Chapter: 203
After the appointment ceremony, Yoon Si-woo quietly looked at his hands inside the waiting tent.
Before the ceremony began, he had been so nervous, but now, for some inexplicable reason, his hands were surprisingly calm.
Was it because of what he had seen earlier?
Recalling the scene he witnessed during the ceremony, Yoon Si-woo smiled softly until he was snapped back to reality by a voice coming from someone entering the tent.
“You did well with the ceremony. You seemed pretty nervous during the rehearsal, but you did great in the actual event! You’re strong in the field, huh?”
“Oh, Captain Martina.”
He soon recognized it was Martina, who had helped with the ceremony.
Yoon Si-woo greeted her happily but thought to himself that he wasn’t particularly strong in the field.
He was trembling just moments before the ceremony due to pressure and excitement.
But perhaps the reason he managed to remain calm was because he received encouragement during the ceremony.
As he recalled that moment again, he couldn’t help but smile.
It was a fascinating feeling.
Despite the crowd, he had been able to spot Scarlet among them.
Even though he was so nervous, the moment he saw her mouth form the words “You can do it,” his trembling inexplicably stopped.
She was, in many ways, the most challenging presence in his life, yet at the same time, she was also his greatest support.
As long as she smiled, it felt like he could effortlessly overcome everyone’s expectations and the pressure of responsibility.
Was there anyone else quite as special as her?
While lost in such thoughts, Martina playfully wrapped her arm around his head and mumbled.
“Thanks to you, I get to experience all this ridiculousness? I never imagined I’d be put in charge of such nonsense in my lifetime… What’s it like being our youngest captain and making your former superior work for you?”
“Haha…”
Martina teased him while giving a playful headlock.
With no real comeback, Yoon Si-woo could only laugh awkwardly.
He hadn’t intended to make her feel like she was working for him; he just asked for her help since he needed it.
Of course, he genuinely felt grateful toward Martina for helping out without any qualms.
“Wow, it feels like just yesterday you joined us as a rookie…”
“Yeah, it really does. I didn’t expect to be here.”
“It’s weird… I honestly thought you’d still be working with us, even if you became a captain.”
“Really? If that’s the case, then I guess I only got picked because I lost that lottery. Captain Natalia said so last time.”
“Hey! That’s true! Still, I cared about you so much!”
Seeing Martina’s slightly defensive reaction made Yoon Si-woo chuckle.
She complained as if she was sulking, but it was clear she didn’t mean it.
He knew well how much she valued her subordinates.
Moreover, she had indulged his whims quite a bit.
She was someone he was grateful to and respected as a captain.
Had there not been any particular incidents, it was likely he would have continued serving under her and eventually taken over her position.
While reflecting on this, Martina abruptly shifted her expression and spoke with a serious tone.
“Anyway, it’s not because of that… You know, because of your parents…”
“Oh…”
Yoon Si-woo’s expression stiffened as he realized what she meant.
He understood the implication behind her words.
“The one who killed your parents, that fiery bastard, the Fury Beast is under our jurisdiction. So I thought you’d want to stay with us by force to avenge your parents. If that were the case, I would have slapped you.”
Martina was one of the few who knew about the events surrounding his parents.
Therefore, she thought he would stay with the 4th squad in the north to seek revenge for them.
She wasn’t entirely wrong.
He had thought about avenging his parents if he could.
But more importantly, there was something else at present that mattered to him.
Just as he was about to say that, a sigh was heard from somewhere, accompanied by the sound of something hitting the ground.
“…Scarlet?”
When he turned to the source of the sound, he saw Scarlet standing there, her face in shock.
Yoon Si-woo immediately realized what had happened.
That Scarlet had overheard Martina’s earlier comment and what she might be thinking because of it.
So he intended to reassure her.
That what she had just heard didn’t matter.
That he was okay, and that she had done nothing wrong.
However, even before he could voice that sentiment…
“…I’m sorry.”
With a pained expression, Scarlet left with a single apology.
Martina, who witnessed this, muttered in surprise.
“Uh… Did I just slip up?”
“…It’s not your fault, so don’t worry about it.”
Yoon Si-woo shook his head at Martina.
While it was true that Scarlet had heard something that might have shocked her, it wasn’t a wrongdoing.
No one was at fault.
It was merely that someone had been hurt by the cruel hand of fate.
So, he wanted to rush after Scarlet.
To prevent her from blaming herself for something she didn’t do.
To ensure she would stop hurting herself any further.
“Yoon Si-woo? We should get moving soon for the next schedule. Are you all set?”
However, just as he was about to chase after Scarlet, Yoon Si-woo halted at the sound of Silvia’s voice.
He felt the gazes of people on him.
Their eyes brimmed with expectation.
It felt as if they were saying he couldn’t act recklessly like before.
Stuck in place, Yoon Si-woo frowned.
It was ridiculous.
Choosing to focus on Scarlet paradoxically restrained him from being able to go help her.
He wondered why he had made such a choice.
That thought passed through his mind momentarily, but it was just a fleeting conflict.
“.…What happened?”
“…Nothing. Let’s depart.”
By now, chasing after Scarlet would break the promise he made with her— to prioritize others over herself.
She valued promises highly.
If he pursued her, she would undoubtedly be disappointed.
Thus, Yoon Si-woo momentarily set aside his impulses and followed Silvia with a hardened expression.
Only the abandoned bouquet lying on the ground remained behind, silently bidding farewell to his steps.
*
The frontline of the Western Border Area, overseen by the 2nd squad of Astrape.
This was the greatest battlefield in human history where the Great Hero Aegis defeated the Witch of Gluttony, and its remnants were still plagued by demonic beasts due to lingering miasma.
Upon arriving, Yoon Si-woo quietly surveyed his surroundings.
He had indeed come to hand over duties from the previous captain, but no one who seemed to be in charge appeared to be around.
While he was looking around, one of the squad members nearby approached him.
“Ah… You’re the new captain who just got appointed today, right?”
“Yes. I’m here for the handover, but where’s the captain?”
“Haha… We’ve tried to stop him, but he just won’t listen. Please wait a moment. Ah, here he comes.”
Yoon Si-woo gazed in the direction the squad member pointed.
What came into view was a muscular man, resembling a living testament to time with flecks of gray in his hair, crushing a demonic beast.
The enthusiasts always loved to gossip about heroes.
Usually, the discussions revolved around who was the strongest hero.
While there was often a divergence of opinions on such topics.
Someone might mention “The One Who Follows the Sound,” Leon Lionelle while others might name “The Master of Elemental Magic,” Martina Ivanova.
However, in conversations about the most reliable hero, the public consensus would likely gravitate toward the same name.
The captain of the 2nd squad, “The Unwearied,” Telos Dolos.
His fighting style was simple.
He relied solely on his blessed physique, heavily tainted by Dolos’s blood, to crush and smash the demonic beasts.
The claws and teeth of the beasts could hardly inflict even scratches on him.
While he wasn’t as fast as Leon or as dazzling as Martina, nor as efficient as Natalia, no one questioned or disrespected him.
This was chiefly because he had held the captain’s post in the 2nd squad for more than half a century.
And true to his nickname of “The Unwearied,” he had not once left his post in all those decades.
Even during vacation time, he preferred to slay an extra beast for the good of humanity.
That was why Yoon Si-woo’s eyes were filled with respect as he observed Telos dealing with the beasts.
To him, it seemed as if the disposal of the monsters was merely an unending task after so many years of doing the same work.
And finally, as he met Telos who had just completed his task and was emanating steam from his body, he heard the man’s voice addressing him.
“Are you the one who said you would come today?”
“Yes! I am Yoon Si-woo, the new squad leader of the 2nd squad!”
“A new squad leader, huh…”
Telos’s deep voice exuded pressure, making Yoon Si-woo swallow hard as he observed him.
“Prove it.”
Just those two words stunned Yoon Si-woo.
Prove what?
He was confused, and then Telos continued.
“The monsters here are tenacious. They have excellent regeneration abilities, so if you don’t kill them for sure, they’ll come back at you in no time. Others recommended you, so you can’t be that incompetent. But I still need to see for myself if you can do what I can. If you’re lacking, I’ll send you back.”
“Captain?!”
It was an unexpected outburst, causing the squad member beside him to shout in shock.
And understandably so.
This was all happening live on air.
They were supposed to film the handover scene between the long-serving captain and the youngest newly appointed captain, yet there was an unexpected conflict.
The filming crew in the background looked equally unprepared.
But Yoon Si-woo didn’t mind.
“Prove you can do as I do.”
On the surface, it might seem pretentious, but Yoon Si-woo nodded without hesitation.
At least this man had the right to say so.
“Alright.”
“Wait a second!!!”
As he responded, Yoon Si-woo leaped over the barrier where the remaining monsters were lurking, and a shocked voice from behind exclaimed.
To an onlooker, it might appear reckless to jump in headfirst—concern over a potential broadcast mishap was not unfounded.
Yet, intending to show him there was no need for such concerns, Yoon Si-woo murmured under his breath and summoned a gigantic sword from the air.
The Holy Sword of Protection, originally designed to create barriers.
“Enact the Holy Sword.”
With those words, the enormous sword shattered into pieces and regrouped in midair.
What materialized was the true form of the Holy Sword, a shining, pristine armor.
The moment he landed, Yoon Si-woo was clad in armor that could easily be likened to a white knight.
Claws from the distant demonic beast lunged at the white knight.
However, even as the attacks grazed by and the horde of beasts clawed and bit at him, the divine radiance he wore remained flawless.
The monsters quickly realized that their attacks were ineffective.
With a crunch, the monsters’ bodies split apart.
Yet among them, a few attempted, still bubbling and frothing, to regenerate even when their bodies had been severed.
It was the unique regenerative ability of the Witch of Gluttony’s beasts.
Due to this power that allowed minor wounds to heal instantly, they fell into the bothersome category.
But Yoon Si-woo saw this as a perfect opportunity and grinned within his armor.
He needed someone to release the stress that had built up after what had happened earlier.
A fresh strike of the sword sped toward the regenerating beasts.
Before their severed bodies could grow anew,
Again, again, and again.
He intentionally didn’t stop their life force, so they kept trying to regenerate, but Yoon Si-woo’s attacks were far too frequent.
As a result, the beasts were reduced to a mere puddle of blood scattered across the ground.
Despite releasing a ton of emotions, his irritation still lingered.
Finally, raising the golden-shining Holy Sword, he swung it toward the swarm of oncoming beasts.
A wave of light surged forth, leaving a pristine scene of the plain devoid of any beast left.
As he returned from the fray, the onlookers gasped in awe and stared at him, he smiled at Telos.
“Is this proof enough?”
Telos responded with a satisfied grin.
“More than enough. I look forward to your support at my back.”
*
“Wow, that was incredible! The astonishing display Yoon Si-woo just showed! With the recognition of former captain Telos, this marks the clear generation shift!”
While on air, a woman with a microphone exclaimed animatedly.
Yoon Si-woo, watching the scene unfold, noticed the flustered woman approach him with the camera.
She gazed at him with a flushed face and asked, “Um… excuse me, Yoon Si-woo? If it’s not too much trouble, could you spare a moment for an interview?”
Feeling a bit tired, Yoon Si-woo considered declining the request when he suddenly thought of Scarlet, who had left earlier.
If she was at home, then…
Glancing at the camera now trained on him, he nodded in agreement.
“Alright, just a moment. But could I send a quick text before the interview?”
“Oh! Really?! Of course!”
Granted permission, Yoon Si-woo cautiously pulled out his mobile phone.
He ensured that a photo of him and Scarlet taken at the zoo was private.
Then he shot her a brief text.
“Turn on the TV,” it read.
He had things he wanted to tell her right away.
Putting his phone away, he nodded at the woman, who promptly began her question.
“Then, you’ve become the youngest captain! Could you share your thoughts on it?”
“My thoughts…”
Taking a deep breath, Yoon Si-woo opened his mouth cautiously.
“My parents died fighting the demonic beasts.”
Sympathetic looks filled the room.
But that wasn’t what he primarily wanted to convey, so he quickly continued.
“From that, a lot of people think I became a hero to take revenge on the creature that killed my parents. However, that’s not why I became a hero at all. I became a hero to protect.”
He spoke directly into the camera.
“I became a hero to guard what’s precious to me.”
In truth, it was a message directed towards Scarlet, who might be watching from beyond the camera.
“It’s not that my parents aren’t precious. However, right now, what I value far more than my parents who have passed is the present.”
He conveyed that Scarlet, who is alive now, was much more important to him than his parents who had already passed away.
“I stand here to protect you.”
For the sake of ensuring her safety, he declared.
“So, even if you have tough times, please don’t despair and smile.”
He asked her to smile and be happy.
“This is what I wanted to say.”
He just wanted to convey this message.
Would it reach her?
He hoped it did.
With that longing thought, Yoon Si-woo smiled gently.
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