WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈

Chapter 360: The Heaven that Gathers Wails (2)

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3.

I earnestly explained why "Hiya, good to see ya" was not the latest style of greeting.

In other words, I spent time explaining that seven-character greeting to the person who had created the Tower. Neither I nor the Tower Master had ever imagined that such a moment would come in my life… Anyway, nobody knew. Who could possibly have known?

"I knew, King of Death. Did you think I didn't know? I threw that joke to ease your tension, out of consideration for you."

"Ahaha. That was a truly nice, genuinely high-quality joke, Chief."

"It's Tower Master, not chief."

With that, the Tower Master narrowed her eyes.

"Since an objection has been raised, it must be addressed."

Her amethyst eyes flicked between me and the mage.

"King of Death and the Staff of Time Immemorial, please step forward."

"......"

The mage, holding her staff, walked to the front.

The spot in the grand council chamber where the king used to sit and preside over meetings, the throne. The Tower Master was sitting at the base of the chair, casually leaning her head against the throne's armrest.

And there, the Staff of Time Immemorial and I, stood across each other with the throne between us.

"The proposer is The Heaven that Gathers Wails. The motion is a vote of no confidence in the Staff of Time Immemorial. Is that correct?"

"It is."

I nodded.

The Tower Master hummed, resting her chin on her hand.

"It's not just a [complaint] or a [suggestion], but a [no-confidence], you say."

A smile curved like an inverted crescent moon formed on her lips.

"Interesting!"

The Tower Master exclaimed cheerfully.

Before I could even hesitate, she continued.

"Firstly, the Pillars should not take this situation negatively."

The Tower Master looked around at the Pillars as she spoke.

"I know many here are not fond of the King of Death."

Though the Pillars remained silent, the Tower Master continued as if she knew what was on their minds.

"Arrogant."

"Presumptuous."

"A mere rising star who has only just set foot in heaven dares to object to the work of a Pillar."

"And to declare no-confidence, no less!"

"I've had my doubts ever since he started playing with the rules."

"He’s been flattered too much, and now he dares to cross the line."

Even now, the Tower Master's words sounded like the hissing of a serpent to me.

"We have always limited our actions."

"Despite having the power to do as we please, we exercise restraint."

"Even that is a grace we extend."

"Yet, he fails to see."

"Impudent."

"Taking care of your world and creating conditions for you to shine, King of Death. Is this how you repay us?"

The Pillars remained motionless, not a single facial muscle twitched.

But the Tower Master's voice swirled around them, wriggling like sinews beneath a layer of skin.

"And above all."

"How dare."

"How dare he challenge the Tower Master."

"Before even reaching the 50th floor."

"Before even earning a Constellation's name."

"Impertinent."

"What a bad seed from the start..."

Pop! With a sound like a balloon bursting, the air that had been closing in scattered.

The Tower Master had clapped her hands.

"they say."

The Tower Master once again scanned the Pillars.

"I know some of you must be thinking this."

"......"

"Please, don't."

Her voice was as clear and pure as a crystal newly formed by the earth.

"Because, everyone, the very [impudence], [arrogance], and [bad-seed behavior] that the King of Death is displaying now are exactly what I myself did until I came to stand here."

And it was transparent.

"Raising a no-confidence, not just a simple complaint or suggestion. Shouting that what you're doing is fundamentally wrong, not just something that can be fixed with a little tweaking. That's exactly what I did in all sorts of ways before I established the tower, and what turned me into an extreme lunatic, something that all the Pillars gathered here should recognize."

"I know, but."

For the first time, someone spoke up.

It was the Legislator of the Beginning.

"The Tower Master and the King of Death are not the same."

The Legislator of the Beginning spoke with a calm but firm voice.

"The Tower Master didn't just shout about something being wrong. She proposed a better [alternative]. She didn't stop at raising a no-confidence. She said she would [take over] and she did."

The Legislator of the Beginning looked at me. Their gaze held no enthusiasm.

"It's easy to point fingers. It's not hard to criticize. Calling something wrong is convenient. Mocking is fun, and condemning is always a pleasure."

"......"

"Many just stop there. They don't go any further. They don't propose concrete alternatives, they don't say they can do better, and they don't take on the responsibility that comes with it. I understand that, but… Well, isn't it natural to not consider that a fair attitude?"

"That's unfair to the King of Death."

The Tower Master immediately responded.

The Legislator of the Beginning hesitated. The Tower Master leaned her chin on her hand, looking at them.

"Everyone here knows the journey the King of Death has taken so far."

"......"

"He gathered the ceaseless autumn rain and bloomed peonies in the eternal frost. He melted the gilding of hearts and returned the self to a lost puppet. He faced every single bit of criticism and condemnation head-on, instead of avoiding them."

The Tower Master concluded quietly.

"So it's unfair to judge the King of Death like that. I wanted to make that clear."

"......"

"But on the other hand."

The Tower Master turned to me.

"This is the crux of the issue, King of Death."

I didn't speak. I just listened quietly.

The Tower Master continued.

"Make yourself recognize once more what you already know, King of Death. A declaration of no confidence in someone can never end as a comfortable objection. It means that you must personally take that person's place and perform all the work they used to do."

"Yes."

And finally, I spoke.

"Of course."

"Good."

Bang! The Tower Master clapped her hands again.

"The premise is clear, so what we need to do is simple."

The Tower Master spread her arms.

"As always, King of Death. Prove yourself."

4.

The Tower Master declared the rules to us.

"If the King of Death proves that he possesses sufficient ability and will, the vote of no confidence in the Staff of Time Immemorial will pass. The Staff of Time Immemorial will step down as a Pillar. That means the King of Death will take the Staff's place and assume responsibility for this Tower's [Netherworld]."

"......"

"On the other hand, should he fail to do so, he must be prepared to face the consequences."

The Tower Master did not specify what those consequences would be.

She simply added with her characteristic smile, "At the very least, it goes without saying that you will no longer be qualified to challenge me."

I clenched my fists tightly.

"Understood."

"Good."

The Tower Master's smile deepened, this time directed at the mage.

"How about you, Staff of Time Immemorial?"

"…No problem."

The Staff responded, as if carefully holding onto a red autumn leaf, like a branch in fall.

The other Pillars sat at a distance in a circle around us. There were fewer people, but otherwise this place was no different from a colosseum.

The stakes of the duel were no less significant than any gladiatorial arena.

[Announcing the current vote status.]

[King of Death: 0 votes, Abstentions: 2 votes, Staff of Time Immemorial: 3 votes.]

As expected, the start was not in my favor.

I had committed the crime of being troublesome numerous times. Even if the Tower Master said to disregard that, it was impossible not to be influenced. Moreover, the Staff of Time Immemorial had been a colleague, working as a pillar for a long time.

But looking at it from another angle, there were still 2 abstentions among the pillars. Two of them were taking a neutral stance towards me. It wasn't a bad situation for me.

"I should start by saying how deeply disappointed I am in this situation."

The mage was the first to speak.

"King of Death, I made accommodations for you. While keeping within the bounds imposed on an administrator, I showed you as much consideration as those bounds allowed. Is this how you repay that consideration? I meant to support you, the first new star to appear since the Sword Emperor. I could have become your patron. Removing me from my position as a Pillar would be no different from cutting off one of your own fingers."

"......"

"It's not too late even now."

The mage appealed to my interests, reminding me of what had already been granted and what could be granted in the future, emphasizing how much that position and authority could do for me.

It was the simplest yet most powerful method of persuasion.

"Right, I might have made a mistake in appointing Yoo Soo-Ha as the judge. You were right to point that out. I admit it and apologize. But even pillars can make mistakes. To condemn me for a single mistake, isn't that arrogance?"

Next, the mage emphasized personal fallibility, pretending to take one step back while disparaging me for having forced that retreat.

This too was an effective attack. The mage knew well that the outcome of this duel would be decided by a majority vote. Convincing the pillars was more important than convincing me.

"Let's assume you succeed in removing me."

The mage sighed lightly and continued.

"Since the tower's inception, there have been many discussions on what to do with the [Netherworld]. Among them, my view prevailed, and I was given control of the design from the 70th to the 79th floor."

The history of the tower.

"Don't think this is the first time a vote of no confidence against a pillar has been declared. Since the tower was established, many constellations have coveted the position of a pillar. And as a pillar in charge of a sensitive issue, I've been attacked just as much, but..."

Despite all those challenges, the mage who had retained the position of Pillar lightly caught the tip of the staff between the lips.

As if holding a pipe in her mouth.

"In the end, the same issue that the Legislator of the Beginning spoke of obstructed them."

"......"

"It's easy to say I'm wrong. Anyone can point out flaws, but what about responsibility? Do you, King of Death, have an alternative to my heavens?"

Finally, the mage argued why victory was necessary: the mage was competent, and I was incompetent. It was only a relative question, but precisely because it was relative, it could be settled by majority vote.

"I am making the souls happy. It's the happiness they wished for, the happiness they wanted to enjoy, and the happiness I can give. If you can't give them as much as I can, King of Death, you will never defeat me."

The logic, sharp as a sword, struck me in three ways.

It wasn't an attack that would end if I blocked just one; I had to deflect all three directions to keep myself intact.

"Let's hear your response."

"Hmm."

I gently rubbed a handkerchief with my index finger.

Right. If you're going to dig someone else's grave, you should first prepare your own. And I always keep a few graves dug in my heart.

"You did favor me. That's true, mage."

There is no rush.

Start with the easiest sword to deflect.

"You said I was the first divinity to appear after the Sword Emperor and that you intended to support me. But why did you want to support me in the first place? Surely it wasn't because you had a personal liking for me and just wanted to support me for that reason alone."

"......"

"You don't even think highly of the Sword Emperor. You consider him a troublemaker."

I saw your reaction after I cleared the Heaven of Truth.

「You, the biggest troublemakers under the heavens!」

「Sword Emperor. There's a reason you failed to conquer the Zenith of the Heaven.」

It was by no means a favorable response.

"So, just because I’m a hunter challenging the 100th floor doesn't mean you’ll blindly support me. You must have judged that there's something only I can do, right?"

"......."

"You must have your own hidden reasons for supporting me. Whether those reasons are related to the Tower Master or the secrets of the 100th floor, I don't know. But you were just using me for your own purposes, not for my benefit."

"Everyone does that. Are you going to call me self-serving for it?"

The mage's expression remained calm.

My words did not seem to trouble the mage in the slightest.

I looked towards Baron Gu Won-Ha.

[King of Death: 0 votes, Abstentions: 2 votes, Staff of Time Immemorial: 3 votes.]

The vote status was magically engraved above the Baron's head. The score had yet to change.

I reorganized my stance.

"No, and I'm not condemning you just because you made one mistake."

"That's unfortunate. To my eyes, it seems inevitable."

"A mistake is an error committed unintentionally. But what if it was intentional? What if you knew it would happen and merely ignored it? If you knew it was bound to happen, and it was clear it would, but you merely stood by, would that still be a mistake?"

"As if you're saying I deliberately chose the wrong judge."

"Is Yoo Soo-Ha the first?"

"What?"

"I mean, is Yoo Soo-Ha truly your first and only mistake?"

"......."

For the first time, the mage hesitated.

"You decide which heaven Hunters will be assigned to when they die. You judge them. And you misjudged Yoo Soo-Ha as someone who would want heaven. This time, fortunately, I noticed the mistake and could point it out. But were any other Hunters given that opportunity?"

"......."

"Even if you make a mistake, no one can notice. No one could point it out. So it seems like the only mistake, just appearing to be a mere accident. Can you imagine how many mistakes have been hidden over time?"

I could feel the Pillars looking at me.

I didn't even need to amplify my senses with Aura. Their gaze clung to my facial skin, tingling. Yet, I didn't stop.

"There were six heavens during my time breaking through from the 71st to the 76th floor. Out of six, you made a mistake once. Yes, maybe this was just a coincidental mistake. But what if there was one mistake out of 60 times? Or even one out of 600 times? What if there have always been souls sent to the wrong heaven due to your misjudgment or mistake?"

"......."

"Would you still call that a mistake?"

The mage's grip on the staff tightened.

"......There might be. Yes, there might. But so what? I do my best, King of Death. Can you judge better than I can? Who should go to which heaven? Who can be happier? Can you judge it better than I, the Staff of Time Immemorial?"

You cannot.

It was a question filled with certainty.

The Staff of Time Immemorial must have passed judgment on countless souls. The Staff must have reached this point through innumerable misjudgments and repeated trial and error, accumulating unique experience, practical knowledge, and techniques across infinite time and countless tears.

I couldn't deny that.

"Yes. I cannot know better than you."

But that was only true for me.

"So, let's ask directly."

"Ask what?"

"The deceased. The ones who come before you after death, waiting for judgment, why not ask them directly?"

That is the only answer.

"Hunters came to the tower of their own volition. It's their right to decide where to go. If you make judgments on your own without even asking them, the same mistakes will continue to happen. Ask them where they want to go."

"......Ha. Ask them?"

The mage gave a hollow laugh in a tone that plainly rebuked me.

"Fine. Let's see you try asking them! If you can, that is!"

Thud.

As the mage tapped the floor with her staff, white ripples spread through the air.

And from beneath the ripples, black fingers emerged.

-Uuuuuh....

They were human hands.

No, to be precise, shadows flickering in human form.

-Uuuuh, uuuuh....

-Uuuuugh!

Fingers, palms, wrists, all were dyed black. There was no light or shadow, only blackness. Swirling black noise was all that defined their existence.

The vast assembly hall was covered in hundreds of figures of static in an instant.

"......."

Baron Gu Won-Ha clapped lightly.

Clatter, clank, clank!

Chains burst from the ground. The chains swiftly bound each noise.

-Uuuuuuh!

-Ugh…. Grrrrr….

The figures of static growled in their restraints. Their menace was palpable. It seemed they would charge us at once if released from the chains.

"See! This is what you call souls, the ones who have died in the tower!"

The mage shouted.

"Only the emotions from their living moments remain, knowing nothing but screams. They are not wounded but are nothing more than rags with nothing but wounds! These are the lives that have ended, the shattered stones! Essentially, no different from that!"

"......."

"Go on, ask them. Ask in my place where they want to go. They abandoned one world, only to be abandoned by the world in turn. Ask where they must go before they can finally be satisfied. King of Death, I would be ever so grateful if you asked them for me and found out."

The mage seemed to be mocking someone,

Not just me, certainly.

"They have no memories, because they are dead. They do not know why they were hurt. The cause has vanished, leaving only the wound to torment them. No, you could say that anguish itself is what they are. The only answer you can obtain from them is a scream of [It hurts]. Perhaps even that is not an answer. You cannot call the noise of a crumbling stone an answer. I wonder. What can I… what can I possibly ask them?"

Crackle,

A faint image appeared in the ripples spread by the mage.

It was a moving picture.

"I can only watch."

Images played from all around.

Condensed versions of the lives the figures of static had led while alive.

Their faces and laughter from when they were alive were reproduced in the images before being devoured.

"I have no choice but to carefully observe and then make a judgment. That's all. Everything. Yes. Watching alone isn't enough. There are times I don't know. But what more can I do? Apart from [watching], what more can I do here."

Indeed.

So that was it.

I slowly looked around.

-Uoooooo.

-Ugh, uuuuh...!

The figures of static could not meet my gaze. They had no gaze of their own. They could no longer look upon anything or reflect anything. They were deaths that could only be looked upon or broken by outside forces. Countless deaths.

"......."

Death.

"......There is something."

More familiar to me than anything else.

"There is something more we can do here."

We can still do something more.

I turned my face to look at the Staff of Time Immemorial.

"What?"

"There is more we can do beyond just watching and observing their lives, mage. There is still something."

"What are you talking about?"

The mage looked confused.

But to me, everything was clear.

What I can do. What I want to do. If I were to become a Constellation, what Constellation I could be, it all suddenly became clear.

"People tend to do what they have always done."

With that clarity, I acted.

"Come."

Slowly walking forward, I stood in front of the deceased and spread my arms wide.

"Kill me."

Before the mage could understand my words.

The deceased tore at my throat.

[You have died.]

The Staff of Time Immemorial's eyes widened in horror, the sight registering as if in slow motion. Before the mage could fully understand the meaning of my action, had one of the Pillars already seen through my intentions?

A voice resounded.

[The status of the majority vote is being announced.]

[King of Death: 1 vote, Abstentions: 1 vote, Staff of Time Immemorial: 3 votes.]

And then.

[The penalty depth is Highest.]

[Human Realm.]

[Re-enacting the trauma of your killer.]

Let's do more than just watching.

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