[The Bold Move of the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival, Crossing the Republic’s Border Barefoot]

[Today, with a historic secret summit just three days away, Lee Ki-Young, the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival of the Democratic Country, crossed the Republic’s border. As a massive crowd gathered and tensions among the soldiers of both nations escalated, he stepped down from his carriage and crossed into the Republic barefoot.

In truth, this wasn’t the first time a saint of the Democratic Country visited the Republic, but the fact that he set foot on its soil with his bare feet has drawn significant attention. The citizens of the Republic immediately responded with fervent cheers to his appearance, and it is said that Jin Cheong, the Republic’s symbolic hero known as the Hero of Shadows, was highly pleased.

The exact reason why he chose to step onto the Republic’s land himself, and why he greeted the welcoming crowd barefoot, has yet to be revealed, but the prevailing analysis suggests that it was to ease the tension between the soldiers of both nations. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Experts interpret this move by the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival as carrying the intention of completely erasing the remaining military and political tensions between the Democratic Country and the Republic, while also voicing that we, too, must keep pace with the new era he’s about to usher in—an era of peace and great unity.

That’s right. An age of peace is no longer something confined to imagination. While the outcome of this summit is important, it will ultimately be up to the people of this continent to carry forward the first step he has taken, the step he made barefoot. - Reporter Bae Yeon-Seo, Democratic Country Daily.]

“...”

“...”

[The Historic Meeting of the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival and the Hero of Shadows, Both the Republic and the Democratic Country Wept. - Reporter Bae Yeon-Seo, Democratic Country Daily.]

[A Special Broadcast of the Two Symbols’ Conversation, Is the Age of Peace Truly Nigh? Despite the meeting of the two symbols, the leaders of both nations remain silent. Where on earth are Oscar and the Supreme Leader of the Republic, and what are they doing? - Democratic Country Column]

“...”

[Together, the Saint and the Hero Gazed at the Wall Standing Between the Two Nations. What Words Were Passed Between Them?

It’s not only the two countries watching them. The Union of Kingdoms, the Federation, and even the neutral nations continue to report on them day after day. - Continental Times]

‘Damn it...’

— Reporter Bae Yeon-Seo?

— Yes, this is Reporter Bae Yeon-Seo.

— We’re hearing that citizens of the Democratic Country are also gathering at the border. Could you tell us more about the situation on site?

— Yes, reporting from the Republic. As you can see, even after the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival crossed the border into the Republic, the crowds have yet to disperse. As you mentioned, it's not just the citizens of the Republic. Even those from the Democratic Country are gathering at the border. As you can hear, the crowds from both nations are singing songs of peace with the wall between them.

— Yes, we can hear it very clearly.

— It has already been going on for over three hours. It almost feels like a festival. Do you see the people holding candles? Everyone is earnestly praying for the arrival of an age of peace. Here, there’s no sign of the tension that exists between the two nations.

— With such a massive crowd, I understand there are also concerns about safety...

— Yes, both the Democratic Country and the Republic have responded that they didn’t expect such a large crowd to gather. While both nations have dispatched forces to ensure safety, they have also officially announced their intention to cooperate in order to successfully conclude this summit.

— Haha, it already feels as though the curtain is rising on an age of peace. Is there any new information about the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival?

— Unfortunately, the talks with the Republic’s symbol are conducted strictly behind closed doors. With the official summit just three days away, the conversation they’re having...

“I-I’ll change the channel.”

“...”

“...”

— We are together! We sing the song of peace! The song of peace! Yes! We sing the song of peace!

— Forgetting all past conflicts, together!

— This is the scene, everyone! The atmosphere here feels just like a festival! Everyone has gathered here as one!

“...”

“...”

“I’ll change it... again.”

“...”

— This is the site ahead of the Peace Concert. The event was organized after countless bards volunteered to perform for free, and it has only just begun. It’s drawing major attention as the main stage will be headlined by the rapidly rising idol group Sprite from the Democratic Country. We have invited Sprite’s leader, Rell, to join us!

— Hello! I’m Rell, the leader of Sprite!

— You mentioned through your personal social media account that you wanted to participate in this concert yourself. Could you tell us what led to that?

— Personally, I have deeply admired the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival...

“...”

“...”

“Wow... things have really gotten a lot better. Don’t you think so, Commander? I don’t know if the people of the continent are just embracing Earth's culture without any prejudice... but I never thought we’d already have idols.

"Ah... so this is their song? It seems like the music business is trending these days. Would it look a bit strange if our Blue Guild got involved, too?” I[1] asked.

“...”

“Ah, this song is good. Their visuals are nice, too—Huh? It even says they’re former adventurers. You know what an idol is, right, Commander?” I asked.

“...”

“They mentioned something about a Peace Concert—Huh? Take a look at this. This one is popular. Isn’t it pretty fun? It really feels like things are happening exactly the same as on Earth,” I said.

[Rell of Sprite, the Icon of Recklessness! Shocking evidence that she criticized the Honorary Cardinal on her private social media account!]

[Without naming anyone, she reportedly remarked that there’s a certain saint who’s excessively concerned with their appearance, even mocking that it would be better for them to become an idol instead... In response, Inquisitors are expected to conduct a direct investigation into the entertainer known as R.]

[48 Secrets About Sprite’s Rell That You Didn’t Know.]

[Entertainer R, speech patterns copied, habits copied, fashion copied, but is it really true that she admires the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival? The Honorary Cardinal’s fandom scoffs.]

“...”

“Wait... don’t turn the channel. It’s a propaganda show,” I said.

“...”

[The Reason the Entire Continent Has Been Turned Upside Down by the Historic Meeting of the Two Symbols! Why Did the Sunset Swordsman Not Visit the Republic? A Red Light for the Blue Guild, a Green Light for the Republic.]

[What Happened During the Talks Between the Two Symbols? What Caused the Sunset Swordsman to Foam at the Mouth in Agitation?!]

[The Arrival of an Era of Complete Peace and Unity! At Least Someone Is Unable to Smile.]

“...”

“The Republic guys... for some reason... they seem to dislike Hyun-Sung... Didn’t he stay here for a while at one point?” I asked.

“...”

“...”

‘This bastard isn’t saying a single damn word. His insides are as narrow as an old woman[2] ...’

I could say with certainty that the atmosphere was so suffocating that it was hard to even breathe. I understood why he was staging this silent protest, and I could admit that I was partly at fault, but even so, the fact that he refused to say a single word was making me painfully self-conscious.

Honestly, it would be more accurate to say that I felt guilty for no reason.

Who the hell could have expected that one damn invitation would turn into this mess? I had anticipated some level of reaction, but I never thought things would blow up this much.

‘Seriously, this couldn’t be helped. It was unavoidable.’

We decided to hide behind the excuse of a private meeting, and it had been quite a while since we shut ourselves in the reception room of a building near the border, yet he still looked completely out of it. He would occasionally grind his teeth or show flashes of anger, but surprisingly, he didn’t lash out or start cursing me out as a bastard.

Normally, he would have long yelled out, asking what the hell was going on or what kind of scheme I was pulling. He would then call me a bastard over and over. Well, now that I thought about it, it wasn’t like he hadn’t cursed at all.

Before I stepped onto the Republic’s border, he unleashed a barrage of insults over the communication channel, but ever since then, he had been like this.

‘Even back then, it was strange.’

When we actually met, he acted completely normal, even shaking my hand, patting my shoulder, and perfectly putting on a show for the public. I had been sure that once we were alone, I’d get an earful, but since he wasn’t saying anything at all, I was feeling uneasy. His behavior was so unlike him that it was putting me on edge, too.

“Come on, Commander, you know this, too. This really couldn’t be helped. It spread instantly because of Ha-Yan, so there was nothing I could do. I woke up after one night, and everything had already blown up.

"How was I supposed to handle that? If it had been possible to handle, I would have handled it long ago. But even you must know that this has gotten too big to handle, right?” I asked.

“...”

“And the barefoot performance couldn’t be helped, either. You saw it too. The troops on both sides were on the verge of exploding, so I had to step in and change the mood. I thought a war was about to break out.

"Well, maybe not a full war, but if I hadn’t stepped in, something would’ve happened... Okay, yeah, going barefoot might’ve been a bit over the top, but you know how important performance is, right? That’s why you came out to greet me, too...” I explained.

“...”

“I really didn’t expect it to turn out like this, either... This is a crazy situation. With a peace concert and people from the Republic and the Democratic Country singing across the wall, this is a bit...” I paused.

“...”

Commander Jin’s arms were trembling. It seemed he could hear the voices outside singing songs of peace. His face was gradually twisting as if he had finally gathered his thoughts, and it was exactly the look he had right before he exploded in anger, so I braced for it.

I could already imagine him shouting, asking if I had gone insane or what kind of damn goal I had for pulling something like this. Aside from a sigh, however, no other words came out of his mouth.

When I carefully looked at him, I could tell that he was desperately holding back his anger. He was holding it in so hard that his face contorted, and he was even forcing an awkward smile.

‘This bastard... w-why is he acting like this? Has he lost his mind?’

“Yeah... I... can understand,” Commander Jin mumbled.

‘Has he really... lost it?’

“You must have had... circumstances... that couldn’t be helped... of course...” he added.

I could see him continuing with clenched teeth. “There are definitely... parts I can’t accept... but... I had already... taken all of that... into account."

He looked like he hadn’t calculated anything at all.

“Yeah... since you came to the Republic... you said you’d look around... didn’t you?” he asked.

“Huh? Ah... yes...” I answered.

“Until you come to my estate... I’ll arrange a place... for you to stay... and take care of your travel expenses... ngh... and if there’s anything you need... feel free... to tell me... anytime...” he muttered.

“R-really?” I asked.

“Yeah... welcome... to the Republic,” he said.

It wasn’t that he suddenly became kind because I had forgotten him back there.

“I hope you... have a pleasant stay... before you return...”

After being welcomed by him, I naturally came to understand what Ji-Hye noona meant.

“...”

“...”

I finally understood what it meant to be invited by someone who valued face above all else.

‘I-I'm the superior here!’

1. Lee Ki-Young’s POV ☜

2. Veela: What... o.O what does this mean? ☜