✦ Chapter 38 – Hero of the Sword (Candidate), Maya ✦
「Translator – Creator」
𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝
“I heard you’d returned to the capital. Figured this was the only place you’d be.”
“…………..”
“Was that your doing too? You split it cleanly in half.” Gaby gestured towards a massive boulder, cleaved cleanly through its center.
It was the very rock Maya, having awakened her Sword Aura, had bisected with a single strike.
“Impressive. To think you’d reach such a level just as you’re about to come of age. I couldn’t even fathom such a thing at your age.”
Years ago, Maya had arrived in the capital, a young girl clinging tightly to the hand of the master who’d saved her life. This clearing, where she received her first sword and began her training, held a special significance.
From the moment she stepped into rigorous training, she had always stared at that rock.
She had finally cut through the rock she had eyed every day with her sword.
However, despite achieving this long-pursued goal, there was no joy or sense of accomplishment on Maya’s face.
“…How do you even remember my birthday?” she asked, her voice flat, devoid of emotion.
Gaby chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she looked down at her former student. “My, my, such wit. Has anyone ever told you that forgetting your student’s birthday is rather un-masterly?”
“It’s been years since we last saw each other. Why would you remember? It’s only natural to forget someone who’s not around.”
For Maya, whose mind was broken, it was a perfectly reasonable question.
Once a bond is severed, why dwell on the past?
After she left her former life and became a candidate for a Hero, she didn’t dwell on the past.
She’d clung to her master’s teachings, absorbing everything that could aid her survival, but the rest? Those memories had been discarded, deemed irrelevant.
…But Gaby’s perspective was entirely different.
“Even when someone isn’t by your side, precious bonds don’t break, Maya.”
Her gaze shifted to the long stream flowing beyond the clearing.
She looked at the shade cast by the swaying willows by the water’s edge.
It was a place they’d often sought refuge after training, master and student sharing quiet moments of peace.
“You may believe you left everything behind when you left this place, but your absence, Maya, lingered. An unforgettable, irreplaceable void that I could neither overlook nor forget.”
Maya, who had been silent, slowly lifted her head at Gaby’s words.
Looking in the same direction as her mentor, she gazed at the stump of the willow tree and quietly asked.
“I watched <Farewell My Concubine>. Both parts.”
“Yes. I see.”
“I heard you were involved in the production. Did you write the second part?”
A slight tremor ran through her right hand, the hand that gripped the peerless blade, Eternal Snow.
Her eyes, vacant and unfocused, stared into the distance as she spoke, her voice cold and sharp.
“Did you write it that way on purpose? Knowing I would see it?”
“Of course not. I only served as an advisor.”
Gaby’s gaze softened as she looked at her former student, her eyes lingering on the butterfly-shaped pearl hairpin she’d gifted Maya years ago. It was nestled securely in Maya’s braided blue hair, styled exactly as Gaby always did.
“The script was entirely written by the Hero of the Pen candidate, Phantom. From the first part showing Xiang Yu’s rise, to the second part showing his downfall, it was all him.”
“………….”
Silence descended once more, a heavy, pregnant silence.
The student, stubbornly refusing to speak, and the master, patiently indulging her.
Like a snowfall that gives way to blooming buds, it was a serene yet somber silence, both cold and warm.
“…I thought if I had power, I could do anything.”
Finally, it was Maya who broke the quiet.
“If I had power, I wouldn’t need to grovel. If I had power, there would be no need to fear. If I had power, there would be no need to compromise. And if I had power…”
…I wouldn’t have to lose anything, ever again.
Believing this, she had devoted herself solely to the sword.
Her broken mind whispered the same refrain every day.
Feeling helpless, watching her parents die miserably.
A child who might have met the same fate if Gaby hadn’t saved her.
If she had power, she had always believed, such tragedies wouldn’t happen.
But the second part of <Farewell My Concubine> had shattered that belief.
“Are you absolutely sure…you didn’t write any part of it? That the Hero of the Pen candidate actually wrote it that way?”
“Yes, Maya. I assure you, I had nothing to do with the script. And you, having seen the first part, must understand.”
“………….”
“Phantom…that man… he has a deep understanding of the true nature of power. How it can be used to achieve greatness, how it can shake the very foundations of the world, and…”
Gaby sighed, her expression tinged with sadness.
“…how it can lead to utter ruin if one relies on it solely.”
Xiang Yu, who fell due to relying solely on brute strength.
Xiang Yu, who lost everything dear to him because he only trusted in his power.
It was a story that challenged everything Maya believed in, yet it resonated with her on a deep, visceral level.
Of course, it wasn’t just the compelling and intricately woven narrative of <Farewell My Concubine> that had shaken her.
The Heart Demon that plagued Xiang Yu’s mind, the Slaughter Calamity that drove him to madness — it resonated far too closely with her own inner demons.
The impulses that always circled her mind, urging her toward slaughter and violence.
The taunts that mocked her, claiming her parents died because of her weakness.
“…………..”
Suddenly, Maya recalled the confrontation between King Xiang Yu and Liu Bang on Guangwu Mountain.
The words Liu Bang shouted were still vivid in her mind, as Xiang Yu held his father, Liu Taigong, hostage.
‘Xiang Yu! We are sworn brothers, aren’t we? So my father would be your father too! How dare you threaten to boil your own parent, you unfilial wretch! Go ahead, if you want! Just make sure the broth is well-cooked and send me a bowl!’
…Of course, Liu Bang’s fierce mockery left a strong impression.
Even Liu Bang’s few fans couldn’t help but shake their heads, thinking ‘That’s a bit much.’
But what truly captivated Maya was the next part.
The original lines added by playwright Phantom to heighten the drama.
‘Kill, kill, KILL! Such a vile word rolls off your tongue so easily! Did you not claim to have drawn your righteous sword to survive in this cruel world?”
Liu Bang, refusing to yield to Xiang Yu’s threats, rebuked him with righteous fury.
‘Yet now you swing that sword, ready to take a life at the slightest provocation! Answer me, Xiang Yu! Do you kill to live, or do you live to kill?!’
Kill to live, or live to kill.
The moment she heard this, a tiny crack formed in Maya’s heart.
The armor she’d donned to shield herself from the pain of her parents’ deaths, the unwavering belief that power was the only path to protecting what she held dear — it had begun to crumble.
“I’m a Hero Candidate.”
“I know, Maya.”
“I’m not like the villains who murdered my parents. I’m a Hero candidate. I wield my sword to protect what is mine.”
She spoke as if to convince herself, her words clipped and emotionless.
But then, in a voice suddenly weary and drained of spirit, she questioned Gaby.
“Was Xiang Yu wrong? Is it wrong to seek power? Is it true that even with all the power in the world… I still won’t be able to protect what I cherish?”
“There is nothing in this world that is inherently evil, Maya.”
*Flap*
The empty sleeve of Gaby’s robe fluttered gently in the breeze.
Gaby moved closer to Maya, kneeling before her. With her one good arm, she gently caressed her former student’s cheek.
“It’s only natural to seek strength to protect what you cherish. The world is a cruel and unforgiving place, and without power, you risk falling prey to those who wish to harm you.”
“………..….”
“But if you try to solve everything with just that one thing, that’s when problems arise. The more you fixate on something, the narrower your perspective becomes, and a narrow perspective will prevent you from making wise decisions. Life isn’t that simple.”
“…I hated the evil that took my parents from me.”
“I know, child.”
“I couldn’t bear the thought of losing anything else. So, I decided… I would destroy every shred of evil in my path. I would become so strong that nothing could ever be taken from me again. If I just eliminate every evil I encounter, then surely…”
Her voice cracked, the words catching in her throat.
A tightness constricted her chest, a familiar sensation that often accompanied the memories she tried so hard to suppress.
“Why didn’t you forget about me, Gaby?”
“………..…”
“I said such horrible things to you before I left. I abandoned you. I told you I never wanted to see you again… Why didn’t you?”
“I’m sorry, Maya.”
Instead of a long-winded answer, Gaby simply pulled her close, embracing her former student in a warm, comforting hug.
With her one arm.
Yet it was more tender than any two-armed embrace could ever be.
“I’m sorry for not understanding you. I’m sorry for failing to guide you down a better path. I’m sorry for not seeing your pain. It’s my fault, Maya. I failed to teach you properly.”
“…You’ve gotten much smaller.”
“Ha-ha, you’ve just grown up. I’m glad to see you’ve grown up healthy without any injuries.”
Their words, tender and heartfelt, transcended the boundaries of master and student, blurring the lines between parent and child.
Maya remained silent, but she didn’t pull away from the embrace.
For it had been a long time since she had been held like this, and Gaby’s arms brought the same peace she felt as a child in her parents’ loving embrace.
[O’ Heavens, please forgive the transgressions of the Hegemon-King.]
[Never forget, my lord. You were never alone.]
The image of Fan Zeng, cast aside by Xiang Yu yet expressing concern for his former student even as he breathed his last, and Yu Ji, sacrificing everything to save the man she loved from his own destructive path… The two figures merged into one, and a single tear slipped down Maya’s cheek.
Why was she crying? She couldn’t explain it. But she couldn’t stop the tears, these strange, unfamiliar droplets that seemed to flow from a hidden well deep within her.
With enough power, nothing can be taken from you?
What a foolish notion. She’d been wrong from the very beginning.
In her quest for power, Maya had left the capital and, with her own hands, abandoned everything.
She thought she had already lost it all, but it turned out that her other parents were always by her side.
“Will you take me back? If I say I want to stay by your side again… will you allow it?”
The image of Xiang Yu, consumed by Heart Demon, forever losing the chance to reconcile with his mentor, flashed in her mind.
Reflecting on that, Maya asked the question, and Gaby responded warmly.
“I’ve missed you, Maya. And I’m so glad you’ve returned.”
In the real world, Fan Zeng and Xiang Yu never reconciled, their paths tragically diverging.
But here, in this distant, otherworldly place, their bond was beautifully mended in a completely different form.
Thanks to two plays penned by Balthazar, a student of Professor Gaby.
✧❅✦❅✧
“A-are you… sniffle… the great Phantom? I-it’s an honor… sob… to finally meet you.”
“The honor is all mine, Your Highness.”
A young boy, seated in an opulent drawing-room, gazed at me with tear-filled eyes.
As I sat across from him, I struggled to hide my astonishment and responded politely.
This was Wolfgang von Clausewitz, the younger brother of Princess Diana by a significant age difference, and the son of Emperor Heinrich — the very child who’d sparked the <Admiral Lee> craze with his enthusiastic endorsement of Phantom’s debut play.
With black hair inherited from his father and lime-green eyes from his sister, the combination was quite striking.
Despite being just 12 years old, his demeanor was dignified and mature, truly befitting a royal family member.
…Though, at this particular moment, the tears streaming down his face were somewhat undermining that regal aura.
“I-I apologize for saying this upon our first meeting… sniffle… but you’ve gone too far this time! How could you… how could you let Xiang Yu…?”
“Um, are you talking about Xiang Yu, Your Highness?”
I was momentarily startled into silence.
I hadn’t realized how consistent I’d been with my… penchant for tragic endings. Apart from <Exodus> and <Chaplin’s Comedy>, none of Phantom’s plays had ended on a happy note.
Admiral Yi had met his end on the battlefield, felled by a stray bullet.
Caesar had been assassinated during a senate meeting.
Socrates had chosen death over escape, calmly accepting his fate.
And now, even the seemingly invincible Xiang Yu had succumbed to a tragic demise?
From the young prince’s perspective, I must seem like a psychopath — a playwright who reveled in the slaughter of his own protagonists.
Was that why he’d summoned me? To confront the man responsible for the untimely deaths of his fictional heroes?
“Waaaah! My…my prized Twin Dragon Blades…!”
The boy, his composure momentarily forgotten, rubbed his swollen eyes with his fists. His voice, thick with indignation, trembled as he spoke.
“I bought them at auction! They were the original props used in the premiere of Admiral Yi! They’re… they’re irreplaceable!”
“…I beg your pardon?”
The Twin Dragon Blades?
What in the world was he talking about? Someone needed to explain this sudden plot twist, and fast.
— End of Chapter —
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