “What?”
“He’s speaking the truth.”
With her legs crossed and head slightly tilted in a haughty manner, Apoline responded, “He’s the youngest son of the first light of the Celestial Realm’s Celestial Lights—the child of Choi Su-Ho, who is also known as the legend of the former era, and Elrich Ho Lactea, who is also known as the progenitor of the Second Coming. Choi Chi-Woo.” Apoline almost added that Chi-Woo used to be engaged to her in his youth, but quickly swallowed the words. It wouldn’t be wrong per se, but she knew it wasn’t something to be revealed in this situation.
Apoline fake-coughed and got up. “I, Apoline, will testify to this man’s claim in the name of Afrilith!” Her clear voice rang throughout the stadium and echoed. At that moment, the quiet stadium erupted into a great commotion. Unlike the time they antagonized Chi-Woo, they looked confused and unsettled now. They were baffled since almost n.o.body knew about Chi-Woo’s true ident.i.ty. It was safe to say that basically 99.9% of them weren’t aware of this fact. Even the heroes of the Celestial Realm were deeply shocked, and of course, the Ca.s.siubia League and the human natives had no idea.
“What…does this mean?” Unable to bear their curiosity, one Ca.s.siubia League member asked a male hero near them. The hero was out of breath and frozen in his spot. But after the Ca.s.siubia League member asked him two times, the hero finally regained his senses and replied, “Um…so that means those two are related by blood.”
“Hm? What?”
“G-Give me a moment. Ha. Even I’m stunned by the revelation. I need to organize my thoughts.” The hero exhaled and slapped their cheeks hard enough to make a loud noise. “In short, we have the legend on one side, and we just learned that the other side is his brother. Not just someone he knows, but a younger brother related to him by blood.”
“…Is this really true?”
“I didn’t know either.” The hero stroked his aching cheeks and shook his head. “It’s shocking…but I think I understand it now. As I thought, he wasn’t just a n.o.body, but a member of the Choi family…”
It all made sense—the achievements that Chi-Woo had made, the way those arrogant Celestial Lights pushed aside their pride and allowed Seven Stars to take the limelight, and how the legend had been slightly favoring Seven Stars. This explained everything. Chi-Woo was a member of the Choi family. Everything was falling into place now. But the hero still had a hard time believing that the youngest son of the Choi family he had only heard from rumors was revealing himself here, on Liber.
“It appears the Celestial Lights were already aware of this.” A female hero who eavesdropped on the conversation from the upper seats added, and those around them looked down. It was as she said. Besides Ismile, who was gaping in shock on the ground, Alice from Ho Lactea, Emmanuel from Eust.i.tia, and Yeriel from Mariju all appeared calm. It was as if they had known beforehand. Apoline had vouched for Chi-Woo on Afrilith’s name, and all of them were staying quiet.
It went without saying that pretending to be a Celestial Light was a grave sin. If the family the person was claiming to be part of was the Choi family, the sin would be even greater. If Chi-Woo was lying, Chi-Hyun would be perfectly justified to drop a ball of fire and lightning onto Chi-Woo’s head. Yet Choi-Chi-Hyun—a well-known member of the Choi family—remained quiet. He simply looked down at Chi-Woo with a complicated expression and a hint of bitterness. His silence proved that Chi-Woo was speaking the truth.